Laudano Nero

Laudano Nero marks my return after a short break, with time away on vacation putting a pause on reviews, and it feels fitting to step back in with something this dark and mysterious. From the house of Tiziana Terenzi, this is a fragrance built around smoke, resins, ash, and shadow, unapologetically dense and atmospheric from the outset. There is nothing light or casual about its construction. Laudano Nero feels ritualistic and nocturnal, leaning into incense, tobacco, and warmth with a heaviness that feels intentional rather than excessive. It reads less like a moment of escape and more like a descent, immersive and unrelenting in the way it unfolds. Let’s step back into the wearing experience and see how this smoldering darkness begins to settle once it meets skin. Opening: The opening is smoky, woody, and balsamic. The primary notes I get are incense, oud, tobacco, and amber, with incense and oud leading the way. Incense is the first to announce itself, coming across as dark, smoky, and resinous, with a slow smoldering quality rather than anything sharp or church-like. It smells like incense that has already been burning for some time, where the smoke hangs thick in the air and the resins have melted into something deep and shadowed. There is no brightness or lift here, only a heavy, slightly ashy presence that immediately establishes the fragrance’s brooding character. Oud follows closely, presenting itself as dark, woody, and quietly animalic without ever becoming abrasive or barnyard-heavy. It feels earthy and damp, almost soil-like, with a worn, aged quality that suggests old wood soaked in time rather than sharp medicinal wood. Tobacco then enters as a dark, warm, richly aromatic accord, more cured leaf than smoke, dense and comforting in a serious, cigar-like way. Its subtle sweetness feels inherent to the leaf rather than added, giving it a warmth without tipping into anything plush or gourmand. Amber rounds out the opening as a dark, dense, resinous presence, thick and slightly sticky, adding immediate weight and atmosphere. Its sweetness is subdued and shadowed, reading balsamic rather than smooth or glowing, reinforcing the nocturnal tone. Faint traces of boozy sweetness from the cognac sit quietly in the background, never overtaking the darker elements. Dry Down: The dry down is smoky, balsamic, and mineralic. The primary notes I get are incense, ash, slate, and labdanum, with incense and ash taking center stage. As the fragrance settles, the incense sharpens noticeably compared to the opening, becoming more piercing and commanding in the way it meets the nose. Ash blends into it as a dry, powdery, unmistakably smoky accord that evokes cooled embers rather than active fire. It smells charred and dusty, with a faint bitterness that feels spent and mineralic, like the remnants left behind once something has already burned. There is no warmth or sweetness here, only a stark, desolate texture that deepens the fragrance’s darkness. Slate follows with a cool, dry, distinctly mineralic presence, adding a stony, tactile quality that feels grounding and austere, like crushed rock or cold stone rather than anything metallic. It introduces a sense of stillness and weight that reinforces the somber tone of the composition. Finally, labdanum emerges beneath it all as a dark, resinous, subtly leathery note, thick and balsamic with a warm, slightly animalic undertone. Its faint smokiness blends seamlessly with the incense and ash, amplifying the fragrance’s ritualistic, almost oppressive atmosphere. The result is an intense, uncompromising dry down, slightly reminiscent of fragrances like Nasomatto's Black Afgano, that fully commits to darkness and gravity. Performance: In the first hour, projection is extremely strong and easily capable of filling a room, immediately announcing its presence. Sillage matches that intensity with a dense, heavy scent trail that lingers confidently. Over the next few hours, both projection and scent trail remain impressively consistent, showing very little drop off from their initial strength. Even at the seven to eight hour mark, projection is still reaching 5-6 feet and the trail remains clearly noticeable. It does not finally settle closer to the skin until around the twelve hour point. Taken as a whole, Laudano Nero delivers exceptional projection and longevity, firmly placing it among the strongest performers I have worn recently. When to Wear: Laudano Nero is best suited for fall and winter evenings, where its density and darkness feel intentional rather than overwhelming. It excels in formal or special occasion settings, where its weight, seriousness, and ritualistic character can be fully appreciated. This is a fragrance that commands attention and carries authority, making it well suited for environments that call for presence and drama. That same intensity, however, makes it a poor choice for casual wear, where it would feel out of place, and entirely unsuitable for office settings, where its power and heaviness would be far too much. Blind Buy: Laudano Nero is not a safe blind buy. This is a fragrance built around heavy smoke, resins, ash, and darkness, and that profile alone will be challenging for many people. It makes no attempt to soften its edges or appeal to a wide audience, instead fully committing to a bracing, smoke-forward identity. Sampling is strongly recommended, as this is the kind of fragrance that demands skin time to determine whether its intensity feels compelling or simply overwhelming. Final Verdict: Laudano Nero wears exactly like its name suggests. Inspired by laudanum, the historic opium tincture, and reinforced by the word “nero,” translating from Italian to "black", this fragrance embraces intoxication, ritual, smoke, and shadow without restraint. On skin, it is dense, heavy, and aggressive, unapologetic in both its scent profile and its performance. This is not a fragrance made for mass appeal, but one designed for enthusiasts who appreciate intensity and are comfortable wearing something confrontational. Its strength alone pushes it into that beast mode territory many people chase, but here it feels purposeful rather than gratuitous. While it is not something I would reach for often, it leaves a strong impression and fills a very specific role in a collection. For that reason, Laudano Nero earns a place on my shelf, even if it is reserved for moments when only something dark, oppressive, and uncompromising will do. Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 9/10 Sillage: 10/10 Versatility: Average Compliment Factor: Low Gender: Unisex, leaning masculine Value: Fair

Tiziana Terenzi Laudano Nero opens with a strong projection of boozy, tobacco, spicy, sweet, and dark woody notes. The opening is great, the combination and potency of the notes are excellent. The cognac is a prominent note, but it is not alone, the tobacco is also noticeable and it has a dark and bold tone. The wormwood, rosemary, and myrtle add their green, slightly floral and aromatic tones but enhance the opening rather than lead it. The amber joins with the tobacco adding a woody resinous accord. From the heart notes, the ash is the most noticeable accord, evocative of burn dry wood which joins with the incense from the base that is becoming prominent adding a dark and very smoky accord. The honey is another noticeable accord, and its sweet notes soften the dark fragrance. As the fragrance transitions to the base notes, some of the green accords subside as the base notes come up. The camphor and vetiver add their green and herbaceous tone, more herbaceous than green; the oud makes the woods accord very clear, it feels dark and dry. Once Tiziana Terenzi Laudano Nero has reached its full dry-down, it can be summarized as a complex, strong projection, incense, boozy, dark wood, tobacco, and ambery fragrance with sweet aromatic, spicy, and soft floral accords. The fragrance feels bold, commanding, dark, dry, elegant, exotic, formal, herbaceous, imposing, masculine, mature, modern, natural, nocturnal, resinous, rich, smoky, mildly sweet, warm, woody, and very pleasant. BATCH REVIEWED: 2020 WOW RATING: 10/10. Laudano Nero is a complex and very impressive fragrance. DISLIKE RATING: Although the honey sweetens the fragrance, notes such as incense, cognac, and oud may be unpleasant to some people. UNIQUENESS: 10/10. This is unique and easy to recognize fragrance. MASS APPEAL: 5/10. The honey and vanilla will help in bringing this fragrance to the crowds, yet, it is not the most mass-appeal fragrance. PROJECTION: 4/10. Very good, about 4 feet around the wearer. SILLAGE: 6/10. Excellent, about 6 feet around the wearer. APPLICATION: Two to four atomizations for indoor or outdoor wear, respectively. LONGEVITY: 5/10. Very good, about 5 hours with consistent good projection. SEASONS: Winter, fall, colder nights, climate-controlled environments. OCCASIONS: Formal events, outdoor gatherings, business, casual, holidays, romantic, dating, clubbing. In moderation, this is an office-friendly fragrance. VERSATILITY: 6/10. Very good to be a dark fragrance, the honey and vanilla make it more pleasurable. GENDER: Masculine. Its main tones, incense, cognac, tobacco, oud, lean the fragrance to the masculine side. AGES: 30 and above. RECOMMENDATION: Tiziana Terenzi Laudano Nero can be found discounted for about $100. Its complex, versatile, unique, and very masculine tones make it a great buy. BLIND-BUY: No, sample it first. SIMILAR: The following are examples of fragrances in the same genre. John Varvatos Dark Rebel is a wearable woody, leathery, tobacco, spices, and boozy fragrance; Azzaro Pour Homme Intense EDP features cinnamon, brandy, tonka, a great and affordable fragrance; Amouage Sunshine Man EDP brings brandy, orange, and woods but lack performance; Bvlgari Man in Black features boozy, leather, tobacco and spicy accords, a great scent; Azzaro Wanted by Night Men EDP blends sweet fruits, tobacco, incense, and spices, a great one; Carolina Herrera CH Prive blends whiskey, spices and leather accords; Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille is a delicious, spicy, rum, woody and sweet fragrance; Dior Feve Delicieuse by Christian Dior – La Collection Privé is one of the best gourmands/boozy fragrances in the market, pricy but good; Dua Fragrances – Beauteous Delight is the clone of Dior Feve Delicieuse, and it is a good clone; Kilian Black Phantom EDP features delicious coffee, rum, caramel, and dark chocolate; Kilian Black Phantom EDP contains citrus, cinnamon, and sweet notes; Parfums De Marly Oajan EDP is slightly boozy, sweet and spicy; Tiziana Terenzi Laudano Nero blends cognac, oud, tobacco and incense creating a great fragrance. SUMMARY: A complex, strong projection, incense, boozy, dark wood, tobacco, and ambery fragrance with sweet aromatic, spicy, and soft floral accords. The fragrance feels bold, commanding, dark, dry, elegant, exotic, formal, herbaceous, imposing, masculine, mature, modern, natural, nocturnal, resinous, rich, smoky, mildly sweet, warm, woody, and very pleasant.

An Art House Acclaim! --- Laudano Nero is very intense, masculine, refine, and complex (I am a little biased because this is one of my all-time favorite fragrances, been wearing it for years). Not a true nocturnal fragrance, it has a sanctuary feel (it’s a little warmer than one would think) but a fragrance you wear to a nocturnal event. --- The EDP pretty much opens up in this amber driven DNA with a boozy-woody-spicy syrup drip backed by Latakia tobacco: imagine a wooden log of sandalwood dropped into a thick pool of absinthe/cognac for days and then brought out and put over a cauldron of burning cigars with spices thrown over it. --- After about 5-10 minutes the myrtle and earthy notes start to creep in and then you get to the heart of the fragrance where the red rose (the intense and seductive feel), ash (the dry and cold touch), and slate (the fantasy and modern twist) take over and your pushed deep into the chapters of this heavy written novel. --- Eventually at the base to polish things up I get a lot of masculine breezes from the incense, oud, mush, cashmere and vetiver which framed the fragrance a bit clean and for men. Overall, I would say there is more popup notes then dominate ones and thus why I consider it very complex. --- I know Tiziana Terenzi pitches the fragrance as a bohemian French elixir to be celebrated in the rainy autumn days of Paris painted under a Renoir canvas. But to me this smells like a requiem at a Victorian Gothic catacomb or an old ornate library in a dark castle (think American Werewolf in Paris the cemetery scene, 90’s The Crow, or Bram Stoker’s Dracula). --- Pretty much this is a night/winter fragrance for a cool event (rock concert, night club, evening dinner party wearing darker colors and a leather jacket) when you want to be more edgy and artsy while staying masculine, mature, and seductive. --- I would say it’s one issue is the opening does tend to a be little much with the heavy dose of booze and cigar combined with the very warm amber tone and spices, I can see why some people might find it overwhelming, but the dry down makes up for it (you are not paying for the opening with this fragrance, it’s all about the dry down and base). I would also argue this is not a gourmand (I can’t find any food notes in it). --- Similar fragrance is D&G The One EDP, but Laudano Nero is the intense older brother. Standout notes: absinthe, cognac, tobacco, red rose, incense, ash, agarwood (oud), amber, sandalwood, vetiver, musk and slate. Do not overspray (2-3 sprays is enough). --- A masterpiece of niche art house if you want something darker

To create a composition as structured and layered as Laudano Nero requires an intricate understanding of raw materials, something the Terenzi family, with their long history in candlemaking, appears to possess. While the brand’s reputation may be tainted for some by its more commercially successful, but perhaps less nuanced, creations like "Kirkè (Extrait de Parfum) | Tiziana Terenzi", Laudano Nero stands out... and I suspect that there will be a few more in their catalogue, which I will need to sniff soon! Laudano Nero opens with a dark and boozy accord of absinthe and cognac, warmed by a smoky/leafy tobacco. This initial burst is complex, and you may need a few wears to understand what is effectively happening. After 1 hour or so, the scent evolves into a strong note of ash and a dry slate accord emerge, creating a rather unique stony texture. This is balanced by a subtle sweetness from acacia honey and a touch of rose, which adds a velvety quality without becoming overtly floral. As the fragrance settles, a rich resinous base reveals itself. Incense, labdanum, and a woody oud provide a deep foundation, while oak and vetiver contribute an earthy, grounded quality. The overall profile is an oriental spicy fragrance that has almost a "gothic feel". I usually avoid associations, as they may be very personal... but on this occasion I can make an exception. Laudano Nero evokes a feeling of walking through a dimly lit, historic street on a rainy autumn night, with the scent of wet stone, old wood, and embers in the air. This is a perfect fragrance for autumnal weather. Considering its composition's complexity and maturity, exceptional longevity (12+ hours on skin, 24+ hours on clothes) and strong projection, Laudano Nero is nothing short of an olfactory piece of art, a dark masterpiece.

A Hidden Gem: Laudano Nero's Alluring Mystery After discovering Red Mancera, I need more tobacco-based perfumes, leading me to a recent blind purchase Laudano Nero. The fact that I snagged it at a sale price of $92 only added to my excitement, and I anticipated its arrival. Upon my first spray, I was immediately hit by a powerful oud note, a surprise that caught me off guard. I had initially mistaken it for amber, but it wasn't until I revisited my MFK Oud Silk Mood that the distinct oud aroma became evident. It's worth noting that this fragrance can be quite intense upon the initial application, and it's advisable to tread lightly if you're in the company of those who might not be ready for its boldness. What makes Laudano Nero truly remarkable is the way it ties the lingering scent of cognac with tobacco, ash, and honey. This combination creates a fragrance that is nothing short of stunning. The scent unfolds in waves, with different smells captivating different individuals. Some pick out the rich cognac, others the deep tobacco, while the oud remains an enigmatic mystery to many. Laudano Nero commands attention, yet it also shrouds itself in a dark and alluring mystique. This fragrance is intriguing, to say the least. Similar to my experiences with Red Mancera and Oud Satin Mood, Laudano Nero has grown on me, and I have developed a deep affection for it. It possesses an addictive quality, or perhaps it simply lingers on your clothes, as the scent still dances in my memory as I write this review. In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend Laudano Nero to anyone who seeks something captivating. Its ability to demand attention while retaining an air of mysterious darkness makes it a true gem in the world of fragrances.