L'Oiseau de Nuit (200)
by Parfumerie Generale

An interesting scent with liquer of davana - which is why I decided to test it. The top notes smell like sweet fruit candy wrapped in thick plastic. Not a bad smell but not the best. It becomes more transparent as the top notes burn off, hanging on to the sweetness and becoming ambery . Not bad ,not the best.

8th October, 2010.

I've yet to try another PG that is as sweet as this. Honeyed, floral-amber with light touches of smoke and booze.

13rd May, 2010.

This is a tart, smoky amber scent, with much emphasis placed on the leathery, animalic aspects of labdanum resin. It intrigues me in that it manages to be at once dark and transparent, an impression I’ve only received before from Olivia Giacobetti’s Idole and Tea for Two. In fact the longer I wear L’Oiseau de Nuit, the more I’m reminded of Idole. L’Oiseau de Nuit shares the Lubin scent’s “boozy” quality, its smoke, and its leather, though they are presented in a simpler composition, without Idole’s black cumin and saffron. But where Idole dries down toward smoky wood and leather, L’Oiseau de Nuit resolves to a tangy amber base that, while attractive, is also more conventional.

In a limited wardrobe, I’d consider this scent somewhat interchangeable with say, Ambre Russe, Ambre Sultan, or Ambre Precieux, and were I limiting myself to one amber scent L’Oiseau de Nuit is not the first I’d choose. For this specific sort of booze, amber, smoke, and leather structure, I’d take Idole over L’oiseau de Nuit as well, as I prefer Idole’s comparative depth and complexity. However, if like many, you find Idole too confrontational, L’Oiseau de Nuit might be a better bet.

12nd December, 2009.

Another sublime entry from Parfumerie Generale. The basis of L'Osieau de Nuit is labdanum, and accordingly it is a very ambery fragrance. Unlike Le Labo's Labdanum 18, there's quite a bit more going on. There is a light booziness, and although not published notes I could swear there's a touch of cocoa and citrus. These notes are inferred and not distinct, and the touches of sweetness and a little sharpness round out the fragrance. The citrus hints are more apparent in the heart of the fragrance and when worn (as opposed to sampling on your wrist). On drydown there is a subtle leathery quality to L'OdN, but it is just that - subtle - and not like the leather in Cuir d'Iris or Cuir Venenum.

As with most PGs, there is a gourmand quality to L'OdN without the fragrance actually being any recognizable food. Unlike Aomassai, Cadjmere, and Coze, this fragrance is far more delicate, and while it not transparent by any means (as few PGs are), it is not as rich. This is not a criticism, just an observation, and I think it serves to differentiate this entry from the many other gourmands in the line.

Add this to the list of PG's I would love to see in my wardrobe.

Published notes from Luckyscent: cistus labdanum, liqueur of davana, benzoin, leather

21st November, 2008.