‘I tried a perfume made specifically for night-time – I’m in two minds’

As a perfume lover, I’m no stranger to testing different scents, even if that means leaving my comfort zone to try something I wouldn’t normally go for.

That’s why the new Dans Le Noir ? perfume seemed like an appropriate challenge to take on.

For those unfamiliar with the brand, Dans le Noir ? came about almost two decades ago with a restaurant experience where diners are served by blind and visually impaired staff in complete darkness.

Following its exponential success and the opening of their own perfume workshops and spa business, it was apparent the brand had the scope to explore new sensorial experiences: and that’s how they took the leap into fragrance-making.

Priced at a cool £139 per 100ml bottle, and £60 per 30ml, Eau de Parfum de Nuit opens with delicate top notes of silk and cotton, followed by warm middle notes of sandalwood and creamy tonka bean, and finishes with a rich base of musk and vanilla.

But what makes it really interesting, beyond the scent, is the research and meticulous study that went into making it specifically a night-time fragrance.

Specifically, it took French perfumer, Suzy le Helley, and a team of visually impaired sensory experts at Dans le Noir?, over a year to create this perfume.

The process used the absence of visual cues to instead place a focus on on scent and touch, which in turn, resulted in a fragrance that provides “a sense of tranquillity and allure in the heart of the night”. 

I first tried on Dans le Noir ? on an evening at home, just two spritzes were more than enough to keep me smelling of sandalwood and musk until the next day.

I was somewhat relieved I hadn’t put on more, as I usually do, as it would’ve become overwhelming and sickly pretty soon after.

In the morning, the scent was still prominent, albeit much less noticeable, and it had lost its distinctiveness in a way that the different notes were much more intertwined and blended together.

Later that week, I tested the perfume during the day – again, two spritzes – and it once again smelled more delicate, although this is something I attributed to my prior belief that this scent would be weaker during the day.

The bottom line, in my experience, is that, this perfume seems to smell much more complex and stronger during the night, with notes that come forward separately at different times, with the sandalwood taking the spotlight entirely.

Personally, while I know this perfume is presented as unisex, I found it to be particularly masculine and lean more towards warm, rich, and slightly pungent aromas.

Other musky scents with a fresh, floral composition are the uber-popular Mojave Ghost, by Byredo (£267.78), and Santal No 33 by Le Labo (£170).