Exalt Nuit
Navitus Parfums (2020)

Exalt Nuit by Navitus Parfums (2020) is just awful, case closed. I'm not sure what was going on in the minds of Francis Kurkdjian or Jéròme Di Marino, but whatever they were told to do, they should have refused. Yuck, this is so disgusting. I am barely holding it together for this review. Imagine taking Roja Dove Creation-E/Enigma Parfum Cologne (2019), then merging it with Parfums de Marly Carlisle (2015), and borrowing some of the cola cough syrup vibe from good old Yves Saint Laurent M7 (2002) and amping it to 11. Grossed out yet? You should be, and there isn't much of a saving grace until the far dry down and by then you've been driven to madness like I have. This is totally not worth suffering through for a bit of nutty tobacco in the end. I kinda imagine Buck Moore from "Big Beard Business" asking for a combination of his favorite niche cold weather scents and getting this monstrosity then going "oh well". What's up with the yuck Buck?

The opening is a huge slug of cherry Robitussin, no filter, no holding back. If you manage to choke back your bile long enough to get past that, a bit of bergamot, pepper, and nutmeg emerges. Anise, jasmine, and cocoa are really nowhere to be seen for my nose, but the tobacco and akigalawood parading as full patchouli certainly come forward near the end, mixing with some cashmeran musks and vetiver until this pasty nutty smell is created, which I guess is trying to imply labdanum is here as listed. Projection screams for the first hour then dulls to a thud that annoys with the nuttiness, although the cough syrup is replaced thankfully by more of a cola flavor that still never meshes with the finish. Best use is never. Don't ask me, because I never want to think about, let alone smell this horror show again. Not since Auphorie Iris Macciato (2018) have I wrinkled my nose this hard. Seriously, who wants to smell like the interior of some fentanyl addict living in his car, covered in spilled drinks and cigarette ash? Not me.

I give a lot of credit to Mr. Moore, most of his range is pretty much the picture perfect model of what an Influencer-inspired entry-level niche line should be; he presents a line of mostly well-researched fragrances that take trends and movements within the online "FragComm" and represents both commercial and luxury concepts then cleverly remixes them into alternatives for the major players. He brings actual value to the table with his line as opposed to another exercise in hubris or overreaching feckless artistry-lite like so many Influencer brands that have popped up in the wake of Jeremy Fragrance. However, there has to be at least one black sheep, one fabulous disaster, and this one is it. I'm sorry but if Exalt Nuit is your favorite fragrance from the range, we can still be friends, just don't show up to my door wearing it, or I'm not letting you in. I'm dead serious. You can stand out there all day for what I care, and I'll exalt when you scrub it off. Thumbs down.