Harmatan Noir 11 by Parfumerie Generale

Harmatan Noir, opening with citrus, is an aromatic and airy scent that revolves around slightly smoky mint tea and cedar with faint notes of fruits and flowers. Has an addictive metallic quality that together with the salty patchouli create an air of something very different. Decent and competent, though longevity could be much better than this.

Jasmine, cedar, mint tea, salt, patchouli Interesting assortment of notes. Minty, florals are not too sweet, smokey and silvery incense, a bit of spice. This is a cool, dry scent and so far I like it. It gets more floral and spicier, bigger and smokier. I have a marvelous image old stones anointed by incense and prayers. Interesting! It hovers at the edge of sweetness but does not go over the line. The tangy notes of salty patchouli get bigger. Yet it remains cool, translucent (not dense), mysterious and intriguing. Slightly metallic in an interesting way, quirky, elusive, intriguing. Obviously I need to think about this and try it again

Yet another great fragrance from Parfumerie Generale. Very modern and "trendy". Casual, but also great for a night at the town. Girls will love this one on a man! This aromatic, fresh, herbal spicy fragrance is great for spring and summer, and will fit any age and occasions. The longevity is very good on my skin, and the sillage is ok. One of the most modern and trendy fragrances in my collection. Highly recommended!

For a scent named after a dusty Saharan wind, Harmatan Noir's opening is more than a little surprising: a mint so sweet, you could mistake it for a cordial desperate to be diluted in ice cold water. The effect is bracing, but also more than a little crude. Thankfully, things soon begin to settle - a hint of clove tones down the mint overload - but the journey to the drydown rapidly becomes predictable and dull. You've smelt it all before: smoky woods of a sort you can find in dozens of masculines in every high street perfume counter. I think I can detect wisps of what Harmatan's initial ambition may have been - there are fleeting moments when it aspires to the headiness of mint-flavoured sheesha tobacco - but it hasn't got the guts to live up to its evocative name.

I tried Harmatan Noir years ago and didn't care for it, then I thought I'd try it again after my recent infatuation with salty scents. It definitely has a pleasantly salty aspect, but other than that I'm afraid it's rather faint and vague and generically "fresh". Luckily not sharply ozonic or aquatic, but still too synthetic for my taste. I guess I was right to dismiss it as uninteresting before, though the salt note I can now pick out makes me keep the sample for further consideration this time.

Harmatan Noir comes across as something Malle would be proud of. i see all the qualities that generally is seen in a Malle release- which is, a film like quality. when i say film, i dont mean it in a storytelling way. What i mean is, accords seem to have this shiny membrane of film over it, as if each smell was one of this layer and that there are sheets after sheets of accords which is totally transparent, watery, yet strong.

HN comes across pretty lemony with a strong yet transparent overdose of berries..sorta like a clearer & sharper version of Serge Lutens Chypre Rouge. HN has this unique mouth watering quality about it, in that, it's delicous yet, not a gourmand. mid notes spread an errie accord of damp, slightly off jasmine petals dipped in jam. this phase is dark. soon after HN resolves itself into a wonderful melange of woods and vetiver. btw, i don't get the tea angle...maybe further sampling would.

*my earlier review was a case of error, i was actually reviewing one of PG's discontinued release Harammens..*

Very boring.

Great story behind it and nice list of notes, but the scent is just big, massive piece of boredom. Its like a grey cloud over some depsessing industrial city full of tired, pale suicidal people.

Smell of nothingness.

It's different, I'll say that. Contentwise, it doesn't hold much interest for me. The whole fragrance seems to be an exercise in airiness. The mint is the dominant note. It is layered over open, ozonic notes and what I can only describe as faint, dry florals. It may even be a bit salty or marine. At any rate, it's unique and should be tried; but it will be clear to you immediately if this is your genre or not.

Green, herbal and lemony. Not as dry as Homme de Gres since it's got a lemon that's like the sweetened lemon of AoS Lemon EdT. This one is feels like it's brooding. Nice but try it first. It might be suitable.

Dry, woody, and aromatically dark right from the opening salvo, but not as dark as others Ive worn. This is another rich green / herbal fragrance somewhat in the nature of Diptyques Leau Trois. I like the accords of Harmattan Noir 11 a bit better than those in Leau Trois; I believe HN 11 is somewhat sweeter and many of the herbs are of a lighter, brighter nature than the run of herbs in the Diptyque fragrance. On the down side, HN doesnt have anywhere near the life span of LEauTrois: It lasts for less than an hour on my skin, and thats completely unacceptable and earns the neutral rating. Except for its longevity, Harmatan Noir 11 is a unique and dramatic fragrance that is certainly worth a checking out.