The One Luminous Night
Dolce & Gabbana (2021)

Very nice amber and black pepper with an incense (sage) in the background. This is my favorite of the series. Seems just a tad more interesting than the others. In the midnotes, I get a light wood vibe which tones down the amber and geranium combo. Gets to the edge of being sweet, but that is subsided after about 10 minutes of initial spray. 8/10.

This is the ultimate sweet amber scent and a masterpiece that will be remembered for many years to come. With many pseudo-niche houses cranking out scents for triple the price that don't smell half as good, Luminous Night is a definitive release. It proves that all you actually need is the stars aligning with a genius perfumer. Who'd of thought!

As for the scent, it's only loosely related to the original The One in that it's a sweet, sexy sort of fragrance. But this is even sweeter and has a much more robust base. Somehow dialling up these two aspects works as all the elements have been kept in perfect balance. Off the top you get a blast of peppery citrus that quickly subsides to the sweet core at it's heart. Here you'll find the dominant 'date' note which comes across like a jammy fruit. I get shades of apple/raisins which is how you'd expect the smell of this dried fruit to be approximated. Needless to say it smells delicious, with mild green/floral notes taking the edge off, keeping things somewhat spicy, uplifting & fresh.

Equally important and why it never feels too sweet, despite being extremely sweet, is the amber/incense base complimenting the overload of sticky fruits. This base is so finely judged and balanced with the heart that it never gets overbearing or synthetic smelling, despite adding considerable heft to the fragrance. Lastly throw in a dose of creamy sandalwood smoothing everything out and wow, what an amazing blend. All in all it's a designer themed fragrance executed to such high levels that transcends the sum of it's materials. You could call this niche, if niche represents the best perfume available on the market, but there's nothing particularly niche about this on paper. Again it's all about the execution and hats off to Herault for showing them how it's done. The One Luminous Night is opulence in a bottle. Easily approachable and a delight to wear as it surrounds you in a bubble of sweet, sparkling fruity delight.