Café Noir
by Ava Luxe

I agree with the all comment made before me. The coffee note is coffier than many real coffees. It is is really impressive with the wonderful smoky coffee lavender composition. İ really admire but is it wearable for me. No it is not. But i cannot stop myself saying "Great... "

Quite possibly one of the best perfumes on the planet. I was expecting a gourmand, and got rich coffee, spices, wood... and magic.

[b]Notes:[/b] Black coffee bean, Allspice Berries, Cardamom, French Lavender, Attar of Roses, Cedar, Patchouli, Vanilla, Mocha, Sandalwood, Siam Benzoin, Ambrette seeds.

The opening presents a potent rendition of the deep dark roasted coffee beans. While the opening coffee thing is happening, it is about the only thing that’s happening that I can smell. The coffee note comes on strong and stays strong for half an hour, then very gradually lessens in intensity to become a nice cup of coffee / floral accord with the intensity of a skin scent. The florals enter in as the coffee dies down. The florals are led by a rose note with the assistance of the smooth, creamy lavender. It is a light pristine rose accord – quite delicate. As usual, I miss the “sweet” that other reviewers mention – the vanilla, too – but I do get the catchy smoky background that comes with the rose / lavender. The dry down is basically wood and a thin layer of leftover coffee. This is one of my favorite coffee scents – I find it addictive, especially in the first half hour. I like the fact that I don’t smell the sweet and the vanilla. I love what I do smell.

EDP review:

A dark coffee scent that starts off with a strong blast and then dies down, with some woody notes, during the drydown. There’s hardly any creaminess here, so don’t go expecting a creamy gourmand. Lasting power is not great, though.

It’s an okay creation but its coffee darkness is certainly not for me.

I don't know... this is surely a lovely smelling cup of coffee. In fact its better than the smell of any Starbuck's dark roast or Verona; and it is complex and all. Maybe I just need to wake up and smell the Cafe Noir, but it's not the way I want to smell. I would rather be the "smell-er" not the "smell-ee" of this. One for a diffident minority view.

Very rich, very full gourmand, with an emphasis on the "rich." I sampled this with the perfume extrait version and it simply blew me away in its depth and complexity -- and I'm not usually a fan of gourmand fragrances.

This is a sweet, dark black brew, though, so don't go for it expecting creamy or mild. Also, it's probably not a good choice for those who avoid ambrette, as the ambrette notes here are quite distinct.