Sultan Noir

Just received this and it’s an instant love. My first impression is Shalimar vibes. The smokiness this fragrance is prominent and similar to Shalimar. But it’s softer and more gentle and cosy. The cinnamon and apple give it a cosy gourmand side that is reminiscent of apple pie, without ever straying into Yankee candle territory. It stays nuanced and classy and the gourmand edge is subdued. While I get the vague similarities to red tobacco (which I own) I do not think they fall into the same ‘family’ or whatever I should call it. Red Tobacco is bold. RT is a motor chick in a leather jacket, it’s tattoos, and loud metal music, whereas Noir is more fuzzy and warm. Sultan Noir has a dusty, fuzzy smoke note that softly tickles the nose, layered over a cosy soft spicy sweetness. Noir wears a fur coat and smokes those extra thin cigarettes in one of those fancy holders. She’s a lady, sexy and seductive. She’s the more gentle and shy sister of Shalimar. This fragrance is so good and insanely cheap for what you get. I payed €11,50 for 100 ml (!!) and it’s almost as good as Shalimar, though a bit weaker (though this may change as the bottle ages). I’m absolutely blown away and this has become an instant favourite and cheap alternative to Shalimar. Safe blind buy if you like fuzzy, smoky oriental fragrances like Shalimar. Keep in mind that this is by no means a dupe of Shalimar, I just think they have a similar vibe (that I dig). I noticed Aubusson Liquid Amber in the reminds me off (which I also own), and I think they are quite different. There is something similar, like a similar amber note, but LA doesn’t have the dustiness and smokiness Noir has. I think Liquid Amber is darker and deeper, and has more of a boudoir vibe with that sexy chocolate and deep syrupy sweetness. Noir feels more like a 1920s cocktail party.. both are great cheap options though. Noir comes in a very pretty and elegant bottle that does not look cheap at all.

Sultan Noir opens with a smokey cinnamon apple. As it develops and dries down, the woodiness and oud become evermore noticeable, while the smokiness completely disappears. I do not get any leather, and vanilla may be contributing to the sweetness of this fragrance, but I can't detect anything vanillic. This fragrance is a unique and gourmand masterpiece! It smells like a ripe yellow (Golden Delicious) apple covered in cinnamon, that's baking inside a wood fire oven. I will admit that the initial smokiness may deter some individuals, but that goes away very quickly, and you are left with the beautiful warm apple cinnamon smell. An excellent unisex fragrance for the fall and winter, and very unique from anything else I have smelled. I would say the only fragrances I am barely reminded of would be Mancera's Red Tobacco and By Killian's Angel's Share. But this is not a dupe of those, nor even a close alternative, there is just a hint of similarity to those two. If you like the idea of a niche quality smokey apple cinnamon gourmand at a low cost, then this thing is certainly blind buy worthy! The only gripe I have with this fragrance is the poor projection and sillage on myself. The longevity is adequate, a good 8+ hours on my skin, but people have to be intimately close to smell it on me. However, at the low cost that this amazing masterpiece can be found, I would highly recommend every fragrance connoisseur to give it a sniff.

First impression straight out of the box. I haven't smelled almost any of the reminds me of except for shaghaf oud azraq (a banger, imo), so I can't say much on that. (Edit: First I thought they were more different on paper, but on skin I get slightly more similarities. To me they are the same kind vibe, but Azraq is def sweeter/more syrupy and does it's own thing with the honey and cinnamon, and that one is also more punchy/powerful. Noir feels lighter compared to that and easier to wear, and I get a little more of a leathery/smoky feel from that.) From Noir I get insence, dark woods/oud, moderate sweetness, iris bringing a slightly cold feel and leather being there in the backround. This reminds me a little of a mhyrr scented incense stick that I sometimes burn. The opening was a little scary at first, I was scared this was gonna be too vintage leaning but luckily no. If this get's even better as it settles down then wow, I have a new cool weather banger in my colleciton >:) To me this is absolutely unisex. I'm not saying that every fruity-floral gal should run to get this, but if you are like me and are intigued by darker, spicier, moodier scents (or aren't afraid to rock some masculine marketed scents) just go for it! To me this is really easy to like, not too masculine at all. And I feel like a guy could easily pull this of, not too sweet or anything like that. Will try to update as I get to know this better!

Sultan Noir turned out to be an amazing surprise for me. I found it at TkMaxx on shelves and without knowing anything about the perfume or the brand, I’ve decided to check it on Fragrantica... Turns out that all the rave reviews are right, it’s indeed a muted, more subtle version of my beloved Carlisle by Parfums de Marly!!! I can’t believe I found an extremely cheap perfume smelling so close to Carlisle! For all those interested in PdM, but not wanting to splurge 300 euros for a 125 ml bottle, this is your answer: Sultan Noir. The caveat is that Sultan Noir is close to the skin and it is weaker than Carlisle, but it’s 10 euros/bottle... Nonetheless, this is a great fragrance that is worth much more than the bargain price is being currently sold for. Absolutely divine! Another beautiful warm, amber vanilla scent that Sultan Noir is similar to it’s Ambre d’Alexandrie by Boucheron. Ambre d’Alexandrie is very affordable for the quality/quantity you get, but this is pennies compared to both brands. Do with this information what you want, but I am thrilled to have a bottle of Sultan Noir. The scent is beautiful even though it performs poorly...Though, sometimes, vanilla based scents performance improves in time!

I bought this as I was curious because of the good reviews on allbeauty and it was inexpensive anyway however this has been my most favourite perfume I have (shame on my Tom Ford) It’s smoky incense that dries down powdery. One of those perfumes that blooms while you wear it, having so many facets. It also is long lasting and what I enjoy the most is that during whole say of work, I keep smelling the scent. Sometimes I layer it with lighter scents such as litchi from M&S or White musk from Body Shop Just an update not about this perfume though but I saw another Scent in the Sultan collection called Sultan Rouge which smells exquisite oh my god! I saw it in TK MAXX and I just wanted to give it a try since I am about to collect all 5 (Noir, Or, Rose, Rouge). Just the Sultan Blanc in couple of weeks but yes! Sultan Rouge is screamingly sexy and decadent. I love it!!! Sultan Rouge is an eau de parfum with overpowering woody notes that gives a savoury trail and a modern sensuality. The poetic facets of jasmine and the brightness of saffron carry the mineral notes of ambergris and the woody tones of cedar. Rouge is luminous as it settles on the skin like a light floral, amber and woody breath.