Serge Lutens Collection Noire x 9

We won’t lie. The French perfumer’s unisex fragrances are not easy to understand, and sometimes not easy to like. They can swing from surprisingly pleasant or complex and strange to what-was-he-thinking weird. That hasn’t made his products (a commercial line, below, and a super-exclusive one) any less desirable – the 75-year-old guy has a cult following. How do we know? He has upsized h is 16 best-selling EDPs from 50ml to 100ml, because his fans said so.

Here are the nine we prefer. $280 each, Escentials. Each bottle comes with an additional spray nozzle. – SW

Spicysmoky- woody. Smells like Old Spice.

Mostly smoky (from tobacco) and slightly sweet (from honey).

Serge Lutens first created this heavy fruity-woody scent for Shiseido in 1992. He added it to his line in 2009, and it remains his global bestseller.

Clean linen-ish with a synthetic kick.

This one is a super-normal, sophisticated, fruity floral.

Bitter grass – but not piercing.

This herbalsmelling rose is the bestseller in Singapore.

It’s not just orangey; it’s smoky orangey.

It’s like vanilla ice cream with coconut essence.