Dans la Nuit

I sampled Splendiris (Dusita) the other day and it reminded me so much of Dans la Nuit that I had to come and put my 5 cents in. A friend of mine used this in the 80’s and - as I always raved about it when she wore it - ended up giving her bottle to me (oh my God that stunning blue bottle!!). Funny enough, as much as I liked it on her, I could never decide if I liked the actual fragrance....it combined the most effervescent aldehydic top with a slick, metallic iris, dewy violets, waxy ylang and jasmine, candied flower petals and just enough skank (civet) to tie it all together. It was also laced with something incredibly sweet, but not in the fluffy, comforting, gourmand way as we like now. The sweetness was more electric and fluorescent, it crackled like neon light. This must have smelled so modern when it came out in the 20’s! I don’t remember it as being particularly romantic at all. To me, it didn’t speak of exotic gardens under the moonlight. It was a world in itself. Light and dark at the same time, both floral and electric, both austere and way, way too much.......but forever enigmatic.

I have some bottles of both the original formulation (EDT) and the new (parfum). Both are quite lovely initially, but the new version falls flat after just a few minutes. To me, the vintage Dans la Nuit has a Worth 'signature' that I can also smell in vintage Je Reviens. I can imagine someone wearing Je Reviens by day and then topping up with Dans la Nuit for the evening. Unlike Je Reviens, Dans la Nuit is not heavy on the aldehydes and salicylates, therefore it is less 'powdery'. I don't notice the woody or oriental aspects that other reviewers here mention. To me, Dans la Nuit is a sweet, rich floral with its sweetness possibly provided by prominent jasmine and ylang-ylang notes. In my opinion, two similar modern fragrances are Il Bacio by Borghese and Vivid by Liz Claiborne.

Dans la Nuit feels romantic. It seems to unfurl like a night-blooming blossom under the light of the moon, warm air and a cool breeze. The aldehydes twinkle rather than beam, the violet, carnation and muguet in the bouquet glint like labradorite. The iris is powdery and hazy. The woods are "lovely, dark, and deep." If L'Heure Bleue is a crepuscular reflection, Dans la Nuit is a midnight tryst. It's gripping and urgent, whispering "hold me tighter," it's meant for a cheek-to-cheek rendezvous, long before the age of swipe right-swipe left: one had to swipe a curtain and get a sneak peak of ecstasy in a speakeasy where a come hither finger matches the rhythm of a glistening finger wave coiffure. Recommended wearing accompaniment for viewing Bright Lights.

Dans La Nuit was actually first launched in 1924, relaunched in 1985 and then again in 2000. It is a Woody Oriental and one of a kind. Just an incredible perfume. It conjures images of dancing beneath the stars at midnight in a luxurious garden. I had it many years ago and have spent years trying to find it again.

smells like drinking a hot toddy in a rose garden at night, then dries into a lovely warm powder