Chambre Noire

This niche perfume line was completely inspired by the art of photography. The photographer of this work was Clémence René-Bazin and the inspiration of this fragrance was the mystery behind the secrets that occur between the four walls of a dark room, that moment between the intimacy and the secrecy. The perfumer was Dorothée Piot, who has already created for Salvador Dali, Amouage, By Kilian, among others. The fragrance of Chambre Noire is composed of notes of Schinus (also called Schinus Molle or pink pepper), in the output; in the heart, notes of jasmine, Papyrus, violets, plum, and incense. And finally, notes of sandalwood, patchouli, musk, vanilla, and leather at the base. It sounds like a joke, but the truth is that I saved the best for last, as the saying goes. Of all the five fragrances of the brand that I tried, this one is without a doubt, what I like most. While Lumière Blanche, Flash Back and Still Life have a brighter and fresher aspect, ideal for stimulating the good mood on warmer days, and Autoportrait manages to be elegant and versatile at the same time, Chambre Noire brings dirty and animalic nuances, which arouse desire and instigate the senses. This type of fragrance fits better with my personal taste and style, no doubt. The fragrance is strong since the beginning, however slightly silky. That's because the pink pepper (Schinus) has no spicy aspect, as many thinks, but nuances that are almost floral, like roses. Immediately, a strong aroma of incense and violets arises, with a lot of (I mean a lot!) patchouli. And although it is present only at the base of the olfactory pyramid, don't be alarmed if you think for a moment, that this perfume is made only of patchouli, from the top to the base. And this patchouli has creamy and slightly bitter nuances. Then, add leather and you will have a striking, masculine and sensual fragrance. Until this point, I couldn't see it as unisex. However, about two hours after applying, the fragrance evolves from animalic to cozy and then, the vanilla and sandalwood begin to appear and make it more shareable. Chambre Noire has excellent durability and sillage and represents very well the inspirational reason. In my opinion, it's like a torrid night of love, which starts hot, intense and gasping, then ends in a quiet and cozy manner, when the first rays of the Sun start to light up the walls of this dark room.

What a complex and fascinating scent. Chambre Noir opens with liqueur and candied fruits, followed by unexpectedly airy florals. The liqueur feel disappears quickly, and within the opening this scent begins to dry up, making the ever growing flowers more airy. Incense joins the mix after minutes, marking the end of the opening. I do not smell plum fruit specifically, but candied and dark fruits remain prominent well into the middle. The darkness of this perfume builds as incense qualities mix with dried white & purple flowers. Yet, the airiness of the opening remains, and thus the scent does not become cloying or heavy at all. In fact, well into the middle, Chambre Noir is strangely fresh for a leather scent. For me, the leather accord begins to form shortly after incense notes appear. This is a dry and well-used leather, without the astringency of fresh tannage, becoming much better defined and somewhat masculine as sandalwood and patchouli lends their earthy/woody tones. A vanilla note which is mildly sweet and fairly creamy comes in last, finely taming the airy quality of the florals, and frames the dry-down of this scent as a dark, creamy leather. The dry-down is reminiscent of my wallet made of leather from the Badalassi Carlo tannery - creamy, sweet, non-astringent and unexpectedly light. This is a very interesting and complex take on leather. One of the more masculine scents from Olfactive Studio, yet remains unisex for the right lady. Projection is weaker than I prefer at this price point, but longevity is fine. It could make for an intimate perfume if your companion happens to like dark flowers or dry leather. Overall, a very elegant and complex scent which keeps me engaged and on my toes from the first spray to the dry-down. Such a fantastic experience, especially for me, after a week of testing mostly designer perfumes for Xmas gifts. This is a perfume for leather fans and experienced noses. Definitely not a blind buy or gifting scent. Highly recommended!

Chambre Noir is a beautiful fruity leather of modern design, sweet, but a sweet content and also turns out to be quite versatile and versatile. I have tried many fruit hides, most of them work very well on the skin, as a more successful example I can comment on the use of the raspberry note, as Knize did at the beginning of the last century or the imitated leather of Tuscany by Tom Ford, this one that Occupy does it and does it very well with plum. The beginning of the pyramid of notes begins with the pink pepper that already points some warmth and sensuality to the nuance of the beautiful note of plum that already is detected from the beginning and that soon it is united to the leather (a soft leather type chamois) roasted by The smoke of the incense, an aroma that lasts until the final drying, resulting in an uncharged or heavy set. This set is heated even more with the wood and the dry aroma of the papyrus that is immediately attached to the skin, the sweet point is put vanilla and balms, bringing even more sensuality to the aroma. Undoubtedly, this scent has been made to enjoy in this warm dark room overlooking a lighted city and has also been made to be enjoyed in the short distances, because, despite my diffusion little, but has in favor that Of being a good mixture, turns out to be a leather of the most sexy. Rating: 7.5

Well I've tried a few from Olfactive studios now and on the whole I'm impressed. This was one that's been lurking among the samples in my cupboard for a while and despite tying it at the time it didn't stick in my mind. Upon wearing it properly today I have to say that I've been treated to a wonderful, heady scent full of incense and a definite prune smell. The mixture of this dimension with a hint of vanilla gives a slight feel of honey to me something which I don't usually care for but it's so subtle and this is such a interesting creation that I enjoy it. Chambre Noire opens with the same weird watery papyrus and sandalwood that I didn't really like from Le Labo's Santal 33 but somehow works here probably due to the other notes and the fact it's dissipates quickly. The patchouli takes a while to come on but when it does, is the right side of balanced. That mixed with delicate leathery notes that exist from the very start, drydown to a gorgeous skin scent. This perfume is not heavy that's what I love about it, some leathers just try too hard! This one is very light from the start but projects well in the first couple of hours when the patchouli really beams out but after that it's mellow. Great scent this one I've thoroughly enjoyed wearing it today.

It doesn’t last very long on my skin! After applying to my skin, I routinely spray my clothing as well to get BETTER LONGEVITY! Last year I gave my bottle to my mom who smelled this on me one day and couldn’t get her mind off of it. I couldn’t allow her to go out and buy this at retail so I gave her mines. I prefer this plum concoction over Tom Ford PJ and NY Bond Andy Warhol. I just wish I got better performance. Update: Remeber I said I owned this fragrance but gave it to my mother. Well it’s the break of fall and I had strong desire to get my nose on some Chambre Noire. I went to my parents home and found my mother’s bottle. I applied 3 sprays - maybe 4 cuz I expected such poor performance. Well Why did the perfume go complete beast mode on my skin? I couldn’t believe I was getting such excellent performance. Was the juice in the bottle not fully matured last year ? If you love this scent but your fresh bottle isn’t performing. Put it to the side and let it mature some more. I ended up making a decant from her bottle and ordering another online. Sooo good !