Jasmin Noir
Bulgari (2008)

The opening is very sweet, until the jasmine appears and stays. It's not the usual, strong and dirty jasmine. It's a shy one. I love it, but it's may be too shy, with little sillage and longevity. A shame. I would have bought a full bottle otherwise.

I only detect jasmine and a hint of Tonka. After giving it many tries, I'm not impressed. It just doesn't last on me. Literally after a half an hour it's gone.

This may be my wine background talking here, but I honestly believe that you need to have some everyday bargains in rotation in your wardrobe. Or maybe I'm just bourgeois. Either way--I think it's both gauche and ruinous to pretend that decent fragrance can't be had at lower price tiers. Bulgari has historically been one of the best sources for relatively inexpensive perfumes that have intelligence and personality, even if the house that gave us Black isn't quite what she used to be.

Nevertheless, I've really taken to Jasmin Noir. It's a mainstream--but far from stupid--take on something niche perfumers have been doing for a while now--basically, hitching a heart of jasmine to a vanilla base (think of L'Artisan's Vanilia, for example). This pairing usually comes off as jazzy, tropical, and sunny. And despite Bulgari's "noir" characterization, that's essentially what this is, too--a pretty, aromatic perfume that's probably best for daytime or casual evening wear, when the weather is warm and you're feeling a little festive. The opening notes, listed as "gardenia" and "green notes," strike me as considerably sweeter and less dramatic than that--more like honeysuckle, with a little touch of something fresh and sappy. The sambac jasmine at this perfume's heart is also fresh and sweet, with a pleasantly candied edge that never teeters over into cloying or juvenile, and it's rounded off with an almondy note that reminds me--a little--of marzipan. The drydown includes a little dose of powder, just a hint of dry vanilla, and a bit of black licorice if you *really* look for it.

Cheerful and balanced throughout, Jasmin Noir is an unpretentious little gem. The price of the EdP (45 bucks, give or take, from the discounters) is so affordable, and it's so ubiquitous, that I fear many of us avoid it for fear of its obviousness. That's a shame. Me, I'll be buying bottle of this for myself before it goes away, as good things as wont to do.

It really is a kind of shame that Bulgari stuck this scent with the sinister/sexy come-on of the "NOIR" tag, because more than anything else, this could be what happened if Alien had a wholesome pink-cheeked younger sister, who keeps normal hours, who tends healthy plants, and who bakes beautiful treats. And I do love Alien, but I'm not always in the mood, because it lasts for hours upon hours upon upon hours--and I really have to be in the mood for its weird-assed woody base. Jasmin Noir is simultaneously spicier and friendlier--maybe the nice little sister has been taking samba lessons and learning something about her wilder side.

Anthropomorphism aside, this perfume begs for sandals, a fresh pedicure, and a pair of shades if the sun is up. And stick with the EdP--the EdT lacks the floral heart that makes this perfume sing.

Just another house trying to sneak in a version of Hypnotic Poison. Really, though, I find this release to be much more tolerable than most of Bvlgari's, as I feel the great majority are trying so hard to be trandsettingly modern that the firm seems to eschew quality ingredients in favor of low-cost fresh and the result is, more often than not, a sparkling opening leading to a flat fall come the heart notes. JN here is a competent piece of work and is mercifully quieter than most of the other copies in its field, so it would make a good casual or office frag for lovers of almond musks.

I can't bring myself to give this a thumbs down, because it's not awful - it's just run-of-the-mill, pleasant in the way that a room deoderizer might be. It's also weak as a kitten, and without any exotic characteristics that would justify its name. It lasts maybe 30 minutes on my skin. This was an impulse purchase at TJMaxx, and thankfully it was inexpensive.

Apart from the dominant jasmine gardenia and a nut-based note are evident on my skin. Later on I get mainly vanilla, and apart from the pleasant jasmine none of the other components develop on my skin very convincingly. So it is all right but nothing special, as is the performance with moderate sillage, adequate projection and a longevity of six hours on my skin.

For those Bulgari lovers looking for a spring jasmine scent this may be worth a try. 2/5