Review of Noir Premier - Fruits du Mouvement 1977 by Yaroslavna Lasytsya

A singularly uncommon fruit perfume, it presents itself at first as a sparkling and jubilant libation: one might imagine a glass of Prima Vera prosecco in which raspberries and fine slices of apple have surrendered their juices to the effervescence. The whole is playful, diverting, and almost ticklish to the nose, as if the very bubbles took a certain mischievous pleasure in their office. Soon, the composition passes, with the natural ease of well‑ordered conversations at court, to nectarines and green plums, sweet yet fresh, accompanied now and then by a discreet gleam of apricot. The fruits are numerous; yet, in this rather intricate concoction, they remain astonishingly well balanced and judiciously matched. Each preserves its own character, but none presumes to dominate the assembly, and this harmony produces an impression of the most agreeable and well‑bred elegance. As for the flowers and spices, they appear more like shades than actors, serving, one imagines, to keep this fruity company within the bounds of decorum and to prevent it from degenerating into a mere bacchanal. The projection is excellent: sufficiently present to be remarked, yet never so insistent as to become importunate or oppressive. Throughout the perfume’s metamorphosis, there persists a certain crystalline sparkle, like light glancing upon cut glass. The drydown, at length, is soft and distinguished, recalling the final accords of a grand piano concerto, when the music, having displayed its full eloquence, retires with calm assurance. It unwinds and settles into the skin with an air of quiet repose, remaining light yet still colourful, as if one were left holding a single feather from a bird of paradise that has just taken flight. It is, in sum, an excellent perfume for autumn or the gentler seasons of spring and early summer: at once safe and unmistakably distinct.