Reviews of Nocturnes by Caron
Caron Nocturnes (1981) is a big eighties floral aldehyde chypre composed by Gerard LeFort, the man who graced us with Eau de Caron (1980) in the previous year. Nocturnes seems loud to us now in the 21st century but believe it or not, this was on the conservative end of the spectrum for the time, as Caron was in a bit of a tumble under the stewardship of A.H. Robbins between the passing of Felicie Wanpouille in 1967 and eventual ownership by the Ales Group. That isn't to say Nocturnes isn't good, because it's pretty damned hard to mess up an aldehyde chypre if the prescribed methodology and use of noble ingredients is followed, especially in the days before IFRA put a stranglehold on use of "the good stuff". However, as far as such chypres go, Nocturnes is rather plain with an understated style that in the 80's failed to catch the onlooker, even if it is a hallmark of Daltroff-era Caron tradition unsurprisingly carried over here. Rumor has it that Nocturnes was originally to be named "Zelda" after Zelda Fitzgerald, the "first American flapper" and the insane socialite wife of roaring 20's author F Scott Fitzgerald, but I can see why the change of heart after smelling the stuff.
Nocturnes opens with (you guessed it) aldehydes, a bit of lactonic fruit notes, bergamot, some galbanum, pretty academically for those who know the style. If you were a young lady in 1981 smelling this for the first time, you might have thought it the most classy and mature "grown up woman" scent you had ever encountered, not unlike Chanel No. 5 (1921), Patou Joy (1930), or Hermès Calèche (1961), but also not quite so "old smelling" thanks to the then-trendy infusion of tuberose into the heart. The tuberose is really but a bait and switch though, as the classic orange blossom, rose, orris, jasmine, and muguet (a.k.a. "garden variety mid-century florals") take over in short order to make Nocturnes more akin to a late-model 60's chypre long in gestation, but with a smidgen of green borrowed from the 70's so it has some sass. Soapiness in the late stages as the orris begins to dominate help smooth out the oakmoss, sandalwood, musk, and vetiver base, which is then warmed up to a skin glow with benzoin, vanilla, and a speck of amber. Wear time on my vintage sample is sufficient at eight hours, and although loud by modern apologetic femine floral standards, Nocturnes is pretty middling for an 80's perfume in the projection department. I'd say this works best in spring or fall, and is appropriate for office, evening, or formal use due to the style it carries.
Being a chypre, Nocturnes has plenty of unisex potential for lovers of the genre, and good well-preserved examples should resonate with oakmoss bite even under all the slick benzoin, vanilla, and orris shine attempting to "eighties out" the accord. I can't speak for the most-recent EdP re-issues before Caron was sold to the Rothschilds, so I don't know what to expect there, but I can't imagine it being better than the 80's EdT or pure parfum in this regard even if the top notes might be a bit more vibrant. Another fascinating tidbit about this perfume is that Caron had intended it to be a sequel of sorts to Nuit de Noël (1922), which may shed some light on the naming choice, even if they have little in common outside the sharing of a few key notes. For the collector of vintage perfumes, and particularly aldehyde chypres at that, Nocturnes may be a coveted prize, but in the bigger picture of things, this was an ordinary aldehyde perfume arriving at a time when excess was the order of the day. For this reason, I find Nocturnes to be an enjoyable exercise worthy of getting your nose on, but not worth any degree of clamor in so doing. Of course, testing for yourself is always in order as you may feel more strongly than I. Thumbs up.
Nocturnes opens with (you guessed it) aldehydes, a bit of lactonic fruit notes, bergamot, some galbanum, pretty academically for those who know the style. If you were a young lady in 1981 smelling this for the first time, you might have thought it the most classy and mature "grown up woman" scent you had ever encountered, not unlike Chanel No. 5 (1921), Patou Joy (1930), or Hermès Calèche (1961), but also not quite so "old smelling" thanks to the then-trendy infusion of tuberose into the heart. The tuberose is really but a bait and switch though, as the classic orange blossom, rose, orris, jasmine, and muguet (a.k.a. "garden variety mid-century florals") take over in short order to make Nocturnes more akin to a late-model 60's chypre long in gestation, but with a smidgen of green borrowed from the 70's so it has some sass. Soapiness in the late stages as the orris begins to dominate help smooth out the oakmoss, sandalwood, musk, and vetiver base, which is then warmed up to a skin glow with benzoin, vanilla, and a speck of amber. Wear time on my vintage sample is sufficient at eight hours, and although loud by modern apologetic femine floral standards, Nocturnes is pretty middling for an 80's perfume in the projection department. I'd say this works best in spring or fall, and is appropriate for office, evening, or formal use due to the style it carries.
Being a chypre, Nocturnes has plenty of unisex potential for lovers of the genre, and good well-preserved examples should resonate with oakmoss bite even under all the slick benzoin, vanilla, and orris shine attempting to "eighties out" the accord. I can't speak for the most-recent EdP re-issues before Caron was sold to the Rothschilds, so I don't know what to expect there, but I can't imagine it being better than the 80's EdT or pure parfum in this regard even if the top notes might be a bit more vibrant. Another fascinating tidbit about this perfume is that Caron had intended it to be a sequel of sorts to Nuit de Noël (1922), which may shed some light on the naming choice, even if they have little in common outside the sharing of a few key notes. For the collector of vintage perfumes, and particularly aldehyde chypres at that, Nocturnes may be a coveted prize, but in the bigger picture of things, this was an ordinary aldehyde perfume arriving at a time when excess was the order of the day. For this reason, I find Nocturnes to be an enjoyable exercise worthy of getting your nose on, but not worth any degree of clamor in so doing. Of course, testing for yourself is always in order as you may feel more strongly than I. Thumbs up.
I really don't know whether I should give Nocturnes a thumbs up, neutral or thumbs down: I actually think it should have one of each, as, in my opinion, there have been three different formulations of this perfume:
The first (in the original black bottle/box), released in the early 1980s was wonderful (and definitely deserved a thumbs up): it was a lovely sweet aldehydic fragrance: sweeter and deeper than Chanel No5 type perfumes, but still dominated by aldehydes. There was orange blossom in the top notes, which gave way to a very elegant mix of aldehyde and subtle spice. It was one of my favourite perfumes of the early and mid 80s. The parfum strength was particularly special, and there was a whole range of matching bath products.
I'm not sure when the parfum and bath products were discontinued, but when they were, I'm sure EDT (the only thing left in the once comprehensive range) was reformulated (this is the version sold until recently in the generic curvy Caron EDT spray). I revisited Nocturnes in this version a few years ago, and was so disappointed, as the fragrance had altered beyond recognition. It was now a very ordinary aldehydic-chypre scent, with no resemblance to the original at all. This version definitely gets a thumbs down.
The third version of Nocturnes is the new Eau de Parfum strength: I was hoping this was going to be more like the original version, and for the first few minutes after trying it I wasn't disappointed. I was thrilled to find that this smelled exactly as I remember Nocturnes (I very nearly bought a bottle straight away!). However, my delight didn't last more than about ten minutes, as after this the perfume changed, and smelled exactly like Ysatis (which I loved in the mid 80s, but now leaves me cold - perhaps that has been reformulated too?), which was a huge disappointment. I would have to give this version a neutral, as it is not unpleasant (and certainly better than the second version), but it is not Nocturnes as it originally was.
The first (in the original black bottle/box), released in the early 1980s was wonderful (and definitely deserved a thumbs up): it was a lovely sweet aldehydic fragrance: sweeter and deeper than Chanel No5 type perfumes, but still dominated by aldehydes. There was orange blossom in the top notes, which gave way to a very elegant mix of aldehyde and subtle spice. It was one of my favourite perfumes of the early and mid 80s. The parfum strength was particularly special, and there was a whole range of matching bath products.
I'm not sure when the parfum and bath products were discontinued, but when they were, I'm sure EDT (the only thing left in the once comprehensive range) was reformulated (this is the version sold until recently in the generic curvy Caron EDT spray). I revisited Nocturnes in this version a few years ago, and was so disappointed, as the fragrance had altered beyond recognition. It was now a very ordinary aldehydic-chypre scent, with no resemblance to the original at all. This version definitely gets a thumbs down.
The third version of Nocturnes is the new Eau de Parfum strength: I was hoping this was going to be more like the original version, and for the first few minutes after trying it I wasn't disappointed. I was thrilled to find that this smelled exactly as I remember Nocturnes (I very nearly bought a bottle straight away!). However, my delight didn't last more than about ten minutes, as after this the perfume changed, and smelled exactly like Ysatis (which I loved in the mid 80s, but now leaves me cold - perhaps that has been reformulated too?), which was a huge disappointment. I would have to give this version a neutral, as it is not unpleasant (and certainly better than the second version), but it is not Nocturnes as it originally was.
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I bought a small bottle of this a few years ago. It was just oaky. I couldn't wear to much of it though. It had a clean smell which I liked but then it dried down into something powdery which I didn't. Anyway, I finished the bottle eventually. Its not something I would buy again.
Pleasant, but bland melange of rose, neroli, jasmine, ylang yang, tuberose and orange, supported by sandalwood and musk.
Nice for a summer splash, but not all that interesting as a scent.
Nice for a summer splash, but not all that interesting as a scent.
Aldehydic, floral fizz. A bright, inoffensive scent for the working day. Distinctly recall my mother's '80s version being higher octane, but no great tragedy. This is a pleasant and harmless scent that can quite lift the spirits.
Wanted to try Nocturnes because it had debuted in the 80's, and although they're now somewhat old-fashioned I really like the sort of loud florals that dominated much of that era.
And I wasn't disappointed. Nocturnes opens with an intriguing blend of florals, aldehydes and spices, which are later developed together with a hint of orange and other, darker notes I couldn't name.
I wanted to give it a thumbs up, but as it developed Nocturnes became less distinctive and more like a well-made, elegant guest soap. I like it well enough, but it blends into its surroundings too well to be really interesting for me.
But it's still a pretty scent, even though it's not outstanding, so I'm rating it neutral.
And I wasn't disappointed. Nocturnes opens with an intriguing blend of florals, aldehydes and spices, which are later developed together with a hint of orange and other, darker notes I couldn't name.
I wanted to give it a thumbs up, but as it developed Nocturnes became less distinctive and more like a well-made, elegant guest soap. I like it well enough, but it blends into its surroundings too well to be really interesting for me.
But it's still a pretty scent, even though it's not outstanding, so I'm rating it neutral.
Oh, Nocturnes! One of the nicer BIG eighties scents. Floral with spice is always a good thing in my book. I haven't given this a smell in years, but I hope it's doing well.
Having never quite got' the Caron line (I know - for shame!), I found Nocturnes at a tantalisingly low price and took a punt that I had evolved enough as a sniffer to appreciate this juice. A good punt indeed. Nocturnes scared me a bit with its initial trumpet of aldehydes (a Hello Granny' moment), but swiftly seduced with a beautiful rendition of white florals, offset with a sparkling citrus note. At this stage I was thinking What's the deal with that name? This is definitely for day...' - but then the base came through. Oh my - Nocturnes becomes a midnight vixen, albeit a subtle one. The phrases a little musty' and slightly meaty' may not sound too sexy, but in this incarnation those down-and-dirty notes combined with the glimmering top translate to a sensual mix of Miss Prim and Lady Panther. What's not to love about that?
San Francisco is a beautiful CityThis is what i was told for years and years. Finally I ended up at a company where i supported their software package, and I was flown to San Francisco for training. I was beside myself to finally see this beautiful city for myself. I was disappointed. SF isn't pretty at all - it's nothing but street after street of drab, dull colored row houses. There is no skyline worth mentioning and those steep streets are terrifying, not fun. SF is only worth seeing, I now realize because I live here, from the West side of town. Golden Gate park. The Bay bridge. By boat from the bay and Baker Beach. Had I only known. Here's what you need to know about Caron, because I've now sampled 75% of their offerings and my opinion is set. Go to their parfums. Don't piddle around with the EDTs, they're disappointing and bland, like hte row houses.Nocturnes smells like a tray of guest soaps. Nice, sure, but not original and certainly not interesting. Caron is only interesting at full strength.I know this comes in a parfum, and that is my next stop wiht this one.
I loved Nocturnes during the 80s, and wore it for several years. Everything about it spelled contempoary elegance; from the colourful modern art picture on the packaging to the beautiful black Parfum bottle. I remember that Nocturnes was available in an amazing Baccarat crystal bottle with lions on it's sides, exclusively from Harrods during the 80s; unfortunately I was never rich enough to afford one.Nocturnes was a beautful and well balanced fragrance: slightly sweet, with floral (orange blossom being most noticable), subtle spice notes, tempered by subtle aldehyde.I tried Nocturnes for the first time since the 80s a few years ago, and was very disappointed: the fragrance had changed drastically: it was far less sweet, and not nearly as full bodied; it was like Y, with added chypre. In fact, if I hadn't known what I was trying, I would not have recognised it as Nocturnes. At the same time I discovered that the beautiful original packaging, the parfum, and the wonderful bath products have all been discontinued - it has quite saddened me.I am very unlikely to buy Nocturnes again; the fragrance has drasically changed since I last wore it in the 80s. It is by no means an unpleasant fragrance, but very different from the one I remember.
I smelled a sample of this in the 80s and always remembered it for it's lovely 'grassiness'. I bought some recently by mail order (it's hard to get hold of by any other method) and on spraying recognised it pleasantly at once. The top notes are beautiful and remind me very much of the much missed original Armani for women perfume. However Nocturnes dries down to a horrible 'dirty wang' (to borrow the brilliant phrase that another Basenoter has used (why, why???!!) to describe Agent Provocateur) on me. There's a hint of something carnation or lily like there that just spoils it for me. I'm going to try wearing this perfume again once the weather turns really cold, it may work better then.
This is a very "pretty" floral fragrance. Makes me think of springtime, sunrise, and fresh gardens with a bit of dew on them. The orange blossom is my favorite part of the development. It is very well blended. You can detect the light tuberose and lily of the valley, but they play a part in the overall accords. No one flower really takes center stage, except maybe orange blossom. The base is very soft, warm, and lovely. It is in the same ball park as Baghari (much richer and more sophisticated), Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle (much more confident), and Chanel No 5 eau Premier (much more exuberant), but anyone who likes these may enjoy Nocturnes. Even though aldehydes play a big part in the opening, I don't think this becomes very powdery in the overall development - not as much as Baghari for instance. Nocturnes would also make a wonderful bridal perfume b/c it is so lovely, soft, and smells like a wonderful fresh bouquet. It has a traditional romantic feel too. Very feminine.
This is lovely - subtle, classy and feminine. I find the perfume to be beautifully blended - no notes dominate to me - and quite linear - it just gets softer with time and the initial (very gentle) aldehydes fade. It is suitable to wear anywhere - in crowded places I don't need to worry about it overwhelming anyone, yet it feels special and romantic enough for an expensive meal out. One of my very favourites.
Oh, so beautiful.The orange blossom is soft; the aldehydes are voluptuous; the tuberose and ylang-ylang are striking without being overpowering; the sandalwood is subtle; the vetiver is perfect: neither being soapy or dirty; the rose is deep and a little bit spicy; and the musk is both feminine and slightly animalic.Nocturnes is both luxurious and sparkling, and is a pleasure to smell throughout the day.I agree that Nocturnes is a sweetheart rather than a femme fatale, and this is fine with me.Another masterpiece from Caron.
Being a huge Caron fan, I took a chance and bought this unsniffed. Not normally one to wear florals much, I was quite surprised how much I love it. The orange blossom lends a bright citrusy note in the opening to play off the green vetiver, both earthy and airy, bright, dries down to a soft warm beauty, although I wouldn't mind the sparkling top notes sticking around the whole time either.
I have fallen in love with this perfume. I find it perfect for spring and summer when I want to feel fresh and green. It opens with a sparkling green and dries down to a powdery earthiness, not too sweet, not too "dirty", like vetiver can do on me sometimes. DH says he loves this frag b/c it does not smell like anything else. I think it departs a bit from the Caron "feel", but a favorite of mine nonetheless!
I have fallen in love with this perfume. I find it perfect for spring and summer when I want to feel fresh and green. It opens with a sparkling green and dries down to a powdery earthiness, not too sweet, not too "dirty", like vetiver can do on me sometimes. DH says he loves this frag b/c it does not smell like anything else. I think it departs a bit from the Caron "feel", but a favorite of mine nonetheless!
Nocturnes opens on my skin with a very fresh clean lemony scent which softens as it dries down. Didn't seem to change much in the drydown except become softer but then....... after about twenty minutes I get a fragrant blend of vanilla, orange and roses (as Ayala has posted in her review). No green notes on me, just a lovely delicate and 'pure' scent. Some perfumes are described as 'femme fatale', 'seductress' etc. I'd offer 'sweetheart' for Nocturnes.
I agree with RoseAmber in that this fragrance, it seems, could well have been made in the Roaring Twenties. LOVELY use of aldehydes, and brilliant use of vetiver to tone down the tuberose. A freakin' masterpiece, this one.
Nocturnes (to my nose) is a complex aldehydic floral with a warm drydown and beautiful, wistful sillage. Unlike other reviewers, I don't perceive lemon, soapiness, or powder so much as creamy floral notes on a soft woods base. It is sophisticated, unusual, and emotional; one of my favorite fragrances of this type. (This review is for the original formulation.)
Another surprise from Caron. Though slightly floral, I find this completely wearable and very light and fresh. A nice marriage of vetiver and orange blossom on my skin.NOTES: Vetiver, sandalwood, musk, jasmine, tuberose, ylang-ylang, orange blossom, rose.
Although the name suggests it to be a night-invoking perfume, I find it extremely summer-like and full of light.
It starts off with a citrus splash of bergamot and tangerine, backed up with a feminine floral notes of jasmine, and a more masculine eau-de-cologne like notes of orange blossoms and a hint of musk, that adds sensuality to that blast of freshness.
As the top notes start to fade, they reveal a luscious fruity note of peach supported by vanilla, which gradually pushes away the dominant orange-blossom and tangerine accord.
The dry down gradually enters with an interesting and surprising accord dominated by a fresh, woody and masculine vetiver notes, accompanied by green notes, orange blossom (softer and more subtle now), and a very modest hint of vanilla and rose.
This perfume is full of surprises, I love the way the stages fade into each other. The overall impression is of freshness and vivacity, mingled with a tad of melancholy, which brings to mind Chopin's expressive piano nocturni.
It's surprising to see that such an old-fashioned aldehydic floral was launched in the 80's (1981 to be exact). The perfumer behind Nocturnes is Gerard Lefort.
Top notes: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Mandarin, Green notes
Heart notes: Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Tuberose, Stephanotis, Lily of the Valley, Orris, Rose, Cyclamen
Base notes: Vetiver, Musk, Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla, Benzoin
It starts off with a citrus splash of bergamot and tangerine, backed up with a feminine floral notes of jasmine, and a more masculine eau-de-cologne like notes of orange blossoms and a hint of musk, that adds sensuality to that blast of freshness.
As the top notes start to fade, they reveal a luscious fruity note of peach supported by vanilla, which gradually pushes away the dominant orange-blossom and tangerine accord.
The dry down gradually enters with an interesting and surprising accord dominated by a fresh, woody and masculine vetiver notes, accompanied by green notes, orange blossom (softer and more subtle now), and a very modest hint of vanilla and rose.
This perfume is full of surprises, I love the way the stages fade into each other. The overall impression is of freshness and vivacity, mingled with a tad of melancholy, which brings to mind Chopin's expressive piano nocturni.
It's surprising to see that such an old-fashioned aldehydic floral was launched in the 80's (1981 to be exact). The perfumer behind Nocturnes is Gerard Lefort.
Top notes: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Mandarin, Green notes
Heart notes: Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Tuberose, Stephanotis, Lily of the Valley, Orris, Rose, Cyclamen
Base notes: Vetiver, Musk, Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla, Benzoin
Okay, okay. I'm eating a bit of crow these days. Have revisted Chamade and have fallen in love. Have revisted Nocturnes and have fallen in love. What struck me as soapy months ago now strikes me as feminine and cool. I like the review below that likens Nocturnes to stepping into a forest glade at twilight. That's a beautiful image and captures the essence of this scent. I'm a big Caron fan, and for a while I thought this classic just wasn't for me. But I've changed my mind. Definitely full bottle worthy.
This fragrance is the epitome of my romantic expectations of fine French perfume. It was my first real perfume (in parfum form); given to me as a gift when I was a teenager in the 1980s. Its mysterious, elegant, and incredibly beautiful fragrance still haunts my memories, and when I wear it, I feel like a ghost of Chopin's dreams. Even though this was launched in 1981, it has a haunting, classic quality that I associate with 1920s fragrances (such as Chanel Gardenia). Notes: Orange, Aldehydes, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Rose, Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk.