Grand Soir Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2016 Eau de Parfum

As with Leimbacher and many others (right, Mr. White!?) it's a holiday mood when Kurkdjian presents new fragrances from his own(!) brand! Wow.. I was really looking forward to the new pair... and rightly so!!!
Grand Soir has become a magnificent scent! At the beginning, Grand Soir is an incredibly delicious cocktail of candied oranges, sweet-sour mandarins, not overripe... soaked in something alcoholic! This may briefly remind one of the top note of Sunshine Man, when the herbal lavender note has faded, but in Grand Soir it is significantly less sweet for me. Simply delicious, completely free of Christmas and potpourri associations, not sticky or overly sugary... rather a natural muted fruit sweetness. It flows through the veins and warms from within, especially after such a brrr-cold day like today!
I have now worn Grand Soir for the third day in a row and that is what makes it special, it doesn't annoy, it doesn't become too much... one is not saturated with artificial aromas like the always-same tonka. I love this about the brand so much (and Creed too), one can wear the fragrances every day without smelling ordinary... I don't find that many brands in the niche segment.. but that's just my opinion or perception.
Later on, a honey-amber emerges more and more that is buttery soft and of Ambre Nuit-like quality... I think one simply has to love it, like a warm, golden beam of light it floods you. This phase invites cuddling, indulging, lingering... one simply feels incredibly comfortable.. it evokes such an incredibly cozy feeling.. truly a delight. The pendulum never swings for me towards one gender. A completely genderless, wonderful fragrance tapestry.
However, the 80s classic faction might have difficulties here, as long as they stick to their always-same fragrance pattern and are not open to new directions. No, it’s not rugged, but as a man, one doesn't have to constantly repeat oneself.. this is also explicitly just my opinion!
MFK certainly hasn't reinvented the wheel with Grand Soir, it is also not an outstanding, completely novel fragrance in terms of scent notes... and it doesn't reach new spheres... its true sensation lies in the everyday wearability, in its universality. Gourmands can be found in almost every brand... but one wouldn't want to pull them out of the closet every day.. this one definitely! It doesn't seem to be a true gourmand either, it could rather be labeled "low-calorie," despite calorie-rich notes like benzoin, tonka, vanilla, and amber.
But here, the great perfumer's art shows itself in the interplay of the notes.. which I love like hardly any other.
In the base, the fragrance no longer changes in terms of new facets, it simply becomes (even) warmer and softer, the scent just becomes weaker. The longevity is very good at 7-8 hours on the skin, perceivable on clothing for over 12 hours. The sillage is, and this is where it differs from many sweet bombs, only strong in the first hour, then more subtle, but not skin-close. More would probably have been too much here.
Conclusion: A completely successful new fragrance from the master of scents without edges or corners, anyone looking for a great autumn/winter scent that shouldn't smell like mainstream magnet, Christmas, or fairground should definitely give this a try!
Grandissimo..davvero!