Skip to main content

Noir by Christian Lacroix

Ginger, Saffron.
Cardamom, Orris Root.
White Cedar, Vetiver, Musk.

Noir by Christian Lacroix is an Avon product. That, in itself, made me hesitant to try this. I personally don't care for Avon creations ( for my own reasons ), but I do like Tomorrow for Men.

Once I saw that Saffron was listed in the accords, I was persuaded to pick up some samples. Sadly, I am genuinely disappointed in its implementation. If your definition of "Noir" is "Bleak", then this release comes somewhat close. Overall, it smells better than your average Avon fragrance, but innocuous masculines have a way of aggravating me.

The dominating note on my skin, through the majority of the wearings, is that of a slightly dirty musk. I prefer sensual musk renditions as opposed to this. I suppose the tuning of musk, orris and vetiver in Noir are simply not to my liking.

The first 2 minutes or so are promising. I enjoyed the opening that simulated what I can describe as spicy fruit. The musk wasted no time in inserting itself and Noir started losing me after 5 minutes. The earthy elements at work here are too bland, too generic and if I sound like a snob, sue me. I like what I like.

Yes, I gambled ( once again ) on some samples and came up on the short end of the stick. It could have been worse. I have had high end niche disappoint more than this. It matters not to me what house or the cost. If something is good, then it's good and worth recommending a sample wear. On the other hand, when something isn't up to snuff, I need to inform or else what's the point of having a review blog?

The extended drydown affords me a more pleasant experience, but it's much too little and far too late to salvage these wearings. Some of you out there may actually like this fragrance, so all I can do is tell you that a blind buy is not an intelligent decision. Sample this first and don't think it's good bang for the buck because Lacroix concocted this. I think it's a mess, but then again, I'm an opinionated snob.........

Sillage is average at best and longevity is approximately 4 hours on me. If this had the staying power of most Bogart scents, I'd be one, unhappy camper looking for a scrubbing sponge.

Comments

  1. I'm not a fan of them either. I've heard a lot of bad things about them.
    pheromones attract women

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Chanel copying Guerlain. Why?

                      Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion , Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking. Chanel has a great fragrance history. Not as hallowed and old as Guerlain but for past three decades it has far outshone Guerlain. In my view, no other perfume house has come close to Chanel’s excellence in this century. This makes their recent approach of echoing Guerlain classics somewhat perplexing. Have they run out of fresh ideas? Is Roger Dove at the helm of their fragrance division, or have they perhaps...

La Chasse Aux Papillons Extreme by L'Artisan Parfumeur

I read many reviews before or after I do my own and I seem to be at complete odds with the house of L'Artisan. I have previously said on basenotes that for me, L'Artisan Parfumeur is the most over-rated house I have come across. La Chasse Aux Papillons Extreme does nothing to sway that opinion. Yet another linear, floral dominant scent that does nothing to stir me up or inspire me in any way. This house has "pleasant" nailed down to an art form......but damn...can't we go beyond that? The only attempt at polarization so far has been Dzongkha ....and I found it a jumbled mess. At these prices, move me, anger me, hate me.......but please don't bore me. Extreme in a nutshell is a toned down tuberose with assorted "blossom" thrown in the mix. Is it bad? No, it's an acceptable floral scent that's very timid and just lays on my skin smelling like....well....a toned down version of tuberose with blossom this or that added to it. I'm almost a...