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I ordered a bunch of Serge Lutens fragrances, almost two years ago, and thought that I had done write ups for all of them. Apparently, I missed posting about two of them, and need to rectify that oversight. One, is the subject of today’s entry, Bapteme du Feu. What does this one smell like? How does it perform? Is it worth a try?

What does Bapteme du Feu Smell Like (Review)?

Notes include: tangerine, wood, gingerbread, cinnamon, clove

Click here to try: Bapteme Du Feu by Serge Lutens Eau De Parfum 50 ml Spray 

My Full Wear Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Serge Lutens describes this fragrance: Imagine a village fair where the smell of gunfire from the shooting range mingles with the sweeter aroma of gingerbread, cinnamon, clove, and candied orange and you have Bapteme du Feu!

Right from the start, you know this is going to be an odd fragrance. I mean, just read the description. Once, you spray it on, its uniqueness doesn’t suddenly disappear.

Bapteme du feu opens up with a juicy and quite sugary blast of orange or tangerine. Yes, it really does have a candied aroma, and smells quite intense. Not too out of the ordinary, as many scents have a strong citrus.

However, then the gunpowder note comes in. It’s a warm spent cartridge smell. A bit smoky, somewhat powdery from mixing with the other ingredients, and hangs in the air with a metallic smell.

At first, this note gets mixed with some spiciness. Cinnamon and gingerbread, come through more, later in the wear. Near the start though, I get a lot of clove. It’s super sweet orange, clove, and gunpowder. Man, I really don’t care for these smells combined together.

Does Bapteme du Feu get better, as it moves along? Yes, once the clove dies down, I can stand it more. It continues into being more gingerbread dominant, with orange highlights, and a general hazy smoke aroma. That’s essentially what it is for the rest of its cycle.

So, expect a warm, sweet, baked goods, spicy, gunpowder smell.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

On my skin, this projects very well, but isn’t suffocating. The sillage is as strong as it needs to be and shouldn’t be an issue, unless you over spray, and have it become an annoyance.

The longevity is actually quite good. It hung around for about 9 hours or so, for me. Not a complete powerhouse, throughout, but did a fine job at not dying out early.

Is this a versatile scent? Not really, at all. It’s a cold weather wear, that’s for sure. It’s so odd, that I don’t know when you’d be able to wear it. It’s not really formal, professional, or sexy. I guess you could throw on Bapteme du Feu, as a casual wear, simply for yourself.

Overall Impression of Bapteme du Feu

Do I like this Serge Lutens perfume? Personally, no. I’ll give it points for being unique, but I really don’t like the smell.

At times, it’s like being surrounded by orange candy. Then, it reminds me of being in an arts and crafts store as a kid. There was always one aisle with candles and various other products, filled with spices like clove, and woods. I hated that smell.

Then, there is the gun smoke. I actually don’t mind that smell, in real life, but in a fragrance? Why? It has no appeal.

This is a definite niche perfume. I imagine some folks will love Bapteme du Feu, I’m not one of them. But hey, if it sounds like something for you, the performance is a strength at least.

I found a box of samples, in my closet, from which I had yet to review a dozen or more fragrances. To my surprise, I had left a couple of Parfums de Marly scents in there, and never gave a full review on either. One of these colognes is, Ispazon. How does this one smell? What’s in it? How does it perform? Please continue below for my full take.

What does Ispazon Smell Like?

Notes include: lime, amber, vanilla, cedar, lily of the valley, bay leaf, orange, lemon

My Full Review

Before I get into my personal review of Ispazon, let’s see what Parfums de Marly has to say about it: “A woody-oriental scent named after the native breed from the Netherlands renowned for its grace and beauty, opens with the freshness of lime and laurel notes to settle into an oriental base of amber and vanilla.”

When I initially received a bunch of Parfums de Marly samples and read the descriptions of each, I immediately thought that Ispazon would have been my favorite. Lime, amber, and vanilla? Sounds like something that I would enjoy.

However, after testing it out for the first time, over a year ago. I detested the scent and wanted nothing more to do with it. Obviously, I’ve circled back to retry Ispazon, and see if it would be better with more distance from my first reaction.

I think that my main issue, was with how it starts. I was expecting something smoother, creamier, and with a great citrus highlight. What I’m met with is a spicy citrus, which utilizes bay leaf and thyme. It’s sharp and herbal. Ispazon feels intense and sort of bothersome up top.

It’s less annoying than I remember, at the start, but still not something that I particularly like. After a few minutes, though, it starts to feel much more like a green scent and I get floral undertones. The citrus sharpness fades somewhat and what emerges is better.

The scent begins to turn to becoming a woodsy masculine scent. It has a fairly big dose of cedar, which gives this PdM scent, a super dry freshness. At this stage, you get mostly everything that Ispazon has to offer. A big bay leaf note, with cedar riding shotgun, thyme, with some remaining citrus, and lily of the valley.

What of the vanilla and amber? Truthfully, they aren’t very noticeable, until late into the game. Even then, there is a slight warmth and familiar sweetness. Does it change the smell of Ispazon? Yes, somewhat. It’s not a massive difference, however.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

The sillage on this one isn’t super strong, but it is quite good. It’ll project itself, in a decent radius around you, for a few hours before dialing it back in.

The longevity is also good, but not elite. I seem to hit that 7-9 hour range, on my skin. Not much more than that and perfectly satisfactory, for most everyone’s purposes. Ispazon does have very good performance overall.

Seasonally, you do get to enjoy plenty of time with this fragrance. It’s not a heavy winter scent, nor is it an aquatic summertime wear. It just really never feels out of place, maybe excluding, the absolute hottest days with high humidity. Outside of that? It’ll be good.

Ispazon has a masculine and mature vibe. Not old mannish, but not really something most younger guys would want to wear either. This scent could be worn casually, to an office, or out for an evening. It doesn’t strike me as one to have limited possibilities.

Overall Impression of Ispazon

Do I like Ispazon? More than I did, but it’s still not my style. I do have a much better appreciation for this fragrance. It’s definitely not a ‘bad’ scent, by any means.

You’re going to have to like the smell of bay leaf. That, cedar, and thyme are major players in this cologne. So, expect a herbal green, woody, fresh, and spicy scent. If that doesn’t sound appealing, move on to something else.

I’m not sure that PdM even makes this anymore. I couldn’t find a bottle on their website or on Amazon, for that matter. Perhaps, look to the discount retailers, if you’re interested.

Update: Yeah, looks like it’s discontinued.

It’s unique, versatile, and performs well. Whether or not, you personally take to its structure, will determine its worth.