Maison Francis Kurkdjian · 2016 · Unisex
Grand Soir
Amber
Composed by Francis Kurkdjian in 2016, Grand Soir is a magnificent tribute to the dazzling energy and romance of Paris at night. The fragrance opens with a rich, resinous wave of deep Spanish labdanum. The heart builds upon a warm, golden cushion of sweet benzoin and smooth Brazilian tonka bean. The decadent dry-down melts into a luxurious blend of amber and vanilla that creates an aura of pure opulence, making it one of the finest modern interpretations of a classic amber perfume.
Longevity
11-13 hours
Sillage
Strong and radiant
Notes documented
5
Season fit
Autumn / Winter
The pyramid
Read top to bottom as a timeline, not an ingredient list. Top notes typically flash off in 15-45 minutes, the heart carries hours two to four, and the base defines everything after.
Top — first 45 minutes
Heart — hours 1 to 4
How it wears
Documented longevity for Grand Soir sits at 11-13 hours, which places it in the Parfum band (20-40% aromatic compound). Sillage is described as strong and radiant, so plan application accordingly: 1-2 dabs or sprays on pulse points.
The base is built on Amber, Vanilla. These are low-volatility materials, which is why the last third of the wear smells markedly different from the opening — and why a five-minute test at a counter tells you almost nothing about whether you will like it at hour six.
In cold, dry air expect the projection to read weaker and the wear to stretch longer; in hot, humid air expect the opposite. Use the season calculator to sanity-check a specific month and city.
When to wear it
Occasion tags here are editorial judgements derived from the composition's family, note structure and sillage — not brand marketing. A fragrance described as strong and radiant sillage should be applied more sparingly in shared air such as offices, lifts and aircraft cabins.
Context
Released in 2016, Grand Soir sits in the Amber family. This library documents 0 other fragrances in the same family, which makes it a useful reference point if you are mapping the category rather than shopping for one bottle.
Note that any composition older than a decade has almost certainly been reformulated: IFRA amendments have progressively restricted materials such as oakmoss (atranol), coumarin and birch tar, and supply constraints on sandalwood and natural oud have pushed houses toward reconstructions. A bottle bought today is not chemically identical to one bought at launch.
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Ranked by shared base and heart materials plus family proximity — fragrances sharing three or more base notes tend to feel related after the second hour.
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