Eau Parfumee au The Noir

NB FRAGRANTICA STAFF: The main picture for this perfume is actually for the Eau de Cologne Intense formula (Frag perfume #52922) with the GOLD label. The perfume on this page Eau Parfumee au The Noir actually has a WHITE LABEL with gold writing; it is pictured in Picture No.1 to the right of main bottle entry picture. I received this on Christmas Eve this year (2018), along with SIX other Bvlgari perfumes/colognes from four of their collections. I almost had my Dear One order me the Extreme version (literally twice as much for the same mL's) but after smelling this cologne am grateful I opted for the lower concentration. I have yet to do a full wearing (once sniffed on mouillette strip and once walking through a mist) but this is NOT what I expected or osmagined. It's unlike the other tea scents in the novel (for this genre, anyway) addition of 2/3 of a Mukhallat formula-oud & rose in addition to tobacco and patchouli! I want to say these overpower the smoky Lapsang Suchong black tea but instead they are blended in such a masterful way as to create something breathtaking and bold yet still chic calm and collected. Each of these ingredients in Maitre Cavallier's "the noir" recipe bring out some other inherently interesting facet of each other while still maintaining an overall harmony that's utterly graceful while emanating a shadowy exotic mystique. Nowhere near "watery" or tea-like this is an inky infusion of warmth blended with a decoction of aquilaria some honeyed rose petals before being stirred by a black vanilla bean-which was not included. I do not know what type of agarwood was used here but it's fruitier and smokier not barnyard or medicinal. I believe a similar note was used in whole or part by CREED in their Royal Oud. So yes, it's designer-but it's pretty damn good. No, it's not your typical tea-centric fragrance (this House has enough of those already)-it is however a delightful dark and devilish brew. To me it almost comes across as Gothic with the seductive rose and smoky sweet oud cradled by tobacco (light Turkish or blossom I'd wager) and more green than woody patchouli leaves. One sniff it's a mukhallat chiffon...the next sniff its a gentlemanly woody aromatic...next it has become this softly smoke-infused leather and tea accord that still wafts an oriental mélange fading softly in the background. This is superb! Sillage: very good Longevity: excellent Overall: 4.25/5 Despite the fact I acquired this from an online discount retailer (who has flashing ads at the bottom of perfume pages) for a quite reasonable price of $42 US; it is something I would pay retail price for-it's that god. If, like myself, you dig perfumes that are: dark, flowery, bold, smoky, exotic and well done you should do yourself a favor and test this. It surprised the hell out of me... I was so "over" the whole saffron-rose-oud thing from the last few years. This did that in a completely groovy way while incorporating the tea theme, another craze I mistakenly thought was never going to produce anything new or exciting. Without giving up one iota of quality this delivers a Middle Eastern/Oriental vibe while being neither heavy handed nor too minimalist. This is a rich and vibrant tapestry woven flawlessly; but, then again it IS a Cavallier-Belletrud. I figured I would respect this for its craftsmanship and move onto the next wan vapid perfume-by-numbers the mass markets clamor for so vehemently. SO far beyond that, The Noir lends both translucent warmth and intense aromas as it steams and steeps. I osmagine this is much more versatile than most tea scents as it can be worn in the winter (day) or spring and summer (evening). It's a refreshingly light take on an often aromatic and dense dark genre making it a great choice for warmer spring days and cool summer nights. I can't wait to rock this on a melancholy cool damp spring day... smell swell & be well, GP xox

Personally I love this. I too received the Emirates business class Bvlgari wash kit. Unfortunately I wasn't on the flight but when my parents flew the cabin crew were kind enough to give them a spare for me on the return leg. Anyway - Tea? Maybe not. I detect mostly light leather with some tobacco and perhaps soap. It reminds me of a classic dusty barber shop scent. It sits close to the skin and smells very clean (old school clean). The difference being the leathery scent is pronounced. It's not just a desirable dry down after the main scent fades, it is the showpiece. It's how I want all classic barber shop scents to sit. The clean scent is utterly addictive, I just can't stop sniffing my wrist. Perhaps because it is so light. Sometimes I just want leather but I don't want the heavy overbearing scent. This is the answer. You can wear this with the confidence that it's not going to get up anybody's nose. A great all rounder. It does work in the winter but I much prefer it as a daytime scent in warmer (but not baking hot) weather. Just to add - something many may raise an eyebrow at - the scent reminds me of a dried down Dior Fahrenheit, just weaker and far less sweet. I imagine if you took the petrol out of Fahrenheit you'd end up with something like this. The body lotion is also excellent. Almost as strong as the cologne. In fact after the cologne has dried down, it does have the subtleness of a body lotion scent. Perhaps that is why the lotion also works very well.

Well, I have to say that this one surprised me. I thought this would be a very easy to wear with no Oud in here but, surprisingly, this has a little bit of a skanky Oud in the back of it, which is quite good to be honest. When you spray this you'll be able to smell the rose with some bergamot and a shy tea note. Love this unisex fresh opening! 10min later the tea will dominate the fragrance and the leather accord appears. There's a good accord here. Like the one you'll find in Black from the same brand or even Midnight in Paris but without the rubber note. Excellent! The Oud is there basically since the tea starts to shine. Is giving a skanky yet sexy vibe from this and later on, the fragrance turns a little bit yummy. It's complex and has all the three stages very well achieved! The Oud isn't potent but isn't that synthetic so I really appreciate it. Bravo Mr. Jacques Cavallier! Heavenly! The performance is not great. It's suave but I love it that way. It's comforting and I love to wear it on a breezy spring/summer night. The price is very adequate and you can find a 75ml bottle for less than 50€. The quality is great too! I recommend it to everyone that likes Tea, rose and a tiny touch of Oud.

This is the best leather and tobacco perfume I have smelled, and it is the one I have been looking for. This perfume brings back memories of my childhood. The leather accord is so well done, it truly smells like an untreated hide of leather. My Mother was a leather craftsperson and we had leather hides all over the house, she made beautiful things w/ them until arthritis claimed her hands. Believe me this is the best leather accord in perfume I have smelled. The tobacco in here is just as true and rich as the finest pipe tobacco and I was surrounded as a child by hard working men who loved to smoke a pipe in the evening to relax. I miss that smell. The rose in here adds a bit of softness and keeps the perfume from becoming too overwhelming from the richness of the leather and tobacco. The oud, and patchouli round out the perfume in the base and keep it going strong. I love this one and will be ordering a full bottle right away. Oh, medicinal oud in the dry down. This is just a stunner. Big Love! My husband wants to share the bottle w/ me and that will be fine.

Nobody does abstract, contemplative fragrances better than Jacques Cavallier. His early work, from M7 and Rive Gauche pour Homme to Feu d'Issey stands alongside the giants of 20th century perfumery. Eau Parfumee au The Noir (EPaTN) may be his greatest achievement. This is a flawlessly executed olfactory sculpture. The medium, of course, is wood. And Cavallier's genius here is to make the entire composition so polished, so clean, and yet also so challenging. More than any fragrance I can remember, I find myself obsessively the mysteries and contradictions in EPaTN. It is deeply bitter, yet honeyed. Totally masculine, yet unlike any other masculine fragrance on the market today. It is mainstream, but more daring than 99.9% of the niche offerings. Wow. This is the scent of a clean woodshop, the private domain of a master artist and craftsman. Thank you, Monsieur Cavallier for bringing EPaTN into the world.