This fragrance honestly reminds me of a lot of things, but everything I think of it is kind of "dimly lit" if that makes any sense, but not in a sad way. A quiet teahouse. An untouched wet forest. These are the things this fragrance makes me think of. A L´Extreme has the nearly the same beginning as this one but is a bit more refined and differs in the drydown after 3h and a lot more going on there. I have worn this fragrance a lot during last autumn-winter period. Really well blended perfume. Modern, linear, clean, very dry, woody formula. It owns humid and earthy qualities. I believe, that this is definitely built upon Iso E Super (neutral, ambery, velvety), some selected clean white Musks like Exaltolide or Galaxolide, Hedione, Vetiveryl Acetate, Cedar raw materials like Vertofix, Cedrol (leathery) or Lixetone. I can imagine some of these raw materials in the formula. This is primarily aroma-chemicals based, I believe. There could be some trace amounts of naturals as well though. Vetiveryl Acetate in the olfactive profile owns these smoky qualities of Vetiver without the complexities the Vetiver EO or Absolute potentially have. I am going to dilute this raw material at home, I can definitely imagine that in this perfume. Cashmeran, as far as I know, can work with woody compounds well and can help to elevate the formula. It can do it here with Hedione, I guess. The quality is really good in comparison to the price, really. If you like Vetiver in perfumes, I think this is definitely something you will appreciate. This is a very dry formulation, quite simple, well built. Kind of a hidden gem from the affordable designer perfumery shelf (if you like Vetiver, of course haha). It is more of an intimate perfume rather than a projecting monster, to be honest. It lasts 6-7 hours on my skin (double sprays).

The cypress notes are very intensive, consistent throughout the dry down. Now that I've had Encre Noire for a while, I've become really sensitive to the vetiver in this. I remember walking through the fields and mountains in my home country and smelling vetiver in the air, this smells exactly like it. It's become a major comfort scent for me. I can also see how this can come off as gothic- the cypress brings a dark and forest-y element to the fragrance. I think of abandoned libraries and foggy woods. Have you ever been in a catholic church when they burn incense? Because that's EXACTLY the smell and anyone who has will recognize it instantly. For those who haven't, it's like wood, smoke, earth, and salt. This is everything I've been looking for, fragrance-wise. It's sharp, pungent, shadowy, dark, voluptuous, and altogether smoky and seductive. The dark side does not serve us. We serve the dark side. If we glorify it through our acts and our work and our art, it gives us power. It gives us life. Even life eternal." While it doesn't change my belief that EDTs generally are doomed to disappoint in their performance, as earthy scents go, this is one of the better ones. If you're looking for complexity, you won't find it here. Very basic note combination that smells good, works in an office environment, but is uninteresting. Those who like to wax poetic about "the hint of iris", or the "smoothness of the amber" should look elsewhere. This is a no-nonsense, linear as a 2"x4" frag that gets the job done without fanfare.I will say that this could probably smell strange on people's skin, I imagine the cypress could go sour or have the combination of vetiver and cypress smell rubbery. I really love this fragrance but don't go in with high expectations, it's linear and might react poorly with your body chemistry. This is a very interesting fragrance for me. Encre Noire lives up to the name; the first time I tested it I thought, "oh wow, this is exactly as described." After a couple of sprays, you notice a magnificent imposing gloomy cypress. The vetiver middle notes make themselves noticed almost immediately, embracing the cypress without choking it. People keep touting this fragrance as a sad, uninviting one, but I don't find it as that at ALL. You could definitely call it melancholy but even then I see it as just a very, very peaceful fragrance. It smells just like being at peace, whether you're sad or happy.

Wearability: 8.0 (It leans more toward the night-time and cold weather, although I consider it perfectly safe to use it during Spring and Fall daytime) To me, this is very reminiscent of a wooded forest at dawn, in mid-Autumn. Wet, herbal, and incredibly woodsy. Wet orange leaves peppering the forest floor, that is covered with moss and mushrooms. There's even an accord that reminds me of the rising fog at dawn.My final impression is that its a Cypress forward scent, with a vetiver base. In the opening and mid drydown its smokey but it loses it in the final phase. It is still an incredibily unique, evocative, nostalgic, dark, bitter green, artistic perfume. Maceration made it smoother, more rounded and dry woody. I still maintain my opinion about the performance, it is average at best, atleast on my skin. It is not a powerfull perfume, and it shouldn't be. This is not a fragrance you spray everyday, it wouldn't do it justice. This is one to enjoy alone, when the mood calls for it. You get a touch of softwood (cashmere) and musk with the base notes to enhance the pleasant dark atmosphere. This fragrance is a signature scent material. Many people, myself included, recognise that wearing this fragrance at leisure gives us considerable pleasure.