Hi Everyone,

Portia from AustralianPerfumeJunkies back again, and totally excited to be here. I like to buy batches of samples/decants with things in them that I’m pretty sure I’ll love mixed with stuff that I would normally gloss over because of notes, house, bottle, history or a million other reasons, some completely subliminal I’m sure. Back in March the Perfume Niche was finishing up a few of their sample sets and because they were last call I decided to buy a couple of them only noting the set names and just flicking over the individual scents; apart from making sure that there was nothing I really didn’t want there. One of those sets was “You’ll Like This” which included 1ml samples of; Aoud Cuir d’Arabie – Montale; Cuir Pleine Fleur – Heeley; Knize Ten – Knize and

Midnight In Paris By Van Cleef and Arpels 2010 Perfume Review

Rummaging around in my sample packs this was the only one left unblogged in the set, all alone in its little drug baggie. Not thinking to write a post because Midnight In Paris had slipped so completely under my radar (it basically went straight to the online bargain stores when it was released in 2010) because I thought it must be crap. Boy, when I’m wrong….

This fragrance was aimed at the men and comes in a gorgeous flacon, I don’t understand why it hasn’t been a huge success. The 2 pefumers who worked on this scent have done some pretty good and popular stuff that I have enjoyed. Olivier Polge and Domitille Berthier have made Liberte for Cacharel, Flowerbomb for Viktor & Rolf, and The Beat Men for Burberry together, all full bottles on my shelves. As well as doing some extraordinary works solo.

Here is what the Perfume Niche crew have to say; Midnight in Paris has a bright opening from bergamot and lemon. As they fade, green tea and black tea take the centre stage supported by woody, balsmy rosemary and lily-of-the-valley, which gives it a lovely, elegant floral note. Then there is a surprise – Tonka bean. Its almond/vanilla spiciness shines above the other notes but wrapped with warm incense and leather, so it gives a gourmand note but never gets too sweet.

1000fragrances says This perfume is pure beauty with an excellent smoothness, remarkable refinement and a very linear evolution. It is night, the sky embraces the earth with its profound darkness and the shapes slowly disappear into the infinite. The silence is deep and profound like the heavy smoke of incense in an oriental temple, near a guaiac wood statue. There is no beginning and no end in this perfume, the structure is linear, like a dense smoke surrounding everything in the sensual embrace of black cashmere with its precious incense accent. A dark flower blooms inside this perfume with an unexpected light gourmand facet.

I’m kind of in the middle of their reviews; Yes the very opening is citrus but there is very quickly a leather, incense, tar and vanilla/tonka bean hum that grounds Midnight In Paris By Van Cleef and Arpels while the teas, herbs, flowers and citrus weave around and undulate through. It is an interesting contrapuntal that keeps me sharply focused, almost mesmerised, by its rhythm of changing notes and accords. Also at some points, the further away you are the more leather and warm notes, the closer in you get more green and floral, then it changes. I can’t say there is a story here, it’s more like reading a lot of paragraphs that use the same words in different order to mean something almost entirely changed but keeping the same tone. I do get a slightly foodie feeling, then its overtaken by church, marketplace,, road crew, fields. Midnight In Paris By Van Cleef and Arpels is so complex that you will be able to lay many stories over the top of what you smell, but when you get right down to it the most important thing here is that it is S.E.X.Y. Red hot sizzling sexy but without being in your face, quietly and unmistakeably confident that should you want it it will be there. I think Midnight In Paris By Van Cleef and Arpels will be absolutely killer on a woman and that she will have to hire guards.

I do not understand why more people aren’t applauding this lovely unisex fragrance. It is a winner! Great scent, good sillage and lives around 5 hours on me before it turns skin scent and I will wake up in the morning with a glorious warm extra tone of delicious that isn’t quite discernible until you are real close.

Do try it, you’ve nothing to lose.

Portia xx

PerfumeNiche has (1ml) EdT samples for $4

FragranceShop has 4.2oz (125ml) EdT for $44.95
Beauty Encounter has 4.20 ounces for $45

Fragrancenet has 4.2oz (125ml) EdP for $57.19
Perfume Worldwide
has it for $51.99 for 4.25 ounces

Both pictures stolen from Fragrantica