Magie Noire, a scent that is nothing short of bewitching. Parisian perfumer Armand Petitjean decided to found his own house in 1935. It would be Lancôme, as the perfumer wanted a name that rhymed with Place Vendôme.
Magie Noire, or the perfume of Lancôme's Black Magic. Released in 1978, Magie Noire sounds like a spellbinding perfume. If the 1970s are synonymous with heady, powerful fragrances, it can be said that Magie Noire does not depart from that trend. Magie Noire proves to be a true love potion, not without an esoteric touch for added mystery. Captivating and sensual, the fragrance Magie Noire is an enchanting nectar impossible to resist. It sets ablaze the one who wears it and irresistibly draws in the one who smells it. Created by a trio of perfumers, Magie Noire is an oriental composition.
Olfastory’s review
A trio of perfumers behind the scented Magie Noire
To create its most heady essence, Lancôme chose a trio of perfumers, namely Jean-Charles Niel, Gérard Goupy and Yves Tanguy. Jean-Charles Niel was born in Grasse, in 1945. For him, building a formula is something extremely logical. According to him, the making of a perfume must be dynamic, brilliant and simple. Gérard Goupy is a discreet perfumer. With Magie Noire, he is also behind the composition of a legend of seduction, Cacharel Pour Homme. Finally, Yves Tanguy joined Chanel in 1966 and worked with the talented Henri Robert. It was Yves Tanguy who created the first aquatic perfume with New West by Aramis.
Magie Noire and its heady notes for Lancôme
Magie Noire is an oriental perfume, even chypre, with ultra-floral tonalities. Magie Noire opens with notes of bergamot, combined with those of blackcurrant bud and galbanum for maximum greenness. Galbanum is a plant also called ferula gummosa. Galbanum resembles a large bush with small yellow flowers. Before entering perfumery, galbanum was highly prized for its many medicinal properties. Galbanum gum is harvested by incising the plant's roots. In perfumery, galbanum gives off tonalities that are at once very green, earthy and balsamic. The heart of Magie Noire is floral and very feminine, combining Bulgarian rose, jasmine and narcissus. The narcissus flower, also called jonquil, is a bulb. Narcissi mark the arrival of spring, but caution is advised, as the flowers and stems are toxic. In mythology, Narcissus was a handsome young man who refused the love of the nymph Echo. To punish him, the gods decreed that Narcissus would never again love his own image. In perfumery, narcissus gives off tonalities that are as green as they are floral. Finally, the base of Magie Noire is as sensual as it is oriental, combining castoreum, animalic notes, amber, incense and sandalwood, leaving behind an ultra-powerful, most heady sillage.
Magie Noire is a bewitching feminine fragrance offering heady, intense notes. Composed of floral and green notes, the base is nonetheless very sensual and impetuous. A most mysterious nectar.