Tauer Perfumes L’Air du Desert Marocain Noir
It’s dark as pea soup as I write. Almost autumn, but in my mind not till Monday evening after sundown.
Next door, in my neighbour who lost her husband last autumn’s garden, for two days running I’ve seen big cats – once napping, once sitting and taking in its surroundings. No wonder the birds have left.
A few more sightings and I’ll think we’re being protected from something in our small back area of four gardens. Like in the Inspector McLean books where the protagonist is looked after by a huge coven of magical cats.
Anyway, I got a sample of Andy Tauer’s new iteration of the glorious (his second one after Maroc pour Elle) fragrance l’Air du Desert Marocain which is celebrating (if a perfume can do that – I guess of course it can) its 20th anniversary.
This new LDDM has Noir tacked on to the name. So, I’m sort of doing a side by side, but since I don’t currently own a bottle of LDDM this is from memory.
LDDM, like a number of other things, sits on the shadow list of things I eventually will need to own or own again. This is in contrast to the key list which usually holds only one or two names.
LDDM. Released in 2005, LDDM and Maroc were done to be sold in a friend’s shop. LDDM catapulted Andy Tauer into an indy perfume legend. Notes include coriander, cumin, petitgrain, lavender, jasmine, geranium, birch (I think birch tar), labdanum, ambergris, vetiver, cedar, patchouli and oakmoss. I love this and I love it on me. Beyond anything else, it is dry – this incredible dry rendering of nighttime in an arid environment. It starts on me incensy, wanders through herbal, and finishes as a wonderful ambery peppery patchouli soup.
It’s what launched the idea of the Taurade – and I know some people find that base unwearable. But, on me it works very well.
But on to the Noir iteration. Any time I hear Noir I get really hopeful but much of the time the label doesn’t suit the juice – ie, you get something that is more sigh than dark.
Notes for LDDM Noir include bergamot, lemon, petitgrain, spices, labdanum, leather (birch tar?), jasmine, ambergris, oakmoss, cedar vetiver and patchouli.
Yes, this is similar to LDDM but it is not the same.
On me, it works less well vs the original. It is plusher, much less dry. The lemon and bergamot dominate the top vs the incensy dryness I mentioned above in LDDM.
As it unfurls it has something fresh, which I found perplexing. It is plusher than the original LDDM and the leather (birch tar? a different chemical to mimic a leather smell?) is rather muted. More a gentleman than a Bedouin. I actually find the middle development sort of perplexing. Why are you so bloomy and full?
If you’ve seen The English Patient film, LDDM is Ralph Fiennes vs Colin Firth as Noir.
The drydown is sweet amber. Very sweet, in fact, on me.
Alas, in the end it does not feel noir on me.
As ever with these types of things, I am looking forward to reading others’ impressions. I am pleased Andy Tauer marked the release of LDDM as it’s a giant of a perfume. I know some people prefer Lonestar Memories, but there wouldn’t be a Lonestar with LDDM.
This is the regular shape for Tauer Perfumes bottles. I couldn’t find a pic showing Noir that I was happy stealing. In any case, it is dark blue, like LDDM, but there is a sort of late sunset-ish whoosh on the left shoulder. As ever, it’s lovely.
So, thoughts and comments please.
Pics: pexels, mine
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