A more concentrated facet of Mortel‘s original formulation, this intense and spicy scent has a mystical presence.
It is inspired by an artist, one who oscillates between lightness and darkness. With strokes of a brush, they cast an irresistibly compelling spell. They give everything to their creation, even their mortality, but their creation will live on.
Dressed in dark attire, Mortel Noir impresses with its matte black bottle and cap: on the label, its name shines in gold letters.
Equally adorned in hot gold, a drawing by Bastien Coulon runs on the outside of the ink-black box: it features an artist as a mortal creative figure plunging into the abyss.
NOTES
Top: Madagascan Black Pepper
Middle: Somali Frankincense
Base: Pure Cistus
PERFUMER
Yann Vasnier
HOW IT WEARS
Mortel Noir opens with sharp, intense black pepper. The Somali frankincense is then revealed, adding a smoky richness to the scent before it descends to reveal resinous cistus. The lasting power of this fragrance is incredible, it remains strong and detectable for 8-10 hours on the skin.
LORE LOVES
Of course, we love the original Mortel, but Mortel Noir is for those who want to take it to the next level. More raw and unabashed, stronger, louder. We enter the artist’s studio where paintbrushes soak, the paint seeping out and turning the water black. The walls are stacked with paintings illuminated by candles. They work feverishly to complete their creation before their mortality catches up to them.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Founded in 1643, Cire Trudon is the oldest wax manufacturer in the world.
In 1640s Paris, Claude Trudon, a convenience store owner, began to make tapered candles with a new methodology he had developed, utilising a special blend of beeswax and vegetable wax. His high-quality candles rapidly gained popularity, as they didn’t warp, smoke or splutter, and therefore didn’t cause fires!
In 1702, Trudon opened a factory so that their highly sought-after candles could be manufactured on a larger scale. Before long, their secret wax formula (still used today!) attracted the attention of the Crown. The house of Trudon became the candle provider to the Royal Court of Louis XIV, as well as many of the great churches of France. Louis XIV was so impressed with the candles that he issued his seal of approval with the official family crest. This crest can now be seen affixed to every Trudon product, with the addition of the motto “Deo regique laborant”, which means: “they (the bees) work for God and the King”, a nod to the creature that made their successful formula possible!
By the mid 17th century, Trudon had become the largest wax manufacturer in France. As candle makers for the Royal Court, Trudon were commissioned to make candles for many French icons – from Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette to Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon actually commissioned Trudon to make a candle for the birth of his son – rumoured to be the only gift he ever gave him – a black candle decorated with his likeness in gold.
Fast forward to 2007 when the house took the name Cire Trudon and became the leading specialist in manufacturing perfumed candles. All their candles are still hand-made, using traditional production methods akin to those Claude Trudon would have used in the 1600s. In their Normandy factory, each candle is hand-poured into hand-blown vessels from Tuscany. Today, Cire Trudon has extended their savoir-fare to a line of genderless perfumes as well as a variety of options to luxuriously scent your space.
