Nuit De Noel

Caron Nuit De Noel is my favourite Christmas scent of all (so far, if my Guerlain Winter Delices sample ever arrives it might have competition!).

I had very little experience of the Caron house when the name Nuit de Noel led me to seek it out. I was immediately impressed with the beautiful bottles and the all round design and presentation of the house; their products have a very classic but not old fashioned look, to me. I wanted to like Mughuet De Bonheur because Ian Fleming writes that James Bond likes it on women but sadly it didn't work for me.

Nuit de Noel on the other hand was a revelation! I have read others say and I completely agree that it does share *something* with one of my beloved scents, L'Heure Bleu by Guerlain. Nuit de Noel has the same essence of a precious time in it's scent without, to my nose, being old fashioned. In fact I think it's probably slightly more accessible than LB if you are someone who finds an old lady note in lots of scents.

Nuit de Noel is exceptionally well blended and, although this is something that is often said about fragrances with some warmth, it really does feel like wearing a luxurious cape around you.

I was, probably quite naively, expecting a much more 'standard' Christmas scent, pine needles and mulling spices and that kind of thing but actually what you get is much more the scent of serene contentment after night fall on Christmas eve. It has the most beautiful powdered dry down I think I have come across. The Perfumed court says the notes for this are: rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, oakmoss, sandalwood and vetiver but they are so well blended, or I am so on a Christmas and scent high, that I can only detect sublime oakmoss and, which is not unlike the oakmoss of Mitsouko.

I actually save this scent to wear during advent. It would be totally wearable throughout the winter as it doesn't scream Christmas but I quite like to keep it as a special festive treat.

Picture originally from the Scented Salamander