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How unique is Bvlgari Black?

post #1 of 34
11/27/12 at 6:27am
Thread Starter 
I enjoy blind buying unique fragrances, and I was very excited to order this one (which I couldn't test even if I wanted to)

However, I'm reading some reviews and some people say it's very 'plain and pedestrian' and completely unlike the hype and marketing.
Someone even likened it to 1 Million.

Is it really like that?
I love blind buys and don't mind if I hate the smell. But the one thing that can really disappoint me in a blind buy is if the fragrance is generic or forgettable.
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post #2 of 34
11/27/12 at 6:50am
  • Ete
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I find it quite unique. Many people compare it to MiP but I actually find BB more interesting
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post #3 of 34
11/27/12 at 6:51am
I would say it is quite unique especially if you compare it with recent releases of designer houses. Rubber, tea, smoke, vanilla, a masterpiece.

Get it while you can!
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post #4 of 34
11/27/12 at 6:55am
It's certainly not so unique that comparison to anything else is impossible. It is, for example, in the ballpark of Midnight in Paris. (Or to put it more fairly, I guess, MiP is in the ballpark of BB.) That said, it is definitely not pedestrian, generic, or forgettable, and it's not very similar to 1 Million.
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post #5 of 34
11/27/12 at 6:57am
i just emptied my 40ml bottle )
i bought it for the same reason becasue its not expencive but is completely unique! it was produced in 1998? the only perfume i tried that reminded me of black is chergui did not try MiP

ofcourse....later fragrances coppy some of those "unique" ....i liked it at first very much, i was using it almost like deodorant....and its very usefull, wearable and smells fresh , although bitter like rubber, dusty...but i must say for now i dont want to buy another bottle becasue what bothered me the most it feels so cold, and synthetic in a way......

i think you made good purchase!
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post #6 of 34
11/27/12 at 7:10am
Not unique at all IMO.
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post #7 of 34
11/27/12 at 7:18am
I hardly find fragrances with smoky rubber over vanilla. I suppose if one is somehow anosmic to the smoky rubber vibes Bulgari Black does become pedestrian...
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post #8 of 34
11/27/12 at 7:26am
Above average unique. Only other similar ones I can think of are Patchouli 24 and Cuir Amehyste.
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post #9 of 34
11/27/12 at 7:32am
I just picked this one up for under $40 and have to say its one of my better purchases.

The price does not resemble the quality. I'd buy this over most niche any day.
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post #10 of 34
11/27/12 at 7:33am
It was so unique back then, it has spawned a whole generation of copycats, most recently, Midnight in Paris & Tokyo Milk Bulletproof 45(different drydowns). I wore all three & MIP came out on top as voted by my perfume friends, even though I preferred Black 4 that distinctive bitter, rubber note..
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post #11 of 34
11/27/12 at 8:03am
Zero like 1 Million. I've smelt nothing like it before, and I own MiP.
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post #12 of 34
11/27/12 at 8:11am
IMO BB is one of the most unique designer frags out now for the price!
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post #13 of 34
11/27/12 at 8:17am
I don't care for it. And isn't like one million any!!!!

MiP is light years ahead imo.
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post #14 of 34
11/27/12 at 8:25am
MIP is another great one!
Quote:
Originally Posted by frostyicy View Post

I don't care for it. And isn't like one million any!!!!

MiP is light years ahead imo.
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post #15 of 34
11/27/12 at 8:29am
In a designer market it's pretty darn unique, if that's what you're going for. In my case, unique was not good, but it does get tons of praise.
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post #16 of 34
11/27/12 at 8:32am
as unique as a burn-out on the street
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post #17 of 34
11/27/12 at 8:43am
As others have said, it's unique from the perspective of mainstream designer releases. Thankfully, even though it's decidedly "weird," it also smells really nice and is, on the whole, quite easy to wear. Since others have pointed out Midnight in Paris, I should also mention that Black is a sort of sibling to L'Artisan Dzing!, especially comparing them during Dzing!'s initial phase. Black also has an effect which reminds me of Fahrenheit, though they don't actually smell the same.
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post #18 of 34
11/27/12 at 8:50am
Quite unique, imo. Love it from the first sniff...That black_tea-smooth_vanilla combo makes miracles on my skin and had none of my friends told me they didn't like it. If it wasn't mainstream you could considered it almost niche...
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post #19 of 34
11/27/12 at 8:52am
Was unique until VA&A Midnight in Paris and SMN Tabacco Toscana surpassed it.
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post #20 of 34
11/27/12 at 9:38am
I've smelled around a dozen strong tea scents, and only two have the tea notes that give the impression of rubber rather than tea, namely Bvlgari Black and Annick Goutal's Duel. And only one of those two is an oriental, namely Bvlgari Black.

That makes it fairly unique in my view.

The only scent that I've come across that reminds me somewhat of Bvlgari Black is Dzing.
Regards,
Renato
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post #21 of 34
11/27/12 at 9:55am
I get the same vibe from Santa Maria Novella - Nostalgia and to lesser degrees Donna Karan Fuel & Unleaded.

You cannot beat the price of BB; one of the very best deals imo.

And MiP? I'd guess if you mixed Dior Homme with BB, you might get something resembling MiP. Maybe.
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post #22 of 34
11/27/12 at 11:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ete View Post

I find it quite unique. Many people compare it to MiP but I actually find BB more interesting

Totally agree. Midnight In Paris is kind of like Bvlgari Black meets Armani Code, with perhaps more of a nod to Code. I find Bv Black to be more compelling. Definitely worth owning, especially considering its bargain price.

As others have said, it's nothing at all like 1 Million, thank god. I enjoy most of the drydown of 1 Million, but I can't get past the sickeningly sweetness of whatever that fruit note is supposed to be. Cut that 1 note WAAAAAY back and 1 Million would be among my favorites. But, to be fair, I'm in my 30s. 1 Million was designed for a guy a decade or two younger than me. I don't mean that as an insult. Paco Rabanne really did a great job of creating a scent that brings young people to their brand. Gucci did the same with Guilty. I'm actually surprised Bvlgari hasn't tried to create a young hyper-sweet trendy scent yet.

Bottom line: Bvlgari Black is a far better scent than its price would indicate. Highly recommended!
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post #23 of 34
11/27/12 at 11:39am
The only thing I know of that comes close to BB is Lolita Limpika for men. Both made by the same nose, so perhaps no surprise there.

Whatever the case, if you are at all curious about this stuff, you really owe it to yourself to give it a sniff. Whether you end up liking it or not, it will be like nothing you've smelled before, even if you choose to spell the name with a "u".
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post #24 of 34
11/27/12 at 11:52am
I don't have nearly the experience with frags as most here do, but I find it to be still a pretty unique scent. I loved it form the first time I sprayed a test spray on, and burned through my 2.5oz bottle very fast and quickly replaced it with 2 more bottles. It even influenced my avatar when I came to BN a few years back.

I would love for the rubber and leather notes to last much longer though because the vanilla dry down is a little sweet for me.But this scent is an addiction, and like someone else said, it reminds me a bit of Fahrenheit with it's auto shop essence.
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post #25 of 34
11/27/12 at 11:55am
Its oddly pleasant rubber note is not really that common.
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post #26 of 34
11/27/12 at 12:07pm
It's not generic, IMO. It's still fairly unique - nothing else has that distinctive rubber note. Why does that matter more than whether you like it or not? I found it unique and still disliked it enough to give it away.

The rubber note is what makes it really distinctive, but that part seems a bit gimmicky to me. It gets your attention in the opening but then recedes quickly. The core accord I find pretty similar to that of some of the other Menardo creations from around that time - Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin and Body Kouros.

That tea accord just grates on me after a while and becomes annoying. I don't know if its my skin that makes it annoying or if I just don't like it - either way, I dislike all 3 of these for that reason.

If you like the BB, but don't appreciate the rubber note, try BK or LLaM.
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post #27 of 34
11/27/12 at 12:18pm
Excellent suggestions. I've heard their similarities mentioned b4 but I personally never felt that way. Fahrenheit is driven by violets while in Dzing! I smell mainly something distinctly saw-dust-like..
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post #28 of 34
11/27/12 at 1:40pm
Pretty unique (both the scent and the bottle). I get mostly rubber as the vanilla and leather somehow escape me.
Longevity on me is not what I was lead to believe it should be.
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post #29 of 34
11/27/12 at 3:15pm
I get really good longevity from Bvlgari Black. I love it and think it's definitely unique. I haven't tried wearing it on a date yet though. I can't help thinking "Is a woman going to enjoy a man smelling like this?" Then again, Katie Puckric thinks very highly of it, and she seems to have great taste. It's interesting that BB is listed as unisex. It smells masculine to me, but I'd be really curious to smell it on a woman.
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post #30 of 34
11/27/12 at 4:40pm
Don't worry. As long as you apply this about a half hour before you go on the date, you should be fine. As for most people, that rubber smell doesn't long and then you're left with that vanilla basenote. Enjoy bro!

- - - Updated - - -

My response was to L'Homme Blanc Individuel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by L'Homme Blanc Individuel View Post

I get really good longevity from Bvlgari Black. I love it and think it's definitely unique. I haven't tried wearing it on a date yet though. I can't help thinking "Is a woman going to enjoy a man smelling like this?" Then again, Katie Puckric thinks very highly of it, and she seems to have great taste. It's interesting that BB is listed as unisex. It smells masculine to me, but I'd be really curious to smell it on a woman.
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post #31 of 34
11/27/12 at 5:31pm
All I can say it is fairly unique but as a designer fragrance and the price...it's awesome
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post #32 of 34
11/27/12 at 5:42pm
I love Bvlgari Black! It's such a warm and smooth scent. I love that's it doesn't cost a fortune.

Bvlgari Blv is a a good companion scent, more powder.
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post #33 of 34
11/27/12 at 6:00pm
Definitely a unique scent and beautifully blends those rubber, smoky, vanilla accords.
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post #34 of 34
11/27/12 at 6:21pm
BB is very unique and although its kind of similar to MIP, it's lasts longer and has better projection on my skin. Rubber meets Vanilla, it's genius...
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