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Has someone tried La Nuit?

post #1 of 14
3/3/08 at 6:24pm
Thread Starter 
I'm curious about how this women-marketed leather can be compared to men's leathers like Van Cleef & Arpels, Trussardi, Antaeus, Aramis and so on.
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post #2 of 14
3/3/08 at 7:43pm
Are you talking about Paco Rabanne La Nuit?
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post #3 of 14
3/4/08 at 4:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

Are you talking about Paco Rabanne La Nuit?

Yes.
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post #4 of 14
3/4/08 at 7:29pm
I bought a bottle due to it's notorious reputation. It's a fascinating/repulsive brew of buttery, musky, floral notes on top of a little birch tar. A fragrance equivalent of an old show girl, back stage having a swig of whatever she could get her hands on.
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post #5 of 14
3/4/08 at 7:48pm
I liked it enough to buy a bottle. It does have a floral overtone to the leather. Touchstones of similarity can be found in Chanel Cuir de Russie and Balmain Jolie Madame, but I actually find it a little more challenging than either of those.
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post #6 of 14
3/4/08 at 9:04pm
I wore this fragrance for while a few years back. The scent is a very dry rich leather scent very close to Van Cleef. I never picked up deep floral tones very unisex.
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post #7 of 14
3/5/08 at 5:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruggles View Post

A fragrance equivalent of an old show girl, back stage having a swig of whatever she could get her hands on.

Sounds like somebody has just found his signature scent ;-)
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post #8 of 14
3/5/08 at 8:57am
ThePerfumeShrine blog recently wrote about 'Leather Scents' a whole list of fragrances classified as 'big, nastry bruisers' and included: Aramis, Azuree by Lauder, Yatagan by Caron, Jules by Dior, Santos by Cartier, Antaeus by Chanel, Trussardu Uomo, Derby by Guerlain, Bel Ami by Hermes, Parfum de Peau by Montana and La Nuit by Paco Rabanne.

Luca Turin loves La Nuit. He's quoted (I think, from his Perfume Review book that's in French) as saying about La Nuit:

This is the warmest, sultriest perfume imaginable. To think I hated it when it came out ! My extenuating circumstance was that at the time (1985) I lived in Nice, where women can be toe-curlingly vulgar, and it was a big hit. La Nuit is probably the most animalic perfume ever made by a major firm, and I donÂt just mean musky Ã* la Koublai Khan, or castoreum as in Tabac Blond, but something beyond that, almost urinous/sweaty, Âwrong and truly wonderful. Spray Tabu on a horse, and youÂll get the idea. I wrote a disparaging review of it in 1992, apologized for it in 1994 and only recently treated myself to a bottle. Now that the Niçoises have moved on, I see it for what it was all along: the sexiest fragrance since CabochardÂ.

Link here
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post #9 of 14
3/5/08 at 11:01am
It's excellent. Sort of like Cabochard but without the tobacco, less leather and with some apppropriate mild fruitiness. I'm referring to the EDP for both fragrances (Cabochard EDP and esp. the parfum are a lot better than Cabochard EDT). Cabochard and La Nuit are a lot more interesting than Antaeus, Van Cleef, etc (maybe I'm just bored with those since I've worn them so much). I still love Jules though.

Bottom line is that La Nuit smells great and is easy/pleasant to wear.

I can't relate with The Perfume Shrine's listing of Santos as a big bruiser leather. I smell very little actual leather in it. As well, Derby is a superb fragrance but definitely not a big bruiser type of scent.
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post #10 of 14
3/5/08 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pluran View Post

It's excellent. Sort of like Cabochard but without the tobacco, less leather and with some apppropriate mild fruitiness. I'm referring to the EDP for both fragrances (Cabochard EDP and esp. the parfum are a lot better than Cabochard EDT). Cabochard and La Nuit are a lot more interesting than Antaeus, Van Cleef, etc (maybe I'm just bored with those since I've worn them so much). I still love Jules though.

Bottom line is that La Nuit smells great and is easy/pleasant to wear.

I can't relate with The Perfume Shrine's listing of Santos as a big bruiser leather. I smell very little actual leather in it. As well, Derby is a superb fragrance but definitely not a big bruiser type of scent.

Thanks Pluran - I was thinking in the back of my mind Pluran's probably smelled La Nuit...

I have not smelled La Nuit (or Santos) - but looking thru the Basenotes archive I found a discussion where knightowl and someone else mentioned which fragrance would win in a fight: Bel Ami, JHL and Santos Concentree. They were of the opinion that Santos would win. To them Santos smelled pretty tough.

One more thing, off topic: I can't wait to try Jules.
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post #11 of 14
3/5/08 at 12:59pm
Hmm, I remember smelling it recently at a tiny chemists! It had probably gone off, as it smelt leathery, but a vile leather, with a distinct dirty note that just made it a bit overboard with the leather too, a bit like a sweaty used low quality leather jacket I didn't get a single hint of florals or femininity!
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post #12 of 14
3/5/08 at 1:56pm
Doing a search for old La Nuit's posts, I found this one that I posted in September of 2005:

"I just tested La Nuit earlier this month. I love most leather scents and this one was no exception. I don't understand Luca's "Tabu on horse" reference at all. More floral than Cuir Mauresque, more fruity (thanks to the luscious plum note) than Cuir de Russie, more girly than Bandit. If you like leathers, you should give La Nuit a try. I wouldn't call it "toe-curling vulgar" but it is pretty darn sexy!"

I still think that La Nuit is one of the more naughty leathers out there.
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post #13 of 14
3/5/08 at 2:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

Thanks Pluran - I was thinking in the back of my mind Pluran's probably smelled La Nuit...

I have not smelled La Nuit (or Santos) - but looking thru the Basenotes archive I found a discussion where knightowl and someone else mentioned which fragrance would win in a fight: Bel Ami, JHL and Santos Concentree. They were of the opinion that Santos would win. To them Santos smelled pretty tough...


Mike,

Santos definitely has a certain virility about it. It goes on like a superior fragrance, smells great for awhile, but wears flat and becomes extremely tedious. I don't think I ever wore it without washing it off.

Many people seem to love it though.
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post #14 of 14
3/5/08 at 3:10pm
I have it and I think it smells like insence and crusty bed sheets from a seedy motel. It has a dried "funk" thing to it. It's fine for a night out, but I would'nt wear this to an office or any job for that matter.


S
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