Kashnoir

Kashnoir was brought to life by perfumer Cècile Zarokian for Laboratorio Olfativo after embarking on an olfactory journey in search of essences from the exotic and forbidden East. Narcotic flowers, psychotropic herbs and intoxicating spices are paid homage with simple yet profound notes that display an engaging complexity. Lavender’s clean woody/floral aroma is lifted with fresh zests and cool sheer citrus, before being crowned with invigorating herbs. This coy and charming scent comes on demurely, drawing you in gently. As it warms and expands, passionate waves of plush orange blossom surround you in a soft fog of musky white flowers. A deep earthy rose rounds out the heart, as heliotrope dries it to a delightfully spiced affair. Here passions are stirred and furtive longing glances are exchanged. Drawing to an opulent finish, bathed as it is in a seductive and dangerous patchouli that resonates vapors of lasciviousness and smoldering sensuality, Kashnoir captivates me from the initial spritz. Cècile Zarokian combined shadowy vanilla and a slightly charred benzoin adding delicious sweetness to oriental warmth while "dimming the olfactory lights", a bit, to create an aura of sensual comfort. From its charming disposition to its full floral heart right through to its unapologetic and downright carnal finish, this 20% concentration EDP mesmerized and enchanted me to no end. The sturdy oriental base, along with the lively citric-dominated prelude, keep this very unisex. Richly textured and floral to the very end, this projects a very classy façade, fusing the heart of a sinner with the grace of a saint... Sillage: very good Longevity: great Overall: 4.25/5 This was (back in 2014) my first sniff of one of M Zarokian's works. She truly lived up to her own perfumed dream and the mission statement of Laboratorio Olfativo. Miles from anything even remotely "Black" or "Noir" by mass market standards, this takes old school oriental floral out on the town with a modern makeover and new niche attitude without sacrificing a week's pay. At $140 USD a bottle (MiN NY) this is top shelf quality for UNDER $3/ml: a veritable coup in the international niche market as both sillage, construction & longevity are all amazing! Notes: Lemon, bergamot, lavender, coriander, rose, orange blossom absolute, patchouli, benzoin, heliotrope & vanilla.

I have tried it yesterday and I have to say that this is another win of Laboratorio Olfattivo: thumbs up! I love this brand and highly recommend it to everyone whose tastes gravitate towards soft orientals. KASHNOIR, DAIMIRIS, ALAMBAR, ALKEMI are must tries for you people :) Firstly, I have to confess that I don't really get the name of the new LO perfume, I think it is misleading. There is nothing "noir" about it. It is rather Kashbeige of Kashwhite. Cashmere - yes, it is pretty much it: silky, fluffy, comfortable, elegant and expensive :) The perfume opens up with fresh and sweet citruses, like sweet lemon custard or like earl grey tea with sugar and lemon. The opening also has an aromatic quality, the lavender note is certainly there. After that I start to sense the most prominent note of KASHNOIR, at least to my nose: fresh, bright and sweet orange blossom! Spiced up by coriander and powdered by heliotrope. I also get a rose somewhere in the background. Soft patchouli and powdery benzoin are already tangible, too. The base is quite sweet and powdery, but never a straightforward vanilla. It's hard to describe, the composition is very complex and harmonious. I would say, the base is fresh, sweet and powdery, and a tad earthy: mainly vanilla, heliotrope, patchouli, and benzoine, and the orange blossom still on the forefront. The longevity is just right, and, according to a couple of complete strangers in the street, the sillage is "damn good" as well :) Overall is's a very naturally and expensive smelling, bright, feminine, classy perfume with a twist. A total winner for me, and one of my favorites from now on. Great work, Mme Zarokian!

This fragrance, composed by the great Cécile Zaraokian, is often compared to Shalimar. And the comparisons start with the name. 2 homophone words: Kashnoir, Shalimar. right? Is almost they want us to notice that. But to be honest, after wearing them for some time, you will find more differences than similarities. Despite the vanilla-bergamot combo, this is a completely different scent. A rose driven scent with more freshness to it. A bit tart and bitter in the opening, super fresh and refreshing, with some aromatics to make it unisex (I detect a shy orange blossom too) and, after 10-15min, the "pièce de résistance": A heliotrope note. I love heliotrope and this has a slightly Après L'Ondée EAU DE TOILETTE vibe. Don't get me wrong, the don't smell similar, but you find the heliotrope with that "fresh-powdery almond" effect, as you find it on the Guerlain one. Overall, a fresh rose scent with creamy-powdery-vanilla aura around. Super high quality and with a good price point. A good niche house btw. I find this brand very underrated but with some hits. This is one of them with good performance, very persistant but not super loud. A good bubble around you for 8-10h. I like to wear it during spring time or fall, specially on sunny days, where this powdery rose shines.

This is the scent Rudolph Valentino would wear! Actually I did smell this scent before Shalimar. I was given this as a test in a perfumery in Lodi, Italy and I loved it. Then trying to find something similar in regular shops (here in Sweden) was not easy. But Shalimar came up as a similar perfume. And they have similarities in the feeling of the perfume. That old, mystic oriental feel that I love. Being the person I am (for good and bad) I actually wrote to Cecile about the comparison between the two perfumes and she wrote "I guess you can find some ambery oriental notes in both of them, kind of Guerlinade. I'm happy you enjoy Kashnoir!" And I am happy to use it! It is sweet and perhaps not that manly perfume, at least not in a traditional way. For all women yes. But basically it's a perfume that you can just sit at home and smell and it will take you places. This is the perfume Rudolph Valentino would wear!

Kashnoir opens very heavy, with coriander, a hint of citrus and some small darker bits of lavender. It then becomes very powdery and softer, the notes sweeter with orange blossom and heliotrope. The scent softens to an extremely powdery and balmy scent. The drydown is a mix of heliotrope, orange blossom and coriander on a powdery vanilla patchouli resin base. The performance of this scent is awesome. It is long lasting on skin and even more on fabric. I spilled on my trainers while opening the dabber sample and they still smell lovely after two weeks. Sillage is heavy to enormous, so a little goes a long way. What a gorgeous scent, I love powders and this is a true winner. Will definitely buy a full bottle. The scent is quite earthy with sweet notes of orange blossom and heliotrope. Very enjoyable and I have received quite a few compliments wearing the sample. Great resinous sweet powder scent.