Noir Patchouli

Noir Patchouli occupies a territory that was explored much earlier by Givenchy Gentleman (1974) , as represented by my own 1982 vintage bottle : a dark combination of patchouli, leather, honey, and woods. The difference is that Noir Patchouli is far less animalic and places greater emphasis on its woody structure. Although the “This perfume reminds me of” section lists Aromatics Elixir more often than Givenchy Gentleman (1974) , I find the former comparison rather misleading . To my nose, Aromatics Elixir and Aramis 900 belong to a different patchouli-woody family. Noir Patchouli, however, is much closer in structure to Givenchy Gentleman (1974). The patchouli is dark but not muddy, with a dry, polished quality. A subtle floral nuance gradually emerges, almost reminiscent of carnation, adding a spicy lift and a touch of 1980s aromatic masculinity to the composition. There is also a honeyed impression, even though honey is not necessarily listed in the official pyramid. What I find especially appealing is its clear, faceted texture. The fragrance feels smooth and slightly luminous, as if the darker patchouli core had been polished rather than simply thickened. This gives it a modern, almost crystalline presence without making it feel sterile or overly abstract. After several hours, the drydown takes another turn. A distinct rose note gradually emerges, forming a patchouli-wood-rose accord. The carnation-like nuance is still present, but the rose makes the fragrance move a little further away from Givenchy Gentleman, whose animalic leather and honey remain much more dominant. The relationship between Noir Patchouli and Givenchy Gentleman reminds me of the relationship between Cartier Déclaration and Voyage d’Hermès Parfum. They do not smell alike in a literal sense, but they share a similar structural posture and a comparable overall outline when experienced from a distance. Noir Patchouli is the cleaner and more contemporary interpretation, while Givenchy Gentleman is denser, more animalic, and more firmly rooted in pre-1990 masculine perfumery. Although Noir Patchouli dates to around 2000, its aesthetic feels closer to contemporary perfumery than to the 1970s original. A very good modern patchouli fragrance. It does not have the overwhelming personality of the vintage Givenchy Gentleman, but its restraint feels deliberate, and the woody-floral twist gives the composition a distinctive identity of its own. Rating: 8.5–9/10

(NOBLE) COUNTER-CULTURE PATCHOULI. Imagine Bridget Bardot, fresh from filming Comme Une Parisienne, boards a plane to the California coast. Once there she travels with friends to Laurel Canyon in the back of a half-ton truck, where she hides away on vacation. The days and nights consist of strumming her guitar wearing dungarees and a kerchief in her hair, long hot baths with french-milled soap, and smoking pot while listening to Allen Ginsberg recite free verse, helping to plant the seeds of a growing counter-culture movement. This strange enigma of a scent has got me turned around, with several revolutions. First I smelt a refined French milled soap patchouli, then months later I thought it was a hippy patchouli, and now it's smelling rather Gothic to me, in the manner of 1740 Histoires de Parfums. Taking a step back, I can see it's all of those things. Embedded within every revolution is the paradox of noble tradition, and while we can never go back to how things were before, 'there is nothing new under the sun'... Contrast to Pachuli Kozha Nishane: These are different, and Pachuli Kozha doesn't have the soapy quality present in Noir Patchouli, but they both have that same rich, dark & gothic patchouli with a bite in the drydown. Noir Patchouli's bite is bigger after the soapiness fades, while Pachuli Kozha is sweeter with a near-honey facet. Contrast to 1740 Histoires de Parfums: These are different, and 1740 doesn't have the soapy quality either present in Noir Patchouli, but again has the same rich, dark & gothic patchouli with a bite in the drydown. 1740 is closer to Noir Patchouli than Pachuli Kozha IMO. Contrast to Jannet El Firdaus Swiss Arabian: These are different, but there are some similarities in the soapy aspects of both, which is more of a perfume-y soap quality. JEF doesn't drydown with the rich, dark & gothic biting qualities of Noir Patchouli and 1740. Overall: powerhouse performance and a patchouli kaleidoscope scent profile, this took me awhile to appreciate and perhaps some time developing the fullness of its character after first sprays. But the little 15mL travel spray I have is now risen to the top 10 of my favourites list from the dusty back of the cupboard (not many scents can do that). It's a love for me. 10/10. Enjoy!

Noir Patchouli is something else! The opening is a smack in the face with a patchouli plant that's wearing a new leather jacket and leather shoes! Patchouli Noir indeed! This great opening of patch & leather with a hefty dose of spices make for a remarkable & dark prelude. Soon the "floral bouquet" chimes in, I get mostly rose, and it is here, where we begin to slip into 'vintage chypre' territory (some are labeling it 'old lady' which isn't nice), that some people seem to be encountering a problem. Is it too feminine in this stage? Not in my opinion. There is a sweetness not unlike those pink musk stick lollies in there, but it's short lived. Soon that patchouli/leather accord re asserts itself and the 'noir' really kicks in. It almost dries down to more of a leather than a patchouli fragrance, as other reviewers have noted below. This is a complex, evolving and really different take on patchouli. Rejecting that chocolate and earth vibe for a leather & floral combo that I haven't come across so far in my experiences with patch scents. Longevity is fantastic - 8hrs plus on me and it projects just enough to make you a tad self conscious (not necessarily in a bad way). This review is based on a 15ml decant, and I'll definitely use it up & consider a full bottle, which from my investigations, are fairly reasonably priced. A thumbs up from me for sure!

I really wonder how some people's olfactory system works. I read here a review that the patchouli is somewhat in the background. Well, maybe that person is noseblind for patchouli because HdP NP is all about a heavy thick prominent patchouli that is blended in the top, heart and base of this beautiful perfume. It starts boozy and balsamic with spices like coriander and cardamom and a woody juniper berry. In the heart there is a pleasant soapiness from the flower notes. And finally after this unique somewhat mesmerising start there comes the patchouli in a thick loud dark way with a warm animalic leather that is not unpleasant at all. In this perfume I can almost smell the green patchouli leaves and oil. It cuts through everything and surrounds you for hours and hours. The more I smell it the more I like it. The concentrated patchouli even outperforms in silage my pure essential patchouli oil. The only perfumes that I know that have this long lasting layered patchouli are Portrait of a Lady and Diptique Tempo. But this one smells green, thicker and more balsamic. The opening is the best part of NP and the base is too green for me, I prefer the chocolate earthy patchouli essence dry down, but nevertheless I stop now, spray the last drops of my tester and order a full bottle of this amazing tribute to one of my favourite perfume ingredients.

My first encounter with patchouli was when I bought a patchouli plant for my garden years ago. If you've never crushed a patchouli leaf in your fingers, you really haven't smelled and appreciated the deep fragrance that is patchouli. This is the first perfume I've found that really captures that freshly-crushed scent. I can understand why Le Nez decided to call this 'Black' because it is a deep and velvety scent. Alfarom and Sherapop give excellent reviews of the scent (yes I also agree it has chypre AND leather elements to it...). I'd only add that you can really 'feel' the juniper and coriander here - warm and really delicious. My favorite part of Patchouli Noir is the dry down... oooh, this matures like a fine wine... such a gentle but potent trail of floral and (what appears to be) orris root. This is a unisex fragrance; I think it's right on that edge of masculine and feminine, almost tipping into the feminine. Personally I wouldn't like to go more floral than this, but the dry down is very deep and masculine, so I think it works well for us guys, too. Ironically, patchouli lovers might not really 'feel' the patchouli in this, and patchouli haters could REALLY love this... Histoires has done something wonderful by using patchouli as a catalyst for something great and iconic.