Serge Lutens Une Voix Noire was created by Christopher Sheldrake and Serge Lutens as a tribute to Billie Holiday. Une Voix Noire means A Black Voice. Described by Mark Behnke at CaFleureBon as "Requiem for a Gardenia," Une Voix Noire opens with that fun gardenia grape Kool-Aid scent so it seems unexpected that the gardenia is slowing down, a little beyond its green, mushroomy freshness, the edges a little brown, with honeyed tenderness that remains when life can only reflect back. Une Voix Noire is in the Floral fragrance group.
My notes when I reviewed it - "...a wistful surrender at the end. The heart that no longer hopes for itself and savors life’s last sweet drops. It is not what I thought it would be or wished for. It was better. The perfume and life."
from perfumeposse - "Une Voix Noire (2012) – Dying gardenia in a glass, Lucky Strike loosely held between your fingers, staring at your glass of Scotch. Perfect."
from boisdejasmin - "What can one expect from a fragrance inspired by Billie Holiday’s gardenia, called Une Voix Noire (Black Voice) and created by the dream team of Serge Lutens and Christopher Sheldrake? Heady, dark, convoluted, perhaps? Well, Une Voix Noire is none of these things. It has a surprising combination of softness and warmth. Its presence is generous, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s dramatic without being heady or dense. Une Voix Noire feels velvety the moment you put it on, and it gracefully moves from one stage to another. Frankly, if Lutens said that he was inspired by ballerina Maya Plisetskaya’s Black Swan, rather than by Lady Day, I would have believed him."
More information and Serge Lutens reviews can be found at:
Basenotes Fragrantica Perfume Posse Grain de Musc
| Perfume Name | Serge Lutens Une Voix Noire |
| Year Introduced | 2012 |
| Perfumer | Christopher Sheldrake |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Collection | Collection Noire - Floral |
| Notes | Gardenia, tobacco and rum |
| Country of Origin | France |
I love gardenia as long as it's not too sweet. This one is nearly perfect to me. The gardenia is definitely there, but more of a background note with riffs of spice and smoke. If I could be in a club in the 1930s or 40s, it would smell like this.
Thick gardenia that is partially broken-down, subtle cigarette ash (maybe its black pepper?), resin. Its heavy, sexy, kinda dirty. Like tousled hair and smeared eyeliner. My favourite weekend scent. Long lasting, multidimensional.
I love gardenia as long as it's not too sweet. This one is nearly perfect to me. The gardenia is definitely there, but more of a background note with riffs of spice and smoke. If I could be in a club in the 1930s or 40s, it would smell like this.
Thick gardenia that is partially broken-down, subtle cigarette ash (maybe its black pepper?), resin. Its heavy, sexy, kinda dirty. Like tousled hair and smeared eyeliner. My favourite weekend scent. Long lasting, multidimensional.
