Review (5/5): Supposed to be a somewhat love / hate scent.  I loved it from the first sniff.
I bought this because.............
1.) It gets a lot of reviews on YouTube and Lalique seems to get a lot of respect as a company.
2.) It's supposed to be a good example of a Vetiver fragrance
3.) Vetiver seems to be a big category for men's fragrances.
4.) As a newcomer to men's fragrances, I had no idea what Vetiver actually smelled like.
5.) This stuff is widely discounted and it seemed like a low risk option to learn about Vetiver and answer some of my questions.
So how does it smell? Great! I loved it from the first moment of the first spray through the dry down right up until it disappeared on my skin.
Reviewers use words like "dark, brooding, mysterious, and serious" to describe this. I don't get any of that. It just smells good. It makes me happy. No, it's not a light citrus smell for summer days. It's a heavier, richer smell that's probably better for an evening out.
Personally I find this a lot like the Dolce & Gabbana The One EDP I also bought. The smell is totally different but with both these fragrances.........
1.) I just liked the smell from the first moment.
2.) The concentration is Eau De Parfum for both.
3.) The longevity, projection, and sillage seems similar.
And speaking of performance, this is NOT "beast mode" stuff. It's more subtle. And as a newcomer I'm learning that can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the circumstances when you're wearing it. But for the most part, subtle is safer and understated is the classier way to go. So for both the D&G The One EDP and this Encre Noir A L'Extreme these impress me as grown up fragrances that come off as sophisticated scents for grown men who wear suits for a living. I think this would be out of place on a guy in torn jeans, sneakers, and a tee shirt.
So performance..........
Longevity - I find it's gone in about 5-6 hours. That's fine. I can always respray if I want.
Projection - Maybe arm's length at most. That's OK. It's not "in your face", it's subtle. Someone needs to be within 3 feet to really pick upon it. If you respray after a few hours you won't offend people.
Sillage - Again modest. I really don't see you offending a room full of people as you walk through and leave them choking and gagging.
Uniqueness - This is not your typical men's cologne smell in my limited experience. It's different. It may get people thinking / wondering about what that smell is. In a good way.
Compliments - I've only asked one woman what she thought and I was surprised that she really liked it. A good start.
Personally, I think this lives up to the reviews and the hype. if this is what a good Vetiver cologne smells like, I like it. I haven't tried the original Encre Noir or the Sport version. This L'Extreme version was recommended as the best and most wearable choice and I'm happy I gave it a shot.
Highly recommended.