Hi there Olfactoria’s Travellers,
Portia in the OT house from Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse
I’d like to take a moment to thank (and blame) Sandra from OT for bringing me into contact with these lovely range of fragrances. If it wasn’t for her I may have let this house go by without even testing it. There’s just too much coming out to get to it all but when a girlfriend whose taste you trust implicitly tells you that she thinks a house may be right up your alley, you listen and you sample.
Une Nuit a Doha Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Fennel, mandarin orange, ginger
Heart: Immortelle, tobacco
Base: Vanilla, vetiver
How is this not the biggest hit of the range? After spritzing I take a deep breath and my eyes roll back in my head and a sort of low humming moan/purr sound comes from my throat. It’s not a response I get from a lot of fragrances but there is something in the sweet, green, spicy opening that really sets bells ringing in my brain and pulse. Thick, glutinous and heavy heart and base all play along in a treacle like undercurrent but fitted with glorious wings of ginger licorice that lifts and sparkles across the top making all the heft seem to be shimmering and weightless. Floating.
It’s an interesting and beautiful contrast that keeps me right on the edge of my nose because even after wearing Une Nuit a Doha regularly I am still unsure of where it will go, the green and the amber seem to be happily fighting for supremacy and the war is wonderful to smell.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
After an hour or so the fireworks are over and Une Nuit a Doha softens and melts into a simple tobacco scent. OK, simple is too strong a word but much of the complexity leaves and the tobacco, sweetened by what feels very honeyed immortelle, is the main player for me. This is the part that the few reviews I read on Fragrantica were complaining about saying the fragrance starts out amazing and then turns ordinary. I don’t find it ordinary but it is less showbiz, more a refined and beautifully warm aura of scent.
Photo Stolen Flickr
I am left after sleeping with an amber/tobacco wash that makes my skin smell amazing. It’s very close to the skin but once you notice it, hang on, I can smell the dry grassy rasp of the vetiver too now I think about it. Interesting. Lovely.
First In Fragrance has €148/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5.25/.5ml
Have you spent any time time with the Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 range? Which spoke to you or which would you like to try?
Portia x
Olfactoria's Travels 
Fabulous. I am not into immortelle really but I love the sound of the amber tobacco base notes (and your purring, guttural rasp). I agree: such reactions are so rare these days and it is very exciting to have one.
Heya! How great to see you here.
Yes, sometimes from nowhere, with no warning beauty attacks.
Does immortelle smell bad to you or do you have a reaction?
Portia xx
It’s that orangey, curdled herbalness that freaks one out. There are certain essential oils like fennel, fenugreek, immortelle – the kind of mid-range spice herbals – that I can’t quite abide. Dior Eau Noire, for example, is just a horror show for me.
And the worst is Comme Des Garcons Patchouli: the sweet powdery fenugreek at the centre of it is absolute Chunder Central.
Ha Ha Ha ha! I LOVE fenugreek, we put it in curry. YUMMY!
You poor bugger. Can you handle them on others?
Babe don’t get me wrong. In food I love it all. And LOVE curry. And celery I can shove in as a snack til the cows come home. But celery in perfume…….BLEUUUURGHGHGHGHGH
He He He he. Can’t wait till we meet face to face. I think it will be fun. XXX
Indeed. Especially Tokyo karaoke.
Excellent Portia! I am so happy you found one that you enjoy so much. I love many in the 777 range and am adoring Mortal Skin now. SHL has a passion and a talent that I hope will continue for a very long time. xoxo
Hey Hey Sandra,
YOU are at fault here, thank you beautiful.
Great gouts of fragrant bliss.
Portia xx
Nice review, Portia. This sounds perfect for you. I know Sandra and Lady Jane Grey (and now you!) are fans of the line.
I would be really interested in trying the iris one.
Thanks Tara,
Well the cheer squad are all top notch, that’s a line up I’d be proud amongst any day.
Do they have them in London? Shall we seek them out?
Portia xx
I’ll find out ready for Jan!
Hi Portia ! As Tara mentioned I’m a big fan of SHL and am excited to see a review from you for Doha. My favorite is Black Gemstone – but I think you’d enjoy Soleil de Jeddah
i am so new to the brand Lady Jane Grey, you’ll have to give me some more time wearing and wafting. So far Doha is a standout and I have spent some time wearing Khôl de Bahreïn but as you already know time will tell which one becomes my favourite.
Portia xxx
as a child, i lived in doha in 80s for a year and a half..but i think today’s doha is completely different from that Doha of the 80s
WOW! I bet it’s changed beyond recognition Fazal.
Portia xx
i have not visited Doha since that time in 80s but i think i would be kinda sad to find it beyond recognition..that Doha might not have been modern but it did look very Arab with a dash of modernism…they still had rolls royces etc. back then too but now it may be too much of a Dubai, I assume
[late to the party]
I love, love, Black Gemstone and Une nuit a Doha, but I also like Mortal Skin because for some reason it reminds me of picnics (in the brief version). Qom Chilom is nice and pretty (the woods play out on me more than the vanilla thank heavens) and needs more extensive wear. Khôl de Bahreïn … started gorgeously and then did what every iris does on me and went feral. Paired with the sweetness, the sickly rot tends to make people nearby get a bit cross eyed. Even if I will tolerate it until the base kicks in when even I can’t cope. Ohira is lovely, but so far beyond my price range I don’t bother with trying to like it more. Must try Soleil de Jeddah and the Oudh (smoke!), and I haven’t got to Rose de Petra yet.