I’m a fan of the Comme des Garçons Play perfume line. It’s a fun line that fits the clothing brand perfectly. I have a feeling with launches like Amazingreen (which wasn’t amazing or green) and Black, that these will be outshadowed by similar sounding perfumes from the same perfume house within a year of launching. I’m not going to let you forget these, OK.

PLAY Black opens with tons of pepper. It’s a pepper mill of black pepper, red pepper and pink pepper all over your skin. It’s so spicy you can almost feel it. With time I get this briny black tea and dried thyme with parking garage floor. The scent then becomes more astringent and smoky. It’s surprisingly complex. It’s unusual but not so unusual that you wouldn’t wear it. It’s like tame-unusual.

Notes listed include black pepper, pepper wood (?), red pepper, violet, thyme, black tea, birch tar, incense and tree moss. Launch date 2012.

Give CdG PLAY Black a try if you like spicy black pepper fragrances. Or if you like perfumes like Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb, Bvlgari Black, Odin 07 Tanoke, Phaedon Cendres de The and/or Le Labo Patchouli 24. I consider this unisex but many will associate the notes with the masculine because of Spicebomb….

PLAY Black has average projection and longevity.

The 3.4 oz bottle retails for $110 at Beautyhabit and Nordstrom. 

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – The best pepper fragrance around. Why are you bothering with anything else? Buy this and toss your Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb to the curb where it belongs.

Want more reviews? Try…

Bois de Jasmin 

Grain de Musc

Ça Fleure Bon

Now Smell This

The Scented Hound

*Borrowing this from Brian. Product pic from Beautyhabit. Jane Oleinikoff pic from Vogue. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!