Lumière Noire Pour Femme

I heard Francis Kurkdjian doesn't regard his perfumes as "niche", but for me, in an ideal world, this is what niche should smell like. The quality of the ingredients of this perfume seems to be tremendous. I sprayed this on my wrist from a sample vial, with a light hand. I wore a bracelet that day. Now, when I put the bracelet on, I don't have to use any perfume. Because the scent lingered on the bangle and it perfumes my wrist again and again, it also makes the sleeves of my blouses smell heavenly! Guess when did I spray? A month ago! This is what I call 'longevity'! Concerning the similar perfumes listed: I personally don't see much resemblance of LN and either LV or LVE. Ok, all these are marked by the characteristic style of Francis Kurkdjian's roses (I'd say, slight sourness + muskiness + natural scent of clean young female skin). However, for example, LVE is a dense, lush, velvety patchouli rose, whereas Lumiere Noire is a SPARKLING, TRANSPARENT (but strong nonetheless) rose. Now, to the scent itself. I have no proper words to describe it, this is one of the most beautiful smells I have experienced in my life. I'm not saying 'perfumes', I mean smells. This is the best smell along with the smell of the green grass which grows straightly from my early childhood into the present, the grass I walked through on my little bare feet. The daffodil here smells like the daffodils from my dear grandmother's garden did, oh, they were so fresh. The rose note smells like my mother's white linen dress that she wore when she was in her early twenties, this is how I remember it. I also sense the earthy, dirty smell of the warm wet soil, the scent of the fertile ground in the village I grew up... After the rain it smelled like this. It smelled like life. The garden with the fresh, bright yellow daffodils does not exist anymore. My dear grandmother passed away. I am now older than my mum back then. I have been to the village many times after I grew up, but it's nothing like the Yonder Village. But still, if I remember, smell, almost feel it all, it must be, must exist somewhere in time and space. And this perfume reminds me of it. 10/10, a masterpiece which evokes memories.

I reviewed this some months ago, but since then I've come to truly love and appreciate this elegantly seductive perfume! (I love Dresdendoll's review below, spot on) I'd been searching for a beautiful evening perfume that combines sensuality with elegance - something that feels classic and timeless, not dated. Most evening perfumes with sillage and heft can smell a bit obvious, or the best ones made in past decades feel a bit dated at times. Or there are some perfumes I love, such as Cuir de Russie, which other people can find harsh amongst all the fruity gourmands. When I first tried Lumiere Noire I was mostly aware of the rose/patchouli combination, it seems odd now that I wasn't struck immediately by narcissus, because it's this heady yet luminous floral that most affects me now when I wear it, it's absolutely dark yet light as the name suggests, sensual and verging on richly animalic yet brightened by rose and pimento There's also a subtle fruitiness which reminds me of bramble jam, which complements the rose/patchouli beautifully, and if you're a bit sensitive to patchouli have no fear - it's balanced perfectly and doesn't knock you on the head like a clod of earth from a gothic cellar, as patchouli sometimes does.(the reason why I can't totally love Portrait of a Lady for example, though I admire it). In short, when it comes to the perfect dressy evening perfume, Lumiere Noire is 'the one' for me. As mentioned it has a classic feel which makes you feel 'dressed', well groomed, dare I say lady-like?! It's not a light scent, and it's not exactly comforting or relaxing, but it has warmth. I find it difficult to describe, which is why it's intriguing - something elegantly femme fatale about it that appeals to some aspect of me. Not that I walk around with a pearl handled revolver in my purse (though I have shot the centre out of a £2 coin from thirty yards with an air rifle, I'm not sure that counts!) somehow though, when I wear Lumiere Noire I feel ready to sail with insouciance through any eventuality! The sillage is perfect, and it's noticable. I've been complimented on this one a few times and I don't wear it often. Longevity around 8 hours.

Very sexy rose,patchouli scent.not too dark but not bright either Amazingly gorgeous,powerful and luscious I'm a patch hater but here It's combination with rose and pepper is like a magic.patchouli and pepper didn't turn it to a masculine scent.it's pure feminine and this lovely chilli pepper adds a naughtyness to scent.I can smell lots of caraway when first sprayed which was off putting for me but fortunately it goes away soon not a powdery and too much clean rose,not an Arabic rose with oud and too much spices,not a vintage too much dirty and animalic rose,not a pink,girly fruity rose If you used to love dior midnight poison as a girl,this is for you as a sexy,mature woman,a rosey femmefetal scent Longevity and sillage are both great on me,it's wearable around year but better for spring and fall ❤❤❤❤❤ Edit: I retried it after couple of months.I still love it but now I won't think I'm going to buy a bottle. at least not in near future Rose-patchouli combo is very much like this combo in JHAG lady vengeance,so it has a lot in common with that one just that lady vengeance has an extra sexy musk and healthy dose of iso e super which makes me like it more.I'll consider adding lumiere noire to my collection when I finished my lady vengeance which won't happen soon,considering size of my wardrobe and size of lady vengeance(100 mil) but if I find a discounted bottle of lumiere noire or someone offer it in a swap(which has a very low level of possibility)I'd love to add it to my collection رز سکسی و کمی تیره و بسیااااار جذاب باوجود اینکه بشخصه معمولا با عطرهای با پچولی غالب مشکل دارم اینجا ترکیب پچولی و رز و فلفل شاهکاره.. ذره ای حالت مردانه نداره و فلفل شیطنتی به جدیت پچولی اضافه میکنه ک خیلی جذابه این دقیقاً همون چیزیه ک تصور می کردم دیور میدنایت پویزن باشه ولی نبود(پچولی تو میدنایت پویزن خیلییی غالبه) رز لومیر نویر نه از اون عطرهای رزی پودری و قدیمی طور هست،نه رز زیادی تمیز و صابونی،نه رز عربی درکنار عود و ادویه جات خیلی سنگین،نه رز عطرهای انیمالیک و کثیف...برای دوست داشتنش نیازی نیست سلیقه خیلی خاصی داشته باشید..ضمن اینکه پچولی و فلفل اصلا و ابدا سنگین و مردانه طور نکردنش پخش و ماندگاری عالی..بهترین فصول بهار و پاییز

Heartbreaking. L'heure Bleue and Mitsouko always strike a melancholic note for me. Some scents thrill, some send shivers down my spine (yes I'm quite an emo person I suppose, or psychology would term me highly sensitive)but the first word that came to mind when I tried this on was heartbreaking. Why that word? I suppose it brought up emotions that would come from a wild crazy love that one instinctively knows cannot burn forever, the bittersweet ache that one has inside waiting for the inevitable end. For whatever reason, this scent made me feel that way. Anyway my search for the ultimate patchouli came to an end as well. I never thought this would be a contender, having tried from Angel to Noir Patchouli and beyond. However that's the first note that strikes me strongly and in a non medicinal way. The patchouli here is the chocolate aspect of patchouli, like in Coromandel but without being gourmand, which makes it the winner over Coromandel for me. Then a graceful non imposing, non stuffy nor musty rose dances in to join the patchouli. The rose here smells like in Brulere Rose. The spices here are so well-tempered, nothing acrid to the nose, nothing medicinal. Just an absolutely stunning beauty in a bottle that literally stunned me into silence. I suppose I didn't expect to fall in love, there are enough rose-patchouli combinations out there already. However, THIS one is different. Different from JHAG which for me it surpasses in terms of JHAG being more youthful and LNPF being more grown up but not boring. This is not as dark as A Portrait of A Lady, but the patchouli here is more chocolate than earthy. I love Kurkdjian's work and I've never been disappointed. This goes on the much loved list, I've been sleeping in it and working in it for the past few days. I apologise for a dreamy and long review, I hope it makes sense or at least compels people to try this at least. Longevity and sillage are unquestionable. I got more than 12 hours on clothes and people around me said my scent remained a good hour after I left the room.

I quite like--almost love--this perfume. I'm a POAL fan, and while I recognize that POAL is heavy, intense, a bit sweet and super-dirty rose-patch, I like it. I think it's rougher than this, but the two are similar in the first few minutes. Sometimes I feel like POAL wears me. However, Lumiere is quite different in that respect. Lumiere becomes lighter, more effervescent and more wearable; this is a fragrance that can go to the opera, to the movie, on a date, and, if you spray well before you leave the house, even to work--so it's quite versatile and could easily be a "signature scent." I think POAL is sexy, and this "almost is"--but not quite. It's too crisply contained and elegant, and I agree with many of the comments below that suggest "polished." It's a refined rose with subtle elements and enough mystery and spice not to be a boring soliflore. I appreciate the balance of notes. I grew up with an abundance of narcissus and daffodils in the spring along with other bulbs. On my skin, the narcissus is almost subdued by the rose; it's there, but only if I sniff up close on my wrist. Had that not been one of the listed notes, I would be hard pressed to find it. The rose predominates with a very sanitized patchouli and pepper. A very slight sweetness is present which I do not attribute to narcissus since that goes more "green" on me; it's that slightly jammy-sweet that roses have and that POAL has in abundance. This is more sparkly sweet, not cloying at all. During the dry down the rose becomes more tart. This is a lovely scent, good for gifting to a sophisticated rose connoisseur who appreciates a less innocent non-soliflore; I don't think it will appeal to the very young. While a man could certainly go with this, it skews more feminine. Highly recommend at least trying in a world full of roses...

Gad this is good. This is the most I ever spent on a fragrance and I'm a hard sell so it must be good. I gasped with nostalgic delight when I first smelled Lumiere Noire about a decade ago. I'm getting on a bit and this took me back in a pristine rush to my adolesence when I first fell in love with The Chypre in the 80s. At last a real perfume to die for! Lumiere Noire - Black Light - absolutely the epitome of classic French perfumery; its no surprise Miss Belle de Jour herself, Mme Deneuve was the reason for its creation. Lumiere Noire is no ordinary rose patchouli combo. MFK achieved a perfect rendering of a chypre - minus the trademark oakmoss and civet - whilst still retaining all the tradition, mood and noir-ish mystery of that most grown up member of the fragrance family. In so doing, he created something more wearable but still distinctly chypre with big sillage and staying power. This is the era of the 1940s, the 70s and the 80s (the latter being a re-run of the 40s fashion-wise). This is no t-shirt and jeans, messy bun and sweat pants era. This is waspy, suited and austere with big makeup and earrings. A little bit dirty in the best possible way. Perfume with a capital P. Thank goodness I bought 70mls a few years ago. The fact that its discontinued is sadly a sign of the times. Its an acquired taste and current tastes don't run to chypre; they're not fruity, citrusy, sweet, powdery or creamy. They're temperamental and ballsy. Lol. (jtd's review is brilliant and so well written; seduction hidden behind "a blanket of propriety" is so quintessentially French. God bless you jtd, wherever you are my friend).

'Lumière Noire pour femme' is a seductive perfume with a bohemian feel. It opens with a redolent and jammy rose which is accompanied by a heralding narcissus note. The rose is complex, seemingly a combination of various subtypes (centifolia and grandiflora perhaps) with a measured yet robust feeling. Combining it with the dirtier narcissus note, imbues an air of tangible eroticism. Narcissus's scent is strong, heady and rich with facets of jasmine and hyacinth. It is the perfect compliment to rose and together the two provide a narcotic, intoxicating scent. Unexpected cumin and hot pepper show up to lightly embellish the rose with spice. Cumin provides a sweaty, musky quality while hot pepper entices with a warm, vegetal sensation. Lastly, patchouli grounds the fragrance in its sweet, dark earthiness. The blending of rose and patchouli in 'Lumière Noire' gives the fragrance a bohemian heart. 'Lumière Noire pour femme' is a beautiful rose based perfume from Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Its feminine allure is balanced with a darker side, one which is sexy and a bit naughty. Women of any age can find pleasure in wearing this captivating composition, which I feel is appropriate for year round use. Sillage and projection are strong, without becoming cloying or obtrusive. With its enigmatic scent, 'Lumière Noire' is liable to enrapture its wearer and those around her with indelible remembrances. It remains to this day one of my favorites from the Francis Kurkdjian house. Read my complete review at my personal blog

My travel size came in today and upon sniffing it, I went and secured a full bottle. I don’t have many chypres in my collection and I knew I had to have this one after seeing the notes and the reviews. I favor a lot of rose scents, so I knew I was going to like / love this one. It’s giving 1950’s vintage women perfume that you wear to a really fancy gala, dressed in all black, with a red lip, wearing all gold jewelry. It’s sexy, it’s classy, and it demands attention. The initial blast remind me of the rose-patchouli combo of Vengeance Extreme by JHAG. But then that narcissus come in STRONG and adds a little stank and dank to the party. I almost thought there was some kind of civet or poopy animalic note in here when I first smelled it, but nope, the narcissus here is SUPER indolic. The spices also come through and make the scent even more interesting. The projection on this one is strong, so you gotta be light when you spray it (especially because of how indolic it is in the beginning) and give it some time to settle before stepping out. As stinky as this is, I absolutely love it. I don’t think anyone else could have pulled off such an alluring fragrance besides FK himself. I’m very excited to try her out in the spring and I’m going to keep rocking her while it’s cold now. I don’t see this as a daytime scent because of how heavy and a bit funky it is. If you can find a bottle of this for a reasonable price, don’t hesitate to buy it. I promise you won’t regret it.

Perfect. Bright and airy yet with enough patchouli to ground it and make this a substantial fragrance with good longevity and excellent sillage. Feels modern but somehow still classic and timeless. Excellent for rose/patch lovers in particular, as well as floral lovers in general. My only issue with it is that in the opening, the rose comes off as slightly sour on me.. but I have that issue with rose a lot. It quickly deepens and becomes one of the prettiest floral fragrances I've ever smelled. The patchouli in here smells clean to me, not dirty, which keeps it pleasant and easy to wear. Recommended for nights out and special occasions, though you could probably just use one or two sprays for every day use. I'm not sure how this would perform in hot weather, though, as I've mostly used it in winter and spring so far. Definitely a compliment getter and worth investing in. The scent is lovely, but what impresses me the most is its performance- it's not some watered down fragrance lacking in fixatives like many on the market today. This stuff sticks around, and the sillage is noticeable without being overpowering. I must reiterate: perfect! Also, the bottle and packaging is elegant and looks great on a dresser.

I too think it is really, really gorgeous. Narcissus is one of my favorite scents, and in this fragrance it is wickedly interesting (I don't know why that adjective came to mind, but there is something about this scent that is kind of naughty to me) OK- on another note, I'm finding this line reminds me of body smells, and this scent, to me, smells like your lover's body after he's stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. (See the naughtiness creeping in?) I'm afraid to find out what was the inspiration for this fragrance... I will update this tomorrow when I have a better idea of how long it lasts. Even if it lasts for an hour, however, I'm buying it. ((Update)) This lasted all day on me, which I was very pleased with. I **strongly** suggest when sampling to use a light hand, because too much makes it sharp and nasty. Light is the key, at least with my chemistry. Also, give htis a few wearings before making up your mind, because it is quite different and your brain will have no reference for it. I love it, and wish it came with a personal kiss from Francis Kurkdjian :-)

Back early 2010, I visited the (then new) MFK boutique in Paris on Rue d’Alger. I had read about the fledgeling house in the "Now Smell This" blog and was excited about going there. I remember sampling Aqua Universalis, APOM, Cologne Pour Le Matin, and Cologne Pour Le Soir. This though, was my absolute, standout favourite and I can't believe it's been discontinued. Although LN is a fairly linear rose and patchouli scent, it has a magical, "haute" quality that always reminded me of an expensive white wine. It still smells that way to me now - at once floral, crisp, and mellow, like the nose of a floral Grand Cru. The darkness of the patchouli is offset by the "light" of the narcissus, which adds a green-ness and dewiness to the rose. It's a perfume of light and shadow, neither fully green/chypre nor oriental. Lumiere Noire is a perfectly named, absolutely break-taking scent that feels timeless. It oozes wealth and quality. I feel like it should be in books as a seminal classic. A shame now that it's gone forever.

Cripes, this is no shrinking violet. And it smells so familiar! so I am reaching for several bottles here and squirting away to find out what it is. This starts off like being beaten over the head with a giant bushel of roses and daffodils. With a very musky patchouli, similar to that in Narciso EDT (original, black bottle) and in Agent Provocateur. Thankfully, I dont get anything smelling at all pissy, as so many reviewers are reporting! This reminds me of Portrait of a Lady too, with it's dry dusty undertone. Rose (with a capital R) patchouli/incense/musk with an extra floral kick from a trusty jonquil. As it dries down, it sweetens a touch and the florals join the rest of the mix. I love a good floral chypre and I think I prefer this to POAL. More complex than the note list suggests and the dry down unveils a powdery vintage feel. Glad to have discovered this rosey gem. Have tested it on paper and am working up the courage to test on my person!

Review from a man. Gorgeous elegant drydown. This is like a sophisticated Eau de Narcisse Bleu Hermès because of the spiced rose. Narcissus flowers smells really beautiful and smells like fresh ethereal powder and can push perfumes to the masculine side because it smell so much like the natural scent of clean man. This is very Unisex, because the Lumiere Noire Pour Homme has lots of patchouli and has more bitter spices. This one is cleaner and fresher because of the rainforest vibe of the Narcissus. Its both unisex. Lumiere Noire Pour Homme just leans to a more spicy dirty patchouli. But this is cleaner and fresher. One interview from Francis Kurkdjian said he creates all his perfumes almost all unisex because peoples taste changes. I love Eau de Narcisse Bleu Hermès but its so linear and doesnt last 30 mins. AND A PLUS: This is a parfum and it has the same price as the edt.

without a doubt the most beautiful scent i have the blessing of having in my collection. it would be my signature if it wasn’t for the fact they discontinued it and resales are so expensive.. this is the fragrance where i first discovered my love for rose, and unfortunately i started at the top. nothing can come close to the depth and quality of this scent. it is so beautifully balanced, at first i thought the rose was a really well balanced lychee and mango blend, its the perfect level of sweet and so crisp. on me the chilli comes through quite strongly; it smells like you are cutting a fresh cold chilli and is complements the patchouli exactly as it should. i cannot overstate how well balanced this is, the price definitely reflects in the product. so feminine, but in a very sexy alluring way. LOVE IT!

Awe what a beautiful spicy rose patchouli perfume. I absolute love it . Last year I purchased three 11ml travel size bottles and I love the scent, so I really wanted a bottle as well but it was crazy expensive and hard to find. So one day I found a partial bottle for sale at a great price, only about 30ml left in bottle. It was an older vintage bottle. I figured the 30ml plus the 33 ml travel sizes I already had would make 63ml which was almost a 70ml bottle. And oh my goodness I was not expecting it to be soooo strong and so good. I mean really really strong. I need a drop to smell it all day. So I’ve been wearing the decants and saving my bottle coz I’ll never find anything like this again. It was incredibly macerated perfectly. Now THIS is how u macerate a perfume.

The drydown which was like about 5 hours strong after application was one of the most incredibly sensuous smells i have encountered so far in my perfume experience. I was to say its heady waxy enticing smell. The beginning for me was not so wonderful...I don't love the smell of Narcissus which was all i was getting. The smell of the Rose was never prominent and quite 'barely there'. At some point the Narcissus puts its petals around collecting the florals and spices together and melts into this indescribably sensuous drydown which also smells slightly of jasmine. I couldn't pick out the patchouli or any other individual note for that matter; the only other way i could think to describe this is 'It smells like a true modern classic french perfume beauty'

I got married at the end of May and made it a side mission to find the perfect perfume for the day. I was able to get my hands on a sample of this and knew it was the one. The general aesthetic of the wedding was modern with a vintage twist and I think this perfume fit perfectly. The venue was outdoor and I was worried that the scent would get lost, but it went pretty strong all night, I ended up getting multiple complements on it. I did re-apply about 4-5 hours in because I felt like it was waning but that could also have been my noise acclimating to it. As someone starting to get more into perfume, it definitely put MFK on the board for me and really made me start exploring more of their fragrances.

Lumiere Noire is my beautiful ego stroke. It is my VIP room, behind the velvet rope, penthouse fragrance. It makes me feel entitled to sinfully priced adornments and attention from both men and women. The amount of swagger I find in Lumiere Noire leaves no room for false modesty from the wearer. If you told me I belong on a catwalk while wearing it, I would assure you of the truth of your statement, the rightness... and wait for you to build one exclusively for me. I can't seem to wear it as often as I would like, and it's a damned good thing! My ego would likely explode. LONGEVITY AND SILLAGE? You won't need any. NOTES? Champagne, red carpet, private jet, world at my feet! ;)

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Lumiere Noire is so beautiful! I have never smelled such a perfect feminine rose that was so lush and true to life. It’s the essence of fresh pink roses with a very sophisticated narcissus that lingers with an undertone of caraway. You get a bit more of the patchouli in the dry down but another note that you can smell throughout the fragrance is the pimento. Pimento is a very subtle spice that accents the rose perfectly; it’s just one of those things that you take a notice too right away when you smell Lumiere Noire. It’s the perfect day time rose, very Parisian chic. I absolutely love it, this is definitely one of my favorite fragrances!

I've had a sample of this for quite some time and really enjoyed it. The caraway note scared me a bit, but I can't smell it all. This is so pretty that I finally bought a bottle. The opening is luminous and sparkling then it darkens up quite a bit. It's warm and spicy; I get lots of patchouli on my skin, with the rose and narcissus hanging in the background. It does remind me a bit of FM's Portrait of a Lady, but it's not nearly as goth. Sillage is moderate at first, then it sits close to the skin after it settles. Longevity is great; it lasted all day on me. If you love darker rose scents and patchouli, definitely try this one. It's lovely!