Auteur perfumery, with no concessions to marketing
The house's website describes Stephane Humbert Lucas Paris as a field of expression for its creator, a place to give room to his artistic sensibility with no concessions to marketing. Before becoming a perfumer, Stéphane Humbert Lucas studied painting in the South of France, specializing in tempera. Each of his creations starts from painting, literature and music and takes the shape of a place or a story.
The collections in the catalog
The 777 Collection: the Middle East, ambers, oud and roses
The 777 is the house's first collection, launched in 2012, and takes its name from a number the house sees as a symbol of luck, protection and peace. The starting point is Soleil de Jeddah, dedicated to the light of the Saudi city on the Red Sea, which gave rise to two variations. Soleil de Jeddah Afterglow adds mandarin and incense smoke to evoke the sunset, while Soleil de Jeddah Mango Kiss moves toward a fruity, sunny gourmand.
Oumma is a fine, almost powdery oud, finished with roses from Morocco, Grasse and Bulgaria. O Hira layers amber, leather and woods around pyrogenated styrax, over a base of tonka bean and toasted vanilla. Khol de Bahrein is a rich balm of unctuous amber with a powdery note. Finally, Isra & Miraj was created for the collection's seventh anniversary and is dedicated to a night journey and the ascension to the seventh heaven.
The same collection also holds the floral compositions. Rose de Petra is a fruity, androgynous Bulgarian rose, made spicy by cardamom. Panthea is built on white ingredients, with white flowers, iris, white tea, sandalwood, white musk and patchouli, and has a limited edition, Panthea Iris, enriched with iris and opened by Italian bergamot and mandarin. Wish Come True revolves around a fresh, voluptuous tuberose.
The Serpent Collection: myths, venoms and seduction
The second collection gathers stories and legends about the serpent, from Mexico to China. God of Fire starts from the Aztec god Xiuhtecuhtli, depicted carrying a serpent. Venom Incarnat is conceived as a love potion, with an amber heart that has a leathery effect. Mortal Skin unfolds in three phases, from a leafy, fruity opening to sandalwood with a note of tequila.
Sand Dance takes its cue from the Kalbelia dancers of Rajasthan and Sea My Love from the depths of the sea, Lady White Snake from the Chinese legend of the serpent goddess and Crying of Evil from Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal. Pink Boa is a tangy swirl of black currant, rosemary and raspberry with an iced vodka accord over a musky base. The Queen and the Viper opens with a minty breath over papyrus and bergamot.
How to choose a Stéphane Humbert Lucas fragrance
If you love oud and ambers, start with Oumma, Khol de Bahrein and O Hira. For rose there is Rose de Petra, or Oumma if you want it alongside oud. For white flowers and tuberose there are Panthea, Panthea Iris and Wish Come True; for fruit and gourmand notes, Soleil de Jeddah Mango Kiss and Pink Boa.
Every fragrance in the catalog is an eau de parfum. If you are drawn to the Middle Eastern tradition, see also Arabian perfumes.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Stéphane Humbert Lucas?
Stéphane Humbert Lucas is a Parisian perfumer who signs the fragrances of the house that bears his name. A painter by training, he studied painting and the tempera technique in the South of France. He works from synesthesia, the perception through which sight brings scents to mind, and for him every color has a fragrance.
What does 777 mean in Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777?
For the house, seven is the number of perfection, happiness and wisdom, and 777 is a symbol of luck, protection and peace. It is also the name of the first collection, born in 2012 from travels in the Middle East, which includes Soleil de Jeddah, Oumma, O Hira, Rose de Petra, Panthea and Wish Come True.
What is the Serpent Collection?
The Serpent Collection is the house's second collection and is based on stories and legends of the serpent gathered from different cultures. It includes God of Fire, inspired by the Aztec god of fire, and Venom Incarnat, along with Mortal Skin, Sand Dance, Sea My Love, Pink Boa, The Queen and the Viper, Lady White Snake and Crying of Evil.
What's the difference between Soleil de Jeddah, Afterglow and Mango Kiss?
Soleil de Jeddah is the original, dedicated to the light of the Saudi city on the Red Sea. Afterglow is an evolution of it that opens with mandarin and incense smoke to evoke a sunset over the sea. Mango Kiss takes the same idea toward a fruity, sunny gourmand, which the house describes as bold and vitamin-packed.
What does Venom Incarnat smell like?
Venom Incarnat is an amber fragrance that the house presents as a love potion, an elixir made to seduce. It has an amber heart with a leathery effect and a red liquid, a color the description links to venom, strawberry and glamour. It belongs to the Serpent Collection.
Which Stéphane Humbert Lucas fragrance should I choose if I love oud?
If you love oud, start with Oumma, a fine, almost powdery oud with three roses, from Morocco, Grasse and Bulgaria. If you prefer resins and leather, there is O Hira instead, an amber with pyrogenated styrax, tonka bean and toasted vanilla.
What's the difference between Panthea and Panthea Iris?
Panthea is a white floral with white flowers, iris, white tea, sandalwood, white musk and patchouli, opened by a citrus note. Panthea Iris is a limited edition of the same fragrance enriched with iris, opening with Italian bergamot and mandarin alongside white tea. Both belong to the 777 Collection.
What inspired God of Fire?
God of Fire is inspired by Xiuhtecuhtli, who in Aztec mythology is the god of fire, day and light, patron of kings and warriors. He is depicted carrying a serpent, which is why the fragrance belongs to the Serpent Collection, along with Venom Incarnat, Pink Boa and The Queen and the Viper.
