Encres Noires

When I first started getting interested in perfumes, Lalique Encre Noire was being very much hyped on Basenotes.  As it was fairly cheap to buy at the time in the edt, I blind bought it ( I think it was my first blind buy).  I really loved it  and was very happy and, for the most part, I still am.  It remains my favorite vetiver fragrance.

At the time if its release, Lalique also issued a limited edition edp in a crystal bottle.  The price was very expensive (around $750, I believe) so not many people have bought or even tried it.  A few years back, Neiman Marcus had it on sale for around $350, so I made a point of buying it. The bottle is indeed very beautiful (for excellent photos of the bottle and its presentation, see Nathan Branch's spread on Flickr).

The perfume itself is a beautiful, much smoother version of the edt, but recognizably the same scent.  Both scents were created by Nathalie Lorson.

Lalique issued an Encre Noire pour Elle, which abandoned the inky vetiver of the original for something floral. I didn't find it interesting. The nose this time was Christine Nagel.

A few years back, Lalique put out an Encre Noire Sport, again credited to Lorson. I have yet to try it, as I tend to avoid sport flankers. It has, however, gotten good reviews.

When I first heard that Lalique was to finally issue an extreme version of the scent, I assumed it would be the same edp issued ten years ago. Encre Noire à l'Extrême (again Lorson), though, is not the same. It wears much lighter than the original and is, dare I say it, a cleaner, soapier version.  Not nearly as extreme as the original edt, with less sillage and longevity.

Given the choice, I would probably wear the 2006 edp.  However, since a new bottle will never be available to me again, I tend not to wear it.  Hence I'll stick with the original edt.