I’m not exactly a perfume snob. I’ll try almost any fragrance, from the supermarket brands to the exclusive niche houses (if I can afford it, of course. Ha…). Maybe I’m a perfume slut.

Fragances & Colors (It’s not a typo…)

The other day, I went to a mall to buy a fragrance for my friend’s birthday on her request. It was one of those shops selling so called fragrances which were “inspired by designer’s brand perfumes” (you know what that means).  I picked up the one she wanted and asked for a gift wrap. While the girl at the counter who looked very much like Miley Cyrus was busy with the shiny wrapping paper and bows, I was idly browsing around their collection of fragrances and spotted a copied version of Jasmin Noir.  It’s one of my favourites (well, at least the Bvlgari one). On impulse, I bought it.

Sometime ago, on the Perfume Posse blog, there was a post on the Perfume Commandments. To quote, the second one of the commandments was “Thou Shalt Not Blind Buy”. Well, I broke it… I’m a thrill seeker, you know. Buying a fragrance without knowing what it’s like is kind of like opening a Christmas gift with anticipation.

But sometimes you receive a gift which isn’t quite your taste or not what you expected. This was the case with this perfume. It wasn’t bad or ugly. It was actually quite wearable. Just it wasn’t Jasmin Noir. 😀 (Really now, what do you expect.)

Thoughts on Jasmin Noir by Bvlgari

Illustration by the Perfume Magpie

This, for me, is I-can’t-help-sniffing-my-wrist scent. I’m a big fan of Jasmine & Gardenia; I love plenty of Wood & Musk as well so from just reading about the notes I was already in love this one. When I was living in the Middle East, then later in Egypt, we had Sambac Jasmine  (Scientific name: Jasminum sambac | Common Name: Arabian Jasmine) vines in the garden. The scent of the blossoms always seemed to get stronger in the evening and I used to savour the night air filled with the fragrance. Jasmin Noir always reminds me of those nights.
The warm woody note dominates Jasmin Noir; its florals are somewhat subdued & soft and lingers in the background. The ambery sweet drydown goes on and on for a long time. Almost ghostly, mysterious, dark and sensual. Gorgeous fragrance.

NOTES
Top notes: Green sap, Gardenia | Middle notes: Sambac jasmine absolute, Satin almond notes | Base notes: Precious woods, Tonka bean absolute, Licorice

Thoughts on F67 by Fragances & Colors

Illustration by the Perfume Magpie

There’s definitely some white floral notes… Jasmine, yes, but it’s not rich, deep Sambac Jasmine. Absolute? Nah. The florals disappear after an hour or so and ambery – musky notes dominate the rest. It’s not an unpleasant scent. One thing that really bothers me with F67 is that there’s this note which isn’t in the original Jasmin Noir; the burnt caramel. That’s the only way I can describe…  Here’s the image came into my mind; a cozy little shop selling perfumed soaps & scented closet sachets. A woman walks in. She is dressed in all black, wearing rather strong animalic perfume. As she walks through the door, an aroma of the sweet Belgian waffles, served warm by a street vendor outside the shop wafts in…

I still wear this one but how this can be Jasmin Noir is anybody’s guess.