Stéphane Humbert Lucas

The story

Before perfume, for Stéphane Humbert Lucas there was painting. A painter and poet, he studied in the South of France with a Flemish master and specialised in the tempera technique, obsessed with the combination of pigments and their textures; in Paris he refined his art at the École des Beaux-Arts under the guidance of Jean Cardot. Convinced that every colour had a scent, he discovered his synaesthesia: when he sees, he also smells. In rue Quincampoix he opened a boutique-laboratory where paintings and perfumes lived side by side, and his meeting with the perfumer Henri Sorsana, one of the noses behind Annick Goutal and L'Artisan Parfumeur, drove him to compose fragrances. Before the house that bears his name he created Nez à Nez, The Hype Noses and soOud.

“I don't invent scents, I rearrange them and invite them to combine, I'm a matchmaker, a couturier of the invisible”, he says. For him every material and every accord vibrates with colours, and sometimes those colours emit a sound. His is an artistic house, which describes itself as a field of expression for its creator, where no marketing concessions are welcome: each creation starts with a blank canvas, on which touches of colour, musical notes, poetry and images are laid. “Paris is my bottle, the world is my perfume”, he likes to say.

The first collection came in 2012, born from his travels in the Middle East, which he views as the cradle of the universe: La Collection 777. For him seven is the number of perfection, happiness and wisdom, and 777 a symbol of luck, protection and peace. It includes Soleil de Jeddah L'Original, as luminous as the sun it was named after, later reborn as Soleil de Jeddah Mango Kiss and Soleil de Jeddah Afterglow, Black Gemstone, Taklamakan, Panthea and Panthea Iris and, in 2026, Alone in Babylon. With Mortal Skin, in 2015, the series dedicated to the snake was born, which became La Collection Serpent: stories and legends gathered from all over the world, from Mexico to China, from God of Fire to Sea My Love, from Lady White Snake to The Queen and the Viper and Le 8.

Each collection has its own bottle. The 777 one is a jewel: a cap of honeycombed metal, a pointed dome, crystalline glass with limpid curves; in the Collection Serpent it is the snake itself that appears on the bottle. God of Fire, the gateway into the world of Stéphane Humbert Lucas according to the house, is among its best sellers, together with Alone in Babylon, Venom Incarnat, The Queen and the Viper, Sea My Love and Mango Kiss. The house's perfumes are found at Printemps, at Harrods and in independent boutiques around the world; it is based in Paris and its perfumes are made in France.

The collections

• La Collection Serpent: God of Fire (2022, fruity woody with mango, ginger, jasmine and oud), Mortal Skin (2015, amber woody with blackberry, saffron, iris and opoponax, the first of the series), Sea My Love (2024, marine leather with sea salt, mandarin, jasmine and leather), The Queen and the Viper (2025, amber aromatic with mint, blond tobacco and dates), Le 8 (2025, floral woody with yuzu, tea, cherry blossom and saffron), Venom Incarnat (2022, fruity gourmand with strawberry, caramel and Russian leather), Pink Boa (2022, fruity aromatic with blackcurrant, raspberry and vodka), Sand Dance (2022, amber gourmand with whisky cream, cocoa and benzoin), Lady White Snake (2022, floral leather with tuberose, magnolia and white leather), Crying of Evil (2022, amber floral with tuberose, violet and leather).
• La Collection 777: Soleil de Jeddah L'Original (2013, leather floral with chamomile, osmanthus, iris and Russian leather), Soleil de Jeddah Mango Kiss (2022, fruity amber with mango, coconut and vanilla), Soleil de Jeddah Afterglow (2022, amber spicy with incense, myrrh and orchid), Black Gemstone (2013, amber woody with three cedars, myrrh and incense), Taklamakan (2016, woody amber with patchouli, vanilla and cistus), Panthea (2017, floral powdery with iris, white tea and white musk), Panthea Iris (2019, floral powdery with iris absolute and iris butter), Alone in Babylon (2026, floral amber with tuberose, plantain banana and vanilla).

All the perfumes are unisex Eau de Parfum in 50 ml. OUD Profumeria Artistica is an authorised Stéphane Humbert Lucas retailer, online and in the Nettuno (Rome) store.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Stéphane Humbert Lucas?
He is a Parisian perfumer, painter and poet who experiences perfume through synaesthesia: for him every colour has a scent. He trained in painting and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, learned the craft alongside the perfumer Henri Sorsana and, after Nez à Nez, The Hype Noses and soOud, in 2012 launched the house that bears his name.

What does 777 mean in Stéphane Humbert Lucas perfumes?
It is the name of his first collection, La Collection 777, from 2012. For Stéphane Humbert Lucas seven is the number of perfection, happiness and wisdom, and 777 is a symbol of luck, protection and peace.

What kind of perfume is God of Fire?
God of Fire is the 2022 fruity woody fragrance from the Collection Serpent, which the house presents as the gateway into its world and one of its best sellers. Mango, lemon, pink pepper and ginger in the opening, blue coumarin, jasmine and dry woods in the heart, oud, nagarmotha, musk and amber in the base: fresh, exotic notes that hide a warm character.

Which Stéphane Humbert Lucas perfume is similar to God of Fire?
The closest is Soleil de Jeddah Mango Kiss, which shares mango but wraps it in coconut, ylang ylang, iris butter and vanilla: it is more gourmand and sunny. Those who love the fruity side of God of Fire can also look at Pink Boa, with blackcurrant, raspberry and icy vodka.

What is the difference between the three Soleil de Jeddah?
Soleil de Jeddah L'Original, from 2013, is the original: lemon, wild chamomile and osmanthus over iris, Russian leather and vanilla. Soleil de Jeddah Mango Kiss, which the house calls its bold, vitamin-packed version, brings mango, coconut and ylang ylang. Soleil de Jeddah Afterglow, the sensual and voluptuous version, moves towards incense, myrrh, orchid and benzoin.

What is the difference between La Collection 777 and La Collection Serpent?
La Collection 777, the first, was born in 2012 from Stéphane Humbert Lucas's love for the Middle East, with the Soleil de Jeddah, Black Gemstone, Taklamakan and Panthea. La Collection Serpent, whose first chapter is Mortal Skin, from 2015, gathers stories and legends about the snake from all over the world: God of Fire, Sea My Love, Venom Incarnat, Lady White Snake and the others.

Where can I buy Stéphane Humbert Lucas perfumes in Italy?
At OUD Profumeria Artistica, an authorised Stéphane Humbert Lucas retailer: online, with free shipping in Italy on orders over €60 and 10 free samples on orders over €100, and in our store in Nettuno, near Rome.