Or Noir
Pascal Morabito (1981)

Black Gold, yes, a classic floral chypre - closely resembles vintage from the 1930s or 1940s - how remarkable that it was created in 1981.

All the notes are held in perfect balance, and although it was created for a woman, men need not be afraid of it, as it serves easily as unisex. Nothing overtly feminine to be afraid of here.

It is quite elegant, warm and sensual. Tania Sanchez finds peach and musk here, and I agree, though they are not listed in the notes pyramid.

A real "find" and a treasure from this little known house.

Or noir is a typical bouquet floral but a rather intense and feminine bouquet floral. I could not possibly imagine a man wearing this! Or noir gets a little powdery and a little sweet in the dry-down but not to to point of becoming candyish. It is a warm, dark and velvety fragrance. Morabito intented this fragrance to be a "jewel perfume". It is quite chic indeed. Also, the longevity of Or noir is absolutely incredible. In my office desk, I have an empty miniature that was given to me in 1991 and the fragrance is still very noticeable.

Yes, Or noir may be a little soapy and yes, it is a little old-fashioned but I don't consider this to be a problem at all. There is room out there for all sorts of fragrances, not just the "trendy" ones. My pet peeve with the perfume industry today is the lack of variety. Or noir may not be for everyone but at least it has personality.

Here are the notes quoted from the FRAGRANTICA website:"Top notes are iris, mandarin and black currant bud. Heart: gardenia, bergamot, jasmine, May rose, narcissus and lily of the valley. Base: oak moss, vanilla, ylang-ylang and clove."I gave this a trial as I am usually interested in iris and rose. To my mind this is an oriental/gardenia perfume. Is that a category? I don't know. This smells of rose + old flowers soap burdened with darker notes. Maybe the cassis is there giving an effect or wineyness to the rose (not a fresh spring rose). Then bergamont comes in lays a blanket over it all and smothers it. It seems to be a kind of masculine scent though not sure it would appeal to any men. It's not doing much for me, though Or Black is fantastic.

Or Noir can easily be misunderstood. It is classified as a women's scent but it could almost be a men's scent.The top note is so sharp and distinct and reminds me of diesel oil (well, the name says Black Oil!) but after about 30 minutes, all sorts of floral notes come through, and many hours later there is a soft cologne citrus lingering. Because I cannot be sure of the effect on other people I wear this perfume rarely.

Although this scent is considered a sharp floral, this and other aldehydic heavy hitters such as Chanel No. 5 and Rive Gauche by Yves Saint Laurent should come with a warning label: “ Caution! This is a superb scent, if you can survive the first 15 minutes”With a sharp, soapy, and aldehydic top dominated by iris, the floral heart is obscured for the first 10-15 minutes. I have to say I sense more notes than the three mentioned above. There is definitely an herbaceous resin note as well-maybe the bergamot peeking through? I would not have guessed there was any cassis at all. Eventually, the top simmers down and the heart emerges rather discreetly. The aldehydes remain, but take a back seat to the rich floral accord. They eventually fade and leave the wearer with the impression of sweet tobacco-very compelling.This is a strict, mature scent, for a formal professional setting or an evening out. I can't see it on anyone under 40. The composition is very tight and precise. Not to be overapplied in public.