Bulgari • Black • Fragrances

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Duval on 1/18/2009 7:34:00 PM more reviews by Duval

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

When I first sprayed this Dior's Fahrenheit to mind. On me this is very masculine. I get no creamy sweet vanilla or tea just a Fahrenheit type motor oil and leather smell. After awhile I can detect the vanilla but it's so faint and dull. I can barely smell it just minutes after applying and it completely disappears after an hour. The bottle from Sephora looked old and had been sitting under lights so it might have affected the smell.

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marylizette on 12/31/2008 11:59:00 AM more reviews by marylizette

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I love this juice. BLESS YOU BULGARI!! Its modern. Its complicated AND its graceful. There are no sharp edges. The scent coats you in a soft veneer of vanillic leather (to my nose). Its my everyday scent because it always intrigues me but never overwhelms me. I can't compare it to anything else because it doesn't smell like anything else. It just smells great. My five year old niece agrees. Its her favorite and she knows her stuff!

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*TOP REVIEWER* lilmama51 on 12/13/2008 11:20:00 AM more reviews by lilmama51

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Grey, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I love this! Won't go into all the notes, dry down, etc, but I love it. I feel sexy--LOL. I can't quite imagine on a guy and my DH keeps telling me to pipe down, so . . . But he likes it on me. I'm hinting on more for the Holidays.

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*TOP REVIEWER* alissss on 12/5/2008 1:41:00 PM more reviews by alissss

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I thought I would love this and had wanted to try it for some time. A lovely swapper Jen sent a decant of this for me. I do love the scent maybe to a 4 lippie level, but it just did not last at all on me and turned light and like an imitation of itself. Disappointed but glad I tried.

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jemimagold on 11/21/2008 4:17:00 PM more reviews by jemimagold

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

Bulgari Black starts off with a warm, almost rice pudding note. It is a velvety fragrance and though it is apparently for men, I could easily imagine wearing it myself. As it dries down there is a very faint rubber/leather smell which I really only found by having read about those notes. If I hadn’t, I don’t know that I would have detected them as they are not dominant notes in the composition. The best way I can describe Bulgari Black is that it is a soft yet translucent, vanilla musk fragrance with a mild hint of coconut, cinnamon and powder. Which doesn’t do it a lot of justice as Bulgari Black really is much more stylish and modern than these words indicate. It also reminds me a good deal of a current favorite of mine – Le Labo Aldehyde 44. And finally, no question about it, that is one sexy little bottle!


Per The Perfumed Court, here are the notes for Bulgari Black: black tea, rosewood, bergamot, cedar, oakmoss, vanilla, amber, sandalwood and musk.

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jeanol on 9/19/2008 5:42:00 AM more reviews by jeanol

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

So different, sexy, warm, distinctive....love this!

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*TOP REVIEWER* dascha on 8/10/2008 2:01:00 PM more reviews by dascha

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

When I saw a bottle of this at Ross, I couldn't resist buying it (a fairly good deal at $26 for the smaller size.) Of course I'd read about the famous/infamous "hot rubber" accord but I didn't know it was one of the most successful black tea-based perfumes. Altogether, this is lovely stuff, very unusual and a compulsive wrist-sniffer, mainly because of that new-tire-store element which is so-wacky-it-works! One could also think of it as anise-like, too, if you're into that (and I am). I think this one is justifiably one of the great classics, and the fact that it seems to function so perfectly as a UNISEX fragrance is a big plus. I think this would smell great on a man, but my husband doesn't find it remotely masculine (unlike my beloved Dior's Dune). What makes this a true work of modern art is the strange and gorgeous bottle, the "hockey puck" or "spare tire," which is functional and elegant and strange as all get-out. I'm not giving this 5 stars because of the staying power, which is not as good as I'd like. I want to smell this ALL DAY!

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*TOP REVIEWER* callmecordelia on 7/30/2008 3:17:00 AM more reviews by callmecordelia

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

One of the rare scents that give me an immediate headache. I understand why this is so widely loved, I can appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making it and the unusual notes -- rubber and vanilla? -- and if I smelled a little of this on a man, a LITTLE, I'd probably like it. But on me? Burning tires + vanilla = head pain. No good.

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RachelFay81 on 7/20/2008 10:06:00 PM more reviews by RachelFay81

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

This product was one we got bombarded with it by the perfume lady at nordstrom. Well since it was unisex my and my fiance both tried it, we walked around for an hour to see if the scent would turn it was sweet on him, and more of a musk on me. It gave us both a euphoric feeling, which we found hilarious. It was almost aromatheraphy at its best. We both wear it almost everyday and have for almost 6 months. It is still over half full. The packaging it is in reminds me of a tire it is a circle with black rubber around the edges. No risk of it slipping. I love it!

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katie_alti on 7/7/2008 3:53:00 PM more reviews by katie_alti

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

This is my favorite new scent. It is complex and warm and very sexy. It is firmly unisex. When I first bought it I never thought my SO would ever wear it, but he loves it and actually got mad that I wore it all weekend because he wanted to! I get warm amber, spicy tea, almost a cinnamon note (but not quite) and that unique hot rubber note that is fantastic. Such a unique but completely wearable fragrance for a man or woman. This truly is a universally beautiful scent. Try it if you can!

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*TOP REVIEWER* proximitythe53rd on 6/27/2008 9:43:00 AM more reviews by proximitythe53rd

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I'm really fond of this complex, unusual fragrance - I'm fairly convinced it's one of the most interesting fragrances widely available in department stores. Though it's marketed towards men, I believe Bvlgari Black is firmly unisex.



My favorite aspect of this fragrance is the creamy vanilla tying all the other notes together, making them meld both into one another, and into my skin.
I smell light notes of spiced black tea, blended into the woods (rosewood, cedar) that while definitely there, do not become overwhelming. The rich undertones come to the forefront as the earlier notes begin to mellow. The vanilla and amber take on a very sweetly nice, comforting tone, with very faint hints of sandalwood (I actually wish the sandalwood note was a bit stronger).



What makes this fragrance more unusual is that most of the composition is also characterized by a note that I have a hard time placing - it smells synthetic, and unnatural but not in a bad way) to me - I believe this is the note that people associate with rubber. It's not at all disagreeable, and its addition makes the fragrance a bit more complex, and possibly not as easily accessible - it's also what gives Black its most interesting qualities! This note sets off the well-blended creaminess of the rest of the accords, and is really what makes this fragrance a winner.



I would love to share this cool little bottle with my husband.



UPDATE: I've bumped my rating up from a 4 to a 5. Now that I have gotten this bottle for my husband, I know that while it's great on my skin, it's absolutely astoundingly amazing on his. Maybe that's why it's a "masculine" fragrance? Does it just smell better on men? Well, one way or another, this stuff is killer. Total love. By the way, I believe the awesome note is birch tar, which I now absolutely adore.

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scentsearcher on 6/19/2008 3:28:00 PM more reviews by scentsearcher

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

On me, Black starts out smelling like cinnamon and sugar toast, with a cup of smoky black tea. Also, I don't smell black burning rubber like some others have. I smell more of an innocuous rubber element, like a rubber toy for a child. It is very faint and seems to fade rather quickly too. The dry down smells slightly similar to Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier. (Not a very eloquent scent description, I'm afraid.)
This is a complex, yet somehow streamlined scent, as I believe others have noted as well. I am obsessed with it right now, and find it to be inspiring and comforting at the same time.
I thought at first it smelled too masculine on me, but when my boyfriend tried it, I thought it smelled too feminine on him. An unusual perfume...mysterious and evocative.
Also, the same "nose" (Annick Menardo) responsible for Hypnotic Poison and Hypnose (w/ Thierry Wasser) created Black. If you like Hypnotic Poison or even Hypnose (which many perfume snobs love to hate), then you might want to try Black. By the way, it can usually be found in the mens cologne area.
And the bottle? Unique, and seems to indicate what type of "genie" will be found inside.
(An admission - I wanted to first try this b/c I had read Angelina Jolie wore Black.)

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*TOP REVIEWER* tessture on 6/14/2008 3:23:00 PM more reviews by tessture

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

I don't get the rubber note and have to say I was kind of looking forward to it. Still, no loss. This goes on very very brash, almost cloying. It immediately starts to settle down into a sort of make-up-and-perfume combo. I end up with mostly a lovely rich musk very like SL Clair De Musc, with the--hallelujah!--promised smoky tea notes, a little oakmoss to keep it like face-powder and the amber vanilla to smooth into velvet. Somewhere along the line there's a black-pepper note that has to be cedar perverted by its companions, but it fades down to the background. Spicy, creamy, round with the rosewood (too bad that's endangered, it's one of my favorite notes,) this is just lovely. I don't know if it's a statement maker, but it's a compulsive wrist-sniffer, so who cares? I smell delicious.

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AzureTe on 5/31/2008 7:56:00 PM more reviews by AzureTe

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I love this scent. Just love it. It works beautifully with my skin chemistry. I think this might be a love it or hate it thing, but it probably helps that I get all the notes. I'm sure I'd hate it if I only smelled rubber :). As it is, the rubber gives this scent a distinctive edge that I find really sexy. I also get compliments from husband on this one, and he's largely indifferent to my scents, so that says something.


I don't find this too masculine personally, although I think it'd smell really good on a guy. I don't like delicate florals or other "girly" kinds of scents very much though. If that's what you prefer then this is not for you. The packaging is perfectly suited to the juice, but I've heard of people having problems with the spray mechanism (I personally haven't).

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Norwat on 5/30/2008 8:49:00 PM more reviews by Norwat

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Smells like RUBBER. I do not get tea notes. No vanilla. No amber. No sandalwood. Definitely no spices. Just rubber, maybe some rubbing alcohol, whiff of lab chemicals. Have a full bottle and tried this several times over six months (summer, winter). Not for me.
Sometimes this and DKNY Black Cashmere are said to have similar notes, which is how I ended up with it. However, to me, it is NOT like Black Cashmere - that is a rich, round, warm scent that I want to breathe deeply in. This is a very thin, cold, edgy thing that would probably appeal to very thin, cool, edgy people. If you like florals (not that I do) or gourmand-type scents - this probably won't be for you.

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ciuwawa on 5/21/2008 3:14:00 PM more reviews by ciuwawa

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

A POWER scent.
I read about this on perfume forums & bought blind - 100% convinced it would be the perfect leather / rubber / vanilla blend.
Like Agent Provocateur, I just didn't get it...it was too sweet and the rubber seared through the deeply buried flowers. I left it for a few months, then, reading about it again, gave it another try...and curiously - I am ready for it now...LOVE it...could bath in it...a million sprays are not enough.
It's the only scent (as well as some Carthusias) that I catch a whiff off during the day...wonder who smells so delicious, then realise it's me...I love that.
It's definitely unisex and I'd love to meet the man who selects this - gloriously, unashamedly forceful and confident.
This is no shrinking wallflower...but Grace and Bianca giving it all at Studio 54....all those years ago.
You gotta wear heels!

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BluCherub on 5/3/2008 7:05:00 AM more reviews by BluCherub

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Very sexy. This scent is in NO WAY like CK One...it smells like burnt rubber, leather, smokey tea, vanilla and a hint of jasmin. I got this for my boyfriend who is too much of a bloke to wear scent, and he loved it. Problem is I do too! Not all women can pull this one off...besides being quite masculine, it is also strange but it's quite enigmatic and daring. Luckily it isn't overpowering...it is balanced perfectly in my opinion. Apparantly Angelina Jolie's fragrance of choice...I think the idea of it suits the image she portrays...that kind of woman. I read waaaay too many trashy mags!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Nixe on 4/19/2008 2:10:00 PM more reviews by Nixe

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

How perfectly urban and minimalist. This is thoroughly 90s in all my favorite ways: it's low-rise sandblast jeans and supple black leather clad. It's glamorously casual. It's the smell of fresh pavement and gasoline, rubber, soft leather and vanilla. It's the sent of a long-legged woman in a black kidskin corset riding off on her brand new motorcycle, shiny chrome and glossy hair and lips glinting all the way. The bottle fits the fragrance perfectly. This is a masterpiece.

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debrsl on 3/4/2008 10:06:00 PM more reviews by debrsl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

The top notes of smoky tea and bergamot are exquisite. I only wish it had stayed with that, in which case I would have given it a five. However, it rather quickly went to an extremely flowery fragrance on my skin, namely jasmine. It's not a full white-flower scent either, hence the three rating.

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*TOP REVIEWER* TRKK on 3/4/2008 5:57:00 AM more reviews by TRKK

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

CK One. This smells exactly like CK One, the old unisex fragrance. How odd. Given what I've read about this, and it's reputation, I was totally expecting something out of this world. Instead, I hardly get any of that rubber note that practically every review states, and worse, this on me smells like a run-of-the-mill, slightly feminine and watered-down men's cologne. I actually find this quite pedestrian. I wouldn't mind smelling this on a guy though. Disappointed.

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