It’s interesting to see one’s perfume tastes “expand” throughout the years. When I first tried the By Kilian line only the L’Oeuvre Noire Collection existed. My favorite was Back to Black. It immediately drew me in. I loved its tobacco sweetness. Now I still like Back to Black but I find myself now more drawn to the flowers in the collection like Beyond Love. Even though these days I find Back to Black “too sweet” for most of my moods, I do think it’s a paramount perfume for the house.
Back to Black opens up as a tart, fresh raspberry muddled in hot chamomile tea. There’s a sweet boozy cherry pipe tobacco in an ozonic humidor (thanks to cool spices; they give an illusion of a humidor). Back to Black becomes honey- a powdery, sweet honey. Sometimes I like this powdery honey, sometimes I don’t. I wish it were more “sticky” on me than powdery. Back to Black dries down to a boozy tonka bean and vanilla with slivered almonds. It’s so rich and boozy.
When Back to Black works on your skin, it really, really works. If your skin does well with honey notes, this will probably smell amazing on you. I find that the honey goes a little too powdery on me.
Notes listed include bergamot, raspberry, blue chamomile, cardamom, coriander, saffron, cedarwood, vanilla, almond, vetiver, cistus labdanum, patchouli, and oakmoss. Launch date 2009. PERFUMER – Calice Becker
Give Back to Black a try if you like sweet tobacco or honey scents. Or if you like perfumes like Serge Lutens Chergui, Providence Perfume Co. Cocoa Tuberose, Costamor Tabacca,Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille and/or Agonist Black Amber. Back to Black is unisex. I prefer to wear it fall/winter.
Projection and longevity are above average. And the packaging is gorgeous.
The 1.7 oz bottle retails for $235 at Luckyscent. Refills are also offered. Samples are available for purchase.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – A sweet, honeyed pipe tobacco. It’s a great fragrance and years ago I considered a full-size purchase, but these days I’ve been all about floral ambers and florals. I’m happy I didn’t buy it.
*If you like this one but don’t like the price, you should try Costamor Tabacca. It’s a similar sweet, honeyed tobacco but it retails for $75.
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