MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN
LUMIERE NOIRE HOMME

2009

PERFUMER
Francis Kurkdjian

Bulgarian Rose
Patchouli
Artemisia
Cinnamon
Cumin

‘A light in the darkness, Lumiere Noire Homme is a masculine cologne with a heart of spicy rose’ – LaBelleParfums

Unfortunately Lumière Noire was one fragrance from Kurkdjian that I never returned to after a first wearing. From the moment it hit my skin it smelled old to me, old-fashioned and musty. I get mainly cumin and patchouli, but there is some freshness missing.

Admittedly, after a couple of hours, the scent seems to get less damp and it becomes a quite beautiful fragrance, but still one that I would relate to an elderly woman. When I close my eyes, I imagine a beautiful old painting of a bouquet of flowers, but it’s covered in an inch of dust. You can’t win them all.

In recent years there’s been a rise of popularity for this fragrance, so I hope to revisit it once now that I’m a bit further along my fragrance journey to see if my original thoughts still hold up.