Our take
What does Angélique Noire smell like?
Guerlain launched Angélique Noire in 2005 as part of L'Art et la Matière, a collection tied to the reopening of its Champs-Élysées flagship. Daniela Andrier composed it. The opening is strange in a good way. Angelica root smells of damp soil and celery, with a faint vegetal musk. Juicy pear and pink pepper soften that first contact. Jasmine sits in the heart but barely speaks. Caraway does the talking instead, giving off a dry rye bread note with a hint of anise. Then the vanilla arrives and never leaves. It is thick and almost boozy, and cedar keeps it from sliding into syrup. Angelica returns in the base to hold a bitter line under the sugar. Shalimar is the obvious reference, since it is the house's other great vanilla. Angélique Noire is less smoky and more herbal, with a rooty taste that nothing else in the range has.
When to wear it
A cold-weather scent that sits better on a wool sweater than on bare skin in July. Three sprays will last the whole day.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber family. Angélique Noire is one of 89 creations by Guerlain in our encyclopedia.
