THE QUEEN AND THE VIPER

The Queen and the Viper is the eau de parfum created by Stéphane Humbert Lucas and Karine Chevallier for the Snake Collection, launched in 2025. It is a unisex woody oriental inspired by the legend of Cleopatra, moving between spicy freshness and resinous depth.

The Fragrance

The Queen and the Viper tells the story of a queen's end through the gesture that made her immortal. Legend has it that Cleopatra, facing defeat and imminent capture, chose to take her own life with the venom of a snake. It's not an act of surrender, it's a final act of control over her own fate, and the fragrance tries to translate that duality between power and mystery into a composition that moves from ice to fire.

How It Wears on Skin

The opening is sharp and mentholated, with incense, citrus and bergamot brightened by lively green mint, while blackcurrant adds an almost unexpected fruity edge. The heart shifts into a warmer, more sensual register: African mint, osmanthus, jasmine sambac and clary sage intertwine with vetiver in an accord that feels fresh and carnal at once. The base closes on dates, resin, tobacco, birch, saffron and labdanum, in a smoky, enveloping dry down. Wearers report notable longevity, between 8 and 10 hours, with projection that makes itself known without ever feeling overwhelming.

Who We Recommend The Queen and the Viper For

Suited to those who love amber orientals but want a fresher, more mentholated entrance than usual, before the base warms everything into tobacco and resins. Its notable longevity and evening character make it perfect for elegant occasions, from late autumn through winter.

Fragrance Characteristics

Our Take

In the boutique, those who try it are often surprised by the contrast between opening and base. The fresh mint of the first minutes seems to promise something light, then the tobacco, dates and saffron arrive, and everything changes. That transformation, not any single note, is the real protagonist of this fragrance.

Similar Fragrances

Bergamot, mint and tobacco return identical, but here the base warms into vanilla and praline instead of dates and resins: 22.22 by Les Folies Du Parfum

Saffron and dates in common, but here the register shifts toward rum and exotic fruits instead of citrus and mint: Darkflorum by Lorenzo Pazzaglia

Saffron and vetiver link them, but the rest of the composition here moves toward fresh citrus and white flowers instead of tobacco and resins: Notion by Spirit of Kings

FAQ

Does The Queen and the Viper smell like Enclave?
Some enthusiasts make this comparison, but with a key difference: in Enclave, mint carries through the entire evolution of the fragrance, while here it's concentrated mostly in the opening, before giving way to the rest of the composition.

Do the notes stay distinct or blend together?
Independent reviews aren't unanimous on this: some appreciate the soft blending of citrus, florals and blackcurrant, others would have preferred more clearly separated notes.

Product Information

Brand

Stéphane Humbert Lucas

Name

The Queen and the Viper

Concentration

Eau de Parfum

Size

50 ml

Olfactory family

Woody Oriental

Perfumer

Stéphane Humbert Lucas, Karine Chevallier

Launch year

2025

Made in

France