Patchouli Noir (2006)
by Il Profumo

Dark and dreadful. Now, I’m not a huge fan of patchouli dominant fragrances, but I certainly don’t dislike them… as a matter of fact, I actually enjoy these dark and dreadful patchouli constructions for an hour or two… then they get old and I get bored. I would say that this is one of the deepest, darkest, most dreadful patchouli I’ve encountered. Il Profumo’s Patchouli Noir can stand eye to eye with, or even lord it over, all those other dark, brooding patchoulis… for a while, at least. Like most of the other potent patchoulis, Patchouli Noir puts on a fierce growl at first, and then measuredly loses its Serengeti roar to become the purr of a housecat. Patchouli Noir doesn’t have much of a sillage and is only a bit short on longevity as a sillage maker, but it becomes a superb skin scent. There’s a strong cedarwood note intermingled with the patchouli, and there’s exactly the right amount of vanilla to smooth and enrich without sweetening too much. Patchouli Noir is a keeper.