Kiton Black (2007)
by Kiton

Like the angular and minimalist designs of Rem Koolhaas -- this too plays with light and shadow. It is an elegant and classy. It opens with a fizzy top which is like soda pop infused with red berries (Kiton is after all Italian), and then it segues into a very pronounced wall of violet leaf -- fresh/ heady/ persistent/ green just touched by the spice of cardamom and rounded by the woody warmth of cedar.

Then it darkens after an hour or so. I smell very distinctly -- pencil shavings! The earthiness of vetiver asserts itself very quickly -- slightly medicinal. Suede finally arrives -- like a soft warm caress though still colored by the lingering violet/vetiver tandem.

Highly recommended!

7th November, 2011. (Last Edited: 14th November, 2011.)

Black, light, airy and fruity suede. This is Kiton Black. Its kind of darkness is not an heavy one, the vetiver of the final phase, according with the assertions of some, is light, set just in order to impress the right dosage of eartheness to be flanked to the spicy beat coming from cardamom. The opening is just a bit too pungent and decidedly obscure because of the highly bitter whiff of berries and the starting influence of violets from the back. The sensation is that of inhaling a very deep juice of lemon-wild black cherry with a touch of peaches to balance the bitterness with an hint of sweet. The darkness is kept on by the velvety hint of violets while a vetiver-cedar accord plus spices starts in a while to impress structure and masculinity to the juice. It's not the structure of Ungaro lll (which with i detect some similarities) cause spices, woods and earthy notes are less prominent and bold in here. In this phase anyway the fragrance is still too harsh and obscure but in a few time a stunning final phase materializes itself in terms of velvety, smoky suede because of the wonderful link of amber-tonka-leather. The amber makes smoother the smoky leather exuding the perception of a fruity, slightly smoky smell of velvety suede. I use to dislike the excess of fruits in the fragrances but in Kiton Black the dosage is well appointed. Unfortunately the scent is too close to skin for my full pleasure and the longevity is not at top. Anyway this is a nice scent for sure, ideal for a discreet touch of romanticism under the moonlight. If you have a clean face, tastefulness in the art of clothing, a disarming smile and pretend to be a good boy while are full of prickly secrets and use to hide yourself in the wardrobes of different houses from
yours, well, this is the choice for you.

23rd March, 2011. (Last Edited: 25th September, 2011.)

Nice smell. reminds me of usher for men, drakkar noir and tommy all in one cologne. It is very masculine, but has a sweet note in it as well. It is very raspy like drakkar noir, but a more modern less offensive version with a gourmand kind of vibe in the background. It has a nice mix of spices as well and citrus.

15th November, 2010.

Fantastic. I have only worn this twice (just got a decant of it), and it is already on my wishlist. The first few seconds of the opening almost smell "bad" in a sense - to me, the leather comes through right away and is present throughout the duration of the scent, but WOW - what a development!

John Varvatos has leather with a lot of unique spice and zest added into the mix. Kiton Black is a leathery scent with a sort of soft, sensual side, almost like a JV without the bite, like.. an "indoors" version of John Varvatos. I'd say it works perfectly for everyday wear, but still has enough of an intimate aspect to it to draw someone's attention in personal situations. It is simply unique - very well made and something that is going to be noticed and enjoyed.

7th April, 2010.

Amazing! It opens with a smooth fruity smell, and slowly turns a little spicy, and then a dry leather/fruit/spice smell. I need to buy another bottle. In my top 5.

11th January, 2010.

This develops in ways I didn’t expect. Looking at the ingredients in the base (amber, tonka, leather) I was expecting something heavy or sweet. Instead, I find a translucent, silvery-metallic, cool scent. That is due to the violet leaves. The opening has a bit of fruit, and also something like celery leaf. A very vague hint of fuzzy suede at the end, that’s all. I’m not repelled by this scent, nor am I attracted. Just slightly under neutral.

19th October, 2009.