La Nuit

La Nuit does not bother with manners, nor does it attempt to disguise its unpleasantness beneath a veil of elegance. The opening strikes almost directly at the crown of the head. The first sharp sensation—where the urinous, phenolic-tarry facets of castoreum seem to intertwine with civet—arrives as a threatening discord between the acrid smell of a neglected urinal and an intense floral bouquet. For anyone accustomed to the polished refinement of commercial perfumery, those first five minutes can be almost brutally confrontational. Yet if you endure that initial shock for a moment, an astonishing transformation quickly unfolds on the skin. Before the commotion of the alcohol has even fully subsided, within roughly five minutes, that raw animalic noise begins to settle into something remarkably soft and deeply warm. The initial urinous sharpness gradually becomes intertwined with oakmoss, leather, patchouli, and the concentrated richness of rose, transforming into an intensely alluring aura of warm, living skin that seems to envelop the body. When viewed through the atmosphere of the 1980s, the character of the fragrance becomes even more vivid. I imagine an enclosed cocktail bar with little ventilation, stale cigarette smoke hanging in the air, the dampness of poorly maintained shared spaces, and an unrestrained moment of desire unfolding somewhere within that darkness. The sharp trace of urine rising from beneath the surface, the faintly saline suggestion of bodily warmth, dense flowers saturated by heat, and the smell of perspiration building toward a moment of abandon—all of these sensations seem compressed into La Nuit. It is not an intimate erotic film hidden behind an elegant veil. It feels far more direct: almost like raw, unapologetic pornography translated into olfactory language, throwing off-notes and the more instinctive side of human nature directly into the air without attempting to soften them. And then, after the storm has passed, an extraordinary reversal begins to emerge. Beyond all that sharpness and raw physicality lies a remarkable softness, almost as though the fragrance suddenly turns itself inside out. At the heart of that enveloping richness, what gradually reveals itself to me is peach. It is not the straightforward smell of freshly cut fruit. Rather, it feels like the warmth of ripe flesh, the gentle sweetness of skin, and the lusciousness of a fully ripened fruit settling onto the body. Discovering this hidden softness after such an uncompromising opening is almost disorienting. Perhaps that is what makes La Nuit so compelling. It asks you to pass through its first five minutes of provocation before revealing the warmth beneath it. Once the initial shock has subsided, peach, leather, and musk seem to bloom together on the warmth of the skin, creating an unexpectedly tender and sensuous finish. For those willing to pass through the startling first five minutes, La Nuit reveals something extraordinary: a fragrance where peach, leather, musk, oakmoss, and animalic warmth gradually converge on the skin. It is one of the most candid and overwhelming expressions of what an animalic chypre of the 1980s could be—a fragrance that refuses to hide the rawness of the human body, yet ultimately transforms that rawness into something deeply warm, sensual, and strangely beautiful.

The big issue La Nuit had, is that it had to compete agains big fragrances the same year. Poison, Obssesion, beautiful, bel ami, aire de Loewe, Ysatis, Paloma Picasso. It was an amazing fragrance, and i will love to see a relauch of it.

80s rose chypre Ala Diva, Paloma Picasso, Knowing, Basile. Basically another descendant of Aromatics Elixir/Coriandre, but sweeter. Knowing is my favorite in this catigory. It has a hidden heliotrope note that I love.

The downfall of Paco Rabanne might be one of the most brutal tragedies in the perfume industry, with many these days not even being aware of such masterpieces as La Nuit. This perfume calls back to many classical animalic floral-chyprés, namely Revlon’s Intimate in my view. The roar of the civet engulfs you in the opening, it is raw and piercing, sweaty and urinous and yet never feels uncontrolled. Over time, it becomes shadowy and aged, like a grand antique wardrobe filled with elegant gowns and dresses, left to gather dust after living so much life. The tactful balance between a beautiful floral bouquet, and an innately human filth is incredibly inviting. The powdered, suede-like texture of dark oak and old linens is outstandingly comforting; alluding to the warmth of a home, without hiding what would usually be kept behind closed doors. A honeyed musk and floral to be remembered, not forgotten and replaced with modern slop.

i am a 25 y old lady and I love how this smells, wearing it mostly at home, haven't gathered my courage to wear it in the public, because of animalic, very vintage vibes and people prob dislike that nowadays.. should I wear it anyways and care less? :)

My grandma was gifted this perfume when I was 7 or 8 years old, she didn’t like it so she gave it to me and I used it to scent my Barbie dolls hair. Well, 38 years later I bought a mini on eBay and oh my goodness, how on earth could my nana (bless her heart) think this potion was suitable for a child?? Anyway, when I use it part of my brain takes me to an innocent place where I spend the day playing and combing my dolls hair, another part takes me to the scene from the film The Hunger where Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie are in a club looking for sex partners with Bauhaus music playing in the background.

I'm new to really digging in to fragrances, so I can't give too detailed analysis on notes or depth, just the Vibes I get as an amateur. Found a bottle of this from a flea market grab bag, so I can't say how old it is to speculate on the formulation or if any of the top notes might be missing. But holy hell does this guy change over time. It starts off Very Strong as what my brain can only process as "WowThat Sure Is Perfume!" (maybe the bergamot, leather, and jasmine? I tend to accuse jasmine of overwhelming other scents a lot). In this early stage it needs to move. It should be at the club. Sitting through it at my home work desk felt not unlike reinventing miasma theory. A couple hours in, it mellows out enough to let the funk through. The honey-civet is definitely BO/piss adjacent, but much less astringent - almost clammy in fact. Honestly, I can't tell for sure if the sillage calms down to intimate by this point or if I just get a little nose blind to it. Overall, it brings to mind going on a date with a goth woman way out of my league but I'm still trying to impress -- maybe trying too hard out of the gate but developing into something more interesting while keeping just a hint of nervous desperation. Wore it dried down and layered under a rose/sandalwood scent to a book club about a sapphic cannibal gardener.

There's really not much for me to add.... Enrium and alphairone have nailed it as usual...! But I just had to say that I have a fairly large and well-curated (if I do say so myself!) collection of (mostly vintage) fragrances and this has to be in the top 5... Maybe even 3... It's absolutely stunning... Soooo animalic but not in a shocking or offensive way... It's sexy and sooo alluring... I definitely think guys can rock this so don't be shy to give it a try... I have the edp and the Parfum so I can't comment on the EDT .... 5/5 Love

This is a rose chypre.. In the family of Aromatics Elixir, Coriandre, Diva, Paloma Picasso, Givenchy Gentleman, Animale, Boss No. 1, Knowing etc. It doesn't remind me much of Kouros (Ysatis does though) imo it's more similar to Boss No. 1 and Givenchy Gentleman (the original one) in the men's fragrances. It's rather soapy in some ways.

Lo sento uguale a Kouros di Yves saint laurent in versione vintage. Ha le solite note verdi con zibetto e sfondo cuoiato.

My sleep fragrance. I was 15 when this came out and it is, for me, the scent of the 1980's. La Nuit is nightclubs and ruin and moonrise and This Corrosion. It's a forest cooling as the sky turns from blue to violet to black. La Nuit is also urine and leather. I heard this described as a bucket of urine splashed on the hot sweaty backside of a horse, and that's not entirely wrong. La Nuit opens with a powdery note very reminiscent of Aqua Net hairspray, and then it deepens into honey and oak moss and civet. It's a glorious sophisticated drydown that gets better the longer it's on. It's an animalic. I know it's technically a "dark rose chypre" but the rose is very hard to find. It's a dirty honey-civet-leather addiction. I've gone through several bottles and I have several backup bottles because this is a staple for me. But-- and I hope nobody out there takes this the wrong way-- it's okay leave La Nuit to the goths of Gen X.

The most sensual, exotic rendition of a chypre I’ve ever experienced on skin. This perfume is breathtaking. I would only ever wear this with a black, backless silk gown, black patent stilettos and red lipstick. For civet connoisseurs only.

The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli 1781 ( No red section )

La Nuit evolves on skin. On me it starts aldehydic, earthy leather and peppery and softens into civet and a hint of pollen filled daffodil. The dry-down is smooth, discreetly aromatic and a bit sweet. Like a civet honey soap with oakmoss and pimento. Lasts and lasts. The art deco-style bottle is so pretty!

yes I'm still playing with 80s chypre. PR La Nuit, is an amazing juice. A smooth blend of flowery moss and the "not easy to deal with"-civet. It has the quality of whatever you expected from a regal concoction. Sexy, sultry, yet gripping at the same time. The only downside of this creation is the discontinuation

HoneysuckingBee totaly agree with you! a fragance of cult missing no explanation. Noses from nowadays are only worried about XS and One/Lady Million flankers that becoming more than the same. La Nuit is a masterprice that sins of unisex, because is really sexy and sensual. KNOWING by ESTEE LAUDER is very closer... more than Paloma and Animal.

Oh my god, I'm reminded of how much I loved rose chypres. I recently turned my back on the chypre pride, thinking to myself how they veer into overbearing. But of course another excellent potion and I'm back. This is Chanel Coco's cousin but built with the verdant backbone and decay. It reminds me of Paloma at the far drydown, after all they're ilk. There is judicious use of civet, honey and rose; all tempered by the moss, splendid velvet of black, green and brown. Of course, caution must be used because it's gaudy where you imagine being surrounded by brocaded red operatic curtains and gilded edges. All this delusion of grandeur whilst walking the 21st century. It's a treat in small dabs. Oh how I wish Ysatis was sculpted like this!

This is like Diorella with a slightly nutty undertone that over the next few hours turns into Diorella with honeyed undertones. Its nice, but I prefer Diorella. May be a different olfactory journey on someone else's skin.

In light of the death of the great Paco Rabanne, I rooted out some vintage miniatures from his brand. I have no great love for any modern PR perfumes, but there are several gems among the discontinued ones. None more so than La Nuit. An excellent floral chypre, it is of its era - reminiscent of bold 80s greats like Paloma Picasso. Dense and rich yet somehow airy, it is beautiful and high-quality. La Nuit is clearly a chypre from initial spray, herbal and mossy with some citric freshness. The florals follow closely, dense and powdery. Clean jasmine is initially detectable, giving way to rich, powdery rose. Honey sweetens the edges of the florals as the scent progresses, adding a nectar-like nuance to the florals. It is utterly satisfying. The mossiness in the background develops as it dries down, with a nice animalic quality adding a little edge. Dry, woody notes emerge, with trusty patchouli adding earthiness, rounding out the chypre accord. It becomes musky as it fades, mossy and slightly leathery until final fade. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. Another excellent vintage chypre, LN is nothing unusual, but is beautifully formed. Well-blended and wearable, it is unisex by today's standards. For cold weather. Excellent. 4.5/5.

I cant believe its discontinued. This is pure sexyness and sex drive, enveloping you in a feromone hormone burst. Im a man and bought a small bottle out of curiosity but Im saddened its discontinued because this is literally my favorite scent, this is exactly what I have been looking for in a scent. Its heavy but you want to cling on that smell. Its beyond gender. I cant stop sniffing my arm. Any recommendations of similar vibe scents? is there any hope they will produce this again?

Skankyness incarnate and NOT making excuses for being so. Hot damn, this is one beast of a nighty. Love it! It says it’s female and I agree, but my oh my, would so love to smell this on a man.

Meh. Nostalgia strikes and creates a lemming yet again. 🙄 So glad I only purchased a mini for $24 shipped on eBay instead of shelling out big bucks for a full sized vintage. It’s not that interesting. Strange that rose isn’t listed as a note, because that’s at the front. The peach has turned to old potpourri on my skin, as that particular note tends to when old. Nothing special to see here, move along folks. If anything, it reminds me of First by Van Cleef and Arpels. There are so many perfumes that are so much more interesting and pleasurable.

I got thinking about La Nuit recently after 30+ years of not smelling it. I was in my clubbing years when it came out. The unapologetic stench of sex, engineered to electrify the reptilian brain. Walk into a bar, and you'd be hit with a blast of cigarette smoke, throbbing music, strobe lights, and an indolic sillage of sweaty bodies. My signature scent was Polo Green, which at that time hadn't been around as long as Spicebomb has been around now. It was an era of civet, castoreum, oakmoss, and musk. Fragrances didn't smell like something you'd want to eat — they smelled like someone who wanted to devour you. They definitely don't make them like that anymore. I found a 5ml bottle of La Nuit EDP on eBay and it arrived a couple days ago. I dabbed this on a wrist, made myself a Southern Comfort and 7-Up (my 80s clubbing drink of choice) and turned up some Frankie Goes to Hollywood, lol. A time machine in a bottle.

Paco Rabanne La Nuit (1985, discontinued) - Civet Chypre - What a wonderful vintage find, created by #jeanguichard and #rosendomateu Starts with Tangerine meets Artemesia herbal opening with slight anise-like touches. But it morphs into this rich honey and floral accord that reminds me of Roses, Stone-fruit, indolic Jasmine and spices. It’s main note is an animalic Civet that has both feral and warm characteristics - resting on a chypre base. Old-world charm.

EDP is a classical dry chypre in the Paloma Picaso/Pheromone style. Really beautiful. Its funny that people find this animalic. It has some nice skank to it but this no where near Salome or Musc Kublai Khan....you may not wear La Nuit to the office, but you can wear this out socially in cooler weather around non-perfumistas.

Paco rabanne la nuit. Rotting fruits, civet, musk. Beautiful, daring, nocturnal scent. Big 80s chypre. Bold & stunningly decadent.

@alphairone Great post!!! Dirty and sexi comments for a decandet and luxurious fragance. I wore just the EdT ... intoxicant, addictive, made a force-field... I was hunted by it! No explanation discontinued!!! disgrace! Paco Rabanne new "noses" are only worried about for XS and One Million, and the real and true icons are forgotten.

The EDP is an incredible mega-chypre, a legend in its own right, ferociously rich, honeyed, animalic, and sinful. Those who appreciate the likes of Kouros, Antaeus, Furyo, and the like, must seek this out as the more floral, aromatic counterpart, brimming with oversized roses and skanky jasmine. A civet has played dirty tricks in the garden, such mischief! The most exquisite filth imaginable, decadent, unyielding (go light on the sprays!). With La Nuit, are you the hunter or are you the hunted??

Oh my, what a powerful/lovely scent this is! The day I received it I did some testing with other frags, and LN easily overpowered them all! There is a sharpness alongside all the rich aromas, and I have no idea which note is responsible for this. Lasting power and sillage are very good. LN is the kind of perfume where a little dab will do you, a spray might be too much for work or anywhere else in close quarters. The one problem I have with this fragrance is the civet, the animal note that gives LN the oomph. Does anyone know if the civet is the real thing or an artificial compound? Please PM or leave a comment here, thanks in advance.

Finally own this !!! This is for the EDT. My type of scent !!!! I put this in the "category" of Montana Parfum de Peau,Sisley Eau de Soir,Jean Louis Scherrer and a little tad of Guerlain Mitsouko too. This is a great projector. Sillage/performance is above average on my skin.Classic,memorable,vintage glory !! I am dying to try the EDP asap !!! A big,big LOVE for La Nuit !!!