Best De Profundis by Serge Lutens Alternatives & Similar Perfumes
De Profundis by Serge Lutens is a floral fragrance distinguished by carnation and violet softened by green notes of cut grass and the hushed damp earth accord. Incense adds a smoky depth while plum tree brings subtle fruitiness, resulting in a complex, grounded scent that balances freshness with warmth. Those interested in floral compositions with green and earthy facets should consider perfumes that emphasise carnation, violet, cut grass or damp earth accords.
Quelques Fleurs L'Original by Houbigant £160.00
- Key notes:
- carnation
- orris (iris root)
- violet
- ylang-ylang
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- vintage/old school
In 1912, Houbigant's perfumer Robert Bienaimé picked up the ball from Paul Parquet (who earlier invented the whole fougere category while working for Houbigant at the end of the 18th century) and introduced Quelques Fleurs, one of Houbigant’s all-time great fragrances and the first multi-floral bouquet ever created.
The current owners of Houbigant take the heritage and history of the house very seriously and try to adapt the famous formulas from the 18th and 19th centuries to the 21st century's tastes and technologies while keeping the character and old-school flair as close as possible to the originals.
You might have read about Quelques Fleurs in books on perfume and the guides on the greatest perfumes of all time.
The current reincarnation is an adaptation of the original formula to modern times taste and it benefits from modern advances in perfume making.
Meet the 21st century Quelques Fleurs, a gorgeous romantic floral with a big history and an infinite number of floral facets.
Arashiyama | 嵐山 by d'Annam £130.00
- Key notes:
- bamboo
- cut grass
- petrichor
- Aromagroups:
- green
- woody
Alone, in silence—
the bamboo shoot
becomes a bamboo
- Santōka Taneda
ひとりひっそり
竹の子
竹になる
A tangled forest of muggy green bamboo. An alluring haze of cut grass and transparent violet drifts across this warm green delight.
Yerbamate by Lorenzo Villoresi £130.00
- Key notes:
- cut grass
- galbanum
- green tea
- mate tea
- Aromagroups:
- green
- spicy
An endless expanse of green blending into the sky. The scent of grass and Hay, of countless plants and various small flowers, of aromatic herbs and fields blowing in the wind, warmed by the sun. An evocation of simple, pristine nature.
À Pas De Loup (On Tiptoe) by Milleseve £115.00
- Key notes:
- damp earth accord
- mushroom
- oakmoss
- patchouli
- sage
- sandalwood
- vetiver
- violet
- Aromagroups:
- woody
The primal sap of the forest. The dew-soaked ground releases the smell of damp earth that awakens an animal joy. A soft cloud of oak moss and mushrooms rises. Sandalwood envelops, clary sage enlivens. The benzoin drydown reveals amber and resinous notes, prowling like a wolf.
Labbra e Terra by Maqueda £195.00
- Key notes:
- damp earth accord
- lipstick
- mushroom
- violet
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- unconventional
A haunted perfume for a life clawed back after a near-death experience. Walking out the door of the abandoned house where you used to live, you collapse face-first into the garden, choking on the smell of violets and your red fruit lipstick. You kiss the earth with your dirty lips, sucking life back into your soul.
Cinematic by Der Duft £110.00
- Key notes:
- cardamom
- carnation
- cashmeran
- ginger
- lemon
- white musk
- Aromagroups:
- spicy
- unconventional
A collaboration with Miguel Matos.
Clean, abstract and intriguing. Is it the smell of the new velvet seats in a dark cinema? Or the conditioned cool air? Or the fragrant echoes of trendy perfumes floating in between the spectators?
Cinematic is put together from an overdose of clean white musk, crisp hazy cashmeran, dry savory spices and a few drops of bitter carnation essence.
Concrete by Comme Des Garcons £160.00
- Key notes:
- cardamom
- carnation
- chypre
- cloves
- jasmine
- rose oxide
- sandalwood
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- spicy
- woody
This monster of an “anti-perfume” is simultaneously clean and dense, the olfactory interpretation of the building material. Aptly encased in a grey concrete bottle, this eau de parfum is an astonishingly diffusive blend of sandalwood, rose and spices, with a powerful smoothness that mimics the material's satisfying surface.
Fougère Royale by Houbigant £175.00
- Key notes:
- bergamot
- carnation
- clary sage
- fougere
- geranium
- oakmoss
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- vintage/old school
- woody
Created by Master Perfumer Paul Parquet in 1882, Fougère Royale completely revolutionized the world of perfumes and established modern perfumery as it exists today. As well as creating an entirely new fragrance family, Parquet had succeeded in extracting isolated, synthetic molecules from natural, raw materials. In the dedicated pursuit to expand olfactory palettes with novel, new aromas, he’d derived coumarin from the tonka bean in a worldwide premiere. In its mission to authentically replicate the original, regal masterpiece from centuries past, the reengineered formula cultivates refined, prestigious raw materials of the highest quality and provenance. This masterfully revamped Fougère Royale retains its elegant, noble, refined pulse and its pleasant, pastoral beauty.
The perfectly-blended perfume is redolent of green and fragrant foliage with densely shaded woodlands. Sweet green grasses suggest the freshly-released essences of a crushed and dewy verdure, with an intense hint of newly-mown hay.
Fougère Royale’s nuanced scent composition opens with a vibrant, sparkling cocktail of bergamot, lavender and Mediterranean herbs. The heart follows, with floral-spicy Rondeletia accord, rare in most perfumes. Opening into rich geranium and warm spices. A floral intermezzo showcases rare rose essences and absolutes, spiked by pepper, cinnamon and carnation. Finally, a grand finale of earthy, ambery and woody harmonies, where moss notes join a sensual patchouli enriched by warm coumarinic undertones of tonka beans and clary sage absolute.
Garofano by Lorenzo Villoresi £135.00
- Key notes:
- carnation
- geranium
- rose
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- spicy
- vintage/old school
The atmosphere of a luxuriant garden, where the notes of Carnation, Rose, Geranium, Jasmin and aromatic spices blend into a spicy-floral accord that gives this fragrance its distinctive personality.
Seminalis by Orto Parisi £155.00
- Key notes:
- carnation
- leather
- milk accord
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- woody
Seminalis is our first stimulus in a fragrance bottle.
An aromatic aldehyde which helps sperm to locate the ovum, biological proof of olfactive attraction.
Life initiated by smell.
About De Profundis by Serge Lutens
- How does De Profundis differ from these similar fragrances?
- De Profundis combines floral notes like carnation and violet with unique green elements such as cut grass and a damp earth accord, plus smoky incense and plum tree fruitiness. The listed fragrances share some of these notes but often emphasise different facets—some lean more powdery, fresh, or animalic, and few replicate the incense or plum elements.
- Which note in De Profundis contributes most to its earthy character?
- The damp earth accord plays a crucial role in providing the fragrance’s earthy depth, complemented by the cut grass note that adds a fresh green dimension.
- Are the fragrances on this page more floral or green compared to De Profundis?
- The fragrances vary: some highlight floral notes like carnation and violet more strongly, while others focus on green notes such as cut grass or damp earth accords. None replicate the full balance of floral, green, fruity, and smoky aspects found in De Profundis.









