Encre Noire

This may be THEE BEST "Cheapie" fragrance with actual "Niche Quality" Ive ever owned. Theres a reason Encre Noire sells for approximately $100 (Retail) on Lalique's website and while Im DEFINATELY NOT complaining, its almost a shame that this amazing scent has been relegated to the "Cheapis Category " bc "Cheap" Encre Noire is NOT thats for sure! Now the only issue I have with this TRUE masterpiece is that i seem to go extremely anosmic to it and I still get fooled into thinking that its "Too intimate" when its definitely NOT. That is, if I spray Encre Noir on my neck and upper torso near my nose, Ill smell it for a minute or two and then it just seems to completely dissapear, buuuut if I just do a couple spritzes on my forearm AWAY from my face for example, I'll catch constant the fantastic Dark/Etherial/Smokey/Rooty/Bright whiffs of it for hours upon hours bc Encre Noire lasts a very long time on skin (8 to 9hours), ESPECIALLY for an "EDT concentration" along with moderate, yet "Etherial" projection which is not heavy at all and acts super airy and unobtrusive creating a very whispy Scent trail/ Scent bubble. Now folks, when ya purchase Encre Noire you MUST spray some out and let it "Maturate" for a pretty long time if you want it to perform or even have much of a scent at all bc when Id initially recieved my bottle and sprayed it I couldn't believe how incredibly faint and short-lived it was, like I could BARELY smell anything at all even when Id sprayed it on my arm away from my face, so I'd put it away for a few months having given up on it, only to then pull it back out months later and be completely caught off guard at how much stronger it had become and how amazing it smelled. This isn't my first review but I was inspired to re-review it bc I got yet ANOTHER awesome compliment from a customer at work who'd ask what scent I was wearing bc quote: "There are very few fragrances that completely drive me crazy enough and find so beautiful that I have to ask a stranger what in the world are they wearing." The customer asked me where I got it and to show her a picture of the bottle so she could buy it as her husband's Father's day gift. I know this is YET ANOTHER long teview from me about Encre Noire, but there's just so much for me to share about this AMAZING FRAGRANCE! An easy 10 outta 10 in my book and a true masterpiece by Sorceress/Alchemist-Nathalie Lorson.. CHEERS!

This smells like the ET Adventure ride queue from Universal Studios to me. Basically, a synthetic, uncanny depiction of a wet forest at night. Let me state that I DO NOT feel this is photorealistic, which is why I mentioned a theme park's queue that imitates this wet foggy forest vibe instead of an actual, freshly rained forest predominantly consisting of pine trees I think it's mostly my relationship with vetiver being obvious here to blame, as you're not going to find a pine forest with this root that typically grows in certain tropical regions. Maybe you disagree with this and think I'm stupid for not being imaginative enough, but that's just my opinion. The vetiver they use here (Haitian?) gives a moist and more fresh green direction, which is appreciated. I typically struggle with vetiver despite loving it in isolation, and I think for the price range of this fragrance I'm thoroughly impressed. It reminds me alot of Guerlain Vetiver Parfum, but at a way more affordable price, and you can get this at a size less than 100ml- which was one of the only reasons I decided not to purchase VP, especially since I would not typically wear these fragrances as a daily driver but more for a cooler and/or darker time. This is also less 'sweet' and licorice-like to me compared to Guerlain VP, which is a plus. Also, don't really get the whole macabre and/or overtly fantastical descriptions for this scent, no offense. Not everything dark is synonymous with negative concepts. It would be more objective as a critique if you just said you thought it smelled like shit and you do not like it, rather than comparing this rather approachable niche fragrance to literal death. Longevity is relatively decent- not beastmode- frankly I do not need a heavy performer for night gatherings as they rarely exceed 5 hours in my book. I will consider this as a dark fragrance I can wear at nights/cooler days.

I had to update my review because this piece of art deserves it....Around 3 years of owning it i must say i dont reach for it too often,but when i do im always reminded how genius it is...It smells nice and has its own character,very dark/gothic/vampire vibe to me and i love it...You wear this for yourself,you probably wont get compliments but people will definetly notice you..I cant call it a hidden masterpiece here,because a billion people tried it,but its definetly very very niche and different than all the stuff todays npcs wear...If it had a pretentious name or a story,and a 300€ price tag,people would be eating this up even more...Even if Orto Parisi released something this simple it would sellout quick for 150-200€...The drydown especially on clothing is mesmerizing and addictive and lasts for days on clothes. First fragrance that got me into unusual/weird scents...People usually over exaggerate their reviews, but when they say that you need to imagine a mossy forest with an old church between the trees, and the smell of moss on the old bricks or rocks, yes, that's exactly what this smells like.You could also imagine a vampire or some ominous entity smelling like this.Its really versatile in my opinion,even in summer evenings...Bottle is incredible,very minimalistic but great quality...Even though this is not a crazy performer on skin,it stays on clothes for days...For me a must wear when im going to the forest with friends to chill.Pretty much a must have if you like exploring forests,old villages, abandoned buildings and overall love that whole vibe. Other 2 flankers are also incredible even thought they all lean in their own direction. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Holy mother Mary. Dear Lord upon high, praise the saints. This is the ultimate holy grail of fragrance for me. My favorite note of all time is cypress, but I've never been able to find a wonderful, dark, lush cypress note that lasts and isn't paired with vile citruses... I'd always seen this being reviewed on here, but I never decided to give it a chance...but after getting my last paycheck, I couldn't say no to a 3.4oz bottle for $30 on ebay. First impressions: The bottle is gorgeous. Statuesque. Minimalist. Dark. Geometric...and altogether aesthetically pleasing. It reminds me of luxurious dark-stained wood and obsidian stones. Then I sprayed it on...the sprayer is WONDROUS, because it gives a full, round, cloud of fragrance that goes onto the skin so well. This is everything I've been looking for, fragrance-wise. It's sharp, pungent, shadowy, dark, voluptuous, and altogether smoky and seductive. My skin brings out the astringent quality of cypress that I adore so much, but the smoky vetiver radiates quite well as well, and it even has a nice edge that reminds me of orange peels. To me, this is very reminiscent of a wooded forest at dawn, in mid-Autumn. Wet, herbal, and incredibly woodsy. Wet orange leaves peppering the forest floor, that is covered with moss and mushrooms. There's even an accord that reminds me of the rising fog at dawn. This is a gorgeous fragrance, and I do believe this has got to be one of my most favorite fragrances of all time. You CANNOT go wrong with this. For the price, the longevity, the power, and the design, there is nothing to lose because this is one of the few PERFECT FRAGRANCES in this world.

Alright, that will be a journey. You sit at home, watch a video about parfume reviews and every person recommends that one certain parfume. Encre noire by Lalique. And the best thing is, it is cheap. "You can get it for just as low as 20€". You feel happy, "finally i can afford a nishe perfume". Thats what i thought. Till i saw that the original website offers encre noire for 107€ and that moment my trust was gone because how the hell do grey markets and souks get the price so low? Its too good to be true, so i didn't buy it. Instead, a friend bought it for me to prove to me, that these markets are legitimate. They aren't. Anyhow, i got the scent and it was bad. Sharp cypress, fresh, almost minty with nothing else to show. I didn't like it. I thought this is just how it is to have a polarising scent. Until i got curious and ordered a sample at "TRYMEFRST" (not sponsored btw) and i was blown away. Because the real fragrance is a different world. Top: Definitelly smells like some sort of ink. You know when you fill out a big area with a ball point pen? Its like that, but not as uncomfortable. Heart: Now comes cypress. Actually balanced cypress. It is dry, dusty, like a memory of an old room kind of dusty. It feels nostalgic and a little bit like bittersweet memories. It doesn't smell bitter though. Base: i actually can't really say anything but that. Cashmere and musk glues the scent together and makes it harmonic. In that combination it is hard to differentiate these exact ingredients. I love it. Oh yeah, my friend also sent me a sample of Halston Z-14, that ones great. Try it out.