Description
Magie Noire, means ‘black magic’ in French, is a classic fragrance from the house of Lancome, launched in 1978. Magie Noir has a unique composition; which doesn’t follow the classical top note, middle note and base note development. It resembles a figure eight; it opens and fully revelas its character while the direction of its development suddenly changes, it stars to move in reverse direction. in which the fully revealed fragrance curves into a surprising change, reverses direction, so that the it would go back to where it started. It is one of the most bewitching oriental fragrances. This exoctic bouquet starts with Bulgarian rose blackcurrant buds. Its heart the jasmine flame burns blended with ylang-ylang, amber and incense. The nose behind this fragrance is Gerard Goupy.
andrey1407 – :
This is quite a big departure from my usual Angel, Opium, Angel Muse or Tobacco Vanille I wear. This is woody and “green”, but still an Oriental (which is why I kind of love it probably).
Magie Noire is one of the scents that really should be marketed as Unisex, or at least bottled in a “Cologne” bottle for men that are afraid or not manly enough 😉 to buy a “women’s” perfume.
Magie Noire is woody enough to smell amazing on a man, yet enough of a “feminine” scent to smell incredible on a woman!
The initial blast I do not like, but within mins it softens and yet deepens. On my skin, it is like a cyphre Estee Lauder Beautiful, even though this is Lancome.
Longevity is strong, but not a powerhouse like, say most Tom Ford scents. Sillage is respectable. I think this is one of those 2-3 sprays is optimal kind of scents. More and it might be too “Much”.
llldddtpoiuy – :
The pure parfum of Magie Noire is exactly that, dark magic. The galbanum, rose, honey, hyacinth, civet, ylang ylang, musk, patchouli, incense, oakmoss all work together on skin to weave a beguiling, beautiful spell.
Unfortunately, I do not have the same experience with the eau de toilette, of which I own a vintage 80s bottle. It causes my throat to close and stomach to turn. After experiencing same reaction to Guerlain’s Mitsouko and Chloe Nomade, I now realize it’s the oakmoss. Magie Noire edt is an oakmoss bomb on my skin. If you love oakmoss, Magie Noire is liquid heaven. I cannot wear it but keep the edt if only to remove the cap and inhale. It is truly one of a kind. There is no other scent that can be called a “dupe” of Magie Noire. None. It’s a beautiful reminder that perfumery is art.
dakka – :
The more I wear this, the more I love it. I wrote a review back in October of 2017, and though the review was extremely positive, I found I rarely ever wore Magie Noire, even though I liked it. Now, though, I find myself reaching for it at least three or four times a week. All my children and my husband like it; they say it smells clean. It makes me feel like fall is approaching. If I find myself wearing this as much as I think I will, it might replace one of my Top 5. Love it.
vovan_063 – :
For me remind too much Rochas Femme from Rochas, and I think that Femme remind Coco From Chanel, so I would say that Magie Noire remind too Coco Chanel. There is something like vintage in alls of this. Is not a wonderful, amezing or really special, but is elegante and chic, but if you alredy have Femme or Coco, I think is not necessary get this one, like a I did!! :-(( bad blind buy BBB.
PASHKANAH – :
One of my absolute favorites, EVER. The 1970s-80s original was staggeringly powerful in its chypre-leather ferocity, the current iteration much less so (thanks to the banning of oakmoss and civet, etc).
However, Magie Noire in its 2018 form is just fine with me. It shares enough of the soul of the original (while being more wearable) that I’m happy to have a well-used bottle of it in my collection.
While Magie Noire shares a bloodline with Paloma Picasso, Aromatics Elixir, and Cabochard, it is essentially everything I love about those other fragrances (the tangy honeyed topnotes, the leather, the woodsy clean vetiver + patchouli) minus everything I don’t like about them (fecal/urinous/”ashtray” notes). Therefore it is my #1 chypre of all time!
Today, I thought I was getting away with 6 sprays of the current EDT because it’s relatively “light,” but around lunchtime I was reminded that this stuff still has plenty of waft and throw and I might want to relax my trigger finger a bit in the morning 🙂 But I absolutely adore Magie Noire, and if you’re a classic dark leathery chypre lover you MUST NOT pass it up.
Totally unisex. A man would smell devastating in this.
lapik1253 – :
I’ve always loved ‘Magie Noire’. it has a supple complexity that lets every reductionist description falter. I guess foremost you smell the moss, vetiver, patchouli, galbanum, myrrh, sandelwood, orris.
this makes it predominantly a woody perfume. but, but. it is definitely a ladies’ perfume. onwards come powdery notes and softening agents (orris, civet, a distant rose). ylang, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and even tuberose are, as in a witches’ stew, all saturated in each other leaving a wonderful flowery sheen over the forestrial impression. still a long time within the cloche one gets this delicate, sophisticated trail which always comes with civet-laced perfumes. the perfume overall does remind me at the several
almost mystical perfumes of the Maison Oriza L.Legrand: Marions Nous (hyacinth, civet), Jardins d’Armide (iris, rose, carnation), Vetiver Royal Bourbon (patchouli, species of vetivers), perfumes with Muguet, Oeillet, Violette, the [in]famous Chypre Mousse, this daring perfume as when one walks the forest floor and a robe is schlepping along the tar, peet, leafs and rot. la Princesserie Sinistre. such scent didn’t left my nose upon applying Magie Noire several hours ago. it is a complex, rich, noble perfume. perfume for some Grande Dame. niche and nichiste perfumes wouldn’t be without her while she also formed the path for her loud and indecent but oh so alluring 80s sisters Poison, Giorgio, Obsession, Knowing, Coco, Moschino, Nahema, Pheromone, Passion, Fidji, Volupté, Ysatis and Amarige. perhaps Magie Noire covets some more decency still yet never shunned the spotlight. it is a tincture, concoct, concentrate which dances around me now and so there is something truly magical around it. We can be glad that there are still so much mysterious and richly layered perfumes in our near-past. perfume makes happiness.
there are also definitely reminiscences with Dusita’s Issara here.
параллелограммммммм – :
ILOVE the smell of this juice when its in the bottle….unfortunately for me, on my skin, the deep rich rose goes away & I’m left with blackberry pie, over some strange dank undertone that I just want to wash off. Sigh…still looking for that wonderful warm winter perfume of my imagination.
iren_AmokY – :
I’ve read from some reviews that this could be also a men’s fragrance…i can’t test it before buying so any info would be appreciated.
hlu198JeomiWogkig – :
My review is for the current formulation sold in the clear rectangular brick shaped bottle with the gold cap.
It’s reminiscent of the original formula. When I unwrapped the cellophane from the box, I could smell the fragrance and it was familiar. At first spray, it smelled like what I remembered from the 80s.
But as it settled in and began to dry down, it changed into something different. Still a chypre, but “milder”. And it has a spicy, kind of cinnamon-anise note that I don’t remember the original having, and that isn’t listed in the description. It smells like an impression of the classic formula.
And I like it a lot, for the fragrance it is now.
Edit: As it currently is, I feel it can definitely be unisex. It’s listed as a chypre floral, but I find it more of a spicy and incense-y chypre. Heavy on the dusty mossy notes.
MonyaII – :
Witchy and bewitching. This fragrance could wake me up from my eternal sleep! It’s very beautiful, strong, dark! Unfortunately, the drydown on my skin is rather harsh, scratching my throat and drying up my respiratory ducts. Great sillage and longevity. I see it worn during night time mostly.
viha84 – :
You are welcome! PM me anytime! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!
MN is a changer! My co-worker loves it because she says it smells clean. My first tissue test from 1+ week ago, is still a wonderful soapy incense. Very clean and classic. No leftovers of the dry-earth. It’s a spicy-ish/incense/wood soap. MN is hard to describe! But it works! The good ones always leave you speechless. 😉 Truly black magic! 😉
I love all the classics. They make me feel “old world” and fancy. I think you were on the right track, if you mixed a base of Aromatics Elixir with Youth Dew- you may be onto something! Except MN is smooth and classy and clean/fresh, but still dark/earthy/mysterious. There is absolutely no sweetness to MN. The only one I can say that comes close IMO is Bill Blass Black.
baksolog – :
mschnabel666: thank you for taking the time to help explain and compare. You have pushed me over the edge! Taking a leap to the earthy mysterious side!
Freewoman – :
For me: Nostalgia!
30 years ago when I was a kid, it was my mother’s signature scent!
those days it had great projection and longevity. I sprayed it on my teddy bear and after many years i could smell it.
andruxa k – :
Gr8belief–
I have all the perfumes you have mentioned. It’s nothing like the sweet incense/loudness of Tabu or Youth Dew. And it’s not quite as mossy-dry-dark-deep-earthy-green-unisex as Aromatics Elixir. Some scents like Diva or Creation have the earthy vibe of MN, but their florals have the center stage. Bill Blass Black also comes close, except none of those get it right like MN. I find Paloma Picasso very masculine, so not like MN. There is a honey-incense airy sillage to the drydown of MN that is so divine. Not like Opium either. Opium, like YDew and Tabu has an amber sweetness-thickness that MN does not.
Magie Noir is in a class all by itself. A lot of perfumes are in the same vibe/vein as MN… but to me- MN is THE scent for feminine floral-earth-incense. It’s earthy first and foremost, with a smoooooth masterful floral (rose) that plays in the background. It’s hard to describe, but wears so well! I’m so happy with MN!
I only can review the current smooth rectangular bottle, in the L’eau Toilette. I had a sample of this version and finally got my own full bottle.
I was heavy handed with my sprays, and it’s by no means cloying or overpowering, but the sillage is big and perfect IMO.
I don’t exactly get the greens, but I can tell it’s in the earthy-ness. This isn’t TOO earthy. It’s not wet/damp, it’s dry and smooth. It’s not sweaty or hippie patchouli either. It’s also not oily/gasoline either, but it does have a dry “oily” feel on drydown. It’s the best earthy scent for me. There is some beautiful soap/laundry musk that FITS here (unlike Youth Dew where the soapy notes clash IMO) making this so unique and smooth and still wearable to this day. I wore it to work today, even tho I mostly save my vintages/oddities for home use. It does have a “dusty” aspect to it that makes it smell “old” but honestly– that is another reason why I love it. Something very light/small is animalic like Animale- nice. 🙂
My first day tissue test 24 hours later is powdery/soapy incense! I love it! I am ignorant to the original smell– and I prob will stay that way. This version is wonderful IMO!
And my mid-day body wearing is earthy incense with some smoky dust and powdery florals.
adi179Negeltzex – :
I’ve been on the fence about buying this for so long. I keep reading all the reviews here trying to picture the scent. I keep coming up with a combination of Yourh Dew, Tabu and Aromatics Elixir in my imagination. Can anyone tell me if I’m close? I can’t find a tester anywhere so if you can help me with a comparison I would appreciate it! Thank you!
PEHAT – :
I like the scent of this old bottle , but I did not like the reformulation in the new bottle
esqaz – :
I made my review before about the current version, which I like very much (not knowing the vintage).
But after that, I found online a Darth Vader bottle from 2006. I bought it thinking Mushroom cap = vintage and best formulation.
But I find it harsh, the incense is too prominent, suffocating all the other notes.
Does anyone know why is this? Are there bad mushroom cap editions?
ps1onez – :
Magie Noire edt has the same smell of Natura’s body oil Séve Amendoas Doces Intensas. Which is great as they both smell divinely well 🙂
fieriMaxHarrY – :
Hello from Deco Dawn. Firstly may I just say that the only way to fully appreciate and understand Magie Noire is to purchase a vintage black bottle with mushroom lid. This is the true ‘Magie Noire’. The modern glass square bottle is a different fragrance entirely and a weak faint memory. The ‘Original’ is ‘old money’ it screams luxury, class, sophistication and it is very sexy. It conjures up images in my mind of Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe at the end of the movie ‘My week with Marilyn’ singing this song.
“That old black magic has me in its spell
That old black magic that you weave so well
Icy fingers up
And down my spine
The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine
The same old tingle that i feel
Inside
When that elevator starts its ride
Down and down i go, round and round i go
Like a leaf that’s
Caught in the tide
I should stay away but what can i do
I hear your name, and i’m aflame
Aflame with
Such a burning desire
That only your kiss can put out the fire
You are the lover that i’ve waited for
The mate that fate had me created for
And every time your lips meet mine
Baby down and down i go,
All around i go
In a spin, loving the spin that i’m in
Under that old black magic called love”.
Buy the vintage bottle on ebay. Try it you will love it. One of my all time favourites since 1983. Perfect. A big thumbs up from Deco Dawn.
boots456 – :
Cassis, galbdanum, bergamot – soury, a bit dusty, oakmoss.
Oakmoss, incense. Earthy.
Oakmoss is simply beating most of the other notes in this one for me. Nothing against oakmoss, but I prefer better executed one. The way it’s showed here it reminds more of an ashtray than a perfume.
eti319bedyWelty – :
Magie Noire is enchanting. Oakmoss is the star of this perfume and I love it. Oakmoss gives fragrances such a soft and lush forest earthiness. The green galbanum blends wonderfully with the oakmoss, the honey provides warmth and a touch of sweetness, and spices linger in the background. An absolutely bewitching fragrance!
STBOL – :
This was my Christmas self-gift.
I had sampled it before in the store and HAD to go back on saturday and get it, because I kept thinking about it for weeks.
I love its 80’s vibe, I love how it’s so different from the modern best sellers. I love how it makes me different from everyone else, without smelling “old-ladyish”.
I can only image the greatness it must have had back in the old days, because I didn’t know it then. I just purchased the new EDT (2016 batch).
Sadly, I think its perfomance is poor. I expected something strong, based on the character of this perfume and also the longevity and sillage rating here in Fragrantica (which I always take in consideration), but a couple of hours after applying it’s already fading.
I’m so sick and tired of this problem, don’t know where else to look for a good perfomance perfume, like the ones I used to wear in the 80s, when 12 hours later you could still smell them very well on yourself.
Anyway, I think it’s still worth it, very nice and original, for a woman with personality, I feel it boosts my confidence.
replicae76606 – :
Beautiful parfum for Halloween for me to wear with black dress and costume. I have the eau de parfum. This smell at first of a sweet raspberry remind me of Dior Poison with tuberose and jasmine also powdery iris flower. Then smell of green notes galbanum is called and patchouli. I smell incense woods notes sandalwood civet leather and honey. Smell as good as Poison and also Opium by Yves Saint Laurent. Is very 1980s and strong powerful magic perfume. Make me feel so confident! This parfum is rich sexy smoky dark mysterious leathery earthy very complex. Is my most complex and strongest parfum. In Europe is still very popular especially in France and Russia. I have only one other friend that wears this. Is unisex and some men can wear this too with leather coats jackets and pants. The color is black and goes with black clothes and black make up nails eye make up hair. Is very sexy very dark and Gothic.
alekcon – :
First time I wore this I was taking a night class in college.I had gotten a sample from Cherry&Webb,and honestly I hated this scent it was so strong and woody I couldnt wait to go back home and take a shower.Mind you I was still a novice with fragrances and couldnt fully understand the beauty and depth of this fragrance,until now.I had purchased a small bottle of this on ebay,the batch code is from 1998.First spray was ok and after a few minutes I couldnt stop smelling my wrist.”Wow,this smells amazing,so unique”,I thought.To my nose I can detect civet and honey,galbanam and wonderful oakmoss and a lot of incense.I was curious to try the newer version and compare it to this one from 1998.So I purchased a new bottle from ebay,this time the batch code is from 2016.After the first spray I noticed the difference between the two.With the older version the notes are more intensly pronounced.As with the newer one there more subtle and softer.Older one,projects far,I was at work when I sprayed myself four times and my coworker who was standing about ten feet away could smell me.Newer one,about arms lenght unless you spray more.With older version the scent stays on your skin a long time and even longer on clothing.Newer version I got maybe an hour on my skin,but clothing I havent tried yet.To me both older and newer versions smell almost the same but not exactly.Bottom line if you want try this fragrance and experiance its breathtaking beauty go with a vintage first and then try a newer version.
директор – :
What can I say about Magie Noire? I happen to really adore chypres, so the darker and more bitter, the better, and she is dark but not bitter. MN has been obviously reformulated — I have an edt from 2017 — and it is a little diminished from what it was; *however* it is still gorgeous! Rose, a realistic oakmoss, bracing galbanum, a golden touch (it smells a little like warm hay, which is how patchouli reads on me), and a little honey to lighten everything. MN lays on my skin like a rich veil of scent, flowers and herbs mingling in a symphony worthy of Bach. The honey comes in waves, lending a unique dimension that plays a lilting melody over the floral mid-notes and the deep bass of the oakmoss, civet, and patchouli.
Is Magie Noir dated? I think not. The reformulation has smoothed out some of the more unique edges, which while many of us feel took away the perfume’s individuality, it probably does make it more approachable to the consumers of today. Magie Noire is far from banal, though. While I wear it for an every day perfume, others may not be so comfortable and reserve it more for special occasions.
Dimatrek – :
I’m normally not of fan of Chypre Florals normally they have to much going on for my little nose to handle. I have never smelled the vintage of Magie Noire only the current (2014) and let me tell u how I adore this scent it’s gorgeous, I’m not fan of heavy Rose notes but in this it’s Majestic and Groundbreaking. This is forever staying on my perfume tray. Phenomenal rose scent. I rate this a 20 on a scale 1 too 10 it’s that good buy it u won’t regret it I know I didn’t .
Van Di – :
Beautiful dusty Rose. Gorgeous!
Dimische – :
Dear @Cerise Noire
I just loved your story, and I am so very sorry that you had that experience.
Maybe better luck next time?
abrargofeelay – :
I really fear that I’ve ruined this fragrance for myself. Like I’ll never be able to wear it again and it’s all my fault.
I wore it one day before a fairly long car ride. I still sometimes get sick in cars if the trip is too long. I had to go to a far away cemetery to visit the graves of some relatives. So it was a cold, dark day, the occasion was a quiet, melancholic one and I thought, ok…Magie Noire it is. But man, that car smell mixed with this perfume made my stomach even more sensitive. Btw, I did not overspray but on my skin this is a bulldozer. Then when I arrived at the cemetery, my stomach already hating the world. It got even worse because of the smell of the lit candles and candle wax everywhere. My God. Then I had to suffer the car ride back home. I at once felt sick like I’m about to throw up and like my stomach was tender cause someone punched it.
I did wear Magie since then but very little. And although I wasn’t 100% on board, it was nothing like this. I thought as time passes I will start liking it again. Today though, my entire body is not having it. I can literally feel how I felt that day. I actually took baby wipes and tried to wipe it off myself. And they might be a match for many things, but they are no match for black magic. It’s still here. I don’t know, friends. Don’t wear it in stuffy cars. Save yourselves.
снайпер12 – :
I have been flirting with this fragrance since the early 80’s.
So this review is for the original..I must try the reformulation.
Having said flirted, I mean that though I find it intriguing, I dont love it. It does have intetesting elements, but somehow I feel that after a while it gets on my nerves, like I am wearing someone elses clothes.
I think it simply doesnt suit my personality.
Am curious about the new.
I can understand how some would love this, and one of the great things about it is tjat it is not like the other mass sugar, fruit bombs out everywhere now.
Worth a try for sure.
Sergij1990 – :
I am posting a separate review because I have done a complete 360 degree turn on this…somehow Magie Noire has cast a spell and entranced me. I am having trouble choosing another fragrance over this one, I love its woody, musky dark nature…completely captivating. And this is the new stuff, I can’t imagine how much better the vintage was, and I am not even going to attempt to find out!
I guess it’s not really surprising that fragrances can be dynamic, considering they started life as living organisms.
pok903JeomiWogkig – :
It is a kind of magic. I love this so much, such a gorgeous fragrance. I really like galbanum in the scents and this is absolutely beautiful. But this is very unusual, probably unique, maybe not for everyone. I can say that it changes according to the weather. For me Magie Noire is sometimes fresh, clean, powdery and comforting, but sometimes very spicy, sensual, wild and sexi. I think that for me this can be an excellent fragrance for all seasons, because every kind of weather reveals different sides of this magic potion. So, definitely my favourite scent for all the seasons.
chigirik – :
I had both the 1980s EDP and EDT versions of Magie Noire, a truly magical fragrance. My late mom used to wear this on special occasions and I would sneak a little spray when she wasn’t around. I recently purchased a new bottle, it’s the square one in the black box. I’ve had such bad luck with reformulations lately so I was expecting this to be a disappointment too….
My 1st testing was horrid! It was so feint I could hardly smell the Magie Noire I knew. Yesterday I decided to give it a proper go – 3 sprays on the neck and 2 per wrist. I figured I’d have to spray that much Just to smell it!!
Oh good Lord! What a wonderful surprise! Within about 5 minutes my childhood memories came flooding back. This is every bit the Magie Noire I used to know. It lasted 12 hours! I floated in the most beautiful cloud all day. Now I know how much I need to use to get the original effect and I will happily oblige!
nadyanadya – :
I never had the original version so I’m speaking of the newer one out now. I was amazed as this went on-it was so spicy, bold and delightful, but after the dry down it became too sweet, lost its spiciness and turned into a very soapy scent for me. I don’t think I’ll be wearing this at all, sadly.
susvova – :
What a scent! I didn’t know about it until recently. It did not get the fame it deserved. On that time there were many scents that dominated the market and this little star had no space to shine. And it shines. It has a little green opening, and then the greatness of the perfume appears. It is a flower-honey smell mixed with oakmoss, vetiver and incense. A wonderful combination with a subtle warm sensation. Given by the spices. It covers you with its warmth and touches your skin like a delicate sunshine. Yellow and warm like the sun.
There is no room for black magic (magie noire)! There is only the magic of this scent. No voodoo – only bright mood and shinning skin.
Honey is not a note that I usually like in a fragrant, but here it only reminds me of the sun. It is not an overwhelming honey smell; it is temperate by patchouli and vetiver.
Great scent that lasts very well and remains full of grace till it vanished. A must try!!!!
aleksey5555 – :
There is a lot of fragrances I like, but this is one I loved. It was a fragrance that revealed itself over time.
flip65 – :
I wore it for many years. I use to love its bitterness
Now the reformulated one is a shame.
evgenix2011 – :
I have not smelled this in about 30 years. But i still remember it as yesterday. It was my mothers first perfume that i remember. We were on a family vacation in Spain when she got herself a bottle. It was August 1988 and crazy hot.
Patchouli, rose, sandalwood.
Deep, exotic, mysterious but also not too heavy.
A real 80’s powerhouse.
They don’t make stuff like this anymore. Possibly Tom Ford.
Wonder if the re-formulation is any good. Have to check it out. And if it smells anywhere close to the original i think i will get my mom a small bottle as a gift 🙂
guide2000 – :
@RB2002 the reformulation is someting else. Not a bad scent, different from the candy/sirupy disaster mass nowadays, or the suffocating plethora of oud. It is a mature and well blended fragrance with a discrete vibe of the old Magie Noire. You can find a file from MN “history” smelling the…atomiseur. Once sprayed, the notes are sharper, bit metallic, strong in a weird way and different from the original one. The ingredients are from the classical IFRA “Book Of Destructios”, so, waiting to find the real oakmoss or galbanum is a waste of time…
In the dry down you cand recognize something from the old one but avoid to have great expectations, the vintage MN (from the all editions I have, I love the most the black shoulder bottle edition) is something gone forever. So, assume when you buy a new Magie Noire, to have a new stuff in your hands and not a bad one at all.
KREST – :
My first perfumes at age 11 & 12 were Love’s Baby Soft, Love’s Lemon, Love’s Musky Jasmine, and Anais Anais at 13. Then, the summer I was 14, I bought Magie Noire in a Lancôme gift set, in France. No more kid or girly stuff, it was right to the sultry, heady stuff for a few years after that.
That summer (’86) I wore this deep, spicy, bewitching scent in the heat, and loved every minute of it. It just goes to show you how different things were in the 80s, that 14 year olds were spraying themselves in the middle of summer with scents like Magie Noire, without a second thought.
Recently I bought a vintage on Ebay, the exact type of bottle that I used to have (orange on the bottom, black on top), and it does not quite smell the same. It must be true that the top notes don’t keep, because unfortunately, the bottle I have smells like it “turned” and gives off an “old” smell. I’m curious now after reading some of the reviews to try the reformulation. But this stuff really was glorious in the 80s.
^thank you for the info on the reformulation, Gatsby!
gagarin-1988 – :
After reading this entire page (whew!) my interest in Magie Noire was piqued !
Months later — after not being able to afford a full bottle at the time- I found a half full bottle at a local thrift store today for $14.99 ! Sadly it’s NOT the older bottle with the black plastic adornments – but the conventional newest incarnation.
I am not an expert in “Oriental” perfumes but I know Dior Poison and YSL Opium as examples.
This is a complex one that unfolds after you spray it! It twists and turns – and that is the fun part folks. I am a gender bender with fragrances and I think MOST men can pull this off.
Great deal for $14.99 !
Lencemope – :
A classic, very elegant scent for an independent, strong personality. Many friends who have come accross this say it’s suitable for special occasions, which I agree; but I can imagine wearing it on a normal day
On the other hand it s a little bit strong for me.
tankm – :
WOW! I can’t believe how much I love this one, and how little I’ve heard about this one. I feel like I’m oozing spicy sexy woody honey. It’s just beautiful. So balanced. Nothing sharp or off-putting about it. Definitely Black Magic. I’m in love! Where has this been all my life? LOVE
watcher – :
I wore this way back when, way back when. I recently revisited it for fun and fell in love all over again, and purchased the formulation currently available, which smells to me like it used to. I know this has gone through reformulations that I have read were bad, but by most accounts, people’s opinions are that it is currently mostly back to it’s old glory. They really don’t make them like this anymore. It is hard to describe – looking at the accords and the notes won’t help you get an idea of what it smells like, you just have to try it. It is a little sweet, but the green and something slightly bitter and smoky tones it down enough that “sweet” is not how I would describe it. I probably get the green and woody notes the most, but I wouldn’t describe it that way. It may be easier to describe with imagery. I would say it makes me think of taking a walk in a deep forest at night where a fire is burning somewhere far away, while sipping some strong, fruity sort of liquor. I love the types of perfumes are so well blended that I can’t even pick out anything specific – and this is one of those. Don’t blind buy this – sample it first because it is so unique and weird that not everyone is going to like it – it’s definitely not a “crowd pleaser”, but that just adds to it’s allure for me, because a lot of times, as we all know, crowd pleasers can often be rather dull. So if you’re tired of the same old, same old offerings, give Black Magic a try. Perfectly seductive, but if applied very lightly, can also be worn during the day.
StatusZero – :
So bitter,so strong! Love it!
kotcombat – :
A typical chypre, oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver, incense – whatever it is it is slightly bitter and serious on me. Just like Soir de Lune. I need time to grow into this kind of scent it seems.
Shtil – :
I remember trying this when I was in high school and I fell in love immediately. Lancôme Magie Noire is one of those scents whose impression never leaves you; an absolutely distinctive, sensual, and mysterious fragrance with woods, incense, musk, civet and deep rose in the base. After a few hours, I also detect the crisp cool greens of galbanum although it’s not over powering at all.
I wore the body products and pure perfume through high school and college, I’m fortunate to have an older bottle of the perfume and an older bottle of eau de toilette. I wish they still made the body cream, it was so luxe! I’ve seen reviews of Magie Noire that call it haunting, and that is so spot on. I’d also add MN is very elegant, never trying too hard but always confident.
slesar007 – :
Haunting.This is such a mysterious, one of a kind, dark green scent. A walk in the enchanted forest.
I had to visit quite a few stores until I found one where I could sample it. Then I convinced myself that I don’t need it since I have Bandit and Cabochard. But they are different: to me, Cabochard is the young lady who rides horseback much better than any man, and doesn’t give a damn about what people think, just does whatever she likes, and Bandit is the uninhibited, devil-may-care bad girl wearing leather and smoking at places nobody is supposed to, and riding motorbikes with questionable but beautiful, rebel-without-a-cause boys… and Magie Noire is the badass but always elegant and refined lady who always surprises and even shocks you when you realise how no-nonsense she is. So, much later, I bought it from someone who probably received it as a gift or something and didn’t like it so they offered it for sale.
I hardly have the words to describe this witches’ brew, and even if I had, other reviewers have already done it perfectly. Unfortunately, I will never get to know the original formulation, but I find the new one very complex and captivating. The name “Black Magic”