Réminiscence
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The elemi resin and eucalyptus deliver an almost eucalyptol shock—bright, somewhat austere—whilst galbanum adds a sharp, slightly metallic greenness that makes your nostrils flare slightly. Bergamot and lemon arrive as foils to this resinous intensity, providing citrus clarity rather than effervescent brightness, creating immediate tension between sharp and clouded.
Patchouli surfaces with surprising restraint, its earthiness serving to anchor rather than dominate, whilst rose and violet add a whisper of floral structure without sentimentality. Cedarwood weaves through everything, cool and slightly smoky, amplifying the woody accord (88%) until the fragrance feels genuinely aromatic, like breathing in warm wooden floors and incense residue.
Frankincense and opoponax take full command, creating a leathery, slightly animalic base that's supported by sandalwood's creamy undertone and musk's skin-like proximity. The composition becomes increasingly abstract and contemplative, fading to a barely-there whisper that somehow feels more present than many louder fragrances.
Noir de arrives as a deliberately austere proposition—a fragrance that rejects sweetness in favour of intellectual restraint. Jacques Flori has constructed something genuinely unusual here: a resinous aromatic that feels more like inhaling the air inside an ancient temple than wearing conventional perfume. The elemi resin and eucalyptus create an almost medicinal opening that's immediately complicated by galbanum's green-grey sharpness, yet bergamot and lemon prevent this from becoming oppressively clinical. What distinguishes Noir de is its refusal to soften. As patchouli and cedarwood emerge, they don't sweeten or round the composition—instead they deepen its contemplative mood, adding earthiness without comfort. The frankincense and opoponax in the base amplify the smoky, slightly bitter character that defines this fragrance's entire arc.
This is a scent for those who view fragrance as conversation rather than decoration. It's architectural, even severe, with a distinctly dry sensuality that some will find magnetic and others will find distant. Wear this when you want to present an enigmatic, self-possessed version of yourself—during late-autumn evening walks, in dimly lit galleries, or on days when conventional beauty feels like capitulation. There's something almost monastic about Noir de, a quality that rewards patient wearing rather than immediate gratification. It's unisex not through marketing compromise, but because it simply transcends gender categories entirely.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
4.0/5 (117)