Sometimes it's best to start at the end: L'Artisan Parfumeur's new Nuit de Tubéreuse is a stunning perfume. Perfumer Bertand Duchaufour is reportedly not exactly the house nose at L'Artisan, and for that matter, he developed quite a few fragrances for the house before he was officially hired in 2008, but the L'Artisan line feels different after the last three major releases under his direction — Havana Vanille, Al Oudh, and now Nuit de Tubéreuse — and to me at least, different in a good way, although L'Artisan has long been one of my favorite perfume houses. There has been much discussion recently about whether or not niche is still a meaningful term, and of course one could argue that in terms of size and distribution, L'Artisan Parfumeur is not a niche firm anyway. Whatever: Nuit de Tubéreuse is an unusual and impressive take on tuberose, and it cheers me no end to know that there are still companies out there launching perfumes like this. Niche or not niche, I don't care — Nuit de Tubéreuse is the exactly the sort of perfume that keeps me blogging.
All of that said, I'm not at all sure that I like it, and I put off this review so that I might wear it enough to make up my mind. I still haven't made up my mind. It's going in the purgatory basket. But let's get back to the beginning...
L'Artisan, of course, already had two versions of tuberose: the straightforward and very buttery Tubéreuse (1978, and reportedly now discontinued) and the spicy-fresh La Chasse aux Papillons Extrême (2005). Nuit de Tubéreuse, styled as "a perfume for a secret Parisian summer night", is something entirely different, in fact, if you're after something like a tuberose soliflore, be warned that you will not find it here. It starts with a spicy mango, very big and bright and loud, that reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum — does anyone else remember that Frederic Malle mentioned Juicy Fruit gum when talking about Carnal Flower? I can't find a link to the source (please comment if you have one) but Juicy Fruit was the first thing that popped to mind when I smelled the opening of Nuit de Tubéreuse. The spices and a tiny hint of the mango linger into the heart notes, but the Juicy Fruit thing only lasts a few minutes, and I don't find it a loud fragrance once it settles.
If your idea of tuberose is derived from fragrances like Carnal Flower, Robert Piguet Fracas, Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle et al., throw all of that out the window, it won't help you here. The tuberose in Nuit de Tubéreuse is dusky and strange.1 It's tropical, but tropical in the sense of moisture, humidity, heat and decay — it does not smell like any variation on the über-feminine, hothouse floral sort of tuberose we all know and that some of us love. In that sense, it might well be, as some have said, that it's that rare tuberose that a man could wear, although it's still not at all what I'd call masculine.
The base is that particular blend of earthy and resinous notes that any fan of Bertrand Duchaufour will recognize as his signature, and that really ought to have a name by now. Duchaufourade, I suppose, is a little unwieldy? At any rate, it smells like dirt and soft wood and incense and hot skin, and I find it very sexy.
When I reviewed By Kilian's Beyond Love, I summed up my feelings about the major tuberose perfumes thusly:
Fracas said “I am woman, hear me roar”, Tubéreuse Criminelle said “don’t you mess with me, baby” and Carnal Flower whispered something about hot summer nights; Beyond Love tossed her hair and said “I come in a satin-lined black lacquer box with a lock and key, and I cost more than the rest of you”.
And Nuit de Tubéreuse? She says nothing at all, just smiles slyly over her shoulder and then disappears into the night.
The notes for L'Artisan Parfumeur Nuit de Tubéreuse include tuberose, cardamom, clove, pink pepper, pepper, citrus, tuberose, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, rose, mango, angelica, gorse, sandalwood, palisander, musks, benzoin and styrax. The lasting power is excellent. It is available in 50 ($115) and 100 ($155) ml Eau de Parfum. For buying information, see the listing for L'Artisan Parfumeur under Perfume Houses.
Note: top image is Tuberose [cropped] by fourondfloor at flickr; some rights reserved.
1. Bertrand Duchaufour talks extensively about tuberose and Nuit de Tubéreuse in this interview at Grain de Musc.
Quick comment. Didn’t find the original link, but the Frederic Malle reference to Juicy Fruit gum for Carnal Flower appeared in a September 2005 W magazine article. Here’s a link on another site:
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-11181995_ITM
And Bois de Jasmin mentions the article here:
http://boisdejasmin.typepad.com/_/2005/08/perfume_news_mo.html
Awesome, thanks! For anyone else who wants to read the W mag piece:
“I am constantly looking for ideas to improve a particular scent,” says Malle. “My nose is always open.” For the past 18 months Malle, who commissions different perfumers to collaborate with him on each fragrance, has been working with perfumer Dominique Robion on his latest project, which he describes as “a lavish white flower” scent. “It’s going to be one of the sexiest things on the planet,” he promises, adding that getting the mix just right has caused him no small amount of anxiety. “If you see me arriving bald, it will be because I’ve pulled all my hair out.”
Malle’s fragrances have always been accented with exotic ingredients, such as the extract of iris root (at the cost of about $5,000 a pound) for his Iris Poudre. This time around, however, the extra special something is nothing more exotic than … a stick of Juicy Fruit. “One of my children was chewing a piece of gum the other day that gave me an idea for a fruity note that added sex appeal to the whole thing,” he admits.
And will add that I don’t really get JF from Carnal Flower, and had forgotten about the whole thing until I smelled NdT. And it also reminded me of Jean-Claude Ellena saying he smelled jasmine in bubblegum…
https://nstperfume.com/2005/06/21/hermes-poivre-samarcande-hermessence-collection-fragrance-review/
As a teenager, I was once chewing bubblegum when I got gassed. (Sadly, I cannot say I was protesting something unjust. I was travelling with a group and a bunch of muggers with bandanas released a canister of something in a metro station in order to try – unsuccessfully – to pry our luggage from us.) Before reading any of these reviews or sound bites, I remembered that experience immediately testing Tubereuse Criminelle. That said, I love Tubereuse Criminelle, it’s one of my fave Serges.
Wow, what an experience, and interesting that you remembered it right away. And that you like TC!
Well, if it’s perfumes like these that keep you blogging, its reviews like this that keep us reading. Fantastic.
That’s very kind, thank you!
Ok, I lost my bet! 😉
luckily I didn’t bet on any of my favorite tubeys!!
I thought it very far from your taste, almost a scrubber…
Like you, I get that big mango, but to me the BD signature is the ubersweet version of the CDG incense series print or even HV base…
Today I am wearing Carnal Flower, I agree that as tuberose fragrances go they should not be compared, but I also think that they cannot be compared tout-court, they are in different leagues.
To me only one of the two is a masterpiece, even putting aside my own taste.
I don’t get the “stunning” part this time, really, I must be missing something! 🙁
No…not a scrubber, but do bear in mind that I’m not sure I like it! It might well turn out to be not my taste.
Robin, great review, but without attempting to put words in your mouth, it appears that from your description that you DO in fact like it, or at least find it sexy (which counts for something)!
Well, you know, there are things that you smell and say “gosh, no, why?” and then there are things that you smell and say “wow, that’s wonderful. not sure I want to wear it” — you know? There were days when I wore it and was not happy to have it on. Other days I liked it better.
But also true that other BD perfumes have come on me slowly…I hated Timbuktu at first, now I love it.
Yes, now I completely understand! I had the same feeling with Timbuktu. In fact, I almost gave my bottle away because it was not clicking with me. Then it clicked.
Funny you had that experience with Timbuktu… I am still working my way through it. Some days, it’s a mistake, a definite scrubber, others…
I find his works to be a challenge… For example, after all the ecstatic reviews of Havanna Vanille I rushed right over to smell it… and then couldn’t – totally anosmotic.
This sounds like the Tuberose that will win me over to the note. Very anxious to try it. 🙂
Hope you’ll like it!
And will add — another one that is rarely mentioned but worth a shot is i Profumi di Firenze Tuberosa d’Autunno.
That one’s very pretty. Although I admit that I love tuberose and have rarely found one I hate. (Tubereuse Criminelle’s opening of menthol-camphor-rotting raw chicken of death just utterly did me in. When the tuberose settled in, I was still smelling raw meat and never got over it.)
Glad someone else likes it — I think it’s pretty too.
I can’t go right to rotting-chicken-of-death…..I will admit to a certain “funkiness” crawling around in the camphor….I’m testing Tubereuse Criminelle again (test #3) I have to say: I think this is what funeral homes smell like to me….it’s the embalming fluid?…yuck.
However the far dry down is nice—worth it? No way !! Not even a bit. I will happily pass this sample on to some other curious addict. On the other hand (quite literally) is HdP Tube #3 L’Animale and I’m kind of digging it. It’s sweeter and doesn’t conjure up the image of someone lying in a box with really bad makeup….
Daisy: Glad you at least like the Tubereuse L’Animale a bit! I do admit I like both it and Criminelle. I just think the scent of tuberose itself is intoxicating. The camphor top of TC really satisfies my enjoyment of the strange and unexpected.
Mals: I respect your nose, but I don’t know where you got rotting chicken from — LOL! — and I hope I never know!
Gosh I’m so intrigued I’ve just had to go and spray the criminy as march calls it, nope, its just the sting of lime-marked running tracks, freezing winter winds, chapped skin, nerves, can I run faster in my hand-made kid-leather spikes or in bare feet like I did when i trained at home on the farm and now I am at States in Sydney – god how could I not adore this blast of liniment…when I first smelled this I was nearly in tears….
Anyway Bertrands is not like the mutant shock of Amirage at all is it???
Joe, the week I first tested TC, I had been cleaning out the fridge, and happened upon two lonely pieces of raw chicken that I hadn’t cooked – I’d used the other six in the package for a recipe and “saved the others for later.” Except that “later” I forgot they were there. (You don’t need to comment on my housekeeping skills. 🙂 )
Hi Joe—I don’t mean to sound ungrateful for the samples—I’m very grateful! I’m always hearing about T.Criminelle….people ooohing and ahhhing ….and it’s great to finally finally FINALLY know what they’re talking about…..of course now I know they’re all COMPLETELY MAD! The HdP is being a rare success with me! Now that’s an interesting tuberose! I’m dying to test this Cuir Mauresque you’ve sent—-but it wouldn’t be fair to make it share airspace with the 2 tuberoses ….and the DSH Purple Lilac I have on as well…..it’s quite possible that I stink.
Oh Mals….everyone has had the experience of the item that’s gotten pushed to the very back….and then can only be identified by the label on the container….which probably needs to be thrown away as well….don’t even ask what happens to Galumpke’s that spend about 2 months wedged in the back of a lower shelf (I mean who except the cat can see something that low?) I needed a hazmat suit for that cleanup. ***shuddering years later***
Oh gosh, Daisy, you didn’t sound “ungrateful” in any way — I’m sure we all send each other things that don’t make us swoon (yes, I confess, even one or two things you’ve sent me). You think I take it personally? I just like to share the stuff so we all have the same frame of reference!
I second that.
Great review! Even though you’re not sure you like it, you certainly have me wanting to try it. Tuberose is a difficult note for me, pretty hit-or-miss. But I like that you call this one “dusky and strange.” That definitely intrigues me. 🙂
Oh, it is very much a must try…and a “love it or hate it” scent is a good thing sometimes.
LOL tuberose certainly brings out the zombie strangeness of us perfumistas!!!
Its kind of like in any relationship… and those are the most passionate!
Exactly. Don’t think NdT will bore anybody (although of course, now somebody will prove me wrong!)
I second Annemarie – this is a fantastic review, and it makes me want to drop everything at work and run off to find a bottle to sniff for myself. The scent sounds fascinating, which is sometimes very different from lovely and wearable … Thanks again for a riveting review!
You know, I did not do my homework at all here…I don’t even know which, if any, stores have it. Pretty sure some people have reported that Barneys has testers, but that’s all I know.
heh I don’t think it matters…..
At this point, I think Aedes, Barneys and Bendel have testers. My guess is the actual scent will show up in a few weeks…
On here later than I expected. I can’t think of the last time one of your reviews left me so stumped! I admit (having only tried it, literally, once, with Denyse) I found it “accessible,” if you will, and thought it would be a potential commercial hit. In other words, I think I must have found it less strange than you did. Well, now I’m looking forward to its arrival so I can sample it again!
You know, the more I read the comments the more I want to rewrite my review — I really wasn’t as clear as I should have been. I’d call it accessible too — it has a big huge bright fruit opening, nothing could be more accessible than that, right? The floral part is weird only if you’re used to more conventional tuberose perfumes, and hey, how big a portion of the public is that…
I must say, R, that this was your most mystifying review by a wide margin. I was tugged back and forth with every other sentence – Oooh, I think I like the sounds of this one/Mmm, now I don’t think I like the sounds of this one at ALL – and I’m not sure where I’m at right now. I think that’s a good thing, actually, so thank you; I think the review mirrors your experience very well, and I can imagine experiencing the same range of impressions. Now I really must try it for myself. Thanks for an excellent piece of writing.
I do not see how it can be an excellent piece of writing if nobody understood what I meant, LOL…but thank you anyway!
What a fascinating review! Seems like this falls into the “disturbing” category, rather than, say, “pretty,” or “joyous,” or “contemplative,” or “lush,” or whatever. I bet you’ll go back to it.
Can’t wait to sniff, and thanks for the good news. Innovation lives on!
I will absolutely go back to it. Not sure if disturbing is right either, will have to think about that. Timbuktu is disturbing (and was so glad to hear it’s a bestseller) and so is Amaranthine. Maybe this one is too…I don’t know.
Amaranthine disturbs me greatly. I still can’t decide if I want a bottle or if I never want to smell it again, but… I definitely want to smell it again just to see if I never want to smell it again… (?)
I completely know what you mean. Which scares me a little – lol.
I think I might use the word “unsettling” instead of “disturbing” to describe Amaranthine. It shakes me up, but it’s more in a good way than a scary way. Timbuktu simply excites me – an even more positive shaking up, I guess. Sienne l’Hiver does the same. These are three of my favorite fragrances, in part because they’re so incredibly distinctive and memorable. I have a strong feeling that Nuit de Tubereuse will be the same. Robin, thank you for this outstanding review. I almost swooned when I read, “And Nuit de Tubéreuse? She says nothing at all, just smiles slyly over her shoulder and then disappears into the night.” Sweet!
Hey, and I saw that you won the LAP contest — huge congrats!!
Thanks – I’m SO excited!!! The prize is on its way…
P.S. I’m kinda hoping that the prize will contain Nuit de Tubereuse.
and don’t forget to tell us what it was! We’re almost as excited as you are. 😀
Gosh – wow – I think Timbuktu is bright and warm and cheerful. It is one of my confidence fragrances!
What a fun read this review was, Robin! I had written this one off because tuberose (along with gardenia) tops the list of “stuff I guess I’m fairly well anosmic to” (I say “I guess” because the absence of smell is a weird thing…every now and then I can smell bits here or there, like I kinda sorta could with Beyond Love). However, if it’s “dusky and strange,” then maybe there’s hope for my nose and I’ll try to snag a sample at some point.
Wow, I did not know you could be anosmic to tuberose, how interesting! Do try this one and let us know, I’m quite curious.
So glad you’re impressed by it, Robin. Unlike you, I love it and have been wearing it intensively. Can’t say I got Juicy Fruit from it (it’s been a long, long time since I’ve chewed *that*) but I find the top notes extremely vibrant, before it becomes a incensy, rooty, almost non-creamy tuberose. It’s an impressive feat and there’s more to come. Right now I’m testing an iris-leather-musk by Mr. D. that’ll be sold online by a tiny jewellery brand in a few weeks, and it’s quite gorgeous as well.
And thanks a million for the link. I’m pretty happy with that interview (there’s a second part too, just look it up in the right-hand sidebar of the blog).
“Extremely vibrant”, yes, and it’s been an awfully long time since I’ve chewed JF either, but thought of it immediately. Perhaps someone will chew some while wearing NdT and tell me I’m quite off 🙂
Iris leather musk, yay!
Now what is this iris-leather-musk thing you speak of? And which tiny jewelry brand is this? Can you tell that I am just a bit overly curious?
Wow, a new gorgeous iris-leather-musk Duchaufour, too?! So many new Duchaufours, so little patience! *insert wolf-like howl* 🙂
The taste and smell of Juicy Fruit is something that you just never forget. Like Play-Doh.
So you would think! I do know Play Doh still smells like it used to though, and don’t know if Juicy Fruit still does. Boy have they ruined all my other favorite childhood candies…all those chocolate bars (Hersheys, Krackel, etc) taste like plastic now.
You can taste the difference in Hershey’s now which actually upsets my stomach when I eat their chocolate in previously acceptible quantities, lol. Well, here’s the skinny on your old favorite chocolate candy, compliments of Wikipedia:
“In September 2008, MSNBC reported that several Hershey chocolate products were reformulated to replace cocoa butter with vegetable oil as an emulsifier. According to the company, this change was made to reduce the costs of producing the products instead of raising their prices or decreasing the sizes. Some consumers complained that the taste was different, but the company stated that in the company-sponsored blind taste tests, approximately half of consumers preferred the new versions. As the new versions no longer meet the Food and Drug Administration’s definition of “milk chocolate”, the changed items were relabeled from stating they were “milk chocolate” and “made with chocolate” to “chocolate candy” and “chocolaty.”[15]”
The old brown cow just ain’t what she used to be.
The candy smells from my childhood I always think of are strawberry or watermelon Hubba-Bubba. I can’t even imagine if they still make that or those flavors. Anyone remember the tooth crackingly sweet, mouthwatering start to those?
Gosh, would love to know where they got the subjects for the blind taste tests…my son brought home lots of American chocolate bars last Halloween, and they were uniformly “not chocolate”. Mr Goodbar is hideous (I think that’s another Hershey’s product) and they’ve even ruined my longtime favorite, Mounds. Just terrible….and yeah, reminds me of perfume, esp. since my other $-drain these days is niche chocolate, LOL…
I avoid Hershey’s now as most of their production is no longer in good old PA anymore, which is really sad to me …. one more loss to the “local” economy….
Just responding about the old brown car and our childhood favorites. I think the watermelon is the one that made my mouth water while I chewed it; the thought of it now is repulsive. If I’m going to eat chocolate it’s gotta be niche:) Obviously the people in the taste test don’t know beans — ha – about chocolate!
It always seems to me that I find the best chocolate (without sacrificing a vital organ) at cake shops —pick up a nice hefty bag of Mercken’s chocolate wafers , melt and add whatever pleases you….
Damn!! not Mounds!! *off to cry*
Mounds, to me, are still quite edible — they just don’t taste like they used to. Mr. Goodbar is hardly edible, and Hershey’s bars only if I’m truly desperate. Also think they’ve ruined Snickers (used to be a huge favorite of mine) and Reeses (the peanut butter in Reeses doesn’t even taste like peanut butter now), and even Twix don’t taste like they used to, although the frozen Twix ice cream bars are a secret addiction of mine.
Since we’re on the subject… have you tried Valrhona’s Guanaja Grue? It has to be the single most satisfying dark chocolate I’ve ever tasted. I can actually eat just one (or sometimes 2) square and be satisfied…so, SO far from the norm for me (a regular chocolate glutton). It somehow manages to avoid that dry, chalky texture of so many of the high cocoa content bars.
I stay away from any chocolate that has “artificial flavor” and preservatives listed in the ingredients. So many of these big name companies probably use less of everything that’s considered natural and delicious, and more fillers and artificial flavors. Yuck. I haven’t had Hershey’s or Nestle products in years – so sad to hear of the reformulations/changes, but not surprised…
Ann – that’s horrifying! I don’t really buy candy (lol – I’d eat it), but once in a while I’ll grab a Hershey’s Kiss when I’m at my mother’s. Now I now why even one makes me queasy!
Thanks so much!! You just solved this huge mystery for me, I thought I was losing my mind with the Hersheys, like my taste buds had changed.
R, wonder if Hershey PA even smells like cocoa hulls any more? 🙁
Good question, haven’t been since I was a kid. My son took the factory tour last year w/ his grandparents & loved it, although they don’t *really* walk you through the factory anymore like they used to (and hey, if they’re not making chocolate there, maybe there’s nothing to walk you through), sounded more like a “corporate PR experience” if you know what I mean.
Yes, they taste a little plasticky or something that is just covered with more sugari-ness. A few years ago I believe there was a local effort made to keep significant production in Hershey’s b/c of local businesses, taxes, dairy industry, etc. (as well as at other locations in the US). I think now a significant portion of production is out of the country. I know they laid a lot of people off.
Obviously a philistine here who still enjoys Hershey’s Kisses, Mounds, and Almond Joy — but will gladly eat Dagoba, Chuao, and Hachez as well.
Nah… even the worst chocolate is edible.
Unless it’s “white chocolate”, which is an oxymoron.
P.S. I still like peanut M&M’s and KitKat bars.
LOL! Now I’m the philistine as I eat “white chocolate” too! There’s a really good Fair Trade one (can’t remember the name) with vanilla bean in it that’s pretty tasty.
Or Russian chocolate. Granted, my experience there is limited, but what I’ve had….ack! Not edible.
H – I believe that M & Ms are Mars candy. I believe they are actually kosher, only use sugar and real chocolate. It is one of our prefered common chocolates b/c it has no high fructose syrup, etc.
That’s interesting, Ann! Now I feel even better about indulging in the occasional peanut M&M. Or a few! 🙂
yes smells of my childhood.
Hey! That’s cow not car!! I’d never think of eating one of those:o) Excuse my ignorance, but why is it sometimes you can’t reply to the previous comment?
The comments will only nest 5 deep. After that, the way to “stay in line” is to go to the last comment in the thread that does have a “respond” link, and respond to that.
Daisy–thanx for the Mercken’s tip. Take 2 Ritz crackers w peanut butter slathered in between and dunk it in the chocolate! YUM! It looks very fancy, too.
hahahahaha , sorry, peanutbutter belongs only on crisp sour apple wedges! try chocolate with ground chili pepper and cayenne pepper…..yum….of course after a while your stomach will be on FIRE!
mo hotta mo betta – I eat hot banana peppers almost daily. Pizza sans peppers is not pizza. Cayenne makes me howl for more. Crazy Richard’s is the best pb.
Carnal Flower was my intro to tuberose and a big disappointment. I’m happy I can throw those tuberose ideas out the window. You’ve written an excellent post, and I’m looking forward to sampling this one. Just the fact that a man might pull it off intrigues me.
I am waiting to hear from some men on this subject! But have heard that, and now can’t remember where. At any rate, this is nothing like CF.
What a wonderful review. I think must have held my breath, because I’m feeling a bit dizzy and exhausted after reading 😉 I’m very anxious to smell it. Beautiful pairing of the color in the tuberose picture and the perfume itself.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — I love Flickr! I could not have found a more perfect photo for this review if I’d commissioned one myself.
It’s a beauty!
Thanks for the review, Robin, I noticed that it’s been getting some positive buzz. Tuberose with an unexpected twist definitely sounds like it’s worth trying.
The gum comments made me smile because – and this might sound slightly sacrilegious – I get something that I can best describe as banana gum from Fracas.
Interesting! You know, I wonder sometimes if I’m anosmic to banana and coconut — I rarely smell them where other people do.
Robin, you’re probably perceiving the floral note as a whole rather than picking up facets that other people are more keyed into, does that make sense? Reading “jasmine” or “tuberose” when other people get “banana” and “coconut”…
One of the odorant molecules of jasmine has a smell that veers towards banana candy. And both jasmine and tuberose have components (lactones) that can give off coconutty-fatty-creamy facets. They can be played up or down. For instance, in the case of Nuit de Tubéreuse, Duchaufour played down the coconutty-creamy facets and added materials that brought out the rooty-earthy ones.
Possibly!
Oh god, I get the banana jasmine big time. It isn’t even a question of synthetically composed “jasmine” (which is what I thought at first; that it was the result of an unbalanced composition mimicking real jasmine), as I get it from my very organic jasmine tea, too!
It’s one of those things where once you smell it, it’s in every previously unaffected scent. Depending on how pleasant the experience is it can be a bane or a blessing.
Robin – thanks for the great and thoughtful review. It is good to know that you needed some time to think about it. Tuberose soliflores are not to my taste- I prefer when tuberose plays some sort of structural role in a well blended fragrance. That being said, I am very interested to try it. When you mention mixed feelings about it, and the “moisture, humidity, heat and decay ” it made me immediately think about the AG fragrance, Songes, which sometimes I think it tremendously beautiful, and sometimes I think reeks of that dense, tropical humidity and decay as you put it. There are times when Songes is too much, too rich, too full of that natural pungent life to carry off. And other times it is perfect. It is always interesting to contemplate a “sexy” fragrance that is challenging to the nose – – not the comfy norms of sexy. I will also be interested to hear any comments from the men when they get to it.
Oh, I do know exactly what you mean about Songes!! But in that case, the richness and decay are still *floral* richness and decay, right? Very different, to me, in NdT, which simply doesn’t smell primarily floral to me, although that might well be because I don’t recognize aspects of the tuberose used here as “floral”.
Yes, Songes = floral to the nth degree. Now that you mention NdT as not being so floral, I am even more intrigued!
Do read the interview linked above. BD talks about tuberose as having rooty & earthy aspects…but here’s the thing — his base is always rooty/earthy, so it’s just (to me) as though you left out some floral and went right to the base notes, if that makes any sense.
Here’s a question: Is the rooty/earthy quality anything like Manoumalia? That one has that sort of dirty/smudged effect that I’m still trying to decide about. Or does it have that wonderful jungle earth base that Fleur de Liane possesses (I know that FdL isn’t your cup of tea, but do you know what I mean?).
Ok, I gotta admit I was mightily impressed with Manoumalia but I really didn’t like it…can’t answer your question because I really didn’t spend enough time with it. It’s also in my purgatory basket so at some point will try it again, but can’t do it today. Sorry!
Not floral – how fascinating! I’ve been dying to try this one ever since Denyse mentioned that Duchaufour was working on a new L’Artisan, and your beautiful and provocative preview has added fuel to the fire! 🙂
Well, don’t get me wrong — it’s floral. Just not “big white floral”, you know what I mean.
Robin – I’ve been waiting for your review, and thanks for your honesty. I’d rather know that you’re really on the fence than to have you tell me you liked or disliked it.
I recently acquired a bottle of MH Noix de Tubereuse (after mentioning the solid) and it definitely does not smell like what might be expected of your typical tuberose fragrance. I do like it very much and am also looking forward to be “surprised” by this new creation.
Oh, can’t remember if I’ve smelled that one, will have to go look at my notes. Thanks for the reminder!
I think it was Brian from ismellthereforeiam that said it had a stronger presence of mimosa. MH categorized it as an Oriental, and features the scented tuberose leaves.
I hope to jump in on a small split of a preordered bottle – like I said earlier, it’s a rare tuberose I don’t like. I’m intrigued by the “dusky and strange” aspects; I think Denyse said there were strong overtones of roots and earth. “Moisture, heat and decay” intrigue me as well, at least in an “I want to smell that” sense. I may hate it, but it may be one of those So Ugly It’s Beautiful scents, too.
Thanks for the review. Your excitement about a fragrance that isn’t Just Pretty, and that engages your mind, is palpable. (More of that zoo tiger brand of enrichment, right?)
I know what you mean by “so ugly it’s beautiful” — not sure that fits here but will be interested to hear if you think so after you try it!
LOL —sudden visual of Robin sniffing around then clawing and rolling around on a tuberose scented log! 😀
Duchaufourade – priceless! This I have to try…
: – )
Yes, love that.
Great review, Robin! That “tropical” mix of humidity, heat and decay might be just the thing for our Florida summer nights!
Yes, Suzanne, our Florida nights are exactly what I thought of when I read “tropical in the sense of moisture, humidity, heat and decay.”
Thanks both!
I SO want to try this, your review is making my nose hyperventilate 🙂
luckily I’m going to France next month, my first stop will be the first l’AP boutique I find
Jealous — have fun in Paris!
you don’t have to be too jealous, not Paris actually, Lyon and Aix-en-Provence this time, but there should be an AP boutique in Lyon, and there is a wonderful little perfume shop in Aix (no APs but all Goutals, Diptyques & Co,)
Gosh, no, still quite jealous!
That would actually make me far MORE jealous.
I’m really looking forward to this and that bottle is beautiful! I’m glad L’Artisan is moving away from their standard bottles. I also found the bottle for Al Oudh to be gorgeous..
Agree on the bottles, they’re lovely.
I do wish they’d still put out 50ml sizes, though! Aren’t HV, Oudh, and this only in 100ml?
No, this one is supposed to be in 50 ml also. (I say supposed to…don’t remember now where I read that, but I’ve got a price posted & everything so hope it’s true)
So you did! Obviously I wasn’t reading closely. Of course, at that price point, 100ml is such a better value. I like their “old school” line where you can get 50ml for $85!
I liked even better when almost everything used to come in 15 ml!! Really wish they’d go back to that…they were before the trend, and now that everyone else is doing small bottles they’ve stopped.
Great review Robin. I just called Barney’s and they haven’t gotten it in yet. I can’t WAIT to Buy…ahem I mean TRY it. HA! BTW…I wear Carnal Flower every now and then and I love it. I spritz that one lightly though. 🙂
Lots of men wear CF, actually…so I suppose I should have been more specific above and said “a man (who would not normally wear tuberose) would wear”, LOL…
Oh, and thanks for the update on Barneys! Wonder if Bendels has it then…I think they’re now the largest LAP boutique in NYC?
Last time I was in Bendel’s–two weeks ago–the L’Artisan boutique was completely gone. I don’t think they have any more stand-alone boutiques. Just the line up at Barney’s and Aedes.
What?!? I’m quite shocked, I thought Bendels was planning to give over even more floor space to perfumes & cosmetics & accessories, and give up on selling clothing?
Checked…they’re definitely still at Bendels…maybe they just moved the location in the store.
Really?! Well, I’m glad to hear it. All I can say is that I went up to the second floor and couldn’t find them, and then one Giuseppe, who seemed to be in charge, told me he had replaced them with MPG. Seemed pretty bizarre to me, too Now I feel like hallucinated the whole thing…LOL.
OK, I called and left them a message, we’ll see if they call back. I figured they needed to know that SA was refusing to direct me to their boutique–yikes! That just seems stupid. But then, he seemed kind of weasally…
OK, they called back. Holy crap! Apparently my SA was/is semi-crazy, has been pulling all sorts of unbelievable things and I’m not the first gullible person he’s misled. I just believed him (stupidly) because they’d been closing so many other boutiques. Must have walked right by that little alcove, I’ve done it before.
Too weird.
Gracious, how utterly weird!
Oh no, I think I have to try this. How terrible. ;3
Hopefully it won’t kill you 😉
Hmm, does this smell anything like Les Nez Manoumalia? The earthy floral smells you are describing make me think of it.
No, not to me — that is a HUGE floral, this is not.
Short answer: no. Manoumalia is very creamy and ample, Nuit de Tubéreuse is vibrant and a little introverted. But if you love one the other may be appealing.
Ok, sorry for jumping in to answer before you did, Robin! (insert blushing emoticon).
Oh, we were answering the same thing at the same time!
Heh – I was just about to respond to Mals’ “so ugly it’s beautiful” comment by invoking Manoumalia. I agree that while they’re not the same thing, NdT has a little of that dirty/salty/nuttiness I love in Manoumalia. But it wears so much more lightly than Manoumalia, which has you reaching for your oxygen mask in short order.
Aha, okay, thanks for that joint input. Franco is mailing me a sample of NdT, looking forward to a sniff!
Oops, I just asked that question before getting to this. Sorry!
Lots of thoughts here. Can’t wait to read all the comments.
I look forward to trying this, but I am by no means salivating. I still love L’Artisan and Duchafour, but I know the last two launches didn’t make me weak-kneed in any way, so I’m just not getting worked up over this. I’m learning to not get too “worked up” over anything, really. Some new launches sound better than others, but I’ve sort of gotten to the “It’s JUST perfume” stage, and I know I have so many great fragrances that make me swoon already. The world’s not running out of beauty, is all I’m sayin’! 😀
I do generally enjoy “Duchaufourade” (or “Duchaufouresse”?) — the slightly dirty, woody, incense aspects.
I don’t get bubblegum from Carnal Flower, but I’m giggling a bit about “tuberose that a man could wear.” To me, it’s no more difficult than any other floral. I’ve worn both CF and Criminelle — just a drop on the chest and one on each side of the neck. It’s usually just discreet and nice-smelling without being a cloud of ladylike sillage. I also feel Cèdre is a tuberose that is a bit “easier” for a man to wear.
Joe, absolutely, wholeheartedly believe that it’s a great thing to get to the stage when you’re not worked up over anything you haven’t smelled yet. It isn’t worth it.
And hey — I amended the gender thing, sort of, in my response to Carlos above. I do know plenty of men are not afraid to wear tuberose! But why do I always forget Cedre? It is another good option.
YES! I forgot about Cedre too. Love it! 🙂
Great review, Robin, and I’ll be very interested to see what you finally decide about this one. Tuberose is something that I think is beautiful in flower form, but is way too heady, sweet and cloying for me to actually have it on my body. And then there is that melon note…..
Duchade?
I do think some people might find the top notes of NdT cloying, but the tuberose part is not cloying at all. Duchade — I like it!
Oh! I like “Duchade”, too!
Robin: Also wondering if you ever got around to trying any of the three Histoires tuberoses? I loved my decant of #3 in the cold weather of January & February, but now that it’s spring I’m thinking a lot about #1 and its iris/suede facets, which are so nice. Wish I had more than a sample of that one.
Tried all 3 very quickly, liked the Animale by far the best, but then Angie ended up reviewing that one so put them all aside. Need to go back & try them again…only wore them once.
I have a decant of the #1 and am a big fan of it, even more so than the #3. In general, I think I love tuberose blends more than tuberose soliflores.
Whew, what a ride. I am now wearing Criminy, Fracas, Carnal, Manoumalia, and Michael Kors. And its only 8.30 in the morning here Downunder!
We have had our first real cold snap (like its about 10C), and all that tuberose is surprisingly good first thing on a cold morning…..
Wonderful review and such fun in the comments!
P.S. Please tell me its not like Amrirage….
Gracious! That’s an awful lot of tuberose for one day 😉
No, nothing like Amarige.
i could seriously buy my mother-in-law a different tuberose perfume for every holiday/birthday, and not run out of ideas from NST !! love it! not a huge tuberose fan myself, but i do love buying vicariously for others 🙂
Hey, what a nice daughter-in-law you are!
Oh dear, you’ve made me do a total 180 on this. Now I *have* to try it! The hook, line and sinker was: “tropical in the sense of moisture, humidity, heat and decay — it does not smell like any variation on the über-feminine, hothouse floral sort of tuberose we all know” and then you mentioned dirt, incense and warm skin. *swoon!* Thank you for reviewing this, otherwise I would have totally passed on this one.
Should add that I don’t think there’s any incense in there. I most always think Duchaufour’s fragrances smell at least faintly of incense.
Me again. There isn’t any incense per se, but there’s an incense *effect* created by the pink pepper and green mango, Bertrand D. explained to me.
Even if it’s incense special effects, I can dig it. 🙂
Heh, for me it was the poetic: “She says nothing at all, just smiles slyly over her shoulder and then disappears into the night” that made me go, hey – I should sample this. Especially in contrast with the other tuberoses’ ‘tudes, which quite fit my impression of them.
I love tuberose but, sadly, the feeling is not mutual. The affair starts out lovingly enough but things sour VERY quickly. And any note that causes friends and loved ones to wonder if my perfume spending has put a crimp in my antiperspirant budget is NOT my friend.
LOL — understandable!
Thanks for this review. I am pretty intrigued, and like LaMaroc it is the idea that it is not like a hothouse tuberose that I like. Also, being one of the few “fruitys” here, the opening sounds pretty great. Loud mango? Bring it on! Hopefully they will have it at my Barney’s soon, but they seem a bit behind.
OMG I just got a hug from a guy wearing Bel Ami and I now know what all the fuss is about. Holy Cow I need me some o’ that!! Whew. Swoon. Doesn’t hurt that he is French. 🙂
Whew, Tama! You have me fanning myself on that last comment.
Isn’t that nice stuff??
Just tried this. It is amazingly different, and definitely something that a man could wear.
Not sure that It’s for me, but further testing is definitely warranted!
Hugs!
Glad to hear someone else thinks it’s more unisex than the average tuberose.
I tried this at Barney’s while away on holiday. Your description exactly matches what I smelled and for me it was love at first sniff. I will be buying a bottle as soon as it comes out!
Lucky you, that’s a gorgeous bottle.
Ohhh with all I keep reading about NdT I am positively itching to try it!! In fact, I will be making my way into NYC on Saturday to meet up with a friend, and I fully intend to drag her perfume-sniffing while I hunt down a tester of this one!
I tried Fracas a couple of months ago and it was just a little too sweet/cloying for me… (I know I will come back to it one day; I *so* want to be able to wear it! Others liked it on me and I want to, also!)
NdT sounds wonderful though, especially with that Duchaufourade/Duchade 🙂 It will probably end up being just one more L’Artisan fragrance I fall in love with… *sigh*
Hope you’ll be able to find a tester! And have fun shopping either way.
So many tuberose perfumes, so little time! Hoping for a tuberose fragrance to come my way on Sunday for Mothers Day- fingers crossed!
This one sounds lovely, will keep a lookout for it…
Good luck on MD!
I’ve got Liberty on speed dial since last weekend when they told me they were getting it in this week (erroneous info as it happens). A friend and I were lucky enough, in Denyse’s wonderful company, to be able to try this at Bon Marche a month ago. It is so completely in a tuberose class of its own. The green mango opening (with the pink pepper) reminds me of PdN’s Eau Turquoise, just for that fruity fizzy bit but then when the tuberose enters it’s almost a surprise. The drydown is swoony. In case you can’t tell I love it but I totally agree with your wonderful review Robin, it is strange. And btw thank you for repeating the tuberose characters! They made me smile.
Cracking up at Liberty on speed dial! Hope they’ll get it in soon.
I will buy this unsniffed. Mango, Chasse aux Papillons and weird totally make it for me (and your nose, Robin, your nose…).
That’s brave…hope you’ll like it!
I’ve been looking forward to try this ever since reading the interview on Grain de Musc and your review made it even more tempting. Tuberose is an alian territory for me, as I haven’t had the chance to smell either Carnal Flower, nor Tubéreuse Criminelle, but maybe for the better, if those are not even related to Nuits de Tuberose (anyone else loving the name besides me?).
Yes, the name is wonderful!
This looks intriguing! I wish I had the money… tuberose is something new to me but I think I love it.
It is too bad it’s so pricey…but never hurts to try 🙂
Okay, I just received my sample and I’m wearing it right now. My head is exploding – this is the best thing I’ve smelled in a very long time! Cannot wait to purchase this scent – sadly Franco says we won’t get it until the end of June. Wah!! It is insanely awesome.
Oh dear, that long?? I thought it would be here much sooner.
I wonder if I smelled a bad bottle…I really disliked this for the first 1-2 hours. I smelled primarily sour mango, and it didn’t fade away for a while. once it did, it became inoffensive. So it was a disappointment, but then again, Al Oudh was a hit with me, and you can’t win every time….
It is true, I’m happy that I loved Havana Vanille…
I picked up Nuit De Tubereuse at Bendels yesterday. I was advised that this was going to be hit and would sell out quickly so I took the plunge. I couldn’t stop smelling the card so this is a good one.
Congrats on your new bottle!
is it just me, or is there no tuberose in this? i’m wearing it right now and getting all fruit and juicy fruit gum. i’m shocked that l’artisan has taken the magnificent, hypnotic tuberose flower and turned it into…a fruity floral. sure they’ll make money, and it’s interesting to try new takes on a classic theme, but this is a disappointment as far as i’m concerned. when i heard they were discontinuing the original 1978 tubereuse, i cleared out both aedes and luckyscent of their stock. that, mpg tubereuse, and fracas are the big three for me. (i hate the potpourri drydown of TC and carnal flower is all melon and white musk on me.) slapping the name tuberose on something for it’s sexy connotations has become a cliche. i find nothing narcotic about NdT despite l’artisan’s description in which that word is used repeatedly. oh and while i’m at it, what’s up with le labo tubereuse 40? it smells like oranges! um, excuse me? maybe i’m just being cranky.
It is very fruity, and would agree it is not what I’d call “narcotic”. Still thought it was an interesting scent, and you could argue that there are enough straightforward tuberose fragrances already, I guess? Regardless, I still haven’t decided if I like NdT either.
The Le Labo is different — they don’t claim their fragrances smell like the note in the name.
i had forgotten that about le labo – good point. still, i feel like most of them do smell a lot like the note in the name?? i guess not all though.
It’s a funny thing about names, and I do the same: the perfumer’s “meditation” on the note in question might not be what the consumer is expecting. The new Diptyque Vetyverio is another good case in point: it just wasn’t as focused on the vetiver as I wanted. But most consumers probably don’t approach perfumes this way, right? They just want to know if it smells good, not that it fills their preconceptions about what a tuberose or vetiver (or whatever) ought to smell like.
it’s totally interesting. it’s like they’re selling the idea of that note or ingredient or that flower or plant – the romance and purity of it. seems like something niche houses do much more often than the department store brands, who seem usaully to be selling an attitude or lifestyle.
PS. la chasse extreme, which robin brilliantly calls spicy-fresh, is a MUCH more beautiful and interesting take on tuberose than NdT. they should have called that one NdT and called this one ‘Nuit de Fruitjuice’ !
tested NdT again at barneys today. i’m not feeling as cranky about it, and i agree with you that it’s interesting now. on me it went from tart mango to very peppery to now, as you say, the duchaforade, which is very pleasant. still, i don’t smell any tuberose in there. but maybe i’ve just been completely blinded as to what tuberose can smell like after all the years of similar gardenia-tuberose concoctions that everyone does. come to think of it, those super heady, narcotic concoctions were an interpretation just like this one is. because real tuberoses really do have a smell that i don’t think i’ve seen captured in perfumery yet. (i’m sure there’s something out there, i just haven’t smelled it.) very confusing this all is!
just read above comment saying:
“both jasmine and tuberose have components (lactones) that can give off coconutty-fatty-creamy facets. They can be played up or down. For instance, in the case of Nuit de Tubéreuse, Duchaufour played down the coconutty-creamy facets and added materials that brought out the rooty-earthy ones”
and am so fascinated by this! really makes me think of fragrance, and materials, in a different way.
i have so much to learn!
Glad you’re enjoying the journey, anyway!
Robin, if I liked both Chasse aux Paillons, the Extreme Version I have even as a FB, and I love Amaranthine because of the spices and slight incense, and also love white florals, will I love this?
(also a fan of Fleur de Liane, wjhich is also Duchaufour as far as I canremember)
I know you should never buy unsniffed, but I have to order this, no chance to try it first…
No, I don’t think you would, at least not necessarily. I like all of those things better than this.
Oh. OH!
Thank you for your honest advice. I have been very impressed by the three scents named above and I have also the latter.
I will ask for a sample with the order, so I can send it back. I used to like fruity and mango, but I am also looking for something special: a tad weird in the best sense, and also wearable.
Or should I complete my collection with Nuit d’Hadrien, which is yet so simple and therefore so beautiful? Hm.
All this because I got a voucher 🙂
Good luck!
Just revisiting this after being initially disappointed because it didn’t seem a fitting replacement for the original l’artisan tubereuse. well, now that i’ve stockpiled the original and have a lifetime supply, i’m capable of judging this one on its own…and i LOVE it. i think your review nails it. it really is stunning. a contemporary masterpiece. while i will never give up the original, it seems almost dated impression of this flower in comparison!