Nocturnes de Caron

This is such a good example of the ways in which our response to, and opinion of, any perfume changes over time. I had this one down as a like, and I have returned to change my rating to a solid love, and revise my review. I had underestimated this besuty. Yes, it is soapy, and I usually don't go for soapy. But, this one, this one has won my heart. This one has made me reconsider soapy. Opens with a strong soapy Lily of the Valley. As often happens on Fragrantica, although LOTV is listed in the textual description, it is not included as a pictogram, so folks can't vote on LOTV. I swear, if LOTV was shown, folks would suddenly start smelling it, and it would place high on the notes list. I like LOTV. I like Caron's own Muguet du Bonheur. But, in the past, I felt that this one was just a bit too soapy for my taste. The LOTV is strong for about the first two hours before it begins to soften, and the orange blossom, jasmine and tuberose take the stage. This is my favorite part of this fragrance, when the opening LOTV floral notes are soft, but still discernible, the rose comes into it's own, and the florals from the heart begin to unfold. In the EDT, the orange is never that strong, nor is the tuberose. This is no tuberose monster. The ylang ylang is typical Caron, sweet and a little spicy. When the sandalwood, vetiver and musk enter, the whole composition takes on a more balanced and elegant structure. In the parfum de toilette version, with the black top, the LOTV is but a bit player, while the orange blossom, tuberose, and rose shine. I have it in two editions, a PDT and an EDT. I returned today to revise my formerly lukewarm review. I like the EDT. But, I love the PdT. It is a little muskier, more of a creamy, vanillac tuberose, less soapy, sexier, but still perfect for daytime, office and professional settings. I would class this as a floral woody musk.

I smelled a sample of this years and years ago (well in the 80s as a teenager), in a sadly long-gone tiny posh cosmetic and perfume boutique. I was entranced by what I remember to be the scent's 'grassiness'. I've remembered it for years and bought a bottle of Nocturnes last year from a net seller. The first sniff was exactly as I remembered it, I was delighted. Now, I would say that the top notes of Nocturnes are verrry similar to those of my long-lost Armani Armani, their first female fragrance. On wearing it however, Nocturnes took on a very much unwanted spicy note for me. I'm a bit baffled by what the culprit could be, looking at the notes portrayed above. I would have said maybe carnation (yick). Maybe it's the ylang ylang actually. Something with horrid eugenol in it I'll bet. Anyway, Nocturnes is one of those that I gave to my Mum because she doesn't mind spice and she wears it occasionally.

ok, nocturnes was a love in the eighties, now it costs too much for the original and don't know how it might smell to do a blind buy for that amount of money, I really like 80s and 90s frag, big white florals and floral aldehydes,I know how good it was then but now I received a 1oz black topped bottle with the cutout glass and it smelled a little old, I really couldn't get the true fragrance out of it that I could remember and it was about 40 dollars, so I just pass on trying this again costs too much now and would be too hard too find a fresh one :(, oh yeah I did try the one in the cream color box with the dots but it was not the original it was long ago and I don't even remember what the smell was but it was not favorable or I would have remembered. So, so much for that, I'll enjoy continue my conquests Happy hunting for that right one!

The opening of Nocturnes EDT is like an assault! Sharp, prickly, green neroli is incredibly bracing taking its first breath. It does quickly round out into a sweeter more rosey hue and a deep, mysterious orange. As the perfume progresses I lose a lot of differentiation of notes and it quietens into an incredibly soft floral, like a whisper. I don't particularly care for citrus is my perfumes but Nocturnes does this very nicely. The tuberose, also a problem area for me, is very subdued here. Whatever aldehydes are here, are not of the musty, attic-dwelling kind, they are very gentle. Nocturnes has defied everyone of my dubious expectations and I am seriously impressed. I feel sweet and feminine and pretty wearing this. No mean feat I may tell you!

This is such an under appreciated fragrance in my collection. I've had this bottle for maybe 15 years and I don't reach for it very often. Sometimes you just aren't in the right place in your fragrance evolution to embrace a fragrance. Nocturnes is a lusciously soapy aldehyde perfume, and it represents a grace and elegance that deserves some credit. It doesn't shout it's presence. I put it in the same category as Chanel No. 5, L'Aimant, Topaze and those types. Nocturnes reminds me of wearing a pretty floral print dress after a morning shower on a beautiful spring day surrounded by a garden of lilacs, orange blossoms and roses. Simple, beautiful elegance. Glad I still have this perfume.