Noir
Weil (1936)

The House of Weil began as a successful furrier business, run by three brothers, who employed perfumer Claude Frayesse to create oils and perfume concentrations to adorn Milady's coats, wraps and stoles. The first scents were released in 1927, their names reflecting costly furs of the time (Zibeline, Chinchilla, Royal and Hermine).

Bambou in 1934, a fruity oriental, was perhaps their biggest hit. The brothers emigrated to the USA in the 1940s. Other hits followed: Secret de Venus, Antilope and Padisha.

Their Noir came out in 1936 and was discontinued in 1969. It is classified as a light, woody, oriental scent with a mentholated tuberose, floating over smoky, spicy leather.

Top notes: Mandarin, peach and bergamot

Middle notes: Jasmine, rose, tuberose, iris, orange blossom, camphor

Base notes: Ambergris, incense, musk, styrax, sandalwood, vanilla, leather, orris, vetiver, oakmoss

I am experiencing a pure parfum decant. I would classify this as a floral oriental, with the depth of a chypre. The juice is very dark, opaque. The blending is masterful. Nothing stands away from the other ingredients. The camphor is very lightly mixed and the usual center stage tuberose manages to be a team player and part of the ensemble here.

It is odd to my nose in that it manages to be light, while at the same time possessing great depth, drawing me in to experience its sensual depths. Definitely for the mature woman {or man – definitely a unisex scent). Warm, rich, enveloping. Truly a masterwork in my experience of vintage orientals.

One must recall that this was not designed as a body perfume, but one for furs, so that the tuberose/camphor combo might have been uplifting when going out into the cold, giving one a joyous boost to enjoy whatever event one is heading for.

Hard to find, but very worth searching for on Ebay and Etsy.

Menthol cool meetsa animal warmth. A VVVHTF vintage Weil, Noir is the work of Jacqueline Fraysse, of the Fraysse perfuming family. It opens with a mentholated tuberose familiar to anyone who has smelt SL Tubereuse Criminelle, then proceeds to smoky, spicy leather. The mentholate cool cuts through the leather and smoke for a deep, unsweet richness. I'd call it floriental leather.