Fleur de Narcissus (2006)
by L'Artisan Parfumeur

Maybe it's a skin chemistry thing, but this seemed to have gone into my writs and totally disappeared. I literally smelled nothing after applying more than a few drops on each wrist from the sample I'd ordered.I can't comment on something I can't smell. I'm curious to know if anyone else has had this experience with Fleur de Narcisse.

Admittedly, the opening is as wobbly and uncertain as Captain Jack Sparrow after a tankard or two. In a few minutes, the fragrance finds its direction and, strangely, that direction seems to be toward the tobacco shop, not the florist's. I'm familiar with the scent of narcissus in bloom, and CB I Hate Perfume M1 Narcissus is one successful rendition of that flower. L'Artisan's FdN is successful in being very pleasant, in a mild, non-smokey tobacco sort of way. I wouldn't mind having a decant of this because it's quite wearable and special (thumbs up), although a lot weaker than I'd like, however, as a floral, it has not met its label (so neutral thumb verdict).

The utterly weird top notes are bitter and green, with very sharp, acidic overtones that verge on distilled vinegar. The vinegary top takes its time settling down as the narcissus makes its quiet and much-delayed entrance. Up to this point there is nothing particularly floral or even attractive about Fleur de Narcisse. It's more disturbing, in the vein of Serge Lutens's or Comme des Garcons' more outre compositions.

It's more than a half an hour before the narcissus note is fully recognizable, and even then it does not stand at center stage. The intense green and sour vinegar notes hang on, although in blunted form, for over an hour. This is too long for me, especially because I barely get the leather base note that makes Fleur de Narcisse sound so intriguing on paper. When the vinegar finally disperses I'm left with a pleasant enough white flower fragrance, but nothing that I'd endure the unpleasant top notes (or spend $300) for.

I'm a guy who wears almost exclusively florals. This one didn't work for me. I found it too feminine. Where oh where is my Verveine Narcisse? Although as Quixotiq stated, it would work well as a (expensive) layering option.

I called L'artisan's SOHO boutique and asked for samples of Passage D'Enfer and Dzongkha (both of which I adore) and much to my delight, I was sent this as well. I think this is also called "Fleur De Narcisse", or at least thats what was written on the sample cardboard I was sent.
Honestly, I have no idea what a Narcissus flower looks or smells like, but when I smell this, I think of a bright white waxy flower with a long stem that has been crushed by hand....
I smell the essence of both the white of the bloom and the green stalk of this particular flower..and nothing else. It does smell like something more suited to women in the sample bottle... but when I put it on my skin, I noticed that this one isn't gender specific at all. On me, it just works!
Surprisingly for this house, this one lasts quite a bit.. which leads me to believe that this may be an edp.
I've tried layering it with Timbuktu. LOTS of compliments!