L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme Noir Ambré Issey Miyake 2016

This fragrance! This scent, this scent, this scent!

Well, fragrances that are discontinued or difficult to obtain eventually take on a life of their own. They are discussed from the point of view that they are not easy to get. They are measured by the prices on the secondary market. But they are still fragrances and should be discussed here as such.

Except for the cap, the bottle is simple and elegant at the same time. Both the quality of the glass and the color scheme suit the fragrance.
The fragrance is a very warm, oriental amber scent that never becomes too sweet.
The opening starts with a striking saffron note, which is accompanied by green, herbaceous and spicy elements. You can clearly smell the leather after a few minutes at least. Fragrance notes such as vetiver and cedar ensure that this fragrance does not become too dark and heavy. But it always has pep, warmth and (character) strength. The main protagonist, amber, is joined by its sweet brothers vanilla and tonka, although these are kept in such a way that the sweetness is not too sticky, as in the Armani SWY range, or too youthful in the JPG Le Male or Paco Rabanne 1 Million Gold Bar. L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme Noir Ambré remains the fragrance of a grown man who takes the cold days as an opportunity to emphasize the elegance of his clothing and his entire aesthetic attitude with a coat and leather shoes.

The fragrance remains relatively linear, which is by no means a problem, because it is a beautiful amber scent with leather and saffron. When done really well, i.e. not too sweet and shrill, I love this category. And this one is really well done. Alongside Eau d'Ombré Leather and Oud Save the King Eau de Parfum, this Issey Miyake is one of my favorites for the cool days, or perhaps rather the cool evenings. What does the evening mean to us, let's go into the night.

It's 11:02 pm. In winter.
There's snow outside, it's the days before Christmas. How nice that it's snowing. The apartment windows are freezing outside. You want to go to sleep, but a good friend calls. He needs you. He wants you to listen to him. There are no major problems or worries in his voice. "Perhaps a glass of beer?" You can tell that everyday life is weighing a little on his soul. He needs you to listen to him for a while. Maybe an hour. You say you'll be at the bar where you always sit together in 20 minutes. You put on the black cloth trousers and the dark gray turtleneck sweater. You throw on your brown coat and slip into your brown leather boots.
At the fragrance shelf, you look at Oud Wood Eau de Parfum and L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme Noir Ambré . If it were 6 p.m., you'd probably reach for the TF. But it's night. You need a fragrance that cuts the chill on the way to the bar. You want to walk. That's why you have good leather boots. You have to walk. Walk, watch and always walk. You also need a scent that radiates security, familiarity and trust when you arrive at the bar. Your boyfriend should be able to tell you what's on his mind, because he believes that these little burdens are in good hands with you, because you are strong. So you reach for L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme Noir Ambré. Once outside in the snow, you realize that sometimes you have to help yourself to be the person you want to be. It's the night of Issey. It's your night too. Issey lends it to you. So now you are who you want to be.