Into the noir

MANILA, Philippines - As in film and fiction, noir fragrances are easily dismissed as darker, more mature versions of the classics. Throughout history, all things noir have been associated with stories of danger, seduction and sweet indulgence. Scent-wise, fragrances with the sultry suffix don’t seem to have any common denominator, but they do share this reputation. In the same way that black adds a modern edge to an outfit, noir fragrances often indicate an update, an addition of spice and freshness that ties all the different layers of scents together. When it comes to scents, noir seems to be the new black and the perfect complement to edgy fall/winter fashion.

For the fabulously queer: Fame: Black Fluid by Lady Gaga

Why is Fame even in the same story as Chanel, you might ask? Because the creator of the scent, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is one celebrity who has successfully launched a noir version of herself: Lady Gaga. While Fame goes without the appendage “noir,” it belongs perfectly to this shady rat pack because it is literally black. The words “Black Fluid” are printed on the box like a dare, having the opposite effect of “Surgeon’s General Warning” on a pack of cigarettes –– we actually want nothing to do with it. But worry not for Fame is “black like the soul of fame but invisible once airborne.” According to teasers, Fame will smell like “tears of belladonna, crushed heart of tiger orchidea with a black veil of incense, pulverized apricot and the combinative essences of saffron and honey drops.” Leave it to Gaga to bring on the dramatics, both in scent and fashion, her longtime love for McQueen and Mugler leaving us without doubt.

For the recovering rebel: Coco Noir Chanel

Chanel went noir for its fall/winter 2012 collection. In a cave of amethyst stalactites, the models walked donning dark, whimsical ensembles of varying textures and sheen, many of them in black. Seemingly congruent to the collection is the new noir fragrance from the fashion house, its black and gold bottle in tune with the trends of the season. One account says the scent is inspired by nights Coco spent in the water city of Venice –– street lights reflecting on the dark water, registering as flecks and slivers of gold; another says it was inspired by a sighting of an opaque, black replica of the classic Chanel bottle. Coco Noir Chanel is immediately floral, with generous hints of white musk and Indonesian patchouli. Chanel perfumer Christopher Sheldrake calls it a “luminous, Oriental scent.” It’s deliberately sheer –– I had anosmic tendencies towards it, but it grows on the skin as the kind of scent that demands a closer whiff.

For the reluctant princess:Bulgari Mon Jasmin Noir L’Eau Exquise

Bulgari Mon Jasmin Noir L’Eau Exquise is a fragrance inspired by the Boboli Gardens in Florence. What do the Boboli Gardens smell like? I have yet to find out, but I imagine they would smell like the faintest shade of green, watery, airy and earthy all at once. The fragrance is all of these, but getting a proper whiff is a challenge. On the wrist, the scent registers as day-old, but perhaps it’s only because we don’t have chemistry, Mon Jasmin and I. On my sleeve, however, it was love at first spritz. The scent at its purest form is a spring fragrance with pomelo and almond top notes; at its heart are jasmine, white tea and musky. It’s really more vert from the start –– the noir comes after, when its freshness is betrayed by its tenacity. It’s a strong, determined scent, it turns out. This year, Bulgari comes back to noir, reviving its serpentine roots with a snake-inspired watch updated in 18-karat pink gold with black enamel bracelet links crafted like scales. Somehow green, black, diamante serpents and pleasantly treacherous scents make magic here, the same way that Mon Jasmin Noir did upon meeting my sleeve.

For the androgynous beauty: Tom Ford Private Blend Noir de Noir

Private blend is a collection of 12 artisanal scents like Velvet Gardenia, Tuscan Leather, Tobacco Vanille and Arabian Wood. Noir de Noir is part of this collection, and though it promises the blackest of blacks, the scent itself is not so decided as it sits on the cusp of masculine and feminine. It’s a rose scent that men can wear –– a dark chypre oriental with woven saffron, black rose, black truffle, oud wood, tree moss, vanilla and patchouli. It’s also a women’s scent –– it dries down to a sensual, woody chocolate scent. Tom Ford has bottled every woman’s weakness. Ford, a scent that’s presumed unisex, impeccably tailored “menswear” for women…it all just makes sense. This one’s playfully neither here nor noir. That the petite apothecary-inspired bottle fits perfectly in Tom’s Natalia bag is a plus.

For lady danger: Givenchy Dahlia Noir

From Givenchy Conversations is this description: “Dahlias do not have a smell in nature. The Dahlia Noir perfume originated in the mind of the man who dreamt this mysterious flower….” The man is Riccardo Tisci, Givenchy’s creative director, who succeeded at eclipsing images of a macabre crime scene with an enigmatic, alluring noir scent and the picture of Mariacarla Boscono in full bloom. The scent is powdery, a dusty chypre with top notes of mandarin, mimosa and pink pepper; its “dahlia“ center is an intense mix of rose, iris and patchouli swathed in a veil of sandalwood and vanilla. The scent is ornate without being heady, and aptly feminine. Dahlia Noir, sartorialized, is romantic and reverent with a dose of sinister, like the Italian fashion house’s fall/winter ready-to-wear collection of reds, blacks, leather and lace. Referring the Dahlia Noir, Givenchy claims that not only dresses dress the body and this fragrance is as intimate as couture can get.