Matière Noire by Louis Vuitton

Matière Noire is going to be yet another entry into the Louis Vuitton fragrance reviews, that I’m going to be posting on the site over the next few months. I’ve already made some headway in getting a solid number up and today’s is this release from 2016. What does Matière Noire smell like? How long does it last? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a try?

What does Matière Noire Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, agarwood, narcissus, patchouli, blackcurrant, rose, cyclamen, incense

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see what Louis Vuitton has to say about this fragrance: A blend of dark wood and white flowers ventures into a world of mystery. Exploring the universe is the ultimate travel fantasy and most thrilling adventure. Matière Noire plumbs intangible depths with a journey through the darkest, most precious woods, namely patchouli and agarwood. The agarwood’s animal notes are intensified by blackcurrant and contrasted with the whiteness of narcissus and jasmine, a floral vibration that cuts the darkness like a comet. Plumes of sacred notes unfurl on the skin. The disruption is total, almost mystical.

The opening of this fragrance has a very noticeable amount of oud and it is paired with a fruity blackcurrant note. Now, the oud itself doesn’t feel overwhelming or heavy, but it is there in a rather large amount…on my skin at least. 

With that, is a rose and jasmine blend, which will later become rose and cyclamen. When the floral notes really come in, the blackcurrant has faded quite a bit to my nose. The floral notes feel a bit dewy, which plays off of the smoky and woody darkness emanating from the base. 

Narcissus is there. I found that on my skin, it’s almost non-existent. Though, what I put on an old t-shirt, did have more of a balanced floral aroma that featured narcissus. Oh and the final dry down, of the fragrance on a t-shirt, feels fairly powdery mixed with oud.

Matière Noire finally moves into its later phase on the skin, where it is patchouli, oud, smokiness, and a combination of the floral notes (jasmine seems strongest to me, at this stage). Not a super complex fragrance, but it does have some depth and development beyond the first hour.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty powerful, but again, I never feel overwhelmed with it on. The oud isn’t allowed to really run wild and overall it isn’t monstrous with how it projects itself. You won’t need to spray a lot, but it doesn’t bomb either.

The longevity is very good, but not elite. It goes 8-9 hours on my skin, a lot more on fabric, like most other perfumes out there on the market.

Matière Noire is marketed more as a women’s fragrance, though, it is pretty unisex for much of the wear. Maybe the more floral moments, may scare some men off, but it isn’t ever that one sided with how it presents itself. 

Seasonally, it isn’t relegated to the colder weather like most other oud scents. Still, I wouldn’t venture into the high heat with it either. Though, for most places in the springtime this would be acceptable right through May at least. 

I don’t personally find Matière Noire to be a sexy perfume. Most people will probably find it to be pleasant and it can fit into enough situations, to not be a completely niche wear. 

Overall Impressions of Matiere Noire

Do I like Matière Noire? I sort of do, but I’m not blown away by it. I do see how it’s sort of along the lines of Noir de Noir by Tom Ford. The thing is, that is a much better scent than this one. Matière Noire doesn’t do anything particularly bad, but it’s not that exciting.

The blackcurrant is nice, but short-lived for me. The rose and cyclamen pairing is pretty interesting and the performance is more than passable.

All in all, it strikes me as an above average scent, just not one that ever truly draws me into it. If you’re a oud fan, that wants a lighter and floral example which can venture into the springtime, Matière Noire might be worth a look.

If you’re looking for a true daily wear, this isn’t going to be it for the vast majority of people out there.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.