Perfume Review: Black by Bvlgari
Perfume Name: Black
Perfume House: Bvlgari
Perfumer: Annick Ménardo
First Released: 1998
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Rating: 4/5
Smells Like: Smoky tea, fresh rubber, leather and vanilla
Black tea. Black rubber. Black leather. Black vanilla pods. Black by Bvlgari was a chimera in the mainstream perfume world when it was first released in 1998, and still feels like an odd proposition today - the hockey puck bottle wrapped in rubber, with a perfume profile hinting at fetish clubs and debauchery. And yet this profile belies its true nature as an inviting and wearable, albeit mysterious, fragrance.
I only recently found out that Black was discontinued some years ago, and thought I would share my review based on my own wear. I have had it in my collection since the early 2010s I believe, although I first smelled it a few years before picking it up. I think the discontinuation is a shame, especially given the mastery of its formulation and the place the perfume held in the cultural zeitgeist. It was one of the stand out avant-garde perfumes emerging from either mainstream or niche houses, both when it was introduced and throughout its life.
To my nose it is an exercise in nostalgic futurism. Something that belongs in Blade Runner rather than the world as it was at the turn of the millennium. Think two robots with silicone skin, wearing leather, sipping tea in a cosy homely setting. But then if I think of it as a product of its time, it also makes me think of early 2000s Helmut Lang, the aesthetic of which always sat at odds to me with a perfume such as the house’s Cuiron Pour Homme. Or else early Rick Owens when he still creating his beautiful ruins, rather than whatever glitzy Americanisms he now creates with Tyrone. There is a sensuality and nostalgia to the perfume, just as there is a futuristic bent.
Bvlgari are known for the tea notes they employ in their fragrances and Black is no exception. I see a lot of websites now listing green tea as the tea note present in the perfume, which I suppose could be the result of a reformulation from a later batch than when I purchased my bottle. But to my nose this is a smoky black tea - lapsang souchong to be specific, with that pine note and everything. There is the briefest of citrus and rose in the opening before the lapsang souchong fully unfurls, and the presence of a jasmine and oakmoss combo too, so I suppose I can understand where people might assign green tea.
That delightful tea note is closely followed by a fresh rubber note. The smokiness of the tea alongside the rubber does mean some people describe a burnt rubber or burnt plastic smell, which has given the perfume some infamy, but in practice they balance each other well and there is no acrid nature to be found. This is the smooth fresh rubber smell of a new pair of tires, and the earthy smokiness of a freshly brewed lapsang souchong. Both the tea and rubber are given a warmth by the woods in the background, giving it an almost spiced feel. What could otherwise be a transparent and almost cold formulation is actually incredibly inviting.
Indeed, the heart of the perfume is a beautifully warm and cosy blend of vanilla, leather and amber. The vanilla is dry and sweet, without being sugary - think of a vanilla pod rather than vanilla extract or a cake. It is complimented by a powdery amber that really works well with the fresh rubber. They balance each other out and prevent the vanilla becoming saccharine. And then there is a smooth and sensual leather that really does help give this perfume a seductive nature. The perfume in general sits very close to the skin, and I like that, because if the tea and rubber were too loud, it would feel brutish. But Ménardo composed this with an incredible balance.
What I find truly remarkable about this perfume is that it does not unfurl as one would expect. There is no clear staged progression from top notes to mid notes to base notes. Apart from the brief flourish of the citrus and rose opening, all of the components are present without it feeling linear or stale. There is a surprising amount of depth and a clear mastery in composition. And yet, I cannot give it higher than 4/5, because while it is incredibly well composed, it is something I enjoy smelling more for the artistry than the pleasure of wearing daily. It is something to come back to when you feel fatigued, to remind yourself of what perfumery as an artform can be. Although alas, now discontinued.
Top Notes: Lapsang Souchong, Bergamot, Rose
Mid Notes: Sandalwood, Cedar, Jasmine, Oakmoss
Base Notes: Vanilla, Leather, Amber, Musk
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