Midnight in Paris Van Cleef & Arpels (2010) Eau de Toilette

Midnight in Paris (Eau de Toilette) by Van Cleef & Arpels

Bottle Design: Brandimage

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Midnight in Paris (Eau de Toilette) (Van Cleef & Arpels)

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7.6 / 10 563 Ratings

Midnight in Paris (Eau de Toilette) is a popular perfume by Van Cleef & Arpels for men and was released in 2010. The scent is powdery-sweet. It was last marketed by Inter Parfums.

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Perfumers

Olivier Polge, Domitille Michalon-Bertier

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes	Bergamot, Rosemary, Lemon
Heart Notes	Leather, Lily-of-the-valley, Yerba mate tea
Base Notes	Amber, Tonka bean, Frankincense

Ratings

Scent

7.6 (563 Ratings)

Longevity

7.3 (407 Ratings)

Sillage

6.6 (408 Ratings)

Bottle

9.1 (437 Ratings)

Submitted by VERIT, last update on 31.10.2019

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Reviews

01/22/2019

10.0 6.0 6.0 9.0/10

PBregovich
0 Reviews

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PBregovich

Helpful Review 9

Unisex

This fragrance is one of the first I tested motivated by Parfumo. I read a lot about him and when I smelled him for the first time I was very surprised. Neither positive nor negative. I just expected something completely different.

What you get is a fragrance that I think is completely unisex. This positioning seems to become clear to all those here at Parfumo who see the classification as "male", but then read the comments that describe him as more "feminine". He's neither. I think it depends more or less on the wearer himself. A woman could wear it without a problem. Also I wear it very gladly and mean that it suits me well.

It is a very sweet fragrance that has a very interesting leather aroma. However, this is not leather, as with Tuscan Leather, Ombré Leather 18 or Colonia Leather. Here the leather is very soft, soft. I always think of brown suede bootees with that smell. I like to wear it with them, too. This fragrance has a light elegance in it, one could almost say delicacy, which in my opinion should also be reflected by the wearer. I don't imagine Midnight in Paris on my hoodies, rather on my clean shirts and soft turtlenecks. Not so much on a wide jogging trousers but on those with long, slender legs and slightly tighter trousers (I don't mean skinny jeans!). It's a little hard to put into words what I'm trying to say. The scent is not loud, it is not "in your face" and the wearer should not be either. Does not mean, of course, that it can only be worn by very feminine men. Quite the opposite: a man who wears this fragrance self-confidently will look all the more masculine. But it's more about self-confidence than fragrance.

It's not a scent for the freezing cold. It's not a scent for the breeding heat. It's somewhere in between. Just like the gender classification.
This fragrance is best suited to the afternoons and evenings of the warmer season. When I think of Paris, I think of white wine, of cigarettes in front of the restaurant, of temperatures that are neither cold nor hot - just pleasant. I'm thinking of slightly smacked-up conversations that don't deal with overly serious topics. I'm thinking a cup of coffee in sunny weather.

The fragrance is something very special in its own way. It is not revolutionary and the durability and SIllage are also quite weak. But it gives the wearer a pleasant and casual feeling. And I like him for that.

PS: The bottle is also fantastic and unique.

12/02/2018

10.0 9.0 9.0 9.5/10

Profuma
0 Reviews

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Profuma

Border beings

Male, not too harsh, not too strong but still masculine, the fragrance starts. Not a typical spice flavor and herbal start that many men fragrances have. Rather slightly spicy, not tingling, but here still dancing clearly on the circle with the arrow pointing upwards.
After a few minutes and a few laps on the circle, however, he follows the arrow and climbs over it and out of the sign. The change that is taking place here is phenomenal. As if one being would leave its sex to taste of the other. Only that the change is not so completely carried out. One remains a bit far in the posture, which makes the way on both sides possible for one. There is skilful dancing in the middle and at the border, always ready to step back into one or the other circle of the sexes according to your mood.
Rosemary and lemon, which, together with bergamot at the beginning, certainly contributed the masculine and at the same time short fresh note, spent their time in the air, wearily lie down in soft leather and sip a cup of tea for refreshment. At least you want to scout out the party on the other side later. As a present there is a bouquet of flowers and as you set off there are fine, dense and deliciously ambered fog wafting towards you. The host is delighted with the flowers and invites the new arrivals to join the other invited guests, serving tonka beans with incense. The effect of the snacks is almost intoxicating. Slightly dazed by the fog and the delicacies, at midnight it's back to the circles, animated again, where you can't really decide where you want to go. The vote finally falls at five past twelve to the middle in between. After all, it is she who is the centre of the fragrance, his heart, his soul, not what he was before but what he is...And the aromas of this creation? They are their mysterious, blurred and intangible border creatures, dancing night after night under the starry sky anew between their worlds...!

4 Replies

05/20/2018

9.0 7.0 8.0 8.5/10

Serenissima
0 Reviews

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Serenissima

Greatly helpful Review 15

here's the name program

"Midnight in Paris" - that sounds tempting.
Even those who were not allowed to experience this magic themselves remember at least this scene from "Charade", in which Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn undertake this nocturnal cruise.
In nocturnal Paris, the unobstructed view to the starry sky is certainly as impossible as it is with us in the middle of the city.
And yet it is easy to conjure up the nocturnal impressions of a stroll through the Marais or a nocturnal walk through the Bois de Boulogne: to smell and taste - just to feel!
To stroll along the banks of the Seine, to watch the booksellers putting their stalls together, to listen to the rustling of the leaves of the old trees is a special highlight.
We all sit under the starry night sky in a small street café at Montmartre (there's almost no more cliché here), drink wine, eat a nice snack and chat relaxed.
Of course we also watch the strolling passers-by.
The lovers on the stairs are also part of these nocturnal pictures.
I'm just thinking of the only representational painting by Pablo Picasso that I know: it depicts a night scene in front of a street café in Paris.

But back to "Midnight in Paris" by Van Cleef & Arpels:
The bottle in its deep blue with the starry sky alone promises a lot: a special magic is already offered here.

The first spraying spreads a complex whole: from the beginning it is difficult to break this harmony down into individual fragrances. Maybe that would even be a shame!
The complete arrangement opens with a mature yet subtle citrus aroma with spicy rosemary.
Fine, rosemary in the fragrance is always welcome to me: I love this prickly, somewhat bristly fellow!
Noble leather, which even my "leather scent allergy" takes for granted, and bitter mate tea set sophisticated scent tips, which elegantly smooth the lily of the valley in its earthy sweetness and distribute a proper, yet skilfully dosed portion of flower aroma.
In "Midnight in Paris" nobody dominates: everyone plays equal in this fragrance concert!
Tonka bean delivers its unmistakable sweetish note (appearing muted here); amber and frankincense - oh, what sensual delight!
Here simply all notes of a fragrance symphony were composed in the most wonderful way!

My nose may not separate at all and asks itself only: Why only for gentlemen?
Are we women not allowed this full-bodied experience?
What's that? What's that? Male chauvinism?
And I don't leave the classification "powdery-sweet" unchallenged.
"Midnight in Paris" gains a spicy component through the rosemary and especially through amber and frankincense; which drifts a little bit into bitterness through mate tea: not long, but already perceptible.

I was totally captivated by this scent.
He arouses the desire to get to know this interesting and entertaining city better after all.
Because so far I've only been hanging around in my beloved Italy.
Art and culture and "savoir-vivre" I would surely find in Paris too.
But in the meantime, I once again revert to the pages of Cristina Caboni's perfume novel "The Rose Women", which not only tells the story of the perfume, but also the story of life and love in Paris The two of us will now take a sunbath on the balcony, surrounded by large rosemary plants that generously give off their aromatic scent.
So not "Midnight in Paris", but "Summer in the City"!

8 Replies

03/24/2015

ColinM
516 Reviews

ColinM

Greatly helpful Review 11

Easy to underrate

Midnight in Paris falls within that category of scents which start just wrong, but then become more than remarkable. I mean, most of the times it’s rather the contrary – scents which are good and rich at first, then easily lose the magic soon. The first minutes here are a blast of almost nauseating sweet and kind of “bread-ish” Oriental notes comprising powdery resins, almond, something like hay, a generic “clean-smoky” synthetic wood (I guess the “incense” note) and something musky-floral, with rubbery suede lying underneath. I also get the “tea” especially on the drydown, which is quite similar to the tea in Gucci pour Homme II or Tea for Two by L’Artisan. Also if you know Equistrius by Parfum d’Empire, Midnight reminded me that a bit (I guess because of hay, suede and powdery notes). But at the beginning, all of that is quite loud, quite more on the sweeter-edible side, and overall not exactly the most elegant smell around. Still, as minutes pass Midnight in Paris tames down and “tilts back” to a more pleasant balance, becoming more and more enjoyable and finally reaching a truly remarkable drydown. At this final stage – which luckily arrives quite soon – the blend focuses on a really sophisticated sort of velvety, rubbery suede-woody base with a sprinkle of Oriental powdery-gourmand notes – just a sprinkle, now. A couple of key nuances make this quite distinctive and really pleasant: suede, hay and powder (I call it “powder” but actually think more of almond and tonka; it just smells really dusty, slightly floral and kind of “feminine” as if there was some orris - precisely like powder, shortly). Classy, really “velvety”, warm and cozy, basically a sort of hybrid between Bulgari Black and Dior Homme; sweeter and brighter than Black, but darker, drier and more “grey” than the Dior’s. Give it a chance!

8/10

09/04/2014

7.5 7.5 7.0/10

Karinoula
82 Reviews

Karinoula

Greatly helpful Review 5

Leather & smoke

Bought this perfume totally unsniffed taking under consideration the notes and reviews of previous owners. I am a woman and though this perfume is considered to be a manly one, I like very much, is unusual, aromatic, smoky, leathery and all mixed together in one. The bottle is very nice, high class glass and not plastic a real gem to my collection. I would wear it all year round, especially on scarves, with leather jackets and T-shirts. It reminds a lot of Bvlgari black but this has a smoky note kind of Agent Provocateur "L'agent" type. It is long lasting for an edt. I very happy with my choise and I consider checking also other male scents to add to my collection.

1 Replies

10/12/2013

10.0 5.0 5.0 7.0/10

Tar
261 Reviews

Tar

Very helpful Review 4

Stroll in the night

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - a perfect named perfume!
Even though I do not agree with sequence of the notes. First comes the flowery-creamy phase, lily-of-the-valley and mate tea singing together almost a violet-like song, then the sweet-smoky base uprises, and when you are already deeply lost in the town, a cold, spicy and really pleasant medley is waving around.
It really deserves to walk the streets in this fragrance.

Unfortunately MIDNIGHT IN PARIS is not so lasting, and sillage is also moderate, but as restitution it is totally wearable for women as well.

2 Replies

03/11/2013

7.5 5.0 7.5 6.0/10

Miaw2
339 Reviews

Miaw2

Greatly helpful Review 7

Great fragrance

Midnight In Paris actually remembers me of Bvlgari Black and Armani Code layered. But it doesnt have the rubber note of Bvlgari Black.

Smells great, thought not very unique.

Both EDP and EDT have a great lasting power and average sillage and projection. It's more a skin scent. Solid and good.

Sweet leather in an amber base with a bit of incense.

Updated January 2014

01/21/2013

10.0 5.0 7.5 8.0/10

Pipette
63 Reviews

Pipette

Greatly helpful Review 5

A balmy night

Made for the men, but liked by women. Loved by this girl.

There is something in it that I have not smelled in years - I suppose it is the leather note. Those scents were often not my favorites but "Midnight in Paris" is subtle, light and refreshing to wear. No dark notes, just a pleasant stream of sameness, citrus and that leather note.

For the price, a gem.

1 Replies

12/15/2012

JSpines
118 Reviews

JSpines

Greatly helpful Review 4

Midnight in Paris

I just bought a bottle of this cologne while away on a trip. I'd read the mostly positive reviews and wanted to try it. I bought the 75 ml. bottle for 61 dollars at the duty free shop at the airport. I can say that I was not disappointed. I find it to be a nice, sophisticated, classy scent. It's smooth and easy to wear. Non-intrusive and pleasant. It's warm and cozy. I wore it for the first time last evening and when my sister-in-law hugged me goodbye she said, "oh you smell good." - 'Nuff said!

08/29/2012

7.5 7.5 7.5 6.0/10

Missk
1165 Reviews

Missk

Greatly helpful Review 4

Super sweet masculine

Midnight in Paris, in my humble opinion, is quite an androgynous perfume. It is neither one gender nor the other. Oh what the hell, just share the bottle with your loved one. Problem solved!

This fragrance is truly unique and captivating. The scent is sweet and a little bit gourmand, sort of in the same style as Lolita Lempicka. Midnight in Paris is also a little powdery, particularly in the drydown.

I can see where the comparisons to Bvlgari Black come from, but I don't entirely agree that they're alike. This fragrance is definitely sweeter and less rubbery, and dare I say, less masculine.

At certain points in the composition, Midnight in Paris smells a tad medicinal, like the scent of powdered gloves and ointments. As strange as it may sound, I quite enjoy this odd little olfactory experience.

Tonka bean, benzoin, almond, vanilla and incense are the most dominant notes to my nose and feature strongly all the way through. Funnily enough, Midnight in Paris is reminding me of Guerlain's new Shalimar Parfum Initial, with all these foody accords.

Personally I think Midnight in Paris is an acquired taste. This fragrance was suggested to me as a purchase for my sweet scent loving boyfriend, but somehow this fragrance over-stepped the sweet-o-meter for him, verging into female territory, or so he said. Do test before you buy.

1 Replies

05/02/2012

10.0 10.0 7.5 7.0/10

Aqvatic
1 Review

Aqvatic

Very helpful Review 5

Balmy, powdery, sexy - Dior Homme Night

While searching for a fragrance for the winter time, I came across this very interesting gem.

The bottle just looks great! There is this color gradient from dark blue to light blue to orange, just like the sky during the sunset. The design of the bottle is inspired by the watch model of the Van Cleef & Arpels house also called Midnight in Paris.
The cap looks like the small wheel to adjust the time and the whole bottle is surrounded by a metal frame in which they engraved "Midnight in Paris". Wonderful!

Upon the first spritz, the scent starts very balmy, heavy and intensively. After some time, it tones down a little and gets quite powdery. Today, I compared this to Dior Homme - as the original perfumer of DH is also Olivier Polge - and I can see some similarities.
This powdery and balmy quality of Dior Homme has even been intensified in Midnight in Paris. Additionally, Midnight in Paris contains the same synthetic note that combines lilies and tar as the JPGs and Bvlgari Black. Using that, Polge managed to intensify the scent of rough leather and real strong black tea and to create a perfume that fulfills the promising name. Even though Midnight in Paris seems more intense and heavier than Dior Homme, it somehow has a fresher attitude, thanks to bergamot.
As if you'd play the same musical piece some accords higher. All in all, Midnight in Paris is quite a linear scent and changes slightly but noticeably.

Somehow, Midnight in Paris gets quite watery and mellow on my skin during late drydown stage. On clothing, this doesn't happen quite soon and the projection is still good. So mostly, I prefer to wear it on clothes rather than on skin.

2 Replies