Sable Nuit

#1494 in my "Tour of Fragrance" One of the nicest Armani scents I've found. Is it $300 plus nice? Nah. Main character here is olibanum, and I am a fan of olibanum-forward scents. But there are many to choose from. The one advantage I would say this has is not what's in it, but what is not in it: citrus. Lalique "White in Black", Nishane "Hacivat Oud", Electimuss "Vanilla Edesia", Ajmal "Incense Wood", Amouage "Opus XVI Timber", "Reflection Man 45", Widian "New York", Risala "Burj Noir", Armaf "Royal Amber Oud." You can get all this for $30-300. If I was going to spend this kind of cash I'd got straight for Clive Christian "Blonde Amber." But there's that pesky citrus, especially bergamot, which I can do without. This is a an inoffensive frankincense scent, and not all are, so it has that going for it. Absolutely date wear and excellent quality. But $300+ excellent? So what's my fallback for a nice olibanum-forward scent minus the citrus? Paris Corner "Rifaqaat." Admittedly I find the vanilla concentration a bit much for my taste. But I paid $25 for it. So I'll live with it.

I consider Armani Privé Bois d'Encens to be the definitive frankincense scent. Perfectly ecclesiastical, evoking memories of Catholic Mass, it is perfection. Sable Nuit is another frankincense-dominant scent from the same line, a new release, and while I love it, I don't need both. SN is slightly lighter, more balsamic and less woody. SN is frankincense-dominant from initial spray, and it permeates this scent throughout. Soft spices and some woodiness round it out, and patchouli emerges after a little while. Earthy and herbal, it is used to perfection here. A nice balsamic amber accord develops as it dries down, becoming slightly leathery as it progresses. Vanilla keeps things smooth and sweet. It becomes slightly dry as it dries down further, the incense remaining until final fade. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. It is perfectly unisex. A lovely churchy incense scent, SN is pretty decent in its own right, but it is rendered moot by my bottle of Bois d'Encens. Cold weather excellence. 4/5.

I would just say that if you like olibanum (not when burned on charchoal but as a raw ingredient/resin/oil) you should definitely give it a try and buy it! Gives a great warm feeling when wearing it and its good that the olibanum steps in front of all other ingredients compared to other perfumes where u are hardly trying to identify it. Also in the biggening pepper is there to make it a little bit more spice! Not that much good projection and longevity on my skin especially for a prive line. I think that's the only disadvantage in this one. Otherwise its great piece for frankincense lovers!

My first review! Harrods now have a supply of this new juice so while I was there over 6 hours ago I had to try this. The sales rep verbatim said Sable Nuit has "Incense, Frankincense and Leather" as its main features. An olfactory spitting image of the ridiculously expensive "Elegantes Amber Incense" pretty much, with subtle nuances. Much more affordable, great opening, dries down nicely on the skin - cosy & spicy. Good value (for what you get) and projects supremely well as expected. Easily unisex, leaning more towards masculinity. High on my wantlist!

This is very similar to Matiere Premiere‘s Encens Suave in that it’s amazingly smooth, clean, and un-exaggerated compared to many other myrrh/incense based fragrances. Pink pepper usually ruins fragrances for me, but with this it’s used very sparingly, and for the better, in my opinion. Just an overall opulent fragrance and an instant love for me. Would recommend to anyone who has been similarly disappointed with scents of this profile—give this one a shot!