Narcisse Noir (1911)
by Caron

I have never smelled the vintage but I don't find the current parfum formulation remotely 'noir'. On skin NARCISSE NOIR quickly morphs into a mildly acerbic yet dry, talc-like floral - unfortunately one of many I have come across.

I do not know what the problem is but it just doesn't grab me, much less hold my attention. Perhaps my expectation is unduly high or my floral preferences lie on the lush side but right now this Caron songbird is singing to me in a monotone.

19th September, 2011.

I never have smelled the vintage Narcisse Noir or the parfum extrait. I did own a bottle of the EDT in the 1980's (whatever formulation it was at that time) and I loved it.
The orange blossom, the indole, the incense all weave a beautifully intoxicating scent.
It will always be in my list of favorites.

13rd June, 2011.

The citrus in the opening of Narcisse Noir EDT misses me. I get only a slight bergamot note and potent white floral accord dominated by jasmine and narcissus. For me, the accord is pretty much straightforward white floral, and it changes little through the entire run of the fragrance. I looked forward to the musk and civet that were mentioned in the scent pyramid, but they did not come through for me at all. I’m not fond of this fragrance – it is a little too uncomplicated and loud for me, but, considering that, I do not find it cloying or off-putting, either… just dull. It has strong sillage and unreal longevity

7th June, 2011.

I am reviewing the parfum extrait...

Dark and intense blend of oranges, jasmine, incense and musk notes...

Incredibly powerful and long lasting but refined, elegant and unique...

I do love it and will wear it again for a special evening at the opera...

Big thumbs up...!!!

5th March, 2011.

Can a perfume tell a story? There are countless theories about the way the sense of smell is tied up with memory, but with Narcisse Noir there is something I don't understand. It reminds me of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. It really conjures up the atmosphere of old Hollywood films, but as I only smelled the perfume recently, and never met an old-school Hollywood femme fatale, there can't be any memory that Narcisse Noir triggers whenever I smell it. Still, it just seems to fit my image of this other world, and it just so happens that it was the perfume Norma Desmond drenched herself with as she made the transition from the glamorous to the grotesque. Indeed actress Gloria Swanson is said to have had the Sunset Boulevard set sprayed with the stuff, so it must have had a similar effect on her.

Now I'm sure if I could trace back all of the scents I have ever smelled throughout my life as well as the complex of associations I have made with them, it would become clear why this perfume presents itself to me the way it does. Still, I can’t imagine how I could possibly interpret its bold mix of coppery tones over a dank spicy base as anything other than the dark edgy side of glamour from a bygone age. Maybe I'm suggestible, or maybe Narcisse Noir actually is a film noir in a bottle.

28th December, 2010.

I was excited to try this, but sadly, it brought my bile up. It was thick with indoles, sickly sweet, and so over-bearing that I had to hold my wrist away from myself until I could wash it off. And I barely put half-a spritz on! This stuff is strong, strong, strong.

7th April, 2010.