An early Autumn stroll in an amazing fragrance

 

Picture: Royal Castle Ulriksdal ca 1638-45
Photo: Parfumista (c)

This weekend there was sunny weather and with summertempratures. Perfect for a walk combined with capturing the first impressions of a  wonderful perfume. This perfume seems to be created for a royal but at the same time it's somehow relaxing in its performance. 

Picture: The Victoria Tower on the horizon, contemporary
 architecture dedicated to the Crownprincess of Sweden
 Photo: Parfumista (c)

If this multifaceted perfume had a color, it is definitly blue as in the pictures from my walk. The texture is like a dense fluid, as if clean water could be dense like flowing, thick silk. Even though the fluid impression, this perfume is also somehow dry in its texture. 

Picture:  Reminds me of the texture of
the amazing fragrance I was wearing during the walk...
Photo: Parfumista (c)

 

The excellent ingredients of the perfume are combined in different layers and in a a way that gives new experiences with each wearing. Yesterday during the walk the clean fluid character with a smooth patchouli, oakmoss and orris (?) was the dominating impression, today the performance was more on the dry side and  for a moment I could smell a  soft exquisite leathernote in the dry down. 

So much is going on in this beautiful fragrance, it's like a fragrancejourney in itself.  Of course it requires  more evaluation  and  I'm planning to continue with a "proper review" later this autumn. 

Last but not least, Which one is this Master Parfume? Thank you Puredistance for the opportunity to try Nathalie Feisthauer's PUREDISTANCE NO.12

Picture: Puredistance no.12 in its beautiful
blue flacon
photo: puredistance (c)

Kerosene – Fields of Rubus

Picture: The 'Barnet' raspberry, a hand-coloured engraving after a drawing by Augusta Innes Withers (1792-1869),
from the first volume of John Lindley's Pomological Magazine (1827-1828), Wikimedia commons.

The Kerosene Fields of Rubus starts with a great deja-vú when it comes to me: I smell the great, robust and almost dusty, Patchouli Antique by Les Néréides. The patchoulinote dominates the topnote but after a while, step by step, a jammy, berry, note is sneaking into the blend, rounding up the almost harsh patchouli. Another moment later, the berrynote developes and shows to be the note of fresh picked raspberrys, for a while the smell of raspberry smells very true. Maybe the applenote mentioned among the notes contributes to the sparkle of the raspberry, I can’t smell it like a separate part, but I somehow can image it in this stage. After a while the jam is there again and Fields of Rubus becomes sweeter and similar to a raspberry, jam, vanillic, dessert with cream. As the fragrance developes the patchouli withdraws and becomes a player in the backgrund. The patchouli contributes to the dark facets in the base of Fields of Rubus, smoothed by the vanilla and musk that together with a light woody note, balances the though patchoulinote.

Before sampling, reading from the notelist and sniffing the outside of the sample vial, I had a great hope that Fields of Rubus would be as awesome as the ambery Copper Skies my favourite from the Kerosene line, but it turned out to be a good but not stunning fragrance when worn by me. Fields of Rubus starts interesting with the robust Patchouli Antique like accord and the sparkling raspberry that occurs after a while. But as FoR dries down it somehow loses some of its identity and ends up as an ok but not special scent. I wish Fields of Rubus would have developed in the opposite way, ie that the topnotes would form the base and vice versa.

Fields of Rubus is a fragrance suitable for autumn and winter as it creates a comfortable and sweet, delicious mood for the wearer. The sillage is medium and the longevity is good.

Rating: 3

Notes: Raspberry, plum, apple, tobacco wood, musk, vanilla, sandalwood, cedar, patchouli

Thanks to Fragrantfanatic  (Riktig Parfym) for the sample of Field of Rubus to test

Love Chanel - A side by side test of two Chanels

In my mind, I have thought of the Jaques Polge (former house pefumer of Chanel) creations Allure Sensuelle Edp (launched in 2005) and Coco Mademoiselle Edp (launched in 2001) as quite similar, always thinking of the other when wearing the other one. As I have to get clarity in this mystery, I've at last compared them side by side. Below my thoughts:

The similarity between the two is that they are on the same level of radiation, on the same stage on the fragrance notescale, both are somewhere between bright than dark even if containing heavy notes and accords. And of course, the elegant Chanel interpretation of patchouli is the core ingredient in both fragrances.

Picture: Chanel Allure Sensuelle Edp
Photo: PR Chanel (c)

Allure Sensuelle starts with radiant notes of spices and resins with an ambery, patchouli character. The texture is balsamic and almost like sweet rubber, I can imagine of a pink chewinggum. There are also glimpses of something resembeling menthol or nailpolish in Allure Sensuelle. The spicy notes are strict, well mannared and have an almost cold quality.  The ambery, spicy patchouli are accompanied with discrete flowers and dried fruits, everything very balanced and well behaved. When coming to Chanel oriental fragrances, the chilly, balanced and behaved  floral oriental  Allure Sensuelle contrasts to the warm, spicy and bombastic spicy oriental Coco (launched 1984). Compared to Coco Mademoiselle, Allure Sensuelle is sweeter and  more polished. It also feels more complicated, with some strange twists which gives the fragrance an overall more interesting drydown than Coco Mad.

Picture: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Edp
Photo: PR Chanel (c)

Coco Mademoiselle starts with a contrasting orange/citrus and patchouli accord with elegant touches of bergamot. The heart of Coco Mad is classic florals interpreted in a clean, scaled down, contemporary way, there is no traces of a romantic floral bouquet or rural flower meadows. Coco Mad is a fragrance for urban life, a fragance which mingles well with asphalt and exhaust. The flowery heart is accompained by a musky patchouli, instead of the ambery patchouli in Allure Sensuelle, wrapped in light balsamic notes. The base of Coco Mad is the gold standard for the contemporary so called chypre, where patchouli blends became a different alternative to the banned oakmoss. Not in smelling the same, but to create a similar feeling. Compared to Allure Sensuelle, I find Coco Mad as lauder and more straight forward in its development, there are not the weired twists as in Allure Sensuelle. The patchouli is also more outstanding as single note in the basenotes of Coco Mad, in Allure Sensuelle the patch is more integrated with the amber and spices in the basenotes.

To summon up; two great classics where definitly Allure Sensuelle deserves more attention as an alternative to Coco Mad and Coco Mad doesn't need any attention as its one of the bestsellers, if not the bestseller of the 2000s.

Histoires de Parfums - 1969 Parfum de Revolte

Picture: "Riverbank of Peach Blossoms (portion)", ink and colors on paper,

1642 - 1707, located at Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wikimedia commons

From a perfume named 1969 Parfum de Revolte one routinely expect a blend with a dominant patchouli, maybe something as Reminiscence Patchouli or the airier Etro-version Patchouly. The 1969 Parfum de Revolte, created by the houses founder the perfumer Gerald Ghislain is anyting but this: Parfume de Revolte is a fruity, slight floral dessert-like gourmand creation, and there is indeed some patchouli very well blended among the ingredients.

1969 Parfum de Revolte starts with a wonderful peachy, rosy accord supported by a note that I percieve as freesia, which is not mentioned among the notes. The peachy note is somehow not especially sweet, it's not jammy instead it's more like the fresh ripe fruit. The peach note is present during the whole dry down but reduces in extent in the middle- and basenotes.There is also an  indefinite almost dense flower-iness which complements the peach very well. In the middle/base a patchouli which highlights the dark chocolate aspect of the note shines through. But the patchoulinote is cleverly interwowen in the blend as it never takes over the fragrance, just supports with it's darkness. In this stage some soft spices and a dark coffenote also appears, perfectly matching the patch. Everything is backed up by a soft musk. In the late middlennotes/early basenotes there is an accord as I percive as true aldehydic, there is something in common, not exactly in smell but in appearance, with Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche.

1969 Parfum de Revolte is another beautiful and artful composition from the quality house of HdP. This is not the ordinary, screechy, chemical, fruity-floral, this is a delightful, credible fruitiness. It's an unsual blend and I for once have hard to find other scents that I think it resembles. The opening peach have some similarities with Parfums MDCI Peche Cardinal despite PC also has a plumnote in it's top and I percieve 1969 as a cleaner peach but not as airy as the springlike By Kilian Flower of Immortality.

1969 Parfum de Revolte is a good fragrance for evening but I also think it's proper to wear at daytime during the cold and grey months in fall and winter. The fragrance has a great longevity and remains almost unfragmented until the next morning.

Rating: 5

Notes: Peach, rose, white flowers, caramon, clove, patchouli, coffe, chocolate, musk

Jehanne Rigaud - Patchouli Premier

Picture: Tintin
From the album "Tintin au Congo" (1931)
p.55, drawing Hergé (George Remi) (c)
borrowed from Tintin.com

Patchouli Premier from Grasse perfumehouse (and scent supplier) Jehanne Rigaud features, as the name indicates: Patchouli.

When applying Patchouli Premier my first thought is: This is Patchouli Antique from Les Nereides. It's the same rough, dark, dusty old book note as the latter. Now my speculations in earlier posts about a connection between Les Nereides and Jehanne Rigaud fragrances, maybe JR is the producer for both, seems even more possible. When Patchouli Premier (PP) reaches the middlenotes it departs partly form Patchouli Antique (PA). Whereas PA continues in its rough, dusty, slight fuggy, like an attic in an old house accords, interpreted in a positive way, PA smells really intriguing, PP enters another route as it becomes, lighter, brisker, sort of outdoorsy in style. It highlights the herbal and leafy aspects of how I imagine fresh patchouli could smell. When comparing to PA, I'm refering to the old version, I havn't tested the later versions in the new, different styled, bottles.

Picture: Les Nereides Patchouli Antique
old bottle at the top, a newer version below.
Photo: PR Les Nereides (c)

As the middle accord also the rest of PP smells. It's a good classic, basic patchouli of the herbal, not the ambery kind, which doesn't adds anything new to the genre. On the other hand it's a perfect companion when one need something simple, woody, outdoorsy refreshing, both for casual and for work. Patchoulis in this "fresh" style is relaxing to wear during the summer in particular sunny and windy warm days, but not in the worst heat wave. PP as slmost all patchs in this style is perfectly unisex. Silage of PP is close, longevity for at least a day.

Picture: Patchouli Premier
Photo: PR Jehanne Rigaud (c)

As the two earlier reviewed Jehanne Rigauds, Imperial Poudré and Ambre Obscur, Patchouli Premier also could be associated to a "Les aventures de Tintin" character, in this case the protagonist himself: Tintin. A lively, brisk patchuli like PP is perfect for the changeing existence of the character, one day among papers and prints in the newspaper desk, the other in the middle of the jungle.

Those who like simple and genuine patchuli fragrances as for example Etro Patchouly and Molinard Patchouli will probably also apperciate Patchouli Premier.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Patchouli, cedar, myrrh, myrtle, sandalwood, oakmoss, vanilla, musk

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Perris Monte Carlo - Patchouli Nosy Be Extrait

Picture: Nosy Be
Photo: from Pinterest 

Patchouli Nosy Be is the most recent patchouli fragrance from Perris Monte Carlo. The Nosy Be part of the name is from the island suitiated on the north west of Madagascar, the island is famous for cultivating ylang-ylang, coffe and vanilla but the climate is suitiable also for other spices and flowers. The Nosy Be Patchouli is a successful experiment where the manager of the ylang-ylang plantation of the well known fragrance ingredients producer Robertet planted patchouli on the Nosy Be Island. Here the patchouli plants could be protected from the sharp sunlight by the foliage of other plants and this favorable cultivation combined with a careful harvesting process creates a high class multifacetted patchouli oil. The Nosy Be fragrances of Perris are as today, also an Edp version of Patchouli Nosy Be, which was released 2014 a year before the extrait, as also an Ylang Ylang Nosy Be in Edp and Extrait. These will be reviewed later on.

Patchouli Nosy Be starts with the herbal, leafy, almost fresh, patchouli which is present in most niche patchouli offerings from the latest years, an early example is Histories de Parfums Noir Patchouli but this one is sharper, rougher and more transaparent in its herbal leafiness. Also Franck Boclet Patchouli comes to my mind in the initial accords. After a while warm spices appears, predominantly pepper, blended with a note of cacao simlar to the combination in for example Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly and Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 even if the latter is darker and denser. The pepper, which I also think is strengthend from the cedarwood in the base, is a bit too distinctive to my nose/taste for a short part of the dry down but is fortunately softened when a beautiful vanilla is sneeking in step by step in this contemporary woody-spicy blend with a patchouli addition. To me  Patchouli Nosy Be is not so much about patch as it is of spices, wood and vanilla, the patch is just one of the well bakanced, interplaying accords.The earlier Perris patchouli Essence de Patchouli, is much more of patchouli, more extreme and uncommon and personally I prefer this over Patchouli Nosy Be when I crave a real patchfrag. The best part of Patchouli Nosy Be is definitliy the comforting base where the spicy mixed patch is contrasted by a beautiful very natural smelling, slight flowery vanilla and discrete woody notes. The base note accords comes and goes like waves with a slight different highlighting of each of the main notes in different waves. It's a true delight wearing this perfume.

Picture: Patchouli Nosy Be Extrait
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Patchouli Nosy Be is a versatile warm fragrance, suitable for autumn, winter and early spring. It's unisex and could be worn both for work and casual. Sillage is medium and longevity good, more then a day, traces are left on skin after a nights sleep.

Rating: 5

Notes: Patchouli, pink pepper; cocoa, labdanum, vanilla, cedarwood, sandalwood

Perris Monte Carlo - Essence de Patchouli

Picture: Moon over the Mediterranean sea  (Greece)
Photo: Mr Parfumista

Essence de Patchouli is the first patchouli fragrance in the Perris Monte Carlo line. Essence de Patchouli is one of the five first fragrances which were released in 2012, the other four starters are Bois d'Oud (reviewed a few weeks ago), Oud Imperial, Ambre Gris and Musk Extrême. In 2014 a second patchouli fragrance was released, Patchouli Nosy Be which I have not smelled when writing this review but plan to test and review the coming winter. Update March 2016 - review of Patchouli Nosy Be.

Essence de Patchouli starts with a very dark, balck or dark purple if imagine a color, velvety patchouli which is silky in texture. There are also some offsetting almost "ugly" notes that could be associated with mosquito repellent but in a non sharp, again velvety texture. The repellent accord steps backward as Essence de Patchouli dries down but is present in the background to prevent the fragrance to be too polite. The patchouli in this fragrance is not of the ambery type nor the herbal, which are the two cathegories that constitutes 90% of all patchfrags. The patchouli of Essence de Patchouli is instead as the patchouli leaves have been pickled in a musky, dark flowery a tad sweet souse. As Essence de Patchouli dries further down, the dark iris/rose combo becomes more apparent even if they are intergrated to such extent that they are hard to separate from each other. The sliky, light powdery patchouli impression prevail and the powdery note reminds me slightly of the cocapowdernote of Mon Patchouly from Ramon Monegal which is also a patchouli fragrance which is not ambery nor herbal but almost gourmand, which Essence de Patchouli is not. As with some other Perris Fragrances, Essence de Patchouli is grounded in a beautiful, either not chemical nor animalic smelling musk. The musk creates an intense, long-lived fragrance and it pronounces and highlights the other ingredients. Woody notes warmed up with a light touch of resin deepens the fragrance.

Essence de Patchouli mediates the picture and feeling of dining outside on a terrace by the sea a warm mediterranean summereveing with the dark velvettextured sky dark lighted by the silver full moon.
In darkness, texture, mood and apperance Essence de Patchouli reminds me of a forgotten gem which is based on a completely different note (incense) Juozas Statkevicius/Josef Statkus from the designer of the same name.

Picture: Essence de Patchouli
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Essence de Patchouli is appropriate to wear in most seasons, in summer one has to be extra careful when applying, a little goes ong and too much could be totally overwhelming especially when warm weather outside. To me Essence de Patchouli is a feminine creation even if it definitly could be worn by brave men. The silage is moderate to big and longevity for 24h.

Essence de Patchouli is another winner from Perris Monte Carlo, it's not happen often that the releases from house have a hit rate like this house when it comes to fragrances that I think is memorable and longing to wear even after the tests for the review is over.

Those who like Sergel Lutens Borneo 1834, Chanel Coromandel  and Prada Intense will probably also appreciate Essence de Patchouli even if the former three are more gourmand and the latter more floral in style.

Rating: 5

Notes: Rose, geranium, iris, cedar, guaiac wood, patchouli, musk, labdanum, coumarin

Franck Boclet - Patchouli

Picture: Empress Josephine in a
patchouliscented kashmere shawldress
Painting by painting by Antoine-Jean Gros (1809)
Picture from pintertest, referred to 1000fragrances.bolgspot.com 

Patchouli is a fragrance from the perfumline of the fashionhouse Franck Boclet. Patchouli is created by perfumer Melaine Leroux.

Patchouli starts with an old book musty patchuli but the old book note is not as strong or sharp as in Les Nereides Patchouli Antique. Soon the old book impression lightens up and a dark chocolate and spices are added, with the moisty impression prevails. After a while the chocolate and spices transforms to a beautiful, clean not by any means muddled tobbacco note. Tobbacco is not mentioned among the notes but somehow the fresh tobbacco smell is present. This clean almost sparkling and natural smelling tobbacco is the leading part for quite a while, the tobbacco reminds me of the beautiful Parfums de Nicolaï Cuir Cuba Intense. Then the patch, this time cleaner and earthier, once again takes the centerplace. The pathouli is now paired with a very pleasant, smooth, moisty, creamy, slight musky note, which rounds the edges off. As Patchouli dries further down, the spicy accord appears again as also the tobbacco glimpses now and then. The basenotes are woody with ambery, vanillic touches, the patchouli still present but appears lighter and cleaner almost as it now has transformed for a mission where it has to offset the other sweeter and heavier basenotes.

Picture: Franck Boclet Patchouli
Photo: PR Franck Boclet (c)

Having a soft spot for patchoulifragrances, Franck Boclet Patchouli IMO is a very good and multifaceted representant of the genre. As much is going on, with contrasting elements interacting in different ways during the different phases of the dry down, Patchouli is particulary intriguing when taken in consideration that it's presented as a solinote perfume (which it of course is not).

Patchouli is a warm, comforting and relaxing patchouli, perfect for autumn and winter. It's projects close to medium depending on dosage. It's unisex in character and could be worn for work or casual. Very good longevity, it lasts unfragmented for more than a day.

Those who likes patchouli fragrances as Chanel Coromandel, Oriza L. Legrand Horizon and Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly will probably like Franck Boclet Patchouli too.

Rating: 5

Notes: Patchouli, cedar- and sandalwood, amber, benzoin, tonka been, vanilla, musk

Thanks to Fragrance and Art for the sample to test

Oriza L. Legrand - Horizon

Picture: Louise Brooks, her flapper style
could serve as the role model of a dark, seductive
"Les Années Folles" fragrance  as Horizon.
Photo: Pressphoto from the
George Grantham Bain Collection,
Wikimedia commons

Horizon, is according to information from the house Oriza L.Legrand unaltered since its creation during "Les Années Folles" in 1925. Probably it smells a bit different anyway, as I suspect most ingredienses not smells exactly the same today, the synthetical ones could be (and are certainly) altered in their composition and even the natural ones could be differently threated today compared to over eighty years ago.

Horizon starts very similar to the hard core patchouli Patchouli Antique by Les Nereides and it has also similarities to Bois 1920 Real Patchouly in the first accords but compared to RP Horizon goes on darker, boozier and stronger where RP developes in a more casual lighter, brighter and slight cedarwoody way, even if good as a balmy woody patchouli fragrance, flat if compared to Horizon. Horizion has much more in common with Patchouli Antique and its damp, dusty, dry, leathery patchouli note - just as old antique leather books in an old wooden bookshelf. There is nothing of the contemporary clean patchouli or the loud hippie-patchouli of the 70s. The similarities with Patchouli Antique are evident during the first half of the fragrance even if PA takes a rough and though route and Horizon gets more refined and sofisticated as it developes. Somewhere in the middlenotes, a cocoaonote appears. The note is present in Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 but more prominent in the latter and also in a more powdery way in Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly. As Horizon dries down, wellbalanced, boozy, tobacco, soft leathery notes and something slightly green appears, accompanying the patchouli in a very pleasant way. Horizion doesn't end in the ambery or musky base which are common alternatives for patcoulifragrances.

Picture: Horizon
Photo: PR Oriza L.Legrand (c)

Even if Horizion is the patchouli fragrance in the Oriza collection, it's so wellblended/-balanced and therefore doesn't stand out as a basic patchouli as the patch-offerings of many lines. This fragrance has so many other dimensions and therefore it can't be justified to classify Horizon as "just" a patchouli.

Horizon has a great longevity, smooth but unfragmented trails are present after 24h. The fragrance is, despite its rough opening, elegant and seductive, perfect for autumn and winter evenings (and days) but also for cold and crisp early spring evenings. Even if Horizion has an flappery attitude it is genderless to me i e it doesn't lend over either to the masculine or feminine side.

Update August 2014: Wearing Horizon in hot humid weather (ca 30 Celsius) it is even better than in autumn/winter. The tobacconote is really blooming, very natural in style. Even if Horizon is a warm patchouli with ambery notes, it doesn't smells particulary sweet, and has some almost refreshing herbal notes in the heat.The best and most versatile patchouli I have tested so far.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bitter orange rind, mandarin confit, dried rose, ambered cognac, aromatic tobacco leaves, cocoa, roasted almonds, aged oak, patchouli, benzoin, ambergris, peat, blond tobacco, vanilla, honey, leather

Autour du Parfum - Patchouli Tonka

Photo: Patchouli Tonka
Photo: Promotion Autour du Parfum

Autour du Parfum is a fragranceline founded by Eline Pajot who had worked for many years with developement and marketing in the parfume and cosmetic industry. There are four fragrances in her Private Collection, which all seems to searching back to the origin of perfumery, straightforward, wellcrafted singlenotesperfumes.

Patchouli Tonka is such a straightforward patchoulifragrance which creates that genuine impression. Patchouli Tonka starts similar to Les Nereides Patchouli Antique. It's a dark, woody, earthy patchouli, rough and tough (but not as rough as Patchouly Indonesia from Farmacia SS Annunziata dal 1561), not the polite by amber sweetened patchouli. As Patchouli Tonka dries down, the patchouli softens and gets smoother, even if the woody, by this stage, slight earthy, impression remains. Probably there is the soft, sweetness of the tonka and some light almost herbal-minty vanilla in the base that balances the raw, erthy notes to a pleasent, velvety, dark impression.

Patchouli Tonka is a perfect casual fragrance year around and perfect for the late summer/early autumn strolling around searching for mushrooms in the forest. It's also comfortable to wear at work. Sillage is medium and longevity for about a day.

For those who are searching for a straightforward patchoulifragrance in the woody, almost herbal. not ambery, end of the spectra like Molinard Patchouli and Etro Patchouly, Patchouli Tonka is a very good and also quite affordable choice SEK 370 (ca USD 58 and EUR 44).

Rating: 4

Notes: Bergamot, orange, geranium, patchouli, sandalwood, cedar, tonka been, vanilla

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample of Patchouli Tonka.

Chanel - Coco Noir

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

I really have tried to resist to like this frag as described as a disappointment in the perfumeblogosphere. There has to be a lot of weaknesses with it, something that better trained noses than mine understand
:-) . After a rapid skintesting from the tester in the store and from sniffing a scentstrip during a day, I have to confess: I really like Coco Noir and I even think it match the beautiful bottle and the story behind it quite well. I think it's a very wellcrafted floral musk with sweet fruity patchouli notes. When reading this one can be missleaded and think it's just another pink, berry/fruity, patch, but to my nose it isn't. First of all, even íf a fruity-patch-musk, it has the elegance and aura that is Chanel and that separates Coco Noir from hundereds of other in this genre. Second Coco Noir is not pink at all. It is dark, fruity, flowery, patchy which notes are contrasting the initial blast of light citrus bergamot. Third, there is tuned down traces of Coco Mademoiselle (in swedish) a fragrance that I unlike most perfumenerds like very much. Fourth the longevity is very good.

As stated above, Coco Noir starts light with the citrus/grape-bergamott infused accord. Then a moderate sweet, dark fruity-green-flowery, patchouli accord takes over and creates a distinct contrast to the topnotes. This stage is a bit dangerous because if too heavy applied, I suspect that it could be sickly sweet. After a whlie a rosy green geranium note appears and it adds a beautiful soapy quality to the blend, a soapiness that I feel very comfortable in. The soapiness creates an interesting retro vibe to Coco Noir. In the base there is a withe musk anchoring the blend, together with a soft and powdery tonka been and some light woody, slight resiny notes.

Strangely enough, I percieve Coco Noir as quite noir, other fruity-patchy blends are sweetly pink in comparison. When I first sniffed Coco Noir my first reaction was the similarity to the original muskfrag by Les Nereides, Musc de Java. The same sort of fruityness, almost berrylike, the patch and the musk are similar to each other but Musc de Java, even if more robust and rough, is thinner in it's texture and has an original hay-note that is not included in Coco Noir. Musc de Java is also brighter and lighter and is lighter on the soapy note. Coco Noir is a full and mature variation on the Musc de Java theme.

As with last year Chanel No 19 Poudré (in swedish) that also was not well received (at first anyway) in the perfumeblogosphere, I think one have to judge the flankers completely separate from the original fragrance and look at them as they where released under brand new names. Just as with Chanel No 19 Poudré compared to Chanel No 19, Coco Noir has little or no relation to the original, the beautiful oriental spicy Coco (despite the noir vibe), I think most of us perfumepundits starts to compare it with Coco and Coco Mademoiselle and therefore don't judge Coco Noir on it's own merits.

To me Coco Noir is a wearable and comfortable fragrance, definitly fbw and I just wonder for how long I will be able to resist...

Rating: 5
Rating update March 2013: 4  
Rating update April 2018: 5

Seems as CN wear better in warm and humid weather than in cold and dry. I perceive CN as less  integrated between it's different stages and that the sweet accord stands out a bit too much in the top- and middlenotes. Reaching its basenotes, CN is just as good as last late summer. 

As times has gone by and I have worn the Coco family even more and become familiar also with the Edt versions of Coco and Coco Mad as also Coco Mad Intense, Noir is back as a 5 rated member of the family.

Notes: Grapefruit, bergamot, rose, narcissus, geranium leaf, jasmine, tonka bean, sandalwood, vanilla, patchouli, white musk, frankincense