Nuit d'Issey Parfum 
Issey Miyake (2015)

Nuit d’Issey Parfum. There isn’t a lot to it but there’s beauty in the simplicity. The opening is somewhat throwaway. You get a semi-bright blast of peppery spice and a licorice/grapefruit thing. This slides away pretty quickly into this really smooth and dusty dry vanilla and leather blend that is slightly sweet but not nearly as much as the more common “date night” sweet gourmand type of fragrances out there today. The blend is very well done here. The leather note is easy to like, plays well with the other notes and doesn’t come off as polarizing like some more well known leather fragrances might. After about 5 hours on my skin, it settles down into a soft, inviting, mildly sweet and dry tonka that still carries hints of the spice and mid notes here and there. Late into it's lifespan, I sense hints of Le Male. This is an understated and more serious fragrance compared to popular designer nighttime options out there but it doesn’t fall into an “old school mature” type of category. Nuit d’Issey Parfum feels contemporary and versatile for men 25+. It’s decidedly masculine and might be a good pick for more creative types. It’s not a beast mode fragrance by any means but I’m sure it will catch the attention of some. It just doesn’t broadcast itself. I think this is a great alternative to the hyped up Nuit and date night options out there, especially if you want to do things a little differently. Cooler weather at night is when this would shine; however, I can imagine wearing it for a foggy and cold fall or winter morning coffee run as well. Worth a try, for sure.

Issey Miyake Nuit d'Issey Parfum is the 2015 flanker to the 2014 original Nuit EDT, still a mix of spices, leather, florals, and slight sweet, but less fresh and bright than the EDT, much darker and smoother. Interestingly, the EDT could be more of a daytime fragrance and the Parfum is a more truly apt nighttime fragrance than the EDT, but both are fairly agreeable and versatile while still being interesting. I'd certainly be more inclined to wear the EDT than the Parfum in warmer weather specifically, though even the Parfum could work on a summer night, I'd wager.

Note-wise, Nuit d'Issey Parfum includes grapefruit, pink pepper, leather, vanilla, tonka, and patchouli, a strong mix of notes to yield a balanced, pleasing fragrance, and I'm glad to say that it works out. And even though it's darker and smoother and more night/winter-appropriate than the EDT, the Parfum is still fairly fresh and invigorating.

Overall, it's solid duo and unusually affordable on FragranceNet, at about $28 for 75ml, not quite as inexpensive as the EDT but still quite an outstanding deal.

7 out of 10

Sweet, powdery, dry leather with a touch of earthiness. This comes off as inoffensive, seductive and understated. The sweet and powdery aspects are so prominent that I could see a woman wearing this but having said that, I received an enthusiastic response from a female colleague the very first time I wore it.

That compliment came 8 hours after application so this is definitely parfum strength in longevity while projection is perfectly adequate without being a screamer.

Thick and dark, not as enjoyable (nuanced) as the EdT. I almost did not rate this up...but I was patient and it revealed itself.

I name this the oud of the Miyake line. It is dense and unrelenting, brooding even. In the heat of a summer night, it shrouds the wearer in mystery. In the cold of winter, it accentuates the cold...until you get closer.

Sample the EdT alongside this, you might like it better.

I only wish it was sweeter.