Issey Miyake Nuit D'Issey Polaris Review: A Midnight Star in a Bottle

There are moments, late at night, when the world feels both infinite and intensely personal. I remember standing on a balcony one crisp autumn evening, the city lights a distant blur, the sky a vast, inky canvas pricked with stars. There’s a particular kind of silence in those moments, a feeling of being a solitary observer in a grand, cosmic theatre. It’s a feeling of quiet confidence, of knowing your place in the universe. Capturing that feeling—that specific, profound stillness of a clear, cold night—in a bottle seems an impossible task. And yet, with Nuit D''Issey Polaris, I believe Issey Miyake has come closer than ever before.

When you think of Issey Miyake, your mind likely drifts to the iconic, crystalline waters of L''Eau d''Issey. For decades, the house has been the undisputed master of fresh, aquatic, and minimalist scents—fragrances that speak of clean lines, summer breezes, and Zen-like clarity. The Nuit D''Issey collection, however, was created to explore the opposite. It is a line dedicated to the shadows, the mystery of the night, and the magnetic pull of darkness. Launched in 2020, Polaris stands as the boldest, most ambitious star in this nocturnal constellation. It’s a fragrance that doesn''t just whisper of the night; it roars with its power and envelops you in its deep, resinous warmth.

The inspiration is right there in the name: Polaris, the North Star. For centuries, it has been the constant, the guiding light for travelers navigating the unknown. This fragrance is an olfactory interpretation of that very concept—a beacon of warmth and light cutting through the cold, dark expanse. It was brought to life by a triumvirate of modern master perfumers: Dominique Ropion, Fanny Bal, and Loc Dong. The involvement of a legend like Ropion, the nose behind masterpieces like Frédéric Malle''s Portrait of a Lady and Viktor&Rolf''s Flowerbomb, signaled that Polaris was destined to be something truly special. It was a promise of complexity, quality, and unapologetic presence.

In the fragrance community, Nuit D''Issey Polaris is spoken of with a certain reverence. It’s not a simple crowd-pleaser; it’s a statement piece. It has earned a reputation as a ''beast mode'' fragrance, a scent with formidable power and longevity that commands attention. It’s a departure from the designer mainstream, leaning heavily into niche territory with its rich blend of oud, leather, and vanilla. This is not a scent you wear by accident. It’s a deliberate choice, a declaration of intent. It’s for the man who is his own guide, charting his own course through the night.