Saturday, September 21, 2019

Lalique - Encre Noire, 78% vs 79%

 I have a bottle of the 78% version from 2012, and one of the 79% version from 2018. Doing a side-by-side comparison, both versions do smell mostly similar, but there are some differences.

The vintage is more daring. It smells dirty - like holding a fistful of grass and dirt - and is a tad smoky. It's paired with a nutty vetiver opening, which becomes fresher as the scent dries down.

The current version smells mostly similar in the drydown, and has the nutty vetiver in the opening. Where it differs is that I don't get the dirty, inky, or smoky notes from it.

Performance also differs. The vintage isn't a beast mode scent, but it's strong and tenacious. I get 12 hours and good projection. The current version lasts for 8-10 hours. It projects well for the first hour, then seems to sit closer to the skin, though people have made comments about it to me.

The current version isn't necessarily a bad reformulation. Whether it's worse or better than the vintage will probably depend on your own tastes. If you want something strong, a bit daring, and more vetiver dominant than EN L'Extreme, then you'll probably prefer the vintage. If you want something restrained, gentle, or office appropriate, safer, cleaner, fresher, and more vetiver dominant than EN Sport, you'll probably prefer the current version

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