Black Cashmere (2002)
by Donna Karan

GROUP. Oriental-Woody. GENDER. Unisex. CREATIVITY. Yes, it is a distinctive scent, created for women but can perfectly balance all those female notes in order to catch male fans too. DAYorNIGHT? Night, if you are a man, Winter Days and Night if you are a woman. LONGEVITY. Good. COMMENTS. Very very spicy and resinous opening with an exotic combination of oriental notes (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper) mellows into a softer, warmer blend of florals (rose), incense, woods (cedar, sandalwood) and patchouli. The powdery base is more sweet and less spicy . A Mysterious, sensual, and sexy fragrance indeed.

Ladies, I do understand how many women can feel wrapped in a soothing blanket of comfort with this one on a cold, rainy day. Especially if they've od'd on cutesy " upbeat " florals.

But can a man wear this?
Short answer: Thumbs down!

Long answer: Well, yes. Provided:

1. He doesn't mind making the cats sneeze.

2. He's never been pepper-sprayed by a cop. Otherwise it'll conjure unpleasant memories.

3. Never been trapped at church during High Mass by a berserk deacon with an incense fetish, nor ever worked for CdG.

4. Loves sprinkling cinnammon on top of yellow rice. Loves cooking with saffron.

Pass.

What a magnificent scent this is. Elegant and exotic woods, incense, and spices create a rich, sensual drama of depth and esoterica. To my nose this is primarily an incense fragrance. The other elements of the fragrance — the spices, the woods, and the florals — seem to support the incense as their main purpose, and a beautiful job they do of it, too. The incense dominates the top notes with a distinguishable saffron smoothing out the accord. The top notes last a long time with the movement going from incense and spice of the opening to the incense and woods of the middle. When the transfer is complete, the woods have replaced the spices as the dominant partner of the incense. I am intrigued by the progression of the woods in Black Cashmere — they take a rich, important, and exotic role in the fragrance, although they are rather easy to overlook with all of the more dramatic things going on. The incense note is rather linear to my nose — all the movement of this fragrance seems to be accomplished by the spices and woods. This is an utterly beautiful fragrance: It is at once powerful and subtle. Intelligent and mystic, it is an experience and a meditation. At first I thought that this was a short lasting fragrance, but my situation was temporary anosmia: I couldn’t smell it after continual sniffing. But when I actually began to wear it, things have changed. The fragrance lasts for over eight hours, so I have to apologize for the remarks about its lack of longevity. Black Cashmere is strong and woody and incensy and long lasting. If you like that sort of thing, this could be the one. It is for me … (Edit of 09 April 2006 review.)

one of my favourite fragrances! always wear it in my scarf during the cold seasons! it is discontinued in germany - fortunately i've stocked two big bottels of it!
i like "nu" as well, though i think you can't compare these two perfumes. ok, they are both incense-perfumes - but so different! nu, in comparison to black cashmere, smells cheap and too flowery!

Deep and spicy with a lovely resinous amber accord. It's smooth and warming with notes of nutmeg and saffron and a tone of pepper cedar. A touch of florals in the middle (carnation and rose) give the scent a familiarity that makes it likable by many though the spiciness could put off a few. Sweetened a tad with vanilla and amber, makes the scent even more likable. Patchouli and a deep woody note makes the overall scent much more darker. Makes for a sexy fragrance. For cool weather only.

This IS my signature fragrance. I fell in love with it the minute I saw the ad and sniffed the sample. I adore spicy/incense perfumes. I wear this daily, 90% of the time. Occasionally I wear Opium for a change of pace. I love the peppery/cedar scent when it first goes on. After it settles I love the woody/smoky/comfort/warmth scent. I am so disapointed that I can only seem to get this on ebay. It never fails though, if I love it it disappears.