La Nuit de Bohème Eau de Parfum

I have a bit of a love affair with Anna Sui. Her entire design sensibility appealed to me growing up and her fragrances have been some of my most worn fragrances over the years. Given her popularity in Japan, I ended up acquiring quite the Anna Sui collected while living there and her scents most remind me of my time in that beautiful country. This preamble is only to note that whatever I write about her scents will inevitably come with a dose of nostalgia-based prejudice, so be aware of that. That said, I have been wearing the heck out of this in the past few weeks. I recently rediscovered some of my old Anna Sui bottles (and to my surprise, they were still good!) and restocked ones I had discarded and was missing, so I guess I've been on a bit of an Anna Sui kick lately :P. What I love about Anna Sui in general is the safe and generally appealing nature of her scents; they are all generally safe blind buys and will appeal to most people, BUT they are not "typical," as you will not smell them on everyone everywhere. This particular fragrance is darker, somewhat richer, and more opulent than most of Anna Sui's line, which is otherwise filled generally of the light fruity floral variety and most suited to summertime wear. La Nuit de Boheme Black is a dark, plummy, syrupy rose, with prominent sweet amber and patchouli. It is sweet and rich and perfectly matched to its eye-poppingly gorgeous boheme bottle. The La Nuit de Boheme Black journey starts out a little sharp, with a pleasant hit of sour apple and bergamot, but it quickly settles into the sweet plummy amber/patchouli that speaks of something classically 80s (as another reviewer pointed out). I guess having said "fruit" and "patchouli," you might be tempted to call this combination of fruit and patchouli "just another fruitchouli," but it's so much more; it's not just another assault of overwhelming fruit and in-your-face patchouli. It's more subdued, more subtle, and yet still potent and dark. Perhaps it's the fact that my skin tends to amplify patchouli, but I experience this as much stronger, darker, and perhaps even complex, than other reviewers have noted. I even love the patchouli here, which is something totally atypical for me. The patchouli is clean and sweet and herbal and creamy. No dirt and no nose-piercing sharp edges here! And it's super yummy in combination with the rich plum, rose, and amber. I simply adore La Nuit de Boheme Black for winter and I know that I can wear it anywhere and everywhere without concern of assaulting anyone with a heavy cloud...As much as I do love those clouds, they aren't always "allowed" or appropriate. Both sillage and longevity are great for my needs (of course, I enjoy having a variety of these, as I don't always want to wear powerhouse perfumes and particularly given the relatively low price point). Sillage is moderate for the first 5-6 hours or so and then softish for the next 3-5. I can also smell i the next day after a shower if I stick my nose on my skin. The nice thing is that even after I stop being able to smell very much of it, people around me can still smell it and have complimented me on it a number of times. LOVE!

Plum macerated with blackberry, soaked in amber, with a generous dose of jasmine (jasmine similar to that of Alien EDP, but only that note; the perfumes are not alike). To my nose, this alchemy smells like a kind of perfumed ice cream, delicious, and mouthwatering; however, it's neither an innocent nor a gourmand perfume. La Nuit EDP has a nocturnal, fascinating, even somewhat sinister feel. I dare say it reminds me of those somewhat decadent French cabarets of the 1920s that we see in some fantasy film. Okay, the scent isn't from the 1920s, nor is it dated; it's as if the atmosphere of that time has been recreated today. I bought it blindly; the bottle alone was worth it, one of the most beautiful I own. Some may find Anna Sui's bottles a bit tacky, exaggerated, but I, who am tacky, think tacky is the new fashion haha. It lasts for more than 10 hours and has dangerous projection in the first 4 hours. Highly recommended for those who like Alien EDP and enjoy striking perfumes.

I’m learning from this that I’m not a fan of a heavy blackberry. It smells juvenile to me. So, I have to wait for the blackberry to burn out to enjoy the fragrance more. In comparison with Incanto (as another plummy scent), this feels... not syrupy but more confectionery-like. Not the kind of plum I was looking for, but I’m keeping this nonetheless. It has its charms. The onyx roses of the bottle and the belle époque box are both gorgeous. So is the name. Just that makes it worth having for me even over the blackberry reservation. P.S. (December 2023): I have no idea why I thought the blackberry was juvenile before. It isn’t. I disagree with my earlier self. I also notice that the delightful fruitiness of this perfume is long-lasting. It is not the kind of perfume where others can smell it while the wearer stops after a while.

I absolutely love this fragrance. I only wish it had a little more sillage, and lasted longer! It is what some people would call a 'night' scent, but as it's not overpowering at all, I wear this in the daytime too. To me it seems a romantically dark amber rose, with a touch of blackberry and apple in the top notes. After a couple of hours the sandalwood comes through very pleasantly. I find it relaxing to wear and it feels like 'me', somehow. But I want it to be a little stronger, it fades on my skin too quickly. The bottle is also very beautiful - lends a feeling of gothic romanticism.

Flowery oriental scent! I genuinely adore this one because, to my taste, it is sweeter than floral. Mandarin, berries, apples, and middle fruit notes are the most prominent top notes. Any hints of the base notes are overshadowed by their pleasant aroma. If you enjoy sweet fruity scents, you might like this one. Compared to the majority of Anna Sui's range, this fragrance is darker, slightly richer, and more sumptuous. It is rich and sweet, and it pairs beautifully with the stunning bottle.