Bvlgari Black Bvlgari 1998

Bottle Design Thierry de Baschmakoff

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7.5 / 10432 Ratings

Bvlgari Black is a perfume by Bvlgari for women and men and was released in 1998. The scent is leathery-sweet. It is still available to purchase.

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Perfumer

Annick Ménardo

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes	Bergamot Green tea
Heart Notes	Jasmine Sandalwood Cedar
Base Notes	Amber Leather Musk Vanilla

Ratings

Scent

7.5432 Ratings

Longevity

6.8320 Ratings

Sillage

6.4305 Ratings

Bottle

7.8314 Ratings

Value for money

7.425 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 23.10.2021.

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Reviews

09/06/2021

8
Scent 8
Longevity 6
Sillage 7
Bottle

DonJuanDeCat

Translated Show original

DonJuanDeCat

Top Review 17

Black as my soul, but powdered!

Hello you smelly butts! It's been almost a month since I last posted a comment here. That was on purpose, because I just wanted to see who missed me and who would write to me during all this time. Of course, not ONE got back to me, which was supposed to make me leave perfumo forever, you mean meanies!!! :D
Why am I actually writing here, huh? Tsss...

Well anyway, I'm coming to a Bvlgari fragrance today, Black that is, as my mood and soul is darkening right now because you guys don't like me for a long time and worship me like a god as I always thought, argh! :D

Hm, okay, I'll get to the scent anyway, even if you don't deserve it, whew!... Strange, I always thought I'd described this scent long ago, after all, I've described quite a few Bvlgari scents, including the lovely tea scent series (the "Eau Parfumée au Thé" scents). And I just see that this fragrance here should also contain tea, so my motivation is also even higher to test this fragrance and describe it for you, although you have, as just said, so not deserved, hmpf!

Okay, before I still endlessly further grumble, I'll get started then!

The scent:

I smell at the beginning of a slightly greenish-sweet scent, in which it is briefly difficult for me to recognize any fragrance note correctly, even with the fragrance listing here on Parfumo I need a while to recognize a little sour, citrus notes like those of the bergamot. None of this is a big deal though, as the mix of fragrance notes smells really good from the start. So I would guess at the beginning of bergamot, sweetish jasmine and possibly even something alcoholic like whiskey or rum, I could also smell tonka bean easily (or did I get the men's version of the fragrance there after all?... let's wait and see).
But as time goes by, it turns out (if I'm not mistaken) that these scents are more like amber after all, and the assumed tonka (probably thought tonka because of the powdery notes) is moving more and more towards leather.
A little later, it becomes more powdery, the leather decreases a little, but the scent becomes more resinous-sweet. Now he also has some similarity with the (men's) fragrance "Midnight in Paris" by Van Cleef & Arpels.
So the fragrance remains in any case also until the end, because you can smell only powdery and soft fragrance notes, which come across pleasantly and smell sweetish as well as resinous. In the base, the leather has become quite weak, but then you can smell a little musk. A pretty nice fragrance.

The sillage and the durability:

The sillage is pretty okay. The fragrance is not a firecracker, but you will be able to smell him on not so great distances yet good for a while. The durability I found with so about 8-9 hours quite good.

The flacon:

The bottle is disc shaped and thick, if you didn't have the spray head it would look like a hockey puck or a car tire. Anyway, the thick black wall is not transparent all the way through, as the interior (i.e. the bottle glass) is visible when viewed from above. The lid is also disc-shaped, but white with a black interior. It all looks quite nice.

Conclusion:

Okay, so that was Black by Bvlgari. And it's pretty good! The beginning had me still unsettled, because I thought I had caught here the men's fragrance, but then I could gradually better assign the fragrance notes present. As I said, Black is a beautiful fragrance that exudes sweet powdery and thus also comes across quite feminine. The only thing I missed here was the green tea, which I saw listed in the top note here but couldn't smell it, but maybe others can perceive it better.

For me, it's a fragrance that could be used quite well for going out. But it can also work well on its own, as it is smooth and most people probably like such soft and powdery scents. But if you don't like such things, well then the fragrance is just absolutely nothing for you. The fragrance is for me anyway an all-rounder that you could always wear, so no matter whether during the day, in leisure or even to go out. Seasonally, he is also almost an all-rounder, but I would tend most to autumn.

A test is already worthwhile, generally the Bvlgari fragrances are yes not bad, especially among the tea fragrances mentioned, but especially among the "Le Gemme" fragrances you can find some so really great fragrances, so it's always worth sniffing around at the Bvlgaris.

And with that I've come to the end again, of course I could go on grumbling here for a bit, but I think half of my introduction already consisted of grumbling, so I'll just wish you a nice evening, so see you :)

Your fragrance god
Don Juan de Cat :DDD

8 Replies

07/30/2020

9.5
Scent 6
Longevity 7
Sillage 6
Bottle

Rquill67
198 Reviews

Rquill67

Leather and rubber?

Bvlgari's Black has a leather / rubber vibe similar to Bentley's Absolute for Men, and Chopard's 1927 Vintage. This is an absolutely fantastic fragrance and so glad I added to my collection. The leather, vanilla, amber and other notes are blended well. It has decent projection and longevity, although I think Bentley's Absolute may beat this one in terms of performance overall. This has a bit of powder but not overbearing, and this has a dry sweetness, not sickly, gooey, candy sweet by any means. If you like leather and vanilla you'll love this fragrance too! 10 / 10 for me!

05/14/2020

7.5
Scent 7
Longevity 6
Sillage 10
Bottle

Dan81
17 Reviews

Dan81

Urban Sophistication that I like to smell but not wear

I came across Bvlgari Black when it first came out in late 90s. I was taken by the edgy urban vibe (rubber/tire) that was dark (vanilla), yet still sophisticated (powdery). It was (and still is) futuristic that I imagined metropolitan inhabitants like New Yorkers or people in Tokyo would wear scents like this. I had forgotten about it for a while until Bvlgari started to produce many Black series for men, which are in my liking but it made me want to go back to this original gem. So I blind purchased it. It has been about 9 months since he arrived. I smell him quite often at night, but I may have only worn it twice.
The initial kick of powdery rubber still intrigues me and I still like the vanilla dry down a lot. When I sniff him I get lost in my own futuristic imaginary NY-Tokyo world, but I never reach out to wear it. He is not a loud one, the performance and sillage is not strong, which makes this fragrance all the more personal, but I also do not want to wear this in close encounter. I simply cannot think of an occasion that this fits. Sadly, even if I am in NY or Tokyo I probably do not feel like wearing it considering the other options I have. I still like the scent so I have not completely retired it but it is turning into a wall flower.

03/07/2020

8.5
Scent 5
Longevity 5
Sillage 6
Bottle

3lbows

Translated Show original

3lbows

Helpful Review 9

How Fahrenheit Absolute should smell...

I think every perfumer knows the feeling of having a fragrance in front of him or her that you can really identify with. Most of the time you still have the test sprayer on your hand; you get a "whiff" every now and then, lead your wrist or back to the olfactory bulb and think, man - that's him. I must have that. It suits me. It expresses me. The nice thing about it is that it usually happens by chance. A bit of perfume research here, a bottling there, a free test there, and sometimes it just works
Bvlgari Black is one of those for me. A state of mind expression, an emotional statement, a familiar aura. We like scents especially when they are more than just the sum of their (pyramid) parts, because they stimulate the different regions of our brain that construct our world view. Memories, images, wishes, situations, colours, physical sensations, but never the isolated scent impression, which is the only one we can neither remember nor, for example, dream about. There is always a need for a "wherefore around", and the more of it a fragrance brings, the more intense it is anchored in us
Bvlgari Black has it particularly easy here, as he unfolds a very concrete connotation right after spraying it on, namely that of rubber (tea?), something like a workshop with brand-new tyres. But other associations are quickly added. I perceive a dirty, petroly note (leather?), which is surrounded by vanilla sweetness. This dirty, almost animalistic, warm sweetness, which dominates the further drydown, is what Black is for me. But at no time do I find him obtrusive, bold or unpleasant - no, Black is rather reserved and harmoniously composed. That's how I had always imagined Fahrenheit Absolute, until I was bitterly disappointed by the uniqueness of the latter. As far as the fragrance intention is concerned, Fahrenheit, although fresher, more spherical, more floral and above all - more dominant, plays in the same team of creative garage-smutters. Bvlgari is then, if you like, whose autumn version, the Fahrenheit absolute is not, in my opinion.

It's probably the plasticity of Black that makes the fragrance so attractive to me. Similar to Terre d'Hermes hot orange road, Black is less abstract and easy to understand compared to other fragrances. But that shouldn't diminish his artistic aspirations, because you have to get that right first, without letting the fragrance drift off into the trivial. The real art is to depict more than just smell, to build a bridge, to play with all these sensory impressions, but still to create something that you want to smell, that you can smell well. A garage with car tires alone, or a street in summer heat with a few oranges bumming around in front of you can't do that.

That's why yes: Bvlgari Black is great perfumery, great cinema, synthesis of smell and scent, of olfactory everyday perception and luxury cosmetics, of urban anonymity and cosy warmth.
Bvlgari Black is certainly not for everyone. If you can't stand one of these notes, or the combined effect, you'll find it disgusting. But for me there is a lot in it All the more I find it a pity that he does not have much to offer in terms of performance. One hour, let's say, he shines with a suitably dosed dose of Sillage. One arm's length, that's all it takes, because otherwise his scent concept could quickly become overpowering or even repulsive. After that, however, it quickly becomes skin-tight, and after 6 hours I can practically no longer perceive it.
I haven't come across a suitable alternative yet; Prada's Luna Rossa Black also has this sweet rubber accord, instead of leathery-warm, but it continues to develop a slightly soapy, cool and distant tone. Midnight in Paris I couldn't test it yet, but it's hard to get anyway. Gucci's current release Memoir d'un Odeur is designed very similarly, although brighter and fresher with chamomile.
Black was not reformulated for this. Here I have a vintage residual bottle, as well as current bottling - practically identical in fragrance and shelf life. Speaking of the bottle: it looks chic, definitely an eye-catcher, the rubber coating feels great. So Bvlgari also skilfully communicates its unique fragrance concept via the feel. But the spray head, which in the Vintage version still has a screw cap, is a catastrophe: rickety plastic, which, if not handled carefully, simply falls off when turned on, and if you press too timidly, you will only get a weak jet out of the tyre's surface instead of a spray mist
And who's the best person to buy it now? Although discontinued, Bvlgari Black is still available online at a discount. I still can't recommend a blind buy, it's definitely too special for that. I also think that - although not outdated at all - this is more of an U30. The best way to test the effect is by bottling. Even if you don't like it, Black is a fragrance experience that you should have done once.

1 Replies

12/26/2019

9
Scent 7
Longevity 6
Sillage 9
Bottle

Smora
155 Reviews

Smora

Helpful Review 3

Dusky City

Scentrack: Khruangbin – Mr. White

Composed by Annick Menardo and released in 1998, Bvlgari Black was a trailblazer in the fragrance world. I do not know the actual reactions in 1998, but it seems to me Black grew into one of the cornerstones of modern perfumery. A true legend. At this moment it is sad to hear the growing rumors that Black is being discontinued, but it is more than possible that another of our fragrance heroes is going to be euthanized.
Why do I appreciate Black so highly? First of all, it smells niche before the niche. It was very brave of Bvlgari to release something so novel in 1998. Black is an urban unisex fragrance that reminds me of a sunset in a city. Dusky, melancholic, but somehow still realistic. It opens with just a hint of citrus, and immediately goes to the beautiful rubber eraser accord that reminds of my school days. This rubber accord is additionally deepened by a comforting vanilla-amber-Tonka combo with a hint of leather. Juxtaposed to rubber and vanilla is a sparkling (almost peppery) green tea accord that gives the whole other dimension to the composition. Strange how these completely different tunes are coherent in this composition. Later this similar theme was replayed in Body Kouros (YSL, Annick Menardo), Midnight in Paris (VC&A, Olivier Polge), Luna Rossa Black (Prada, Daniela Andrier).
The composition seems simple and linear, but still possesses several somber layers. Black is perfect to wear with a leather jacket, while strolling in a city. The performance is mediocre, while I remember it back in a day as a more potent fragrance. Still, hoping that Bvlgari will not discontinue this dark urban gem for the sake of generations to come.

07/03/2019

8.5
Scent 8
Longevity 6
Sillage 10
Bottle

HugoMontez
40 Reviews

HugoMontez

Conforting rubber

The discontinuation of this little gem made me bought a bottle. I remember smelling this one back when I started my journey in 2015 and liking it, but, at the time i bought the, also discontinued, Midnight in Paris and though that this would be a redundant purchase.

4 years later, I purchased it just to see if this is really that similar and because it could had been the last opportunity before prices go up. I'm a huge Annick Ménardo fan and this fragrance is really one of their best creations, imo.

There's not much transition or movement in this composition. It starts off with a rubber accord that combines tea leafs, bergamot and leather, and after an hour, this accord starts to mellow out and the vanilla became more pronounce. It has the MiP vibe but, imo, the result is more convincing here. Instead of tonka and rosemary, this one has vanilla and a stronger rubber note, although this is more linear.

All in all, this is an excellent scent and I'm glad that I have a bottle. Completely unisex and excellent for mild and cold days or nights.
Longevity is pretty good. I get 10 plus hours on my skin, but the projection is very moderate in the first 2 hours and close to the skin in the rest of the lifetime.

4/5

1 Replies

02/26/2018

7.5
Scent 7
Longevity 5
Sillage 10
Bottle

Pepdal
226 Reviews

Pepdal

Very helpful Review 6

Back to Black

This one from Bulgari and Annick Menardo has a special place in my heart and in this video I review the current formulation of Black. Please enjoy......

08/12/2017

8.5
Scent 7
Longevity 7
Sillage 9
Bottle

Oske7
7 Reviews

Oske7

My favorite blind purchase

I had watched a review on this one years ago and was always intrigued. Finally picked up a bottle a few months back and I'm very glad I did (just wish I had gotten a bigger one). At first I get black licorice, leather, and a bit of rubber, like new tires. Once it dries down the vanilla comes through and seems to stick around for a good while.

09/16/2015

Barolo
5 Reviews

Barolo

Less helpful Review

From Different Planets

Outside of the very unique bottle, this stuff is horrific. Of all the scents I've ever smelled and reviews I've ever read, this particular polarizing "fragrance" (misnomer) leads me to believe people are full on delusion participating in group think. Honestly, I get a terrible headache whenever I'm anywhere near this stuff. It's like being at a gas station and pumping gas all over yourself. You really want to smell like gas mixed with burnt tires? Perhaps, okay if you're spending a day at the drag races, but I can't think of one legitimate occasion, outside of that, to ever don this stuff on your person. I'm baffled every time I see a positive review of this... Any other fragrance I can see how personal bias comes into play but there is no mistaking this is just awful, awful, awful stuff. It makes me believe that if Bvlgari scraped up dog poop from the sidewalk and liquified and bottled it that it would have legions of fans raving about how fantastic it is. Dollar store cologne is better! Everyone who has ever written a positive review of this stuff PLEASE tell me you did it for grins. PLEASE! I hate this stuff so much I've returned from a multi year hiatus after seeing an email to a link to another review extolling the virtues of this bottled garbage. Thank you, Bvlgari Black for bringing me back, if only for this.

6 Replies

09/16/2015

8
Scent

Asphodel
2 Reviews

Asphodel

Helpful Review 3

Smoke. Leather. Rubber. Love

I bought this fragnance immediatly after smelling it for the first time. I love it! I find the scent is more leathery than rubber, though I do detect some rubber
when I first spray it on. A soft masculine fragrance with smokey, leathery notes. Hints of florals and bitter vanilla. Easily worn by women and men. I was most surprised at how modern it smelled for a perfume from the late nineties. My only issue with this beautiful odour is the longevity. I have to really smell my skin at the 6 hour mark to detect it. Could it be because it is an eau de toilette? Regardless, even if it lasts only a short while, the beautiful scent is worth every second.

*Love the bottle too. It reminds me of a hockey puck

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