Lancome Magie Noire

A 1978 release, Magie Noire occupies a similar place in my memories with the other beasts of that era, Opium and Charlie. I need to ask my mom, but I'm pretty sure several of her acquaintances wore it, including at least one of my teachers. And all of them overdid it and wore it at inappropriate times , thus ruining the black magic and making it into a cartoon version of itself.

All of the above means I didn't discover Magie Noire's real beauty and power until it was too late- while there's an EDT by the same name on every Lancome counter, it smells cheap, synthetic and completely devoid of magic, black or other. This is, of course, where one do two things: Turn to eBay and pray, which surprisingly worked for me, as I found a bottle of the parfum and didn't have to sell one of my cats to pay for it.

The notes (from Perfume Shrine) are: bergamot, blackcurrant, hyacinth, raspberry, honey, tuberose, narcissus, jasmine, incense, Bulgarian rose, patchouli, vetiver, castoreum, labdanum, musk and civet. This is quite an impressive list that can tell you this is not for the faint of heart. All those animalic notes (castoreum, musk and civet) create a strong foundation with an incredibly sensual touch. It doesn't smell dirty, though- no sweat or bodily functions- instead, this is a siren that tempts and calls for you to get closer and closer, to try and smell what it's really like to be there. The road to that point is quite irresistible. Out of all the floral notes listed what I get most are the hyacinth and narcissus, beautiful and dry, but in this case they are laced with an incredible honey note. This is probably my favorite of the scent- the way it changes and morphs seamlessly, like a sexy montage. My skin also amplifies the berry notes, and for once they don't feel silly. They are actually dark and while tempting and juicy, they play a part in the seduction without ever crossing the fruit cup line. It's not about being "yummy, it's about being Nigella Lawson.

I haven't seen oakmoss listed anywhere as part of Magie Noire, but at times I could swear it feels and wears as dangerously as a chypre. Whatever used to be in there, it's a true beauty, and I'd suggest you raid the dresser of any aunt who might have a pre-reormulated bottle to get a taste of it.

Magie Noire ads from 1982 and 1984: paperpursuits.com and couleurparfum.com