Eau Noire

Eau Noire, or Black Water, originally composed by Francis Kurkdjian in 2004, was later ruined by Dior over the course of reformulations like they have most of their fragrances, and then they invited Captain Kurk back to re-reformulate their Collection Prive again to try to get them back into shape (2022). It must have been an interesting discussion between Mr. Kurkdjian and the powers-that-be at Dior and LVMH when they asked him to rescue some of his own fragrances. At any rate, a perfume with a name like Black Water at the hands of Captain Kurk is sort of a foregone conclusion to guess its style. You know what you're going to get: something sweet and veering towards gourmand. More recently anyway, I swear the man has no idea how to do dark, brooding, seductive, sad, sexy, angry, or anything else on that side of the emotional spectrum without making the perfume sweet and foody. He's done this I don't know how many times - think Grand Soir and Absolue Pour Le Soir as just two examples of many. Does he have a food fetish? Is he one of those people that considers food for enjoyment to be the deadly sin of gluttony? Seriously, a good friend or family member of his - if you're reading this - please check-in with him to make sure he isn't diabetic. His dark and brooding fragrances (or whatever description should be used on that end of the emotional spectrum) give me this hilarious image of him skulking away to some dark, dusty, out-of-sight corner of his home and stuffing his face with sweets, growling and purring like a beast trying to gobble up tasty treasures before anyone notices. Anyway, onto Eau Noire, which to my mind is misnamed: I think this should've been called Eau Violet or maybe Eau Pourpre. I instantly and easily see a dark royal purple whenever I smell this perfume. I'm sure Noire markets better. First minutes after application on skin I get a beautiful mélange of herbs and lavender. The lavender, in particular, is gorgeous, leaning into lavender's floral side rather than its herbal side. These dry down quite quickly to - guess what?! - an anisic or fenugreek accord, and vanilla! Ding ding ding! Put some points on the board for me, I was right, Captain Kurk is letting us witness his food fetish again! Give him some points for stylistic consistency and predictability too, I guess. However, unlike most of his other dark food-fetishistic perfumes, this one is actually fairly dry instead of obviously sweet, relatively speaking. What sweetness there is seems to come from the anisic/fenugreek accord, which actually makes me think it's more fenugreek - like the root bulb of the fennel plant, fresh and juicy with water and plant sugars, has been cut open before my nose. Some are saying this accord is immortelle; tomato, toe-mah-toe, but to me it's not immortelle since it has that sweetness that you don't get from the leaves of helichrysum. The vanilla is really quite dry and extremely, tastefully, marvelously smooth, evocating dried vanilla bean rather than a vanilla extract for baking. As the perfume continues to dry down, soft spoken and very smooth cedar and leather have more stage presence. They are so quiet and so smooth they are almost like whisps or shadows of cedar and leather. Circling back to the beginning of my commentary, just for a moment: after a couple of hours with this perfume you also get confirmation of one of Captain Kurk's mandates from Dior/LVMH with the re-reformulation, which is to stretch the materials as long and far as they can go. For an EdP the longevity, projection, and sillage are so understated you could say the performance is disappointing. I love an understated, calm, and quiet perfume just as much as anyone, but this version of Eau Noire - like most of Kurkdjian's own fragrances from his namesake brand - seems to be quiet and understated for the sake of using as little of the expensive olfactive materials as possible in order to increase profit margins, rather than underutilization for stylistic effect. One could argue that Black Water is meant to be like water, and therefore shouldn't have much strength or performance, but honestly that argument feels like a cop-out with what this perfume could do while still staying on message. This personal preference aside, and it is just a personal preference as I'm sure many people will validly disagree with me, it's a gorgeous perfume. It really is. Warm and inviting, yet a bit standoff-ish, preferring the warm glow of candlelight at night to the sunshine of the day. Though I might be a bit let down by the overall performance, I want to keep spraying it and spraying it and spraying it all over myself until I can't take any more - just like Captain Kurk in his dark corner where he indulges his shameful fetish for desserts.

Speaking of oddball concoctions, here is one that I love and is among my most worn perfumes and one that I somehow never got around to reviewing. The one and only Eau Noire. It is worth mentioning that there were three iterations of this fragrance, originally composed by Kurkdijan in 2004, then slightly tweaked by Demachy when Dior launched its "La Collection Couturier" in 2010, and it was later reformulated yet again by its original creator. I happen to prefer the early Demachy version over both the Kurkdijans, as I find it to strike the perfect balance between Fougere and Oriental. The original "Cologne" was heavier on spices and fresher, while the latest version steers more into the dry-smoked woods territory and tones down the blast of spices and heavy licorice. That being said, I have to give credit to Kurkdijan for creating such a unique and memorable fragrance. He is no doubt one of, if not the most overrated nose in the industry, but he outdid himself when he created Eau Noire. Despite my love for Absolue Pour Le Soir, I think Eau Noire is the best thing he has ever done, and for my taste, the best thing that ever came out of the house of Christian Dior. What makes this perfume so exquisite is how it takes the most incompatible accords and blends them into something that not only works but manages to entice, inspire, and be completely original. Who could have ever imagined putting together greens, lavender, thyme, fenugreek, coffee, black licorice, vanilla, and wood? These are the most prevalent notes and accords to my nose. I don't get the people who call out Immortelle as one of the major players in here. As hard as I struggle to fathom that, I can't. I'd say fenugreek is to blame for the "curry/maple" feel in Eau Noire, and people get confused or regurgitate what others say. Eau Noire doesn't display the usual facets of Immortelle. But that's just my opinion. The perfume is built of two halves, the Fougere and the Oriental, linked by this most peculiar accord of Black Licorice. The latter is not your licorice root nor the star anise, but an actual "confectionary licorice" accord. Indeed, like those dark-hued candies you might have tried at least once as a kid. If you didn't, you've missed out. I happen to love them and naturally, adore their showcase in Eau Noire. It is strong, and if you don't like that flavor, you can safely avoid this fragrance. It's omnipresent and connects the two parts of the composition. It starts as a green, spicy fougere, with a strong display of thyme and perhaps myrtle, lavender, and green-wet grass. This part lasts for a good while before you start to pick up the Oriental elements underneath - the vanilla, the coffee, and the smoked woods that give off a "faux" leather impression at times. The coffee note is another major player in Eau Noire, and while I struggle with it in most compositions, I thoroughly enjoy how it is showcased here - think of a caffe latte, not the beans or the black coffee accord. The more it goes down into the base, the more of the woods, vanilla, and latte accord come to the forefront, but the green aspects, the fenugreek, the licorice, and the lavender hold their ground, albeit in the background. I believe the combination of fenugreek and vanilla helps to create the "maple syrup" impression that surfaces later in the development. And even after many hours, when Eau Noire finally settles down as a proper Oriental perfume, you can still sense the juicy and tart green aspects and the licorice cutting through the fuming woods and the steaming latte. Eau Noire is one of those "love-it-or-hate-it" perfumes with no in-betweens. The one thing, however, that cannot be contested is how exquisite and iconic an olfactory work it is. Technically flawless, a seamless blend of all those notes that don't belong together yet works like a finely tuned musical instrument without ever feeling jarring, while creatively original with no resemblance, played by a musician that nowadays is in his hour of fame but worst moment of creativity, for the few ears longing for good music, the type that stirs emotions. IG:@memory.of.scents

Okay lets talk about Eau Noire shall we? Casting my mind back to mid/late 2000's and trying Eau Noire cologne for the first time. ANECDOTE ALERT!!!! (I'll keep it brief I promise;) So this was several years ago now, and I'm at the Dior counter and I've got my heart set on buying Ambre Nuit (after trying most of the range extensively) and then Eau Noire goes and throws a spanner in the works. I got Ambre nuit in the end but this gave me a banquet of food for thought. The lady on the Dior counter told me that "I'd never guess what notes were in this fragrance!" I didn't relish being put on the spot either after sniffing out lots of things previously my nose felt a little burned out! Anyway... regardless she sprayed it on a card and wafted it around for a half a minute or so still claiming "You won't get what it is." she also told me how this particular scent had been revered and highly acclaimed in the fragrance world as a masterpiece. I was thinking... well let me smell it then!!! Haha Even before she did and three feet away from me, I could smell it and instantly I exclaimed..."Coffee!!! It's coffee isn't it?" To which she replied No! I'm glad to see it listed in the notes on here and I feel somewhat vindicated! However, when quizzed I couldn't really tell what was going on with this fragrance, it's very odd I got cedar too, slightly herby and a dark creamy thing...all of which she said No to. (But are included on here and in Dior's own bumf!) As soon as she gave me clues like "It's the same colour as your shirt..." (Purple) AH HA....Lavender and as soon as she said it became so clear and strong which reminded me slightly of Un Homme de Caron but so much darker an better in every way. Took me a while to get the licorice but as it settled down the notes balance out perfectly and become clearer. So do I like this fragrance? Yes I have to say I love it, such a strange combo of prominent Lavender, Licorice and coffee with the herbiness of thyme and a sappiness of cedar and a kinda spiced curry leaf. I'm totally sold on this fragrance it's great! Lasts well on my skin too as I've tried it a few times now. Luckily she gave me 15ml(I must be a charmer) worth of samples of this one alone so as soon as I get it in an atomizer... I will wear it properly. To cap it all I discover that this fragrance is by one of my favourite perfumers Francis Kurkdjian...and frankly I shouldn't have been surprised. Hats of to Dior yet again...I will definitely be adding this superb green juice to my collection at some point.

A very unusual fragrance. It really belongs in the category of dark gourmand perfumes. Right from the opening, black licorice is extremely prominent. Dense and heavy, with the chewy impression of anise candy, yet at the same time carrying a strange coldness. Herbal notes such as thyme appear quickly, followed by vanilla, coffee, and immortelle. The opening makes you pause because it combines the cold bitterness of herbs with dark sweetness and a brief touch of spice. It does not resemble the clean brightness of typical lavender fragrances, nor the straightforward sugar and cream style of conventional gourmands. The sweetness here feels darker, more like black coffee, licorice candy, caramel, and maple syrup blended together. Immortelle is the key element in the composition. It is exactly this note that transforms Eau Noire from a lavender scent into something much harder to classify: a dark herbal gourmand. Lavender still runs through the entire fragrance, functioning almost like a cool thread woven between the licorice, coffee, and immortelle. Because of the lavender, the sweetness never fully collapses into syrup. I think the opening may immediately push some people away, but after about an hour the fragrance reaches its most beautiful stage. At that point the balance becomes extremely refined. Up close, the layers of black licorice, coffee, lavender, and vanilla are clearly distinguishable. From a slight distance, however, it turns into a dark cloud of coffee caramel sweetness with herbal coolness and a faint shadow of leather. In the drydown, the coffee slowly fades while immortelle becomes more noticeable again. What remains on the skin is maple syrup, dried plants, licorice, and a touch of wood. Anyone who enjoys immortelle, licorice, coffee, herbs, and dark sweetness will probably appreciate this fragrance greatly. Personally, I think it works much better in cold weather. In heat, the maple syrup aspect of immortelle becomes amplified and can feel sticky. In colder temperatures, the layers remain clearer and more controlled. A fragrance with a very strong identity and memorable character. Longevity and projection are both very good.

Finally posting my side-by-side comparison review of all three iterations of this -- the original FK 2004, the middle Demachy remix and the new FK 2022 release. They are all recognizably Eau Noire, but despite what some have said (or conjectured) below, there are pretty substantial differences between them. In terms of scent profile, in my opinion the 2004 original is the most spice forward, dark and interesting. Even though I never felt like it smelled like actual curry, I can see where that comes from. But it only lasts a short time before the licorice-coffee-lavender chord starts to blend in, making it very enjoyable and not at all food like. The 2004, even though "technically" EdC (I have no idea what % it was, but it was called "EdC") smells the richest and lasts the longest. The sillage is somewhat beastly, especially given the scent profile and lasts forever on skin. The Demachy remix is noticeably lavender forward. The spices and licorice are dialed down quite a bit, but they are definitely still there. As a result, this one seems the most fougere-like to me. It is fresh and aromatic, less deep and less mysterious than the original. This has great longevity good sillage. The 2022 FK re-remix is my least favorite. The spices have returned to their original level (but the mix of them seems different and not as good) and the lavender is dialed back. Unfortunately, it now has a burned, singed facet to it that I don't particularly enjoy. The immortelle, while prominent in all three, seems most prominent here, casting a very dry aspect over the composition that is also not ideal. This is also the quietest of the three. I ended up using up a full 2 ml decant for a day of testing as I found that even a liberal application faded to a whisper after two hours or so. And what's up with the anemic natural color!? The green juice was 100% part of the allure!

This is a very expensive approach to making yourself smell like those Papier d'Armenie incese papers, and I mean that in a good way. I haven't sampled Kurkdjian's Cologne Pour Le Soir, but given its provenance it clear that those notes are part of the Kurkdjian wheelhouse. It would be good to have a separate entry for the reformulation, because there are different notes here. The new one is... shinier glossier? Apart from the benzoin/styrax notes, there's less immortelle and more of something powdery (maybe that's the violet component?). This feels incredibly sophisticated. It's distinct and enjoyable without being overpoweringly bold, no need to gender it. Everyone can pull this off. I usually love aggressively resinous, tarry, spiced ambers for cool weather, and even though this is much more controlled it has a quiet complexity that I keep noticing throughout the day. This is my favorite quality in a fragrance, since it avoids the pitfall of our sense of smell becoming blind to a loved fragrance shortly after application. A little goes a long way, so even though it's expensive I expect a full bottle will last years. It's light enough that this would work just fine in summer (I think), and I also imagine it lends itself well to combining with other musk-vanilla-amber notes if you like the thought of a midday modification to an otherwise very long lasting wear. [I'm editing this five months later to note that this fragrance's longevity is not as strong as my early impressions suggested. Today, for instance. I gave myself 2 big sprays on each arm at 9 am, and it's barely detectable at 3 pm unless I put my nose to skin, and what's there is a very soft vanilla. I can't detect the spray I put on my shirt at all. This isn't a bad thing, it just makes me less enthusiastic given the cost.]

Coffee is a difficult note to get right, but Eau Noire is a decent example of a successful use of coffee in perfume. It is unmistakably a fougère, and I find that this style seems to suit coffee best as a prominent note. EN features a lavender-coffee accord on a powdery vanilla base that is sweet but masculine. It is aromatic and softly spicy throughout, comforting and deeply pleasant. EN opens with bright, herbal lavender, followed closely by a high-quality coffee note, dark, warm and spicy. They marry beautifully, making for a rich, aromatic accord. In other similar scents, I've found that the lavender can choke the coffee, but here, the delicate balance is maintained throughout. Other herbal notes are evident at the early stages, adding to the aromatic opening of the fougère. Smooth, powdery vanilla emerges as it develops, adding body and seamlessly complementing the lavender-coffee accord. Soft woody notes round it out, with the herbal notes giving way to a dry hay-like accord. Sweet-spicy liquorice emerges after a little while, becoming quite prominent. It bridges the gap nicely between the aromatic opening and vanilla-led sweet base. An ambery nuance comes to the fore as it dries down, alongside the woody-vanilla and liquorice. I get some tonka bean here too. It fades to a powdery, sweet amber skin scent with remnants of coffee and liquorice remaining. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. It is masculine-leaning in my opinion, and is best worn in cold weather. A beautifully-balanced coffee-led fougère, EN is a masterful composition that is approachable. One of the nicest coffee scents I've tried, I would enjoy this on a man. 4.5/5.

So last night I was putting on my Christian Dior Eau Noire and I was struck by something familiar. I couldn't shake it and felt like this was very reminiscent of Cadavre Exquis. I looked up the notes and the notes are remarkably similar with lavender being substituted for the cypress in this. There are a few differences, with CD EN being easier to wear, less like a Yankee Candle shop than CE. The chocolate/coffee like quality is evident in both, as is the note of immortelle which is not listed in either one but recognized by many reviewers, especially those commenting on a curry note. Many reviewers note that they can smell the lavender predominantly, and I really wish I could. My favorite note in perfumery is often lavender, but it seems when it is mixed with other aspects, particularly chocolate or patchouli or other herbs it gets lost unless it's mixed with something like thyme or sage or limon. Unfortunately, while I quite like this, I think it would be love if I could pick up the herbal notes. On me this is mostly chocolate/coffee, vanilla, immortelle syrup. Tasty, but it needs an astringent bite. Edit: After spraying and atomizing profusely--NOW I GET it: Lavender. Ahh...It's a top note however, for me that burns off quickly. Really like its quirkiness with the rest of the accords.

So... I have this huge bottle 250ml and the new one 40ml. At first they seemed very similar, but there are some differences. It’s still Eau Noire and it’s not a crowd pleaser. I can’t be 100% objective, because when you know the smell Eau Noire is about lavender and licorice. When I smelled it for the first time I was overwhelmed by spiciness and curry like feeling. I can’t smell the “foodie” aspect of Eau Noire anymore so it doesn’t mean that it’s gone in new one. I just perceive it differently now. Maybe, but maybe new one is a little bit heavier on myrrh and a little bit deeper, but to be honest there are no crazy differences. I wouldn’t say for now that new one is far superior... it’s tweaked a little bit, lavender is rounder and sweeter, previous one is more astringent, more green, it’s smell like green parts of lavender. New one on the other hand is softer, more nuanced, when old one is still lavender, lavender, lavender... new one is on that burned carmel lever. I have been wearing Demachy version for quite some time and it’s more one dimensional fragrance, it’s still very much Eau Noire, very heavy on lavender. I haven’t smelled Cologne version, but it’s seems that new one may be closer to original idea of Eau Noire.

Lmuradian said, "The signature scent of a old rich pompous mans/womans crotch." The fact you know what old, rich, pompous crotch smells like is reason enough to ignore--with appropriate therapy--your review. LOL! Anyway, I smelled Eau Noire rather briefly several years ago and I am so disappointed that I didn't order a bottle because I find it to be a timeless aromatic fougere, blended expertly with that tell-tale La Collection DNA, along with a whisper of that coffee note found in Dior Vetiver. It's gorgeous IMO. Sadly, I could not justify buying yet another full-bottle from the Dior Private Collection lineup since I already had seven 500ml bottles in my infamous Scent Armory. Performance is excellent in that it lasts a solid 10-hours and projects slightly above average on my skin. If anyone would like to swap a 30ml decant of Eau Noir for Leather Oud (2014 beastly batch), Vetiver or Mitzah - just hit me with a PM. Just like Mitzah and Vetiver, I feel that Eau Noire is one of the standout perfumes in the La Collection Privee lineup and it earns my Gold Seal...no, make that Gold Squeal (with delight) award. Cheers!

I won't talk about the notes cause i can't dissect them...blended to perfection, but all i think i can get is a dark lavender, and maybe some dark coffee, roasted. What i want to touch upon, is the fact how this makes me feel. When i put this on, i feel like a vampire during the wintertime. I think this is the best to put on when you see the snow outside, grey clouds, and you aren't feeling anyone's shit. This is that kind of scent, says "you better not mess with me", but also "i don't mind if you do it a little bit", latter applies to that special person. Dior dior, shame on you for removing this from your line-up, really shows how much of a mess you are in these days. Anyways, this is a gem, you may try and find a sample, cause i believe you have not smelled anything unlike this beauty right here. Dior, if you are reading this, PLEASE put this fragrance online, and especially make a 40ml bottle, cause i'm in desperate need for this. We all have our days when we feel like vampires, and we need a scent to complete that feeling.

A very kind and generous friend gave me a sample of this, for if I ever decided I couldn't live without it and wanted to buy a decant. I can safely say, without a doubt, as I've reapplied this three times within the last thirty minutes to get another hit of that beautiful lavender, that I sadly cannot live without this in my life. That first hit of lavender is a calming and herbal lavender, not soapy at all. When it combines softly with the licorice, it gives off a feeling similar to Brins de Reglisse by Hermes. However, after about five minutes it becomes this smooth and almost creamy love smell. The thyme and cedar then make their appearance, mixing superbly with the vanilla, lavender and licorice. All very soft, never overwhelming. I find the idea that violet would be a base not fascinating. The violet to me comes out much earlier and just permeates through the other stages. The coffee is sweet, perhaps a bit chocolatey. This is everything I need in a fragrance. It's powdery, mildly spicy and so so calming. NEED.

People who are saying EN doesn’t smell like Amouage Sunshine Man must been deeply affected by sinusites. They are very close to each other, But EN is less suffocating than Sunshine and thus it can be worn in Summer time. Also it is considerably less sweet. My lasting test consista in apply 3 or 4 sprays over clean arm before going to bed. It was almost the same after 7 hours later. And as the body starts to warm up Eau Noire comes to life as clean and striong as iit was the night before. With ver little development it’s mainly lavender from beginning to end, very comforting and masculine. Also, it gás some similarity to Jo Malone Amber and Lavender. I cannot compere it with the og version But I think it’s no longer an evening scent although wear EN in the evening is ok I just think one needs something a bit more complex for one night out. Eau Noire seems a very low key fragrance But with personality and class

I am so happy that Francis Kurkdjian is new Head Perfumer/Creative Director at Dior, I just can't wait to smell his new creations... but this is going to be about Eau Noir. This perfume is really noire - dark, black, mysterious. I have tried it few times at the Dior's boutique and I must say that this is really hard to like, but I was very attracted to it at the same time. It is unusual blend of lavender, herbs, licorice and vanilla and the blast of it at the opening is overwhelming. Funny thing with that "curry" note I would agree with others on that, but now after some wearings it is gone... the opening is very strong on lavender now. This perfume is changing with time, it really does. It is amazing how much you can change your sense of smell from "well... I don't know" to "Wow! this is amazing!" Some perfumes are hard to like, but when you finally do like them, then you love them.

I don't know how the lavender plays it's part but this has to be a beautiful disguise. A Houdini's lavender. This is a licorice vanilla coffee leather combo with lavender being the catalyst. Nothing short of exquisite. This one reminds me of my childhood. In India all the restaurants give you a mouth freshner after you finish your meal. It's mainly based on roasted fennel seeds (sometimes with sugar also) the opening and mid is exactly that aroma. Nostalgia. Settles into a vanilla and coffee aroma with Immortelle giving it a creamy texture. Exceptional performance 8+hrs and 3hrs of projection. There is something about this one that calls out the most confident part in you. Suave and made to measure composition. Excellent! 10/10 Dior not making this available everywhere is anti-climatic to say the least. Hope Dior brings it back with Francis kurkdjian taking the seat.

I have 20ml decant of the first version which I got from a friend more than 5 years ago. I hated it back then and left it in my decant drawer ever since. Recently i was trying to give away the decanted fragrances I didnt like then I tried this one. OMG now I love it so much. I remember back then the spices were more prominent, so annoying because it smells like cooking spices widely used here in Indonesia, therefore it smells like dirty kitchen to my nose. Now, the coffee is more pronounced which is the reason I love it now. The coffee note here is like the coffee bean that has just been roasted with some spices and presented with some palm sugar. Not sweet, but fragrant, also a bit chocolatey, like the coffee bean usually harvested in Sulawesi island here in Indonesia. Love love it. Havent tested the rereleased version yet.

So. I just recently tried the new 2022 version of Eau Noire and found it to be highly agreeable. Like some others, I don't think chasing a vintage bottle is worth your time or money unless you're a collector. The differences are pretty much the colour and how it comes across as, surprisingly, a little fuller due to there being more base musk. It's not as intense as the original is, but that could be seen as a good thing. I had a 30mL decant of the original which I truly enjoyed, but found to be a tiny bit rough around the edges. This has a smoothed-out base and, in my experience, wears a lot longer. If you have the original, it might be worth checking out the newer version but if you own the newer one, the original might not be necessary. I'm probably gonna get this at some point. Or Cruel Gardenia.

I would have loved it to come off my skin the way it does for you guys however I have just tried it in the store in Paris and the two notes that "shines" are fenugreek and curry (I guess from the immortel) while I was hoping for the lavender and coffee. I think this has something to do with skin chemistry even the sale associate smelled it on my hand and was surprised. Nonetheless on her skin the lavender was the main player. Now that i am in the deep dry down I can notice some licorice and a tad sweet vibe however the fenugreek is still the strongest note. I am not giving a mark as this won't happen to a lot of people but try it first on skin to be sure. I have taken Mitzah that was perfect on my skin (and tries Granville that gave me the greenish vibe I wanted, it will be my next purchase).

idk if anyone else is like this, but immortelle does not smell like a flower to me at all, it's very spicy and resembles authentic amber to my nose. This fragrance is heavily spicy which i feel like is caused by that immortelle effect. There's also a bitterness that I have experienced before in the dried skin of citrusy fruits, which i suspect is coming from the combo of the thyme + sage bound together by the lavender. Mid-wear gets a bit sweeter, but a very subtle sweetness, not at all in ur face. if i didn't know any better, i would've thought that this contains some sort of tea. The herbs up top are very well-blended, but i have yet to pick up the coffee in this fragrance. Looking forward to exploring it some more.

Dior Eau Noire (2004, revisited 2022) - smoky lavender - A perfume I will forever enjoy. #franciskurkdijan relaunched his previous Dior privee perfumes - making them more modern. Demachy’s Eau Noire had a stronger caramel and immortelle elements. In this version, you can still get the same DNA, but I get a stronger focus on Lavender, Labdanum that creates a smoked incense & leather accord and deep & dark woods. I also sense a myriad of white musks and ambers that Mr. Kurkdijan is known for, developing transparency and radiance amidst the heavier perfume elements. Focused, streamlined and open to be loved with a new generation of Eau Noire lovers.