Crystal Noir

After hating it for years due to its syrupy tanning oil scent, I started craving its tanning lotion woody character as I grew older. I caved in and bought it 2 yrs ago while still living in the States. I recall the original formulation to be less musky sour at the drydown and more decadent, so the peony note must have been tweaked a bit cuz the later drydown is leaning towards the sour ambroxan side and I ain't crazy about that but I adore this scent so I don't care. It's a bit drier tho than what it used to be when I hated it haha. Other than that I adore how creamy woody it is like pencil shavings done right, with its unique tanning lotion vibe. My hate for the dusty stale pencil shavings effect started with Sensuous Nude which has both pink and black pepper and coconut and the coconut acts as an ozonic factor amplifying the dusty peppery effect. So Crystal Noir was the perfume that made me love a slight dusty pencil shavings rewarding my patience with a gorgeous milky sandalwood. As I've said for TF Soleil Blank, the cardamom-coconut pairing does wonders emulating a sweet tanning oil scent. It's not the Carroten tanning oil scent of Happy Spirit by Chopard with the raspberry honeysuckle amber blend or the petitgrain lavender mandarin aquatic tanning lotion scent of Libre and it's not the masculine cardamom lavender tanning lotion scent of Korres Vetiver Root, but it is a unique tanning lotion woody scent in its own league. All of the above scents are iconic to me as much as this one. Crystal Noir Edp is a sister to Montana 80 and I had a love hate relationship with it back in my early 20s, it made me nauseous and had to kiss it goodbye. Crystal Noir is the best rep of the woody league. It has the signature sawdust pencil shavings sandalwood scent that becomes creamy and lactonic as it should be amplified by the gardenia and coconut, paired with the tanning lotion impression. It is slightly dusty by the peppery cardamom and black pepper influence in the opening only, and I'll type here what I said for its distant cousin Completely Santal by The Dua for Santal Complet also featuring coconut, amber, black pepper and sandalwood but it's not like tanning lotion and it's overly dusty. I've realized that much of the dusty or stale elements in sandalwood dominant scents like Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude or Police Rich Girl (a different scent profile) and in Crystal Noir, stem from the pink pepper (mainly) or sometimes black pepper and dry amber pairing rather than the sandalwood itself even though the black pepper and cedar combo for instance in 007 Bond for women isn't dusty at all, so the sandalwood definitely contributes to the dusty effect but peppery accords are the culprit. Just like vetiver can be dusty (or smoky or more creamy and smooth) and influencing the sour unripe fig in scents like KKW Rare Fig to smell dusty woody too. Luckily here the peppery dusty effect doesn't dominate the scent. The lumber yard woody sandalwood is the queen of Crystal Noir EDP. Truly a masterpiece. I want to try the Noir Parfum with the black currant and lactonic caramel orchid. Caramel, vanilla, orchid paired together usually create a marzipan effect with or without coconut as in Vanilla Touch La Rive. Noir Parfum features pink pepper which I'm not crazy about and Akigalawood which has a patch like fresh spice to it as it does in Khamrah.

I blind bought a 90 ml 2020 EDP version second-hand. It was not cheap. I couldn't wait to smell this beauty. Imagine my horror when all I could smell was heavy, heavy sandalwood. Quality sandalwood but still. Not what I expected, and I did not like it whatsoever. So I tucked it away for an entire year and re-tried it tonight: Magic. Alchemy has occurred because Crystal Noir is deliciously good. I now smell the spice, the florals, the sultry loveliness that is this perfume. I both do and do not understand the skanky and/or femme-fatal vibe that is attributed to this fragrance. Having blind bought this and then tried it myself, I realized that I have smelled this on other women and just didn't know it. This perfume - especially if over sprayed and it would not take much at all! - is loud. And loudness is typically associated with aggressive, the sort of girl who flaunts herself: 'I want you to look, take a long, hard steamy gawk.' However, the scent itself is a beautiful spicy, deep, floral with sandalwood and amber. (I do not register coconut; not sure if I'm sad or not.) I think that the quality of this fragrance is such that a spray or two goes a loooong way. Anymore than that and your fragrance is going to be shouting for miles, encroaching on people's airspace and turning heads for good and bad, and that is where Crystal Noir may get her reputation - she's not inherently callous, she is, however, extremely extroverted. Anyone that overdoes Crystal Noir runs the risk of being perceived as pushy/aggressive/man-eater blah blah, etc. because it looks as if you want to be the loudest, most noticeable femme-fatale in the room (and maybe you do! but have mercy on the rest of us). Personally, I love her! I want to marry her! I love that I have finally found a perfume that is delicious and stays. You don't have to spray away all of your (literally) precious mls just hoping for some sillage and that you'll still be able to smell your own perfume an hour from now. I'm delighted I gave her a second try. EDIT: I was wrong, the coconut is very much present in the late drydown and it's so good. A creamy coconut that melds with the musk and it lingers for ever. I truly love this fragrance.

I absolutely adore this fragrance. I only recently bit the bullet after months of testing and analysing the difference of scent journey with the edp, EDT and the recently released parfum. I adore absolutely every single version of this fragrance, but the edp continued to steal my heart. I researched the history, the associations, the individual notes of this perfume and I am just head over heels. it is sexy, creamy, mysterious.. the smell resonates with my favourite colours such as deep purples, dark magentas, lilacs and black. I feel confident, uplifted, witchy, feminine and so ME when I wear this fragrance. as an alternative woman, as well as a Scorpio woman, it's hard to find designer frags which can really capture the essence of feeling othered but still wanting to feel feminine and playful. the longevity and sillage of this for me is absolutely mind-blowing. the first time I skin tested this in a store, I could smell remnants of CN on my wrist for over 72 hours afterward. as a chronic over sprayer of most fragrances, I don't feel it's necessary with this one and I hope it lasts me as long as possible. I'm fairly new to my fragrance journey and as I'm only 25, I didn't experience the first formulation of CN so can't speak on the lack of coconut note in recent formulations - however the gardenia and sandalwood reflect a significant creamy asset to this fragrance either way. could easily be headache inducing for some if over sprayed, and definitely isn't suitable for those who enjoy fresher and lighter scents. there is a deepness to this fragrance which could be received as "heavy" and "dark".. but that's exactly what I adore about it. suitable for all year round in my opinion, depending on how much and where you apply. a new signature fragrance for me 100%.

A review from a guy. This stuff is intoxicating and my favorite woman's fragrance ever. There, I could stop right now but let me elaborate a little bit. Crystal noir is above all goddamn sensual, it's smooth, it's intimate and it feels like a modern perfume while avoiding all the heavy stuff that instantly makes a girl 20 years older scent-wise. That creamy but upscale coconut vibe on top of the sandalwood is to die for. My first experience with this fragrance was when taking a flight from Delhi to Coimbatore and this exotic beautiful flight attendant was running up and down the plane to assist people with their peanuts (hehe). I was reading a book during the flight but every time she passed by I was like ... daaaaammmn, this smells so good. Normally I don't do chitchat with flight attendants as I find that really cheesy but my curiosity was killing me. So I went up to air hostess and 5 mins later I got the name of the fragrance and paid her a compliment on having good taste. I had far worse flight experiences. Anyway, back in Europe it's needless to say that I went to the first duty free shop and bought a nice bottle (EDP) of Crystal Noir for my girlfriend.Happy to report it's even more beautiful on my girlfriend! I'm not familiar with female fragrances but I've never smelled it before so to my nose it was quite unique. To be honest, I even want to wear this myself, it's that good. Ladies, get this. Or maybe not because strangers will run you down in the street asking weird questions. 9/10

with the very first spritz, grains of black pepper and sharp ginger strike sparks upon your skin. this opening is misty, distant, and proud like a match suddenly struck in the dark. soon, the waves settle, and the fragrance sinks into a deep silence. warm, dark coconut milk poured over black silk intertwines with the luxurious, soapy purity of snow-white gardenia petals. your skin falls into the creamy slumber of a dark flower. as hours fade, only the warm memory of the night remains. amber and woody notes melt with your skin’s own warmth, turning into a powdery, shadowy, and mesmerizing whisper. it is like the final echo of a finished song lingering in the room. a night poem written with black spices by a white flower washed in the moonlight. i think the woman who uses this perfume is gliding like a riddle through the dim room in the folds of her black silk dress, who carries the night upon her skin leaves behind an unforgettable poem of white flowers washed in moonlight and mystic spices. Her steps are distant, her gaze as deep as the final stanza of a cryptic song, for she is an enchanted soul living not in the noise of the crowd, but in the noble elegance of her own darkness.