WHAT I SMELL: Noir Exquis opens slightly sour at first, quickly moving to a gourmand breaded pastry that is covered with a hazelnut glaze. After a couple of minutes, the perfume begins to grow and it smells just like Coffee-mate Hazelnut Non-Dairy Creamer. After a few more minutes the perfume takes on a slight hair spray note, making the perfume slightly prickly, but it also makes it feel like it’s covered in raw sugar, meaning that it’s sweet without being saccharine sweet. After some more time, a maple syrup note creeps in and it melds with the existing nutty structure. Thankfully, after 30 minutes, the whole structure seems to tame. The sweetened hazelnut becomes quieter and the perfume takes on a more woody sandalwood and patchouli note tinged with a burnt amber.
From the L’Artisan Parfumeur website:
The inspiration for Noir Exquis is an unexpected rendez-vous in a French patisserie. 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.
Noir Exquis is 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.
Opulent and gourmand, Noir Exquis is a fragrance with a warm and charismatic aura.
Notes: Glazed chestnut, Coffee, Maple syrup, Macassar Wood
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: I can’t get this out of my head…Coffee-mate Hazelnut Non-Dairy Creamer
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE NOIR EXQUIS: creamy, sweetened, breakfasty (is that a word?)
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NOIR EXQUIS: Kafkaesque, Bois de Jasmin, Megan in Saint Maxime
BOTTOM LINE: If you like flavored coffee creamers in your morning coffee and like gourmand scents, this may be for you. Personally, I don’t want to feel like I just rubbed a breakfast pastry over myself. In the end, the perfume does quiet down, but it still radiates this artificial creaminess.
- Bone Rating: 2.5 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Oriental Vanilla
- Nose: Bertrand Duchaufour
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $120 for 1.7 oz. eau de parfum
The Scented Hound 
November 2, 2015 at 6:13 am
Dear S, I can imagine you would not like to smell like coffee Creamer or breakfast pastry 🙂 Did you find anything unexpected in Noir Exquis ? Reading your review it sounds a bit tame not like an unexpected rendez vous. Xxx, Esperanza
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November 2, 2015 at 5:59 pm
Dear E – I was not expecting the perfume to tame like it did. The first hour was a bit much, but after that it really quieted down. But even then it still lingered in an area that I didn’t want to partake in.
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November 2, 2015 at 6:48 am
Hi TSH – thanks for the link. Sorry you didn’t like this one – it seems to be a bit of a polarising perfume and perhaps a bit tame or way too sweet. I really like it though and wore it yesterday when I was surrounded by completely over the top cakes at my son’s family birthday party! Nearly the perfect occasion for it …
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November 2, 2015 at 6:02 pm
Megan…I could see this going very well with a sweet cake. Just add milk or a cup of coffee 🙂
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November 2, 2015 at 7:03 am
I can imagine NE very well from your description, and though I do want to try Noir Exquis, it seems like I have still to find the ‘one’ true coffee fragrance.
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November 2, 2015 at 6:00 pm
Dear Asali – This was less coffee than nutty gourmand to me. I think on different skin it may bring the coffee forward…if you like nutty gourmand then I would recommend giving it a try.
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November 2, 2015 at 9:45 am
As someone who gags whenever I find the coffee flavoured style of creamer in my tea by accident, I think I will pass on this one, hehe. Thanks for drawing it to my attention!
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November 2, 2015 at 6:01 pm
Vanessa – like you I am a purist. Those flavored coffee creamers or just coffee flavors send me in a tailspin. They’re like the Yankee Candle Company equivalent in the food arena!
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November 3, 2015 at 4:21 pm
A dominant rule in fashion is that trends are not set by creativity but by the invention of new textiles. The textile industry dictates fashion trends.
The analogy in perfume has become obvious with the ubiquitous hazelnut accord. Even Habit Rouge has a new hazelnut version, Habit Rouge Dress Code
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November 3, 2015 at 4:39 pm
Let me ask you Christos…are you a fan of the hazelnut note?
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November 3, 2015 at 6:17 pm
Usually no. It has to be contrasted by other ingredients, not played towards the gourmand. But the question is not whether someone likes it or not. The question is why does it have to pop its head out of every new release
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November 3, 2015 at 6:25 pm
I guess I haven’t paid much attention to the pesky note myself.
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November 3, 2015 at 5:12 pm
Really?? I have a sample but I haven’t got around to test it yet. Maybe I should try this in the morning, it might help me to wake up. 🙂
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November 27, 2015 at 1:21 am
I like that specific creamer… No, I love it. For that strange unnatural hazelnut flavor. But I wouldn’t want to wear it. Ever.
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November 29, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Dear Mr Hound
Great review. I agree about the gourmandiness ( is that a word? it is now). I found this very Chritsmassy and now you’ve alluded to nutty coffee mate I totally agree!
best wishes
Samantha
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November 29, 2015 at 5:59 pm
Sam…I love the word gourmandiness…and I don’t care if it’s officially a word. I plan to use it in the future if you don’t mind 🙂
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November 30, 2015 at 6:40 am
Be my guest my friend x
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