La Rhapsodie Noire

Airy sage, hay, and coffee. I see how this would remind people of Black Phantom. It’s not exactly the same, but I get the same vibe if that makes sense. This is more of an ‘all-rounder’ rather than a black & white gourmand. It’s airy whilst still being a little sweet (not nearly as sweet as BP, though). Also, this is the first sage frag that I’ve enjoyed in a long time. Usually sage tickles my brain, however it’s amazing in this dry, airy, slightly caramel-hay composition. This could be a great cold weather signature scent for someone that loves gourmands but wants something versatile enough to wear to the office (a gourmand that you can wear to the office? It shouldn’t work, but this certainly could). If I’m honest I don’t love the initial spray, but it settles very quickly. I thought this fragrance might end up a bit like the Tragedy of Lord George, being a fougere that dries down to a sweet-tonka base. This is way more interesting, in my opinion. It starts off a little like a sweeter version of Sartorial and then dries down to an airy, almost-gourmand. This is very comfortable & cozy. This will probably be a full bottle purchase for me 👍 Edit: After visiting my now-empty sample vial over & over for the past week I decided to pull the trigger on a full bottle.

It was a bold choice for Parfums Dusita to produce a fougére that was tobacco, coffee, and tonka bean dominant: I've not smelled anything else that has those notes paired with lavender before, at least the way they are here. The result is a pleasing, masculine-leaning perfume that's quite enjoyable and has even an odd freshness to it, though it would be best worn for evenings on colder nights. I can understand Pissara Umavijani's comparisons of this to Paris in the interwar period because this does remind me perhaps of a fragrance Georges Simenon's Inspector Maigret might wear, smoking his pipe and drinking coffee one morning before he goes to speak to his superiors. Her fragrances are on the spendy side for my budget, but they almost never ever miss, and this one does not. This has that same sophisticated harmonious background accord I often smell in her fragrances. UPDATE 4/24/23: I got a great deal on this, so I bought a full bottle. I understand why some reviewers think the opening is a little on the sweet side (although it's really nothing compared to most gourmands out there), but it moves through that fairly quickly, and the sophisticated drydown (which again reminds me of a Maigret novel) is really bliss. I'm glad I got this!

Dusita has me wearing a fougere, and as a femme scent woman, this is WILD. I adore this scent--it's a gourmand sensibility; there's sugar, a few coffee beans, plenty of floral sweetness. The scent is powdery, gentle, woodsy, vanillin. Would definitely work well on a man, but on a woman, I find it sensual and confident. I I like how it pushes the envelope for me--perfume is part of your wardrobe, the way you want to feel. One note--this is not a coffee scent, imo. If that's what you're after, try La Tacita de Cafe. I also wouldn't compare this to the thin-scented Maison M. Coffee Break, which seems inexpensive and synthetic compared to this perfume. You might be familiar with coffee/vanilla frags like Mancera's Roses Vanilla, or my favorite coffee/vanilla scent, Tiziana Tirenzi's Delox, but this is NOT a coffee vanilla fragrance. Instead, I find it primarily a sweet fougere, with a powdery aspect. I have nothing like this in my collection to compare it to, and that's why I love Dusita as a house.

I have revisited my collection of Dusita samples and realised that I have fallen in love with some which I first thought “pretty but not for me”. I already own full bottle of Pelagos and full bottle of Erawan (still love both deeply). Was considering getting a full bottle of Anamcara, and realised that I also fell in love with Melodie de l’Amour and...this one I first thought that rhapsodie noire is way too masculine for me, and also slightly too strange with the tobacco with coffee and vanilla... but I’m loving it on my skin. I get the slightly aromatic opening but it very quickly give ways to coffee with tonka bean vanilla and tobacco. Actually I get coffee with condensed milk... it gets more woody as it dries down but the sweetness never disappears which makes it feminine enough for me, while staying mysterious and slightly dark. It’s really unique.

Why is it so hard to write a review for your favorites?? I enjoy writing reviews so much, how come I am not able to put my admiration into words?? Maybe it's the fact that I want to speak in superlatives but I don't want to sound pretentious. Or maybe it's just easier to pinpoint why you think something is not a 10, but harder to tell why something is. Anyways, it's a 10 for me. Unusual fougere, lavender and tobacco sweetened by coffee and tonka but not too sweet. Silky smooth, intimate, modest but long lasting. Feels like wearing a second skin, which Pissara's perfumes often do to me. Transformative, moody, pensive, delicate but dark. Don't shoot me, I am not the biggest fan of Paris, in my mind I like to picture Krakow, Prague or Budapest at night, at the beginning of the 1900's when I am wearing this.

Wow, this is a stunner. It's such a smooth, rich, cozy blend of tonka bean, coffee and vanilla. These three are the predominant notes on my skin once the perfume has settled down. The opening does have a lavender bite, but it warms and rounds up fairly quickly. One impression I got as I sprayed it first was a similarity to Zadig & Voltaire's Just Rock! for her. I can see now that there are some overlapping notes in the two, but while Zadig stays quite "fluffy" in a way, Rhapsodie gains a different depth and is smokier and darker, also slightly less sweet. If you miss the discontinued Zadig though, give Rhapsodie Noire a try, it might tickle the right spot. Longevity and sillage are just right, 5-6 hours on my skin with quite a robust presence throughout.

I have the bottle of this perfume. It has a duration that exceeds 10 hours with a high intensity. When I put on this perfume, the first thing I smell on my skin is toffee, it's caramel. A camel that has fougere, aromatic sensations, which evolves into a woody toffee, sensual creamy, elegant woody. With a slight alcoholic point. It is a beautiful, elegant perfume, with a fascinating aroma that I enjoy from start to finish. If I could tell you a similarity, it is with Italica by Xerjoff, but of course with its own personality, its aromatic touches, less intensity of wood. Great quality of its aromas. It is unisex but because of this caramel sensation I feel this feminine perfume. It's delicious, a fantastic job in perfumery.

I love New Haarlem, and this is even better. What's different is the balance of notes, less sugar for the sake of a certain booziness, and a bittersweet, narcotic, hay-tobacco, late-summer accord. It transforms the separate notes into a landscape, there's a sense of humidity in the air and a subtle misty-green floral vapor floating above the darker parts of this night field. You don't usually find flowers in such company, and it's great. The warmth of a summer night. There have been also times when all the discernible notes were overridden by something much more unspeakable but true to the title - the smell of sweet burnt blackness, caramelized at the edges, floral in its heart.

A beautiful fragrance that oscillates between a deep dark gourmand comprised of tobacco, rum and coffee that is dense and rich and sublime, and then a lighter fougere aspect featuring a very fresh and approachable lavender, mildly aromatic sage, and powdery florals. With the exception of vanilla, which was always present, I rarely perceived all these notes at once but rather they took turns with each other so the fragrance never became too familiar or comfortable but remained unexpected and mysterious. It lasts a good 8 + hours on skin and has a moderate sillage of a couple feet.

Wow. I used to own both Replica Coffee Break and Rochas Man... I sold both because as unique as they are they both smell a bit cheap and synthetic. This is a much more elevated version of both. The coffee in this is a deep espresso and the herbal notes are so much more pronounced and full of depth here. This is a good one for those who actually enjoy herbal notes in all their hay-like or medicinal aspects. It lacks that bubbly, cozy lactonic feel, this is a lot more dark and moody and smoldering, but it is a lovely, higher quality sibling to both.

This has become my favorite scent out of the dozens I own and hundreds I've tried. It's hard for me to describe, as I don't find any single note to be dominant or even distinct--yet it's never muddy or boring. Rather, it has a unique interplay of fresh brightness, rich sweetness, and a subtle earthiness. It's never harsh, sharp, or loud, but it remains undoubtedly present. I find it utterly captivating, and when I wear it I feel more poised, more alluring, and more mysterious than I could hope to be in real life. Stunning, underrated gem.

This is a sultry and embracingly enticing scent from Dusita. One of their best performers on my skin. Billie Holiday is in Paris, and so are you but you are not dining on French cuisine. No, no. This has an undertone of the spicy-sweet warmth of foods of North Africa, which you get a whiff of mixed with a perfume. And you cannot make out whether it's a man or a woman leaving a scent trail, but you follow it nevertheless. The jazz and booze have left you buzzed and you are too intrigued not to. Yes, I am buying a full bottle!

I received a sample of this yesterday and immediately bought a full bottle. The opening is very lavender forward on my skin, but sweet, warm and fuzzy. It’s stays sweet throughout the drydown, but it’s not cloying to my nose at all. It feels gourmand adjacent to me, not entirely edible. It’s a very comforting scent, like a warm hug. I went to bed wearing this and could still smell it in the morning. I love it. Pissara is so talented and I am grateful for her artistry.

A review after one full day of wearing it: a yummy surprise. It’s a caramel (tonka, vanilla and rum?), lavender and patchouli scent, I don’t pickup anything else specific...although I’m sure there’s more in here. La Rhapsodie Noire indeed, so expertly blended that I only smell a smooth, deep gourmand amber. I’m enjoying my maiden voyage—a complex gourmand is not what I expected from Dusita.

Amazing. I have mugler tonka, and coffee break. I would say this fragrance is both of those combined, with a nice woody and tobacco touch. This is truly amazing. While I love pure tonka, this fragrance is better and more well rounded. And I wouldn’t say this has a burnt sugar smell, but more like a burnt coffee smell. A must have if you are a coffee frag lover.

I bought a sample set from Dusita, and it was the last sample a tried. What a suprise! An incredibly delicate, balanced, well-blended scent, this is my favorite of the samples. Fresh, sweet tonkabean with a touch of levander, deep and loveble. Love it! 😊 10/10 I love when I wear it from the morning and smell sometimes late evening.

This is such a unique fragrance. It mixes gourmand and woody and fougere. Greater than the sum of its parts. One of those rare fragrances where the more I wear it, the more I like it (vs. those that get tiresome). Probably my favorite from Dusita, and that’s saying a lot because she has some strong contenders!

It’s absolutely exceptional and unique! Doesn’t smell like anything Pissara made before. I love the cozy home-like fragrance of coffee and burned sugar with caramel tonka beans. And at the same time it’s fresh, woody and balanced. Quite original gourmand fougère. I think it’s my favorite from Dusita.

Update after a few wears: It is very soft but lasts a long time. Extremely pleasant and wearable. One of the few scents that elicited a comment from my wife and family... ;-) This is a gorgeous soft longlasting fougere. I had one sample, then another then realized i had to get a bottle.

A steaming cup of café au lait and a wiener pecan pastry. The pecan nuts caramelized with maple sirop is a little burned. It’s delightful and sticky. You have to wash your hands, so here the lavender soapyness appears. Well done and long lasting. Avoid if you’re on a diet

original with a few touch points. amazing work. releases like this separate the drones from the noses making their own path. definitely worth experiencing.

This is very hard to dislike. Great gourmand with a forward coffee note and a background of the Issara-style tobacco note.

Gives me strong Focking Fabulous vibes, very nice unisex scent, sweet yet complex and elegant. Love it.

Wow! One of my favorite Dusita! I have a little 15 ml bottle, and it is lovely 😍 I adore it!

So apparently there is a Dusita fragrance that I am somewhat conflicted about, from a range that I otherwise consistently enjoy particularly on an artistic level. La Rhapsodie Noire is a condensation of my least favourite facets in Pissara‘s style of perfumery, the more tenacious modern woody molecular elements/amberwood compounds i feel particularly prominent in moonlight in chang mai. I see a lot of people below 'complaining' about these elements as they seem to be sensing similarities between this and Bacarrat Rouge, and while it is definitely an unfair comparison in terms of blending, complexity and overall quality, but i also indeed perceive the presence of high amounts of both amber compounds as well as a good amount of maltol sweetness in this one, especially when smelled from a far. This is certainly one of the most modern compositions in the entire line, which is not a direct point of criticism, since I find many Dusita compositions challengingly antique/vintage inspired, more so a warning for those expecting the pure and naturalistic approach you encounter in Issara or Melodie, both imo masterpieces of this house. The concept is nonetheless interesting, a coumarin/tonka heavy woody fougere, utilizing powdery, slightly smoky, gooey vanillic and nutty facets, heavily sweetened with maltol, to produce some mysterious effect of burnt sugar with a rummy/oaky effect retaining however also a strong aromatic quality to it with embellishing facets of powdery florals and lavendar. Overall i dont dislike it, but also dont necessarily find the need to buy it. An intoxicating experience when I do wear it, but slightly stomach churning over the 15 hours plus i can smell it on my skin, especially when smelling from a far where i do find the maltol piercing. Edit: Trying Rhapsodie Noire multiple times over about 6 months, I have come to appreciate it much more than during my first few days with it. Perhaps it has to do with the weather getting cold, or perhaps with my departure from work safe day fragrances. Having milked the most out of my sample over the last months and indeed a single sample provided enough potency for 10+ nights out, now that it is empty i am starting to miss the robustly sweet gourmandy facets of this otherwise headstrong woody fougere. Rhapsodie Noire is so far the only offering I found that can provide a very tenacious almost overindulgent sweet experience without feeling one dimensional or boring. Smelling it over many hours off my skin I seem to get different profiles every few minutes, a chameleon scent, nutty creamy brown sugar caramel 10 minutes ago, sweet caramelized aromatic charred oakwood now. Seem like I may buy a 15ml after all... Edit 2 (1 year in): Rhapsopie has slowly become a favourite of mine. Overall one of the most addictive fragrances I have come across. Overall the most sultry and seductive scent of the Dusita line. A shapeshifting gourmand fougere, intense almost to the point of excess in its entirety, but perhaps intentionally so. Smell too much of it and you back away. Back away and you long to smell it again and again and again. 50ml are arriving in the mail soon.

Today is the International coffee day, so I wanted to celebrate it with La Rhapsodie Noir composed by Pissara. It was kind of chilly this morning as we get into autumn; this scent gives it best during the colder season (and not only because it is a comfy enveoping one, but also for reasons that I will get into below). La Rhapsodie is a hybrid genre perfume where I can recognize the DNA of a fougere, i.e. the aromatic lavender, a touch of sage, and the combo of vanilla and tonla bean; a fougere with a genetic mutation on its heart that is substantially a semi-gourmand (not overtly sweet: what a relief!) At the heart of the composition there are caramelized sugar, Madagascan vanilla, coffee, probably immortelle, and tonka bean absolute. The ingenous idea here is to cut the sweetness of the gourmand-heart accord with the freshness of sage and a the herbaceous lavender. This is a trick that Roucel used in New Haarlem (another very good cofee scent). This uplifts the composition. The tonka-coumarin base is masterfully complemented by the smell of smoky cigars with woody accents stemming from patchouli and cedar. The conconction makes me picture myself sitting in a Parisien cafè; a cup of strong black coffee in front of me; except it is not exaclty pure coffee. It is more an affogato; a scoop of ice cream is added to the most robust espresso, a contrast of cold, creamy sweetness and hot bitterness, precisely a contrast, not a combination. There is also a liqueur undertone that I think it stems from a touch of immortelle. Around me, the smell of burning cigars and of the woody bench where I am sitted. It is really a rhapsody: notes go up and down. They live space to immagination and interpretation. Follow me on IG @alexolympia6

I am quickly discovering that Dusita perfumes are of a consistently high standard. Instead of paying homage to a classical perfume accord from times past, La Rhapsodie Noire is a creative gourmand take on a fougère. It is beautifully balanced - cosy and boozy, sweet and spicy, dry yet smooth throughout - a unique and deeply comforting unisex scent. LRN opens with smooth, sweet vanilla, given a caramel-like edge by soft spices. Coffee is used to great effect here, a note that never seems to quite fit in perfumery. It adds a warm, chocolate-y nuance, increasing creamy as it develops. The tonka bean emerges in the base, complementing the coffee-vanilla accord to perfection. Lavender is evident, bringing the fougère to life, but is uncharacteristically restrained and subtle. Here, it reminds me of Margiela Coffee Break, but this scent is so much better. Hazy florals emerge as it develops, adding soft polleny sweetness. The tobacco adds subtle herbal smokiness, becoming more evident at the later stages. Patchouli adds some earthiness here. The drydown is woody-vanilla, slightly boozy with a dry hay-like undertone. The tonka bean remains, its soft spiciness keeping things smooth. Soft vanilla keeps things subtly sweet. It fades to a woody-vanilla skin scent, dry and smooth with a whisper of tonka remaining. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. A rich yet soft woody-gourmand-fougère, LRN is a beautifully formed unisex woody scent, bolstered to perfection by spices, vanilla, florals and boozy notes. A unisex cold weather scent, this is an upmarket, sophisticated version of Jazz Club/By the Fireplace etc. that doesn't immediately make me think "home scent". 4/5.

First impressions: Very heavy and sweet the kind you get from coconut oil albeit good quality coconut oil. For me Maison Margiela Coffee Break is nice if you want a gourmand scent with Coffee note and lactonic vibe but the longevity in that one is dreadful. Fève Delicieuse Dior privèe is also good but now discontinued last I checked. For Vanilla lavender there are many others like ysl libre og edp and Chanel Jersey edp which are v appealing. Dusita Rhapsodie Noire could have done better if there was something to make her a little more uplifting.. may be some more floral and a little more boozy. Like Fahrenheit le parfum. Edit: This fragrance has definitely grown on me. Maybe it carries a somewhat nostalgic association with the coconut oil vibe and its quite delectable but remains poised. Maybe its the coffee tonka bean vanilla that gives this a very gourmand characteristic. More of a gourmand fougère than oriental fougère imho. What I like most about it that it's not too cloying or sickeningly sweet or has that moldy or nauseating smell of tobacco. Au contraire its quite comforting.

I’m surprised I’m not seeing the comparison to Chanel Boy. On my skin this is a very strong lavender + general yankee candle co. combination. Just like Boy, the opening is a decidedly masculine barber shop fragrance. They both calm down the lavender fairly quickly thank goodness, but so far, Boy is the most wearable for me, at least this time of year. RN definitely has a Christmas spice vibe that could be perfect for winter wear, so I may put it away for colder days, then see if my opinion changes.

On me this opens with a sweet coffee and tobacco, and a hint of lavender. Somehow I smell this in the back of my throat? Really interesting and well blended. At 28 this feels slightly too sophisticated for me personally. I imagine someone who owns a personal library with leather backed books and a tiffany glass reading lamp sporting this well, cozied up by a fireplace with a dog at their feet while it rains outside. Very unique and something that would make a memorable signature.

Another Dusita, like Montri, where I struggle with the opening/heart but love the dry down. Maybe I'm both it's the oakmoss that gives everything a softer, warmer feel. Still, if Montri was too bitter and herbal for me Rhapsodie Noire is too sweet. More like a hard coffee candy than a hot cup. Actually , even though cherry is not in the notes, it reminds me of Cherry Coke. If you like sweet coffee/vanilla scents it's a more sophisticated (and more expensive) option.

Sweet opening, followed by a lovely boozy coffee! It reminds me of a richer Angels Share by Kilian. The scent is very complex and has a clear opening, middle and drydown. I love how the notes work together to produce something both artistic and unique. It's better on skin than clothes, skin really allows the scent to develop and bloom. There's a slightly medicinal drydown that leans a bit too masculine for me, but I'm going to enjoy using up my sample anyway.

A really interesting coffee blend, almost herbal, but also deepened with some tobacco and vanilla. That said, it's a strange mix, but still it comes off as elegant, dreamy, subtle. Imagine spending an evening in a coolest jazz bar, where ladies smell nice and gentlemen smoke cigars. Now add some coffee and enjoy the aromas.

a lutens-like burnt caramel. quite nice. lots going on, a bit formal or night out on the town. not necessarily a rhapsodie but definitely a nocturne with oomph. the notes blend to create a solid mood, intense, smoky, and bitter sweet. overblooming and a touch of decay. deep goth.

Quality juice. You can pick up on most of the notes kaleidoscope-style; they're not blendered up into something totally new. Feels too mature for me at 27, so I'd say this gives a classy middle-aged woman vibe.

A realistic dark coffee roast but it has been livened and freshened up with some unisex aromatics. Well blended and full of quality ingredients. I want to make clear I do not think this smells bad. But I still think I prefer the uncompromising heft of the coffee in an Akro Awake. The turgid and simplistically raw “coffeeness” statement of that one makes this seem boring and tepid by comparison... This is so polite! It almost comes across too feminine for me. 7.1/10

Interesting and unique gourmand fougère. The herbal notes ground what would otherwise be too sweet for me. I would’ve preferred more of an incense profile, but this is elegant. Very pleasant for any occasion, completely unisex. However, it does smell more masculine on some women, so it’s not a safe blind buy.

Opens generic, like something you've smelled many times before with the tonka/lavender combo. It dries more interesting and creative with the coffee and tobacco with woody nuances. Easy to wear high quality ingredients and good performance.

Very dry and a bit scratchy to me. I get mostly lavender, mimosa and coffee. As a reference, similar to Coffee Break by Maison Margiela but not quite as smooth. I love this scent profile, but this is just not doing it for me.

I ordered a sample. On my skin, it smells like a men's perfume, and the longevity is very weak. It is a nice fragrance anyway, but this is not for me. I had 3 samples from Dusita, but none of them was ,, WOW" for me.

La Rhapsodie Noire opens dark brown, sweet, and overtly manly; I get a slug of coffee and a lot of caramelization. Like most of the recent Dusitas, it’s quite sheer. a few minutes in, I get a definite sage & lavender effect, like a scrubby chaparral landscape, very traditionally masculine and dry, with that macho caramelized woody-amber underneath. By half an hour in, the herbs are gone and it’s just dark, sweet, slightly chocolatey, slightly boozy woody-amber. In other words, this is a crossover between two common perfume genres; the lavender-based fougere (which has been a staple since the turn of the 20th century) and the masculine sweet-dark Oriental based around woody-ambers, which dates back to...maybe the 90’s? At any rate, there’s a certain Eau de Bro aspect to La Rhapsodie Noire that I’m not fond of. Parfums Dusita used to make marvels of classic perfumery, full of rare and precious ingredients like real Mysore sandalwood, and now...they’ve pivoted to slightly-better-than-average mainstream scents, but kept the jacked-up prices. One of those everyday tragedies.

I’m not a fan of coffee fragrances. There are hardly any out there which I can tolerate let alone enjoy. La Rhapsodie Noire is unfortunately no different, I find it too obnoxious and abrasive to even consider wearing it unfortunately. The coffee itself isn’t even that overwhelming, it’s certainly there, but its combination with everything else is what’s bothering me. The tobacco and woods make it so dry, whilst the sage, lavender and mimosa really bring out the bitterness of the coffee. Thankfully there is some sweetness from tonka and vanilla, but it’s not enough to counter the intense dry bitterness. I’ve tested this sample a few times but I can’t bring myself to wear it. Whilst I can admire the creativity, at the end of the day I still want to smell nice - not bitter.

Another unclothed emperor. The BR50 sugary base, a touch of screamwood, and the ‘Tonka’ aromachemical dashed with a little jasmine showing up in all the BEASTMODE! ‘Tobacco Vanille’ (yes more correctly tabac Vanille but why quibble at pebbles while pushing a rock?). This started in the pretentious I Am Niche bottle-begauded brands, has trickled down to the knock-offs, is unquestionably an inexpensive aromachemical sold by the vat, and reeks. I wouldn’t like it even when it’s inexpensive and I’m smelling it everywhere. The best thing I could say about this naked emperor is that he’s small, goes away more quickly than some, and has a little genuine lavender drying the over-sugar out a bit.

Not for me. My husband says it smells like ginger.

Pleasant but oversweet fougere composition that showcases a central lavender note. When the perfume opens, the lavender is surrounded by some jasmine and sage. There is a brief heart revealing some coffee and slight tobacco. The perfume settles on a powdery tonka bean base with additional oakmoss, vanilla and slight hints of patchouli and woody notes. The unisex composition has moderate projection and good longevity. All in all, nice and very pleasant, but must like sweeter things in life to appreciate. Enjoy!

Another reviewer below described this as obnoxious and abrasive and I would have to agree, just that typical niche overdose of dry woody notes, though the lavender sends it deep into obnoxious territory.

One of the most unpleasant openings I’ve ever smelled. A scrubber. Smelled like herbal celery to me. Nope and nope.

I am not going to be even slightly unbiased regarding anything Dusita. There are several reasons, but in this case the most potent and exciting is that I WON La Rhapsodie Noire in a lavish Dusita giveaway!!! Most unexpected and undeserved largesse leaves me speechless, which is also one reason it's taken me so long to review this lovely scent. :) Yes, lovely, because it is. But as flyingfox partially says, it's harder to pinpoint what you genuinely enjoy than it is to pontificate about less chic or more bodacious scent. La Rhapsodie Noire is indeed a chic scent, and truly a gourmand leaning fougere, as described by Pissara herself. I enjoy it best in moderate (read, Parisian) weather rather than the cold snap we just experienced. I also enjoy it more on my own skin than on fabric, which is my normative mode with moderately performing fragrances such as this one. Yes, it projects well and lasts superbly on fabric, but somehow on fabric it was even more masculine-leaning than in cold weather. On my SKIN it reads lovely, unisex, sweet, charming, gentle, elegant, but not too fluffy. So wearable, and yet complex in the best way. Undergirding all, I smell balanced courmarin-style powder, and there is an identifiable Dusita-style, sweet jasmine here which lifts the darker notes. The development of the fragrance is noticeable and enjoyable - not one dimensional. (The ONLY Dusita fragrance I've tested that doesn't have much development is Splendiris, and it's so perfectly musky/powdery/iris that I couldn't care less. Don't change it!) I sense a leather/tonka bean Warmth in the base notes of La Rhapsodie Noire that is quite comforting and potentially addictive. Neither old fashioned NOR trendy, Pissara's releases benefit from a timeless construction and out-of-the-box character. They are easy to wear, approachable, recognizable, and yet still unique! So much to love. <3 Thoughts: I realize that Indie and Niche houses (particularly those with a Paris address and the accompanying expenses of a Paris Boutique) are costly. I am a budget lover. BUT SOMETIMES! Sometimes I prefer a sample of something wonderfully wearable from a generous and massively creative indie source to a large bottle of designer scent from a conglomerate. In this case, I was gifted a heavy, elegant bottle with Pissara's (yes, Deluxe!) packaging and art. Awe Inspiring. The melding of art - poetry, painting, and scent - combined with creative concept and simply wonderful presentation. My dream is to visit Dusita's boutique. So, her perfume (for me) is the past (Father's poetry, 1920's concept) with the present, culminating in beautiful future dreams. And one of the best presents I've ever received. Thank you, Pissara! <3 <3 <3

A beautiful ode to the City of Light, La Rhapsodie Noire is not so much a scent to be worn but one that begs to be experienced. Aromatic, sweet and enchanting, it sparkles like the Seine by twilight. The fragrance first teases me with a cloud of warm, buttery coffee that whisks me to a Parisian patisserie. I'm enjoying my petit-déjeuner on the sidewalk, watching the crowds idle past. It comes close to gourmand territory - I definitely get a Café Cabanel vibe - but then segues into an aromatic, fougère direction as the lavender and clary sage start blooming. The rum and tobacco are not especially dominant to my nose but provide a hint of smokiness that evokes cigarettes and cocktails. The dry down is where all the elements meld together. Patchouli and vetiver combine to lend a dry earthiness that is beautifully softened by fragrant sandalwood, nutty tonka and creamy vanilla. When I visit Paris, one of my favourite pastimes is talking long, slow walks through the city, breathing in the sights and smells of the vibrant neighbourhoods. La Rhapsodie Noire takes one on a similar journey, blending genres and styles with effortless charm. It's a tender, sensual and inviting fragrance with light projection and moderate longevity, rewarding me with pleasing whiffs every now and again. A chic scent that will perfectly accompany you on that Parisian brunch with friends.

La Rhapsodie Noire kind of caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting something so warm and fuzzy, comforting even. The herbal opening is sweetened by what feels like a hint of tonka and watery amber while toasted lavender and warm rum create a gentle but heartwarming purr. This doesn’t feel soapy on my skin but it is quite complex. The heart showcases a rich but aromatic, unlit cigar accord. It’s not as forward as I’d like it to be but that’s okay because the composition has so much good vibes somehow imbued into its aroma I don’t really mind. I don’t know why but this is just relaxing. Easily 10/10 for my tastes. The drydown is worth noting that it becomes slightly more masculine but never veers outside of unisex territory. It’s perfectly middle of the road. This doesn’t really feel gourmand and I’m not sure Id do the Rhapsodie justice by describing it as such but there is a warm, cozy aspect to the entire scent it almost feels like you could drink it. The lavender is present but rather subdued thanks to the broom, sage, and rum. It doesn’t feel too floral nor is it too sweet. I really think this is worth sampling even for folks that love Oud Infini and constantly seek out raw, primal, challenging scents. Something here just works and normally I wouldn’t like this style either.