Occasionally, a mass-market fragrance will come along and become that season’s ‘must-have’ in a way that seems to please nearly everyone. This is when the bells ring for me that sampling and wearing this might prove disappointing for me on some level, since so many people will sample, like, buy and wear it before it simply becomes dead common.
In a previous write-up, I mentioned this in the context of Bleu by Chanel.
The fragrance itself becomes very esoteric and too timid to make any statement for fear of turning away any of its potential audience. But it was on a recommendation that I acquired a sample of Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight in Paris with the hope that it might break some new ground as a well-executed scent. After all VC&A had done a wonderful job in the past with their original Pour Homme (although it seems quaint by current standards) and Zanzibar (which was a very gorgeous scent for those who enjoyed a woody, smoky depth). The verdict in a bit.
Midnight in Paris by Van Cleef & Arpels (2010): This is the work of Olivier Poige, a perfumer with a long resume of perfumes to his credit, all of which appeal more to the mass-market than to a niche wearer. Already, we likely can guess that we’ll be smelling a ‘safe’ choice but nothing outrageous or boundary stretching. Of course, let’s begin with the notes.
Top notes for MiP include holly, bergamot, Amalfi lemon, rosemary and leather. Heart notes are styrax, tea, and Lily-of-the-valley. The base concludes with incense, benzoin, Tonka Bean and almond.
Almost from first application, you’ll begin to smell the creaminess of the Tonka offset by almonds. However, a little richness at the top is enhanced by leather and bergamot, both yielding much too quickly to have any lasting input. Then the composition jumps right through the heart, allowing you to blink and miss the tea and florals before incense, and a creamy and nutty aroma become focal to the fragrance. The result is almost entirely linear: Before anything else, you’ll have noticed a warm almond and milk-like aroma before that finally vanishes after several hours.
While Midnight in Paris wears well and longevity is about six hours, projection and sillage are fairly light in nature. It is subtle, and in fact it’s fairly unisex in nature and completely wearable by women who enjoy a more vanillin and calming scent. It is understated, and nearly undetectable. Up close, it’s more delicious to the nose if you enjoy a somewhat gourmandish taken on fragrance. Oh, the centerpiece bottle — picture included — is an interesting conversation piece.
It’s simply a pity that I have little else positive to say about the fragrance. It tries so hard to be inoffensive that it refuses to make a bolder statement with its ingredients. MiP is the type of fragrance you purchase as a gift when you have no other idea of what to buy. It’s not necessarily rugged, masculine or even sexy. It’s simply put a true middle-ground of fragrance: By offending no one, it doesn’t leave a lasting impression that the composition has an “x-factor” that bears strong recommendation.
Rating: 3/5. Neutral.
Bottom-Line: This is no Zanzibar. Midnight in Paris (the actual experience of being there, not the fragrance) didn’t remind me of the experience of cream and almonds. Olivier Poige has brought us a very warm, subtle, understated and unisex scent that wears very well as a mass-market EDT. It focuses more on packaging and marketing than on the strength of the composition, which wears as a very unremarkable yet inoffensive scent.
The trouble with being the talked-about fragrance at any time is that today’s top story becomes yesterday’s news. Midnight in Paris is today’s top story…though it’s too bad that tomorrow comes every midnight.
I'm Andrew Buck, the man behind the words. I'm a published author, project management practitioner for over 20 years, work on Wall Street, and am a fragrance aficionado. I've had a passion for fragrance for 30+ years, and enjoy trying scents and adding to an expanding and rotating collection for some time now. 
