Reviews of Nocturnes (1981)
by Caron

This review is for the older (probably late 1980's) EDT. From all that I'd read, Nocturnes had been described as an aldehydic floral and when I first applied it, it did initially evoke a floral in the vein of Chanel No. 5. However, as the scent dried down I picked up on more green notes which made my mind shift to Chanel No. 19. A little later I got Guerlain's Chamade which is the way it pretty much stayed until the far drydown. If you're a Chamade fan, you'll like Nocturnes. In the end I would say that Noctures is pretty much what you'd get if you mixed the 3 scents I mentioned above, and as others have mentioned, it's the least "Caron" of all the Caron's.

This is a very "pretty" floral fragrance. Makes me think of springtime, sunrise, and fresh gardens with a bit of dew on them. The orange blossom is my favorite part of the development. It is very well blended. You can detect the light tuberose and lily of the valley, but they play a part in the overall accords. No one flower really takes center stage, except maybe orange blossom. The base is very soft, warm, and lovely. It is in the same ball park as Baghari (much richer and more sophisticated), Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle (much more confident), and Chanel No 5 eau Premier (much more exuberant), but anyone who likes these may enjoy Nocturnes. Even though aldehydes play a big part in the opening, I don't think this becomes very powdery in the overall development - not as much as Baghari for instance. Nocturnes would also make a wonderful bridal perfume b/c it is so lovely, soft, and smells like a wonderful fresh bouquet. It has a traditional romantic feel too. Very feminine.

This is lovely - subtle, classy and feminine. I find the perfume to be beautifully blended - no notes dominate to me - and quite linear - it just gets softer with time and the initial (very gentle) aldehydes fade. It is suitable to wear anywhere - in crowded places I don't need to worry about it overwhelming anyone, yet it feels special and romantic enough for an expensive meal out. One of my very favourites.

Oh, so beautiful.

The orange blossom is soft; the aldehydes are voluptuous; the tuberose and ylang-ylang are striking without being overpowering; the sandalwood is subtle; the vetiver is perfect: neither being soapy or dirty; the rose is deep and a little bit spicy; and the musk is both feminine and slightly animalic.

Nocturnes is both luxurious and sparkling, and is a pleasure to smell throughout the day.

I agree that Nocturnes is a sweetheart rather than a femme fatale, and this is fine with me.

Another masterpiece from Caron.

Being a huge Caron fan, I took a chance and bought this unsniffed. Not normally one to wear florals much, I was quite surprised how much I love it. The orange blossom lends a bright citrusy note in the opening to play off the green vetiver, both earthy and airy, bright, dries down to a soft warm beauty, although I wouldn't mind the sparkling top notes sticking around the whole time either.

I have fallen in love with this perfume. I find it perfect for spring and summer when I want to feel fresh and green. It opens with a sparkling green and dries down to a powdery earthiness, not too sweet, not too "dirty", like vetiver can do on me sometimes. DH says he loves this frag b/c it does not smell like anything else. I think it departs a bit from the Caron "feel", but a favorite of mine nonetheless!

Nocturnes opens on my skin with a very fresh clean lemony scent which softens as it dries down. Didn't seem to change much in the drydown except become softer but then....... after about twenty minutes I get a fragrant blend of vanilla, orange and roses (as Ayala has posted in her review). No green notes on me, just a lovely delicate and 'pure' scent. Some perfumes are described as 'femme fatale', 'seductress' etc. I'd offer 'sweetheart' for Nocturnes.

I agree with RoseAmber in that this fragrance, it seems, could well have been made in the Roaring Twenties. LOVELY use of aldehydes, and brilliant use of vetiver to tone down the tuberose.

A freakin' masterpiece, this one.

Okay, okay. I'm eating a bit of crow these days. Have revisted Chamade and have fallen in love. Have revisted Nocturnes and have fallen in love. What struck me as soapy months ago now strikes me as feminine and cool. I like the review below that likens Nocturnes to stepping into a forest glade at twilight. That's a beautiful image and captures the essence of this scent. I'm a big Caron fan, and for a while I thought this classic just wasn't for me. But I've changed my mind. Definitely full bottle worthy.

Nocturnes (to my nose) is a complex aldehydic floral with a warm drydown and beautiful, wistful sillage. Unlike other reviewers, I don't perceive lemon, soapiness, or powder so much as creamy floral notes on a soft woods base. It is sophisticated, unusual, and emotional; one of my favorites.

Another surprise from Caron. Though slightly floral, I find this completely wearable and very light and fresh. A nice marriage of vetiver and orange blossom on my skin.

NOTES: Vetiver, sandalwood, musk, jasmine, tuberose, ylang-ylang, orange blossom, rose.

Although the name suggests it to be a night-invoking perfume, I find it extremely summer-like and full of light.
It starts off with a citrus splash of bergamot and tangerine, backed up with a feminine floral notes of jasmine, and a more masculine eau-de-cologne like notes of orange blossoms and a hint of musk, that adds sensuality to that blast of freshness.
As the top notes start to fade, they reveal a luscious fruity note of peach supported by vanilla, which gradually pushes away the dominant orange-blossom and tangerine accord.
The dry down gradually enters with an interesting and surprising accord dominated by a fresh, woody and masculine vetiver notes, accompanied by green notes, orange blossom (softer and more subtle now), and a very modest hint of vanilla and rose!
This perfume is full of surprises, I love the way the stages fade into each other! The overall impression is of freshness and vivacity.

This fragrance is the epitome of my romantic expectations of fine French perfume. It was my first real perfume (in parfum form); given to me as a gift when I was a teenager in the 1980s. Its mysterious, elegant, and incredibly beautiful fragrance still haunts my memories, and when I wear it, I feel like a ghost of Chopin's dreams. Even though this was launched in 1981, it has a haunting, classic quality that I associate with 1920s fragrances (such as Chanel Gardenia). Notes: Orange, Aldehydes, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Rose, Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk.

Nocturnes I describe as the kind of ethereal scent that an elven lady like Arwen from Lord of the Rings might wear. I wore it on my wedding day. It has orange blossoms as a prominent note which makes it suitable for a wedding scent. It has a cool floral/green quality like stepping into a mossy forest glade at twilight. I see it as different from many Caron fragrances in that it doesn't have the weightiness of many of the urn fragrances Caron makes.