Fourreau Noir Serge Lutens

Source: parfumka.pro

Source: eat-spin-run-repeat.com

The one and only lavender for me. That's probably because what I get from Fourreau Noir is a warm gourmand heaven made up of almond and lavender cookies/cupcakes/shortbread/ice-cream (insert desired sin here) and the awakened cravings sent me into a frenzy on Google searching for dessert recipes to try out this weekend which I have shared below. 

Lavender almonds.
Source: www.foodily.com

On one hand I associate lavender with apothecary potions and lotions meant to soothe the soul, on the other hand the scent of lavender takes me back to summer holidays in Provence and the Loire Valley, gorgeous old villages, sweeping countryside landscapes with fields of purple and yellow interspersed with vineyards . In Forreau Noir the lavender smells so realistic as if crushing the buds between your fingers that emit a relaxing scent both floral sweet and herbal with a hint of lemon, blending with bitter almonds, the same almond note that you find in both Louve and Rahat Loukoum but with varying amounts of bitterness. The almond in Forreau Noir is creamy as if ground to a smooth paste with salted butter ready to be made into almond shortbread. The overall picturesque image this conjures up is gamboling about in a Monet-esque field or garden under the sun with a picnic basket filled with all sorts of treats including of course almond-lavender baked goodies. 

Almond-Lemon-Lavender cupcakes.
Source: bostonsweetieblog.blogspot.com

Lavender almond tea-cakes.
Source: theliveinkitchen.com

I tried Serge Lutens' other lavender Gris Clair but similar to the cool medicinal opening of Louve it was too chilly and distant for me to love being more like a frosted morning in lavender fields. It's a personal choice but I much prefer their warmer counterparts Fourreau Noir and Rahat Loukoum respectively. 

Forreau Noir starts quite potent but its trail gets weaker over time, still remaining on skin for the better part of the day.