Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › MFD Archive › Could anybody explain me?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Could anybody explain me?

post #1 of 14
3/14/06 at 6:24pm
Thread Starter 
Hi Folks!
These days I've been thinking about the concept of "Black" and "Silver" in fragrances...
When we see a fragrance called "something Red" we know for sure what to expect: a sweet scent.
The same with a fragrance with "something Blue": we expect something as sea breeze, watery...
But what should we expect when we see Polo Black? Kenneth Cole Black? Black XS? Is there a consensus about what the term "black" means in perfumery?? The "black" scents seem to be so different from each other!! And the same goes for the term "silver"... Was It created to project the image (and smell) of something metallic, cold? :-?
Reply
Reply

Features on Basenotes

Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
post #2 of 14
3/14/06 at 6:30pm
You have 3 scenarios:

1. The perfumer wants to artistically represent the actual color named in the title

2. Represent their clothing label line

3. They could call it "Essence de feces" if they wanted to and it be a floral scent with no civet note e.g. a random assigned title.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 14
3/14/06 at 6:34pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ikkitosennomusha

You have 3 scenarios:
3. They could call it "Essence de feces" if they wanted to and it be a floral scent with no civet note e.g. a random assigned title.

LOL! LOL! LOL! ;D
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 14
3/14/06 at 10:52pm
Oh, brainstorm - the next new thing in fragrance will be Titanium!
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 14
3/14/06 at 11:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcampen

Oh, brainstorm - the next new thing in fragrance will be Titanium!

Already been done ... Lamborghini Titanium (2001)
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 14
3/15/06 at 12:09am
Black seems to try to extend the olfactory communication of sophisticated with cool notes of "black". I don't even think they were trying to communicate the feeling of formal. I, on the other hand, when hearing the word black I expect something dark, yes sophisticated, with an overall velvety feel, and just perhaps a little formal. Gucci Envy should've/would've been a nice "Black".
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 14
3/15/06 at 12:27am
I'd have thought the concept should have been equivalent to Black label (i.e. premium stuff) or Black tie and Silver service - along the styles of Creed's GIT Bottle. But it doesn't work out that way.

I have MCM's "Black and Silver" - a very pleasant scent, but it doesn't go along with any such concept.
Renato
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 14
3/15/06 at 12:37am
To me, "Black" scents are not the light and floral or powedery scents, but more the heavy scents that remind you of a cool evening breeze, the smell of an armani jacket, or velvet and leather. The sort of scents that smell fantastic with formal evening wear, but wouldn't smell right on a sporty, or blue jeans and t-shirt person.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 14
3/15/06 at 12:46am
That's the ironic thing. These new "Black" scents smells perfect for blue jeans! Okay, well maybe with a black t-shirt instead.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 14
3/15/06 at 12:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by iMaverick

That's the ironic thing. These new "Black" scents smells perfect for blue jeans! Okay, well maybe with a black t-shirt instead.


Come to think of it, you're right... I could easily imagine myself walking around in a black shirt and blue jeans wearing CK Obsession Night
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 14
3/15/06 at 2:32am
Well - a very interesting topic
For me Red scents are rather spicy than sweet (maybe because of CdG Red series)
White scents are something light, floral or soapy... Some chypre scents which turn into soap on my skin are white for me
Blue scents a re definitely aquatic like Sandflowers, Dune, Aquawoman
Silver - Sandal I don't know why by fragrances with dominating sandal are silver for me
And maybe insense (Passage d'Enfer is silver)
Yellow is Vanilla
Pink - candy or berries and fruits
Green - well, green and grassy
Black is the most wide and difficult to describe group. Definitely insense, but not warm
Smoky and tabacco, resins.
Brown - amber and some orientals
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 14
3/15/06 at 6:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by iMaverick

That's the ironic thing. Â*These new "Black" scents smells perfect for blue jeans! Â*Okay, well maybe with a black t-shirt instead.

well thats because they fail at being black. Polo Yellow and Kenneth Cole Who-Gives-a-@#%! would have been Â*more like it.
A Black frag, to me is epitomized by Drakkar Noir (the actual frag, not the aura/debate/reputation/cultural importance/etc that surrounds it). It is badass and sexy as hell. the mysterious Bvlgari Black is another great black in kind of a off-kilter way, though i think it may be too rounded and warm to work into what i conceptualize as a Black Frag. It needs to be sahrper, more aggressive and acute. Or Black, which Ive never had the pleasure of smelling, sounds like it could really not be anymroe black. Envy has been listed as a potential Black, and I'd add Rive Gauche.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 14
3/15/06 at 2:10pm
Silver -fresh and a bit spicy
Black... Hmm... Since we have Drakkar Noir, Bulgari Black, Polo Black, KC Black etc. and all of them smell very different it's hard to associate this color with anything particular.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 14
3/15/06 at 2:42pm
For me those are only marketing denominations that, in the great majority of the cases, have little or nothing to do with the actual scent in its perceptive reality.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: MFD Archive

Features on Basenotes

Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › MFD Archive › Could anybody explain me?