Which Stéphane Humbert Lucas sample to try first
Stéphane Humbert Lucas is a painter and poet who sees his perfumes in colours. Eight samples from the 777 and Serpent collections, ordered by ratings, with a note map.
Stéphane Humbert Lucas is a painter and poet before he is a perfumer, a synesthete who says he sees his fragrances in colours. His Paris house calls itself an artistic house of luxury fragrance with no marketing concessions. The first collection, La Collection 777, launched in 2012 and draws on his travels in the Middle East, and the number seven is his personal symbol of perfection, luck and protection. The Serpent collection retells snake legends from Mexico to China, in bottles that carry the theme. The pyramid levels are called Fulgurance, Métamorphose and Quintessence. A perfume told as a myth is easy to read on paper and hard to judge, so a Stéphane Humbert Lucas sample is the honest first step.
Stéphane Humbert Lucas: eight samples, ordered by ratings
We ordered the samples on our list by the number of ratings each perfume has collected on Parfumo, as gathered by NicheGems. Rating counts show how widely a perfume is discussed, not how good it is. Every perfume here is an Eau de Parfum, and the notes are given as the house records them.
God of Fire (2022) is named after the Aztec god Xiuhtecuhtli: mango, lemon, pink berries and ginger, then blue coumarin, jasmine and dry woods, over oud, nagarmotha, musk and amber.
Black Gemstone (2013) is a tribute to the Black Stone of Mecca: an infusion of three cedars and Sicilian lemon, myrrh tar, then incense, teak and tonka.
Taklamakan (2016) is named after the desert on the Silk Road: Calabrian bergamot, osmanthus and neroli, then Chinese cedar and Indian patchouli, over vanilla, cistus, benzoin and musk.
Mortal Skin (2015) tells a snake’s pursuit in three acts: blackberry, saffron and cardamom, then sandalwood, opoponax and iris, over labdanum, musk and ambergris.
Venom Incarnat (2022) is a red love potion: blackberry, strawberry and caramel, then raspberry, Virginia cedar and cinnamon, over tonka bean, black vanilla, patchouli and Russian leather.
Soleil de Jeddah (2013) evokes golden dunes at midday: lemon, wild chamomile oil and osmanthus, then iris roots, amber and earthy notes, over iris butter, Russian leather and Madagascan vanilla.
Soleil de Jeddah Mango Kiss (2022) is the fruitier, moderate take: mango, chamomile and orange blossom, then ylang ylang, amber and coconut, over iris butter, Siam benzoin and vanilla.
Sand Dance (2022) follows the Kalbelia dancers of Rajasthan: whisky cream, mandarin and coriander, then cocoa, sandalwood and Kashmir wood, over benzoin, cedar, styrax, patchouli and tonka bean. Pink Boa and Sea my Love complete the ten.
The Stéphane Humbert Lucas note map
Oud is the dark core of God of Fire, and sandalwood runs through Mortal Skin and Sand Dance. Vanilla sits in Taklamakan, Venom Incarnat, both Soleil de Jeddah perfumes, and leather in Venom Incarnat and Soleil de Jeddah. Incense belongs to Black Gemstone, saffron to Mortal Skin and cocoa to Sand Dance. The oud samples guide places God of Fire among other houses.
A first order of God of Fire, Taklamakan and Soleil de Jeddah covers fruit and oud, a desert road and golden amber. Most of the line suits the evening and winter, while Mango Kiss suits warmer days. How to test perfume on skin gives a simple routine.
From Stéphane Humbert Lucas sample to bottle
If one holds up over several wearings, the bottle is the next step. Our vial is filled by FragranceGems from the original bottle and labelled by us; Stéphane Humbert Lucas is not involved and it is not a brand sample. The first perfume in full size is at Stéphane Humbert Lucas God of Fire. The sample set page shows how to combine vials, and the FAQ covers filling and labels.
FAQ
Which Stéphane Humbert Lucas sample should I try first?
God of Fire. It has the most Parfumo ratings of the ten on our list, and its mango, lemon and ginger over blue coumarin, jasmine, oud and nagarmotha show both the fruit and the dark side of the house.
What are 777 and the Serpent collection?
777 is the first collection, from 2012, drawn from the creator’s travels in the Middle East. The Serpent collection retells snake legends from Mexico to China, with perfumes such as God of Fire, Mortal Skin and Venom Incarnat.
Why does the house call the levels by other names?
The brand names the three levels of its pyramids Fulgurance for the top, Métamorphose for the heart and Quintessence for the base. We list them as top, heart and base, in the same order.
