Reviews of Eau Noire Cologne (2004)
by Christian Dior

GROUP. Oriental-fougere. GENDER. Ladies you can try it (please dont forget to put the bottle back into his closet). CREATIVITY. Walks in the path of Caron's 1934 hit ''Pour Un Homme'' but finally it has its own character. Certainly the most memorable fragrance from the trio range (Bois d' Argent, Cologne Blance, Eau Noire) created under the guidance of Hedi Slimane (the talented, skinny trousers former designer of Dior Homme). DAY OR NIGHT? I was tempted several times to try it at daytime but naahhh. It is definitely an evening one. Just dont waste it with a jeans & t-shirt outfit. LONGEVITY. Amazing longevity (at least on me) so be cautious and spray only twice. COMMENTS. The powerfull and complex sweet opening where Spices come first : immortelle and ouzo (greek aperitif) with a touch of curry and cedar notes, might discourage you but please wait...the party just began. Herbals (dried sage), florals (lavender) more spices (vanilla) a little smoke and gourmand notes (burnt caramel and vanilla creme brulee) take over to drive you to a more safe path. The middle notes are more calm and relaxed and have an amazing longevity. As base notes I can detect just lavender and vanilla pod, but in a much more powdery and refined way than the middle ones. It is definitely an ingenious fragrance but its neither for everyone nor for everywhere. It is heavy, deep, black in a sweet way, and if you are not in a mood to dig hard you wont find the treasure.

Cedar cabin, maple syrup (in reality this is immortelle flower), spices, lots of lavender, coffee and vanilla. Dark, mysterious, sensual and spicy, this is my fall and winter holy grail. Longevity is perfect, verging on 24 hours, with sillage that is just right. Never becomes too sweet, too woody or too gourmand. I whole heartily agree that this is pretty much bottled perfection. Quite simply Francis Kurkdjian's finest creation that I have smelled.

For those of you who enjoy Eau Noire, get a bottle of it while you can, as it's now discontinued and becoming harder and harder to find. I actually had to ask my local Dior boutique to order it from another province, as there were no 125 ml bottles left in Quebec.

9.75/10

Edit: I've been wearing this non-stop for a few months now and I have no doubt in my mind that this is the best fragrance I have ever worn. It's a friggin' masterpiece on my skin - perfect in every way. I realize this smells like curry to some people but that's cool - it just means more Eau Noire for me!

10/10

Curry and maple syrup. I have no problem with harshness in fragrances per se, but it doesn't work for me here. The base is less objectionable than the top, but it's not worth the wait.

The top notes of Eau Noire are quite sharp; a nose-pinching bite of herbal lavender that is a nice introduction to this fragrance. Within a few minutes it fades abruptly, leaving a light, powdery immortelle touched with vanilla - if there was a Sables Light, it would smell like this.

All in all it's nice, but unremarkable. Average longevity, but very much a skin scent when the top-notes fade.

If you like this, try Annick Goutal's Sables and Parfum D'Empire's Fougere Bengale.

Oh dear Lord, how exactly is this wearable? Annick Goutal Sables meets Bond No. 9 New Haarlem makes for top notes from H.E.L.L! Very, very loud and after the immortelle settles what remains is pleasant and clearly of high quality but comparatively weak. This is probably a love it or hate it frag, and this reviewer hates it. Only positive aspect of this I see is that it is a very avantgarde frag for a designer scent.

This is totally unwearable!

There’s no bloody way I’m going to smell like a curry-eating lout, who suddenly had the urge to buy an ice-cream and 99p flake for dessert.

Compelling, in its own special way, but utterly gross!

[Original submission date: 29 December 2007]

Christian Dior Eau Noire

In 2004 Christian Dior creative design head Hedi Slimane commissioned a trio of colognes for the Dior Homme line. They were Cologne Blanche, Bois D'Argent and Eau Noire. Eau Noire was designed by Francis Kurkdjian and was to be a scent, like Annick Goutal Sables, which used immortelle as the central core to build this cologne around. Immortelle has, to my nose, a powerful and distinct maple syrup accord and it can be that loud talker in the room that doesn't let another note get a word in to the conversation. That makes it a tricky note to work with as a perfumer and a tricky note to appreciate as a colognoisseur because if you don't like it its hard to get away from it. The top of this is immortelle barging into the room in all of its powerful glory but wisely M. Kurkdjian has chosen to allow clary sage to arrive at the olfactory party at the same time. I found this to be an interesting choice as it makes the immortelle feel more incense-like than sweet and it is a good partner to immortelle because it does accentuate a different facet of the dominant note. The shift into the heart comes as the sage moves over to a corner and lavender joins the conversation. In much the same way that sage accentuated the incense quality of immortelle, the floral lavender brings out the more floral quality of immortelle and makes this feel, almost, like a debate of equals. Finally the lavender is exhausted by the everlasting immortelle and in the base vanilla enters the fray and here allows immortelle to be what it is most commonly, the maple syrup sweet over some vanilla flavored pancakes. Here is where immortelle finally arrives at what we expect and immortelle finds a conversational partner that can hold its own against it. Many perfumers realize when you have a central note to be the center of conversation it is important to find partners that allow the listeners to appreciate different aspects of the thesis. M. Kurkdjian has done this in such a way that as you close the door on this olfactory party you don't even mind that the loud talker was in the room.

This is just great. Definitely not just for men, Eau Noire is a beautiful big spicy cologne, with a very comfortable feel to it, like your oldest well-worn cashmere sweater. I don't get too much lavender, and the wood notes are perfect--providing just enough support for the powdered spices. This is much richer than most of the colognes I've smelled and two spritzes from my sample atomizer were all I needed. Very nice indeed and certainly FBW.

Pure perfection. Completely flawless creation.

White cardboard casket with velvety lining inside is gorgeous, and the bottle is one of the most beautiful ones ever. It’s breathtaking. The simple design and the deep green juice…just perfect.
It comes with a separate spray component, like SL export bottles for instance, but I don’t use that one myself : I use 7ml decant which I fill up when necessary. This way I can sometimes enjoy the beauty of that bottle, and also I am able to keep that bottle inside that wonderful casket.

The scent itself could not be better either. It is unique, and most importantly; it is very easy to wear yet definitely it is not boring - never! I presume I could wear this scent forever without boredom, and if I was forced to use only one scent for the rest of my life, this could be my choice without a doubt. It smells warm, comforting and extremely natural. Lasts forever with perfect, gentle sillage to it.

Its amazing how this quite simple blend of everlasting flower, cedar, vanilla and lavender can smell so unbelievably rich and nuanced. Eau Noire gives me a lot of different kind of associations: It can remind me of salmiac, coffee, dark chocolate, sauna, spice market, forest, train yard and god knows what else….Unbelievably full of shades this scent, an endless depth of imagination.

What can I say?

Dior, Mr. Kurkdjian and Mr. Slimane…..Thanks. :)

This reminds of a large spice cabinet made of the finest cedar that is not only the home of every spice imaginable, but also home to a variety of delectable syrups. Indeed, this is a very, very good thing.

Another triumph for Dior.

This scent for men and women, is one-third of the Couture Collection trio of colognes, available through select retail outlets and Dior boutiques. It can only be described as "inspired" - pushing the envelope by meshing the fougere (fern) perfume classification together with a rich oriental. The result is a harmonious blend that is as lush and succulent as an emerald New Zealand forest, and as thick and mysterious as an oriental bazaar. Clary sage, violet, lavender and cedar ripple over a strumming heart of helichrysum, caraway, leather, bitter coffee and smooth vanilla. Olfactory chiaroscuro is at work here... there are contrasting lights and shadows at play... rich spices and dark woods are stippled with bright, creamy vanilla and tranquilizing lavender. It offers welcoming familiarity with its honeyed warm hues, and also an uncharted greenness which begs to be explored. The juxtaposition of accords is genius, and the overall impact is velvety, comforting and engaging.
Eau Noire remains earthy, natural and grounded. It has reasonable sillage and can be detected up to 8 hours after initial application.

I enjoy this fragrance immensely, from start to finish. Right away, several different textures, weights, and sensations clamor to find their place, the major players being dry, sharp lavender and other pungent herbs (sage?), and sweet, spicy, curried helichrysum. As the sharp dryness of the lavender subsides a bit, I notice an anise impression that's not terribly strong on me, doesn't take over as it can do, and adds a perfect balance to the dustiness of the herbs and powdered curry of immortelle. I find the cologne concentration of this really a remarkable facet of its success because if Eau Noir were an Eau d'Parfum, I could imagine it having the impression of "too much of everything" and becoming a perfumey, syrupy mess (how I might feel about Parfum d'Empire Fougere Bengale if I didn't like it so darn much!). But with Eau Noir, there's a sense of place for each of its notes and accords, and while we are exposed to many foody ingredients, there's something about this sense of balance that keeps me from the fear of smelling like a plate of Indian food. Or like coffee, or licorice, or like pancake syrup (and come to think of it, those thoughts don't bother me in the least). Its dryness (mostly toward the beginning) doesn't grate and its sweetness (in the middle and toward the end) doesn't cloy: the balance of impressions experienced in Eau Noir is incredible to me. When a lot of the clamor that is experienced at the beginning settles down, I see where Eau Noir wants to repose and it is in a perfect marriage of sweet spice and herbal harmony.

Two words: maple syrup! In a good way.....

I was so excited to try this, especially with the other Dior Homme exclusives being such winners, with some of those reviews proclaiming Eau Noir to be the best of the three. Oy Vey! I rarely write negative reviews because usually if I don't like something I can still see the qualities in it that make something good. I can acknowledge that just because I don't like a note or two, a fragrance can still be good but just not for me. Not this.

The opening, to me, was dead on lentil soup - with too much salt. I've sampled it now three times, and each time I could swear it smells like salty lentil soup. The fragrance then goes somewhere unexpected - to a sickly sweet amber that is very similar to Tom Ford Amber Absolute. The basenotes come back around full circle, combining amber and some salty/spicy/incense notes that, jumbled together, are somewhat unpleasant.

Not for me at all, and just bizarre. I think Bois d'Argent is the best of the three, with Cologne Blanche right behind.

This weird concoction smells like my mother's spice drawer: cinnamon, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, basil, aniseed and brunt sugar. Imagine what a bakery would smell like if it caught fire. I'm not fond of this.

There is only one word for this: Maggi. Maggi is a liquid spice hailing from Switzerland, the basis of which is concentrated lovage. Maggi is the beginning and epitome of industrial convenience food and its norm-spice flavor, of lowest common denominator taste levelling. Eau Noir is Maggi from the bottle, Maggi in the air, Maggi on my skin. Forget the complaints about celery salt in Sables or Sud-Est or Yatagan, this is ten times more intense, read: worse. I can only surmise this results from the weird interaction of the anise, sage, fennel, and caraway perversely amplifying an already hefty dose of immortelle. Someone please drive a wooden stake through the heart of this truly undying savoury flower. If this were the last perfume in the world I wouldn't wear it. No summer of lovage for me (and heck, a bottle of Maggi is only € 1,99).

The most beautiful perfume ever created.

I expected great things from Eau Noire after all of the positive reviews it's gotten here on Basenotes and elswhere. When I first put it on, I had a knee-jerk reaction: "Oh no, it's another chocolate drenched gourmand oriental!"

Well guess what? That's just what it is. Luckily, Eau Noire is nowhere near as sweet as A*Men or Le Male, and its pronounced woody component gives it more depth and balance than either of those overexposed standbys.

Cedar, sandalwood, and deep spices overcome the opening mocha sensation as the scent develops - much to its benefit, as far as I'm concerned. The spices slowly coalesce around a note that might be anise, fennel, or licorice, bringing the heart of the fragrance back around to gourmand territory in the process. Black licorice and woods is pretty much where Eau Noire stays as it dries down. It is dark, but I'm not sure where "eau" and "cologne" enter the picture. If you ask me, this is a full-blown oriental eau de toilette, and I can imagine it being worn comfortably by either gender. Just not by me.

Well, of the three scents in this line, here is the only one with any pretense to a wood tone. The wood is ok, but as with so many scents it is overpowered and thus ruined by vanilla. Hansel and Gretel were walking through the woods and left sweet little cookie crumbs to find their way out. Is this what you want to smell like?

Wow, it smells just like licorice! Strangely refreshing licorice with some citrus and woods and leather and green notes and coffee. I think it makes my mouth water...

Raw!, powerfukl. I never smelled nothing in my skin as pure as that, in my life!.
Raw leather like those accesories you can buy in Marrakech markets.
Pure raw leather skin non treated.
Cedar, not fresh :is burnt, burnt cedar,smoky, dark, wild.
Sometimes the aura becames rubbery beacuse of the reaction of the vanilla when misex with the other two notes.
what a simple minimal outstading perfume.
thumbs up to the designer!!!! A masterpiece.

Definitely the most pungent of the three. Probably too strong for some. I like it, but I would use it sparingly and only on the skin--like the chest and maybe the nape of the neck. Reminds me of cloves (the spice). One of the few truly "dark" men's scent. (I don't count stuff like KC Black, Armani Code Black, RL Black, etc. "dark" scents--they're more like fresh day scents toned down and warmed up for evening wear).

I love dark fragrances. Corot is one of my favorite painter, and my wife thinks his landscapes are depressing because they can be so dark. Dark and green, that's what I love. I adore Eau Noire for that reason. It is ambery, and dark green, creating an almost other worldy ambiance. It must have been inspired by Jean-Baptiste- Camille Corot. Why else would it have a French name.

This smells so similar to Bond No.9's New Harlem. Chocolate, coffee and slightly green cedar. Its potent tho! wow you can smell it everywhere. However its not one of those fragrances liked by everyone. Its not my cup of Tea. YUK!

I love the Christian Dior fashion house, especially what Hedi Slimane has done to revitalise Dior Homme. I mean, its because of this man that its actually acceptable and desirable for us men to be thin. How stunning are his razor cut shilouettes, that signature Dior Homme look. So as you can imagine, when I flipped through a fashion magazine and discovered a spread about this trio of colognes designed by Hedi for Dior I almost fell over. Being in Canada, in Edmonton no less, I was greatly disappointed to learn that they were exclusive to the Dior Homme boutiques...until last summer when I stepped into Holt Renfrew and discovered them there. Let me just say I like all three, I purchased Bois d'Argent instantly, liked Cologne Blanche however found it too powdery for my personal wear, and I hated Eau Noire when I first smelled it. I couldn't possibly imagine how anyone could wear such a heavy herbal mess on their skin. That was, until recently, when I tried it on my skin. I was completly surprised by what it did...that initial bitter herbal blast of the cedar and immortelle vanished almost instantly, leaving me with an incredible sweet warmth. The fragrance only deepens and becomes warmer the longer its on my skin, its hard to tell that there is even cedar in the fragrance. The lavender and vanilla come to the foreground, leaving the cedar and imortelle lingering in the background only to be faintly noticed. Everytime I catch a glimpse of this scent I feel instantly at ease, and wearing it gives me a sense of power because it is such a warm and unique fragrance. Im utterly amazed at what this does on my skin and only wish I had come across it sooner!

Eau Noire is as good as it gets – a true work of art and easily the best of the three Dior colognes. I cannot think of another cologne that gives me that very subjective feel good sense of vibe like this one. From a more objective perspective Eau Noire is flawlessly balanced and quite groundbreaking. In the way most great perfumes starts out, Eau Noire starts off with a somewhat harsh lavender-spice combination and needs some time to settle down after application. When these notes mellow out, you are on a very long lasting journey ending in a perfectly balanced smokey-vanilla-choclate drydown that feels more oriental than gourmand. The mix and balance between the different (natural) ingredients are amazing in eau noire. The end result is a quite unique scent with dark meditative, Zen-like qualities rather than formal ones. The sillage is excellent, comparable to (if not better than) the likes of Jaipur PH EdP. This is perhaps not the most versatile cologne, but I wear this to work frequently – if you love it, it is simply a matter of moderation when applying the fragrance. One of Karl Lagerfeld’s favorites and a true masterpiece of a cologne that is a “must try” for people who have a soft spot for lavender fragrances and “highly recommended” for you who don’t.

Let me be the second to turn thumbs down. I agree with robyogi about there being a disagreeable note in the opening of Eau Noire—almost the same disagreeable one that is in Annick Goutal’s Sables. To my nose that note is very bitter and aggressive, and it totally overwhelms all the other notes. It’s a dusty, celery-seed-to-the-tenth-power-like bitter / dry note and I find it repulsive. It lasts for at least two hours, after which it has subsided enough for me to get some idea of what most everyone else is smelling with this fragrance: a strong, boderline-harsh herbal accord with an almost ethereal sweetness balancing it: I only wish I could experience this accord from the start—it’s wonderful. The dry down is very nice, but it is simply not good enough to make up for the torture of the opening.

A nice blast of spices followed by a drydown that is too sweet, warm and powdery. Fine and safe, but not a revelation.

To me this is the perfect sweet oriental fragrance. It starts out like a sweet harsh herbal medicine shop, but it becomes softer as the scent reveals itself, however i still detect the herbal quality with more added vanilla. It smells dark, classy and ultra luxurious, sweet but never cloying. It is also a perfect night time fragrance with its declared sexiness and boldness. It is totally intoxicating, hypnotizing everyone in its path, drawning them into a world of blissfulness. It's everything i've ever wanted in an oriental fragrance. A superb creation that is very exclusive is also the only sweet oriental i will ever need if i were to pick out of the countless. Believe the hype!

Sorry to be the first to rain on this parade, but this scent, like Cologne Blanche, I just cannot give a thumbs-up review. I find something about the two of these scents to border on disgusting, and I am surprised to be the first to mention it. Maybe in this one it's the immortelle, a note I don't like in Sables either. But I think it is also this near-foody quality crossed with an effeminate powderiness. On the plus side, this one is darker than Blanche, which makes it a little more interesting to me. Still, the sweetness, the chocolatey note, and the immortelle make this a "no" for me.

mmm edible spicy so dark and sexy im not gonna waste your time with trying to guess the notes, you can read everyone else's blurbs for that. just gonna tell you its definatley the best out of the three in its series and it jumped into my top 10 immediatley after smelling it :)

I walked to the Dior counter quite blind to the press and publicity around the 3 colognes Hedy Slimane had created for the exclusive Dior line and tested Eau Noire 3 weeks ago.. It completely floored me. Almost as if I had finally found myself again in the noise of modern fragrance shallowness... Don't get me wrong, I love Rive Gauche PH, Cartier's Baiser du Dragon, even Dior Homme.. but Eau Noire completely took me by surprise. I waited a few days .. went for another spritz on my wrists.. Then last week went down and got one 125 ml bottle, and one 250... I don't need to describe the beauty of the construction, the masterful restraint and effortless artistry in the blending, everyone else here has. But isn't it great that every once in a while a great artist puts some soul and feeling and beauty into something you can use everyday? Day in and day out :)

First I really found some similarities with Sables but after I used 10 ml decant. I have gone and have bought it. It seems greater success Dior, level with the Silver Wood to me is. White cologne has turned out faded on their background though the certain style is felt. I not so love a lavender but Black Water it very harmonious, an immortele and vanilla green. Great spicy-fougere!

That`s The dark brilliance!!! So concentrate in lavender, immortelle, sage and vanilla - it should named EDP. For me it is a breed of Caron pour Homme and Sables Annick Goutal (minus aniseed). Sweet but with understated noble refinement. Very Hedy, very Slimane.
My girlfriend wears it with a great pleasure as well! ;)

Eau Noire is brilliant. This is such a rich, earthy, and spicy fragrance. Deep earthy woods with rich culinary (Almost dessert like) notes. This is such a wonderful fragrance. It’s unlike anything I have smelled. I must own a full bottle of this.

INCREDIBLE! Such a well blended/balanced scent. The touch of vanilla in the base really does warm this woody wonder up just right. TRUELY smells like a "dark" Dior Cologne Blanche! WOOO HOOO!

The comparison of this fragrance with Annick Goutal's Sables is well noted and quite right; however, it must also be noted that there is a distinct similarity to a less sweet version of Bond 9's New Haarlem as well. Also there is a definite harmony between the two (who would have thought) that produces an odd hybrid accord that is quite magical. While this fragrance seems to blend some of the most common of fragrance ingredients, the output is unique enough to merit a purchase if one is comforatable with the price tag. Although evening wear might be the primary use of this product as some have said, I felt it yielded a rather positive dreamy quality throughout the day as I wore it. Lasts very well too so don't let the term cologne fool you in the name.

I love it. Dark, brooding, almost dirty. A bit acrid and then *poof* an immortelle note paired with a breath of lavender before a sweet middle-eastern dessert appears...then the darkness overtakes it again. To me this is a bit like a dark thunderstorm, every now and then a ray of light breaks through the grey, but the grey itself is amazing to behold. Hard to compare to anything else, similar in its scorched butterscotch note to Goutal's Sables, echoing Daude's Biche dans l'Absinthe in its earthiness. A masterpiece.

My much anticipated Dior Homme cologne finally arrived. After hearing good things about this scent I sprung for the 4.2 oz bottle at Retail. $US 125 and that's before tax and shipping. Most expensive purchase. OK, now for the scent - comes as a dark green liquid in a clear bottle with a black top. Much like mugler's cologne you get a black spray along with the top and you have to screw the spray in (then, the top doesn't fit). First whiffs after opening the black top -- hmm sweetish, lavendery -- cr*p is this caron pour homme? did I get swindled? OK, no going back, so I sprayed thrice on my arm to get to the scent. On my other arm I have caron pour homme for reference.

Good - no sign of the ghastly piercing lavendar of pour homme, I smell caramelized sugar, burnt sugar - reminds me of Body Kouros' burnt sweetness - spice appears - not cumin, thyme perhaps, fenugreek or sage and some very light indian spices. Too spicy - the burnt sugar tames it though. I wait for some more time, the spice has mellowed out and the burnt sugar takes over. I smell lavendar coming in, looks like it was hidden behind the spice (usually lavendar is the top note). Around this time pour homme is perfect for 30 seconds balanced between the lavendar sharpness and vanilla sweetness. Continue further, EN settles down nicely into a light spice, sweet with lavender scent, I am thinking maple syrup without the excessive sweetness. By now, pour homme has become sticky vanilla and is cloying. Eau noire is prolonging the spicy, sweet with lavendar effect for a long time. The spiciness is subsiding and sweetness is taking over gently, slight woodiness - cedar comes in. No abrupt switch between lavendar to vanilla like pour homme. EN continues becomes a very balanced between spicy and sweet, cedar takes on a bigger role. I can't comment on pour homme, I have washed it off by now. EN lasts quite long, though it is called a cologne, it is at least EdT (if not EdP) in longevity.

All in all, interesting experience. Serge Lutens meets Caron Pour Homme. I am wary of lavender scents (except Creed RSL which is very light), so this is an interesting take on lavender. My greatest regret with Creed BdP is the lack of sweet notes, if someone could add a slight sweetness and remove the citrus top notes it would be perfect for me. I have unsuccefully tried adding vanilla oil to BdP to make it smell better with terrible results (no perfumer here). Eau Noire is a close approximation to that sentiment (spicy sweet lavendar) though a different scent. I still detest paying retail ...

Actually just as dark and hardcore as the name and packaging hints. Was almost shocked by it's old world manliness. Along the lines of Bois the Portugal and Caron's Third man. Lavender spice bomb with unbelievable longevity. Neat!

WOW!!!great scent, helichrysium (immortelle) tempered by lavender, Brilliant..I do agree, much better than Sables.

Notes, from Fashionlines: The formula is derived from white thyme leaves, clary sage, lavender, Cedar oil from Virginia, violet stems plus a drop of vanilla.
Someone said "sex in a bottle", I fully agree ! Although notes-wise they only seem to have vanilla in common, Eau Noire has a similar feel to it as Sables from Annick Goutal. A confident, spicy, sexy scent, very close to the skin, but Bois Noir is lighter, more modern, more playful than Sables.