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By Kilian Back to Black

post #1 of 45
Thread Starter 
I just received a decant of this from The Perfumed Court. All I can say is, "Wow." This is an incredible scent! I thought I loved Tobacco Vanille, but now I think I know what love is. Back to Black seems so much smoother, and much less synthetic, than TV. One question: is there any way to buy it without paying the outrageous price? I discovered a few weeks ago that TV is sold at some of the Estee Lauder outlets, and I can get it for about $125.00 per 50 ml (about a third less than the price at Nordstroms and the other high end retailers). Does anyone know of a similar way to get By Kilian?
post #2 of 45
You can get the refill bottle of By Kilian. It doesn't come in the beautiful bottle though.

This is 50ml refill bottle and would cost you $125.

post #3 of 45
You can get 50 mL refills for $130, which you could dab or decant into your own atomizer. Travel sprays are also available, you get four 7.5 mL vials and a nice sprayer for about $150. Luckyscent should carry both.

I also like BtB, it is one of my favorites.

edit: volley types pretty quick...
post #4 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorje123 View Post

edit: volley types pretty quick...

that's scary!! Am I that addicted in basenotes?!?!? hahahaha
post #5 of 45
It is pretty nice but, I prefer TV easily still. I get far too much honey in Back to Black. I would love it on a woman or as a present though
post #6 of 45
You can get this travel spray for $135 (4x.25oz) or the plain refill bottle.

i'm planning to get this baby next month, but Straight to Heaven smells nice too.
post #7 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by barclaydetolly View Post

I just received a decant of this from The Perfumed Court. All I can say is, "Wow." This is an incredible scent! I thought I loved Tobacco Vanille, but now I think I know what love is. Back to Black seems so much smoother, and much less synthetic, than TV. One question: is there any way to buy it without paying the outrageous price? I discovered a few weeks ago that TV is sold at some of the Estee Lauder outlets, and I can get it for about $125.00 per 50 ml (about a third less than the price at Nordstroms and the other high end retailers). Does anyone know of a similar way to get By Kilian?

For me, Tobacco Vanille is smoother. Back to Black gets a little sour on my skin when my body heats up.
post #8 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrFragranceReview View Post

It is pretty nice but, I prefer TV easily still. I get far too much honey in Back to Black.

Quote:
Originally Posted by NewHaarlem View Post

For me, Tobacco Vanille is smoother. Back to Black gets a little sour on my skin when my body heats up.

Same here. I like them both a lot but prefer the TV. The honey notes in BtB are hit and miss, depending on the day.
post #9 of 45
The 'in your face' Tobacco opening in TV is too much for me, and i like the honey notes in BtB.
post #10 of 45
Thread Starter 
See, this is why I love basenotes. Within an hour, eight great responses. Thank you all!
post #11 of 45
They are both great scents. I think TV is a bit sweeter, leans gourmand, but in an adult way. Let your own nose pick for you.

If you're going to be with us for awhile, get the smallest bottle you can of either, because you'll end up with a lot of different frags.
post #12 of 45
Love both, buy both.
post #13 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrFragranceReview View Post

It is pretty nice but, I prefer TV easily still. I get far too much honey in Back to Black. I would love it on a woman or as a present though

I agree with this statement completely. I had a chance to sample B2B this past weekend, and, I immediately thought it to be a feminine version of TV. I put a little on the back of my hand, and, a few hours later it smelled like an exact rendition of baby powder to me. I much prefer TV, however, I think B2B is a great scent as well.
post #14 of 45
Are any ladies wearing this? Katie P. gave it a rave, and made me very curious...
post #15 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by slvrbckgorilla View Post

I put a little on the back of my hand, and, a few hours later it smelled like an exact rendition of baby powder to me.

That happened to me the 1st time or 2 I tried it... now it doesn't smell powdery to me. I think it's the chamomile and maybe a couple other notes making for a powdery accord, but it seems like only a minority of people report BtB being powdery. When I smelled it as powdery it ruined the experience for me, it was like that was all I could smell and the other notes disappeared.

I only get a hint of honey and some other sweet notes as well. It is sweet, maybe a touch too sweet...
post #16 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by volley2 View Post

that's scary!! Am I that addicted in basenotes?!?!? hahahaha

We all are...
post #17 of 45
B2B was love at first smell for me, but over time it became too sweet and I moved it to another Bnoter that will appreciate it more. However, it is nice juice.
post #18 of 45
I didn't mind it all that much, baby powder is not an offensive smell in anyway. It also wasn't a "sterile" testing, I was wearing a cologne at the time (on my chest) and I had also sniffed multiple other frags that day, but, I couldn't resist the opportunity to get my nose on it. I really like the true to life rendition of tobacco at the top, and, I think it is an incredible fragrance none the less. However, it did reaffirm my decision to get Tobacco Vanille over it. Interesting that many people don't get the powder note, though, it was very clear to me when I tested it. Crazy how we perceive things so differently.
post #19 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fleurine View Post

Are any ladies wearing this? Katie P. gave it a rave, and made me very curious...

B2B is a very feminine smelling scent to me and everyone who has had the opportunity to smell this on my skin. So I say go for it! I think this smells amazing on a woman and not so much on a man. So much so that i gave one of my female " friends " my sample!
post #20 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJM_77 View Post

B2B is a very feminine smelling scent to me and everyone who has had the opportunity to smell this on my skin. So I say go for it! I think this smells amazing on a woman and not so much on a man. So much so that i gave one of my female " friends " my sample!

Thank you! *off to find a way of smelling this*
post #21 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJM_77 View Post

B2B is a very feminine smelling scent to me and everyone who has had the opportunity to smell this on my skin. So I say go for it! I think this smells amazing on a woman and not so much on a man. So much so that i gave one of my female " friends " my sample!

I have never thought of pipe tobacco as feminine...

Fleurine, Luckyscent sells samples of all the By Kilian frags... try Rose Oud too
post #22 of 45
Bought Back to Black in Rome two weeks ago whilst comparing it to the Andy Tauer 'Auburn'.

Seriously love BtB, love the packaging too...

If you looking at the refills as a cheaper alternative, try contacting Campomarzio70. Depending on your exchange rate, the prices vary. With the Australian dollar as it is, the refills came in under $95 (AUD) bucks.
post #23 of 45
Thread Starter 
Strangely, my thoughts about BtB have changed the more I wear it. Whereas Tobacco Vanille smells the same on me after several hours with no linear development, I've found that BtB develops a very sour honey note over time -- so sour that it starts to smell borderline offensive. I love its opening, but may not be able to wear it.
post #24 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorje123 View Post

That happened to me the 1st time or 2 I tried it... now it doesn't smell powdery to me. I think it's the chamomile and maybe a couple other notes making for a powdery accord, but it seems like only a minority of people report BtB being powdery. When I smelled it as powdery it ruined the experience for me, it was like that was all I could smell and the other notes disappeared.

I only get a hint of honey and some other sweet notes as well. It is sweet, maybe a touch too sweet...

I'm glad someone else finds this to come off powdery. After just reading the reviews I thought maybe I was nuts... Count me in the minority that finds this to come off as wicked powdery. Not sure which note I'm perceiving as powder - maybe it is the chamomile? I don't get the nice big dollop of tobacco I was hoping for, it's nice, but the powder seems kind of overwhelming on me, it's hard to pick out anything else, except the cherry-esque raspberry's sweetness.

Thanks for the sample Dorje, it finally got cool enough for me to feel like wearing it! Maybe the final wearing will unveil some mystery of its greatness?
post #25 of 45
I love this fragrance! One of my absolute favorites. I know some people will split up the travel spray and sell single bottles of it on eBay. You'll only get 7.5 ml, but for me that's perfect.

I agree about TV. TV is quite harsh to my nose, so it's BtB for me.
post #26 of 45
By Kilian Back to Black is a very nice fragrance IMO.
post #27 of 45
To me BtB i very syntetic, TV IS a honey/tobacco scent!
post #28 of 45
I think BtB is better than TV but just my opinion.
post #29 of 45
I love Back to Black. TV is nice, but it seems very linear and straight forward to me, while BtB keeps me more interested. I probably need more time with TV.

BtB can be had for $2.33/ml if you buy the 30ml travel refill set for $70. This makes it much more affordable, whether you have the travel atomizer or not (the 30ml travel set with the Kilian metal magnetic atomizer is $135).

By the way both BtB and TV have excellent longevity. BtB lasts for over 24 hours on my skin.
post #30 of 45
I agree that the travel spray is the way to go for small amounts.
post #31 of 45
It's a very smooth, insanely sweet honey gourmand. Smells ok but I don't really get the hype on this one. I don't smell any tobacco in Back to Black either, which is a shame as it could really use some other notes besides honey and sugar.
post #32 of 45
Am I the only one who thinks BtB is an overpriced Pinaud talc rendition? I found this one disappointing to say the least. Great sillage and longevity, but in order for that to be an asset, the scent itself has to be an asset to the wearer.

I've found other Kilian's to be FBW, but not this one.
post #33 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by AromiErotici View Post

Am I the only one who thinks BtB is an overpriced Pinaud talc rendition?

I think some do, as Al Gae and a few others mentioned... and it did for me when I first tried it. But if you can identify some of the individual notes you may start to lose that association and have a better appreciation for it... it is a very complex blend.
post #34 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbes22 View Post

I love Back to Black. TV is nice, but it seems very linear and straight forward to me, while BtB keeps me more interested.

+1

I own both but would take BtB if I was forced to choose. Much less linear, I've never perceived it as powdery or feminine, and the tobacco is quite noticeable for me in the mid. Like Hobbes also said, it gets much better longevity than many claim. The jacket that I wore last time I applied BtB (just to the skin, and quite moderately at that) smelled of it for weeks. Over all a fantastic fragrance.
post #35 of 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorje123 View Post

I think some do, as Al Gae and a few others mentioned... and it did for me when I first tried it. But if you can identify some of the individual notes you may start to lose that association and have a better appreciation for it... it is a very complex blend.

4 sample wearings gave me the same impression as I stated. I went on to the next sample unimpressed other than it's projection and longevity. I don't wear frags to identify notes. I review them for that. I want to wear them because it moves me in some fashion and enjoy them without analyzing it.

BtB simply isn't for me. Flat out too powdery.
post #36 of 45
Maybe it's skin chemistry or my nose is off, but I really don't find BtB that powdery or feminine. It was the second or third niche scent I ever tried, and I fell for it immediately. Like Partario, I think it's fantastic.

Also, I'm not sure how someone doesn't get tobacco from it - I get more tobacco from BtB than TV, which is mostly vanilla to me.

AromiErotici, out of curiosity, what Kilians do you find FBW? The only others I really enjoy are Taste of Heaven, Cruel Intentions, and Liaisons Dangereuses. If these had the projection and longevity of BtB, they might be FBW to me.
post #37 of 45
I don't know why I haven't gotten around to order a sample of this yet. I've been meaning to for at least a year. Somehow, I forgot to grab it on my last sample order which was during my "Honey Hunt."

I love powder, too. And some people mention almonds. Even better. A powdery, almondy honey? I have high hopes for this one.
post #38 of 45
Sounds like this one's a bit of a chameleon... I just finished wearing it a while ago - reports of excellent longevity were not exaggerated on me. Pretty much the whole time I felt like I was digging through a big bucket of baby powder, and there was maybe a cherry in that bucket, and yea, a bit of honey, and I caught a whiff or two of a nice cigar tobacco from the chest on occasion, but the notes I was looking for were more of the proverbial needle in a haystack. I got extremely tired of it by the end of the day, and yet this fragrance now has some controversy in my mind. I've got about one more wearing in my sample, and I'm definitely looking forward to it; I'm so curious if I'll interpret it differently next time.
post #39 of 45
Hobbes, have you tried Straight to Heaven yet? That one is a bit sneaky with it's longevity, but I think it hits your nose like a truck and overwhelms it. I got over 24 hours with that one as well, but I didn't realize it until the next day when I could smell it while I was walking around. I also spilled some on my fingertips while I was decanting it and could smell it there for DAYS. Good stuff.
post #40 of 45
Scent memory can be tricky...

Some of the other Kilians bring up interesting associations... A friend once asked if I was using Comet Cleaner when I was wearing Cruel Intentions. It never occurred to me, but after he mentioned it I had to agree that CI does share some similarities. Also, A Taste of Heaven can go into toothpaste or shaving cream territory.

For me, when I went through the list of ingredients and picked out some of them, it reduced my brain's ability to report it as only baby powder:

post #41 of 45
Wow, that's a lot of tonka absolute in there. A LOT.

And a lot of vanilla. And then 180g of a sweet note, too? Daaaaaaaaamn. This sucker must be sweet!
post #42 of 45
Partario, I've only tried Straight to Heaven once, and it didn't work for me like BtB. I should try it again though, I was wearing 5-6 scents at the time, didn't really give it a fair chance.

Dorje, I got a very strong Play-Doh vibe from Cruel Intentions the first time I wore it. It really put me off at first, but later I was actually pretty intrigued by CI despite myself. Crazy projection on that one.

I'm continually amazed at what memories or images get conjured up with certain scents. Taste of Heaven reminds me of this shed at my family's cabin on Lake of the Woods in Canada. Pretty sure there is zero lavender or vanilla in this shed, but it smells exactly like AToH in my mind.
post #43 of 45
A amazing cologne produced by a passionate man: Kilian. I brought this one blind. A purchase I do not regret.
post #44 of 45
Another fan here. Outside of their Oud scents, B2B is my favorite By Kilian. I like TV a lot as well... For me it is pretty much a toss up in a head-to-head.
post #45 of 45
Fragrance lovers of basenotes, please don't wear B2B in the summer! It will turn into a powder bomb, Im so surprised no one has ever pointed out that powdery frags turn even more powdery once mixed w/ heat + sweat. In cool/cold weather this one decadent/opulent/rich/sensual/sexy honey bath. B2B any day over TV. TV turns sour real quick on my skin, and also it really isn't the Love Potion it has been labelled to be. It's more of a potion for serious upscale events, like business diners/meetings.
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