Unexplored Noir 2023

Unexplored Noir by Zara
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7.5 / 10 35 Ratings
A popular perfume by Zara for men, released in 2023. The scent is woody-spicy. It is still in production.
Pronunciation
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Main accords

Woody
Spicy
Sweet
Powdery
Smoky

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
Pink pepperPink pepper CardamomCardamom
Heart Notes Heart Notes
IrisIris Pine tarPine tar CashmeranCashmeran VioletViolet
Base Notes Base Notes
CaramelCaramel PatchouliPatchouli SandalwoodSandalwood

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.535 Ratings
Longevity
6.629 Ratings
Sillage
5.926 Ratings
Bottle
7.536 Ratings
Value for money
8.331 Ratings
Submitted by ExUser, last update on 02/04/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Uomo (Eau de Toilette) by Salvatore Ferragamo
Uomo Eau de Toilette
Opus XIV - Royal Tobacco by Amouage
Opus XIV - Royal Tobacco

Reviews

2 in-depth fragrance descriptions
9
Pricing
10
Bottle
4
Sillage
5
Longevity
9
Scent
Elysium

858 Reviews
Elysium
Elysium
Helpful Review 4  
As Dark As Dante’s Infernal Pitch
Pine Tar, a singular keynote blended in this concoction, is a substance obtained from pine trees that has been used since ancient times for creating a water-repellent, protective barrier on wood. Pine tar is a dark, tacky substance produced when heat and pressure are applied to pine wood to decompose it. Depending on the species of pine used, tar may have a different colour and odour. A resinous, smoky scent envelops and subdues, descending into the languid heat and darkness of pine tar, burnt wood, and leather. Unexplored Noir fits perfectly as the pine tar accord is somewhat unexplored as an ingredient in designer perfumes. And it's pitch black, or Noir as the French neighbors say.

Unexplored Noir is really so mysterious, alien, and unknown. Tested on the paper strip, the smoky, gummy, liqueur accords that characterise this essence immediately emerge. On the skin, it opens with a boozy roar of warm spices. Marion Costero freshly crashed the pink pepper with just a hint of cardamom, which is supportive and not primary here. Balmy and minty facets are not noticeable. Around this spiciness is a bitterish, liqueur-like, dense, slightly burnt aroma, that of toasted sugar. It has implications similar to liquorice root, but at the same time, it is pungent, like fresh resin dripping from the bark of a conifer. A toasted and burnt accord emerges on the base, like the aroma released when we melt and caramelise brown sugar on the fire. It’s not buttery like a sticky browned butter salted caramel but like a crunchy frosting. The opening promises to be warm, like a camel-coloured merino wool sweater with a turtleneck, soft, warming, and enveloping.

Time goes by, but this burnt edge shows no signs of diminishing; on the contrary, it acquires a new dusty, powdery, and sweetish nuance. These new colours take shape from iris tubers dried and burned by the sun, crushed, and reduced to an excellent powder, like iris talc. The warm and woody notes of the cashmeran molecule intertwine the powdery aspect, so silky and creamy. Only a few minutes have passed, and Unexplored Noir gives me many unknown sensations. Even if floral notes of iris and violet participate, the heart does not appear excessively flowery. The sticky, rubbery, and burnt nuance I felt at the beginning is now more conspicuous, pleasantly smoky, gloomy, and slightly medicinal with tanned leather quality. It is the smell of pine tar, which smells pitch-black, dark and bitter, acrid, smoky, oily, and petroleum-like, not unlike roofing tar, or the asphalt as they roll into the streets. It does not smell fresh, like crushed green pine needles or newly sawn pine lumber. Pine tar has a distinct, resinous smell. People often describe it as woody, earthy, and slightly smoky. I don’t get any pine-like or piney aroma.

The perfume does not change much from the heart to the dry-down. There is a slight hint of patchouli, but nothing reminiscent of the opulent oils of the 70s. The creamy notes of sandalwood combined with caramel bring to mind other trendy perfumes, including the recent Spell Caramel and Nocturnal Life. However, Unexplored Noir remains a unique perfume and not a reinterpretation of those. What remains as sillage is a trail of browned and smoky woods with sweetish and earthy tendencies.

Beautiful, unpredictable, surprising, intricate, confusing, and difficult. The genre of this perfume is right up my alley. Despite having a high intensity, full of dark and thick notes, the fragrance is not excessively brazen, intrusive, or annoying. The initial strength subsides within the first hour to become a sensual and intimate skin scent. On me, it is a perfume with moderate performance. I've to move closer to the hot point to smell it. Unsure about the sillage, as I need more wearing in a public place and gather feedback. The resins, spices, and woods make it suitable for the autumn months; the smell pierces the air, which becomes more humid and cold every day. I can wear it during the day, even in the office, as it does not project much but gives its best during afternoon, evening, and night events. It is safe for people who work in public places where fragrances are not tolerated, such as hospital or similar places. Marion Costero has done an excellent job “niche-like”with this new fragrance from Zara, added to the triptych released a few weeks ago.

I wrote this review on the fly based on a bottle I have owned since October 2023 (BC 32611).

-Elysium
0 Comments
8
Pricing
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
7
Scent
Dionysos2022

524 Reviews
Translated Show original Show translation
Dionysos2022
Dionysos2022
2  
On a fall afternoon through...
... take a walk through the pine forest. There is something fresh and spicy and floral in the air. Every breath is good for the lungs. On the way home, I pick up a caramel coffee from the bakery and enjoy it the rest of the way.

When I apply this fragrance, the first thing I notice are spicy, slightly pungent notes. These are quickly joined by something green, tarry and woody. The iris makes it slightly powdery. Very light floral notes are added. To give the fragrance a certain sweetness, some caramel is added. The patchouli and the woody accords of sandalwood provide a strong dark finish.

The persistence and silage are good.

Here we have a masculine men's fragrance that can be worn wonderfully on cold days by men aged 25 and over. It is an all-rounder that can be worn at work, in your free time and when going out. Ladies can also try out this fragrance.

Anyone who likes a spicy, woody, powdery, slightly sweet fragrance is in good hands here and will have fun with it. And as always with Zara at a reasonable price.
1 Comment

Statements

4 short views on the fragrance
HermeshHermesh 1 year ago
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
8
Scent
Smoke and sweetness, balanced, united and softened by a fine powdery mist. Tuned and harmonious.
2 Comments
DjigoioDjigoio 1 year ago
Harsh start, transform into a dark scent for close encounters. Same type of scent as The One EDP (For dates, average sillage and duration)
0 Comments
YoshkiYoshki 1 year ago
8
Bottle
1
Sillage
5
Longevity
7
Scent
Opening is really promising but that's it, after 1h I could barely smell it even close to my skin or on tester strip so it's a pass for me
0 Comments
ElysiumElysium 1 year ago
10
Bottle
4
Sillage
5
Longevity
9
Scent
A resinous, smoky scent envelops and subdues, descending into the languid heat and darkness of pine tar, burnt wood, and leather.
0 Comments

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