VERIT

Lumiére Noire pour homme - black light for men

Francis Kurkdjian has truly created something entirely unusual with this fragrance.
I don't think this scent would find great appeal among the general public, even if it were offered more widely.
It's simply too unconventional and extravagant!

It is a combination of opposites that Mr. Kurkdjian has brought to life here.
However, for me, it is also a combination that doesn't quite fit into a harmonious overall picture.

We have a spicy masculine rose in the opening, which then, after the patchouli ignites, mercilessly slips into a pear liqueur aroma with a somewhat old-fashioned touch.
This is also one of the reasons why "rose haters" can test this fragrance without fear of disappointment.

However, one should definitely give this scent some time and perhaps test it on one's own skin before ultimately making a final purchasing decision.
The longevity is very good and more akin to that of an Eau de Parfum.

For me:
Top note: 90 %
Heart and base note: 40/50 %
- Overall: 60% -

Note: 3/2012
Since Lumière Noir pour homme seems to be enjoyed by some women as well, I would like to suggest here that they also try the two fragrances "Lady Vengeance" and "Vengeance Extreme" by Juliette Has a Gun. Both are structured very similarly (Kurkdjian sends his regards!), but are distinctly more feminine, have a better drydown, and are also cheaper!

Shanaan was and still is for me the most unusual perfume I have ever smelled!

Here we are dealing with a very dark woody incense scent.
For me, the fragrance, even if it may sound silly, is simply extremely eerie and I shudder every time I smell it.
I don't immediately think of a church when I smell the perfume, but rather a dark crypt!
But this eerie smell is so incredibly well captured that I must also give it a % rating for the first time here!

For me, Shanaan is absolutely unbearable, but if you want to create an eerie aura, then it is perfect and probably unbeatable for that purpose!

- The perfect Halloween scent then!

Unfortunately, I cannot discover the erotic connection, but sexual preferences are known to not all be the same…

At the outset, I must say that I generally find orange waters quite boring and uninteresting.
I don't necessarily want to smell like a walking orange peel; there are definitely more intriguing fragrance categories to explore...
Well, being curious as I am, I still put the "Blood Orange" from Atelier Cologne through a thorough test.
I can say one thing right away - GRANDIOS!

Just the top note is a true delight!
(Blood) orange juice in absolute pure form immediately lifts your nostrils.
If you are looking for something synthetic here, you can really end your search right away.

A few minutes after application, this extreme, yet very pleasant, orange scent becomes a bit weaker, and for me, the real highlight of the fragrance follows:
A delicate and absolutely successful jasmine note mixes in with the "orange grove," giving the olfactory experience that certain something.
We are now essentially dealing with a basket full of oranges, which has now been enriched with many lovely, delicate jasmine flowers.

If one were to justifiably give the Cologne Absolue a bit more time, one even experiences how a very light vanilla scent sneaks in through the tonka bean.
This aspect adds a sensual component to this fine orange/jasmine fragrance.
Wonderfully crafted, great praise to the perfumer!

I would also describe the longevity as very successful.
You really have an orangey delight surrounding you for several hours...
Thus, "Orange Sanguine" convinces in every respect!

I have even learned something personally:
1. Orange fragrances do not have to be boring and unchallenging.
2. Perfumes do not necessarily have to be very expensive to smell absolutely high-quality and non-synthetic.

As Kankuro already added in his comment below, Pure Poison has been reformulated, which unfortunately robs the fragrance of its brilliance, in my opinion.

Pure Poison starts off really spectacularly in both versions!
Bergamot, mandarin, and orange can indeed be directly smelled from the top notes. But after just a few moments, the main players shine through, and those are the gardenia in perfect combination with the orange blossom. Both have been so wonderfully harmonized that this creation gains a radiant and absolutely silky character. It "feels" almost as if you are lightly brushing cool silk over your skin. I have never experienced anything so captivating and spectacular with any other fragrance!
The slowly creeping base notes can now only be faintly sensed in the original version, as they blend in nicely, or almost perfectly, into the overall composition without disturbing it in any way.
As I said, in the original version before the reformulation!

The new version "shines" as soon as the wonderful heart note is reached, namely with a significantly different progression. A distinct cedar note mixes into the overall masterpiece, giving the fragrance development a much "greener touch." Unfortunately, this smooth elegance is completely destroyed. This green note can almost be described as herbal in its development and now truly makes Pure Poison into a "grandma perfume"!
Personally, I really have to call it that after the reformulation. For young girls, Pure Poison has unfortunately become unbearable in my opinion...

-Solution proposals are needed-
1. Solution proposal:
For those whose Pure Poison bottle is nearing its end and who would like to buy again, I can only give the following advice. Take (if available) your old packaging with you to the store. The new version has a visually identical packaging at first glance, but it has a different size! The new packaging deviates by about 1/2 cm in height and width. Comparing can therefore save a possible disappointment in advance ;-)
2. Solution proposal:
Opt for the slightly more expensive Pure Poison Elixir! This fragrance is somewhat different due to the additional notes, but still contains the typical Pure Poison feeling without developing that old touch when worn. So definitely test it! A really great fragrance!
3. Solution proposal:
Test "In the Mood for Love" by Gianfranco Ferrè.
This perfume is extremely similar to the original Pure Poison (before the reformulation). It also has that bright, pure fragrance progression and additionally feels slightly silky. In the Mood for Love would therefore be a wonderful substitute for all the ladies' noses that can no longer relate to the new version of the "pure poison"...

Rating:
Original version: 100 %
Reformulated version: 20 %

Note: 16.06.11
Pure Poison seems to have received a new design. The cap is now black in the latest version, no longer white! Whether the fragrance has also been changed again at the same time, I cannot say yet... Perhaps Dior has improved it after the last mishap...

Since there is no comment on Armand Basi Homme yet, I will try to describe this beautiful fragrance a bit vividly.

We are dealing here with a very soft and slightly vanilla scent, which can definitely be classified as an oriental representative.
I think it can be well described as a "crossbreed" between Jean Paul Gaultier's "Le Male" and Lolita Lempicka's "Au Masculin".
So if our prominent green sailor and the pretty Lolita were to have a child together, they would probably name it "Armand Basi Homme"!
I believe this clear resemblance was intended by the "matchmaker" Olivier Cresp, and the birth dates of the parents also suggest this suspicion…

So let us not stand in the way of this love any longer and take a look at the result of the pairing:
As is customary with genetic fusion, we now have a slight genetic alteration as a result.
The "anise gene" from Lolita and the "mint-benzoin gene" from Le Male have now been altered through genetic recombination to the extent that we now have a distinct lilac accord instead after the birth.
This makes the child very feminine as a result, but still with a masculine "Homme" label, which I, as a concealed lover of the feminine, greatly appreciate…

The longevity of the "offspring" is truly excellent. One hardly has to worry all day about losing their little one from their nose...
The only downside is the slight soapiness that unfortunately makes itself subtly noticeable and may lead one to assume that the soap was perhaps applied a bit too generously on the little one during the morning wash…
It is also advisable to only embark on a joint outing in cooler temperatures, as otherwise, one might attract too much attention with their "very sweet" offspring...

Short conclusion:
Anyone who likes Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male but understandably seeks an alternative and additionally enjoys the scent of lilac will very likely find Armand Basi to be good and can also use it as an equivalent to Le Male.