Lacoste
Lacoste
113 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Pineapple and watermelon burst forth with synthetic clarity, immediately announcing themselves as laboratory constructs rather than natural fruit. The red berries join the charge, amplifying that candied sweetness into something almost artificial-smelling, whilst basil provides a brief herbal pinprick that's quickly subsumed by the fruity onslaught.
The lemon vervain and lavender emerge softly, introducing a slightly floral, mildly herbal counterpoint that briefly suggests sophistication. This phase offers the fragrance's most balanced moment, though the fruit-synthetic accord refuses to fully retreat, creating a confusing middle ground between fresh and sweet that lacks conviction either way.
Coumarin's powdery sweetness dominates, with the chocolate note lingering as an abstract suggestion rather than a genuine base. Patchouli and cashmeran fade to nearly nothing, leaving only a faint, increasingly synthetic sweetness that clings briefly to the skin before vanishing almost entirely.
L.12.12 Noir arrives as a curious study in contradiction—a fragrance caught between two competing personalities that never quite reconcile. The opening assault is undeniably fruity and bright, with pineapple and watermelon creating a juicy, almost candied sweetness that feels entirely at odds with the "Noir" designation. There's a peculiar synthetic sheen to the composition that becomes immediately apparent; the fruits don't smell plucked from anything recognisable, but rather like their essence has been isolated in a laboratory and reassembled with clinical precision.
What's meant to provide gravitas—dark chocolate and patchouli in the base—arrives as an afterthought rather than an anchor. The chocolate reads more as coumarin's powdery sweetness than anything genuinely cocoa-forward, whilst the patchouli appears entirely neutered, contributing merely a whisper of earthiness that barely registers above the persistent fruity-synthetic hum. The lemon vervain and lavender in the heart attempt some aromatic restraint, introducing a slightly herbal basil note that suggests someone considered balance, but these elements feel overwhelmed by the sweeter, louder notes flanking them.
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3.7/5 (79)