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By Kilian - Looking for a bit of insight for you all

post #1 of 17
9/21/10 at 5:23am
Thread Starter 
Since I have been looking into the niche market I always wanted to smell By Kilian. The Saks Fifth in downtown Chiago weirdly doesn't have it. I just purchased 5 sample spray vials on Back 2 Black since I heard it might be the only one I really like due to my sweet taste. But I wanted to ask those of you who have experience with this house about the entire line-up. Can you describe the scents you know from in this house in 1-3 sentences for me or a few good words? This will help in narrowing down my search in this house. Thank you!
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post #2 of 17
9/21/10 at 5:38am
http://www.basenotes.net/company/103066
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post #3 of 17
9/21/10 at 8:05am
Of the four I've given more than one wearing to...

Back To Black - dense powdery honeyed cherry tobacco.

Beyond Love - sweet innocent musky peachy tuberose.

Love & Tears - transparent botanical simple clean jasmine.

Pure Oud - dry light reserved woody leathery oud.
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post #4 of 17
9/21/10 at 8:35am
Just some impressions:

A Taste of Heaven - reinventing Caron pour un homme with (or is that after?) a shot of absinthe

Straight to Heaven - a lonesome night at the bar counter. No, make that a wooden bar top.

Cruel Intentions - shortlived smoky birch tar leather. Enough to collar a pussycat.

Back to Black - a helluva heavy smoker in a bakery

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post #5 of 17
9/21/10 at 8:46am
The ones that i have tried:

Back To Black: smoky tobbaco infused with cherries, honey, bozzy rum and a pinch of daisies. Has a cabaret/men`s club aura.

Cruel Intentions: dry spices over dry agarwood. Smells very masculine to me.

Love: Soft Vanilla Meringue

Straight to Heaven: shortlived spicy boozy fresh frag.
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post #6 of 17
9/21/10 at 9:24am
Thread Starter 
How does Back to Black compare to Chergui(which I like and am really considering buying)!?
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post #7 of 17
9/21/10 at 9:26am
Straight to Heaven is probably the best masculine they have. I get about 7-8 hours on it.
Rum, sweat wood and patchouli.

Cruel Intentions is just vile stuff. I know this has its followers but its the only fragrance so far that has given me headaches and put in in a bad mood every time i've worn it.
Fake oud, balsamic woods and beaver butt.

Love
Burnt cotton candy

Beyond Love
Coconut, tuberose and jasmine. not necessarily in that order.

Prelude to love.
Woody sheer iris with lemon and citrus.
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post #8 of 17
9/21/10 at 9:32am
I recently did a 180 on Chergui.

To me BtB is sweeter and less interesting than Chergui. I like the opening of BtB ( chamomile, tobacco and raspberry ) very much. Smells unique to my nose but I think ultimately Chergui has more complex and is more wearable / versatile. just my .2
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post #9 of 17
9/21/10 at 9:34am
Prelude to Love and Cruel Intentions were my favorites.

Cruel Intentions has that sawdusty note (castoreum?) just like the bases of Maitre's Grain De Plasir and Creed's Royal Scottish Lavender. Very masculine once it dries.

Prelude to Love is what I consider the perfect nu-school unisex EDC-style fragrance, very light and fresh, but it's an EDP so the longevity is great. Shares a few topnotes with Creed's Windsor, hence why I liked it enough to buy a bottle.

The rest of Kilian imo were too sweet or too femme.
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post #10 of 17
9/21/10 at 10:11am
I'm more or less with Diamondflame on Taste of Heaven - if you enjoy Caron Pour Homme and want a denser, more 'luxe' lavender for evening wear give it a shot. I'm happy I bought it but I do find it a bit linear and very tenacious, to the point of being tiring, altho some people would see this as an asset.

I also spent some time with Straight to Heaven and I'm afraid I think it lacks any real personality - not for me.

Keen to try Back to Black though . . .
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post #11 of 17
9/21/10 at 11:26am
Only tested two. Straight to heaven: Very nice stuff! Boozy , spicy patchouly
Back to Black: Smells nice, but I don`t want to smell like a box of honey..
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post #12 of 17
9/21/10 at 11:46am
I recommend sampling Straight to Heaven. This one is boozy, but subtle. Extremely unique, and smells great. Get your samples from Aedes. You can get 7 niche scents for 15 dollars shipped, and they have all of the By Kilian's.
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post #13 of 17
9/21/10 at 12:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CutlassSupremeSL View Post

How does Back to Black compare to Chergui(which I like and am really considering buying)!?

I'd say that Back To Black is about two to three times as strong and perhaps 1.5 times as sweet. Chergui is hay-like and sugary; Back To Black is honeyed, slightly fruity and floral over a stronger tobacco note. Back To Black comes off as smooth and pleasant but that kind of disguises just how potent it is. Wearing it, I get people around me commenting "I smell pipe tobacco - where's that coming from?"
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post #14 of 17
9/21/10 at 6:13pm
I think Straight To Heaven should be included among a Basenotes "Must-Try" list. I just think it's really unique, and a tad addictive. If I were to describe it, I'd call it drunken patchouli.
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post #15 of 17
9/21/10 at 6:22pm
I've only tried Back to Black and A Taste of Heaven. I like them both a lot. A Taste of Heaven is a very nice lavender.

On me, Back to Black is actually less sweet than Chergui. Back to Black has been on my wish list for the past year, and I finally plunked down for the travel sized thing.

I will probably get A Taste of Heaven eventually. I prefer it to Pour Un Homme, which is kind of harsh on me. My favorite lavender, though, is Gris Clair.
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post #16 of 17
9/22/10 at 12:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Furriner View Post

I will probably get A Taste of Heaven eventually. I prefer it to Pour Un Homme, which is kind of harsh on me.

Same with me.
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post #17 of 17
9/22/10 at 5:13am
Thread Starter 
Well thanks a lot everyone my samples should be in today and I will put it up against my Chergui samples for my next purchase.
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