Soir Exclusif
Navitus Parfums (2020)

Soir Exclusif by Navitus Parfums (2020) is instantly recognizable as one of the Bertrand Duchaufour compositions, full of quirks and weirdness like we're still in the niche market of the late 90's and early 2000's. You gotta love him for that, he sticks to his guns, even if it means being pimped out harder than a call girl on the Sunset Strip in the 70's. Soir Exclusif is the obligatory gourmand entry into the Big Beard Business range, powered by the creative mind of YouTube influencer Buck Moore. I can see this vaguely appealing to those who want a cheaper alternative to MFK's Baccarat Rouge 540 (2014), as it has the same dry down, but this is much sweeter and more foodie in nature, sitting across the table from the spicier Parfums de Marly Kalan (2019) which also gets called an alternative. I'm not the biggest fan of this style nor total gourmands, but I can see the qualities for someone who does.

The opening is sweet almond, blood orange, and coffee. The ethyl maltol is high in this one, so if you hate that kind of bubblegum sweetness, turn back now. The marshmallow note is also pretty amusing too when it comes into the heart, and I get a sort of unintentional coconut sun tan lotion vibe as well which many who've smelled such products will also connect. From there, it's a squish of vanilla, saffron like BR 540, tonka, woody-ambers, cashmeran, tolu basalm and mastic, plus some Lolita Lempicka-style licorice. As a parfum, the wear time is long, but sillage is just okay for most of itm and probably for the best. Something like this with heavy projection could be cloying. Best use is romantic evenings in fall through spring, and really this is neutral enough gender-wise than anyone can easily pick it up, just like BR 540 and many of its inspired takes or competitors. A baccarat s'more anyone? No? Me neither. At least the stuff doesn't stink like Exalt Nuit (2020). I'm still shuddering over that one.

This is a harmless sweet gourmand with modern oriental touches, another smart competitor to the movers and shakers in the "FragComm", by a guy who takes the "business"in Big Beard Business seriously. I have come to admire his savvy, even if I myself might be tempted to go the Steven Gavrielatos route and make my collection all budget takes on opulent ouds or vintage styles without the benefit of IFRA-banned materials or expensive naturals. I like Redolessence's spirit more in his collection, but with the materials, R&D budget, and ultimate quality allowable by this oil magnate-funded niche upstart, I just know that the more pragmatic route Moore is taking just translates better, and this is another example of that. I wouldn't wear Soir Exclusif myself, and because I don't like the way this smells, I can't fairly give it a thumbs up, but I recommend anyone shopping for this style that wants to keep it under $200, give this scent a chance. Neutral