Encre Indigo

It's unique. It's paradoxically dry and aquatic at the same time, like an estranged uncle in the family of blue fragrances. If invisibility had a smell, it'd smell like this; it's a face you can't read, a chair that remains empty, and a missing person poster lost to a cool wind. The scent of absence doesn't disturb you, but allures you into a moment of contemplation.

Maybe the most slept on fragrance of the decade. A masterpiece, in my opinion. This is the most similar to EN among the flankers. l'Extreme and Sport, among other aspects, play with EN's vetiver note. Indigo preserves the vetiver core of EN and instead layers a dark and mysterious composition of dark blue on top of it. The vibe (though not the actual scent) might be something like a combination of BdC Parfum and L'Exclusif where the amber is replaced with EN's vetiver profile. Versatile enough for all manner of situations and climate. Price for the scent profile is phenomenal. Longevity is decent, projection is poor, sillage is below average. Can't have everything, I suppose. Never see any discussion of this fragrance online. Pros, you'll have a unique scent. Cons, I'm worried it will be discontinued. I'm going to stock up on bottles.

This is probably the weirdest fragrance in my collection. While I can very much appreciate the artistry and creativity behind this, I can't find a time to wear it. I don't think it smells bad but I think that people are correct in saying this smells a little like ink or even paint. It's very relaxing but I can't see myself wearing it.

Is it Good? Yes Blind Buy? No (Unless you enjoy the Encre Noire) Longevity? Longer than i thought shorter than I want ( 4-5 Hours) Worth Collecting? Yes The last Encre, I don't want to say its the best, but its definitely my favorite of the 4. I think this is the one that is least linear of the other 3. Develops a bit more from opening to mid to dry-down. Encre Noire Is dark, A la Extreme is Dark Professional, Sport is well Sporty, Indigo is Ink tea. The opening gives it that much needed brightness before the start of the dry and achrid tea and vetiver. As all of the other Encre line, nothing really else is similair to any of the Encre. Its tea without the annoyance of sparkle, its a slightly less dirty vetiver. For Collectors: Light Bright Citrus opening, Earthy Woody, Tea(Relaxing, minty, green, red, slightly astringent), If you enjoy the others in the line I would say you should pick this up if you can find it for under $40. If not just keep waiting for the price to fall a bit more.

Anyone know where I can get a sample/decant of this in the US, im not gonna blind buy this shit on discounters

This is my favorite of the Lalique Encre line. The open is a combination of juniper berries, spicy pink pepper, and zesty bergamot; the juniper berries and pepper combine in a way that flows in and out as almost a hint of bitter black licorice to me that takes on the sour citrus from bergamot. The heart gets spicy and slightly metallic with saffron, bitter tea leaves, and bay leaf; it feels inky and really cool with the residual licorice hints. The base is smoky vetiver, earthy patchouli, and warm ambergris. Lalique needs more love; they make some great fragrances.

Some fragrances try to energize you. Others try to impress people around you. Encre Indigo does neither. It invites you inward. This is melancholy without despair. A quiet, reflective sadness that somehow feels comforting rather than heavy. It smells like the blue hour after rain, when the world has emptied and the last light has dissolved into indigo. There is solitude here, but not loneliness. It's the kind of fragrance that makes silence feel meaningful. The woods are cool and shadowed, softened by an inky smoothness that never becomes oppressive. Nothing here shouts for attention. Everything seems to drift along, like thoughts that arrive when you're alone with no distractions. It has an almost cinematic quality, conjuring abandoned paths, damp stone, fading daylight, and memories that have lost their sharp edge but never their emotional weight. What surprises me most is how wearable it is. Despite its introspective character, it never feels gloomy or exhausting. Instead, it offers a sense of calm acceptance as though it's reminding you that melancholy is simply another beautiful human emotion, one worthy of being experienced rather than avoided. For anyone who appreciates fragrances that evoke atmosphere rather than simply showcasing notes, this is one of the most emotionally compelling releases I've experienced in a long time.

juniper opens w/saffron; good longevity on me, 5h, and I like the dry-down as well

It opens with distinct juniper, ink, and a slightly earthy, almost industrial-metallic accord in the style of Dior Fahrenheit. But it quickly softens, and notes of black tea, vetiver, and laurel emerge. The juniper begins to sound a little brighter, and the industrial edge and ink fade into the background, but don't completely disappear. It's very dark, almost gothic, but nevertheless not at all heavy thanks to the juniper and tea. Despite its unusualness, I find it quite versatile; it's well-balanced and almost cozy, with the black tea note very well conveyed. Longevity is average, as is sillage.

This is a beautiful blend! I am a woman but I love to wear Encre Indigo especially on rainy days. It's not your generic citrusy fresh perfume but there is this fresh element to it. It smells like petrichor to me in the best possible way! There's definitely the inky factor to it which I absolutely love. I find it soothing and serene. People who say this smells like niche, aren't wrong! This actually smells like one.

Nose Note #1056 I'm surprised that the OG Encre Noire isn't #1 in the "reminds me of" section. This is basically Encre Noire but with a blue touch. If you don't like the OG you won't like this. My wife didn't like it. I think it's more interesting than Encre Noire, but there's something medicinal or wierdly mineralic about it. Like if Encre Noire is black ink, Encre Indigo is blue ink - as simple as that. Really cool, but rather niche. I like it even more than Encre Noire actually, it's not as depressing and alienating. But the performance is even worse... Men only. Underwhelming performance is the worst thing about the whole line. Encre Noire Sport is the absolute best, just amazing. 7/10

Bana göre eğer John Wick falan değilseniz encre noire serisindeki alınabilecek en iyi parfüm budur. Yine de herkese uygun olduğunu düşünmüyorum, muhtemelen içeriğindeki siyah çaydan gelen bir şey olacak ki sıcak havalarda bayıltıcı olabilir!!

that's exactly how i imagined lapis lazuli from minecraft would smell/taste when i was a kid lol i'm surprised the mineral accord isn't mentioned in the notes because to me it most definitely smells like coal and concrete. then there are forest-ish greens, blue ink, black tea, and a touch of something aquatic. there's also a very subtle berry sweetness behind all that bitterness, which balances it perfectly. the whole scent is pretty linear and doesn't really change over time, which isn't a problem at all. update: only after two days of wearing it did i start recognizing that familiar encre noire earthy, ambery, wet-forest base, which now feels sooo obvious. no idea how i couldn't smell it at first. i am in love. this is a beautiful, unusual scent. it is harsh, yet somehow so calming and dreamy. perfect for a cold summer rain. performance 7/10 associations 10/10 scent 8.5/10

Why do I get something like marinara sauce? Is it the bay leaf? It's not the only thing there, but I get tea, pepper, rubber, and marinara sauce. Big fan of the Encre line, but I have not made up my mind about this one.

Very different from Encre Noire yet seem to follow the same core idea? Both give the same dark and cold vibe but while Encre Noire is bold, Encre Indigo is leaning toward cozy. Both are great exercises in vetiver, bringing modern sophisticated way of using it. I like Encre Indigo, especially at the price, I think it's a great addition to any vetiver collection.

Really nice opening, unique and fun, but the drydown is just amborxan. It remindeds me a few hours into its course of JHG not a perfume, which I find to be horrible.

First things first: This is a cool fragrance. Moody, understated and chill, it would suit a person who didn’t want to be “cologne guy” but still have a scent for his personal space. There are no notes that scream, just an amazing melancholic blend that I personally love. Indigo has much more in common with L’Insoumis, Lalique’s 2016 release based on vetiver, patchouli, aromatic notes, and a mild boozy accord. But whereas Insoumis gives a bit of a retro/fougere experience, Indigo looks to the future. Or if not the future, at least it thankfully avoids the modern trope of fuzzy, personality-less sweetness that seems to be all the rage. It also avoids the more recent trope of sexless, passionless mineral or agikalawood notes that bore a hole into the brain. No, indigo is more aligned with L’Insoumis’s vetiver/patchouli/aromatic profile than the beloved, brooding (if not somewhat polarizing) Encre Noir. Of course, I say all this for a reference point only, as Indigo certainly goes its own way. In my ideal world, then, this would be a flanker of L’Insoumis, but I understand that EN is by far the most famous name and is better for marketing. Final verdict: an introverted, moody, personal essence-style fragrance that is a welcome addition to the already incredible Lalique lineup for men! It’s also a great value for the current prices it’s going for at discounters.

شبيه جدا بعطر نيش Iridium Tom Daxon رغم ان المشترك بينهم فقط النجيل، لكن الرائحة التي اشمها بالاثنين ليست النجيل اعتقد هناك نوتة غير مذكورة هنا وهي خشب السيدار + ايسو سوبر وهذي هي المشتركه مع العطر اللي ذكرت، ثم بعدهم ورق الغار ورائحته الطبيعية كيميائية قوية . هذي اقوى ٣ نوتات، لايوجد شاي للاسف او على الاقل ليس قوي بالكاد تميزه رائحة غريبة ولكن بشكل جيد ومميز، فيها تفاصيل وجافة وان افضل ذلك، لكن احسها تجربه شمية اكثر من كونها عطر. لذلك قد تمله بسرعة. التميز ٩.١/١٠ الجودة ٨.٣/١٠ الاجمالي ٧.٧/١٠ - Very similar to Iridium Tom Daxon Even though the only shared note between them is vetiver, the smell I get from both isn’t really vetiver I think there’s an unlisted cedarwood + Iso E Super accord here, and that’s what it shares with the fragrance I mentioned. Then comes bay leaf, which naturally has a strong chemical smelling edge. Those are the 3 strongest notes. Unfortunately, there’s no noticeable tea, or at least it’s extremely faint A strange scent, but in a good and distinctive way. It has detail and dryness, which I prefer, but it feels more like an olfactory experience than an actual fragrance. So you may get bored of it quickly Uniqueness 9.1/10 Quality 8.3/10 Overall 7.7/10

Intense juniper berry clean metallic opening which is awful on paper (on a test strip it's exactly like a dentist office) and bearable on skin. Dry down is good: Smells like iced bitter black tea, with a slight citrus to lessen the bitterness. Longevity is maybe 3 hours. NOT blind buy safe. Believe the reviews about the opening. This is not pleasant for the first 15 minutes.

I do really enjoy this scent. Theres a "Sterility" to Encre Indigo in the opening which I find interesting and and even pleasing to my nose. I also really enjoy how it transitions into a darker Tea scent with slight hints of smokey Vetiver, but if Im being completely honest, if Id paid full retail for Encre Indigo as a blind-buy I'd have been kinda pissed ONLY bc it so darned intimate! Imho while Encre Noire, EN L'extreme and EN Sport all smell "Expensive" and of very high quality and while E Indigo is really pleasant and even "Unique", its just NOT as Groundbreaking as the OG or even the other two original flankers where. Encre Indigo is much more casual, T-Shirt & Jeans sorta "My skin but better" type of scent which has been done time and time again. When I wear Encre Noire I just feel super "Put Together" bc it just smells so Elegant and masculine as do the other two. Imo OG Encre Noire is actually worth the Retail $100+ asking price, while E Indigo is perfect for the around $50 asking price its going for nowadays. A very nice 7 outta 10 minus one point for intimate sillage, although I feel it has solid longevity of between 6 and 7 hours on skin. Not bad, NOT great.

I get heavy black tea soaked vetiver. Very linear. Very simple. Very beautiful.

They named it well! It was only after spraying and thinking “this smells like ink!” that it dawned on me that “encre” is French for ink. Duh. I think it’s the saffron doing most of the work here. It’s reminding me of the newly-printed magazine vibe I get from Ganymede, but not so harsh and metallic.

Super unique. 70% Bitter - %10 spicy - 10% sour - 10% sweet A strong combination of ambergris , saffron , tea. Other notes have the balancer role. Projection level is pretty choosen good, this scent shouldn't be too strong , because it has a dark and mystical character , it doesn't need to showoff. Almost arms length projection , good performance and longevity , high quality ingredients. 9/10 for me. I like how others have different impressions of it. This shows the artistic face of this perfume.

The opening is challenging and not for everyone. It comes across sharp, medicinal, almost like a dentist’s office — clean, slightly metallic, and intense. Personally, I enjoy it, but it’s important to say: if you don’t like that kind of medicinal profile, this will likely put you off immediately. As it settles, the fragrance transforms into something more botanical and nuanced. The vetiver comes through in a softer, more open way compared to the original Encre Noire. This isn’t a dense, dark forest — it feels like a more open landscape: fresh air, greenery, and even subtle marine facets that give it a cool, slightly salty edge. There’s also a faint sweetness that rounds it out without making it commercial or sugary. It’s clearly related to Encre Noire, but it goes in a different direction — more airy, more modern, and less root-heavy. Interestingly, my wife didn’t enjoy the opening but liked it much more once the medicinal edge faded. I personally appreciate it in all its stages, but it’s definitely not a safe blind buy. You have to enjoy that initial medicinal character to fully connect with it. A unique, atmospheric scent that rewards patience and the right nose.

For all the people that think air gets into the bottle and the fragrance matures, this is nonsense. If you smell something and 5 days later it smells a little different it is because your olfactory system has changed. Its not the fragrance in the bottle that changed. It did not "mature" after first spray.

A masterpiece, can be worn 7/24 all seasons

I've had this fragrance for a year or so now, and it's definitely grown on me. I picked it up for around 80 dollars, but I think you can get this on discounters for around 40 dollars and at that price I think it's worth it. It's primarily a tea based fragrance with vetiver (with an inky tilt). Little to no sweetness, and has a somewhat airy quality to it. I think this would suit a nice button down shirt during spring situation. Since I've gotten this, the longevity is improved tremendously, whereas I use to get around 4-5 hours now I am getting around 8 hours. Also I heard someone below compare this to BDC and Declaration, which I totally disagree with, as this smells nothing like those two fragrances, and to be honest I don't consider this a "blue" fragrance at all.

2026 update: yeah once it macerated the perfomance improved a lot, i get 2-3 hours more

Long Answer: a wetter, earthier, significantly less bitter, less green encre noire. Which I absolutely love considering that the bitterness in encre noire hurt my soul because I absolutely love the opening and still yearn to find a fragrance that smells exactly like it all the way throughout. Short Answer: smells like the inside of a violin or guitar, not even joking. Update (after a week of owning): It has this calming waterfall smell vibe like the mist that rises into the atmosphere and there's just earth and serenity around you. You really do just gotta spend time with it to appreciate it over time.

This is the fourth of five Lalique reviews I'm doing as a series this week and the first of the set that wasn't created by Nathalie Lorson. In her stead, Annick Menardo takes over the nose duties and Encre Indigo, the most recent release of the bunch brought to market in 2023, goes back to its roots a bit. It feels, right from the off, as an aquatic reimagining of the original Encre Noir. Indigo retains the inky, moody feel of the original but is a bit more complex and I feel more appropriately-priced, coming in around twice what the original costs. Make no mistake though, it is still incredible value for what it delivers and like the original is very fine niche quality in a very fine bottle with class, individuality and sticking power. The juniper and bergamot in the top notes are more evocative of Encre Noir Sport and the way they work with the black tea notes here evokes a fresher The Noir 29 by Le Labo to me but without the challenging bitterness at its edges. There is a petrichorian waterfall accord to this that I find really attractive. It moves the feel of this fragrance to make it more moist than the dry original but without losing the moody vibe. Again, it is superbly well judged. You really get the watery vibe after about an hour of wear but it is linear after that. It goes for about an hour or so less than the original and the Sport and a couple less than L'Extreme. The vetiver is like a familiar friend at this point and runs through this top to bottom as it does on the previous three I reviewed. Indigo is another study on inky, moody vetiver but approached from a different angle. I absolutely love the addition of ambergris in the base notes. It is strange because even this deep into this review series I'm still not sure if I truly love vetiver as a note, but I enjoy it across all of these Encre Noir releases. I especially like how all four are similar and all are studies on vetiver as a theme, but all four are distinct and interesting enough to demand a place in my collection in their own right. All four are very wearable, much more so than I was expecting when I went into this with five blind buy bottles. I enjoy an aquatic fragrance and this is a bit underrated I think. You think of Acqua di Gio, Bvlgari Aqua, Sailing Day by Maison Margiela and of course the iconic Cool Water by Davidoff and this is as good as any of those, but I would say doesn't have the slightly cloying chlorine swimming pool synthetic feel that you sometimes find in this sector. Encre Indigo is more interesting than all those fragrances as well. If you enjoy an aquatic fragrance with a bit of personality then I would very much recommend giving Encre Indigo a try. Three Word Summary: Vetiver And Water Scent - 8/10 Drydown - 7/10 Sillage - 7/10 Bottle/packaging - 8/10 Performance - 6/10 36/50