Film Noir
by Ava Luxe

Basically a pleasant and smooth leather after a briefly pungent opening accord that is very rubbery/fuel-like. The leather accord never reaches the depth of luxury of something like a Chanel Cuir de Russie or Knize Ten, but it's a good leather nonetheless. I'd like to try the extrait version of this - if there's more emphasis on the heart/base the leather may come out even more smoothly.

This was a blind buy and my first time ever trying an Ava Luxe, so I had no idea what to expect. The top is a serious WHOA! The opening is very animalistic and has the 'jet fuel leather' type of accord you find in Carion en Avion. On paper this gassy note lasts a while, but on the skin it settles quickly into a subtle and light leather accord. This leather may be one of those conglomerations of notes that create the effect of leather, but to my nose these notes are so well blended that it smells just like light leather.

It remains like this for quite a few hours, and I figured it would just fade away as a light leather. However, the base really opens up and even sweetens.... I get hints of rose, tonka, and coumarin - I'd even swear I get hints of fruit/berry, though this may be the rose.

To smell the top notes and then the base, you'd never ever think that it's the same fragrance, such is the massive difference between them. There is some real artistry here, and I'm glad this blind buy was successful. I'm now really looking forward to checking out more from Ava Luxe.

I was quite prepared to love this, but alas it's the first from this wonderful house that I dislike. Opening blast of plasticky licorice, then it morphs into cheap leather. I like leather but this feels too much like a hodge-podge of weirdness. Still, points for creativity, so I can't give it a full thumbs down. I'd rather encourage something weird than boring...and this is definitely not boring!

Haha. Indeed the one would expect an interesting and complex fragrance (just look at those notes!) but no; very very linear, almost single note, thin yet quite creamy suede leather scent. Somewhat similar to Donna Karan Fuel and Daim Blond, but not as rich.

The other reviewers have Film Noir nailed: soft leather scent that’s basically linear. It’s strange to look at the list of fourteen notes in the pyramid, and try to figure out where all those notes went. It just doesn’t seem any more complicated than the soft leather suede note. OK, tessera is right about the somewhat hay note; that’s in there, all right, but olibanum, tobacco, and civet? I’m not smelling them, although I’m not saying they aren’t there. I never did like leathers very much, but for some reason I was expecting to be totally impressed by Film Noir, but a soft suede leather just doesn’t do it for me. No Oscar for this one, I’m afraid.

A little dirty, a little leather, something funky more like Mick Jagger than Mickey Spillane about this. I am not sure I would want to be caught wearing this. I am not sure I could live up to the "wild side" ambiguity. Courtney Love could do it though, absolutely. Someone should sent it to her, and a little Cafe Noir for when she wakes up sometime the next day.