Reviews of Cologne pour le Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

First long-overdue try of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Cologne Pour Le Soir, a honey/resinous 2009 release that's powdery and semi-sweet with just a slight animalic bit. Its note listing (per some sources) seems apt as simply a blend of benzoin and honey, and it just feels well-put-together, not excessively sweet or dark or sharp or animalic. It's a bit bright and invigorating while being somewhat seductive and potentially nocturnal.

The 2010 release that followed, Absolue Pour Le Soir, by contrast, is denser and more animalic, but, as many have said, CPLS is an easier wear, and though I would gravitate toward wearing it in the cooler weather and evenings primarily, it's still a mostly-year-round-friendly option, something less likely to scare people away than APLS. And, as some have noted, despite the similar name, amber centricity, and juice color, CPLS is quite different from the sweeter cinnamon Grand Soir, recently more recently in 2016.

CPLS performs reasonably well, and though it's not nearly as strong as APLS, it creates a good scent bubble and has good lasting power. It looks like CPLS, like APLS, is discontinued, though, which is a shame, as it's a very nice fragrance.

8 out of 10

After years of consideration and study, I think I can say with full confidence that this scent is what most other "masculine" scents aim to be.

It is gentle yet noticeable, of this realm yet otherworldly -- wood and earth meets powder and honey. It is pure pleasure and long-lastingly so.

It is courageously tender and admirably vulnerable. It is unassuming in its excellence but its courage and heart are unparalleled. It embodies fearlessness while foregoing shamelessness (unlike its EdP sibling).

Not impressed at all, I used to have a cheap rose candle that somehow got stuffed in a closed for 10 years. Upon re-finding it, it smelled like this. Mostly wax, hint of rose. I LOVE benzoin and was excited to see that this had benzoin in it, but alas, I don't smell it, maybe a hint of warm medicinal but it's fleeting. Not noxious, probably should have given it a neutral, but its $215 price tag kicked it down to a negative.

Greetings...

Not much to say that hasn't already been said...
As of now, this ( and it's big sister in the EDP version) with perhaps Xerjoffs Mamluk are my most cherished honey based fragrances. With the latter being more (significantly more) powerful. Which... In this case isn't such a bad idea.

Nah. Retract that last thought.. It's all me with this one. Your welcome to join me but I'm ok if ya don't.

As I mentioned I own both this and the EDP version and the slight animalic nature that sits backstage here... is more pronounced in the EDP version, for those requiring more lust.

There's a wonderful sense of balance and completion in this beauty that is not a common thing when playing with fire. Luxurious. Sensual. Yet it relaxes the senses which can seem like a paradox.

Breathe it.

Breathe it again, but don't force it to become something it's not.
This is for mature audiences that aren't likely to retreat. Standing is the only option.
There are no chairs in the room but don't assume it's empty either.

You are there.... And that's enough.

The opening- it dazzles me with that honey/rose that's been around the block a few times ( wink wink).

When it settles in your only subconsciously aware that your smitten. There's no retreat. It owns you and not you it... as it slips out of sight.
But not soon as 8-10 hours is not uncommon.


Your never quite (at least for me) ready for this when it arrives with all it's splendor.
Looking at the pyramid makes no sense here ( when does it?)

Just imagine it and wallah!
Incense.
Skank.
Rose.
Warm honey.
Some booze? What the heck.. Sure.
The blending? Not a flaw.

It's somewhat an enigma as it's both gentile/soft and luxurious. Yet you sense this beast in there... somewhere.
Lurking quietly and your taste for lust just makes it retreat even more.
Leaving you at its mercy.
Helplessly I try to ignore my wanting but alas ... Fail.


Cologne pour le Soir.... You win.

I'm glad

9/10

Ciao

The combination of benzoin and a light leathery whiff is pairing a certain brightness with substance, and the letter is enhanced in the drydown by the addition of light ambery undertone. Later on a pleasant incense is added, which is gently spicy and never cloying or heavy. At times a light rose hint is present towards the latter stages of this creation's development.

The sillage is moderate, the projection very good and the longevity outstanding - eleven hour on my skin.

This autumnal honeyed spicy fragrance is nice and never heavy- just the right measure, albeit not super-original. The blending is very well done. 3.25/5

Soft, sensuous and sweet. Spiced honey and rose with a hint of animalic carnality. It's a gourmand for adults... Like a dessert with liqueur. Delicious with good longevity and (luckily) very close sillage. Recommended for those with a bent for dark oriental fragrances with a hint of skank!

Cologne pour le Soir has a feel that reminds me of the MiN New York scents I have sampled.

I see it as a playful experiment. It's powdery.

This has started me off on a bad foot with Maison Francis Kurkdjian (MFK).

Intriguing scent – unique. Apparently it's a skin-scent variation on the cologne concept. And instead of citrus and fresh green, it builds itself around incense absolute, benzoin, honey and rose – obviously it is an evening scent. I was thrown off-track with the first spray when for a couple of seconds it reminded me of an ‘80s powerhouse but then it settled down in a minute or two to the subtle incense absolute which smelled like an incense odor that doesn't have a resinous emanation. By five or ten minutes into it, Cologne pour le Soir had settled into its skin scent persona, and stayed there for an two or three hours: It is a gentle infusion of benzoin, rose, and incense; it is airy and stays close to the skin; and every once in a while I think I smell a bit of civet or indoles floating off the skin. Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Cologne pour le Soir is sophisticated, subtle and incredibly sensual.

Among things Francis Kurkdjian is exceptionally good at is the evocation of skin. Tender, soft, warm, discretely musky, and in this case, thinly veiled in sweet powder, this is fantasy skin of course – no one really smells like this naturally, but the suggestion that such physical grace may be available to some is part of Cologne pour le Soir's charm.
Your guess is as good as mine about why it's called a cologne when it has none of the citruses or herbals associated with that category. Maybe because it wears light and gauzy. I'd suggest the second half of the name is an important qualifier – if colognes are bright and breezy scents with a sunny disposition, this is perhaps Kurkdjian's take of an after dark version, quieter, wearing chiffon, relaxing on a lounger. More mundanely, this is fine any time of the day, really.
Cologne pour le Soir's notes are pretty abstracted: the rose here is a bit like the rose in Parfum Sacre, the benzoin (if the minuscule amounts permitted by IFRA can be evident in a composition) lending a slight vanillic tone to the generally balsamic feel of this perfume, the honey is again reminiscent of skin. What matters is the statement it makes is direct and it says something like: Come here, let me hold you close, let me sniff the back of your neck.

Traditional Eaux de Cologne are designed to take advantage of the volitile qualities of citrus materials. The basic structure of composition is concise and most Colognes smell alike. Cologne is associated with its characteristic smells: hesperidic notes (citrus fruit, leaves, woods) herbs, florals, musk. Kurkdijan reinvents the Cologne by throwing away the recipe and looking more closely at the dynamics.

He reconstructs the Eau de Cologne not on hesperidic notes, but on benzoin and rose, materials you might expect to find weighing down the classic oriental. He pares down rose and benzoin, making them lighter than air yet true to character. By focusing on the qualities and timeframe of the experience, Kurkdijan remains true to the sensibility of the Cologne, but gives us something new.

In traditional Cologne the topnotes have a half life measured in minutes. Kurkdijan extends the topnotes of Cologne pour le Soir, giving them a less rushed pace and fragrance unfolds with a confident stride. The spiced resinous drydown is a logical conclusion to the fragrance yet feels as novel as the topnotes. At the start of the fragrance Kurkdijan reconsiders the Cologne but in the end, Cologne pour le Soir reinvents the Oriental. It has a subtle intensity and sidesteps both the weight of the traditional oriental and the ringing 'radiance' of the modern woody amber. Cologne pour le Soir highlights Kurkdijan's talent for incorporating new olfactory configurations into his fragrances without fanfare. He avoids gimmickry, instead focussing on the overall integrity of his fragrances. Despite its conceptual basis, Cologne pour le Soir feels effortless. Kurkdijan done the heavy lifting and we can kick back and enjoy the ride.

from scenthurdle.com

Dr. Pepper and honey.

maybe this should have been thumbs up, becasue i was fascinated by the scent at first, i thought it stands just in the middle of masculine and feminine scent, its dusty rose, but i never honestly liked it,
it starts with a gentle fecal note, but not offensive, that when rose kicks in you wonder how nice this turned out after all, and then feels like a cloud over you , of soft cashmire blanket! thats it! it warms you up!
and i found out later that i dont like to have cashmire blanket over me as a perfume, it reminds me of an old school perfumes, by the atmosphere, like Bal a versailles, the concentration is perfect i think becasue in higher concentration this may be suffocating!
Its rtaher simple, but good!!

If i liked the notes it would be thumbs up.

As off-the-beaten track cologne flanker for the "Le Soir" line by MFK i prefer the absolute version (which is an EDP) which goes by the name of "Absolute Pour Le Soir" - The Cologne version is lighter, disappears fast and you have to dig your nose into your skin for any sign of it - this has more honey and less incense and is brighter, its much less animalic as well ,given the choice, i'd go for the darker more animalic EDP, i know this is a cologne and its supposed to worn like a second skin - nevertherless for this kind of scent i think "the edge" is what makes it promising and its missing here.

This is good scent. Like other reviewers have said to done, I have found myself also frequently sniffing this from my skin. Why? I think it comes down to warmth and comfort that it posesses.

It is quite sweet, and there's honey which I don't always like, but it is not cloying, there is some dryness as well and nicely blended incence which is not too bright but makes the mix fuller. Leather note gives it more body and depth. Longevity is good and projection seemed quite good as well.

To me this scent has an effect of making me think of another place and time. The time is absolutely evening. Place is somewhere in the south coast of mediterranean or maybe southern spain. Outside the old city or village, dry, red sand desert that hard sun has punished. Narrow streets of stones and old buildings in the town. People having relaxed dinners at cosy, airy, colorful apartments with windows open. Laughters, relaxation, some red wine, easy clothing, sensuality, warmth, life.

It reminds me of good things in life. And relaxes me, to feel the moment.

Cologne pour le Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Upon application, one is treated to a deliciously seductive, red rose with fruity glimmers and a cabernet-like facet. A sweet and warm benzoin dusts the lovely rose with its vanillic highlight, and in so doing, provokes a keen powderiness. Barely transitioning, a delightful honey intermingles with the enchanting blend and imparts its enticing sweetness, while what I assume are aldehydes apparently color the melange with a smoky wax. Amazingly, the finale brings forth a mysterious and spicy incense interplaying with wondrous labdanum, which tempers the creation with a tinge of pine and vague illusions of amber and leather. A decidedly beautiful fragrance that is at once soothing and evocative. This anomalous cologne has stunted projection and average longevity.

A sweet powdery honey rose that has to my nose a touch of civet but that maybe just me.lol Its very nice indeed and I cannot stop smelling myself.

You know when you get a feeling that is hard to put into words. Well the best I can do is say this has a old world meets new world vibe to it. And its down to that very light sensual civet note that has been covered in a powdery honey rose. A very nice fragrance indeed.

A valid option for anyone who's into softer, lighter, close to the skin fragrances but got sick and tired of "unscented", detergent-like smelling perfumes.

A sophisticated and elegant blend of honeyed rose on a slight smoky frankincense base. Masterfully balanced, consistent but discreet and with a remarkable personality. Good work.

Cologne pour le Soir is a sweet woodsy scent with honey and vanilla mixed in. It was suggested to me by the SA at Bloomingdale's and I tried it because she was sure it would be something I liked. I put it on my forearm because I already had Acqua Di Parma Colognia Intenzia everywhere else. From the moment I put it on I could not stop smelling it. This is really amazing. I love that it is woodsy but sweet at the same time. I got a sample just to wear it another day and be sure that It was not just my mood that day. I have worn it twice since and this one has become my favorite. I will always have a bottle of this one on hand.

Cologne pour le Soir contains a soft makeup lipstick accord, mixed mainly with honeyed rose on a blanket of airy musty incense. The rose/honey combination gives the scent a slight musky quality to it. It's very soft, subdued and sensual. Seduction in a bottle.

What could be potentially a dense honey-sweetened rose is given a much needed lift by the dry smoky incense, with the powdery benzoin filling in the gaps. The result is astounding - COLOGNE POUR LE SOIR is a seamlessly blended scent that is comfortingly warm, ambery-musky with nuances of soft leather, and ultimately very very sensual indeed. It wears close to the skin, which is not necessarily a bad thing. For this is simply perfect for a long and languorous evening of...lovemaking.

Cologne pour le Soir is remarkably simple yet brilliant in its simplicity. Simply stated it presents a dark and smoky rose balanced by a subtle vanilla/honey sweetness. The benzoin note is wonderfully resinous and enhances the fragrance's smoky texture. You may read this and think this is a heavy scent. It is not. In fact, it is very wearable in warm weather and casual scenarios. For a smoky floral to be both rich yet easily worn is particularly unique. The fragrance is linear but this is not a bad thing as ultimately it fits into the 'cologne' simplicity concept. I intend to wear this as an alternative to citrus fragrances this coming summer.Two huge thumbs up.

When I first applied this I thougt of wet hair. In general, the two samples I have from Maison FK remind me of body smells; I don't know if this was intentional or not, but if it was then FK is pretty darn brilliant. This is a scent that slips right off me after about an hour and a half. Overall it is not meshing with my body chemistry, and after 30-40 minutes turns into wet body smell that never had a chance to dry. I should also add that it is hard for me to wear leather in general, and I suspect other fragrances from this line will be a better fit.

A skin scent of gourmand ingredients (namely powdery honey and vanilla) and a slight smokey incense. Not too many gourmand based fragrances that are skin scents. Interesting to say the least.

For me this opens with a a dark, dusty, liquor-y rose. Very rich and deep. Soon a powder comes in that overwhelmes everything else. The powder note in fragrances just doesnt do it for me, and this one is long and strong. At the base the powder subsides, but by this time my curiosity is gone. Not a bad scent, but so far the weakest of the Maison Francis Kukdjian's that I have tried.