Magie Noire Lancome for women

This fragrance turned out to be so discrete that it was almost impossible to discern; it had a nice oriental touch, but it seemed somehow lost and disoriented, lacking direction or true form. I expect that the classic original version would have been quite interesting but the current version is lack-luster and a disappointment.

This was my signature in the 80's and I was young to be wearing it. I recently uncovered a leather jacket and a wool one that were still scented with this. When I opened the box that honeyed-mossey-patchouli still lingered. It always amazes me how fabrics/leather can hold those precious scents of days gone by. I have an orginal purse spray that still has the "juiciness", the warm lushness that is Magie Noire. Just an amazing and delicious potion. So I had purchased it a few years back in the simple bottle and for the past three winters I pulled it out, gave a spray and "almost" smelled the magic. Sigh. No, it the newer formulation that is only an echo, an apparition of what was. The teeth are gone,the civet-honey sexiness. The statement is now a paraphrase. The scents of the 80's, you know them and they were epic. I look at the color block trend now and remember the magenta blouse with military buttons, the black turned up collared leather jacket, snakeskin vinyl gloves, big hair, Magie Noire. Spray, walk through the mirror, Alice, off to see any number of concerts from The Pretenders and Elvis Costello to Yes and Journey. You could go to the thrift store to get your vintage fix and you could smell Magie Noire and Obsession on clothes that other girls had tried on...these gems lingered and mingled with the musty-woody thrift store smells. I can't wear this new incarnation. If I need my patchouli fix I turn to Ange ou Demon, Midnight Poison or D&G La Roue De La Fortune. I wonder if the noses were enamoured of or inspired by Magie Noire. Mystical patchouli can cast quite a spell, go figure.

LOVE....a bit soapy on me but I just ignore that because the rest just makes me feel magical.

"Magie Noire" is a bit daunting to review, most of us know it. It's the notorious sorceress among Orientals. Love or hate: indifference is in my opinion not possible with this scent.

From the opening notes of heavy rose and jasmine we move quickly to a smokey amber with a faint but stubborn high note of bergamot in the mix. They say this perfume makes a full circle in its scent evolvement, true! I can clearly tell that this scent holds onto its notes and doesn't let them go! Lets call it Magic: "Magie Noire" - (Black Magic) if you must, but unusual for sure!

This one is definitely more suitable for evening wear. And you have to be in the mood for it. Its heavy, lingering florals with smokey amber are heady and might be too heavy for some Oriental lovers. (Headaches are possible, try a sample first!)
But if this is your thing, boy oh boy, will this dark beauty stay with you. Literally! The longevity is amazing.
A classic that will always be recognizable. Recommended for women that like to make a statement, and aren't afraid of heavy, dark and lasting "Magic".

I just gonna say that this is: SOOOO SEXUAL AND MAGICAL PERFUME !!!!!! If you want to hypnotise men this is what you need. This is my signature perfume without any doubt, I just love it ;)

I am not above revising my reviews. I wrote this about three years ago, and though my opinions about this fragrance have not changed much I do not like writing negative reviews. Let me rephrase that, I do not like writing negative reviews without personal justification. My fear is that someone will read it, take it to heart, and miss out on their potential signature fragrance. To this I say, "my bad."

I am not a fan of chypres. Plain and simple. I'm certainly intrigued by them and I have some in my personal collection but they are fragrances that often perplex me. Sometimes they even intimidate me. My chypres are the ones I grab most often, just to simply sniff and admire. I don't wear them often. They frighten me a bit in their complexity.

This is a classic chypre and I would recommend it to anyone who has a chypre obsession. There is a classic 1980s velvet feel to this one, like a vintage thrift store gem you find that somehow everyone else has managed to look over. I'm one of those who saw it and couldn't appreciate it for what it was.

I loved it when my mom would spritz this on me. I was six or seven and it was one of my mom's favorites. It reminded me of the plastic scent of Malibu Barbie's blond locks. Weird, I know. I got a little older and I asked my mom to please stop wearing it. It made me nauseous so she did. I think a major reason why it did and why I still cannot handle the smell of it now has to do with the heavy-handed manner in which my mom and my aunt wore it. It was just too much, like everything else in the 1980s.

Like most chypres MN is very strong. I don't know about the composition of it now but the 1980s juice was strong. It is definitely a spritz-the-air-then-walk-through fragrance. If your skin is wet with MN then you've applied too much. I can appreciate its boldness and its complexity but I still liken it to a Godiva chocolate-covered lobster tail in a caviar sauce--too much of a good thing.
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(from 4/27/09) My mother and my aunt used to practically marinade in this fragrance. Personally, I find it repulsive. I'm so glad they found other fragrances to love. Besides the overpowering scent and the abuse of it by my mother and my aunt, I think there is simply too much going on in this fragrance. I read in an article that sometimes great notes do not equate to great fragrances; that is, rich dark chocolate and caviar are exquisite on their own but to mix them together would be disgusting. To me this fragrance is a lobster dinner covered in creme brulee and mixed with truffles.

I know we're not supposed to describe perfume saying it smells like an old lady (but we can easily say it smells like a teenage girl! hello double standards...), but i'm going to do it anyway cause I can only picture an old lady wearing this. It's very perfumey. It would be an old lady who is trying hard to smell like a dark, exotic femme fatale.
But as always, someone with a strong personality and confidence could pull it off.

Edit: the drydown is lovely, much softer.

Usually I don't like perfumes like these, but Magie Noir has a special place, because it used to be my mom's signature scent for many years (and judging by some comments below i'm not the only one :) ). Anyway, I remember how she used to spray it before her nights out and years later, after saving money from my first job, I gave it to her as a Christmas present.
She doesn't like this scent anymore and prefers something lighter, but this perfume will always remind me of my childhood :)

This is what happens when chanel's coco and elizabeth taylor's passion have a lovechild ^_^

I love this scent! it´s a classic. It´s quite strong, for me, is a perfume to be used in winter season.

my mother had this for many years,to me this scent is too strong and I dont think that I would ever buy it for myself, but everytime a go to the department store, I allways smell it because it makes me think of my mother and how much I miss her.

Just got a vintage mini-bottle off Ebay.

What a gorgeous, dark and lush perfume! On me, it's all dark spicy berries and base, just a little floral.
Very warm, no green at all.

I can remember smelling it when I was in my early 20s when it was first released and not liking it at all. I think it's beautiful now. I guess I've grown into it.

eta: I was just at Macy's looking for a summery perfume and saw a tester for the reformulated Magie Noire. Sprayed a bit on the back of my hand and...flat, strident and headache-inducing. Ugh.

I had to purchasee this, being the avid perlfumanista that I am, lol, It's not something I'm likely to wear, but any srs collector really should have this, it's quite a brilliant, very interesting, beautiful but kind of erie perfume. IT reminds me of a beautiful woman, who's maybe a little bit older, that has lived/ experienced but, has fealt the pain and joys of love and loss, someone perhaps wiser beyond her years... like I said, very interesting perfume :)

I have the large botle and a small one, I'd like to keep the small... possibly swap the large

--- i often like to take perfumes i have but dont use, and try to layer them on others ..... just sprayed victoria's secret 'noir' on and wow, it softens this nicely, yet the scent is so clear, almost fresh o.0 .. very interesting.. very nice!!


-update ... I just purchased Vivienne Westwood's 'Anglomania' ... which smells of a young geisha (borrowed that from another commenter) .. it's very girly soft but luciously spicey... It's in my top 10 favorites ... now... I sprayed the tiniest bit of Magie noire , one spray and kind of streched it to both wrists and kneck area... then sprayed a few squirts of my anglomania.... and wowzerz, it's absolutely fabulous... and it makes the anglomania last longer.. the spices mix perfectly.. it basically smells of anglomania soft spicey very girly... but with a little more depth.. more dense..thick

wooooow perfume

I have loved the original one when it came out in 1978. I remember going back to the perfumer's the following day to buy a second bottle. I have used and loved it without getting tired. It was heavy but it was heavy in the right way. The new version is so different that makes me want to have never tried it. You might like and appreciate the reformulation but if you have happy memories with the old one, keep them and do not consider this new version. The original had a sumptuous opening which is totally lost in the new; the old one developed and developed hour after hour, changing every minute and turning into a soft melt with your skin; this new becomes soapy and insignificant and lasts nothing while the old one remained on your skin for days.

Just got my sample of this, the new formulation, and its amazing. I understand maybe it isnt what it used to be in the past (which i have not smelled) but this scent is one of the most unique ive tried yet so far and i plan on buying a bottle/pallette of them. It smells like your clothes right out of the dryer with a nice light but noticeable musky spice. Again maybe its not the same but i would hate if anyone missed out on this because of the reviews about reformulation makin them think its no longer worthwhile

The perfum is on the market now, has little to do with that smell of 70's. The opening is light as a good body lotion and not crispy and spicy as it used to be. It has not the same power and intense as it had. Heart and base notes seem to be the same but yet I'm not sure. I regognise the old smell only after 5 hours on my skin, when it is faded. I asked the saleswoman why is this change, and she told me that many perfums had to change some of their ingredients as these are now forbidden from the EU. I still like it though, so I bought it again after lots of years.

@ JB 78

<<>>

Not much more to say JB, what a lovely review I think it is a beautiful perfume and I wore it strangely to my Husband's funeral - I was bitter because of the way my stepsons had treated their father - I wanted to hide and simply dying, in order to follow him - was a considered option. A bleak and bitter duty prevailed - which is no longer present - but I use it now for watching "True Blood" and Twilight Zone and reading Anne Rice's books late in the evening - my Kindle Device has a Lamp attached.

From reading about the evolution of Magie Noire from 1978 until 2011, I think that it has always been a grab-bag of a perfume. Early versions sound like they emphasized different facets than this most recent one. It sounds like they used to bridge the dark floral chypre to the spicy oriental via some old-school animalics.

While I like it, I’d have to categorize the current version as a tight-assed woody floral. Not a lot of amber, not a lot of moss. Civet? Castoreum? Nowhere to be found. But you know, some days a tight-assed floral is just the right thing. And as many before me here have noted and per my own equation that men’s fragrance = (women’s fragrance – the interesting parts ) x 0.75, Magie Noire is an ideal men’s fragrance.

It's a good thing perfumes like "Magie Noire" are still around.
The rather silly bottle with the black plastic top we all know, has recently given its place to a more generic, geometric and kind of classic one (which is fine but not brilliant) while the potion inside is magical as ever!
"Magie Noire" in a way reminds me of "Ysatis", a marvellous inviting composition which becomes even more attractive with time, a perfume full of personality and character which modern fragrances, Just Don't Have. :(
If you want to be unforgettable (and who doesn't!), this is a fragrance that will do the job, and it will do the job with ease. It doesn't smell old and if you do a blind test you'll find out how nicely people react to it, it is a revelation indeed!

"Magie Noire" is among the finest perfumes ever created, God knows to how many love affairs e.t.c. this ingenious composition has been the olfactory soundtrack of (forgive my English if that's too acrobatic languagewise:)).
So, go for it without hesitation, Lancome is the proud house of at least two ingenious perfumes still in the market.
Last but not least, my absolute congratulations to the nose behind it!

Two notes: 1.While a bit on the unisex side by today's standards, if you smell carefully, you WILL hear the undeniable calling of woman!
2. Seasonwise, this is the time to wear it. Its bouquet doesn't quite fancy summertime.

This is softer in the beginning, more soapy, but the base notes seem to be the entire fragrance on me. On my skin it is quite harsh, a lot of spices and civet,then oakmoss and patchouli. I unfortunately can smell no flowers, excepting what I expect is rose softening the opening. It was very unpleasant. I tried this because it is well loved, but I guess it is not for me. It does however have good sillage and the staying power was excellent.

When i was very young, maybe around 10 or so, my aunt gave me a bottle of this out of her closet...she didn't want it anymore. I thought it was so cool to have such a neat bottle of perfume all to myself and proudly displayed on my dresser, not to mention wore it to school. I cannot imagine what my teacher must have thought...this 10 year kid dripping with Magie Noir every day. sheesh...

Hi.

A memorable occasion deserves a memorable scent like MAGIE NOIRE.when you want to return to memories of the 70's you wear this one(holds a lot of great memories).It is an aristocrat that can do as she pleases.Very unique on each ladies,but distinguishable from all other perfumes. Exotic,Ladylike,Mysterious,Nostalgic, Individualistic,Classy,Sensual and Timeless Classic.

Bergamot and cassia blend with galbanum over a rich floral heart of tuberose,ylang-ylang,bulgarian rose, honey and cedar,while the base wraps it all with patchouli,oakmoss,civet,sandalwood and vetiver,which create intense,high class and sensual trace.The scent is so lovely and sophisticated just like my grandmother.A perfume that ultimately takes you along a classic journey of the senses.

MAGIE NOIRE is a perfect signature scent if you want something distinctive that stands out from the usual&modern oriental floral stuff that is everywhere at the moment.It smells like nothing else and definitely is for a classic and self-assured lady.You wear it when you are going somewhere special in the Autumn or Winter.Totally it is bewitch in a classy way.

Sillage?Impressive.

Longevity?Noticeable on my skin.

7.5/10

This was my boss's signature scent in the 80's. A scarey woman, when she came into the office by god you worked! Perfect frag for her. We all obviously got the scent in the dry-down phase, as we never saw her re-applying it. Guess she didn't need to. If she had an early finish, she left her scent long after she left- as a reminder to carry on working and not mess around. All I can remember is the intense smokiness of the base. I've not eaten smoked fish since......

I was pleasantly surprised by Magie Noire. It is quite different from the other perfumes I own, and for that I love it. I've heard and read many complaints about the reformulation. I have nothing to contribute to that discussion as I have only tried the new version (the EDT); the one with the unremarkable glass bottle that belies the fragrance inside.

Now, I've heard some people disdain this scent for being a bit too "old lady". Not even a little. Not at all. I'm 20 and I find this perfume lovely. It is elegant. It calls to mind a woman with a certain poise and purpose. Yes, it opens with a bit of sharpness, but it's not at all unpleasant. It's a welcome respite from the flowery, sweet perfumes that all smell alike and are easily forgotten. Magie Noire has character and depth. It starts out sharp but becomes warm and spicy - quite enchanting really.

I love this perfume in the winter and the spring but I positively adore it in autumn. Before I go to sleep, I put some on and open the window. The smell of Magie Noire mingled with the crisp autumn air is absolute perfection.

If you feel lulled to sleep by the popular mainstream fragrances...give Magie Noire a try.

Mi sono aggiudicata questo profumo che mi ricorda l'infanzia ad un prezzo meravigliosamente conveniente. sono felice perchè me lo gusto pian piano e lo trovo armonioso nei suoi ingredienti e tanto femminile ma con carattere!!

oh black magic¡!is just amazing scent¡!smell like a forest after rain,strong musk and silky flower.is very femminine and masculine.an androgen scents,very complex.a masterpiece

wow does this fragrance bring back memories... i wore this during high school and college in the 80s.. i remember it being, oriental,spicy, woody and heavy . but i loved it along with missoni back in the mid 80s

I've had it 20 yeasr ago, and still cannot use. only 1/2 bottle. Too havy, absolutely not sexi, absolutely NOTING for me.
This is, in my opinion, a very BAD example of aldehydic perfume.

This is a beloved perfume by many, so I was eager to try it. After the drydown the scent I am left with is pure animal. Many women have written about how the men in their life can't resist this. For me, however, the animal note is just too much. I can't really find the chypre in this, nothing mossy to my nose. I can't stand it on me, but I respect those who love it. The sillage is amazing. It will stay with you, like a lover who won't let you out of bed, I suppose!

i had the first one and i loved it...now i'll refound the old version and next week i'll have it... cannot wait i so glad to got it...wow...it's simply gorgeous so warm so femminine and elegant...

Now the bottle is redesign, not sure about the formula. But for me, Magie Noire is rather masculine. Drydown is kinda woody and smooth, unlike the opening which is very sharp. Like it!

I wish it would suit me but it doesn't. Maybe because it has been reformulated, maybe it's just not right for me. I adored this when I was a teenager. A friend of my mother wore this and the smell of Magie Noire was still there in the house when she already left. It was possible to determine that she had been in the house after she left hours ago. For me it opened the world of fragrances and let me know how a signature scent works on a person.

I love this one of my all time favorites. My Mum used to wear this when I was growing up so it brings back many happy childhood memories. Its such a classy fragrance and always prompts compliments whenever I wear it. Excellent staying power a beautiful frangrance.

I love this fragrance. I think it is beautiful and unique. It is really enchanting, and I received loads of compliments on it.

My Mom used to use this when she would dress up and go to fancy dinner parties when I was a child. My Mom passed away this year, but I still remember hugging her goodbye when she left for her nights out on the town with my Dad. It's amazing how different scents have the ability to evoke such strong memories.

I was a dark spirited teen and I wore Magie Noir..Halston..Opium...but MN was "my"scent.I remember one night the bottle tipped and drenched the wooden floorboards of my bedroom so I quickly tossed my leather jacket into the puddle to soak up as much as I could. The jacket(and the floor too) held the scent a long time. I never replaced the bottle which had been a gift from an admirer...
so many memories tied to these scents

What a ghastly perfume. I knew the earlier formulation of this but couldn't afford it although I loved it then. I have recently tested from a bottle of the new formulationa and couldn't rub it off fast enough! What happened??? I remember it being warm and seductive but this newer version shrieked at me like a fishwife - harsh and bitter. My husband gasped when he sniffed it. It casts a spell all right - another sniff and he would have been on the floor. Sorry to those who love it, a huge NO from me.

charming, magical aromat. I love it.

This smelled horrible on me! Like something burnt beyond recognition in the bottom of a cooking pan, sour, charred, and a heavy note of leather.

I know it's just my chemistry!

I used to buy this for myself or had it bought for me on birthdays and christmas when I was in my 20's ... t was a scent I used for going out in the evenings! From reading the above reviews I am almost scared to try the new formualation as Magie Noir of 15 years ago holds so many magical memories for me!

I get a very strange feeling when I smell this perfume.

Very strong and first impression: " this is a scent of an old lady". Then i think it can suit also a hot brunette or even a middle age sophisticated lady!
My first memories of this fragrance is that is was very desirable amongst soviet women, as we didn´t have western/french etc perfumes in USSR, but MAGIE NOIRE was true hit amongst with Chanel, YSL and Dior It was every woman´s dream to have it!
The scent lasts for a very long time even EDT. I´ve heard that pure perfume was made with oils of muskus rat and not synthetic. I guess that´s why it lasts and lasts and lasts.... and it also costs a lot if you can find it in internet!!!
There is something magical in it!

Update... NB!!! THIS REWIEV IS MADE BASED ON THE OLDER FORMULATION OF MAGIE NOIRE!!! The new version is as far from original as porn from art! Very Dissapointing!!! I have tried it today in a perfumery and it is like heaven and earth, the amazing old one and disgusting new one. Why they relauched it in that way anyway???????

Oh my Gosh, how can I begin this review... Well, the new version was really a great disappointment for me... Maybe because I expected that one of the best scents of my early youth won't be that much reformulated...
It doesn't feel like the old version at all, I'm really sorry to say that, but it completely lost all of its sweetness. This was the only perfume that made me feel so mystical in my early girlhood, and now it's gone and it won't return. This fact makes me sad, I must say... I will never understand that perfume creators can keep the same name of something which is so different...
So, this, new version just smells very hard on me, it's somehow too smoked, dark and almost transformed into a male scent. So, if you love the old version, my advise is not to try this one, you may find yourself disappointed, like I was...

*This review is for the "New" version in the clear bottle and black box*

After reading many of the reviews below, I was intruiged by this to say the least. On first smelling it (and then bringing it home on a scent strip) I thought this may not be something I could wear. My "best girl" at the frag counter said: "TOO Old lady!". Well, old ladies know a few things...

True, it does begin a bit harshly with bitter cassia and galbanum's powdery green scream and bergamot; but the flowers underneath are heavenly, and the tart berries add just a bit of sweetness. I put the strip in a bag and thought: "We'll see...". On getting home, about an hour later, and resniffing: it was resplendent with tuberose, sweet honey and ylang. The other cooler, less "loud" flowers rounded the bouquet so you could smell more than the honeyed sweetness and "rubber" note in the tuberose. It took a few minutes, but the "Magic" had begun! The final drydown is heavy with woods, musks (lovely civetta) and dry earthy patchouli, oakmoss and vetiver. This scent, even though it is a modern reformulation, is divine. It reminds me of the three faces of the goddess: the maiden: sensual, sweet and vivacious, the Mother: serious, down to earth, and warm, and finally-The Crone: ancient, wise and though often harsh-powerful and steadfast. I can understand the "figure eight" analogy in its development-it does to some strange things as it eveloves...but each and every nuance and change is superb. This has just about everything you could want in a perfume and more, and may be too much or too "classic" for some, but I just adore it and will be adding it to my collection...soon. As it does become something more unisex with time...

Sillage: good
Longevity: great
Overall: 4/5

I had hoped this would be somewhat more oriental, and perhaps the scent I would os-magine Akasha (Queen of the Damned) would wear...but not to my nose. Though how on earth could I begin to even fathom how a 1,000 year old vampire queen would smell?! This has a very mature and slightly sharp opening but the heart (as it were) is wonderful and the drydown earthy, woody and warmly sweet, and the other notes DO play peek-a-boo here and there. Looking for something dark, mysterious and enchantingly beautiful? Try MN, it is magickal, but remember: this reviewer has been under the spell of vintage perfumes for quite a while now! :-)

I would LOVE to smell the original (main picture), and the La Collecion versions as well!

Is it just me or was that a damn sexy review by JB78? Awesome! I always loved this fragrance, but yes, it is hard to wear! I feel I just learned somthing in JB78's review though, that would have made me understand the fragrance even more - it's not an everyday fragrance! It should have been kept for the nights when one is feeling bewitching and wants to actually merge into the spirit of night.
Thank you JB78. I am going to treat myself to another bottle, as my first has been dry for years, and I am going to reserve it for the evenings when only a dance beneath a crescent moon is called for!

One of the most endeavoring perfumes ever created. Magie Noire is not an easy fragrance to wear, no. One has to understand that this was not targeted toward the happy go lucky crowd. Magie Noire is dark and depressing in a sense. It holds a blend not too many have perceived as wearable, not even back when it first launched in '78. Magie Noire never pretended to be an angel in disguise. Its signature dark, heavy rose/moss entertwinement is one unlike any other. Yes, the civet plays a big part here, too. Magie Noire is slightly dirty in the base, yet on the right chemistry can be very enchanting.

When first sprayed, the rose, jasmine and ylang are very present. Then enters the dark honey note in the middle, the rose still hanging in. The base is where it gets scary. If you don't like civet, run away, and fast. The oakmoss, patchouli, dark honeyed rose and vetiver, along with the civet make up Magie Noire's signature aroma. It is one of the darkest fragrances, along with Clinique's '71 Aromatics Elixir and Laurent's '77 Opium that I have come across, both mainstream and niche. One for halloween when all the ghost and goblins are roaming.

I do not wear this perfume very often, not because I don't like it, but because it is one for a certain time and mood. Only on a cold, stormy and bitter night can the spirit of Magie Noire be felt the best. There is a sadness to this perfume, a sadness not unlike that of a lonely spirit who haunts an old house on a hill, and refuses to let go of what once was.The '84 track, "Back To The Old House" by The Smiths can be heard in the background to the smell of Magie Noire. A timeless classic.

9:40 P.M.: I am sitting at my computer writing this review. Twelve hours ago, I applied the lotion and EDT of Magie Noir; now, a half-hour before bedtime, I am still enjoying the deep drydown: warm woods and spicy herbs. This is a rich, deep fragrance...Azuree without the leather, or Cabochard without leather, but with a backbone.
I don't remember the MN of the 1970s; I don't remember trying it, and I remember most of the fragrances that I have experienced over the years, so my review is of the 'modern' MN. Many reviewers here lament the passage of the original fragrance, and by virtue of the way they describe it, I would love to experience a vintage sample of it. However, I find today's MN to be the best of the Lancome fragrance family. It is green, woodsy and outdoorsy enough for daytime wear, but deep and mysterious: also perfect for a night to remember. So, while things may have changed with this fragrance, I will offer an enthusiastic endorsement of it in the here and now: if I were the signature scent type, right now,this MIGHT be it for me.

A crisp one. To my nose, slighly reminiscent of Estee Lauder - Knowing, as it appears to have the same potent "woodyness", sharp, fresh, only in a cleaner, non-soil-like version (probably because of the more active flower notes and the lack of the cardamom-coriander-laurel combination). That being said, it feels more like an oriental-woody fragrance to me. All in all, it has something provocative to it, not really alluring but let's say subtly titillating(?) at best.

What a shame Lancome discontinued the original perfume! I have to say the EDT available now has almost nothing to do with the scent available about 10-15 years ago. You would probably recognise a scent baseline in the new one but it is much "ruder" and "sharper". A friend of mine gave me a proper perfume in 1999 and it was absolutely beautiful -- warm and sensual and a bit magical indeed. And it lasted for hours. Occasionally you can see the original perfume on e-bay but it costs a fortune, so shame shame shame one can't really buy it anymore.

A green chprye in the classic sense. Very well done. It will probably smell familiar to fans of the chypre genre, but It's not my thing.

I remembered smelling this on some women long time ago and for memory's sake, I asked a sales person to test it on my skin. To my surprise, it did not smell the same way I recalled it did: notes were analogous, but its strength was quite diminished, and to my (big) surprise I found these changes resulted in Magie Noire making up to a masculine scent. The immediate result was that I could not stop smelling my hand besides the fact I kept repeating myself that I should buy it. I asked my wife what she thought about it, she said that she thought it was a very nice men's fragrance... when I told her it was a femenine scent she looked at me with a really strange face.

More of an oriental than a floral, dark as its name would suggest, this is the kind of femenine scents men can use without any kind of regret (for being too floral) or fear (for being so ubiquitous that people can recognize it as a femenine fragrance) - something that makes me wonder about recent releases targetted to men that have been a success, all characterized by clear and outloud floral notes that they make perfect femenine scents.

New one is like a hair spray. One of the worst reformulations in a perfume world (next to Miss Dior that is ruined as well).

I read some nice reviews about Magie Noir here, and i knew it's hard to find it in my country. So when i saw the EDT on the online store, i immediately purchased this fragrance without any idea what it smells like. And well, it was something that I REGRET BUYING. It either smells like my grandpa or my uncle. Very old, very strong, and very masculine! It doesn't smell like the old version of Magie Noir that my aunt have. I think there are some different notes between the old and new version. So beware. I got a headache soon after i spritz it on my wrist, I immediately washed it then, but still it stays as strong as it was! Some people consider it as a classic beauty, but to me, it is definitely one of the worst fragrance ever made. Don't WASTE your money on this!

I prefer the new version... in 1978 Magie noir war too strong, too spice... too oriental.
Now It's very nice fragrance for all the day, for every day

.......you either love it or hate it! I feel the original scent was gentler and the bottle was absolutely stunning! I would carry the flascon to school and sniff it when I missed my Mommy! I was 6 years at the time..........nostalgic scent!

I got this today and I like it a lot.I have the new version and I think I will wear this every day,it's not too strong for me.

Thank you to truffles for allowing me to sample a very unique and classy fragrance. I fell in love with this beauty instantly.

Magie Noire by Lancome is not at all sad to me, I found it to be quite the opposite, uplifting and very dazzling. It makes a statement of confidence, class, elegance, mystery and sparkle. I picture this scent on a sophisticated woman who is in her finest clothing, in the finest surroundings.

What I can detect in this oriental fragrance is the rose, ylang-ylang, galbanum, amber, incense, raspberry and honey. I love this combination very much and find it to be quite amazing. It is a spicy and yet there is also a sweetness. Very sexy and exotic, with almost a sweet/tangy/zesty feel to it. A perfect oriental in my opinion that has also stood the test of time.

Staying power is just amazing with the smallest application and sillage is also wonderful. It is strong so you really don't need much for a wonderful result, thus it is cost effective as well.

Elegant and VERY beautiful, I just LOVE it and effective immediately, am looking for a bottle online!

Magie Noir is elegant woman in grief, because of dry and harsh florals. With black lace covering her face. And silent tears on cheeks.

Magie Noir is Victorian style crystal chandelier. Because of the sour oakmoss and spicy heart. Cold, shiny and magnificent.

Magie Noir is Orff`s Carmina Burana. Because it is a reminiscent on past times, with musk and leather, and furniture polish dry down. Imperative, bold and overwhelming.

Magie Noir is how perfume world smelled before girly girls scents. Unique and wonderful. Best Lancome creation.

ohhhh how much i LOVE this smell...but on others unfortunately..my mom wore it for 15 years straight and then she switched to dior midnight poison because magie noir didn't smell like it used to..but oh-what-a-perfume!

this is by far the worst scent EVER created!!! hate hate hate it. It stinks so bad, like makes me sick to my stomach. Makes my nose itchy thinking about it, and I actually just sneezed. No person in their right mind should ever purchase this, this is such a god awful scent. This actually reminds me of and old beer bottle that has been left sitting with cigarette butts in it.

I would love to smell a pre re-formulation version of this as it's my kind of scent, dry and woody. The top notes are rather harsh and urinic (the honey may be a culprit) but the drydown is lovely. I'm surprised that there is no incense in the composition as that is what I get 4 hours on. I own La Perla, which is very similar but with a lovely opening too, plus it's cheaper and better in my opinion.

I'm surprised that this isn't classed as a chypre as that is how it smells nowadays

How I loved this in college. It was such a mysterious, sexy, scent- in my opinion. I do not care at all for the reformulation. Sad, how they change all the truly extraordinary fragrances. This was pure magic in its glory days.

Got this one as a gift from my bosses friend. They were so proud telling me how hard it was to find it.
Well it was horrible, one of the worse scents, one spritz and I was sick. I gave it away.

Used to wear this and was my goth scent.on me rose jasmine ylang ylang sandal wood and incense.dark and luminous at the same time.verry special.found it back.maybe will get a bottle!

I fell in love with it because it's so out there and original, even though this is not a new perfume! It's daring and exotic. Great for evening wear.

I am using it about 30 years, it is still one of my favorites, I got so many compliments with it, yes the old version which is still in Europe. This new in square bottle is on american continent.

OMG, I love this scent!!!! Just intoxicating to me! Very oriental spicy and last forever. I used to buy the bath oil and ware it as perfume on my neck. I wore this scent for years also. Ive had a long long courtship with perfume!

Like a piece of art or a line of literature a fragrance speaks differently to each individual. It has many layers to reveal yet it is one and the same. I have just purchased my first bottle of Magie Noire, blind, and I am happy to say that this fragrance is breathtaking; in a good way. It is rich, warm, has depth, mystery and a sense of something that is tantalisingly dangled in your path yet you can not reach. Yet again I have Fragrantica and its members to thank for bringing this gem to my attention. Perfume is a very personal thing and it is a good job that we all differ in our tastes or we would all smell the same, lose our individuality and be fighting over the few bottles remaining of that generic scent. This perfume, for me, is definitely like being reacquainted with a long lost friend :0)

I received this as a gift. It was harsh like an assault. There was no way for me to try to distinguish notes due to the overwhelming urge to get it off. Not a fan at all.

i was surprised when i saw that is oriental flower.is so strong i dont like it all it gives me the feeling of something old.like belongs to victorian queens!not my style at all!

Dark, powerfull and classical scent for special cold evenings. I'm surprised by it`s olfactive group, i thought it was chupre floral. Great harmony with the name, really magical, very strong and very long lasting. Makes you feel special, elegant and sexy in it`s dark ways. Snow Queen would love to have it.

The Queen of perfumes in my view and, like Climat, an example of how good Lancome used to be before all this new fangled Hypnose-type stuff. I have gone back to this perfume again and again since my teens. It's clever, magical, enticing, and leaves a beautiful trail. In fact I first discovered it while at school in the 80s. A teacher walked past me and I smelled the most beautiful smell I had ever smelled in my life. I stood there in wonderment thinking 'what IS that perfume?!'.
It always feels right on me and I always think of it as MY perfume! This is not for tweenies or for those who dig the modern perfumes, it's an old-fashioned and traditionally feminine evening perfume and I don't think every woman can carry it off. It's definitely one for the slightly strange Phoebe from Friends types, a bit different, a bit strange, a bit hippy, mysterious. Shame they changed the bottle, I loved the old one.

i wanted magie noire to work for me because of the great name, my good luck with lancome fragrances and the edgy 70s idea of it. unfortunately, it is not love for me and magie noire. mostly, i get pine needle scent from it, and my eyes water. to add insult to injury, i can tell that it must smell amazing on some peoples' skin. i feel something great hiding under the pine needles, but my eyes are too watery to wait and find out what it is. *sigh*

I've posted that I love this one but after spritzing myself at Macy's just now I must qualify: I love the OLD version with the gaudy-awful black plastic-shouldered bottle. It has depth, layers of incense that swirl and smoke.

The new formulation in the clear, square glass bottle is a cheap peppery cough- and sneeze inducing MESS.

Find yourself an old bottle; it may look cheap but the juice it holds is a rich, thick syrup of luxury.

the Lancome scent I liked best was Poem,but recently I bought Magie Noir online because it was a great deal. I was surprised. It smells soft and warm with a strong scent of jasmine and woods,very pretty. I do wear oriental florals well but this does not smell that spicy, it is much softer. I read that it has been reformulated, maybe that is why. Very pretty on my skin.

Used to buy it for my Mom and it smelled wonderful on her. She loved the body powder and it would last all day. It went well with her chemistry, it was kinda spicy yet oriental/floral.

This fragrance surprised me. I didn't actually recognise this fragrance because it was bottled in a green rectangular-shaped bottle. The way it had been packaged made me assume that it was going to be a citrusy/green scent. I was truly amazed when I discovered that it wasn't.

Magie Noire is a soft, slightly musky and pretty floral fragrance. The scent is oddly fresh and clean, yet warm, powdery and comforting. This makes me think that this would be an excellent fragrance for all seasons.

This fragrance was naturally going to be a hit with me since it contains so many of my favourite notes; raspberry, honey, tuberose, jasmine, ylang ylang and lily of the valley.

Strangely enough, I think this would make the perfect bedtime scent during those warmer nights. It's soothing, delicate and luxurious. It actually reminds me slightly of D&G for women in its powdery softness of the drydown.

I think this fragrance is an excellent choice if you want to go with something that isn't necessarily what everyone else wears. It's casual and delightful without being too overpowering. It's perfect.

Some years ago my mom and some other people were just getting sick by being near to a woman that wore it (at their office) Even asked her to do not use it at work. Mom said that it reminds her dead flowers at funeral:)))

Acrid and vulgar. I wanted to like this but I couldn't. It's way too strong in a bad way. I love mellow orientals and I'm not too much into fresh fragrances, but this is too much and too untidy. It smells very animalic and dirty on me and on many people too. Maybe only a few can transmute this heavy formula in something good, but most women back in time wore it because of the name and stinked awfully.

I usually like strong perfumes, but this one took my breath away :(...not a fan, I wanted to like it

Nothing smells like Magie Noir. And of course Magie Noir in french means black magic. If you are a black mystery kind of person this should be yours. Very woody and spicy yet sweet just the right touch. It evolves during the day and the dry down is fantastic. Best to be worn at night. Pure magic for parties and dancing throughout the night.

A friend of my Mum wore this when I was a child and one day I found a little, off-cap, almost empty bottle under her bed. What to say: it has been an honour for me to find out what she was wearing. No, better said: where she came from.
Years later, on a school trip to Denmark, I received a bottle from the collection of my exchange patner's dead mother.
For all of these reasons I hold Lancome's masterpiece in high regard and from time to time I use it sparely, because it creates too much feelings when wearing.

Not my type , it's a strong scent .... full of power , something you can use maybe for cold days ...i think this perfume on a summer day it's a real poison for everyone.

R. says:
"I just bought Magie Noir today, and i still like the fragrance. I did not know it have been reformulated. Do anybody know in which way it´s different from the originally?"

The IFRA, the International Fragrance Association, has enacted regulations that restrict the use of oakmoss, and also affect vetiver, among others. Any perfume or men's fragrance that had these has been or will soon be reformulated to limit or remove them. This has changed hundreds of classic fragrances, generally to their detriment.

I got a vintage miniature just today and I'm trying it on just right now.

I loved this fragrance since many years ago but I couldn't bring myself to buy it, the old bottle with the black plastic shield is just so awful for me that I wouldn't touch it.
I don't have the new version anywhere around but from what I remember, there's more resin straight from the top notes and it persist, the old one seems to be more fruity and soapy and just not the thing - or my nose changed quite a bit in the last two months.

I'll test it on my cat. She loves madly this fragrance and whenever I wear it, I have the beast in my lap, sticking her head up my sleeve - maybe she'll notice the difference too:D

I ran across a vintage edt miniature on eBay the other day and bought it, unsniffed. It's not at all what I thought it would be, but it's intriguing! I had expected a warm, rich ambery oriental; instead it's dry, woody, spicy and herbal. I merely opened the bottle to sniff and got a drop or two on my fingers -- and although it is the very beginning of spring as I write, I immediately thought of autumn, with brown leaves on the ground, wet with rain, pine branches overhead, a big golden moon in the sky, and a waft of mystery in the air, the way the world smells when it is changing.

I get so much scent drifting up to my nose, even with only a drop of eau de toilette on my fingers, that the sillage must be huge. Gorgeous - and I will put it away for fall, to be worn with a black dress and heels, as well as a glorious amber fringed scarf I own. Or perhaps with an ivory wool sweater and jeans, on a day when I have time to really appreciate the scent.

this is wonderful perfume... but, there is a trick.. it is too strong. if you want to smell nice at night, you should put it on your skin at morning :)) for real smell, you should wait :)

it is really magical :)

I just bought ´magie noir today, and i still like the fragrance. I did not know it have been reformulated.
Do anybody know in which way it´s different from the originally?
There IS a difference, but its hard say in which way.

This starts right off, on me, as a strong incense smell, kind of like Nag Champa. I don't really smell anything else in it, although that is enough - I find it quite lovely, woody and dark. This was another gift from my mother-in-law, who has the most remarkable taste!

I am using it now, sweet dry downes, warm, sexy , for all day. Good to be a signature perfume. Now remindes me of Poem , from lancome too.In general I have the right chemistry for most of perfumes.

It was wonderful. I loved it. The new scent has lost the most beautiful tone. Now it's awful.

It is the only perfume I cannot stand and throw it to rubbish bin and I did try it many many times I tried just a little or more , it smells liked a mouse killer drugs,extremely pungent,extremely ugly on me,I just order one special shiseido nombre noir,it is totally heavenly very mysterious and very elegant,sorry lancome magie noir I am not a witch I don't need black magic,thanks

Awful - one spray of this and all I could smell was school gym shoes - the ones made from black canvas and rubber soles. I can't fault its longevity though - I tried to wash it off but could still smell it the next day.

I really like this one. I do think its unique and very very feminine. Its classy and powerful. Like a statement of beauty, strength and charm.

As a girl in the 1980s I thought this was such a glamorous, sexy scent -- truly magical. For the sake of nostalgia, I gave it a sniff the other day in my local department store. The scent was reformulated some years ago and (in my view) to horrid effect: the initial smell was acrid and unpleasant, and it was only after a good thirty minutes that any familiar warmth and softness came through. I enjoyed smelling the lingering tones of the original middle and base notes, but was very disappointed with this vulgar reformulation.

I have a friend that wears it almost 30 years and is still an absolute fan of it. for me it is too strong,rather male fragrance, smells repulsive a lot of black pepper and soap. very unusual, probably unique.it not the one for me.

Much too strong for me. Even just a single spritz on the wrist made me a little sick to my stomach. No thanks.

A classical very, very elegant scent for an independent, strong woman. Most people that have come accross this say it's suitable for special occasions, which I agree; but I can imagine wearing it even during normal day.

Very strong. Doesn't smell very good on me, but smells warm, mysterious, and exotic with the right chemistry.