When images of being in France come to mind (which they very often do here at The Perfume Society HQ), we like to dream of romantic streets, sheltering from sudden showers in delightfully bijou bistros with steamed-up windows, stumbling across the perfect little patisserie and marvelling at their delicious creations (almost too good to eat, you say. Almost) while sipping rich, freshly brewed coffee and looking chic despite the rain. Perhaps even catching the eye of a mischeviously charming artist as your hands meet over the delectable gourmand treats….? Well, we can all dream.
With the eagerly-awaited launch of their latest fragrance, L’Artisan Parfumeur have made this reverie an attainable reality, for in Noir Exquis perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour effortlessly conjures these feelings. Athough we can’t guarantee a French cutie will come your way, having sniffed the perfume and found ourselves suddenly affixed nose-to-wrist for the next few hours, we can tell you that gourmand/ambrée vanilla lovers are in for a particularly oppulent treat!
L’Artisan Parfumeur say: ‘Two people meet over a coffee. In this delicious atmosphere of patisserie and coffee, hushed looks are exchanged. This delightful rendez-vous is the beginning of a new story with Noir Exquis… a work of contrast and the unexpected. The addictive note of coffee, combined with the warm and comfortable notes of maple syrup, glazed chestnuts and orange blossom, brings an intriguing juxtaposition to this fragrance. Rich and velvety, Noir Exquis connects these two persons during this moment beyond time and place.’
Intensely comforting, the chestnut really does radiate a nuttily toasty glow and the orange blossom (along with a slightly bitter edge to the coffee) prevents the maple syrup from being too overwhelming, allowing you to over-indulge with a few more spritzes should you so wish – certainly kinder on the hips than helping yourself to a few more pastries!
A great change-of-season fragrance to try, Noir Exquis had us actually glad to be getting the cashmere and coloured opaque tights out – and perhaps we’ll accessorise with a romantic twinkle in our eyes and a beret worn at a jaunty angle, too…
L’Artisan Parfumeur Noir Exquis £72 for 50ml eau de parfum
But it at L’Artisan Parfumeur
Written by Suzy Nightingale
