Jasmin Noir 
Bulgari (2008)

This may be my wine background talking here, but I honestly believe that you need to have some everyday bargains in rotation in your wardrobe. Or maybe I'm just bourgeois. Either way--I think it's both gauche and ruinous to pretend that decent fragrance can't be had at lower price tiers. Bulgari has historically been one of the best sources for relatively inexpensive perfumes that have intelligence and personality, even if the house that gave us Black isn't quite what she used to be.

Nevertheless, I've really taken to Jasmin Noir. It's a mainstream--but far from stupid--take on something niche perfumers have been doing for a while now--basically, hitching a heart of jasmine to a vanilla base (think of L'Artisan's Vanilia, for example). This pairing usually comes off as jazzy, tropical, and sunny. And despite Bulgari's "noir" characterization, that's essentially what this is, too--a pretty, aromatic perfume that's probably best for daytime or casual evening wear, when the weather is warm and you're feeling a little festive. The opening notes, listed as "gardenia" and "green notes," strike me as considerably sweeter and less dramatic than that--more like honeysuckle, with a little touch of something fresh and sappy. The sambac jasmine at this perfume's heart is also fresh and sweet, with a pleasantly candied edge that never teeters over into cloying or juvenile, and it's rounded off with an almondy note that reminds me--a little--of marzipan. The drydown includes a little dose of powder, just a hint of dry vanilla, and a bit of black licorice if you *really* look for it.

Cheerful and balanced throughout, Jasmin Noir is an unpretentious little gem. The price of the EdP (45 bucks, give or take, from the discounters) is so affordable, and it's so ubiquitous, that I fear many of us avoid it for fear of its obviousness. That's a shame. Me, I'll be buying bottle of this for myself before it goes away, as good things as wont to do.

It really is a kind of shame that Bulgari stuck this scent with the sinister/sexy come-on of the "NOIR" tag, because more than anything else, this could be what happened if Alien had a wholesome pink-cheeked younger sister, who keeps normal hours, who tends healthy plants, and who bakes beautiful treats. And I do love Alien, but I'm not always in the mood, because it lasts for hours upon hours upon upon hours--and I really have to be in the mood for its weird-assed woody base. Jasmin Noir is simultaneously spicier and friendlier--maybe the nice little sister has been taking samba lessons and learning something about her wilder side.

Anthropomorphism aside, this perfume begs for sandals, a fresh pedicure, and a pair of shades if the sun is up. And stick with the EdP--the EdT lacks the floral heart that makes this perfume sing.