Private Collection L`Oiseau de Nuit Parfumerie Generale for women and men

When I first tried this on I got this really strong "head shop" smell. I think it is the amber, plus when I was growing up in the 60s a lot of the hippie shops used to sell handbags and slippers made of goat hide. I got that smell too. What is fascinating about this fragrance is that it dries down to something subtle and powdery--normally I dislike powdery scents but this one has a freshness that I like. I don't know that I would reach for this fragrance on a regular basis, but it's nice to have a sample. It's an intriguing unisex fragrance but I don't think it is a good choice for a very feminine woman d'un certain age!

Oh, I kept wondering why this scent reminds me so of goat leather - it has that special quality that keeps me coming back to sniff and assess 'do I like this OR is it an awful animal smell' Until I read it is supposed to contain actual leather - AHA.
I feel that it's too assertive for me to wear. It can surely be worn by a woman but she needs to be assertive and, ehr, metro. The picture I keep having in my mind smelling Oiseau the Nuit is that of a stylish gangster movie.
Sillage is low and staying power not too great.
A far neighbour of Oiseau de nuit is Dawn Spencer Hurlitz's Blond Suede. But Blond Suede is a lot more masculine and woody.

I agree with Doc Elly in that I smell mostly amber in this one, more than anything else. Definitely no leather in any case.

It's very oriental on me, a slightly powdery amber. It reminds me very strongly of L'air du desert Marocain. I can see that they have no ingredients in common, but I have both of them in samples and putting them side by side, I swear they're almost identical on my skin. This one is just softer and more easily wearable IMO, but it also fades away sooner (4-5 hours). There's something harsh in both of them that rises above the amber though, that keeps me from liking either of them. Both are comforting, warm scents better worn in winter, but I guess a confident, sexy woman could wear them anywhere.

I'm nowhere near close to being seduced into a full bottle by it, which considering the number of perfumes I already have, is not a bad thing but lovers of unusual amber perfumes may want to give it a try.

This is one of my favorite perfumes--- orange blossom, labdnanum,davana, benzoin. I wouldn't even put this in a leather category, nor does M. Guillaume. Its a well constructed fruity floral. not a gourmand in the true senseof a PG gourmand. I recommend the new Praline et Santal.THAT is a gourmand as is aomassi

I agree with Doc Elly: I get almost no leather, but a slightly powdery oriental that is lush and rich. The dry down is definitely a vanillic amber--one of my favorite scents in cold weather--and it has enough tone and variation with the other notes to make it a lovely melody of scent. Makes me think a bit of amber and gold jewelry in candle light. Richly glowing, warm and lovely.

I liked this from the very first first sniff out of the sample vial. In fact, the opening is nothing short of gorgeous. At first it seems like a fruity, almost incense-like cistus (labdanum) with some animalic undertones which, now that I’ve read the notes, must be the leather. Soon it changes to a mostly cistus and vanilla-like scent. At this point it becomes an excellent amber, but not a leather scent. It’s too bad that the leather only lasted for a few minutes in the beginning, because it provided a different twist to the amber. Finicky amber-lover that I am, I’ll gladly wear my sample and see if I like it enough to replace it when it’s gone.

As far as leather scents go, this is probably the least leathery and most gourmand one Ive ever tried. leather is a minor player in this perfume, instead its a creamy sophisticated scent, with the benzoin lending a vanillic gourmany feel to it. The labdanum is also quite prominent, in its powdery softness throughout the scent's life. This is quite a sexy scent really, and I imagine alot of women would like this.