Noir

[Penance]

Our olfactory tribute to the film genre: a dark, moody, brooding scent that embodies moral ambiguity, alienation, and soul-wrenching cynicism. A complex, seamy blend of Lily of the Valley, opoponax, myrrh, black rose and plum with a slithering twist of clove, deep plum and star jasmine.

Origin:

I got a shortie of this from the ever wonderful SilverAngel.

First sniff:

This smells almost exactly like a scented talc my mom used to wear when I was little! It's one of my more vivid memories of my early childhood: the way she smelled in the mornings when she put her talcum powder on. I definitely smell the rose here...it's a very powdery rose that smells very much like baby powder, but there's also somethin else here...the clove and myrrh, I think. It's hard to tell over the rose, but that's what it seems to be.

Wet on skin:

The powder is less prominent now and I can really smell the myrrh and clove now that it's receded somewhat. This still smells almost exactly like that childhood scent memory of my mother...it's so close it's almost uncanny! This smells sophisticated but approcheable to me, like a wealthy older woman who's known hardship and never lost touch with her roots, if that makes sense at all.

Dry down:

Noir has dried into a lovely scented talc kind of scent that's lovely even if it is miles away from my normal scent choices. I can definitely see this being a special occassion scent for me. This definitely isn't an everyday scent; at least not for me.

The bottom line:

Sophisticated but not snooty. This definitely isn't an everyday scent, but it's lovely all the same.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: This ia floral, spice, and a little resin. I honestly can't pick out any individual notes in this blend, even when I read the description of the oil. It smells like a sophisticated men's cologne.

Wearing: As this dries, it becomes almost creamy, or perhaps we'll call it "soft-focus" in keeping with the theme of the oil. It retains the indescribable posh cologne smell for several hours, after which the myrrh takes over and it becomes a sightly spicy sweet resin.

Final Impressions: This isn't my kind of scent - it is a bit too sophisticated and refined for me. This is my fiance's favorite scent, though, and it smells just fantastic on him. I agree that this blend really is named appropriately - but I ain't no Lauren Bacall. I like that my sweetie smells like Bogey, though, and I will be very sad when his bottle runs out.

[Morgan]

I absolutely love this scent! I hated it at first, but it definitely grew on me. It is dark and mysterious yet oddly soft and powdery, almost comforting. There is definitely something sweet in the background.

I can't pick out any of the individual notes, but as a whole Noir is fabulous.

I'm down to about 1/4 of an imp...I need more!

[sarada]

Noir is another fragrance that I didn't think about trying when I first started browsing the Lab, and by the time I remembered, it was gone! Now many months later I finally have an imp.

 

The description made me think of Venom, since both have opoponax and jasmine...with some plum in Noir, and berries in Venom, among other things. Venom is one of the strongest scents I've ever tried and it gives me a slight headache (that's the jasmine talking) so I thought the same might happen with Noir.

 

It is very very strong and heady, and somewhat reminiscent of men's cologne (or perhaps Old Spice?).

 

Clove and myrrh stand out the strongest -- myrrh doesn't necessarily always agree with me; I like the dark and smoky aspect but it always really reminds me of sort of a cologne/aftershave smell that rarely develops well on me. I cannot smell any lily, rose or jasmine in this though I suspect that their presence just lends something to the overall alchemy of the scent rather than being intended to stand out on their own. It keeps it from being overwhelmingly dark and spicy.

 

Still, I am enjoying this, though I can't imagine using more than a drop or two to surround me with an aura of gothic mystery for an entire night. This is definitely one of the most Gothic scents I have tried...it just makes me think of a dark, smoky club filled with people smoking cloves and fashionably sulking. I like it though I think it would ultimately give me a headache if I wore too much. A great scent for men, or for a woman going out at night who wants to have an aura of dignity and mystery.

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Wow, that's strong! Smells more like patchouli than anything. The very strong kind of patchouli, really, not BPAL's normal kind. I'm afraid I won't like this.

 

Wearing: OK. It smells a lot better now. I have to say that it smells very expensive, like a designer perfume. Kind of has the slight alcohol smell, too. I'm really starting to like this. It's dark and earthy, but polished to a nice velvety sheen around the edges. And if opoponax is what gives this the earthy, dark bite, then I must get other blends with this note in it. Absolutely divine.

 

Later: Oh, glorious clove! Sweet, spicy, warm clove! Not that it dominates over the resin smell, but...man, what a combination. I also get a little bit of the plum. Mmm. This is wonderful. I wonder if I could somehow get more.

 

Overall: My goodness, this is a great blend. Definitely in my top 3. It's just a shame that it's discontinued now. Still, this is one classy, fancy, even cruel scent. High class and snobby. I like!

[coulrophobe]

I was lucky enough to purchase an imp of Noir from a forumite, and I agree with so many of the reviews before me... dark, very sophisticated, and definitely pre-WWII.

 

This one doesn't change much between in-the-bottle, wet, and dry for me. It's a deep, dusky scent - the good kind of powdery. But there's also a deeper note I can't put my finger on that makes it almost gender-neutral - I can't help wondering what it'd smell like on a guy. Of course, I'll never find out, because I'll part from a drop of this lovely oil only when you pry the imp from my cold, dead hand!

[shelldoo]

in the vial: umm what is that smokey, deep resinous. is it the myrrh? i don't detect any floral at all

 

 

wet: the myrrh, opamax, and plum are partying. it is incensy, dark, gorgeous, and a tidbit sweet, just a hint of sweetness so it isn't all headshop, almost has a saffron type hint, this scent is so *me* i wish i had a big bottle.

 

as it dries, it doesn't go florally at all, it remains a deep, resimous, incense. i love it

[UltraViolet]

~Noir~

In the bottle

Holy Cow! Decadence and smoky sensuality... but subdued. Makes you yearn for more.

 

On

Um. This reminds me so much of Lush's Icon perfume.

It's the myrrh and the opoponax incensey smell. The myrrh is not a strong scent, oh no, this is a powdery subdued sensual myrrh. OMG, the incensey opoponax and the jasmine blend to create such a sensual scent it's unreal. It's smoldering but under the surface.

It's not too anything. It's a little bit perfumey (the rose is very light here), a more than average bit incensey, a bit of dark rich thick plum, and the yumminess of the best smelling jasmine. I don't smell the clove... at all.

 

30 minutes

Oh sweet mother of God, it doesn't morph into anything weird nor off smelling nor too strong, nor too light. Oh, and still no cloves but I don't miss it.

*falls on knees*

Thank you Beth for creating Noir!!

 

Throw:

Yes! Lovely throw.

 

Scent category:

Incensey/floral

 

Summary

This has now replaced Lush's Icon as "that" kind of scent for me.

In my opinion, Stevie Nicks in a bottle. (And this is a good thing to me, he he)

 

Purchase again?

Yes!!!!!! Organ donations...whatever it takes.

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

5 Without question!

Edited January 16, 2006 by UltraViolet

[Muppetk]

In the bottle: oh heaven, sandalwood-incensy & powder & something sweet & complex & just a little bit sharp. (Yes, I know this has nothing to do with the notes listed. That's what I smell.)

 

On me, wet: Huh. The comparison I saw between this & Saturn (in one of the scent comparison threads) is dead on. This is like Saturn's kid brother. It doesn't have the sheer strength of saturn & is slightly less rich/full as a scent, but otherwise is quite similar.

 

Dry: I still think this smells like sandalwood/incense (the myrrh?), only less woody if that makes any sense. Still some powderyness. Still very nice. Very little morphing here. I'd be broken-hearted that this is discontinued if not for my nice little stash of Saturn.

 

Overall: really really nice. The only scent in the listing that's completely unfamiliar to me is opponax, so I'm going to have to try other blends with that next. Now where is my imp of Hades hiding...?

 

EDIT: Out of curiousity, I did a comparison test of Noir to Saturn tonight, about 4 years after the first one. Oh God. What a change. A number of scents have changed on me in the last 2 years since going off the birth control pill, but none as dramatically as these two. I *get* Noir now, in all its nuance. I think what I was interpreting as sandalwood is the opponax (furry & sl bitter) plus the clove (more furry & spicy & sweet). Noir is still lovely, though not as much as then, and given it's notes, it's got to be my chemistry rather than aging badly. (I said "Oh god" before because Saturn no longer has more than the slightest smidge of resemblance, and where this has stayed lovely, Saturn turned bitter and burnt with an undertone of chlorine (augh!) with only a faint undertone of Noir-ness. Now that's sad! I'm going to try it again in two weeks at a different time in my cycle, since hormones so CLEARLY play a role in my perfume skin chemistry.)

Edited August 12, 2009 by Muppetk

[bigeyedgirl]

I hated this wet...I still kind of do...but the dry down is so worth the bitterness of it wet.

 

Dry...oh glorious dried bouquets of flowers from the past. Noir, you are beautiful, comforting and sexy. I love you...I just wish I didn't have to horde what was left of my 5ml.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Ooh, a cologne-y perfume smell. I kinda like it.

 

Just On: This has some real depth to it. I can't identify a single note, but it's somewhat deep, a bit like expensive cologne, and got that aura of women's perfume about it.

 

An hour or two later: Hmm, it's fading fast on me. It's a little dark, but not in a bad way, a touch like cologne, and has a heady bit of perfume scent to it.

 

Around 6 hours: All that's left is a bit of sharp kinda stuff, not really sharp, just a little edge to it.

 

12 hours: That last bit of sharpnes, and it's fading away to nothing.

 

Overall: I'm very glad I got to try it, but it's not something I'm terribly worried about being gone. It's not my style, though I know a few people it would probably smell fabulous on.

 

After reading other reviews: It smells pretty much like I might think it should in the imp, but on me it turns shrp and a little bitter, as it seems to have for others.

[yeahbutnobut]

Noir

 

In the imp: mmm, smells like church incense? That must be the myrrh, but there's something there that reminds me of patchouli.

Wet on skin: ack, this spilt on my arm!!! It still has that dark incense like scent, but now it reminds me of old fashioned perfume, like something from the 1950s or something like that.

Dry on skin: this really does have an old fashioned, nostalgic feel to it, it reminds me of an old perfume I smelt on someone or somewhere. There's the resinous notes of myrrh and possibly opoponax (I'm not sure about that one) with some clove, a slight fruity sweetness, possibly from plum, and just a hint of rose, and a light floral touch of jasmine and lily of the valley. I swear there's also patchouli or musk in here. But really, all the notes are so well blended that you can't really distinguish them apart.

After a while: there's something about this that reminds me of aftershave, but also, this scent provokes a vivid image in my head. Something about this scent brings up an image of this temptress in the heart of the city at night, seducing the men who come her way, luring them into her sexual fantasies, playing and toying with their emotions before getting bored and moving on to more men who come her way and throwing away her former partners without a care-sometimes violently, even murderously. She's a femme fatale, no doubt about it-and you can smell the perfume of the many men she seduced lingering on her skin. Seductive, yet venomous.

Verdict: this really does fit the name and the image, I could imagine some glamorous femme fatale in a black and white movie wearing this. It's deep, dark, tempting and even slightly sinister. It's a complex, well blended scent, it's got resinous notes but also has a slight touch of rose and lighter florals, and something that reminds me of musk. It's a nice perfume, and very well crafted, but I'm still not sure if it's 'me' yet. It's a bit too intense for me.

Edited July 14, 2005 by yeahbutnobut

[wickedgoddess]

Origin - The TAL circular swap

 

Wet - this smells perfumey, but it a good way. It reminds me of something my mom used to wear, but at the same time, it's totally unique. Damn, I have never smelled anything like this before, and I can already understand why such a cult has built up around it.

 

Dry - Man something in here is like catnip, making me crazy. It's's the opoponax, isn't it? I can't pick out any specific notes, although this contains many of my favorites. Blended together, this truly is greater than the sum of it's parts. The only drawback is that it fades very quickly on me, but that's okay, it's as close to perfection as I can get. Noir is the perfect name for this; it's dark, mysterious and elegant. I would love to get my hands on more of this.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5.

[sihaya09]

(Origin: TAL circular swap.) I have smelled two imps of this, and their scents did not match, as though they'd aged differently. One was overwhelmingly dark herbs and powder, like a 40's boudoir. The one I am currently smelling is much less powdery. I smell something velvet-soft but bittersweet, like myrrh or other incense. There are also notes that I'd associate with an expensive mens' cologne (this would smell fantastic on a man). This strikes me as a very atmospheric scent-- something you'd wear only on special occasions if you were planning to vamp it up in all black and your best poisoned lipstick. I like this quite a lot, and I'd purchase some if ever it became available again.

[Galen]

NOIR

 

When first applied, this is spicy, a little fizzy and sweet. Yummy!

 

As it dries down, it becomes more of a "perfume" smell in that it's not foody but instead slightly spicy in a resiny way, slightly sweey and and the "fizzy" smell I associate with either myrrh or sandalwood. This blend is sexy and womanly and meant to yank a man's attention fully to you and make a subtle but definitely sensual challenge. Let's just say I felt uncomfortable with the kind of throw this was giving out on the bus during my morning commute!

 

Seven hours later, this is still noticeable if I sniff my hand - it's staying much more close to my skin

and is resin/spicy and just a little sweet.

 

I've just looked up the description for this for the first time, and I'm surprised that it contains clove and star jasmine as both of those notes have been know to amp up and take over other blends. This is beautifully blended to the point where I find it difficult to discern which notes I'm smelling!

 

I thoroughly appreciated trying this, and will be hoping that it becomes available again someday...

[Northernminx]

Soft, smokey myrrh and something dark and a little bit edgey. The dry down fades into lilly of the valley which is sort of an odd combination. It reminds me of a beautiful ingenue whose wandered into a not-so-up-scale bar. Lovely but not quite me though I was glad to have tried it.

[Neely]

In the bottle: spicey creaminess.

 

Wet: spicey creamy floral.

 

Dry down: same as before, but something bitter has come out as well. I am not liking this stage at all.

 

Conclusion: I washed it off. Whatever caused that funk with my chemistry was just not working out. Funny thing, when I washed it off, the light lingering part of the scent was very nice. Too bad the funk had to come out and play.

 

Rating on my skin, this is a 1.

[edenssixthday]

Noir - What an incredibly peculiar scent. It's very hard to describe, but it's a deep, mysterious, spicy fruity-floral scent that is darkened by the husky scents of myrrh and opoponax. The level of throw in this blend is very strong, and the tiniest dab on my wrists will leave my entire being swathed in the scent of Noir for hours. I'm thoroughly delighted that the jasmine in this blend is not amping up on my skin as usual, but is very faint and doesn't stand out much on its own; rather, it simply adds a little fullness to the other notes. This scent is one of the most complex and perfectly blended that I've encountered so far. When I was a kid, I had a great-grandmother who lived in a home in Southern California that was eternally stuck in the 1940s. The architecture of the house to the way it was decorated and even the scent of the place reminds me of the Silver Screen era, and this perfume fits right in to that memory s o well that I wouldn't be surprised if one of my great-grandma's perfumes in her bedroom (which I sniffed and tested every time I visited her) didn't smell almost exactly like Noir. This scent is incredibly evocative of those visits to my great-grandma's house and to sitting on her bed, in a way that only Black Dahlia can rival (although Black Dahlia and Noir aren't similar to each other at all). It's not an every day scent. Rather, I see it being something I would wear on occasion when I'm dressing up and want to feel uniquely sophisticated and glamorous. However, there's something about it that makes me unsure if I actually will wear it or not. It may be a bit too strong for me. I will have to see how it goes, I suppose. Either way, I am thrilled that I've had a chance to acquire an imp of Noir.

[Blood onmy hands]

After having this on my wishlist for forever and a day, I finally got a chance to try it out.

 

First on my skin, Noir was the dark and seductive fragrance of my dreams. It was all floral incense and myrrh, smoky and dark with a hint of sweetness and spicy clove in the background.

 

Then, after about five minutes, it morphed into an unremarkable powdery scent with a horriby sharp, bitter floral at the helm. And it stayed strongly perfumey and powdery until I washed it off after an hour. I guess that the good news is that I won't have to mourn the fact that I'll probably never get more of this one, though it started off so wonderful.

[wikkidraven]

i first have to say i'm not sure what i was expecting, but noir is in a league of her own. this is the most powdery i've ever detected the bpal rose note, but so expertly blended all i smell is perfume. i think of expensive, silver screen movie star perfume--this is a scent that could command a room. the clove does eventually peek out from underneath during the drydown, but i'm still debating whether this is something i would wear.

 

considering how rare it is, i think it's too much even for ME.

[ifinena]

Oh.My.Goddess!

This is amazing! Fabulous, like a woman who is sure of herself and knows her own worth. Exquisite, like the pain of being in love.

This is like Laureen Bacall kissing Humphrey Bogart in a streetcorner, at night, her hair illuminated by the streetlight, her face in the shadow of his hat.

It's not for everyday use, not only for its' scarcity but also because it deserves and demands to be worn for special occasions.

White shirt worn tight under a black pencil skirt, black peep toes with cuban heel backseam stockings and Noir.

 

Thank you naughteblonde for swapping me the imp of this truly remarkable blend. It will be one of my treasures.

 

 

Mme Moriarty, this is a masterpiece of perfume-making. Thank you for creating it. Please bring it back some day.

 

ETA:To add my plea to all the others.

Edited November 6, 2008 by ifinena

[Persephone76]

Noir is so intoxicating and spellbindingly dark that it leaves me speechless, dizzy and tongue-tied, at a loss for words. This is one of Beth's most stunning masterpieces, a jewel in the BPAL crown. This is the scent responsible for the "swoon" Patrick Suskind wrote about. Bigger than the sum of its parts, Noir is heartbreakingly, indescribably beautiful.

 

If I could only wear one perfume for the rest of my life, it would be Noir.

[zankoku_zen]

Okay, the one time I smelled Noir it was shelldoo's lab mixing bottle 4 oz, and that thing stunk to star jasmine to high heaven. It smelled like cat pee to me.

 

I finally got a testable sniffie of this - and I have to say that the jasmine is less aggressive and definitely not cat pee like (slight tinge, which is really mild for me). This is a misty floral, sensual and a bit powdery. But elegant powdery. Sophisticated almost.

 

My skin eats this up.

 

If you're into the silver screen, 1940s and Casablanca, I think you'd love this blend. It's a sophisticated perfume, reminiscent of older times (I think its the powdery aspect of it).

 

Not in love, but I can see why some people are crazy for this.

[fairnymph]

Dark, heady and heavy florals with a incense and spice. Resinous, deep purple-black, a little sweet. A sophisticated and mature womanly scent.

 

Instantly more spice and resin - much less fruit/sweetness (plum almost gone), and little less floral. Although the florals I get are more powdery now - more lily of the valley and a bit of soapiness from the jasmine and rose. A bit bitter from the myrrh, but the opponox is really ruling this with clove just behind, deep and spicy.

 

Hella strong throw and amping like crazy on my skin. This is not the cat-pee sort of jasmine - star jasmine tends to be much better on my skin than other BPAL jasmines, and it's behaving okay, though it's still too heady for my personal tastes. The clove is amping as many clove notes do and in that way that usually ends very badly.

 

This is a real morpher! The throw has faded back down tremendously, and the notes have merged into a now-seamless blend. It's sweeter now and quite musky, in slightly 'traditional' (high class designer perfume) way. Also, a little dusty - I get the image of old velvet drapes. The clove and opponox still dominate, but not too forcefully, and the clove never turned evil.

 

Meh. Glad I don't like this one!

[Ryvre]

Wet: On me, this is a spicy floral. I can smell the jasmine, which I normal hate, but it's mostly behaving.

 

Dry: More floral and powdery. I was expecting plum, but that it seems to be hiding.

 

Later: This faded like mad, then came back with a vengeance! It spent about 15 minutes as an awesome spicy floral, then faded into a boring powdery floral. It stayed nondescript for the next hour or two until it faded completely.