Bulgari • Black • Fragrances

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riveroflethe on 3/22/2011 2:53:00 PM more reviews by riveroflethe

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

Sex in a bottle--for MEN.

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*TOP REVIEWER* elfriede on 3/3/2011 1:30:00 PM more reviews by elfriede

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

The initial blast has an addictive chemical tanginess, like those purple-inked mimeograph sheets from grade school (1970s), back before schools had Xerox machines. We used to huff those mimeograph sheets, especially when fresh from the “ditto machine”—they were most fragrant when still slightly damp—and laugh with each other as we sniffed. I’m also getting a narcotic floral note, like daffodils or paper-whites, but that may be because L’Artisan’s Dzing!—often mentioned as a sort of sister-scent—has a daffodil note. (Turns out it is jasmine I smell.)

Ten minutes in and the mimeo chemicals are fading already. Later it develops the more familiar tarry-wood-smoke scent of Lapsang Souchong tea and is sweetened by vanilla and hints of cream. The whole scent becomes softly reminiscent of sweet pipe tobacco and stays relatively close to the skin. I finally begin to get hints of rubber about two hours in, when a bit of powdery musk becomes perceptible in the base.

Aside from the quirky opening act, Black seems tamer than the animalic and raunchy Dzing! It’s edgy, sure, but nowhere near as weird as I expected. Perhaps because I love (and often drink) Lapsang Souchong tea, its potential strangeness is lost on me. That and the fact that the "rubber" note reminds me of grade school and not kinky adult pursuits!

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gigi27 on 2/14/2011 9:59:00 PM more reviews by gigi27

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Amazing. Lapsang plus leather, but weightless. Elegant, wearable, unique.

A note about the rubber: if you've smelled Lapsang before, you'll recognise the rubber as typical of this tea. No tires for me. Not just full bottle worthy, back-up bottle worthy.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Fyankevich on 1/19/2011 10:01:00 PM more reviews by Fyankevich

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I honestly didn't know what to expect when I ordered a sample vial of Bulgari Black. After reading various reviews claiming that it had a tire smell or a burning plastic notes, I guessed that this scent would be very strange; however, on my skin it smells soft, smooth and powdery. I detect an innocent baby powder mixed with soft vanilla and a tiny dab of leather. It's like sniffing the warm, clean neck of someone in a leather jacket. I'd say this scent falls in the realm of a unisex fragrance, I don't find it particularly feminine or masculine. There's absolutely nothing bizarre about this scent to my nose. Actually, I find it to be quite comforting and lovely on my skin.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* atomic_girl on 1/8/2011 9:33:00 PM more reviews by atomic_girl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Black makes my skin smell like Canadian Tire!

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*TOP REVIEWER* WentworthRoth on 12/9/2010 11:44:00 AM more reviews by WentworthRoth

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Notes: black tea, rosewood, bergamot, cedar, oakmoss, vanilla, amber, sandalwood, and musk.

The opening of this fragrance is an aromatic crystalline citrus note. This interesting note disappears almost immediately, and on my skin remains a smoky tea note with a touch of leather as its base. The dry down is very soft and creamy, the main note being vanilla. I feel this is a very well done tea fragrance, very elegant and understated. Lasts for more than 6 hour on my skin.

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*TOP REVIEWER* em1282 on 11/21/2010 6:10:00 PM more reviews by em1282

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Black    

Definitely not for everyone, but if you find that spicy/musky scents smell good on you (personally when I think something smells "good" on me, it smells just as it does in the bottle) then this might work for you. Someone below called this "floral rubbery" and that's completely how it smells on me. Kind of a powdery floral with just a small hint or rubber in the drydown. I love so many other Bulgari perfumes and this is no exception. If you are more of a sweet floral/fruity person this might not work...my sister tried this on (everything turns sweet and candy-ish on her) and it ended up smelling like burned plastic.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

SniffingAround on 11/16/2010 9:07:00 PM more reviews by SniffingAround

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

One of my all-time favourite scents, and one I've given to others with great results. Yes, it's got a rubbery note to it, but it is amazing--a kind of soft almost floral rubber. I compulsively sniff and resniff my arm whenever I wear it--so I try to limit my driving on those days ;) The bottle is ridiculous and, I've been told, prone to spritzer-failure/leakage. It can also be hard to find: I've had luck getting it at discounters and online for a pretty good price though. I consider this one a "gateway" fragrance: if someone likes this, it's a pretty good shot that you can seduce them into the fragrance "life" of collecting, decanting and spritzing!

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*TOP REVIEWER* KKAI on 10/8/2010 7:58:00 AM more reviews by KKAI

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

The first thing that hit me after the first spritz was the awful rubbery smell!!! The "burning Barbies" comment that another reviewer made is spot on! After a few minutes, I get a faint smell of vanilla that makes it almost bearable. I don't get any tea or berganot notes.Generally, I do not get the appeal of this fragrance. I couldn't even finish my sample.It is unusual and nothing more.

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themeanreds on 9/15/2010 4:55:00 PM more reviews by themeanreds

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I adore this warm vanilla scent and bought it for my husband, who now wears it all the time. He likes it and likes how much I like it, and he's even gotten compliments on it from other guys. It's a vanilla with real depth, no sweetness, and that nice, rubbery new-car note. It's also a true skin-scent with none of the sharp, overly aggressive top notes that men's fragrances often have. I think it would also be nice on a woman and would wear it myself but I think it's weird if both members of a couple wear the same thing.

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*TOP REVIEWER* LittleViolet on 9/5/2010 7:31:00 PM more reviews by LittleViolet

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I am almost finished with my first bottle of this fragrance. I love its toasty marshmallow/campfire essence (but not too sweet). I wear this every day, and I am not sure about the people who think it is too crazy/bold/winter to wear because I find it to be quite subtle! My boyfriend doesn't think it is too overwhelming either. I find you have to lean in to smell it. I love it!

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sunnyonne1 on 8/12/2010 5:25:00 PM more reviews by sunnyonne1

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

It smells like new tires. The bottle looks like a tire, so that should clue you in. They are warning you in advance with the motif/design (although I have to give them credit for the fanciful and totally appropriate packaging). For me, this one comes to a screeching stop...and leaves skid marks. My son (autocross)races cars, and loves to buy racing tires. Even he was repulsed by this obnoxious scent. Bvlgari, seriously, WTF !!??

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*TOP REVIEWER* FeeFee34 on 8/11/2010 1:18:00 AM more reviews by FeeFee34

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I was always interested in trying this fragrance because I love vanilla but hate overly sweet, gourmand fragrances. I give props to Bulgari for creating something this interesting, but unfortunately I don't love it as much as I'd always hoped. This is indeed tire rubber and vanilla, but I guess I always imagined that there would be more vanilla, less rubber. For me I get 75% rubber, 25% vanilla, and I would probably like this much more if those percentages were reversed. Unfortunately I don't really detect any of the tea notes or warmth other reviewers mention. Otherwise, I have a sample vial that I do wear from time to time, and I would love to smell this on other people rather than the usual fruity florals on women and marine, sport scents on men (Aqua di Gio please, please die).

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

JenniferPickner on 4/10/2010 11:52:00 PM more reviews by JenniferPickner

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Wavy   Eyes: Hazel    

A delightful masterpiece with such an unexpected scent. Bvlgari calls it a “supreme exponent of the metropolitan concept".
It smells earthy and natural, but urban. The scent is soft, yet bold. Powerful but not overpowering.
Fragrance notes are: black tea, rosewood, bergamot, cedar, oakmoss, vanilla, amber, sandalwood, musk and...rubber?

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Beejoux42 on 4/1/2010 7:23:00 PM more reviews by Beejoux42

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

All the reviews I had read about this before trying it made me believe it would knock me off my feet - and not in a good way.
I was expecting a whole heap of burning rubber tyres, but I was curious, so I braced myself and took a cautious sniff... well of course it's a lovely fragrance and I really like it.
There is rubber and a smoky tea note which is very nice and later some vanilla and musky amber, also very nice. Its a cuddly, warm fragrance rather like the remembered comfort of childhood hot water bottle on a cold winters night.
I feel almost a little disappointed that it is not more daring, a little bit more challenging, dare I say a bit more sensual but I am glad I found it and I do wear it especially in cold weather when I need a little extra comfort.
No raging tyre fires but a lovely warming glow.

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*TOP REVIEWER* rsmuskie on 4/1/2010 3:20:00 PM more reviews by rsmuskie

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

It smells like burning Barbies and vanilla on me. LOL No really - it does. Like burning rubber Barbie dolls laced with Aqualina Pink Sugar. But that's not a bad thing, unexpected, but not a bad thing. The more you spray this on, the more it grows on you for some reason. It's hard to explain. The green tea shows up on me over an hour later, and that is also unexpected, but nice. Have to say the first impression I get from first spritz with the Barbies n' vanilla vibe just drives me wild. Black is innocent and at the same time the rubber note just quashes all that innocence. Dirties up the vanilla, just a bit. You just know that if some celebrity endorsed this fragrance women would be lining up in droves at the counter of Saks for a bottle. It smells like nothing else out there. Except maybe if you torched your Barbie and while she was wearing vanilla hair spray. If you're adventurous, I would definitely get this!

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greeneyes1978 on 3/31/2010 10:27:00 AM more reviews by greeneyes1978

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Yes I'm so happy.I just bought my firts bottle of Bulgar Black today after smelling it more then ten years ago when it just came out.Loved it then but hessitated to buy it(oh shame)
And found out later they don't sell it here in Holland up until today I found it at a drugstore cheaper than cheap the 40ml bottle..so I had to buy it and am wearing it right now.
It smells even better than I remembered and I love the tea note and the burnt rubber..the vanilla is just commint throug right now so I'll be smelling my wrist the rest of the evening...
Weird in this case is GOOD

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*TOP REVIEWER* Wyrmiax on 3/13/2010 5:27:00 PM more reviews by Wyrmiax

Age: 44-55   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Amazing. I used to read the reviews for Black, and think, "Rubber and vanilla, and you think that smells good??" I figured you had to be a jaded perfumista to appreciate it. Well, I guess I've achieved "jaded" status now. Yes, it's rubber, yes, it's vanilla, and yes, it smells great.

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deeHowe on 1/27/2010 12:16:00 AM more reviews by deeHowe

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Hot pavement and burning rubber are two of my favorite smells, so when I heard that the top note in Black was the latter, I had to have it. It's as good as I'd hoped.
From hot rubber to dry woods/earth and vanilla, it's one of the most interesting fragrances I find eminently wearable.
Also, my husband really likes it, and wears it at least as often as I do. Bonus!

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*TOP REVIEWER* staci01 on 1/14/2010 6:50:00 PM more reviews by staci01

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Other, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Other    

Love this fragrance but can only wear it in small doses. The rubber note in this,the first couple hours, reminds me of something I smell every time I'm in the dentist's office. Not sure about the source but all I can think of is "Dentist's office!" when I'm wearing this. Not being a fan of the dentist it's a bit bothersome to have that reminder on my person. Love the vanilla and amber(?). Very distinct and not run of the mill since after all there's a RUBBER note in this! As it dries down during the day the rubber note becomes less potent and a smokiness comes in, and no I don't mean like burnt rubber! lol! Reminds me of the smokiness in Caron's Tabac Blond which is an all time favorite of mine. Don't have a bottle of this yet but I will sometime this year. Really a great fragrance and I think it should be considered/labeled as a unisex fragrance. Also loooooooove the bottle it comes in! Very eye catching.

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