Shared feelings of sadness about Dona Ana here - I've not posted here before but have learned so much, and been so inspired by, her posts. I adored her recommendations of Annick Goutal's Ninféo Mio and Tauer's L'air du désert Marocain.
Went into Selfridge's today for a smell of some Serge Lutens (too early for Les Senteurs close by to be open, or I'd have tried that). Very nice SA sprayed several things for me and talked me through them - I particularly loved Fleurs d'Oranger and put some of that on my wrists, hoping DH will tolerate it. Infuriatingly, he hated L'Artisan's Seville à l'Aube, which made me feel really happy and of which I was planning to buy a FB.
So I've come home with paper sticks sprayed with Serge Noire, which is sweet wood + incense: like it a lot; Jeux de Peau - far too reminiscent of popcorn; Arabie - very Christmassy, with a lot of dried prunes and figs: delicious.
And had already tried a few at House of Fraser - Feminité du Bois (loved but possibly the drydown is less attractive than that of Chergui), À la nuit (overwhelming, overpowering jasmine, still far too strong five hours later), Sa Majesté la Rose (very rich rose with good longevity), Chergui (lovely warm amber drydown) and Un Bois Vanille (far, far too much like candyfloss).
The SA said that there'll be a new Lutens rose in at the end of February, accompanied with a lot of new samples...