Midnight Couture Black Eau de Minuit Lolita Lempicka for women

I don't know any of the annual Lolita flankers except Midnight Couture.  I'm implicitly leery of flankers. The impetus for the flanker is marketing and sales, not quality, not artistry. Fortunately the original Lolita is a rich starting place for a dynasty of flankers.

Midnight Couture turns out to be an appealing version of the original. It stems from the same set of notes as the original and is equally as rich. It succeeds as a flanker by steering clear of two strategies. The first is simply piling on more of a fav flav (overdosage), most often the fruity-floraliest or gourmandiest element of the original composition. The second is adding a helping of the note du jour, ideally a note that has either an exotic origin or French name.  For example, see any fragrance with oud, cuir, etc. in its name. 

Midnight Couture's strategy is simple and clever: make the composition darker yet less mysterious. It may sound contradictory, but this approach is surprisingly effective.  The original Lolita is instantly recognizable, but in terms of notes I can never quite put my finger on it. It's mysterious. Not haunting.  Clever.  It has a surface appeal that might suggest sugar-coating, but there is also an ornate set of barely dissonant notes, a complexity that starts just a few millimeters below the surface, like the literary Lolita, I suppose.

Midnight Couture is deeper in tone, more rumbling than the original. It feels more grounded, more direct. The original Lolita feels coy in comparison.  Midnight Couture has a more compact, tighter feel. The tonka and vanilla of the original composition fall in step with the added myrrh and benzoin. Not surprisingly, Midnight Couture winds up more resinous and less syrupy than the original.  Stripping the composition of its dissonance, and focusing on this shadowy range of resins diminishes complexity, and arguably makes the perfume less conversational.  But any losses are balanced by gains.  If the original Lolita is witty, Midnight Couture has a sloe-eyed, purring quality that lets you relax and not worry about an equally clever reply.

A successful flanker can be the result of any other number of strategies. Midnight Couture (a ridiculous name by the way) Is a careful study of the original. It alters just a bit of the composition, edits and adds very carefully and winds up with the different response to the question that the original Lolita Lempicka answered. 

from scent hurdle.com

Just got this one and it is weird sugar sweet and powdery on me. After about 20 minutes, all it was left is sweet smell of sugar.
However, when sprayed on fabric, it is totally different and not bad. And it lasts!
The biggest kick I got when I oversprayed it with the Ysatis that I don't like anymore. My bf responded, now,I like this one the best!
So somehow these two stinkers neutralizaed each others and they work on my skin!And last too.
I do like The Forbidden Flowers thou and Si L Midnight is the best.

Like walking through enchanted forest on a chilly day, sun rays peeking through branches, picking early spring flowers, murmur some melody... with strange purplish, fluffy rabbit behind your back stalking you... (no fear, he is cute :)) Wonderful.

My experience with Midnight Couture Black Eau de Minuit-

This is going to be a pretty short review... Not really complicated fragrance, so no complicated review. I love the original Lolita Lempicka, but have always had a problem with the licorice being too delicate for my overall aura. It tends to go straight to the creamy vanilla dry down and just stays that way through the entire wear. This flanker pretty much does the same thing...

When it comes to the powdery iris; I do not smell makeup... the iris is musty/wet and slightly powdery... which to me smells like retro hairspray... and yes, slightly mossy. Like powdery moldy moss. This all comes from the root of the iris ... or in otherwords orris root, not always listed and often times just included with the iris.

Midnight Couture Black Eau de Minuit is nice for a hardcore vanilla lover or someone that loves musty iris... but not for me. I just find it hard for me to wear and can't help but sniff furiously trying to figure out why people are so crazy about this stuff.

Which brings me to conclusion that Midnight Couture Black Eau de Minuit really reminds me of Fleur Defendue, TF Violet Blonde and Esprit d’Oscar, two of which I am not fans of. They all have that musty iris.

Longevity- I think is pretty moderate 6-8 hours. I actually prefer this on fabric then my skin, nothing complicated and stays forever on fabric.

Projection- for me really lacks, even with all the other Lolita Lempicka's I have tried. A bit too delicate for my taste. On the flip side, this would be perfect for office.


Note- Reviews are always subject to change based on change of weather or change to my skin chemistry.

wicked sister of LL!
you know you need this one in your life!
musky, hot and oh so beautiful.

I sprayed the original LL on one wrist and this on the other. While they both are very similar, this one on my skin is stronger and darker. This is my third bottle of LL. I also have L'eau enBlanc and that is also lovely, but completely different from LL original and this. These two are very similar and without a side by side comparison for about 4 hours I would think they smell the same. I just think the notes are moved around here. Sorta like the symphony is playing the same song only slower or louder. I love them all. I love licorice to eat, so no surprise that I love these. All the notes agree with my body chemistry. Lasts all day on me. I can smell it distinctly on me, so I'm sure others can also. Haven't worn either out in public, so no compliments. My daughter hates them. However, she did steal my L'eau en Blanc, so that lets you know they are vastly different. Look at Nordy's, Neimans or Bergdoffs online. I think I'm going to devour this bottle within the month. Perfect for winter weather and evening. These bottles are gorgeous and easy to hold and spray. Even though it's perfect for evening I however find myself reaching for it for day, not just an evening out. As one reviewer says BLV reminds her of crocheting doilies I find that hilarious. Whitney Houston wore BLV...now can you imagine Whitney Houston crocheting. I adore BLV, but it is much closer to the skin and more quiet. Opposite of Ms. Houston, who could boom out a song better than anybody, but I digress. Love it!

This is by far my favorite LL flanker.
It's an unusual, wild, offbeat, gothic, heady scent. It invoked my imagination and made me feel confident.

I found it heavy on the benzoin; it's one of those scents that heat up on your skin. The myrhh and licorice stay strongly while the iris and vanilla choose to be mellow.
It doesn't have the girly, playful, whimsical elements of the original LL. This one is sexy, confident, bold and intense.

There's something very bittersweet at the first spray, kind of like almond liquor and burning leaves, but it warms up in about half an hour and brings the iris forth.

The bottle is amazing and it definitely represents the scent: dark woods, golden poison ivy, burnt black leaves, mysterious night.
Sillage and lasting power is fantastic, just like Midnight Couture itself.

Oh yes, this is gorgeous and being a life-long LL devotee, I had to have it, but when it came out several years ago it was quite expensive. I placed it on the back burner of my mind. Suddenly, one day, while researching something else, there it appeared, price much more reasonable. Is is wild, sexy, indescribable, with odd licorice and anise notes found nowhere else, just like LL? Yes. In fact, it is very much a somewhat more intense LL, which is fine but left me a tad dissapointed. Unless you are an insane LL fan and must have every flanker, although this stuff is wonderful- you may not need it if you already have LL. I know, heresy, but time and money are finite in our world. BTW, they are nothing at all like Angel.

Wow this is definitely not for the fainthearted. I had never heard of Lolita Lempicka before stumbling on the Midnight Couture. This is one powerful perfume that I do adore but would suggest if you are not into heavy lingering perfumes, do not try. I love it as I am a keen fan of any oriental fragrance but the ones I find suit my skin the best are the oriental vanilla ones and this one ticks all the boxes for me. There is just a hint of a lingering smell that I can't place that reminds me of Jean Paul Gautier's Classique, which I also wear. Midnight C. is another, like Classique that seems to stay on my skin for hours - I love the heady mix of the licorice, vanilla, benzoin. As you can tell, I am not a 'floral' girl at all so this is one perfume that ticks all the boxes for me

Of course the bottle is alluring, even smelling leftovers on the spray area is alluring but once on my skin it turned into an undetectable mess. It may just be my PH. The powder dry down as pretty and really really powdery on me. Just as I'm exhaling I detect that undetectable smell that is almost mossy? Like mildew mossy on me. I wish I loved it. I'm reading everyone else speak of anise. Although I don't smell anise like a straight licorice scent, I did have a bad experience with Absinthe. Maybe that's it? No, it's definitely the fact I feel I'm in a moldy forest and someone has sprayed powder room spray to cover it up.

The bottle is stunning! To be able to appreciate the scent, one has to have an obsessive love affair with licorice. It is honestly all I can smell. Granted, it is a very unusual scent, and I like it - for the first 30 minutes. After that it is like a licorice napalm bomb exploded and there is no way out! I would love to love it as I find the bottle adorable. However, I could not exist with that smell following me around until the next shower. This is one of the fragrances that I love to smell a whiff of occasionally, but not for several hours several times a month or a week. Fantastic flask though, but I already said that!

I love this because I love the original LL.

This is exactly the same. I just paid an extra £20 or so to get LL in a black bottle.

This morning I sprayed the original and Midnight on separate tissues. Kept sniffing and couldn't tell the difference.

Aha! I thought. All will be different once I try them on each wrist.

Nope. I honestly can't tell the difference other than Midnight has a bit less ooomph. Which is strange because it's marketed as an evening perfume so you would expect it to have more oomph rather than less. If anything this is like Fleur Defendue without the cherry notes.

I will definitely test the next Midnight fragrance before I part with my hard earned cash.

The scent is sooo yummie, for me the best in the LL line. It is sweet, but not too sweet en has a milky soft drydown. It last for hours.. all day long.Good work!!

Oh, I wanted to like this so bad. The bottle is so beautiful, I love Lolita Lempicka designs. But it's just sooooo sickly sweet, it smells like some kind of cheap perfume - something you could buy from a super market. An instant headache.
I'll give it a try again next winter, I hope it agrees with me better during cold weather.

This is exactly how the reviewer below describes this luxurious scent. Imagine the original Lolita Lempicka edp with the rough edges of the ivy and licorcice ironed out. The smoothness of this scent is intoxicating. Reminds me of an evening fragrance whereas the original is fresher and can be worn day/night.

The Midnight flankers are so confusing! I have tried the Midnight versions (with red decoration, gold decorations)and Midnight Noir. Midnight Couture is by far my favourite.

I must say that on me this is lighter than the original. I like both formulations very much but if i had to choose then Midnight Couture would be the winner.

This is the only LL that has ever worked on my skin, and I think it is absolutely beautiful! In contrast to the previous review, I think that the absence of anise and violet, makes this ever so much softer and more feminine than the other LLs. It is sweeter and more sensual. I tried this without any notion of the notes, and honestly, I would have thought that it definitely had heliotrope, or possibly even cherry in it. There is something special, unique, and inexplicable about this. The liqourice note is so gently sweet and pleasant. And the dry down is so smooth and finds a way to stay clean but still sweet -like a soft, creamy, honey milk bar soap! It lasted well over 18 hours on my skin which I find amazing. It is not loud or intense however. Somewhat close to the skin with sporadic gentle reminding puffs of scent. So very pretty.

This is the first Lolita Midnight that I have not loved. Actually, I don't truly even like it. There is no hint of violet in any of the notes and it is sorely missed. The initial spray is muddled and smells almost musty with none of the clear notes typical of the Midnight additions, and this does not improve until well after the dry down. For all the talk of the licorice it is not really distinctive and the signature violet and anise notes are sorely missed. There is nothing terribly interesting after a long dry down, but the lack of the musty quality does improve the fragrance considerably though it still lacks any of the sharp distinctive notes that we are used to getting and finally we are left at the end of the day with only a creamy vanilla. I will say that the general staying power was much improved over 2009's Eau de Minuit version in the red bottle. However, it is unfortunate in this case that the the scent ranged from unpleasant to unremarkable. I found this to be a completely surprising and disappointing version of my favorite perfume.

I do love this one too! I have so many Lolita Lempicka scents now and I love them every one! I love the black bottle and I think it will keep the fragrance fresher, longer than some of the clearer decanters would. There is something different about this fragrance but I am unable to put my finger, or nose on it. ;-) I do not think it last as long on myself as the L. edition does but that may be my inability to continue to pick it up on myself. There is a bit of mystery to it that the others do not have and I like that about it. I will be reaching for this scent very often.

I love the bottle! I feel like I'm spritzing a potion and maybe I am. The licorice is enchanting and smooth.

This is so much more wearable than original LL. Doesn't have that praline note, which I found hard to get past.

Similar to Jasmin Noir, except it's warmer and lasts longer.

This is a playful nighttime fragrance. Lasts all night long and even longer on clothing.

I would buy it just coz the bottle!!

I love this! I have this and the original LL. For me, smelling it on my skin reminds me of cream soda! With the violets and the powder I find this a strange conclusion. Speaking of violets and powder, this is how BLV Eau de Parfum II Bvlgari for women SHOULD HAVE smelled! This LL is the way to do violets and powder not like the BLV, which makes me feel like I should be crocheting dollies while rocking in a rocking chair... this LL is young, vibrant and sweet but with a complexity not often found in the usual young vanilla scents. It is sexy yet comfy, heady yet soft. This is my HG. So much so, that one night, I sprayed it on myself before going to bed, and now I can't sleep without it on.

A PERFECT FRAGRANCE!! Theres a heaviness there, but its not overwhelming. Im also a smoker and wear lots of leather and it changes and syncs BEAUTIFULLY. A+

Top: Ivy, Anise, Myrrh
Middle: Violet, Iris Concrete, Jasmine
Base: Tonka Bean, Vanilla Infusion, Benzoin

This edition is on a par with other Lolitas. The consistency of releasing flankers that still remind you the classic is remarkable. I still think that the classic LL is the best.

The bottle is gorgeous! The black apple that represents gloomy and mossy fairytale forest in the autumn midnight air.
***

oh i love the bottle beauty

I liked this one - the liquorice, rubbery, spicey thing - but was somewhat put off by a son's comment that the last time he smelt something along these lines, he was doing an armoured vehicle maintenance course in the Army.

Ladies young enough to care about attracting men may wish to bear this in mind.

Don't get me wrong, because this fragrance is perfectly nice, but I was very disappointed that it smells nothing like the Eau de Minuit I've been on a quest to track down.

I find this perfume to be a tad lighter, fresher, and much more wearable than the original LL, yet still seems to have the same staying power on the skin. It thankfully lacks the notes in the original that I can't tolerate, like praline.

I don't like the fact that this (as well as the original) seems way too similar to Angel.

In the end, it's really not my cup of tea, so I will try to sell it on eBay.

When I saw Midnight Couture in its black bottle, i just had to have it. I like all LL fragrances, especially last year limited edition (that one was really different from all previous LEs). and I was slightly disappointed to find out that it's nothing like Minuit Noir. i agree with Mad-Lainey, yes, it's very close to other Eau De Minuits i have in my collection, especially Minuit 2008. The bottle is gorgeous as all "Lolita"s. It's a keeper.
PS:I bought mine at Neiman Marcus.

yes, is a limited edition for Christmas time only. Every year they do a new one... In Canada is available at The Bay... Buy it quickly.. I think, in Montreal we have no more already :(

Honestly, lovely bottle.
However, not at all what I expected from LL. My signature perfume is "Lolita Lempicka", the classic one, and when I bought this, I asked myself "why". I feel that nothing is special about the scent and it's not at all as long-lasting on me as the classic one.
Really disapointed to say that I wouldn't recomend it to LL fans...

Midnight Couture reminds me strongly of other Eau De Minuits of Lolita Lempicka.
It isn't different in any way from predescesors.
It is strong on licorice root, benzoin and myrrh - the jasmine is also present but it is quietened down by these notes.
The bottle is impressive, Lolita Lempicka strives for perfection and unique designs and she does it well - when I took the bottle out of my handbag this afternoon, half the crowd from my office ran to my desk to see the flacon :-) and obviously have a sniff :-)
Midnight Couture would make a perfect winter/evening fragrance, it goes strong and lasts for at least 7 hours. The silage is perfect.
Midnight Couture is not as edible as LL signature, it definitely falls into oriental category but if handfuls of bitter-sweet licorice chunks are not too much for you, give it a try and you will love it :-)
I do!
I just wish Lempicka surprised us with a novelty instead of releasing one Minuit that smells exactly the same as another.
9.5/10

I have the original and LOVE the smell. I would want this purely for the aesthetic quality of the bottle alone. Totally cool.

En la web de Lolita Lempicka está a la venta a 85,90 los 100ml.
Esto es lo que en la web explican sobre el perfume:

La esencia de la flor de regaliz voluptuosa
Un acuerdo-oriental goloso, un olor más carnal y sensual de la primera. feminidad vibrante esta Eau de Parfum se ha enriquecido con las notas más noble, más valiosa e inédita:. mirra, jazmín, iris concreto, Benjuí y la infusión de vainilla L Eau de Minuit y su esencia voluptuosa de flor de regaliz, deja una estela de intenso y misterioso.

I'm sure I won't remember the name but I will remember the little black bottle.

I agree that the bottle seems gorgeous.
I'm sure the fragance is well worth a try.
But the name... OMG, the name is just plain ridiculous, it has more words that English Royalty's surnames. Neurologists, I guess this could be used as part of a memory test!!
Please someone tell LL Marketing Dptm that three words must be the absolutely max.
Anyhow, if I manage to retain the name, I will try it when I see it on the store.
;)

wow what a bottle ! it takes away my mind :O . i want this !

The bottle is oh so gorgeous!!