Jasmin Noir (2008)
by Bulgari

I like it. But I am a novice. Didn't want the sweet khaliji (Arabian Gulf preference) scent JN could be but, thankfully, isn't. Someone mentioned Samsara above. I thought Samsara was overwhelming and did not like being in proximity to it. Jasmin Noir has been a nice transition for me as I move to oud after many years of enjoying it in the Middle East and then not having the time and wherewithall to learn about it.

30th June, 2011.

I had heard so many people rave about this scent prior to testing it. I had really hoped that I would be raving too, unfortunately this was not so.

I really wanted to experience that warm, smokey, musky jasmine that everyone has been talking about, yet all I got was a predictable and fleeting blend of gardenia and jasmine which really didn't surprise or amaze me in the least.

Sure, Jasmin Noir is a nice, pleasant, inoffensive scent, yet for me it didn't push too many boundaries. I wanted elegance and style, just like the bottle conveyed, but I was surprised by how light and short lasting this fragrance turned out to be.

I'm afraid I can't hold back on my disappointment. Jasmin Noir is neither mysterious, dark, alluring or intriguing. I'm really not impressed.

4th June, 2011.

l get the "green sap" & a gardenia-like note in the opening, followed by warm, creamy, vanillic woods & jasmine. This stage lasts for several hours on me, which surprised me, having heard that longevity isn't one of Bulgari's strengths, & the sillage is good. Eventually the base notes arrive, & at this point it wears much closer to the skin. The base is intriguingly dirty; l'm guessing that's the liqorice note, & that this is where the "Noir" comes in. l've never smelled natural liqorice root, only liqorice sweets, but l'd say this must be the former.
l sort of get the comparisons with Samsara, but this doesn't have the "clean" feel or the rich sandalwood that l get from Samsara. lt also doesn't "glow" in the same way, but l do like it a lot, & would wear it again.

21st February, 2011.

Here's a case where the name is an obstacle. "Jasmine"... ok, I know what jasmine should smell like. I get none of that here. And what is a black jasmine? Obviously a construct.
Here's what I smell. A scent which starts slightly sweet but whose sweetness burns off. Only slightly floral, far less than I'd expect, given the name. Aromatic. Somewhat indefinite in that it is hard to pick out any individual notes. Wood, perhaps. A vague green note, perhaps this may be linked to the "green notes" and the licorice.
So far it is OK, if a bit generic. But then it develops a more floral and slightly irritating sweet vanilla note.
Doesn't smell anything like jasmine, doesn't smell like anything in particular... meh.

2nd February, 2011.

Is a lack of respect when big Houses like Bulgari make fragances with bad Fixation. It is a pity because Bulgari Noir, is one of the most interesting scent I smelled in the past years. A well balanced oriental floral, mysterious and fascinating, with liqueur notes that makes it sensual and interesting. But i can't waste time and money in a fragrance that last 1 hour.. maybe 2.. i really love the smell but, it's not for me..

28th January, 2011.

This lasts for hours and hours. Smells like jasmin with a black dress sitting in a shop made entirely of wood with gold chains dangling from the chandelier.

Altogether nice but something about it is unsettling. Feels like it isn't the presence that it wished to demand.

7th December, 2010.