One of the Most Beautiful Scents I Would Never Wear

Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Grand Soir is such a beautiful unisex perfume, oh my gosh. It is so gloriously warm and AUTUMNAL AS HELL... it totally transports me to a fall festival lit up by Christmas lights on an overcast evening with all those brown branches and red leaves and orange squashes. It makes me want to go outside and just walk around in a forest on a crisp fall night, cold enough that you have to wear an extra layer. Sumptuous vanilla, warm spices, a little hint of smoke and resin, sweet but not too sweet, not gourmand (in my opinion), it’s damn near perfect.

I only ding it a teeny bit because I don't see myself wearing it (I've found I'm more of a fresh/citrusy/musky guy), and also because I think the price is just not justifiable (very typical of MFK). I’d be so happy to smell this on a passerby or a friend or a loved one, just not myself.

I will also say it’s quite powerful in my experience. Not something I would want anyone within a few feet of me in a claustrophobic/poorly ventilated space to be wearing. Probably would kill people who are working out next to you at the gym. Longevity is excellent, at least top 10 of any of the 100+ perfumes I've tried. I once put this on in the afternoon and could still catch whiffs after a full night’s sleep and through a whole day at the office. At one point, I left one of the rooms in my office building, came back a few minutes later, and smelled Grand Soir lingering in the air. With this in mind, this fragrance is not very versatile. The fact that it's so powerful makes it a difficult wear outside of autumn and winter, and too many sprays will likely offend people around you when indoors.

I wish everyone could smell this perfume at least once. It is really special.