Nuit D’Issey Noir Argent

What a fantastic scent, I had never heard of Issey Miyake before buying this aside from the odd fragrance pop up on a department store website. They weren't big in Canada and you hardly ever saw them but it seems that has changed a bit. I'm glad I grabbed this when I did as this was impossible to find another bottle of more recently when I kept checking a discounter for the Nuit D'Issey parfum version. How I'd describe Noir Argent is it's dark, rich and sweet, just smoky enough to give it this depth or definition without it being over powering or unwearable on most days where you'll be repelling people. This does the opposite. It's got this aromatic quality to it that trails in this complex and seductive amount of spices and finishes off with this sweet incense type scent. Not to be confused with obnoxious church incense. No you'll like this. It's a subtle amount of cherry cola like feel in the dry down with some fizziness. There is so little leather and grapefruit in this that it just helps the scent so I'll take their word it's in there the important thing is it smells good right? I can see this one being great for going out at night, around the holidays and winter as it has this almost Christmas type feel to it. That's just me. Comparing it to Black XS from 2005 Black XS is sweeter way less spicy, almost like an alcoholic beverage with strawberries involved. Noir Argent doesn't come off an alcoholic beverage at all , the incense and spices give this it's own identity, this comes off as dryer as well instead of a wet alcoholic beverage. Both are incredible fragrances different enough to wear one some days another other days. With other Paco Rabanne colognes I honestly hope Pure XS night is this nice. I thew an original release of Pure XS in the trash after 3 years of hardly wearing it. It's a bit of a stretch to compare this to one million, just the amount of spices that hit you is similar to one million but nowhere near as sweet. However I would not put anything Paco has done in the "Smells like" list coming from someone who used to be a big fan of their fragrances. This is dumb reach, a great introduction to incense. A solid winter fragrance, yet I do wear this sometimes in the summer when it's not stupidly hot out. Almost anyone can wear this in any situation it's that good. If you're into scents like black xs, spice bomb, bvlgari man in black (original) , drakkar noir or possibly aventus this is for you. This doesn't smell cheap at all. Lasts a very long time and projects really well. My brother was trying it out and he put one spray on. He was a good 3 or so feet away from me and I can see why with this less is more than the usual 4-5 sprays I do. I love how unique this is and this is an absolute classic.

I'm a huge fan of the Issey Miyake house, and the Nuit D'issey line holds a very special place in my heart. Hot on the heals of the NI EDT, Parfum, Bleu Astral, and Austral Expedition flankers, this was the 5th release in the line, and the best of all of what I would consider to be true Nuit D'issey flankers (all retaining the original Nuit D'issey DNA). This is what I would imagine a house like Amouage would release of you asked them to make their own interpretation of Nuit D'issey. Much in the way that Initio Rehab is a high end Spicebomb, or PDM Galloway is a high end White Lalique, this takes an existing DNA and tweaks it with higher quality ingredients and adds some much needed depth. This fragrance is almost black liquorice covered myrrh, with a twist of fresh grapefruit zest. The pepper is present and somewhat sharp, contrasted against the smooth sweetness of the base notes: It's a bold opening and has huge presence. In the dry down the leather and incense really start to shine, with light hints of realistic saffron. The notes settle down into a smokey semi-sweet incense over a beautiful natural patchouli, the vetiver realized and adding depth. Performance is excellent, easily pushing 10 hours on skin, days on fabric. A dark and mysterious fragrance that retains a playful edge. I think this fragrance is more versatile than many give it credit for, I think it would be fine in the spring for days and nights under 82° although the character of the fragrance may be a little heavy for daytime wear, it doesn't become cloying or overbearing in the high 70's. I would recommend this fragrance for confident men over the age of 28, although I could see certain younger guys wearing this, and a confident bold woman as well. While I do enjoy the Polaris "flanker" much more and Bois Arctic and Pulse of the Night a bit more, I don't consider any of those three to be true Nuit D'issey flankers, they all kind of do their own thing. This is as good as it gets if you want that NI DNA. This had a decently long production run compared to many of the other flankers (at least 2 years from what I can tell). The price is definitely climbing but it's not as hard to get a hold of as some of the other flankers, and if you are patient, you can find bottles in the $125-250 range, I think that price is kor than fair as this fragrance punched WELL above its original MSRP. 9.25/10 fragrance

Imagine fresh licorice and nutmeg smushed on a bed of vetiver and woods. This is what you get in the opening. The notes I pick up mostly are Myrrh, Nutmeg, & Leather. You can pick up the other notes slightly but the above makes up 80% of it. It’s not overly strong or heavy like you might think. It’s well blended, smooth & smells fantastic! As it dries down, it transforms into what I can describe as warm raisin oatmeal or even black tea w/ cloves if you’re familiar with that scent. It’s not too sweet, I’d say the equivalent of 2 packets of Sweet n’ Low in your cup of tea. Noir Argent is a dark fragrance by nature but not offensive. Let’s just say it’s different from what others out there are wearing, which is a good thing if you want to stand out. If I could associate it with a color, I would say the color dark purple. I’d say this fragrance is perfect for nights out & definitely cooler weather. This is the perfect “loner” fragrance. It’s a bit daring as the smell of licorice isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but as mentioned above, it dries down into a warm, cozy pleasant smell. Age-wise, I’d say 30+ but someone a little younger could certainly pull it off (wear what you want right?). Performance is in the 7-9hr range with a projection at arms length the first few hours. I get touches of BdC and of the original A*men. I’ve not tried the others from this line so I can’t compare. I don’t normally go for fragrances like this but I love it because it’s so different from anything I have in my small collection & because it’s unique from what everyone else has. Should definitely give it a try especially considering the quality of juice you’re getting for the price. Worth it in my opinion! -Purpose

This is a modern, timeless classic that stands apart against the rest of the designer fragrances and a few niche standouts as well. Why? Its the blending of the ingredients and combination of them that for me, this is nearly a 4 season wear fragrance. Perhaps in severe high heat you might want to abstain from using this juice but, you can get away with it with an easy trigger finger. The grapefriut & citrus opening is a near staple in all of Issey Miyake creations save for a limited few. And this one has it that then leads into a warm leather and spice ambience that is slightly dark, a bit bold and yet oh so smooth and slightly ambery sweet. Take that mid and combine it with the earthy patchouli and vetiver on the drydown for almost a delicous combination that is both slightly dirty and yet clean. This works superbly on my skin and takes me on a voyage that I wish would not end. This scent evolves beautifully yet is gorgeously simple on how it's created and how it melds on the skin. Simply sophisticated yet a refined and reserved masculinity that announces what a modern man should smell like. Both male & female will enjoy what this juice radiates off the skin. Is it a Masterpiece? I don't know but, it's real damn close...

I blind bought this despite not being a fan of the original Nuit d'Issey. I'm happy to report that this is a more well-rounded and accessible fragrance while maintaining that original Nuit vibe. The crowning achievement of this fragrance, IMO, is how the traditional Issey Miyake grapefruit opening seamlessly dries down into a dark, smooth base of leather, myrrh, and patchouli. I was caught off-guard by how sweet this fragrance is in the opening, but hours later, it had transformed into a true "Nuit" fragrance. It's one of those drydowns that's tough to pin down at any one point. It's just really, really nicely blended. Performance is about what you'd expect from a fragrance like this. I get 8 hours easily; not beastly, but persistent. Overall another great fall/winter release from Issey Miyake. They have been doing a great job lately and this makes me want to delve deeper into the line.