Night Flower Eris Parfums 2016

I was 18, he was my first love, he's no longer of this earth, and Night Flower was an instant scent memory of a heedless youth I somehow got through. There's something a little barbershoppy about it, not so much unisex as an intermingling of masculine and feminine. I catch a bit of lavender(he used Yardely English Lavender Soap), even though it is not listed in the notes. That's just one part of the scent memory. Oh, the hell, I'll just say it, Night Flower smells like a weekend in bed. It is powerful and tenacious; I make do with two dabs, one to each wrist, then the wrist to the opposite elbow crook. Any closer to my nose and I wouldn't be able to think straight.

A night out where things got out of hand. Loss of memory. Half a pack of cigarettes in my pocket, but I don't smoke. A shirt with a trace of an unknown perfume. "Call me, x Hector". I feel abused. It must be the suede and tuberose combined. And that crooked tonka note. Trashy and I like it. Let's go out again tonight.

Side note: Clearly this shares common ground with "Musc Ravageur | Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle" , just a little lower on the vanilla-benzoin. But with Night Flower I don't get that awkward anxiety-effect that makes Musc Ravageur unbearable to me. Instead, this feels seductive, edgy.

Night Flower opened with an unusual biting scent, not acidic from citrus but something else. That didn't last long and the tuberose began to appear which really smoothed it out. At this point, I thought it smelled pretty floral and feminine. However, that stage didn't last long either and suede became more prominent as the tuberose retreated. The tuberose was always detectable, but Night Flower didn't impress me as overly floral because the suede stood out more. I guess the tuberose provided a base for the suede. Scent struck me as straight down the middle unisex, not leaning feminine at all. It's not sweet. As time went on, the suede took on an almost powdery or dusty aspect.

Given all the above, I wasn't really impressed. Night Flower just seemed to be a somewhat mediocre take on suede. Longevity was quite good, about 10 hours while projection was top end moderate. I'd say Night Flower would work for a guy who likes leather/suede but prefers to have lighter fragrances or maybe needs something lighter because of his job. I also think Night Flower would work well for a women who likes suede but doesn't want something very strong because it comes across as masculine but also wants a fragrance that isn't sweet.

Night Flower opens with a weirdly alcoholic fruity vibe that I don't really see in the notes, before settling into a soft suede/tuberose combo backed up by a tonka/musk base. I kinda get a bit of violet too, it might be part of the leather accord. It is a quite unique scent and appealing, just not my style. I got more of the spicy/leathery notes on strip when I tried this in the store but on skin it got a lot more floral and sweet. Which is fine, just not to my particular taste.

I struggle to parse the specific notes of this fragrance but when I smell it my eyes roll back with pleasure.

The fragrance succeeds at being simultaneously erotic and also innocent—which is a beguiling contradiction I associate with “white florals.” However, unlike many white floral/tuberose fragrances, Night Flower is neither cloying nor even overtly floral. Somehow the suede/birch tar, patchouli and other notes in the composition balance out the florals. Something (maybe musk) is vaguely Ivory soap to my nose but I like it and the tuberose consistently rises to the surface beautifully.

This is all very different from how I experienced Night Flower on the blotter initially. On paper the notes are very sharp and dry, almost metallic. I am so glad I went ahead and tried it on my skin. Body heat really warms up the creaminess and floralcy of the fragrance.

Night Flower is an excellent date night/romantic day fragrance because it does convey a clear mood. I do think it performs better in warmer weather for reasons mentioned above. It doesn’t strike me as gendered. Longevity is excellent. You will likely still smell it the next day.

I have noticed that overuse has lead to some nose blindness which was resolved by taking a break.