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.

updated: I'm reminded once again that this is a very valuable perfume. It promises a high-quality presentation that's often overlooked. It creates a particularly therapeutic perception. Don't forget that this perfume isn't for social use and impressing people; instead, it's a perfume for self-gratification, like Interlude or Amouage's other perfumes. I want to emphasize once again that it's a truly underrated perfume. It embodies all the sensations of ambergris perfumes in a single bottle. If Coromandel-style patchouli perfumes seem a bit oily and dirty to you, this perfume is one of the few alternatives. It's a very special product. For those who prefer to compare perfume names to reach a conclusion, you'll get the same feeling as the following perfumes: TF Noir de Noir, POAL, Bond New York Amber and The overall intensity of the fragrances of the Le Labo perfume house. It opens with an old-school patchouli, which can be a bit tiring. A clean yet dewy patchouli, truly old-school. It then culminates in a light POAL effect and a clean amber. Its performance is very high, but its spread typically declines after 4-5 hours. Nobile 1942 Patchouli is at the top of my list of favorite patchouli perfumes.

This complex patchouli scent is vintage patchouli at it's best! This isn't your mother's fruitchouli, honey. We have to go way back. Smelling this you can imagine being transported through time and space to the 1970s California coast at night. Imagine you're somewhere in the hills where the ground is dusty - the kind of dust that is perfect for vineyards, and someone is playing a guitar...."All the leaves are...." As people sway to the music, their incensed second-hand store bell-bottoms swing like pendulums through that beautiful earthy dust. Absent the sparkly, scratchy facet of patchouli, in it's place there is a rooty, earthy, dusty and soapy vintage vibe, and at the same time in the background there is something that smells like Histoires de Parfums, reminding me of other HdP scents like the very different 1740 (an immortelle scent). Must love patchouli in all it's splendour and don't scare easily by a vintage vibe. (i.e. you never wore this scent profile the first time around, or you've embraced being the OG).

I had a 15ml bottle of this shipped to the UK from Switzerland, and I can tell you it was worth every single day of waiting during the 3 weeks shipping time. Where do I start? It's STRONG! Patchouli! Warm spicy coriander! Cardamom! Boom! Wham! Blam! It's amazing. Gorgeous floral notes start to appear after 30 mins or so which add a lovely dimension, and the drydown is a musky, warmly animalic, vanilla spiced delight. The patchouli, coriander, and cardamom never really quieten down, but become more balanced and blended. Lasts forever, 20h after application I can still catch it on my wrist and it projects really strongly too so be careful not to overspray, especially on a warmer day. This is my 4th experience of HdP (the others being 1740, Veni, and Ambre 114, all of which I love - especially the beast that is 1740) and I'm delighted that they haven't let me down yet. If you like patchouli - don't hesitate, buy this.

I thought patchouli was an anathema on my skin. If I spray something on that contains patchouli, within minutes i can smell it breaking apart in rank decay. Not sure what possessed me to try this. Noir Patchouli is a revelation. Remarkable opening, trumpet fanfare, bright and alive. Big floral projection with something delicious and mysterious. After a half hour there's a palpable decrescendo, actually more like a hard left into some dark, skulking, brooding nightscape. Projection stays strong, but it's *completely* different and very heavy. I'd compare it to Datura Noir in feel as they both have a dark edge, definitely for nighttime wear. Mixed reviews may be from people who get to wear all those other patchouli-based frags that die on my skin. This one's for folks who've had trouble wearing it elsewhere.

I really love this. I was hesitant because I had seen others mention it as too medicinal, green, or animalic. It is a fairly straightforward dominant patchouli, the same kind you love or hate. There isn't a lot of nuance outside of that but there is definitely a slight floral in the dry down and even some subtle warmth with the musky vanilla as more time passes. There is nothing gourmand or very chocolate cakey but a hint of that is in the dry down if you are really looking for it. I feared it might be too masculine in a cheap cologne aka barber shop way from other reviews but I don't get that at all. It is a somewhat beast mode full strength patchouli that I can see equally enjoyed by both sexes. I am happy to have it in my regular rotation.

Beautiful take on Patchouli, the best I have smelt until now (yes... I even prefer it to Heritage or Zino!). All the supporting notes (coriander in the top, juniper in the middle, floral leather in the base) are clearly noticeable and make beautiful partners to the patchouli. Note that here, it's about a dirty/earthy green patchouli, not a sweet one. The old school leather & floral supporting accord in the drydown is very similar to the one found in 1740 Marquis de Sade. I like 1740, but this accord associated with the immortelle is too much for my nose. Despite its similarity, I love it here in NP, because it's much better balanced imo. Full bottle? Very probably! Fall evenings/ Winter days, 30+

Nostalgia in a bottle. I really didn't like this at first because it seemed very old-fashioned, but it somehow grew on me. It's not dark at all. It's heavy patchouli and florals and musk, like something in your aunt's bathroom cabinet. Mom's leather purse. Old hippies. The '80s arcade. But it's still somehow very compelling. Very versatile. High performance. Try it and come back to it before dismissing it. The message is subtle and not for everyone. Edit: Been wearing this a lot lately, and I find myself craving it. It makes me smile. It's such a crazy mix of old and new. Like, very old, stinky, dated, but somehow still fresh as an idea and as an experience. Love it.

Great stuff, to me a remake of 1740. Main players are patchouli and leather, with some spices (coriander, cardamome), flowers (don't know), juniper, vanilla and mousse blended in there. The leather accord is to me similar to the one found in the great 1740, but here toned down and therefore not so confrontational. More a sidekick to the patchouli. This in turn is helped towards the romantic side by the vanilla and mousse. If 1740 is a fragrance for dominating your surroundings, noir patchouli is more of a quiet alphamale romantic. Not so loud, but very noticable and longlasting. 9/10

Very nice. I ordered a 15ml bottle of this, as reading reviews mentioning the rose, I was too nervous to order a larger bottle. First wear...not as patchouli dominant as expected—in fact it comes off a little incense churchy to me, with a definite rose note throughout. It's also soapy...like really nice soapy. It's addictive. I don't usually like rose in my scents, but it's beautifully blended in this. The spices keep the scent interesting and lively to me. There's something about it that takes me on a pleasant nostalgic trip. I will definitely order a larger bottle in the future.

Deep, dark deliciouness; Noir Patchouli is the best patchouli that I have smelled so far. A dash of spice and leather keeps it interesting all the way to the end. And that end is far away because it lasts easily 12 hours and than you are still surrounded by the rich, eathly and masculine smell of this scent. They avoided the sharpness some pachouli scents have and where able to make this one smell very comforting and familiar, yet deep enough to hold you attention. Worth every penny!

This is patchouli done right. Very spicy with coriander and cardomom which gives it a slight gasoline tinge that burns off but remains spicy. I believe this patchouli is the same type used in 1740 Marquis de Sade. Where 1740 becomes savory amber, this stays spicy. I don't get much vanilla in the base but the musky leather is there and well done. Another fine creation from an excellent French house. Bravo. Scent 7.5/10 Performance 8/10

i think this is patchouli taken out of the damp woods, and pushed to the sophisticated, vintage hipster. the spices at the top, with every subtle kiss of vanilla, kind of gives me a little cola vibes. leather keeps this chic and nonchalant. juniper slightly hypes up the patchouli's medicinal qualities. and a rose to remind you that you're a romantic. patchouli can be different things, guys! enjoy life a little!

If Habanita and 1740 had a child, it would be Noir Patchouli. It has the exact same leather accord as 1740, but without the aromatic immortelle. Add to that a very nice powdered floralcy, and you're done. The patchouli is only lurking in the background on my skin, more as a supporting actor for the powderiness. Noir Patchouli definitely has a vintage style, beautiful, elegant, strong-willed and sophisticated.

I wore it yerterday night and I fall in love with this perfume. I totally agrre with @nexangelus. It is really big perfume and there is dark musky effect with dark wood. I can imagine that i walking in the dark forest with all of its mystic atmosphere. Longevity many many and sillage is huge. Expecially patchouli perfumes could be difficult but this is real divine.

Noir Patchouli is homage to complex masterpieces like Givenchy Gentlemen original version, Giorgio Beverly Hills Man. The original version if this beauty is nothing like it was when it was made in cc 22 years ago. It is still beautiful but not near as complex with fleeting huge silage and divine projection. I would kill to get pre 2010 formulations.