Reviews of Bulgari Black (1998)
by Bulgari

Rubber, pavement, and vanilla. Lots of points for creativity and a cool bottle, but the juxtaposition of notes is just too extreme on my skin. I think I'd prefer it on a man.

Very unique and interesting. I love the bottle - it does fit the concept very well looking like a tire and a rotor when placed on it's side. One thing is for sure, this scent has the "car mechanic" thing down to a very sexy science. It makes me think of that note in Fahrenheit (Dior) that is so obtuse (smelling of an oily mechanic). This one is different in that the "mechanic" aura is more akin to the smell a mechanic gets when being in the environment (the garage), but before getting really down and dirty and covering it up with something . . . or when it was a light day in the garage just changing a tire or two.

The end result - the mechanic went out in his work jacket had some vanilla tea on an outdoor patio.

Funny thing, it soooooo works . . . it certainly conjures up so very sexy imagery in my mind . . .

One thing I am perplexed about - I can not see this being unisex very well, it seems much more masculine to me, but, then again, feminine in an odd way too - like the tom girl, or the girl wearing the jacket of her oily beau hunk she is obsessed about . . . ahhhh, I see. It's like a movie in a bottle in one way it's like Rebel w/o a Cause (it makes me think of the scene when James Dean gives his jacket to Sal Mineo in particular) or, in another completely different version - a little Billy Joel "Uptown Girl" video maybe? In any event, those scenes definitely come to mind for me whenever I smell this fantastic creation.

Brilliant and highly recommended! 5 stars from this guy!

I agree with eugenie about this one. It's very nice, but there's nothing about it that knocks my socks off. I expected to really like this as I was very intrigued after reading many of these reviews for it here on BN. I was hoping for, but got absolutely NO rubber, leather or anything rough and tough like that. Instead it was a predominantly vanilla scent on me. In my opinion it's very tame. It wouldn't be the one I would reach for if I was trying to make a statement. The sillage is good and it's definately a unisex scent.

I didn't get a 'rubber' smell from this at all. It did however make me think wearing this you should also be wearing a knock out black outfit and a confident attitude to match. It makes me think dark and mysterious, and although it seems to lean towards being more of a masculine scent I've gotten only positive compliments from gentlemen I work with when wearing this.

I was anticipating the smoke and burnt rubber notes to be prominent (based on the Basenotes reviews), and indeed they are. However I wasn't expecting the sweetness in this one. It isn't a cloying sweetness by any means, but there's something in there to give it a slight airy or "perfumey" presence. There's also a hint of an old worn leather jacket in there (or perhaps it's my imagination, given that this fragrance reminds me of Harley motorcycles and black leather jackets).

So I was expecting some nasty viscous black liquid to spray out of this bottle, but I was pleasantly surprised with Bulgari Black. Don't get me wrong, I would never wear something like this, however I could see how someone could pull this off.

I'll give it one thing... it IS original!

This is sooo strange this one...Yes...the rubbery smell etc..which I didn't want to wear on a social night out...I used it just to smell up during the day,or to work.It really started to grow on me...in fact I am going to buy another bottle.The other strange thing was I never had any bad comments about it...in fact no comments at all...until I used my last bit...and off several people...I got " you smell nice!!..." This is something if you want to smell different...get a small bottle or tester....try it...it takes some getting used to...it's distinctive.

The scent of a biker bar's parking lot. Motorcylce exhaust, asphalt, chrome and the leather upholstery. Sweet and smokey and reminds me of a subdued Egoiste. Very unique and takes some getting used to.

Walk up to the back of a Trans Am. Place your nose near a rear tire, not too close though because you don't want to get hurt. Now request that the driver do a nice break stand. Ummmm ummmmm. How would you like to smell that nonsense all day? There's a reason that this smell hasn't been used, to my knowledge, in any other perfumes. It stinks. It's a shame too because the tea notes are really freaking good. Oh well, I'll find a teaish scent elsewear.

Just wow! I wasn't sure what to expect... I read the reviews of rubber and car parts and thought that this couldn't really be that great. It is more than great, it's awesome! I'm trying to pinpoint what it is that I'm smelling... could it be cedar and vanilla? It's a lot like I'm walking through a warehouse where cedar is being cut on one side, and vanilla is being pressed on the other side. I like it, alot.

i have had my bottle for 2 years and have never worn this in public and never will. not a bad scent but it does not make me do backflips neither.one dimensional and a bit short on longevity.

i had this a few years ago liked it a lot after reading these reviews makes me wanna go get another bottle but be advised it's too stong in the summer time perfect fall winter spring smell

go get it

I first smelled this when a SA in a duty free shop responded to my * I can't stand Western (as opposed to Arab) perfumes, they all smell like fake jasmine * by offering me a spray of Black. I got the rubber and smoke with great pleasure; fancy that, a commercial perfume I like!!! Remembering that has led me to exploring commercial perfumes now ( though I have a good nose for notes, having studied aromatherapy in a previous decade)... and buying five different ones in the last week! I am exploring odd/masculine smells to match my first love (Terre d' Hermes on the way... and and am now that woman some reviewers say they admire who wears Black as standard.. to work...to the shops... I keep smelling my arm and spritzing different places to keep the rubber/smoke/powdery combo rolling on all day. Adventures in Black, love it!

Am I missing something here? Having read many reviews, I expected to love this. Instead, I...rather like it. But it's far more conventional than I had been led to believe. The rubber, which I was dreaming of, is faint enough that I might not have noticed it had I not been specifically looking. The tea is pretty, especially in the (lovely) drydown....but overall, it's a fairly ordinary, pretty but not spectacular vanilla oriental w/entirely too much old lady floral in the first couple of hours, after which it becomes a somewhat more masculine version of Shalimar, but less spectacular and barbaric. Am I the only one who feels this way? I wanted to love this so much....

I've enjoyed most of Bulgari's fragrance except for this one. For the life of me I can't grasp the idea of why someone would wish to smell like burnt rubber/tar/smoke or wet animal, which all these things evoke when I smell this. It smells like you've ridden on the back on the tailpipe of a bus. This is just awful stuff. In my opinion there is nothing refreshing or sweet about this one except the joy in being able to have something cold soap or body wash to get rid of the smell and open windows to permeate the room. Just god awful. I am thankful though that so many don't seem to know about this hidden gem and don't wear it too often as say "Angel".

Initially I thought this was a real eunuch of a scent, but have been giving it more wearings and more time, and I've noticed that it does last but operates like a submarine, only resurfacing irregularly when you least expect to be reminded of the fact that you're actually wearing anything at all. BvlBlack suits those days when you're not really in the mood for perfume. It's not that linear to my nose - there's a unique topnote that's fresher than the rest of the marshmallow sweetness. The vanilla is also quite different from many others that have vanilla in the base. The bottle is ever so kewl and my spray mechanism is fine, thus far. I mean the spray mechanism of the bottle...

After reading some of the reviews of this cologne I questioned picking some up. I mean how can rubber and car parts smell good!?! I just picked some up and they pulled it off! I always have girls around for second opinions and they love this one too. You can get this bargain frag for $20 of some websites definitely worth it.

This review is under revision.

I've just taken possession of my very own bottle of Black, having lusted after it for a couple of years. When I first came to the perfumista world, I tried Black expecting to be shocked and repelled as it's touted as a 'wierd and wonderful' scent, yet I found it very comforting and familiar. The rubber note doesn't spring out too much on my skin (though I like rubbery, tarry smells anyway) and sadly, I don't get any baby powder, or black tea. Instead, I get a nice lingering saddle leather followed by a deep, comforting vanilla. Since I adore both notes, this makes me very happy.

I'd certainly recommend anyone of either sex to try this fragrance - it crops up frequently as a reference and it's an interesting and unique composition. Also, it's widely enough available that you should be able to get to smell it. It's often put in the Men's section of perfumeries, but is very much unisex.

I guess everyone has that one scent in their collection... you know the one... it goes from top shelf to back of the drawer because you can never really be sure of it. Well, Bulgari Black is that one for me: I suppose that's mostly because it, to me, only belongs in certain settings. One, it must be cool to cold outside, and two, it must be dark out. This would not work on a warm breezy summer evening, and would not work on a crisp spring day. Black says it ALL here, especially with the black tire punch from the very first inhale. Mixed with vanilla, and that slightly sour black tea note, this is very intriguing.

The only thing I'd change on this one is, tone down the vanilla, and dry out the sweet. That would make this more modern and more versatile. Bulgari Black Dry... the name needs work but I'd love to see it happen.

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.

its half brother of body kouros...with the woody aspect toned down a lil bit..you would find the same linear smell of body kouros along with the tea (wow) and lil bit of brand new rubber tyre, although its (rubber note) quite subdued. great scent if you are lazin around in house when its rainin crazy outside or when you are smoking or with friends...quite personal kinds..makes you dwell on things and takes you back in the memory lane..quite personal kinds...love it.

it absolutely smells like a sweety playdough. lapsang tea is the refresher in this fragrance i think. altough bulgari says it's unisex, it is a very masculin scent with notes of cigar smoke and rubber. at least my nose thinks like that. i love to wear it in the morning because the sweet yet sharp tea note makes me awake! thumbs up and a hoo-ray. the most original and the best in the bulgari collection.

"You smell that? Do you smell that? Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning." This juice brings me back to the good old days when I sat at a traffic light on a hot summer day in the city before catalytic converters came into being. At first spray, I get a whiff of the guys on the roof spreading a layer of fresh hot tar. After my migraine clears, I wait patiently past the dry down, well into the basenotes, about 4 hours later. Then, my wrist gives off a scent like my roof got tarred yesterday, but someone tried to get rid of the odor with a powerful grease remover scented with something cheesy and floral. Come on people! You can’t really love this stench. I never got past the chemical plant smell to something I could call pleasant.

A great fragrance, though not necessarily unisex, it's rather masculine. Alongside Boucheron Jaipur and Rochas Man, the best sweet fragrance. The smoke and rubber scents aren't what you would normally expect, they are very subtle and veiled perfectly in a sweet and warm aroma. The touch of tea is also very noticeable, giving this fragrance a rather poetic allure. The bottle however, is horrible, it looks like it was made by someone who was in a hurry to catch a train and didn't have time to pay any attention to details. I've tried four bottles from different places and all of them were broken. This makes me think that maybe this fragrance turned out to be great by accident. But overall, this is one of the best scents you can find.

I describe this scent as a room lit up with vanilla scented candles and you can find leather whips under the bed. I love it, on myself either at work or when I'm in a naughty mood already.

A fleeting (and synthetic) rubber and vanilla scent. Yum, yum, yum - NOT!!!

Great bottle concept, though (but even that fails to function effectively, as well).

I picked this up as my third "serious" foray into searching for a personal scent. After the very pleasant, but predictable Burberry London and the delightfully off-putting Green Irish Tweed, I thought I might try something which everyone seems to agree is different.

There is just something "wrong" about this scent. I don't have a trained nose and am admittedly not very experienced in picking out the basic points. However, this seems to not fit into what I would consider the more pedestrian ranges. And that is something wonderful.

The black tea which I am able to discern reminds me of my favorite cuppa, which is actually Lapsang Souchong. This is not so much New York to me. But more Hong Kong, São Paulo and Tokyo. Urban on the outside with deeper, richer organic roots just below the surface.

I at first hated this... But because Mario Justiniani loved it so much. I gave it a second chance. I do not know if may be I just smelled a tainted tester or what... But the truth is. This is not bad by any stretch of the imagination. For some reason it smells like a vanilla latex condom.

I love it.. I would definetly buy it if I could find a bottle larger than 2 oz.


The rubber vanilla and what I believe tar and tea are great.. A bit too powerful for a woman to wear IMO.. But hey.. Go for it..

One of the most original fragrances to be mass produced. One hour after spraying the most obvious notes are rubber (tire and latex) and vanilla, but I can also smell wet wood, tobacco and jasmine. I think it is much more complex than most people perceive it to be. One of my favorite contemporary fragrances.

I used to be a big fan of Bulgari colognes a few years back. I got this one from an uncle of mine, who received it as a gift and thought it was way too heavy. Well, I tried it and I must say I quite like it. I mostly smell the vanilla, nothing too special, but wuite alright if you like sweet smells. not much staying power, though

one of my favourite fragrances ever!
somehow it seems that i really feel attracted to fragrances composed by annick menardo! i got them all, not knowing they were all created by her in the first place!
they all (and especially this one) develope a latex + babypowder combination on my skin!
this is a fetish fragrance!!!
and believe me: 9 of 10 women fall for it! ;)
(at least smelling it on my skin!)

I have yet to find a tea scent that matches this for me. It's smokey, yet light, and slightly sweet, with a tangy but not piercing top. The drydown is musky and dark. This is one of my favorite all time perfumes.

When I first smelled a sample of Bulgari Black, I loved it, and bought a bottle on impulse. Although I don't mind the scent now, I find the vanilla dry down quite cloying and that puts me off. If there was more going on, once the rubber/smoke note fades, I might have enjoyed this more. I am not the greatest fan of vanilla at the best of times, but I do admire this mainstream scent for being a little out of the ordinary. If anything, I prefer wearing this in hotter weather, even though the vanilla would lead me to think it would be better in cooler weather, but for some reason it doesn't work like that on my skin - heat seems to bring out the smoky/rubber accord more, which I prefer.

This was my signature fragrance for a number of years, and I find it so odd that it is classified as unisex... and even odder when I happen past a man who is wearing it. To me, the fragrance is very sexy and feminine, too sweet to be considered unisex or masculine. (No offense to the many men who obviously do not share my opinion on this.) It smells like black leather soaked in vanilla and spices and is very sweet in a non-foody way. There is a rubber-like note in this (although I might never have identified it as such without having read the reviews), but it is not unpleasant. For me, the leather note is the hook; it gives an edge to what could have been an overly soft, generic Oriental/gourmand fragrance and elevates it to something far more unique.

I recently purchased the mini puck. I have been using Issey M. for the last 2-3 years and I am searching for a new fragrance. I really am surprised at the 'new' smells I have found. This one is wonderful. I love it. I have now order the larger 'puck'.
It does take some getting used to as it does remind me of a tire. But, that goes away and morph's into something great. I will be selecting 2 or 3 more to have different smells.

Extraordinary. I honestly cannot believe there are so many different very wide ranging opinions out there. This has been my absolute favorite since first buying it in 1999. Not many others as distinct or unique. From reading some previous reviews, I'm convinced that people are smelling only what they want to smell. I definitely smell rubber, black tea, and vanilla. How some only get cloying sweet vanilla only is beyond me. I have to say, I will now study Luca Turin, because if it's in his top 10, I already have great respect for him without knowing much at all. Pure genius. 10 out of 10!

This was a blind purchase and it's the best blind purchase by far I've made this juice smells great hmmm wonderful instant classic for me can't stop smelling myself a thumbs up way up

Meh...Its alright...simply doesn't smell as wonderful as a lot of people like to make out...

A lightly vanillic semi-smoked black tea (or hong cha, red tea in Mandarin). Not special.

I have mixed feelings about this one: whilst the rubberish note makes it somewhat unique, it also ruins it for me...should replace this with some white tea notes, and maybe perhaps some guaiac - it would suit the fragrance better.

Its very urbane-smelling, a modern take on a tea perfume, quite palatable, and very acceptable.

Something about it screams out "MAINSTREAM"; I'm by no means a niche devotee - there are plenty of fantastic mass-market and semi-exclusives out there, particularly in classics, but there's something in this that just says to me "I'm mainstream, but its ok, coz I'm not 'usual'..."LOL.

Well, thats my honest opinion. spot on 5/10.

Cheers.

TurkishRose and some others are right on the money: NOTHING SPECIAL, but very deserving of that 'black' name.
It is smoky vanilla, much like Escada Magnetism and others, but it is noticably different. What do you notice? that it is nothing to write home about.

I just purchased a bottle (puck?) of this yesterday, and although i'm not sure i would have picked out the "rubber" note had it not been mentioned so much here, i can definitely smell it. For me it's not so much a rubber tire note as it is that of a rubber squeeze toy if anything. I put some on last night and found the sillage to be pretty average, and though some have said it lacks in persistance, I could still very much smell it this morning. Interestingly, while Black develops in a pretty linear fashion (thanks to that O.B.), when i awoke the aroma that greeted me was this peppery/vanilla/muskiness that i REALLY liked. Anyway, the overall unique spicy/sweetness of Bvlgari Black really works for me, and i can see it getting a lot of playing time .

The smell of a metropolitan jungle... Hong Kong, Moscow...Monolithic steel towers, steamy asphalt, sweaty markets full of spices and teas.... This is one of the most unique fragrances on the market. It's blend of smoky tea and vanilla with an odd ozone-rubber note makes for one of the most interesting smells around. Sexy, urbane, and very original. Lovers of vanilla fragrances or tea fragrances should definitely have a bottle in their collection. This one is good for the office or a hot date. Smells equally divine on men or women, though it probably has more of a masculine edge to it.

Bvlgari Black to me is the opposite of Bvlgari PH. Where PH is quiet and subtle, Black is very noticeable and loud. That being said, I like it. It's a very unique combination of ingredients that make it great for a night out on the town, or whenever you feel like wearing it. I wear this year round.

this one is smokey and dark. its more suitable on the mens.too rubbery ,used to like it some years ago not anymore.

I splashed this on and was immediately taken back to when I was seven or eight slot car racing with my dad - at the big racing tracks not the small HO scale sets at home. I remember we had a batmobile slot car the shot flames out of the back and we built a Ford GT-40 and . . . . I immediately get rubber, metal, light weight oil, and electricity. As it dries down, the rubber looses its sharpness (blends more) and the vanilla and tea comes out. Definitely a "different" fragrance.

I would really like to be positive about this frag as my husband loves it, but fact is, it makes me feel nauseous. Probably too much vanilla, which IMHO should be found only in desserts, and should be kept out of fragrance. My husband can only wear this when I am away on business. I agree with ruggles that it bears no resemblance to Dzing, thankfully.

I can smell the rubber but it's not offensive. I thought it would be more edgy but it's just nice enough. Nothing special in my opinion.

It's been said here that this one isn't all that black, and I agree. I had high expectations from this one but it's just a very pleasant fragrance. I can't smell the rubber, which is much more evident in Dior PH for example, and although I admire Menardo's works, I think that one is more Bulgari (meanning "nice fragrance") than Menardo.

Lilly-of-the-Valley and new tires. Odd combination. At first I liked it's smokiness but then the rubber settled in. Definitely masculine, not unisex as I first thought with my sample.

Olfactive Block? Why bother? While I love vanilla bases, I found BB to be a cloying and polluted vanilla. Too simple and, IMHO, nothing to do with the divine Dzing!

Dry, black tea, hints of rubber with vanilla.
Divine and different. Sillage ok
Quite masculine:)

I love Black - it's edgy, yet pleasant and makes me feel mysterious and pleasantly clear at the same time. My boyfriend who loves black clothes and minimalist design likes it very much, too. Bulgari's own description as an urban scent perfectly fits, I think.

I don't get the rubber - but certainly the tea and smoky wood - also a little touch of sweet. This is (so far) my favorite from house Bulgari, but I'm just having a hard time deciding when I would wear this. I'm sure office would be OK as would any casual occasion. I will call it cutting edge simply because I have never smelled ANYTHING like it. I give it thumbs up, maybe I will even buy a bottle when I run out of Armani Code. The two are not so much similar in fragrance notes, but I would wear either in similar circumstances (casual Fall comes to mind).

Thanks to Djuna, I now have a decant of this, and I agree with the descriptions of smoke, rubber and black tea...but I think that it should not be reserved for Batman only, how about L'Eau du Catwoman? It's soft enough for a woman.
I also see how it could be a good layering fragrance.
I like it very much!

Nice warm and light cologne.But anyway this should be men's only.I really adored it three years ago.It lasts very much and it is subtly sweet so you won't smell like a cake.

I really don't find this very sweet at all. I find it smokey and dry; to me its entirely rubber and black tea. Mysterious and off-beat. L'Eau du Batman.

I think this may well be the most avant-garde scent released by a major designer house. For a wholey unique fragrance, try layering a couple sprays of Bulgari Black over a base layer of Dior Homme. No one within a thousand miles will smell like you, and few will smell as good.

My first review! Everything about this fragrance primed me to love it: the name, the urban positioning, the packaging, the reviews, and several of the prominent notes (tea, vanilla, rubber, etc.: I love the scent of tea but perhaps not in a fragrance?). It just doesn't work for me: cloying and superficially sweet(none of which sounds very urban!).

Fortunately I only purchased one of the very inexpensive testers referenced in these reviews, but I'm sorely disappointed. That said, the packaging is still amazing.

Well well well. Bvlgari Black. We meet again. The first time we met, I was astounded that I could be so revolted by a fragrance. You smelled like someone had spilled a cup of stale tea on an old dirty tire. Now, you smell like someone sprayed a sublime vanilla infused tea fragrance on a fresh, shiny tire. A Ferarri tire. And the Ferarri is at a fancy car show featuring many stylish and rich individuals. Honestly, I don't know what happened. Was it my nose becoming more accustomed to unconventional notes? This is an amazing scent. It is minimalistic without being boring. Attention grabbing without being loud and obnoxious. Classy without feeling stifled. Sweet without being cloying. And most importantly, unique without being intimidatingly weird. Despite what others have said, I find sillage and longevity to be better than average. This is an amazingly well thought out and expertly crafted fragrance. Try it!

This is the perfect fall fragrance for me. It's smoky and mysterious, and not just a fragrance, but a sensory experience. I just smell the smoke (and maybe a hint of tar), rubber, and vanilla. And those notes blend together smashingly. I wear this everywhere from work, to running errands, to the club, and I always get compliments on this one. I think it suits my personality, and may eventually become my signature scent. Two thumbs WAY up!!!

I am one to believe that different perceptions of scents are not so much a product of chemistry as a genetic inability of certain noses to detect certain notes. Bulgari Black was purchased to entertain my craving for deep, dry rubbery tar and tea. What I got was the sickeningly cloying artifical vanilla scent of a cheap hand cream or dime store body spray. I believe it's contributed by the ingredient Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene, basically an overused compound put in every hand cream to give that love it or hate it "warm vanilla" note that I find heavy and repulsive. Interestingly, studies have shown it also to be a HUGE irritant, and Europe demands that it be disclosed on labels. It's hard for me to overstate how much I loathe that smell. It literally closes my lungs up in bronchospasms.

My bottle of Bulgari Black went from my wrist to Ebay in 15 minutes flat to finance a purchase of Comme des Garcons Synthetic Series "Skai." I'm hoping it gives the smoky, Barbie Doll PVC scent I'm after.

I guess I just don't pick up on the much-discussed "tar" notes in this fragrance, folks. I happen to like this one a lot -- esp. the woody notes and tea notes. All that said, I DO have to be among those who say that longevity IS a problem with this one, though -- wish that Bulgari would attempt an EDP version of Black.

Very compforting scent to wear and lasts all day. I don´t think it is too feminine for a man to wear, although on the other hand it smells fantastic on my GF as well.
The consistancy of the notes is superb, Black smells much the same from initial drydown till the very end (many 7-8 hours). Testers are available for next to nothing on ebay right now, highly recommended!

This one does not evolve and it certainly can smell rather odd when on certain types of skin but on the RIGHT skin it is great. Longetivity is it's major problem, that and the fact that it has been deleted in Australia (according to the stores I have visited)

I had to give this away, it was too woodsy and irritating for me, usually love blvgari's scents, but this one was not a good one.

I think Bvlgari Black is masculin & not feminine.
Tea for Two is the best unisex fragrance for me but Bvlgari Black worth to have.
it's a bit like Body Kouros but Bvlgari Black is more refined than Body Kouros.
it is elegant & good longevity,, black tea makes it balanced.
i have always like tea notes.

I made a mellow review of this the other day. But a few days ago I smelled it on someone else in a store and it was an absolute enchanting scent. Lovely. I havent been using it for a very long vile but I might stray with it when I get tired of my signature scent voleur de Roses.
benb

I see that many of the reviewers primarily notice rubber in Bvlgari Black, but I do not notice rubber at all! It is definitely an unusual scent, and far more masculine than feminine. I love to smell this on a man. It is woody and aromatic, with the slightest tinge of aniseed (although I don't know if aniseed is actually in it). It is sexy and mysterious, and its name is fitting.

It does smell like rubber, like a sweeter and more wearable verison of the CdG Synthetics series (Garage and Tar, mostly). I don't mean "more wearable" as a compliment though, it also makes it less interesting. And it's very faint and fading fast on my skin. I need to try it more though.

Rubber is prevalent at first but it dries down fairly quickly to a much more pleasant smoky vanilla + leather. It's a great urban scent but won't really stand out in a crowd. Slightly synthetic-smelling, thanks to the rubber. It's inoffensive--I would consider wearing this (albeit lightly) to the office, but there are better chic urban scents to be found.

One of the most chic and ultra-modern things out there, it's perfectly balanced, simultaneously animal, vegetable, mineral. Sexy yet serious, fun yet dignified and mature without being the least bit fusty or old-fashioned - probably the only truly unisex scent I've encountered - as opposed to many others which are really more androgynous than unisex - in that a woman could wear this and still smell completely feminine, and a man completely masculine, if that makes sense.

What to say about Bvulgari Black. One of my favorite scents, despite it's lack of evolution. What you see is what you get.. as mentioned previously, you get your smoke, rubber and vanilla.. pretty much in that order... and the combination is something quite alluring. To me, it is reminiscent of Lolita for men, without the heavy Anise tone. Something about this fragrance reminds me of a freshly opened box of Christmas Ornaments. That being said, my one issue with this scent is the fact that on my skin it just doesn't last.. within 3 hours it has disappeared fully. Like a one night stand, Black is great while it sticks around.. but it always leaves me forlorn, staring into the rainswept streets.. pensively..

This fragrance is pretty unique .. it has that "burning rubber" top and middle notes which are strangely alluring, despite initially sounding like a bad idea .. the dry down is vanilla-esque, and the scent stays close to body. Good lasting power too. In my opinion, this is more of a manly scent.

A unique mysterious fragrance, which is definitely worth a try.

I don't know about this Olfactive Block business. Bulgari Black may have a subtle progression, but it is certainly there. The dark, sort of nasty burning rubber overtones give way to a very well balanced vanilla / leather / tea scent. Polite and sophisticated, but very very versatile. I can't actually picture this as a feminine scent.

Man this stuff is great. It's a slightly smoky vanilla-like scent with a hint of rubber, like a formula1 car driving through a vanilla patch.

Bulgari Black is an original - with a capital "O"! Black tea, wood notes and vanilla steam off of the sandalwood, amber, musky base. VERY SEXY! This scent is earthy and dry with a warm edgy feel. Not overpowering ~ strictly subtle. The bottle is also an original, and seems to be aimed more toward the men, although it has come to be known as a uni-sex fragrance. This is my favorite on my husband ~ I think he's on his fourth bottle! Undoubtedly worth a try!