According to French perfume websites, Serge Lutens is releasing a new perfume, La Religieuse (The Nun). It will be on sale from the 30th of January from the Palais Royal and will be sold in the rectangular spray bottles.  Judging by photos I’ve seen on websites, it looks like the liquid will be a gorgeous violet in colour.

La Religieuse is a jasmine, civet, musk and incense perfume, inspired by a hermit’s life in Marrakesh that sounds particularly Lutenesque.  I have to say that these notes sound very promising and  Christopher Sheldrake and Serge Lutens seem to have a real knack with jasmine.  They’re already crafted two great jasmine perfumes – A La Nuit and Sarrasins, so I can’t wait to see what they bring to the table for this one.

La Religieuse in France also refers to two choux pastries – one larger on the bottom, the smaller on top.  Both are  filled with crème pâtissière.  This configuration is seen to represent a nun and her habit.  Apparently the first renditions of this dessert were from Panterelli the Florentine chef to Catherine de Medici.

Notes : La Religieuse : Le Figaro