Grand Soir (2016)
by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

I've smelled this combination before, many, many times. It's really nothing new for me. Full on amber accord / oriental accords. Boozy vanilla. Spiced resins. Tonka delight. Honeyed. Full-bottle worthy, if I didn't already own perfumes of this ilk.

This one will drown you, if you overspray. Ultra long-lasting. Lots more vanilla, later on. A high-quality study, in amber-laden type scents. Smiles, all around.

Almost a neutral, as this leans feminine. Powdery as well.

However, this is quality juice and has a pleasant ambery ambiance. But the powder and feminine side detract from what could be a Grand Slam. Instead, a ground rule double.

Scent: 6/10
Longevity: 8/10
Silage: 9/10

After sampling Gentle Fluidity (Gold), I was worried that my other MFK samples would also be extremely cloying. Thankfully, Grand Soir is not. It's a simple, no-fuss amber. And depending on where I sprayed I actually thought it could stand to be sweeter.

When I sprayed on my wrists, it stayed fairly muted, with a bit of smokeyness that I can only assume must come from the labdanum? However, when sprayed on my chest, it develops this natural pleasant sweetness. Not sure what causes it to develop differently, but I would happily forgo spraying my wrists to double up on my chest.

That said, it's still not really something I love, and with the price tag of MFK fragrances, I doubt I'd ever buy a bottle. Worth a sample though.

Pure, crystalline, creamy, warm lusciousness. Smells like the most luxurious vanilla pudding you could ever make, with a dusting of spice. Not much to say about this fragrance since it is fairly linear and simple, but it is absolutely lovely, charming, easy to wear, longlasting, and garners compliments galore. The perfect fragrance to wear on a cool autumn evening in Paris.

This is a projection monster. Fills up a house immediately with 1 spray, even if applied at very close range. The opening is actually to be avoided because of how strong it is. For me personally also because it's super classical at first. Reminds me a lot of a classic Lalique.

It has a predominant incense like note. I think it's the labdanum. Amber is the second most prevalent note. You would never expect vanilla to be able to still pop up but it does. Maybe it's added in the benzoin and it's because of that. As a whole, my initial thoughts were that the scent would just be out of place everywhere.

I should have paid more attention to the label though: Grand Soir. Indeed that's where it would fit in and could shine: A theatre, a packed classy restaurant or a classical concert. As the fragrance developed it grew on me.

Apply wisely.