Reviews of Encre Noir (2006)
by Lalique

I’m surprised at the intensity and rawness of the vetiver in a designer scent – seems like a niche scent. The makers of vetiver scents have to work hard to make me dislike a vetiver scent. Lalique didn’t put any effort at all into this one because I love it and I am speaking unconditional love here. The vetivers present a gruff and rustic face, but are not quite as mean and nasty as they could be: They are refined a bit, but enough of the rawness remains to suggest the proper degree of edginess while keeping the fragrance truly wearable. The vetiver interpretation turns a bit smoky toward the end, warming up the fragrance and adding intimacy to intrigue. I enjoy these two vetivers in Lalique Encre Noire immensely, and I enjoy the minimalism in the use of other notes – a clean, crisp cypress that echoes the cool and compelling vetiver of the opening and the musk in the base that reinforces the warmth of the Haitian vetiver. I have a hard time leaving off sniffing this one – it’s entrancing.

A superb vetiver. Period.

In my experience, vetiver scents tend to fall into two broad categories: the crisp, suave variety, as in Guerlain Vetiver, and the pungent, uncompromising sort, as epitomized Route de Vetiver. Encre Noir to some extent straddles the two groups. It is a bold, hard-hitting vetiver, but not in the earthy manner of Route du Vetiver or the sharp, dry style of Malle’s Vetiver Extraordinaire. Potent, dark, and yet transparent, Encre Noir is aptly named. It smells “moist” and rooty, but not dirty. Its vetiver is nutty, smoky, and pleasantly bitter, and it is balanced by the merest touch of sweet licorice or anise. In character it is perhaps closest to Givenchy’s reissued Vetyver, but Encre Noir is a bigger fragrance and distinctly less "polite."

Once it establishes its central vetiver accord, Encre Noir holds to a linear course, and with a heart that’s so well crafted I don’t object. While it is by no means a weak scent, Encre Noir does wear fairly close to the skin, and its sillage is not going to fill a room. The vetiver becomes woodier in the drydown, and is eventually joined by some warm musk and maybe a touch of labdanum before it drifts off altogether. On acquaintance I find Encre Noir to be a distinctive and successful take on vetiver that’s easily qualified to stand next to my favorites, which include Route du Vetiver, Givenchy Vetyver, and The Different Company’s Sel de Vetiver. If you’re fond of vetiver based fragrances, I think you owe it to yourself to give Encre Noir a try.

A fantastic vetiver based scent. Amazing woody drydown with a slightly inky feel. Dry and dark. It's actually quite relaxing to me. Vetiver is quickly becoming a favorite starting with Givenchy Vetiver, CdG MAN2 and now Encre Noir. A must try for vetiver fans.

If you like Le Labo's vetiver 46 and Gucci Pour Homme (I) then, this is somewhere between the two. Not as flat and cedar-y as the Gucci, not quite as complex as the Le Labo. But a very sexy incense-y smoky scent - makes me want to put on a Ralph Lauren Wool Fishermen's Sweater, plaid wool pants, Hermes boots, and walk in the fresh snow down a Parisian street at dusk in December.

A modern vetiver masterpiece

In my opinion, the best take on vetiver since Malle’s Vétiver Extraordinaire. I’ll go as far as to place it in par with Guerlain's famous green juice of the sixties. However, unlike these esteemed predecessors, Encre Noire does not open with the harsh herbaceous green or a citric blast, in fact, the raw vigor of earthy/soil vetiver is so powerful that if there are any topnotes in this fragrance, they are immediately overwhelmed. The lack of traditional opening simply does not matter. For a vetiver addict like myself, one whiff at the rich aroma of so many vetivers (I detect more than just the two listed) all in one place is enough to keep me happy for the whole progression of the fragrance, which given its excellent longevity, means I am happy for a long time.

After the initial blast subsides, you start to really understand the concept behind Encre Noire, because while the basic vetiver note stays with you for the whole day, its faceted journey is just beginning. Here is my analogy: a classical symphony, it opens up with a powerful theme, then follows with variations of that theme throughout its course. First, come the dark and root-only vetivers, reminiscent of the middle in Malle’s Vétiver. These give the fragrance its name, and a gothic appeal which makes it perfect for the night out, but forget the nightclub, this is strictly ballroom material. After a three or four hours, the dark vetiver subsides, and a softer and sensual aroma emerges, think a richer version of Mugler’s Cologne or Creed’s Vetiver: perfect for the bedroom. This stage lasts for quite a while in my skin, but fades quickly from my clothes. What is left for the rest of duration is a wonderful soapy-musky drydown, think of the base in Guerlain’s Vetiver but without the sweaty tobacco. This last phase goes on and on until the next morning.

I don’t know the differences between Haitian or Bourbon vetiver, I have not plucked the grass or dug up these roots, so I can’t vouch for the specific notes, but I have done my best to describe what I smell in Encre Noire by reference to other vetiver fragrances which I own…but I do not think I do it justice.

I have also heard that L'Artisan Parfumeur's Vetiver is supposed to be just as rich and dark. Sadly I can't find a bottle or even a vial of that discontinued fragrance in order to compare. Even so, Encre Noire is truly a great fragrance and is becoming harder to find, so if you are a fan of vetiver or are just starting to appreciate this wonderful note, buy a bottle without any remorse.

Wore this when it was first launched and liked very much. Very nice soft wood/vetiver fragrance that lasts all day and improves in the drydown when the musk kicks in. Not for harsh vetiver lovers though. Bottle can be doubled for ink when finished also.

Removed by user.
Removed by user.

...the Vetiver is this is not the vetiver we are so used to...plus this scent is very damp, earthy, rustic, "WOODY"...and at the same time - dry...i liked the way Nthny described the vetiver in this one..i think he said, it smells like underwater vetivers...how apt, thts exactly how vetiver plucked from the base of a dense swamp in middle of africa would smell like IMHO. very unique and yes, a company needs to have guts to release a scent like this one.

Encre Noir was love at first whiff. Encre Noir opens up with that bit of "green" from the Hatian Vetiver but you soon notice the licorice yielding a dark, inky, metallic texture that adds depth and mystery to the composition. There is a slight suggestion of spice, but rather it is the earthiness of the Vetiver Bourbon that quickly fades and supports Encre Noir's complexity. The Musk and Cashmere Wood adds sophistication and "Manly" overtones. As a whole, this is indeed a dark, brooding, inky fragrance that has instantly won me over. It is complex, yet smooth. Dark while mysterious. It conjures up several scenarios to mind. A must in any serious wardrobe and a fragrance that can be worn for any occasion and season. Finally, a Lalique that I don't want to be without!

for me the most interesting fragrance for men at the moment!
beautiful composition - ink, powder, woods! a dream!
try it...
if you like writing with your 'mont blanc'-pen, you're going to love this one!

Not an easy scent –complex, spicy and woody, without the balance or sweetness that would make it all friendly.

It is fairly intense and strong, which is brilliantly mirrored in the name and bottle. Notice how most of the reviews here unconsciously reference the bottle: “dark” “inky” and “black” come up again and again. I would say this deserves a gold medal for the matching of name, scent, and bottle, as they all seem to reference each other and together the whole is more than the sum of the parts.


You have to be careful where you wear this one because it is bold and strong. It won’t be liked by everyone, but everyone will notice it. It lasts well, although the spiciness fades and it becomes pleasantly woody in the end. The drydown is pleasant, but the early notes of boldness and spicy complexity are what you will remember.

As another compliment to the bottle, I should add the spray on this one is remarkably good. It is easily controllable, so you can squirt just a little or a lot, important in a scent as bold as this one. It also sprays a very fine mist, which is great for even application. I wonder why other manufacturers spend so much on the bottle but then attach an unwieldy spray nozzle.

I will join the group that was surprised by the scent after hearing the name and seeing the bottle. My initial impression was "smoke!" then... "grass... no, vetiver??" then... "encre noire? vetiver??" But so it is... and it's a very intriguing vetiver at that. The vetiver note in it reminds me of stems left in water too long. There's something a little "passed" about it in that rounded, odd way that something "on its way out" smells. But there's also the most fascinating impression of vetiver plucked from the ground-- fresh wet earth dripping from the roots. So with Encre Noire we have an expectation of something dark, inky, brooding, dangerous, refined. And we receive vetiver, at first sharp with a wisp of smoke, then calm, wilting, slightly muddy. To my nose it is a portrate of vetiver in its most natural state.

I like it very much. The first time i tried the edp and it's quite better than the edt i finally bought (more deep and the drydown it's fantastic, very long lasting, complex and appealing for me). However for the first two hour i also like the edt very much. The first minute it's fresh and "green", and i instantly like it. But it's the drydown that i prefer. After a few minutes it changes and remainds me the smell of a burning forest of resinous fir-woods. After 30 minutes it mixes up, and it remainds me of the ashes. After one hour it's not too pronounced but people around you still get a clean, and for me it's ok (i dont like very strong and coarse scents)
For me it's also quite sexy in a tenebrous and dark way.

Lalique’s Encre Noir is not at all what I expected, yet I like it. The name (‘black ink’) prepared me for something dark, perhaps brooding. The high-class vetiver ingredients led me to anticipate a substantial grassy vetiver element. This is fresh and crisp, light and yet quite interesting, with very subdued vetiver. It has a pleasant green-floral opening. There is a slight earthy/black soil note. Rumor has it that blackberry is another ingredient, and I believe it. During the first half hour I could detect just a hint of blackberry, not sweet-fruity but slightly tart. Eventually, light wood notes emerge, which I suppose are the cashmere wood but which remind me of the birch in Cartier’s Declaration. The wood almost has a lemony citrus aspect which is really intriguing. The white musk reminds me very much of Mugler’s Cologne and I’d say that the two fragrances are similar, except EN is greener and crisper. This is a very good daytime/ workplace scent, and would be refreshing in warm weather.

It reminds me a big fire in a mediterranean wood under the rain.
Warm, spicy and dark. An intense, rather refined fragrance.

I've nabbed some samples of this last week. I'm a woman and I've tried it on myself. I really like it.

As others have said, it's dark yet soft. I found it elegant and subtle at the same time. My nose did not detect the ink so much, as I'm unfamiliar with ink smells. I smell mainly wood in the initial spray and as it dried down, it smells rather "earthy". It lasted a long time, about 8 hours on me.

I think it is a really very unusual scent, it would be something I would wear in fall/winter with my black cashmere turtleneck sweater.

I tried this one because the bottle impressed me with its simplicity. The contents hit me with a strange, artificial but captivating top note. It reminds me of the smell if an ink blot or a piece of wood that has been heated to the point of carbonisation by electric heat! Not exactly woody but something darker and dangerous. So I bought it right there... Later I realised that this top note fades easily leaving middle and basenotes almost identical to L' Eau par Kenzo, which I also use, not so sweet though. Overall I love it but wish the top note lingered...