Noir de Noir

NOIR SLEEPING BEAUTY Noir perfumes exude sophistication and seduction. The colour black symbolizes mystery and mysticism. It absorbs all spectral colours and leaves no room for light. It's the ultimate colour for a classic sleeping beauty. Black perfumes have a mysterious nature, awakening our senses and increasing the anticipation of what's to come. Noir de Noir is an inky black night of darkness. We know the night is made for fun, and so does this scent. It has the power to take you to the dark side. Once you feel its seductive darkness and the veil of mystery, you can never go back. For me, this is one of Tom Ford's best fragrances. I use it a lot and consider this perfume unisex. "Noir de Noir by Tom Ford is a very well-blended floral and spicy oriental fragrance ... and quite black. I still don't know whether to call it a dark or semi-dark scent. It can be semi-dark because it gives you some faint colours when showcasing its subtle floral tones. But it is also pitch dark when it fills you with its sombre black tones. This blackness completely outlines this perfume and its evolution. It just seems perfect the way it is. The perfume opening is very smooth like someone slowly approaching with slippers on. Soft and intimate saffron begins this fragrance journey, a bit leathery and bittersweet. This note persists for a while, but the fragrance development surprises us with a powerful, dark, and enduring rose that lasts for almost the entire life of the fragrance. The rose note gives you nuances of powderiness and gloomy woods. It's a dark, dirty, and woody special rose... a wonderful rose! I am not a big fan of rose scents, but I really like this composition. Presumably, due to the heart truffle note, the dark rose scent is underlined with musky, earthy, and sharp accords. The base sets a peaceful oud frame with earthy patchouli and slightly sweet vanilla, while the dark, sombre rose lingers for quite a while. The agarwood note is not all that noticeable and plays a background role in the shadowy development of the fragrance. Over time, the dry-down becomes sweeter and more powdery. "Noir de Noir" gives a strong impression of class and sophistication. It has above-average longevity, but only average projection. It's probably correct for this upscale fragrance. Excessive projection could be distracting or even annoying. I have a weak heart for these types of obscure scents and find them very alluring. However, the world is not perfect and not everyone likes this scent. It probably has as many haters as it has lovers. Many people reject the subtly overlapping shadow that is present in all phases of this fragrance. After all, "cést un parfum noir de noir" (it is a black made of black perfume). The only concern is the price! I can only call it quite expensive if there is a very well-mixed similar fragrance. It's "Club de Nuit Intense Woman" by Armaf and it costs 15% of the Noir de Noir price. Let's make my "Noir de Noir" opinion clear with ratings: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Opening: 10.0 (saffron and black rose; amazing) DryDown: 10.0 (earthy patchouli, a little vanilla sweetness, and fine oud in the background; perfect) Longevity: 9.0 (3 sprays can last 10 hours) Sillage: 8.0 (up to 6 feet, and 2 hours of projection with 3 sprays) Exclusivity: 9.5 (an almost unique perfume) Portability: 7.5 (avoid warm or hot weather) Versatility: 7.5 (Perfect for an evening or a formal occasion. Very good for intimacy and leisure. A little too strong for the office. Avoid any kind of sweaty situation) Praise: 8.5 (It's a compliment magnet for any dark fragrance lover) Quality: 9.5 (high-quality ingredients, solid bottle, good atomizer) Presentation: 8.0 (the traditional Tom Ford Private Line bottle) Price: 7.0 (the 100 ml tester cost me 115 € on sale in a web retailer; the standard price is $ 250.00) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Overall grade: 8.59 / 10.00 - between 7 and 8 = above average; - between 8 and 9 = recommended; - greater than 9 = don't miss it; My opinion: A bottle filled with charm and seduction, pleasing both genders. Don't buy it blindly. It's too expensive so give it a try first. Music: Deep Purple - Black Night

I didn’t expect to fall for Noir de Noir this much. I thought I knew what a dark, rich Tom Ford scent would smell like: sultry, maybe a little predictable in the typical "Private Blend" kind of way. But this is something else entirely: moody, haunting, and nothing short of mesmerizing. The rose in this isn’t overly delicate or syrupy. This is a deep, brooding, and very gothic rose. The chocolatey patchouli immediately wraps around it like a curtain, giving the rose weight without suffocating it. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, the truffle and oud creep in with a subtle dirtiness that keeps the whole thing mysterious and honestly a little dangerous, but still luxurious as hell. This isn’t the kind of fragrance you wear mindlessly. It’s dramatic, unapologetic, and fully aware of its impact. You shouldn’t be reaching for this to blend in. It’s undeniably intense, yet never overwhelming. Sweet, but not in a gourmand sense, floral, but far from delicate. It walks a fine line between elegance and seduction, and it’s that balance that makes it truly compelling. By the time it settles, the rose and vanilla melt into a dark, resinous base. The patchouli stays strong and warm, and the sweetness turns more creamy and addictive over time. I catch whiffs of it hours later and still get that little spark of surprise, like yep, this is still going. The last thing you smell before it fades completely is vanilla, a little bit of patchouli, and a very subtle oud. Performance is fantastic. I easily get 12+ hours on skin, with strong projection for the first few, then it turns into a thick, intimate cloud that stays close but seems like it’ll never disappear. It's a fall and winter staple, but you could get away with wearing this on spring nights as well. This isn’t just my favorite Tom Ford fragrance. It’s one of my favorite fragrances of all time. Everything about it feels deliberate, from the way the rose and patchouli are layered, to how it evolves on skin. It’s a reminder that bold compositions can still be incredibly refined and evocative. Noir de Noir isn’t for everyone, but I think that’s exactly the point. You don’t wear this to chase compliments or fit into a crowd. You wear it because it speaks your language before you even say a word. It’s moody, magnetic, and built with the kind of power and elegance that doesn’t need to prove itself. There’s something undeniably special about a fragrance that can be this bold, this romantic, and still feel like it was made just for you. Scent (on skin): 9/10 Scent (sillage): 9/10 Projection: 7.5/10 Longevity: 9/10 Value: 4/10 Originality: 7/10 Mass appeal: 6/10 Versatility: 5/10

A long time ago in a previous career I had a managing director whose husband sent her a Valentine while at the office. They were wealthy, and the Valentine's gift certainly didn't hide it. It was delivered by special courier on dry ice, and inside this package was a "bouquet of twelve rose buds" in a bright red box with a hand-tied white silk bow. The rose buds were actually handmade dark chocolates infused with a rose extract. They were gorgeously intricate, the smell of the rose coming off of the chocolate was photorealistic and divine, and the dark chocolate was hand roasted and blended to the artisan's specifications from beans from a private farmer the firm worked with in some part of the world - or something like that - and it smelled exquisite. She shared it with me and her other managers, and I remembered thinking it was probably the best chocolate I've ever had in my mouth and likely still so to this day. Noir de Noir makes me think of a lot of things, but I somehow always end up coming back to that memory of decadent rose dark chocolate and Valentine's Day. Noir de Noir means to be decadent, just like that Valentine's gift, and the opening boldly announces this intention. A hay and floral saffron note and a slightly-garlicky and earthy mushroom black truffle note adorn a rose accord. Saffron and truffle are signals of luxury, both being worth more than most precious metals by weight, and to place them with a rose accord - which seems to be Damask, I believe - is excess luxury piled on top of excess luxury. The rose is pink, warm and a bit honeyed but also a touch green-fruity, yet the cast of characters around it seem to drive its pinkish hue to the color of wine. Almost immediately a chocolate accord begins to make an appearance, the blooming of a sweet and earthy patchouli and vanilla combo. The saffron and the truffle leave first, allowing the rose and the chocolate-patchouli to seduce and flirt for quite a long time after, before the perfume settles into a dark-woods, patchouli, and a bit of moss at the skin scent. There are some words I've already said that I'm going to repeat: excess; luxury; decadence; exquisite; wealth. There is so much of that character to Noir de Noir that it trips over itself and falls into the realms of guilty pleasures, sex, and the like. Yes, it's a bit sweet, but it's not that sweet; yes, it's gourmand, but it's not really a gourmand; yes, it's a rose patchouli, but it's not personified by going outside the bounds of the unisex category. It's a lot, and it means to be a lot, but you never mind. It is without a doubt my favorite of the Private Blend collection.

Pure opulence. Dark and mysterious fragrance. Very classy and elegant scent DNA that is very well constructed extremely smooth and an example of great perfumery as this is the fragrance that truly started this genre. Better suited to evening and formal occasions. Built around intense truffle, smoky patchouli and dark chocolate giving this fragrance a very earthy and unique scent profile that smells divine blended with a lot of rose punchy warm saffron and a sweet slightly powdery vanilla to balance this fragrance and really compliment and accentuate the earthy core well making an incredible aroma that smells indulgent and sophisticated making this fragrance much more palatable and rounding off the more intense notes-the vanilla is warm and sweet but not too much. Saffron gives this lift and effervescence. Some warm ambers in there aswell to provide the fragrance with a deep resinous feel which is not strong but noticeable adding nice complexity to this formulation. Sweet vanilla and bitter earthy notes blended to perfection, intense yet smooth. The element of mystery makes this fragrance extremely alluring and intriguing yet without being unappealing. Extremely complicated and well composed by the perfumer extremely precise every note balanced and layered well and of the highest standard is what makes this fragrance much high quality than competition whilst not worth the full retail currently at £220 for 50 ml and £295 for 100ml at discounter this is a no brainer an absolute staple for unique deeper special occasion fragrances. Can pick this up for £150 for 50ml and around £230 for 100ml. Strong projection that isn’t too strong or annoying as this fragrance is so smooth it can be powerful yet soft with a wonderful sillage trail that lingers. Great longevity around 10hours on skin and a day on clothes. Overall one of the best fragrances Tom ford had ever produced and a great introduction for those looking for a more unique complicated scent profile compared to mainstream fragrance and also great tho those experienced collectors who want to add to their collection pure class but get your nose on it first as not a safe blind but however more mass appealing than many fragrances. Unisex slightly leaning masculine smells wonderful dressed up. Wear this on a date and thank me later. 9/10

I discovered Noir de Noir the same day I discovered the TF Private Blend line, back in 2007. A sales associate had me smell it, touting that it was a unisex rose, and I was immediately smitten by its dark burgundy velvet petal rose, conjuring up red wine and blood, thorns, dark, shadowy earth and chocolate-cake-patchouli sensuality. This was early on in my exploration of fragrances beyond just the one or two here and there to wear in heavy rotation. I was thrilled with all of these new discoveries, and was more than happy to use my credit card to have them in my possession. Noir de Noir made me feel like I was really treating myself to a luxury (my first knowledge of Serge Lutens, Frederic Malle, and Creed would be just around the corner). It would be the scent I would often where while DJing, when I was younger, leaner, and always randy. "You smell so good" never felt so authentic as when heard from someone approaching me behind the booth to flirt. To be not quite 30 felt like I had so much ahead of me, and the attention seemed like it would never end. Over time, life happens, often in the form of detours—changing attitudes, changing health, grief and heartbreak. I would retire from DJing and discover the hobby of perfume-making by 2014, which started with exclusively natural perfumery. I'd convince myself that everything I had was too synthetic and not "artful" enough and would sell a whole lot from my collection, include the bottle of Noir de Noir I had at the time (forget about all the now long-discontinued Creeds that, regretfully, were just too easy for me to let go!). Fast forward ten years, and I have long since embraced classic perfumery with its amalgam of natural and synthetic, reignited my love for fragrances tenfold, and now and then, I've sniffed Noir de Noir at the perfume counter to reignite those memories. It's another one that I've not been compelled to replenish as with many that were worn habitually in my past. I also heard and read time and again that it now lacks the depth that it had the first few years it was in production. It will always, however, be fondly remembered as one of the scents that bookended my salad days.