Élisire Extrait Noir Review (Pierre Negrin) 2021 + That Old Black Magic Draw

January 26, 2022January 26, 2022

Élisire Extrait Noir (photo/digital editing ©Despina Veneti)

Four years after the release of Desired and Oderose, Élisire’s “Collection Métallique” was enriched with two new extraits de parfum, the white floral Érose and the aromatic leather Extrait Noir. And while I’ve also been wearing the charming Érose, it was Extrait Noir that truly captivated me: its tenebrous allure and striking contrasts elevated it among my 3-4 favorite leather-centered compositions of 2021, a year with several noteworthy creations within that genre. Élisire Extrait Noir was composed by Pierre Negrin (the perfumer behind Élisire Ambre Nomade and Eau Papaguena), based on an idea by Franck Salzwedel (the House’s French-born founder and creative director, former fragrance developer for other brands, and talented visual artist).

Franck Salzwedel in the fields of Provence (photo ©Fred Allard)

I recently had the pleasure of discussing the fragrance with Franck; he has been based in Provence, France, ever since the global pandemic broke, after living in New York for fifteen years. He shared with me that he feels blessed to have spent the lengthy lockdown surrounded by loved ones, and the idyllic landscapes of the South of France. Amidst the beauty of the Provençal nature, he was able to concentrate on the finalisation of Élisire Extrait Noir, thus concluding a creative journey that lasted more than three years. The idea for the perfume was born when, during a visit to France, he got fascinated by the smell of a handmade, botanical balm rich in camphoreous and herbal aromas. Returning to New York, he continued using it even after there was no need for its therapeutic properties, simply because he found its smell utterly addictive! Just before he ran out of the stuff, he took the remaining quantity to Firmenich perfumer Pierre Negrin, and asked him to compose for him a perfume that would incorporate the balm’s camphor-like, invigorating character.

Dusk in Provence (photo ©Fred Allard)

Since the ultimate goal was to create a sophisticated, fine fragrance, the composition had to communicate that camphoreous vibe without appearing too medicinal. The first version was deemed too bright, so patchouli and woods were added. It was then that Franck envisioned the color black as the perfume’s chromatic identity, and decided to follow that synaesthetic path. To enhance the olfactive darkness, he asked for a powerful leather note, which Mr Negrin realised beautifully. Right before the finalisation, Franck found that the composition needed some light breathed right back into it; apart from wanting all Élisire perfumes to feature some degree of luminosity, his choice also reflected a psychological need that followed the long period of confinement. The ambery light added to Extrait Noir was for him a semi-cryptic message that there is always hope twinkling at the end of any seemingly dark tunnel.

Franck Salzwedel at Provence sunset (photo ©Fred Allard)

Leaving aside for a moment the fragrance’s source of inspiration and the psychological undercurrent of its creation, I feel I must make one thing clear: Élisire Extrait Noir is no austere, brooding or introverted fragrance, but a generously pleasurable and unmistakably sensuous one. Its heavenly leather accord – luxurious, supple, and enveloping – unfurls upon my skin right from the opening, in the company of smoky/spicy patchouli. Their close embrace succeeds in instantly delivering “that old black magic”… During the first hour, the leather/patchouli duet is surrounded by an array of fougère-reminiscent aromatic elements, each one with its own camphoreous aspects: lavandin (a hybrid of lavandula angustifolia and lavandula latifolia that is less floral, and far more phenolic, than lavender), thyme, and eucalyptus. These herbal notes are kept from manifesting as overly pungent or aromatherapy-like by the masterful addition of infinitely elegant, yet electrifying, spices (ginger, saffron, cinnamon), and by the sumptuousness of the leather itself. Élisire Extrait Noir progressively mellows as the sweet-toned benzoin and vanilla develop, shining their ambery light onto the dark olfactory canvas. Meanwhile, the leather/patchouli duo continues its sensual tango, aided by smoky, animalic (and almost furry in texture) castoreum. After a long drydown, Élisire Extrait Noir fades out in warm, skin-evoking muskiness.

Sunset at Provence (photo ©Franck Salzwedel)

Spraying again the fragrance after talking with Franck, I’m reminded of his description of wintertime in Provence: when I asked him how nature looks there right now, he said: “Around here things are perpetually growing, blooming, and there are always smells travelling with the air. The sun is shining even when it gets really cold, and it sets in a spectacular, ambery palette”. Élisire Extrait Noir, with its perennial herbs, beaming spices, and inviting woods, conjures up for me images of sunsets above the vast fields of Southern France; they are wintery sunsets, cool in temperature but warm in color, viewed from a large window of a room where a roaring fire is burning. The addition of leather travels me back to my favorite, well-worn biker jacket of my 20s, to my granddad’s easy leather chair, and further beyond: to Grasse’s own past as a tanning and glove-making center, long before it became the world’s perfume capital. Wearing Extrait Noir has been more than a sensorial pleasure; it’s been a journey to a whirlwind of memories, imagination, and longing.

Notes: Thyme, Ginger, Eucalyptus, Camphor; Cinnamon, Lavandin, Patchouli, Saffron, Geranium; Woods, Leather, Benzoin, Castoreum, Cistus, Vanilla.

Disclaimer: This review was based on a bottle provided by Franck Salzwedel of Élisire (my thanks!) The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Élisire, we have a draw for a 30ml bottle of Extrait Noir (value: $185) for one registered reader in USA or EU. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Despina’s review, if you have a favorite Élisire fragrance, and where you live. Draw closes 1/29/2022

Editor’s Note: CaFleureBon was a 2017 Perfumed Plume Finalist for Visualization of Scent for Elisire Eau Papaguena

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