Jardin Nocturne

I really don’t have the words to describe this intoxicating concoction but it’s holy grail material for me. It would be challenging for the average nose, yes, there is no denying that but if this is your jam your eyes are going to roll back in your head. First off, this is a very humid, damp, indolic scent which won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. That’s fine for me just slide this tea on over to me and I will guzzle it up for you. There is a very high quality jasmine sambac used here in a very high percentage. If you’re used to smelling jasmin grandiflorum you’re probably going to be wondering where the jasmin is at. Oh it’s in here I promise. But sambac is different from grandiflorum. It’s much more potent, more musky, and less floral, green and fresh smelling. It’s a lot more dirty and sultry. There is probably way more “sultry” in this perfume than a lot of people can handle but again, if you like this type of scent you’re going to break out the credit card quickly. There is also a touch of oud though it’s not overly animalic or overpowering, it really just blends in with the jasmin, sandalwood and saffron creating more of a “whole” rather than noticeable individual notes. You won’t think “oud” fragrance but you will notice the indolic or animalic nature of it. If you love how Maurice Roucel does animalic then you can have a general idea before you even smell it. But...it’s going to be even better than you imagine. This perfume lasts all day on me and it never disappears or ghosts out because it’s not full of those nose blinding aromachemicals. It’s never overwhelming or “beast mode” — there is too much elegance here for that — but it’s always present. Very long lasting, very high quality perfume but it’s very refined and smells like true luxury not “new money”. I could go on and on about this perfume all day. It’s one of the best things I’ve smelled in all the years I’ve been addicted to perfume.

Jardin Nocturne is a sensual masterpiece. Nobody captures sex appeal and the fantasy associated with that type of attraction in it’s raw and sultry sense quite like him. This just might be his magnum opus. Musc Ravageur in its current formulation leans more gourmand cinnamon roll with a beautiful bed of musks than visceral unleashed animalic lust. Here Maurice has captured the tender sensuality of a seducer that has you isolated in their garden and slowly reeling you in. The narcotic jasmine delicately surrounded by a touch of saffron and lifted with musks on a thin layer of oud. Primal, sensual and an attack on your chastity. A scent so beautiful not only will be challenging for someone to keep their distance but also such beauty is a natural aphrodisiac in any situation. It does lean feminine but the sheer carnal nature makes it wearable for anyone old enough to engage. Should come with a warning label NSFW. Other notes: The packaging and presentation are unique with the black bulb atomizer but not very practical and the quality isn’t a 10/10. Pricing for Shalini has long been an issue and kept me skeptical I do think it’s worth the $400 I paid for a 50ml given current pricing trends. I just hope Shalini understands the recent willingness of people to try and experiment with their product is because they haven’t had a price increase in so long that the crazy prices have now become somewhat unreasonable but closer to everyone else. The brand’s fragrances that I’ve tried were all top notch and feel like Maurice was on an open budget with a decent amount of creative freedom. I hope to always have a bottle of this in what I consider a permanent collection. Magnum Opus. Masterpiece.

Jardin Nocturne was my first encounter with the house of Shalini and I was seriously impressed, in fact ‘blown away’ does not even do it justice. This is truly one of the most magical and intoxicating perfumes I’ve ever smelled; it goes far beyond just a want at this point, I need this scent. The composition shows Maurice Roucel at his absolute best, demonstrating how simplicity does not have to smell simple, and that quality rules above complexity. Jasmine is the main player here, one of the best Jasmine absolutes I’ve ever encountered, contrasted by the thick, slightly fecal and dense nature of pure Assam oud. A sweet whisper of saffron helps to balance this out, as it all rests on an ethereal, creamy base of sandalwood and musks, but overall it’s all about the jasmine and the oud. I adore this perfume. It is class and elegance of the highest level, transporting you to a place where all your worries simply evaporate. The confidence that comes with wearing Jardin Nocturne is second to none, I truly believe this is one of the greatest fragrances of the last decade.

This is as good as it can get. My type of scent from beginning to end. The Jasmine (jasmine sambac) here is beautiful and with a very natural feeling. This pair with an amazing Assam Oud (india) and mysore sandalwood makes it very sensual, animalic but elegant and very refined. Fallen angel kind of a scent... The down side of this fairy tale is the performance on my skin, together with its price tag, that keeps my purchase in stand-by... you have 7.5ml tinny bottle, but even so, it's something to think about it. Originality: Medium-high Scent: 10/10 Performance: Average (my skin) Would I but it: No (I will sniff my sample as long as it lasts...)

A gorgeous floral woody musk comprised of some of my most favorite notes in perfumery, this heady offering composed by Maurice Roucel evokes the beauty of a fragrant Indian garden at night, much like its name. The perfume begins with beautiful Laotian Oud and saffron and proceeds to a firmly floral heart of jasmine sambac before settling into a powdery base of musk and sandalwood. Devastatingly beautiful with a refined yet animalic elegance to it, this feminine leaning perfume has moderate sillage and excellent longevity. Pricey but worth it for lovers of exotic Orientals. One of my favorites of all time. Enjoy!

I made a purchase based upon Rbalkris feedback & reached out to him for additional information. I am so pleased with the fragrance. It truly is sensual. Jasmine is a new introduction to my collection of niche high end fragrances. IMO it is a unisex fragrance and should not be labeled as feminine leaning. The notes are well balanced. Incredibly pleased with the sillage and eternal lasting on the skin. This is a lovely scent from the 1st spray through dry down and melts heavenly into your own body chemistry. This was a blind buy that is fabulous.

I mainly get indolic jasmine, oud, and saffron. The oud is pretty tame, surprisingly. Seems to stay close to the skin. Longevity is good. It's not very complex. I was hoping it was going to be more funky. It's not that unique either. I've smelled better jasmine perfumes. There is nothing wrong with it but, people are glazing this way too hard. The retail price is bananas

It truly pains me to write this review, as I adore most Shalini fragrances. But, to my nose, this one smells like something sour spilled on freshly washed laundry that tumbled thru the dryer w/ a floral dryer sheet. The sour note turns fecal in evolution. Omg, this is so bad. Noxious. My brain refuses to accept this as a Shalini elixir. 😑

I will endeavor to provide the kindest review I can: A fecund fecal frenzy. The odor and performance of this designer 'fragrance" is overwhelmingly disappointing ( and I'm left with a flacon of this hot mess). The dry down is the same as first whiff. After 4 days of patience, I must accept that the smell of excrement with a hint of jasmine just makes this product unwearable...unless you are a dung beetle. And at over $1000 on discount, the gimmicky old-school atomizer has a weak and sloppy distribution. This is NOT a luxury scent, unboxing experience or presentation ( although the muted yellow shoestring ribbon and quality of the box are the only positive I can offer about the entire experience). In the way that Salome starts of fecal, but turns into a beautiful and magical scent? This does not!!! I can not stress enough the importance of smelling this thing BEFORE even considering wasting cash on a discovery size of this product. I had to spray 6 sprays from the atomizer to get a decent sample on my hand. Through the entire experience, over several days, the scent remains fecal and literally smells like hands were not washed after toileting. Ok. So I love it. I don’t know what changed. I would t wear it in public, but I love wearing it to bed!

I had the privilege of sampling a vial card of Shalini’s infamous Jardin Nocturne, and it was exactly as I imagined it. I will say for a parfum concentration, this fragrance is quite subdued. After playing with it for a few days, it reveals beautiful facets as it develops on the skin, but it is very standard in the sense that it smells of four notes and those four notes only: Saffron, Jasmine, Oud, and a timid Santal. The Saffron punches you in the face with its bitter, medicinal aroma, but it is fleeting. The Jasmine dominates the woods, giving the already dirty oud an even more subversive quality. It evokes a different feeling smelling it in the air than smelling it up close. In the air, the woods exude a beautiful warmth that is inviting and incense-like, while from up close, the Jasmine seduces you with its erotic aura. It lasts a good four to five hours on my skin; however, there is no trail. Quiet wafts will encapsulate your personal bubble, and that is all you will get from this perfume. It creates a lingering mood perceptible only to those who are close enough to you. I will also state that it is one of the most natural-smelling fragrances; the materials are refined, and Jardin Nocturne smells of that.

With hearth warming notes of jasmin absolute from India, Assam oud, saffron, mysore sandalwood and musk. Jardin Nocturne is inspired by the nighttime air of Dubai. A rich smell that permeates the senses. The high quality jasmin grandiflorum is quite dominant and beautifully reveals its narcotic depth and aura. This form of jasmin has a slight fruitiness to it and indolic quality that reigns. The transition from the indoles to the oud and sandalwood, which lies at very base, is smooth. The oud is not overwhelming to my nose but compliments the jasmine and it adds to its complexity. The scent is poetic and sensual to be worn for a special someone at night.

Do yourself a favor and sample this before committing to a bottle. Very disappointing Jasmine perfume. Oud? Where? Natural? I doubt it. It smells like average Jasmine accords, with a hint of ambery tones, and some synthetic musks. Nothing grand, nothing special, no oud, just a mediocre synthetic-smelling jasmine perfume. I'm perplexed that this perfume gets praised by some questionable reviewers in our community, making me even more weary of them. And I believe the poor souls who purchased this blind, are praising it because their brains cannot comprehend how something so expensive can smell so average and bland.

I'm sure these Shalini fragrances are all lovely and that the company isn't fleecing anyone, but there are literally parts of Africa where you could pay to have a community water well built for less than the retail price of one of these frags. For a few grand I'd expect to have the perfumer make this in my living room and then make me some ambrosia and nectar. Maybe a plate of Charles II's favourite ambergris and eggs. Except I'd be more likely to pay for a well instead.

This is very nice stuff, but pretty basic for the extremely high price, and performance is modest. I feel like the saffron top note is a little too intense, as well, and kind of blocks the Indian oud funky top note (which I happen to love). You can replicate pretty closely layering an Indian oud like Ajmal Al Shams and a jasmine soliflore like Rogue Jasmin Antique for vastly less money.