Ma Nuit

Ma Nuit is the brand's night-time flagship and it is packed. Pineapple, star anise and lemon open it, a combination that sounds strange written down and works better than expected: the pineapple gives an immediate tropical sweetness, the anise cuts it with something dark and liquorice-like, and the lemon keeps the first minutes from being cloying. It is a loud opening and it does not last long. The heart is a full white and pink floral bouquet, with jasmine and rose leading, lily of the valley adding freshness and heliotrope bringing a powdery, almondy softness that foreshadows the base. There is a lot going on and the individual flowers blur into one another rather than staying distinct, which is the compromise you accept at this price. The base is the best-defined part: licorice, rosewood, vanilla, almond and tonka bean, a sweet anise-and-marzipan drydown that is clearly aiming at the well-known dark gourmand florals of the mainstream. It gets reasonably close in shape if not in quality of materials. Longevity is around five hours in the 100 mL format, better than the brand's mini sprays, with moderate projection for the first hour. Wear it in autumn and winter, in the evening, and go light with it. Two sprays is plenty.