Noir Epices (2000)
by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

Blackened spice this is. Somber scent and on me slightly clove dominant. Spicy with no noticeable sweetness. I detect a rose note peeking in and out but very subtly from the top to mid notes.

To call this fragrance severe would be inaccurate. One reviewer termed it intense....and that is an accurate statement. It is intense, especially with the cedarwood & sandalwood. The woods give this a dry,edgy smell on me and I could get to like this better with multiple wearings.

This is a drastically different scent than I'm used to wearing, but different sometimes is a good thing. Thumbs up.

I don`t like it at all, in any part of the duration. Sharp, aldehydic top notes are just a big bleh to me, and the drydown doesn`t take this anywhere interesting. Smells a lot more like a classic Chypre with a clove-cinnamon shot, than a distinguished, spicy Oriental. It`s also more feminine than masculine to my nose, although it classifies easily as in unisex category.

Could have some groundbraking qualities as in tension to marry the vintage chypre along with traditional oriental spices, but it smells artificial and boring.

Floral and spicy oriental. A bit brooding and the clove is a little daunting. More like a fragranced soap and ends up feeling one-dimensional.

Noir Epices: huh!? plastic? even Comme des Garcons do bearable plastic notes...i didnt get this one a bit..the intial hour is synthetic plastic notes...settling down to mildly powdery spicy notes which reminded me of CDG2. i think ill need some time on this one considering many adore this scent.


Noir Epices is composed by the great Michel Roudnistka and the notes listed are "nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and pepper, Michel Roudnitska's scent is topped with orange and geranium and backed by precious woods, including sandalwood and patchouli. A woody oriental, a near chypré, its sensuality is elegant, never lascivious."

i give it a neutral only coz i think i need to give it more time..especially since my peers here on BN think its a great scent..but, if you ask me now..i'd give it two thumbs down.

Well, I just described this scent in another review as an "in-your-face spice orgy", so I should probably put it here too. Noir Epices is a spice orgy in the best possible way; sparkling, nose-tingling and bright. It's a big, statement scent on opening - a little too big for my tastes, a kind of "wow, what just came out of the bottle?" feeling, but the overly sweet opening changes quickly - the orange and cloves jump out to dominate after which the scent settles to its true character.

A few hours in, a warm, sweet and still somewhat citrussy glow remains. It's one I'm putting in the keepsies pile and will take out on cold winter days.

Chalk one up for truth in advertising. Noir Epices is just that: dark and brooding, like Byron's Manfed in a particularly grim mood. The nutmeg, black pepper, and clove blend with a clean rose note to produce a melancholic heart accord that is as beautiful as it is sober.

The pepper and clove hang around to join the patchouli and woods in a rich, yet utterly sugarless drydown. I get a whiff of barbershop a few hours into the development, but it's not enough to cheapen the scent at all. Instead, it adds a tinge of nostalgia to this already moody composition.

This is a gripping fragrance, and also very formal to my nose. Malle markets it as unisex, but I think it would take a very special woman to pull this one off. Moderate sillage and projection, and reasonable staying power.