L’Artisan Parfumeur – Noir Exquis – Coffee shop in a perfume bottle – 6/10
Noir Exquis is a decent stab of cramming the scent of a coffee shop into a perfume bottle. The opening salvo evokes lazy Sunday mornings drinking coffee whiling away the hours eating pancakes drizzled in maple syrup. The combination of candied chestnuts, coffee, and maple syrup genuinely delightful. It never becomes overly sweet. After all, this is a unisex perfume. Instead, it becomes milky, creamy, smoky, and nutty. However, it’s this smoky vanilla, nutty dry down where things take a turn for the worse. It feels as if something’s off on my skin, almost like milk that has turned. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but every time I’ve worn Noir Exquis, I’ve experienced this off-putting sensation.
Many will view Noir Exquis as warming, comforting, and the perfect companion for the cooler days. It lasts 5-6 hours on my skin with moderate projection for the first 2 hours. Had the opening been sustained through to the base, then Noir Exquis could have been a “gourmand contender,” but as it is, the off-putting sourness of the closing hours is difficult to dismiss.
L’Artisan Parfumeur – Traversee du Bosphore – Duchaufour’s ode to Istanbul – 8.5/10
If I were to recommend a gourmand from L’Artisan, it would, if you’d pardon the pun, be the Turkish delight that is Traversee du Bosphore. The story behind the creation of the scent is fascinating. The 2010 eruption of an Icelandic volcano had caused mass disruption to transport routes across the globe. The resulting plumes of ash sent skyward, causing planes to be grounded, sending the travel plans of many into chaos. A certain perfumer by the name of Bertrand Duchaufour was one such person to have his travel impacted. Stuck in Istanbul, he used this extra time to find inspiration for a new perfume. Traversee du Bosphore was the result.
Traversee du Bosphore is a sweet perfume. Sweeter than Noir Exquis. However, it is sheer enough that warm weather wear is possible. It opens with a blast of tart fruits. Red fruits of apple and pomegranate are prominent. Accompanying the fruit is the aroma of pipe tobacco. Icing sugar imparts a coating of powdery dust over the fruits and tobacco. Over time a fusion of iris and suede leather begins to unfurl through the sweetness lending an intriguing depth and balance to the composition. Spiced saffron and a tulip accord that provides a water-like effect over proceedings add further interest.
The indulgent Turkish delight accord in the base is created by combining nougat, pistachio, rose, and honey. Owing to the skill of Duchaufour as a perfumer, this amalgam of notes never becomes cloying or overbearing. Shimmering and translucent would be the best adjectives, making Traversee du Bosphore a delectable leather, gourmand pleasure that one can enjoy at any time of the year. Traversee du Bosphore lasts 6-8 hours on skin with light projection. Terrific work by Monsieur Duchaufour, and we have an Icelandic volcano to thank for it.
Note: Bottle images courtesy of Google.
Great reviews! Interesting, I like how both of these scents smell like, but I don’t feel like wearing any of them. I like the candle by L’Artisan that smells like Traverse though.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Tetê. Yes, I’m sure both of these would work very well as a candle. I definitely need to get my nose on some more of the L’Artisan home scenting products.