Chergui

Chergui, inspired by Serge Lutens Chergui (2001)

The brand ties Chergui to a hot desert wind, and the opening has a scorched quality: smoky tobacco leaf and rose with a little camphor. Honey then rises through the middle, turning the texture creamy and round. Iris adds a faint powderiness while incense keeps a thread of smoke going. In the drydown honey, mellow tobacco and hay settle together, the hay coming from coumarin, a material that smells of sweet, freshly dried grass.

About the original

Chergui launched in 2001 as an exclusive of the Serge Lutens Palais Royal salon in Paris and was made available worldwide in 2005. It is credited to Christopher Sheldrake. Serge Lutens describes a candied scent of sap, resin and elixir, with scorched shrubs giving way to amber. Today it belongs to the Collection Noire as an eau de parfum, and since the brand publishes no note list, the notes given here are the commonly quoted ones.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Serge Lutens stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Sweetness is the main thing to weigh up: some people find Chergui cloying, powdery or reminiscent of an older man's cologne. Honey and tobacco lovers tend to reach for it in autumn and winter.

Related scents

• Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan
• Guerlain Tobacco Honey
• Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille

Notes of the original fragrance, as listed in fragrance references.

Notes: Tobacco Leaf, Honey, Iris, Sandalwood, Amber, Musk, Incense, Rose, Hay

Tobacco leaf and rose open with a dry, smoky edge and a touch of camphor.

Honey builds in the heart, joined by iris and incense, and the texture turns creamy.

The base settles on honey, mellow tobacco and hay, with amber, sandalwood and musk underneath.

Does Chergui smell more of tobacco or honey?

Both. Tobacco and rose dominate the opening, while honey takes over as it develops and stays into the drydown with hay and amber.

Is Chergui powdery?

A little. Iris and the honeyed amber give some wearers a powdery impression, especially later on.

Was Chergui once exclusive?

Yes. It was sold only at the Serge Lutens Palais Royal salon in Paris from 2001 until its wider release in 2005.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Serge Lutens and Chergui are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Serge Lutens in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.