The One Luminous Night by D&G

The One is a series of fragrances that has spun of a bunch of flankers, including the ‘Night’ special editions. Luminous Night released in 2021, is one that has gotten a lot of attention out of those three, to the point where finding a bottle is an expensive proposition. Is it actually worth it? How does it smell? Does it last long?

What does The One Luminous Night Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, basil, black pepper, dates, amber, incense, sage, geranium, sandalwood

My Full Review

Here’s how D&G describes it: Inspired by the captivating contrast between the deep blue night sky and the blazing gold stars set within it, The One Luminous Night conjures the magic and splendour of a star-studded Arabian night.

When I first saw the notes, bottle, and concept of The One Luminous Night I was excited to try it. The blue bottle looks great.

However, since it was a limited edition and not sold in the US, I kind of forgot about it for a while.

Forgot to the point that bottles became scarce, and I had to secure a decant of it for testing. Knowing that, I would probably plop down the near $200 for a bottle off of eBay if I loved the fragrance.

Upon spraying, I do get the contrast between cool and the warm notes. The early part of this scent is fresh with the sweetness of the dates lurking underneath.

Sage and basil are the stronger of the spicy notes to be. I don’t get all that much black pepper and only a faint peak of the geranium note. The pepper is mostly around for the first 15 minutes, then is pretty much gone.

It is interesting, the style here reminds me of one of the L’Homme Ideal flankers, even while they don’t smell the same. Smokiness, warmth, spice, with a nice fruit providing a sweet heart.

The initial freshness will subside. Sage sticks around, but it will fall down the chain of importance.

Dates, amber, incense, and wood. Expect that to be the main event for basically the rest of the wear. The dates are nice, more of a dried fruit aroma, than anything hyper-sweet or juicy.

Slightly smoky dates sitting in a pool of amber is how I would describe this one. In the middle act, the geranium while still not heavy, does pick up somewhat. Once that pepper is out of the way, I can get more of it.

Update: Now that I have a full sized bottle of Luminous Night, I’ve noticed that it does present somewhat differently, on any given wear. Sometimes, the sage is massive. Other times, this is much more of the warm and sweet aroma led by the date note. When the sage is super heavy, I enjoy this less.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this isn’t a powerhouse. Actually pretty moderate, at its height and then more intimate, without being a complete skin scent. The opening can indeed pack a punch, however. For me, that is a pretty short-lived experience.

The projection runs about 2-4 feet off of the skin for much of the wear. I do notice it on me throughout, just not a complete monster.

It lasts somewhere in the 7-8 hour range. Again, it’s not a strong fragrance, but it does stick around. It’s one of the better The One fragrances, in terms of performance. Which, isn’t one of the series’ strong suits.

Seasonally, this is best in autumn and winter. But, as a nighttime fragrance, if it isn’t too hot and sticky out…you can wear it whenever. Definitely avoid wearing Luminous Night, during the day in spring and summer, especially. Can be a pretty cloying cologne, in that situation.

It’s very attractive and well put together. Semi formal or even formal social situations would be fine. It can absolutely be worn dressed up, while still having its sexy side as a date night go to.

But, that being said, I do prefer this as more of a casual or ‘going out’ nighttime fragrance. The sweetness and warmth feels more in line with that versus being a pure formal play.

Overall Impressions of Luminous Night

Overall, do I like Luminous Night? I do enjoy it. I think that is smells very good, but it isn’t a total love for me. I don’t know if I’m going to get a full bottle for myself (I might still), since that would run me $200 or so.

Update: I did get a bottle, once I found one for around $100. Still sort of feel like I overpaid, but wasn’t too terrible of a deal.

That being the case, it is one of the best The One releases. Better performing than the EDT, even if I enjoy the smell of that a bit more. Plus, I do have a full EDP bottle too.

I actually really like that opening act, with its burst of freshness to contrast against the warmth of the rest of the wear. Basil, pepper, sage, and geranium with a bright bergamot is great. The date note is also very attractive.

I really like everything about this release. I’m just not floored by it. When I compare it to another expensive release I purchased a full bottle of, Noir Extreme, it just doesn’t hit me on the same level.

Update: That sage note, can be somewhat annoying depending on how it shows up on any given day. Sometimes, it just smells overwhelming versus the date and even other spicier ingredients.

I recommend it. If this were a more available scent, I’d probably tell everyone that it’s one to pick up. At $200? Maybe not for everyone. But, it also is a safe blind buy based on the smell and performance alone.

Scarcity made this one go from a sure thing, to something you may want to track down decants of before committing to the entire thing.

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.