Coeur Noir

@babepdx said, in her review, that she detected vetiver. I have to concur. Maybe its something in how the pepper, labdanum, and rosewood (which isn't listed here but is on Heretic's site) may be playing together in a magical way that produces some sort of vetiver accord. Regardless, the opening of this is remarkably similar to Encre Noire, which is an incredibly vetiver-heavy scent. The immediate opening is pepper. What slithers into the remaining, relatively linear incense experience is the suspiciously uncanny Encre Noire essence of it. Once that veil parts, it's dusty, old church vibes. Incense bolstered by the smell of an antique mall, vacant cabin, or old furniture warehouse. It doesn't perform amazingly. The labdanum and vanilla are a fleeting experience on my skin, when the fragrance has almost completely worn-off. But I'm kind of tired of complaining about performance from non-luxury niche houses. The problem is obviously the consumer. I doubt ELdO, LL, Commodity, etc would perform at this often intimat level if millennials (my generation) and the cusp members of the generations that sandwich them weren't addicted to the conspicuously ascetic consumption of luxurious privacy. Indulging the self while simultaneously indulging an obsequious fear of offending. Feeling different without being different. While the performance makes it hard to recommend at the price point, it's not any worse in price or performance than any other major niche, and I can attest that I'd happily acquire a bottle at even a modest discount, which is the first time I've been able to say so for a fragrance I've sampled through a subscription service. So, if you're a fan of ELdO, etc, and you like the smell of an attractive, petless, elder seamstresses home with a touch of incense, I urge you to at least try it. Just don't wear it anywhere your skin might get wet. A gentle rinse will almost completely extinguish it. No exaggeration.

This is my first perfume from heretic and I couldn’t resist the allure of the beautiful packaging and description of this perfume. I did try the sample first which I recommend because although it’s a pleasant scent I don’t think it’s a good blind buy. I am a huge gourmand lover, especially vanilla but I was looking for something with a gothic touch. When I first smelled this, it was a bit out of my comfort zone but I was totally drawn to it. There’s a resin note and rosewood (a note I’ve never smelled before), it is a light slightly powdery resin woody scent and as it dries down the deep vanilla comes in. It strangely reminds me of being in an old medieval castle with some incense (but not too smokey) and with flowers everywhere. The sweetness from the vanilla is subtle and adds just a light under layer. If you are a vanilla lover as well and you want the sweetness to become more enhanced my favorite combo has been a spray of this layered with Kayali’s Vanilla 28 underneath or Vanilla Skin body spray by Phlur. 💕👌 all three has been my favorite combo lately! I will say unfortunately the only con is the longevity is like two hours on my skin and it starts off as a moderate silage but then goes more to intimate. The profile of this scent is a lot though so Get the sample through their website first, also it’s limited edition so it may not be available for too long!

My friend gave me her bottle of this scent as a gift, I wanted to blind smell before I looked at the notes, and first thoughts; it is very medicinal and herbaceous, I immediately thought there had to be some notes of Turkish rose, or something else causing it to almost be an Herby floral, but also spicy, I was quite shocked to not see it on the notes. It is extremely dark, herbal, and spicy, I get a hint of pepper after letting it sit, and the resin aroma lingers longer than anything. Picture this; A witches cabin, dried herbs hanging from the windowsill. A bird masked doctor from the plague era, treating patients with blood leaching, herbs stuffed under the beak. End scene. Overall a very interesting scent, yet straightforward. Wear it on dark nights and rainy days in your most macabre attire. Only issue is it doesn't last long enough. 8.9/10.

honestly smells a lot like a less intense dirty vanilla. which is not necessarily a bad thing. personally i loved dirty vanilla but it was too strong for me (and would sometimes give me headaches) so this is perfect. it has that like sweet woody scent that kind of reminds me of incense before you light it. i can also smell a hint of hubba bubba tape gum on me (like w/dirty vanilla lol) i think i like it but you definitely dont need both scents. me personally, i'd keep this one instead of the other.

I've never had a perfume like this as I usually go with more fresh scents. That being said I love it. It goes on sweet and peppery at first then dries down to even sweeter ambery vanilla leaving a soft but rich scent on my skin. It lasts for a few hours and is strong but not overwhelming. This perfume just makes me feel good. Someone mentioned layering this with Nosfaretu and they are gorgeous together. I'll also layer this with a vanilla and amber body butter for more longevity.

If I could drink this I would, if I could bathe in it I would, and if I could inject it into my veins, well, I might. It is intoxicatingly woody, vaguely sweet. If you love labdanum, you will love it. Unfortunately! It is distressingly short lived, and very rudely priced for its sillage and projection, but I will keep buying it, because the heart wants what the heart wants. Layer it with Heretic Dirty Vanilla (which I am also devoted to) and thank me later. <3

Smells like a vintage store with leather jackets and incense and victorian lamps for sale... mysterious and cozy; sweet and dark. There's an edge from the black pepper but it never smells sharp. I would love to smell like this every day. The regrettably low sillage and longevity (like any other fragrance from Heretic) is the only reason I won't purchase more.

Dark and rich. I've never quite loved vanilla as a note, but the blending of Couer Noir has changed my mind; the spiced quality of the dense, warm resins are the most prominent element of this fragrance, but it feels like they act as a cloak for the vanilla to wear. Incense, but the smokiness is replaced by sweetness. A tree bleeding sticky-sweet sap.

A yummy warm scent perfect for the cold months. I don't smell the sweetness, the benzoin/amber is definitely at the forefront for me with a bite of spice over top. For as much as I love this, it fades pretty fast, which is just the nature of using all natural, organic ingredients that is the standard for Heretic.

Sticky, intoxicating, and reminiscent of citronella bug spray... in the best way possible. Once it drys down, it has a thick layer of laudanum, a hint of pepper and dusting of powder for me. Perfect to wear year round in the evening if your going for a enthralling and mysterious vibe.

A vanilla bean that’s been trapped in a cedar chest for a while. I love it! It’s unisex and very nice. The rosewood is sharp but it works so well with all the other notes! Very noir, very mysterious. Nicely done Heretic!🖤

Spicy, woody, sweet. Ancient, nearly dusty antique store fragrance. Labdanum forward and vanilla bean on the drydown. A fragrance I adore that wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

This smells like a powdery vanilla patchouli incense to me. I’m surprised patchouli isn’t in the notes. It smells like a softer perfume version of Kuumba Made’s Amber Paste.

A very interesting skin scent. I think this is how the wardrobe that leads to Narnia would smell.

I get lightly resinous dust and candles, like cobwebs and an attic floor warmed in the sun.

LOOOOVE it, the simplicity lets each note really shine! might become my signature scent

smells like a sexy vampire shopping at a vintage store

We're moving beyond the cold, ethereal rain of Nosferatu today, preparing for a descent into a much more demanding and conceptual space with Heretic Parfums’ Cœur Noir. The name itself—French for "Black Heart"—instantly warns us that this may not be an easy or mass-appealing wear; it suggests a fragrance that explores deep, perhaps unsettling, facets of the human experience. The core challenge of this review will be to determine if this intensely dramatic, dark concept can be translated into a complex, compelling signature scent, or if the "Black Heart" proves simply too abrasive and gothic to be appreciated outside of an artistic context. Let's delve into the darkness and see what shadows this fragrance casts. Opening: The opening is ambery, balsamic, and warm. Cœur Noir keeps its listed notes simple—benzoin, black pepper, labdanum, and Madagascar vanilla—and I can easily pick each one out. The most prominent, however, are the benzoin and labdanum. The benzoin starts the fragrance off with a hefty dose of ambery and balsamic accords. It is sweet, warm, and deeply resinous, very similar in tone to the benzoin found in MFK's Grand Soir. Following the benzoin is the labdanum, complementing the composition with a dark, subtly animalic accord underscored by a distinct woodiness. Next are the black pepper and Madagascar vanilla. The black pepper gives the opening a subtle but spicy kick, just enough to tickle the nose without ever overpowering the other notes. Lastly, the vanilla lays down a sweet and creamy foundation, working in tandem with the benzoin to drive home the highlighted sweetness. Dry Down: The dry down remains ambery, balsamic, and warm, making this a fairly linear fragrance. The highlighted notes are still the benzoin and labdanum, carrying the same core structure as the opening. However, there are some discernible differences: the woody aspects of the labdanum have come out more, and the black pepper note is absent. It's essentially a rich blend of benzoin and labdanum with a splash of creamy vanilla thrown in, making the comparisons to Grand Soir still valid in this later stage. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour is moderate, reaching out about 3–5 feet. Sillage is a bit stronger with an easily noticeable scent trail, but it's not heavy or dense. After about 3–4 hours, the performance was largely the same. The fragrance then began to retreat, becoming an intimate skin scent around the 5-6 hour mark, which I've found is par for the course for fragrances from this house. When to Wear: Cœur Noir is a rich fall/winter fragrance best reserved for the evening. Like the style of Grand Soir, this isn't a casual-wearing fragrance; its depth and richness are best reserved for special or formal occasions where it can be fully appreciated. For those same reasons, I wouldn't pick this for office wear either. Blind Buy: If you already enjoy the style of fragrances like MFK's Grand Soir, this is a very safe blind buy for you, provided you are aware of its moderate performance. Final Verdict: Cœur Noir is, without a doubt, a pleasant, warm, and highly wearable fragrance. It executes its vision of a dark, resinous, amber scent with skill, leaning heavily on the classic combination of benzoin and labdanum. While I enjoy the scent profile immensely, my enthusiasm is dampened by two significant factors. First, its close similarity to other major amber fragrances like Grand Soir means it doesn't offer enough originality to stand out. Second, its performance is rather unimpressive, especially given the density of the notes. The scent becomes intimate fairly quickly, clocking out around the 5-6 hour mark for noticeable projection. Because of its lack of originality and its less-than-stellar longevity, I will not be adding Cœur Noir to my personal collection. Scent: 7/10 Longevity: 6/10 Sillage: 6/10 Versatility: Average Mass Appeal: Average Gender: Unisex Value: Overpriced

Testing blind this initially opened with a green-leaning body fusing with warm herbal and then a cinnamon-spicy element. It stays short of feeling too heavy on the spice but I did get the brief memory of those overtly scented cinnamon decorations you can smell 5 aisles over at Michael's for a split second. Don't worry as its vibe is more of a warm festive evergreen forest, relatively more personal and comforting. As the initial flair of spice settles, morphs into a soothing, more camphorous eucalyptus. This aromatic pine-leaning freshness is balanced by a steady undercurrent of sweetness, keeping from ever feeling dry and arid or bordering on being a home scent which sometimes eucalyptus comes across to me. At times I get licorice root spiciness. By the end of the day, it softens into an intimate, lightweight coziness, warm, familiar and friendly, like wrapping yourself in your favorite worn-in sweater, leaving a lingering, vanilla-like warmth that feels comforting. So, looking at the notes now I'm more than a bit surprised. The blend of black pepper with the benzoin, labdanum, and vanilla essentially dances around, changing partners which each other as the day goes on, projecting the sense of other things not really there. I really don't get a strong sense of individual notes. Projection was moderate, but leaving a healthy intimate skin sense 12 hours later. Maybe leans the slightest hint masculine, but it's still unisex to me. Overall, it's a warm, dark whisper, just as fitting on a brisk spring morning as it is during the chill of autumn, not to mention the holidays themselves.

A very pretty, simple scent in a good way. I was worried about the vanilla, but the fresh and warm spicy elements, alongside the amber, definitely balance it out, making it a more sophisticated vanilla and not so much girl-buying-her-first-body-spray vanilla. I've gotten compliments from my mom who absolutely hates vanilla perfumes, so don't let this note fool you! Emulates the ambience of an antique store or vintage book shop: old brass trinkets, coils of incense, and leather bound pages dimly lit by sweet beeswax candles. I've seen some reviews say that it's too one-dimensional, but I think its perfectly rich and pleasant, the resinous spice adding the perfect amount of depth and warmth. I don't think I'll buy a full size as it bears some similarities to "Lost in Dusk" by Recreation, of which I already have a full bottle, but it's lovely nonetheless! It also doesn't last as long as the one from Recreation and has less projection in my opinion, but still lasts for most of the day. Definitely a safe blind buy, unless you aren't partial to amber scents.