Café Noir by Brandy Prestige 100ml Extrait de Parfum

Description

Warm, nutty and quietly sweet, Café Noir by Brandy is a gourmand that keeps its cool. Despite the name it is not a coffee bomb, and that restraint is what makes it wearable. The opening pairs bright bergamot with tart blackcurrant and a lift of cardamom, so the first impression is fresh and gently spiced before any sweetness creeps in. This unisex Extrait de Parfum reads as comforting without ever behaving like a dessert.

The character

Give it a little time and it turns properly cosy. Heliotrope brings a soft almond-and-vanilla powderiness to the heart, wrapped in cashmere wood and a gentle rose that keeps things from going flat or one-note. There is a creaminess to this stage that feels almost edible. The base is the best part. Roasted chestnut and smooth vanilla are warmed by ambergris, which lends that faintly salty, skin-like richness so many gourmands miss. It smells like something you would happily wrap yourself up in on a cold night.

The chestnut is the twist here, a slightly toasted, autumnal note that most sweet fragrances never bother to include, and it is what stops Café Noir from smelling like every other vanilla in the drawer. Sweet, yes, but grown-up with it, and never cloying.

Fragrance Notes

• Top: Bergamot, Blackcurrant, Cardamom
• Heart: Rose, Cashmere Wood, Heliotrope
• Base: Ambergris, Chestnut, Vanilla

The extrait concentration makes it wear rich and hold for hours, projecting warmly in the early stages before settling into a soft, comforting skin scent that you can still catch the next morning. Staying power is excellent, so one or two sprays are all you need to get plenty of wear from it.

Suited to autumn and winter, cold afternoons and cosy evenings, it is the sort of thing you notice lingering on a scarf the following day. It works beautifully on both men and women, which makes it easy to share or to give as a gift to anyone who loves a warm, sweet scent. Reach for it on lazy weekends and quiet evenings in, or wear it to dinner when you want something a bit unexpected. A 100ml bottle of a fragrance this concentrated will comfortably see you through many seasons.

Bought from Brandy Designs, every Café Noir is guaranteed genuine and posted from our UK warehouse with free tracked shipping and a money-back guarantee.