ArkangeL

Lumiere Noir... light and dark. Two elements in a universe at war, until they ultimately fuse into one another. Dark matter and a blood-red rose share the same molecular body, known as "Noir." A transformation that reveals a far more crimson floral, leaving a dusty trail of cumin and cinnamon. Narcissus, identified as "Lumiere" acts as a halo, keeping light and dark sophisticatedly in equilibrium.

L'instant EDT is a winner for me. I find the EDP to be not only softer, but closer to the skin. The Eau de Toilette concentration seems to be the bigger gun, giving off more projection and also allowing the fragrance to breathe more clearly. I feel the Parfum closes off a lot of the notes and limits the fragrance to cacao, anise and a timid patchouli. This is the same case with La Nuit de L'Homme EDT and EDP. It's a nice scent overall, but L'instant EDT is classier and every note is active within. Dior Homme Intense is a far more complex and addictive structure of the cacao element with amazing projection.

The Flora Garden collection is not as magnificent as Mugler's Garden of Stars, but Tuberose is my favorite out of the line-up. Unfortunately, Violet and Mandarin are the sisters that were separated from the others at birth (when launched) due to exclusivity. So, I can't say how I feel about them yet. Tuberose is not anything like Michael Kors or Fracas. Its a white floral with shared attention on green notes. Very light, airy and sheer. When I smell this, I think of Miss Dior Cherie L'eau. Another fresh, white to green floral, composed of bigarade orange, white musk, caramel and patchouli. Quite classy.

The color contrast of the bottle are like warm harvest tones. This is how I imagine the transition of summer and autumn smells. Original Santal is relative of Eau de Baux by L'Occitane... only spicier, more balmy and vanillic. Both share a smooth, warm and pleasurable sandalwood base.

Cosmetic brand... niche price? I can't complain too much however, as the quality of the fragrance almost matches it's steep price. The oud is present and very much legit, gradually revealing itself from behind a curtain of rose. Rose is a very aromatic and very potent floral, and I'm getting a reasonable delivery of both rose and agarwood. Black Rose Oud was well executed and worthy of a spot among any connoisseur's collection.