Bulgari Black (1998)
by Bulgari

I had never bought this before because the "rubber" note in the top used to bother me. Today I smelled it once more, and this time I got it. If I like Dior Fahrenheit, with its "gasoline" note, or the weird note in the top of Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel, why should I not like this? And, of course my recent blog musings about the working of Oriental scents made it a natural. Once the rubber "hits the road" (pun intended), this settles down into a beautiful leather oriental accord with just a hint of jasmine tea. Very Bvlgari. (And what's with that Roman stone inscription-style "V" in their trademark name anyway?)

Has my nose changed, or has Bvlgari Black? Both, I suspect. Here's what I had to say a while back, based, I am ashamed to say, on my memory of Black from an earlier date:

"Audacious and original when it first appeared, but I'm afraid it's been surpassed in my book by many of the smoky leather scents that have come after it. Admirable, I suppose, but no longer all that exciting."

I recently tried Black again, just for kicks, and now I have a different impression. I hardly notice the notorious burnt rubber note. I can't even smell the tea. All I pick up now is the most cloying - even choking - powdery vanilla I've experienced in years. These days I'd turn to Santa Maria Novella's Nostalgia for a taste of what Black used to be...and sadly, I'm again having to punt the puck.

For some reason this fragrance reminds me of a F-1 race track. The rubber synthetic note is prominent but not at all offensive its mysterious and and the tea accords give it a nice touch, very unique. This is one of those fragrances that you can wear all day long into late in the evening. Women seem to like it because of the vanilla touch. It truly evokes a "you are in the modern jungle" theme. Perfect for black tie events..

Because of the review in "The Guide", I avoided this one until curiosity got the better of me. This is a very soft oriental in spite of the rubber (tea?) notes that remain throughout the progression. After the initial rubber smell (this is NOT unpleasant), the fragrance turns to a light, sweet, slightly cinnamon jasmine which quickly morphs into a musky vanilla. I need to try this in summer, because I find the notes are almost too soft, and the sillage & longevity are minimal. This is seductive in a very nice, pretty way. I can see this as unisex fragrance in spite of that pretty softness. However, I don't see this as one of the "greats".

Strange beauty is the theme of this one. If any fragrance could get the award for changing one of the worst smelling things out there (rubber) into a grand fragrance (black) Bvlgari's Black would win hands down. This is the weird quiet kid of perfumes that is freakishly intelligent. Unfortunately, this is an awful perfume in the heat, so keep it in the cooler season for testing to appreciate it the most.

I smell almost nothing. Weak rubber scent, and very faint vanilla. Why is this so popular?