Noir Tropical

This is one of my favorite vanilla fragrances! Dry, warm, cakey vanilla straddling the line between woody and gourmand. Feels cozy, inviting, and very natural. Has depth and presence, but isn't too strong or overbearing. Nothing really "tropical" about it (since that sounds more fruity and coconutty to my ears) but "noir" could fit since this is relatively dark for a vanilla scent. I believe that this has ethyl vanillin in it because the vanilla in this is slightly reminiscent of vanilla ice cream. The initial opening is very boozy and quite sweet, but after the alcohol evaporates I'm not really getting much of the rum in this fragrance. The sweetness also calms down considerably after the opening and only remains as a softly powdery-sweet background to the vanilla. I'm honestly not really getting any noticeable almond or bergamot either. BTW the official site also lists Heliotrope and Bourbon among the notes... And I'm not really getting much of those either. Possibly a touch of the Heliotrope peeking out from behind the vanilla. I am however getting some sort of a dry woody vibe, almost papery... But most of all, this is very much a vanilla-focused fragrance. The only other fragrance I can think of that is kinda similar to Noir Tropical is the drydown of Profumum Roma's Dulcis in Fundo, after its citrus notes die down. They both share this warm, dry, cakey gourmand vanilla quality. I could see how someone would think it leans feminine, but I think it's perfectly unisex.

Oh wow. This is GORGEOUS!!! But...it's so light wearing. Like, so light to the point where I can't smell it at all after 5 mins on skin and on clothes, only for about an hour and what I CAN smell is just a very light wisp of vanilla. This reminds me very much of My Perfume Select Vanilla Noire which also wears lightly but that one has way better performance than this one does. Not dupes, Noir Tropical originated years prior to VN. I hate when this happens...during the hour I CAN smell this, I get pure straight up vanilla extract with no almond or bergamot. Rum, maybe but only in the sense of the blast of the carrier alcohol base of this perfume. This won't be a full bottle but I'm at glad I finally got to try it as it's been on my list for such a long time now. I'll happily use up the 10 ML I have. I could also be anosmic to this, so take this review with a grain of salt. I truly believe that people who consistently wear beast mode frags only (hi! 🙋 I'm one of them Lol), that we may possibly go noseblind to anything that isn't a perfume on steroids because we've basically unintentionally trained our noses to only pick up on monster scents. Someone else who wears more moderately performing and/or skin scent type frags might have a completely different experience than I'm having with this one. So as always, YMMV 😁

Honestly, I'm baffled by some of the reviews, particularly the comparison to SDV. To me, this smells nothing like SDV - that scent is an antique, dusty and dry vanilla, which is beautiful in its own right. Noir Tropical smells quite raw, like a scraped vanilla pod with smoked almond meal. To me, Noir Tropical has a boozy quality without outright smelling like rum - it has some aroma reminiscent of of amber liquor but doesn't smell like you've been day drinking, which I really adore. There's also this chocolate quality, but it's more like a smooth dark chocolate Lindt ball, not what you'd find in the likes of Gallagher's Wicked Good. A little sweet, very comforting, easy to wear and never cloying. At first I wasn't a fan but Noir Tropical has climbed my vanilla favourites list very quickly because it's so unique yet not so challenging that I'm adverse to wearing it. I love the laid back, standoffish yet rich and classy feeling this scent evokes. It's not an extremely powerful blend, either, but lasts a long time with moderate sillage (which is perfect as I love changing my scent from day to night and I dislike "beast mode" fragrances). An absolute must for a breezy autumn day, though I don't think it's rich or sweet enough to stand up in the winter.

This is incredible. There's definitely more in here than the ingredients listed, but it's a good start, and primarily vanilla. It makes a great choice for people like me who love dark vanillas, but aren't crazy about the blast of tobacco (I'm a former smoker with no desire to "wake up" that desire again) that seems to accompany so many of them, such as the Guerlain and eau de Couvent. There's perhaps the slightest waft of it in here, but it's primarily a vanilla that turns non-edible fast with the addition of booze and what smells like balsam or vetiver (maybe it's the bergamot). Not overly spicy, not cold and chalky, or drenched in amber, patchouli, almond, or play doh, just dark, resinous vanilla. Definitely a female scent, but just masculine enough to smell expensive. Can't stop smelling my wrist. Update: Got my bottle today, yay, delicious. Wanted to add, don't let the name confuse you. It's misnamed. When I think of a tropical fragrance, I think of a fruity floral, packed with plumeria and pineapple. No fruit or flowers have come anywhere near this stuff. But it's pure dark boozy vanilla.

One of my top cozy fragrances of all time. I’m stepping into a spring of gentle, cozy gourmands and this gem is perfect for a drizzly April afternoon. The almond here is dry, lightly toasted, and finely ground; adding a beautiful fluffy warmth. I wore this to work and the coworker sitting behind me practically swooned and said “You smell like hot chocolate!”. I think that’s the warm, powdery almond almost acting as cocoa powder (other sites say there’s heliotrope as well but if so it must be more almondy than floral). The vanilla is sweet and airy. I don’t really feel much bergamot except maybe it adds a greenness to the opening of the fragrance, but that drops off quickly. Noir Tropical seems to warm on the skin with time becoming deeper and almost honeyed- but never syrupy or thick. The aura of this fragrance is a soft golden glow, the promise of a sun break wrapped around a memory of dozing in a patch of sunlight. Petite Gateau’s sophisticated older sister. 🌦️🧁🌱🐇🕶️☕️🍞

Exudes a luxurious, five-star hotel on the Mediterranean vibe, with a delightful and charming play of scents. The fresh burst of bergamot at the top is followed by the soft, nutty notes of almond and heliotrope in the middle, culminating in the warm and inviting blend of vanilla, bourbon, and rum at the base. Quietly hypnotic, with a seductive and smooth character that leaves you wanting to smell your wrists over and over again. The vanilla note is especially creamy, and the warm chocolate notes at the base add a depth and richness that many other chocolate fragrances lack. Both comforting and expensive-smelling, with an addictively delicious aroma that lingers on the skin. The subtle hint of bergamot in the background keeps the scent feeling fresh and masculine. Charming and addictive.

Very beautiful, smoky vanilla. I'm not sure what the tropical refers to, as there's no tropical fruit fragrance. Perhaps the supposed rum, which I'm not smelling at all. At first there's a very fresh, natural vanilla that smells like a rich dried vanilla pod. Then the smoke begins, and it lasts throughout the rest of the fragrance. Strangely, the bergamot is very longlasting and almost acts like a base note to me. It seems to develop later on. So not completely linear, but fairly simple too. It's soft in projection and only lasts a couple of hours, as most of the Gentile scents seem to do, but it's such a lovely vanilla scent it's really worth considering a purchase. It's difficult to find a vanilla that doesn't smell like candy or play-doh.

Oh my goodness. I have been hoping for something to smell just like this for a long time with no success. I would have to test more but on first impression, here is the vanilla almond of my dreams. Certainly a gourmand and on the sweetest end of the spectrum. This and Hanbury were instant loves. Thank you fellow fragrantican for discovering this house to me! Edit: This is crème brûlée in a perfume. Just the thing when I’m pining after cake and hungry for really rich sweets. Most of the time it’s a smidge too sweet and can verge on cloying. Still, wonderful if you like that sort of thing and want it to smell natural.

Not being really fond of Vanilla scents I must say Noir Tropical is fabulous and the closest to a real black and moist vanilla pod a scent can be. Did not discover too much of a citric note in it, neither could I make out the almonds listed but the blend is fantastically realistic Vanilla. It rises up slowly and stays like that for many, many hours on skin, on fabric even longer.. Nevertheless a bit of a too edible smell for me, personally. Edit: I have to correct myself, it may not be too gourmand for me. I think i pretty much love this perfume and will have to buy a bottle soon..

Just got a new bottle of this; I forgot how much I loved it. If you know what a real vanilla pod smells like, dark, brown, and wet, like it's been sitting on the wet ground for days, that's precisely what this smells like. It definitely has a foody edge, but the booze and wood keep it firmly out of middle school territory. It's a true, lovely vanilla. I can understand how it would be too sweet for some people, but I like that true dark vanilla bean smell much better than other gourmand stuff, like caramel, etc. And unlike a lot of pricey vanillas I own, like SDV, it lasts all day.

My first impression: love it. Beside the misleading name, I think this is a wonderful, versatile vanilla. Boozy only in the opening, then mellowing into a unisex, all season scent. This isn’t a loud perfume, which I appreciate, and it’s the reason this vanilla could work in warmer weather. I’m sampling a manufacturers carded splash vial, but my preference is the spray. I wish I would’ve ordered a bottle of Noir Tropical when it was on sale.

This is divine. Dark, boozy vanilla with slight woody undertones. I normally don't like boozy, woody stuff, but the quality of the materials and the blending are flawless, so the heaviness never feels stifling. Stellar sillage and longevity. Got complimented wearing it in the dead of the Greek summer. I enjoy this so much more than SDV.

I did NOT expect to like this as much as I did. The vanilla with the roasted almonds is just so yummy. On my skin, there's a lovely smooth, smoky note too, which makes this so different and interesting. Love, love, love.

One of the best vanillas out there, hands down. I will always own this one. I do not get chocolate but the slightest impression of smoke. The rum and almond are great complements.

Nice dark vanilla with a chocolate smelling dry down. I really enjoy it, it’s cozy and one of my favorite vanilla fragrances in my collection

A lovely dark smoky vanilla. Nothing tropical to it. It’s all vanilla rum with smoky almond. However the smoke I’m getting is reminding me more of a cigar tobacco, but it’s not hitting the thick sultry kind. It’s borderline cigarette smoke - borderline. The loudest note I get is this slightly sweet smoke with vanilla weaved throughout the tobacco leaves. Perhaps it’s more an incense note? It sort of reminds me of Van Cleef’s Orchidee Vanille, but sprayed an hour after your smoke break. It leans far too smoky for me to wear, although I do still enjoy the light wafts I get from my wrist. Not a personal love for me though.

Rum-soaked vanilla and citrussy almond, like ingredients of an incredibly rich and nutty fruit cake, make this fragrance the perfect thing to wear when readying at home for a Christmas feast. It’s the atmosphere of alcohol-induced luxury, reinforced by a dreamy, creamy and very persistent vanilla accord, that makes Noir Tropical one of the great mood-shifters in Maria Candida's wonderful collection.

Basically I get bitter almond and warm, dark vanilla spread on driftwood soaked in rum and whiskey. The trail has memories of Bois d'iris VC, Bois D'argent and vanillin and on my skin it lies woody, moist and vaporous like cloves. In limbo between summer and winter, bypassing the mid-seasons. Balanced sweetness. On my skin it ends with sweetish nuances of green olives... Although the overall aroma is quite simple, it is finely and subtly worked and you can get various nuances from it on the skin and fabrics. Friendly.

291 This sprayed on heavy alcohol. Finally a dry dusty chemical aroma emerged and intensified over time. Dry-down was a nice bourbon vanilla unfortunately mixed with a harsh chemical note. 2/10-vanilla was fine, but dry dusty chemical note ruins this. Not anything like original SDV.

This is just an ok for me but then again, I'm not the biggest fan of rum. I like alcohol in perfumes, but I am more of a cognac girl. If you like rum and vanilla this is the perfume for you! That is about all I get out of this, rum and vanilla. Linear, flat for me.