Étui Noir

Miller Harris's Étui Noir is a dark, resinous woody amber: everyone who describes it says woody, most add amber, about half find it resinous, leathery and citrus, and a minority notice a floral side. Mathieu Nardin composed it in 2016, and it is worn by anyone.

Bergamot and tangerine give it a bright, juicy start, but the citrus is quickly surrounded by darker things. Elemi and incense bring a dry, peppery, church-like smokiness, and styrax and labdanum add sweeter, balsamic resins with a faintly leathery warmth. Iris adds a cool, powdery touch in the middle, more suede than flower. The woods are cashmere wood, soft and enveloping, and vetiver, dry and smoky, with birch and leather adding a tarry, worn-in toughness. Patchouli and amber settle it all into a warm, earthy base.

A smoky, leathery, resin-heavy scent with little sweetness, the kind that suits cold weather, evenings and anyone who likes incense and leather more than flowers or fruit.

Étui Noir — unisex fragrance by Miller Harris (released 2016). Notes: Amber, Bergamot, Birch, Cashmere Wood, Cashmir wood, Incense, Iris, Labdanum, Leather, Patchouli, Styrax, Tangerine, Vetiver, elemi. — Parfica open fragrance database