Nombre Noir by Shiseido: launched in 1982. Created by Jean-Yves Leroy under the direction of the collaboration between Yusui Kumai and Serge Lutens.

Launched in France before it was sold in Japan, it won the Grand Prix of the French Association of Perfumers.

In the book The Green Beauty Guide: Your Essential Resource to Organic by Julie Gabriel, Serge Lutens said "My first perfume was Nombre Noir , created in 1982. At the time, the black-on-black packaging had created a small revolution in the world of perfumery. My idea was to remove gold plating, decorations, and all those lavish ornaments that made me feel perfumery was becoming fake and more about the embellishment than the scents. Black packaging creates and emotion, and today has become a classic design. The juice in itself - to create a contrast - was based on an aroma of white flowers. At that time, my tastes in perfumes were not well. Yet, ten years later, in 1992, a new revolution occurred, this time olfactive, with the launching of Feminite du Bois, a feminine perfume based on masculine cedar. This perfume became a legend."

"Perfume is an essence; it is the seventh sense; it is not a system of consummation," said Serge Lutens. "Here it is not marketing, only the selling of perfume. We expose people to odors. We give them, if you like, the taste of perfume. We don't make socio-cultural perfume; you know, "if you buy this bottle, you are la femme sexy; if you buy that one, la femme active." Here we sell perfume. We explain perfume. We teach perfume."

Serge Lutens said that "it was formulated in France and took two years to perfect. I can be extremely patient. If something is right, I can wait."

On the occasion of its launch, a superb dinner was given in the halls of the Museum of Historical Monuments of the Palais de Chailot by Mr. Yoshio Ohno, Vice President of Shiseido Co. and Mr. Daniel Recayte, President of Shiseido France, Serge Lutens.

L'Express, 2000:

"Taken in a sinuosity of prohibitions, I did not succeed with Number black, my first perfume, to affirm what I wanted to say," said Serge Lutens."

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a aldehydic floral oriental fragrance for women. It starts with an aldehydic flowery top, followed by a rosy floral heart, layered over a powdery, woody base.

Top notes: aldehydes, fruity note, bergamot, marjoram, coriander and rosewood
Middle notes: osmanthus, Damascus rose, geranium, jasmine, ylang-ylang, orris root, carnation and lily of the valley
Base notes: amber, musk, honey, sandalwood, vetiver, benzoin and tonka bean

Bottles:

Nombre Noir was housed in a squat jet black glass bottle whose lines are reminiscent of the Art Deco style.

Le Nouveau F, 1983:

"Nombre Noir, created by Serge Lutens for Shiseido. In response to fakes and false luxury, a perfume with chypre notes in packaging in the image of its creator (395 francs for the average bottle)"

From Shiseido:

"Nombre Noir was a fragrance that used perfume maker Serge Lutens as image creator. Lutens' idea was that black is the ultimate color because it concentrates all other colors, and so the design was based entirely on black. Both cap and glass bottle were black, the latter sandblast etched with the lettering, creating a contrast between gloss and matte areas that highlighted the appeal of black to the very core."