Noir Patchouli by Histoires de Parfums

It’s a middle ground between the hardness of Villoresi and Reminiscence, but less sweet. The black patchouli opens dense and penetrating, with a touch of fermented fruit, nothing mouldy and more sober than in other proposals. The fruity contribution is good and, together with the patchouli and leather, gives it personality, with a sparing vanilla in the base so it’s not too sweet at the end, leaving a dark and mysterious sensation. The juniper berries are perceptible and occupy their place in this cocktail, with delicate floral touches that twinkle on the edge of this creamy and spiced mix, bringing small points of light. The blend of coriander and cardamom transforms it into a spiced balm with woody nuances; I suppose it would work well on an extremely extroverted woman, but I think it looks better on male skin. If you’re a lover of patchouli, it’s like a beautiful, very attractive figure, with nothing to be sneezed at in terms of performance, really pleasant and worth investigating.

I thought this would be an overpowering patchouli bomb, but it’s not. What really grabs me is the floral side; it smells of roses. The opening is a bit heavy at first, but as it dries down, the roses shine alongside the other notes. The mid-stage is more feminine, but overall it’s quite unisex. Once dried, everything balances with harmony. Although it wasn’t what I expected, it surprised me; it’s very pleasant and atypical in my collection because I usually don’t like roses. As a good EDP, it projects in bursts when you move, gradually becoming softer until it sits close to the skin for many hours. The longevity is outstanding and the scent feels high-quality, unlike other ‘niche’ brands that charge for the name and are undetectable after four hours by even a bloodhound’s nose. The base reminds me a lot of 1740 (another good proposal from the brand that I recommend trying), and in the end, this Noir Patchouli follows the same path.