Noir Exquis

Where I live, in the Great Lakes region of the United States, Autumn is the most naturally fragrant season to my nose. While Spring has it’s florals, fresh cut grass, and the smell of evening thunderstorms, each instance is situational and therefore fleeting. Summer is the smell of smoked meats from charcoal grills, but also just as fleeting. In Autumn, however, the smell of the leaves seems to permeate the air as soon as I open my door. Most of the time, there is a pleasant faint smokiness - the smell of a bonfire a few blocks away. Or a major brush burn from the edge of the city. I never know where exactly it comes from, but the smell lingers throughout the season and feels like home to me. So it’s late October. The leaves have changed color and began to fall about a week ago, though many will still cling to the trees for a couple more weeks. I’m walking to a certain corner cafe, a longstanding local institution that fits right into the setting - historic brick streets, uneven sidewalks, old growth trees and craftsman and foursquare houses. I leash up my dog, bundle in my Fall best, my favorite boots and jacket that have spent months seasonally neglected and packed away, and begin my stroll through the crisp, dry morning air - through mottled amber and fire red tunnels of maple, ash and oak trees - taking in the warm hues and smoldering redolence of this morning’s golden hour. At the cafe, I’m greeted by the same friendly staff I see every time, the same warm environment, but this time I want something different than usual - something slightly sweeter, slightly more extravagant. I indulge in a touch of Hazelnut, two ristretto shots of a medium roast espresso, and top it with a little steamed whole milk. I take my lidless drink in one hand along with a small waxed paper bag containing a butter croissant, tip generously with the other, say my goodbyes, and head out to the sidewalk patio, and shortly after to the park across the street to finish my morning walk through the fragrant, somewhat smoky Autumn air. This narrative is the essence of L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Noir Exquis. And in my mind, it’s not far off from their French pâtisserie marketing spiel, so I think they hit their mark. The chestnut, vanilla, and deep woody notes combine to pay tribute to the vaguely smoky sweet idealized Fall experience I speak of, while remaining somewhat airy and transient at the same time. It’s this airiness that gives Noir Exquis the kind of restraint that demonstrates experience worn maturity, thus making it very wearable and downright classy. If you’re looking for an ideal autumn scent, seriously forget all of the pumpkin spice nonsense - Noir Exquis will set you apart from everyone else who has bought into the insipid Starbucks variety of autumnal cafe inspired travesties. And it will do so with undeniable style. It is somehow understated and humble while simultaneously seeming luxurious and intoxicating, the perfect juxtaposition of which makes it an anomaly - a single sparkling gem in a world of underwhelming costume jewelry. Noir Exquis could be considered the definitive outlier of an often disappointing sea of countless mediocre “almost, but not quite” fall fragrances. And thank god we have one - there is nothing basic about it at all. To me, this is also a somewhat rare case of the presentation perfectly doing the product justice in that L’Artisan Parfumeur’s bottle design accurately signifies and reinforces the idea of the high quality of the contents within. If, for some reason, I get through this life not having used my entire bottle, I could see Noir Exquis being a treasured heirloom. The whole package epitomizes classic maturity and timelessness. The same could be said for the other selections I’ve tried from the brand. The cynic in me knows that I am just falling for the image, but my god - their marketing team deserves all the credit in the world for tricking me into thinking I’m getting something more unique and special than the more mass appealing, pop culture endorsed products manufactured by the same parent company. I clearly take no issue with knowingly buying into the gorgeous bottles paired with an antique botanical print aesthetic, a contrived stab at the impression of a long established reputation and rock solid authenticity. I’m so very in - they got me. Frankly put, this is “simple pleasure” defined. I hope that it endures forever.

Noir Exquis absolutely a gourmand fragrance, but it never forgets that it’s a perfume, not a holiday candle. The gourmand elements, such as coffee, chestnut, vanilla, and maple syrup, are front-and-center in the blend, but they’re cocooned with florals and woods and employed in such a way that they’re never too much – never too sweet, never too vanillic, never too juvenile or crass. In line with L’Artisan’s long history, this is an exquisitely blended perfume created with a sense of elegance, sophistication, and care. The opening is a broadside of juicy orange, powdery heliotrope and orange blossom, chestnut, and a deep, rich, almost boozy vanilla, reminiscent of real vanilla extract. Soon, though, everything starts to come into focus. The orange fades, and the coffee starts to bubble up from beneath a golden haze of maple. This is not a harsh, bitter coffee like in By Kilian’s Intoxicated or Sebastiane’s Espresso Royale, but more like the pleasing wafts you might get when you come down for breakfast and a fresh pot of coffee has just been brewed. This coffee blends seamlessly with the chestnut and the thick, boozy, and slightly smoky vanilla. As time goes on, the ebony wood comes more to the fore, and overall the fragrance becomes drier and less sweet. The heliotrope and orange blossom provide a lush, velveteen texture. Where other gourmand fragrances might eschew floral notes altogether, these flowers are used skillfully to add a suppleness to the fragrance that elevates it from a simple vanilla to something more complex and balanced. What you’re left with for hours and hours after initial application is a warm, sensual vanilla flecked with coffee beans, white flowers, a drizzle (not too much) of maple syrup, and dry woods. Performs exactly like an EDP, so good longevity and not-so-good projection and sillage. But I'm okay with that. 8/10

***Black Bottle Review*** Brief personal story to enhance the review. The performance related info will be towards the bottom if that's all you're interested in. I drove by a very small pâtisserie during winter, not far just outside of San Francisco, and saw a massive line all the way down the sidewalk. I was sharing a vehicle at the time and made a mental note to return on the weekend when I'd have it to myself. Got there an hour early on Saturday, still third in line, realized I forgot my coat :)))))))))) and waited until my turn. I'd never been in a pâtisserie before but the smell was just warm, sweet, buttery bliss. The people running the place were equally warm, sweet, and buttery. I got some stuff I don't remember the name of and it made me cry. Spicy meatball hand kiss. Anyways, that same day I ended up in Bloomingdales and was chatting up the sales associate about Kilian when he suggested me this house. This was the first fragrance he sprayed and before doing that he read the inspiration which was "two lovers rendezvous at a pâtisserie" which to me was like the stars aligning, and smelling it made me feel exactly what I had earlier that day. The accuracy of the smell was flooring so I bought the bottle and now every night I smile at my tiny personal San Fran adventure. Noir Exquis wears close to the skin, but has great longevity. I can smell it on my skin for a good 6-7 hours. The only similarity from By The Fireplace this has is the roasted chestnut at the top. None of the smokiness, though, it's all sweet. This hits its stride once the maple and coffee comes through. Maple is foremost, but it's a pleasant airy maple. Not thick or gooey by any stretch, which is why this has turned into the fragrance I spray before bed.

This is for the gold capped version. Just a couple of things to begin with. There are very few gourmand perfumes I can say I love or even like. This is one I love. Second, with all due respect to it's admirers, MMM BTF doesn't come close to the mastery of this creation in my opinion. Someone far down in the reviews mentioned that BTF reminded her of barbecued sausage, and that is how I experience it as well, making it impossible for me to consider the two similar. What I love about NE is that there seems to be an implied smokiness, something that hints at being is a cozy, warm patisserie where the smell of a distant fireplace adds to the ambiance. Stepping outside after enjoying some type of vanilla and maple confection that is not achingly sweet, I smell chestnuts being roasted by street vendors. It's funny because that particular aroma is very present on the streets of NYC in the cold weather just as it is in Paris, but the street I'm stepping out onto is definitely Parisian. I definitely have a scent memory from time spent in Paris in late autumn, and the nostalgia for that time and place makes the experience of wearing NE all the more heartwarming. I've already hit on what most every favorable review has mentioned, though I did forget to mention the rich coffee I was enjoying with my little treat! Beyond that, I'll just add that on my skin I get about 4 hours with projection less than a foot away. ThoughbIve owned this for quite a while, I'm reviewing it today, because as we perfumistas tend to do, I'm thinking ahead to what I will be wearing for the upcoming holidays, and Noir Exquis is definitely on the menu for Thanksgiving!

Lovely sophisticated gourmand comfort scent with strong vanilla honey (without the pissy note). While it may not be groundbreaking now, it is quite well done, if you like gourmands. I'm not a true gourmand lover of perfume, but every now and then.... for some reason I like to wear them to bed, and I suspect this one will be the same. The orange that everyone is complaining about is not really all that present to my nose, nor is the coffee or the hazlenut, alas. But the heliotrope, vanilla and tonka are considerably amplified on me so this is very sweet indeed. I blind bought this based on someone's review and one that I admire, not something I would normally do, but I'm very happy with this, even if it is a warm fall and winter scent. It's not doing too badly in the heat this spring. I plan on wearing it again tomorrow when the weather cools up (we're having some weird weather in Cali). I think this is unisex while skewing a bit feminine, and, for some may even be sensual and sexy, though I eschew sweets for civets with respect to seduction scents. This is warmly, comfortingly seductive. Edit: two-three months later, now October. I bought a FB. Now I can smell the coffee and the hazelnut, but it’s not as strong as the opening of the new Atelier Cafe Tuberosa. Noir Exquis is more expertly blended, and just beautiful—lovely silage, and lasts all day, and as an added plus: I get compliments on this one (a rare thing!). I’m very happy and even with my truckload of ‘fumes—this one is getting some wear and I’m already looking at close to the half-bottle mark...