Nuit d'Issey
Issey Miyake (2014)

A nice scent that seemed to have a good projection and also lasted at least 2-3 hours before having to re-apply.

I like it. Leather, fruits and spices. Opens like Fan di Fendi Homme and dries down like City Tower (Bogart)

I want to leave this review short. Issey Nuit is an incredible bargain. If you test this in a store, be sure to test on your arm and give it up to an hour to settle. This fragrance has a beautiful development from top to bottom. It’s unique and will get compliments but be warned that it has a strong opening and it may fatigue your nose or come off as cloying but have patience. I love this fragrance and it’s in my top 5 for life.

I'm a bit disappointed with Nuit d'issey, you see in the opening there's nothing really 'night' or 'dark' about it. You'll think its just Eau d'Issey or the sport flanker. It does have that nice fresh/yuzu far east thing going on that Miyake is known for and they do that quite well but where's the night time twist in this? (hint: you'll have to wait quite a while)

It just has a bit more pepper than usual but that's were it stops. Maybe a hint of a faint suede leather. Don't get the incense or it's absorbed by its freshie DNA.

But okay in the far drydown it does get darker and I get a semi resinous amber from it. They could've done much more in my opinion.

This is a long-overdue proper sampling of the original Issey Miyake Nuit d'Issey EDT from 2014, a great fresh spicy mix that seems to have a bit of a Spicebomb-esque “hot meets cold” motley of spices along with fresher fruitier elements as well, its blend consisting of bergamot, grapefruit, leather, black pepper, incense, ebony tree, tonka, patchouli, and some other spicy/woody notes. The leather is fairly faint, the main vibe being a citric/woody/spicy blend that's just done very well overall.

This evokes a classic “what's not to like?” reaction from me, as it's so easily likable (and the assortment of notes seems formulaically safe to yield a good result) yet I can see how some might not be smitten with it. It's good, certainly, but is it great? It's surely practical, as, despite pertaining to the night in name, it's invigorating and fresh enough to be a daytime and year-round option to the point that I doubt it would seem out of place even in the heat of summer.

Comparisons I've seen between this original EDT (2014) and the subsequent Parfum version (2015) seem to suggest that the Parfum is both more acclaimed and more up my alley personally, and then there are of course the other variants that have come out and been pretty popular since then (Polaris and especially Pulse of the Night)

It's essentially a cheapie at this point, currently $35 for 125ml (the larger size) on FragranceNet, a deal that seems difficult to beat given the brand and quality of the juice. So it's a bargain that I'll have to seek out if I do not perhaps try the Parfum first.

7 out of 10

The top notes are bergamot heavy - synthetic-smelling bergamot that is - with a good measure of grapefruit worked into it - not unexpectedly quite a bright duo.

In the drydown a spics spice mix develops, but the spices are bite really hot - I get predominantly nutmeg and a whiff of white pepper, with a sweetish vetiver adding additional nuances. This vetiver is light, and without any earthy or deeper character. A pleasant suede impression develops, which is underlined by a nonspecific woodsiness at times. Towards the base a soft in and transiently mikes an appearance; it is quite weak and more of a non-event.

The base continues the sweet component contributed by a tonka note, but is must be said that this is more a polite and orderly sweetness, which is never strong, intense or cloying.

I get moderate sillage, very good projection and nine hours of longevity on my skin.

This scent for warmer autumn or cooler spring days starts not in an excitingly breathtaking manner, with some interesting moments, especially the touches of spice reminiscent form the original and incorporated well into the flanker. In the second half of its development the NUIT really falls on the quality of this creation, when it degenerates into a predictable synthetic soup full of generic ingredients. Not bad, but the latter stages, regrettably, are letting it down considerably. Not bad, but it has its drawbacks. Overall 2.75/5.