Noble (2009)
by Boadicea the Victorious

Not for me, and I'm really disappointed. Agree with the plasticky comments - veering into acetone for me - and not just unpleasant, but positively disgusting. Maybe I got a sample from a bad batch? Just glad I didn't buy a whole bottle! I can't believe the perfume that Michelle Obama supposedly wore smelled anything like this. Surely there's been a mistake!

29th July, 2010.

Noble begins with a cheery bergamot note joined by a hint of rose. The hint grows stronger, eventually growing into a rose-dominated rose/bergamot accord. I really like rose fragrances, but there is something that is so sickly sweet about the rose in Noble that I find it very unpleasant. I'm not sure if it's whatever they use to give the rose a 'green' edge, if it's the patchouli coming in too early, or if it's the 'plasticy' synthetic note that Moltening describes in his review, but whatever it is I don't enjoy it. I own tons of rose fragrances. There are honeyed-roses, vanilla-roses, green-roses, etc. Noble is none of these. Based on the notes I would expect this top accord to eventually fade into a rose/vanilla/patchouli a la a fragrance such as Lady Vengence by Juliette Has a Gun, only it never comes. The bergamot/rose just fades out over a 3-4 hours.

By itself I would give the fragrance a thumbs down. When you consider that 100ml is $450 (?!) this fragrance may represent the most cruel joke in niche perfumery. I mean... you've GOT to be kidding me. Whatever justifies this price I have no idea. I sincerely hope that whoever thinks that they can get away with charging nearly half a grand for a simple rose fragrance that is outshined by countless others at 1/10th the price learns their lesson in some meaningful way that causes them to explicity realize the error of their ways.

20th August, 2009.

Noble - patchouli and rose, but for little girls (and first ladies)

Throughout its progression, Noble is predominantly rose and patchouli with a backdrop of what smells like vanillin and ethylmaltol like you may have encountered before in L'artisan's Vanilia and Profumum's Vanitas. The bergamot is very present at the top and lasts longer than most other scents, but eventually fades away. Sniffed far away, the sillage is very liquor-like and inebriating in a good way. Not too dark like other scents in this category, and more feminine than other patchouli-rose combinations.

It's okay but there is a synthetic plasticky note that annoys me. Still, at $450 for 100ml, you could instead purchase Noir de Noir, Black Aoud, and Voleur de Roses and still have lots of spare change. Considering the ridiculous price, Noble deserves a thumbs down. Someone should send Obama a sample of Black Aoud though. We'd have her swooning.

List of notes: Bergamot, rose, vanilla, patchouli

10th August, 2009.