Noir Patchouli Histoires de Parfums

This house has proven itself to me with several consistently quality offerings. One of my all time favourites is 1740, and that perfume's patchouli dna can be found here. Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy.

I am very fond of Histories de Parfums, being 1740 one of my preferred and in my top five currently. There is something in their craftsmanship, very french, that makes me believe they found the secret how to modernize the classic perfumery.
So, their perfumes are all real perfumes, not just scents or mere experiences. They exude class and distinction.
On my take on patchouli-centered, there is a time I found the one for me: Messe de Minuit, from Etro, although it brings to me much more than just patchouli, as I wrote in its review. I also love Borneo 1834 from Lutens, but it doesn’t seem to me so complete as a whole experience.
But, then, I found Noir Patchouli. And its name puzzled me, as I did not found the patchouli here I was used to. There is a hint of it, but my sensations turned around it and were leaded by that beautiful and elegant aroma of lovely floral notes mixed with the leather, that exquisite leather that HdP carries in their portfolio and I love so much. There are spices also, and some vanilla, and…juniper, which always is a plus for me (actually Ormonde Jayne Man is another one in my top 5, being juniper one of the main reasons).
I don’t find this particularly masculine, and I wonder if there could be an androgynous for the upper class, this would be the one. I mean, the ancient hippie guy that became the manager of a successful trendy art gallery.
Noir? Maybe for some, for me it is shiny! And not replacing Messe de Minuit in my heart (that's not possible), it would fit me for a night in the Concertgebow in Amsterdam watching ancient music played with ancient instruments.

I was turned onto Noir Patchouli by my friend Steve at ScentBar who knows that I love Aromatics Elixir. With no other intro than a laugh and a smile he said, “You have to try this.” As I smelled it and he saw the recognition light me up, he just said, “Right?!”

Absolutely right.

I’ve always had a question. Why has no one copied Aromatics Elixir? Why has no one tried to imitate it? Aromatics Elixir is a huge patchouli rose-chypre. It’s a tribute to patchouli, but you would never mistake it for something that you would find in a head shop. It juuuusst barely reins in the patchouli. Bernard Chant went as far down the patch path as he could go when he composed Aromatics Elixir. Fortunatley, he didn’t balance patchouli with lighter notes. He matched it with thick balsams, woody notes and a dark, dense rose. One of the few things he didn’t add was syrup, so contemporary perfume wearers will need to find a new Rosetta stone to translate it to fruitchouli-speak.

Noir Patchouli is a great homage to the old gal. It doesn't have the rose or the moss, but it is the same loving take on patchouli. Bernard Chant recognized that patchouli doesn't need to be cut or cajoled. It simply needs the right context and proper lighting. In the same way that Bernard Chant let patchouli speak its own mind, Gérald Ghislain of Histoires de Parfums hands the mic over to patchouli. Noir Patchouli is as deliberate as Aromatics Elixir, but it replaces AE's forcefulness with partial transparency. Where AE is earthy, Noir Patchouli is smoky. Noir Patchouli is almost as heavy as AE, but it’s not nearly so dense. AE has an bitterness that reads as herbal. Noir Patchouli comes off like a spirit, not quite whiskey, not quite brandy. This liquor-like tone is what brings the smokiness, the camphorous sweetness together.

Noir Patchouli comes off as very composed and self-assured. Or maybe that’s how simply how I feel when I smell it.

If Noir Patchouli had come out earlier, it would have been the perfect solution for the wearers of Givenchy Gentleman who were fucked when a car-wreck of a reformulation deprived them of their fix. Noir Patchouli holds its own in a competition among niche patchoulis. In fact, it beats most of them. It has a straightforwardness that ‘clean’ patch lovers would like, but the gravitas that most patch enthusiasts seek.

If you’re looking for a real twisted scene, get together with some fumie friends and try back to back to back samplings of Aromatics Elixir, Aramis A900, Aromatics Elixir Perfumer’s Reserve and Noir Patchouli. If you get out of the room alive you’ll have some stories to tell.

from scenthurdle.com

I've never smelled a patchouli like this, it's green, almost minty at first. It is one of those fragrances that I love because I don't know if I like them or not, they make me think. I have tried it on paper, on my skin and on my husband's and I agree with other reviews that say they don't see black anywhere. Instead I see the green of the cardamom, with the patchouli and of course the leather! It reminds me of Cuire d'Aigle Russe from Oriza Legrand, but with more warmth, that of patchouli and a little bit of amber. Like all the HdP line they have completely achieved an anachronistic air. In my big husband I love it.

Greener patchouli I've ever encountered, and I'm on my green moment right now.
Perfect timing. Floreal notes aren't overbearing, but what I do notice with great pleasure it's the leathery undertone of it. Pleasant, a bit light but pleasant. A little bit of tartness given by juniper. Luckily I'm not that kind of person that has problems with coriander - no soap in there.
But to be honest, "noir" is not the colour I'd give it.
I only wish sillage was slightly better on me, I like those grandpa juices old fashioned scents.