Civet de Nuit
Areej le Doré (2022)

Civet de Nuit by Areej le Doré (2022) is a collaboration between Russian Adam and Sultan Pasha, resulting in a sweetish-resinous chypre type of fragrance, with the star player of civet actually not dominating the perfume as the name might suggest. In a strict contrast to the overloaded animalics of War and Peace by Areej le Doré (2019), Civet de Nuit shows much restraint and balance between its hornier elements and more docile ones. This is still a perfume that's nearly all base, something you either love about the Areej le Doré brand or hate, and it's also something that has already come and gone so you either have three of these (and one for sale at triple the original price), or you fawn wistfully over what could have been in Reddit comments etc. Having no experience with Sultan Pasha whatsoever, I can't say anything about his contributions to the overall vibe of the fragrance.

The opening goes on a little like ylang-ylang crossed with heliotrope, the sour civet here taking on a bit more of a licorice shape once introduced to benzoin, styrax, and jasmine. The aldehydes for me are just about non-existent, and I don't think a perfume less than 2 years old at time of sampling has already wilted, so I'm assuming the dose was just ultra-low. Beyond that, the base takes over and you know from here on out its a bit of powder, some sandalwood and oakmoss, leather, and a listed tobacco note which for me just feels more like something a bit spiced. The scent doesn't develop anymore past the first hour, so resinous white floral musk chypre base is what you get, and again I am reminded of a perfume long burned off of everything but its core, like some antique Coty or Guerlain that has turned the color of Coca-Cola. Performance will be until you wash it off, which is what you might expect with these materials in this concentration.

As I said before, if something that smells like a ready-made base for another perfume is your bag, this might be worth investigating if you can find one without losing a kidney on the dark web in the exchange. As for me, I can appreciate what is being done here enough to enjoy the wear, but I don't think I'd have paid asking price, let alone what it probably sells for now, as cost of admission. For me, this feels most like a perfume that straddles the line between something like Emeraude by Coty (1921) and Timeless by Avon (1974), but with some of Bal à Versailles by Jean Desprez (1962) in the heart, especially with the way civet is handled. I'm less concerned about the antiquity of materials, which I know is the Areej le Doré brand's selling point, because it adds nothing to the conversation about the way this smells. Thumbs up