Bret Michaels was wrong! Not every rose has its thorn—well, at least in the case of this new rose from Serge Lutens, La Fille Tour de Fer. To be fair to Bret, it seems as though Serge and Sheldrake deliberately removed any thorns, edginess, or nuance from La Fille Tour de Fer. The brand’s note pyramids are never quite as they seem, but the stark pyramid for this latest rose (Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose, iris, and pink pepper) pretty much nails it. For better or worse, La Fille Tour de Fer is the most simplistic rose in the Serge Lutens canon.
Undoubtedly, it’s the easiest-to-wear rose scent from the brand. La Fille Tour de Fer comes across as fresher and less metallic than La Fille de Berlin, less gothic, dark, and rich than Rose de Nuit and Berlin, and less sweet, honeyed, and woody than Sa Majesté la Rose. There’s nothing bold, operatic, opulent, or typically Lutensian about this rose. Indeed, I’d position it more in line with the undemanding Tea Rose by The Perfumers Workshop.
La Fille Tour de Fer smells fresh, fruity, and green, with spicy pink pepper punctuating the opening. It’s pretty much a soliflore, the promised iris is barely there to my nose. Its presence is marked only by the pink, soft, round, supple edges La Fille Tour de Fer exhibits during its development. It’s a no-frills take on rose.
The ingredients list two types of roses: Turkish and Bulgarian. Each rose variety injects spicy, fresh, velvety nuances into the scent. However, somehow, even their aspects are played down. The shock value is low—no woods, thorns, stems, or earthiness. Indeed, it smells like it’s only the rose flower itself here. Pretty and pink, without swerving into makeup or powdery cosmetic territory. Certainly, powdery scents like Rose Chérie and Lipstick Rose bury themselves into the makeup bag far more than this. Instead, I think of a pinkish/red rose glistening in the sun, smelling slightly fruity and spicy with lemony tea-like facets.
I like the three other rose scents from Serge Lutens but do not love them. And It sounds like I don’t like La Fille de Tour Fer, but I kind of do. I’m not thrilled about it, but it doesn’t make me sing any sad, sad songs. I’d probably pick this one to wear (as a daily driver) out of the other three Serge rose scents. But, if I wanted intricacy, I’d go with another. Honestly, though, my favourite Serge Lutens scent featuring a heavy dose of rose is Santal Majuscule. And I prefer Chanel’s sparkly rose homage to Paris from a couple of years ago over this Serge.
The dry-down is faintly sweet and musky, fading to creamy white without relying heavily on synthetic woods, vanilla, patchouli, or ambers to extend longevity. Consequently, I only get about 4-6 hours from this rose. That’s okay; it allows me to change my perfume during the day. La Fille Tour de Fer never outstays its welcome.
You’ll not see many reviews of this rose scent on social media as the brand eschews such publicity. Their track record and perfumes speak for themselves. They don’t need the exposure. But, I wonder, without the fanfare to pump its tyres, whether La Fille Tour de Fer will be distinctive or bold enough to make any real impact in perfumery’s already crowded rose garden.
Have you tried this rose? Do you have a favourite rose from Serge Lutens?
Note: All photos are my own. I purchased the La Fille Tour de Fer decant used for this post.