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Bvlgari Black

post #1 of 38
10/7/12 at 2:34am
Thread Starter 
This sounds like a really interesting fragrance and I am thinking about blind buying this. I would test but I haven't found any store that stocks this, its only available online.

What do you guys think of the fragrance? Also because I hear it is a love/hate scent, does it get compliments or negative comments from people around you when you wear it?

Thanks in advance!
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post #2 of 38
10/7/12 at 2:46am
I would not recommend anyone to blind buy this one. There is a burning rubber note in it that took me ages to look beyond ..
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post #3 of 38
10/7/12 at 2:59am
Smells like you walked into a Michelin tire store and accidentally dropped a glass vial of vanilla extract on the ground. It's nice.
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post #4 of 38
10/7/12 at 3:58am
Vanillic, smokey rubber and tea. It took me a while to wrap my head around it. In a very general sense, if you find l'Artisan's "Tea for Two" or Gucci Pour Homme II appealing, then go ahead and give this a shot. Neither has that smokey rubber note that makes Bvlgari Black so unique, but to my nose those three fragrances have a common point of intersection - sweet, smokey tea. I've seen 30ml bottles available in Los Angeles, so perhaps start with one of those and move up to the 100ml if you find you love it.

People who love Bvlgari Black are crazy for it, but it's not for everyone.
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post #5 of 38
10/7/12 at 4:24am
Hi Dreamer i have this, and would send you a sample, only you are in uk. There are a few samples/decants on uk Ebay, I just checked. I'd definitely sample before buying a FB
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post #6 of 38
10/7/12 at 4:28am
It's quite similar to Midnight In Paris by VC&A if you can find that (it's available all over the place). At least you can get an idea of the general gist of it.

If you're in London, though, you can smell it in the Bulgari boutique on Sloane Street. That's where I first smelled it.
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post #7 of 38
10/7/12 at 4:34am
It's a nice vanilla and tea (or rubber, if you prefer) fragrance. If you like vanilla it's a pretty safe purchase, I'd say.
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post #8 of 38
10/7/12 at 4:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreamer View Post

This sounds like a really interesting fragrance and I am thinking about blind buying this. I would test but I haven't found any store that stocks this, its only available online.

What do you guys think of the fragrance? Also because I hear it is a love/hate scent, does it get compliments or negative comments from people around you when you wear it?

Thanks in advance!



I sympathise. I have not found anywhere in UK that has it in stock. I have kept half an eye on ebay for a used bottle bargain but it doesn't come up very often, neither have I seen any samples on there, though it's worth checking regularly as things change quickly.

Actually you can get a generous 2ml sample here for £4.00 including postage.
Might have one myself..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bvlgari-Bl...agrances_Women
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post #9 of 38
10/7/12 at 4:56am
I like Buglari Black. When it was originally launched it striked as inredibly original and odd (in a good way). Today it probably feels a bit more conventional but still pretty darned good. Rubbery leather and vanilla ina perfect balance.
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post #10 of 38
10/7/12 at 5:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by martinijo View Post

I sympathise. I have not found anywhere in UK that has it in stock. I have kept half an eye on ebay for a used bottle bargain but it doesn't come up very often, neither have I seen any samples on there, though it's worth checking regularly as things change quickly.

Actually you can get a generous 2ml sample here for £4.00 including postage.
Might have one myself..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bvlgari-Bl...agrances_Women

You can find it at CheapSmells or Direct Cosmetics for very cheap. Or use this site: http://www.perfumefairy.co.uk/product/602/bvlgari-black.

At those prices, it's not a great risk to buy blind.
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post #11 of 38
10/7/12 at 5:13am
do not blind buy it!!!! give it a smell frst
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post #12 of 38
10/7/12 at 6:12am
I blind purchased this one, no qualms. Don't wear it everyday but it goes nicely in the mix.
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post #13 of 38
10/7/12 at 6:14am
Even though the vast majority of people with whom I have discussed and who interacted with this scent seemed to have positively commented and/or complimented it, still, I'd suggest testing before, since it's strong, distinctive and has the ability to radically polarize.
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post #14 of 38
10/7/12 at 6:47am
I hate it. Definitely not recommended as a blind buy, as others have said
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post #15 of 38
10/7/12 at 6:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreamer View Post

What do you guys think of the fragrance?

Not fond of this one at all.
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post #16 of 38
10/7/12 at 7:15am
Like others have mentioned, it's all about the rubber note. Go into a tire store and take a big whiff. That's exactly what the rubber note smells like and it's strong. Throw in some vanilla and that's the fragrance. Ok to smell, but not to wear. Midnight in Paris on the other hard is actually wearable and more interesting.
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post #17 of 38
10/7/12 at 7:23am
Don't blind buy. I love it but it is unique. Smoky leather, vanilla with a touch of tea. I used to think it had a rubber note but now I only pick it up as a smoky leather.
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post #18 of 38
10/7/12 at 7:39am
I think it's a safe blind buy given that you obviously know about its rubber note by now.

It's not as wild as you would imagine. It's actually a pretty tame, safe scent.
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post #19 of 38
10/7/12 at 7:50am
I blind bought this one, and I have loved it from spray one. Always brings compliments as well. Great bonus
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post #20 of 38
10/7/12 at 8:03am
Love the dry down, hate the opening
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post #21 of 38
10/7/12 at 8:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rüssel View Post

It's a nice vanilla and tea (or rubber, if you prefer) fragrance. If you like vanilla it's a pretty safe purchase, I'd say.

Agree to all.
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post #22 of 38
10/7/12 at 8:49am
It disappeared from UK stores a few years back. Great shame. I have vintage(well is some years old now), I get amber from it.
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post #23 of 38
10/7/12 at 10:22am
Seems as if most people incorrectly identify the Lapsang Souchong tea smell as rubber or burning rubber

Anyone familiar with this tea will instantly recognise the note as such. I love Lapsang Suchoung and its smoky smell and therefore Black is great to my nose. It is of course a black tea and therefore has the olfactory traits that differ greatly from green teas. Many people who aren't tea drinkers simply state 'tea note' when describing a fragrance but there is of course such a wide range of tea and associated smells that it makes a difference when you consider the type of tea. Bvlgari Black is perhaps the best case in point.

I would highly recommend that you get a good whiff of Lapsang Souchoung tea before blind buying, it's not a smell that everyone likes and I can understand how people think it's the smell of rubber, burning or otherwise. Go to a tea shop and have a cup of it and then you will know whether or not the frag is for you. I don't think you should blind buy unless you're already familiar with the tea.




After the Lapsang Souchong note it dries down to a lovely vanilla gourmand. A great fragrance for cooler climes!
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post #24 of 38
10/7/12 at 10:29am
This is a dangerous pick for a blind buy. It could easily be a scent you'll hate. Bvlgari Black doesn't smell like Fahrenheit, but they both have a love it or hate it opening. Fahrenheit has the gasoline smell and Bvlgari Black has a rubber smell.

That being said... this one is one of my favorites. If it weren't so warm here today, I'd be wearing it.
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post #25 of 38
10/7/12 at 11:29am
It is fantastic! I like Midnight in Paris more though.
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post #26 of 38
10/7/12 at 11:40am
A nice scent with a great rubber note already mentioned that I never seem to reach for. Certainly the best release from Bulgari, however...
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post #27 of 38
10/7/12 at 11:55am
As everyone has pointed out, it's definitely different. Rubber and vanilla, yes, but also a floral side to keep things interesting. It doesn't have a typical pyramid structure but arrives fully-formed when sprayed and then shows different aspects throughout the day/evening. It took me a few tries before I took to it, but now I really like it. And it's not different in a way that's likely to offend -- like a big dose of civet could be (I'm still afraid of you, Leather Oud!). It's actually similar enough to L'Artisan Dzing! that if you like that you'll like Black. I'd also say that both those frags share a vibe, if not the actual scent, with Fahrenheit.
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post #28 of 38
10/7/12 at 12:26pm
I've still never smelled this stuff. Never seen it in the UK...
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post #29 of 38
10/7/12 at 2:28pm
Its one of the best designer frags ever created IMO.Smokey leathery vanilla with a hint of vetiver in the dry down.Not a projection monster but it lasts 10-12 hours on my skin everytime.My sister says its the best cologne she has ever smelled and i had compliments from other people(male&female)as well.Eventhough i love BB i believe you should try before buy.Everyone's nose is different.
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post #30 of 38
10/7/12 at 4:08pm
It's unique and lovely. Definitely don't blind buy it, but that rubber note is way better than it sounds. It works really well with the vanilla.
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post #31 of 38
10/7/12 at 11:53pm
Well, Bvlgari Black was meant to be unisex, but women down here in Australia shunned it for the most part. We had some posts here at the time about how it had briefly become the power woman's scent.

My wife thinks it a tad on the masculine side, but has worn it twice in the last eight years. I've worn it a couple of times in the last 11 years, and think it a tad feminine, so I had dumped it in my wife's drawer.

Which makes it a Blind-Buy-Only-If-Going-Cheap kind of scent. It's still often on going cheaply down here.

I think the rubber puck bottle, coupled with that rubber-like smelling tea make people automatically think "rubber" in the opening. Annick Goutal's Duel is another tea-that-smells-like-rubber scent.
Regards,
Renato
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post #32 of 38
10/8/12 at 12:21am
Just to add when I bought my bottle(the old style sprayer about 5 or 6 years ago), the sa said quite a few women had been buying it for themselves.
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post #33 of 38
10/8/12 at 12:22am
This was also on my to blind buy list. Unlike most fragrances, this one never made it.
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post #34 of 38
10/8/12 at 2:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mesaboogie View Post

Smells like you walked into a Michelin tire store and accidentally dropped a glass vial of vanilla extract on the ground. It's nice.

LOL ! Great picture!. You made my day 'warmer' !...

For me Bvlgari Black was love at first 'sniff' although I also wouldn't recommend a blind buying...
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post #35 of 38
10/8/12 at 5:10am
I would not recommend blind buying this one at all.

I detest the fragrance.
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post #36 of 38
10/8/12 at 10:01am
It's certainly a unique fragrance, and loved by many. Mini's are not very expensive, so I would say it's well worth the risk of dropping a few dollars, if only to say that you've smelled it. It's rich and thick, and I like it quite a bit, and purchased a bottle for myself, but the tire store smell that you get in the opening is undeniable.

I mean, they even put rubber around the bottle, you know ?
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post #37 of 38
10/8/12 at 1:48pm
Great scent!
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post #38 of 38
10/8/12 at 8:13pm
I think it's a great scent. Should be a safe buy.
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