The Dark Side Francesca Bianchi 2016

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8.2 / 10197 Ratings

The Dark Side is a popular perfume by Francesca Bianchi for women and men and was released in 2016. The scent is spicy-smoky. The longevity is above-average. It is still available to purchase. Pronunciation

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Perfumer

Francesca Bianchi

Fragrance Notes

Honey

Spices

Iris

Violet

Sandalwood

Cedarwood

Vetiver

Amber

Styrax

Frankincense

Patchouli

Vanilla

Ratings

Scent

8.2197 Ratings

Longevity

8.8171 Ratings

Sillage

8.0176 Ratings

Bottle

7.7145 Ratings

Value for money

8.631 Ratings

Submitted by OPomone, last update on 16.09.2021.

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Reviews

04/14/2021

9
Scent 8
Longevity 8
Sillage 8
Bottle

JoHannes

Translated Show original

JoHannes

Top Review 34

Of old furniture and my grandparents and honey jars and Turkish styrax resin

This honey jar that has been waiting for decades in the very back of grandma's glass cabinet for its rediscovery.
This rock-hard honey essence, which over the decades dried up and ripens solid and dark in the jar - and spreads a very intense and dark-spicy-warm scent.
This little jar of toothy styrax resin that Grandpa bought back in his travels through Central Anatolia in Konya, the city of the dervishes, and that smells so fruity and smoky.
This incense blend that Grandma got as a gift from a Berber back in Marrakech on the Djemaa el Fna and that has been waiting for fire in the old silver vessel ever since.
That warm-spicy-fruity cloud that drifts through the parlor as soon as you open the cabinet.
This furniture polish, with which Grandpa has always washed this old storage cabinet.

22 Replies

01/30/2021

10
Scent 7
Longevity 7
Sillage 8
Bottle

MariaS
15 Reviews

MariaS

Honey, I have the sweetest dark side

I decided to write my first review on this perfume so don’t be harsh on me.

This perfume was a love at first sniff. Usually when that happens I order 2 bottles asap but this time I didn’t because I have already bought 5 perfumes this month (damn lockdown).

Francesca Bianchi Perfumes:
I had the chance to test all Bianchi perfumes before I decide which one to buy. I love all Bianchis because they have an identity. You smell them and you say “this is Bianchi”. I love the fact that you can’t distinguish the notes. You can’t easily tell what you smell. You feel like there’s some leather but there isn’t any. My favorite of all was Under my skin but I believe is mostly for men. But anyways whichever perfume you chose its totally worth it. This woman did a great job and I believe a perfume of her deserves to be in everyones collection.

The Dark Side:
I read that F.Bianchi was inspired by the city of Marrakesh to create this perfume. I have never been there, but friends of mine who have, they loved it and told me that it’s a place that has a weird beauty that makes you want to go back but there’s also some darkness that scares you. And all of them brought back some Moroccan spices. And this is exactly what I get with this perfume. It is called The Dark Side but when you smell it is not Dark at all. It’s so syrupy sweet. With spices.

Onto the fragrance-The smell:
From all the Bianchis, this one was an instant crush. At the opening, you get an intense smell of spices on a soft bed of oud or vetiver, some incense and some flower, maybe the patchouli. When it settles to your skin it becomes spicy honey sweet and you can smell that till the drydown when you mostly get a leathery honey smell. When you spray it the room smells for hours. Please Francesca, make it an air freshener I would buy all of it!

The performance:
This is where I kind of disagree with some comments about the perfume. I was expecting the performance to be from another planet but it didn’t. I am and active person and I move a lot but almost all my niche perfumes smell all day (almost 10 hours). If not on me, at least on my clothes. This one, I wore it everyday for a week from the moment I got it and all the days, almost in the middle of the day, I couldn’t smell it on me. At the end of the day I couldn’t smell it on my clothes either. So yesterday when I returned home I asked my man to smell me and my clothes and tell me what perfume I wear and he couldn’t tell. So I was a bit disappointed in that aspect of this perfume. Is it maybe my skin or because I was very active this week? I really don’t know. When I say activity I don’t mean I am a gymnast, I just don’t have a desk job. I still have a lot of sprays to prove me wrong because I really really adore this perfume.

Season/Occasion/Audience:
This perfume is mostly for cold weather, or at least a weather you need to wear a jacket. As for the occasion I believe it is suitable for any occasion. I could wear it to go for a coffee or at a business meeting. The perfume is totally unisex and can be worn by a man or a woman without getting uncomfortable comments like "you re wearing a male/female fragrance". Also, because its a complex perfume, I believe a person who is not into niche fragrances cannot appreciate the smell. This amazing smell...ah!

Conclusion:
It is a great perfume and its worth a try.

Thank you for your time my fellow perfume lover.

11/09/2020

10
Scent 10
Longevity 10
Sillage 10
Bottle

Estefania

Translated Show original

Estefania

Top Review 19

One day in November

Actually, it was a day like any other day.
Always in the morning, before I leave the house, I abandon myself to the feeling of being attracted by a fragrance.
Something drew me to the box with the samples and bottlings, here begins the story of this day in November.
When I tested it for the first time a long time ago, I can still remember too well, The dark side really scared me. Its durability is enormous, I couldn't get rid of it for a long time We want to do a bigger hike, before we are still almost an hour by car. I realize that today's scent will have me in its clutches all day. Nevertheless the bottle with the brown liquid attracts me magically. A small sprayer It's cold outside and the fog devours all colour and sound.
The book of my life
Darkness and glistening sunny days
a cape of security
Balsam for wounds that do not heal
Chirping of crickets in midsummer
the embers of the fire in the evening
A melody a rhythm
of becoming and offence
How does anyone know
That I feel exactly the same way...
That everything belongs together
That everything is right
As it is
That you bring out my best sides
And my worst
That I have to surrender to you...
That you are idolatrously beautiful
That
I will love you to death

11 Replies

03/09/2020

8.5
Scent 9
Longevity 8
Sillage 7
Bottle

Ovaissaleem
61 Reviews

Ovaissaleem

Dark Side

Notes: Honey, Spicy Notes, Iris, Violet, Sandalwood, Cedar, Vetiver, Amber, Styrax, Incense, Patchouli and Vanilla

Gorgeous and Sexy Fragrance.
From the opening till the drydown this is just lovely. This is not dark at all. Incense, Honey, Styrax, Iris, Patchouli and Sandalwood are done perfectly.

Just a gorgeous fragrance.

01/12/2020

8
Scent 10
Longevity 9
Sillage 9
Bottle

Emorandeira
356 Reviews

Emorandeira

Honey masterpiece

A new masterpiece by Francesca bianchi that i can try. For me all the perfume goes around two notes: a sweet and very powerful honey and a very balsámic and balanced incense. This gives to the fragance a high deepness and intensity. Un the background the powdery power of iris and Violet and a sweet Woody vibe with the sandakwood, the cedarwood and the vanilla. The fragance is similar to other Francesca bianchi fragances, with a very high quality, a beast performance and a very oily texture which indicates the high concentration of esence It has (careful if It touch your clothes!). My favourite perfume by this House is still sex & the sea but this is a very good competitor. As most francesca's perfumes It has a very sweet vibe (vanilla, honey...) Blended with dark, dirty and animalic tones (honey, styrax, incense...). The longevity is...eternal and the sillage is so good. Be careful with the number of sprays you use because you could intoxicate everybody around... This scent is a bit intrusive ☺️ so i think It is better yo wear It at night, with not very warm temperatures. During the day Avoid to stay much time on Closed áreas because It fills a room un minutes.
As i said before un my FB sex & the sea has the first posición but the second is for sure for this gem.

Scent: 8
Longevity: 10
Sillage: 9
Quality/price: 6
Versatility: 5
Originality: 7
Global: 9

08/01/2019

9
Scent 8
Longevity 8
Sillage 8
Bottle

Serenissima

Translated Show original

Serenissima

Top Review 21

powerful darkness with golden glow

Of course I immediately remember "The dark Side of Might", the dark side of power from "Starwars".
But right after that Martin Suter's novel "The dark side of the moon" follows.

If in "Starwars" the dark is equated with evil, Suters business lawyer Urs Blank shows how relatively quickly a socially conforming lawyer can get "on the dark side" (not only of the moon) through dramatic personality changes As is so often the case, the Swiss author succeeds in taking us into areas we would rather not know about, but which also seem very fascinating.
Reading his books is always worthwhile.

Francesca Bianchi's "The Dark Side" also leads us into a heavy, deep scent darkness, which however soon shows that one is not worth much without the other.
Darkness needs light to demonstrate its power. The dark alone is worth nothing, it cannot compete with the light to position itself impressively and possibly even frightening!

Darker aromas, such as vetiver and here also cedar wood, are quickly accompanied by iris and violet, which are almost too shy.
These two make the prelude more velvety, powdery, until - according to my nose - "ordinary" kitchen spices (such as nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and perhaps even a hint of pepper) settle comfortably on this dark plush scent cushion.
They form the vanguard for a generous dose of creamy honey: the first golden light shows up in the dark wort.
Sandalwood, on the other hand, adds depth and awakens the senses.
This then caresses a warm-hearted vanilla, which also brings fragrance-related styrax resins with a slight liquorice/smoke note to support it.
Before a huge portion of incense can give this fragrance being too "Dark Power", golden-brown patchouli currents will run through this creation - it begins to shimmer.
A final amber swirl marries with the previous fragrance, through it "The Dark Side" becomes more luminous and somewhat tamer!

This fragrance creation full of mystery and depth and this enticing glow develops very strongly even at my low body temperature.
There's nothing soft here!
Francesca Bianchi's "The Dark Side" lures you onto confusing paths that lead into a magical world to a strongly pulsating fragrant heart.
But even in this mystical place it is not only dark; golden shining light points, currents and even whirls refer to a successful and balanced fragrance balance!

Such a scent monster leaves traces on the skin for many hours, which cannot be easily washed off.
That's why we recommend the question: Do I follow "The Dark Side"?

12 Replies

04/21/2019

AromaX
31 Reviews

AromaX

A guided meditation to meet the dark side in the depths of the subconsciousness.

The Dark Side by Francesca Bianchi reminds me of those guided meditations where you have to enter the cellar of your subconsciousness to meet less known parts of yourself. Spraying it is like entering a basement to follow the smell of wax from the burning candles and a trail of an incense smoke. A place that never has seen the sunlight. Or may be a dark boudoir where the muddy windows are covered with black-out curtains. Lit by the candlelight and infused with the spicy smell of resins mixed with a trail of a honeyed floral nectar. A retro vanity table in the middle reveals you the symbols of your dark side - an old wooden jewel box full of forbidden secrets, a bright red lipstick in a silver case and a porcelain powder box... What do they mean to me? Let's look into the darkness of the mirror to face the dark side.

03/24/2019

8
Scent 8
Longevity 8
Sillage 5
Bottle

DonJuanDeCat

Translated Show original

DonJuanDeCat

Helpful Review 16

The Dark Side! Now DonJuanDeCat can really let off steam!

Hello and have a nice evening, folks. Today I will comment on the fragrance "The Dark Side" by Francesca Bianchi. Yes exactly, the dark side, and I'm 100% sure that this doesn't mean the burned side of a toast, but actually the dark side, which is the theme of the Star Wars movies again and again.

Hey he he, Star Wars is a topic you probably don't want to hear about, do you? Well, bad luck, I can really let off steam here now as already threatened in the title, mu ha ha ha ha :D

Well well,... apparently I can't fool you and have to admit that this fragrance has nothing to do with Star Wars in reality... *sigh* It's a fragrance that's supposed to express the darker side of the perfumer, so to speak. Of course, this does not mean anything reprehensible or even criminal, but rather a side that does not appear every day, something mysterious, something sensual, something intimate. All this suitably expressed with "dark scented scents"!
And originally the fragrance should even have a name like "Into Darkness" instead of The Dark Side.

Well, let's see how the scent smells, but I can't guarantee that I could mention a certain star war saga over and over again because of the scent name! D

The fragrance:

The fragrance begins with beautiful resins, some oud and sweet notes (vanilla and amber, and then some honey), is soft and powdery and actually feels a bit "dark". Then also the spices come, whereby the smell also appears heavier. The spices have something of kitchen spices, but are difficult to identify individually.
Over time, the fragrance becomes softer as the resinous notes and vanilla become more intense, pulling the fragrance into a softer side.
By the way, there is very little oud and to be honest, you don't smell oud after the top note anymore (at least not me), instead you smell general woods, which is of course great. The spices make the smell slightly heavier, by the way also prevent that the smell becomes too sweetly, but to me the smell appears by the spices thereby every now and then somewhat dryer.
At the very end, the fragrance becomes a little softer again, even if you can still smell the spicy notes quite well. As I said, it still smells of spices, but the vanilla makes everything seem softer. And I would say that the spices of the late base are also good for the fragrance, because otherwise most fragrances always smell the same: Namely only pure vanilla, which is not the case here. This gives the fragrance a little more variety and depth.

The Sillage and the shelf life:

The charisma is extremely good, you can smell the scent from a greater distance at one or at a smell. Sprayed a lot, it even fills the room for a while.
The shelf life is also extremely high, the fragrance can even last until the next morning depending on the dosage and is then still easily sniffed at the sprayed area!

The bottle:

With its simple, rectangular shape and the simple label on the front, the bottle basically looks just like thousands of other niche fragrances and is therefore nothing special or super great. It just looks nice, and I think that should do it.

So, the fragrance actually seems sensual and sexy, mysterious and mysterious. At least for the most part, because it smells a little too spicy every now and then and leaves a slightly dry impression, especially in the middle part. Nevertheless, the fragrance smells beautiful by and large and is, as described, really dark in its radiance, which is due to the woods, resins and a little oud. But at the same time it is also very soft and soft, and that despite the spices, so that it actually has something mysterious and erotic about it.

So for me it is definitely a fragrance for the evening, whether to go out, to cuddle or to... well,... you can imagine it! Best used in autumn and winter. From the smell unisex and in any case recommendable for all times, so test it quietly :)

Yes, The Dark Side is a great fragrance. The Dark Side.... yeah, I said I'd probably mention Star Wars again because of the scent name. No wonder the ladies don't fly at me with a nerd like me! *seeeufz* So I can keep talking about it, can't I? But don't "May the Force be with you" me, I don't like that saying somehow. And don't say, "Luke, I'm your father!" because this quote is absolutely absolutely wrong!" :DD
It's right to say, "No! I'm your father!"... argh, I'm such a neeeerd.... *sigh*

Be that as it may, you should run into this scent, then try it out, it might be worth it

3 Replies

12/03/2018

9.5
Scent 9
Longevity 8
Sillage 7
Bottle

Isolani

Translated Show original

Isolani

Top Review 21

Things are done June 1973

Like when you're the janitor
of the unlimited possibilities
if you had been called in,
to solve a dilemma.
You of all people shall
in this abandoned apartment
be the one to do it,
that brings light back into the darkness,
that creates order long overdue,
look at the right one,
to fix things,
all clear,
clear ship and all...
For God's sake,
yes, who knows what awaits you -
for years you haven't had anyone
see more coming or going.
The doors locked,
the windows as well.
Locked and locked,
can you say that?
Why not - after all, it's like that.
Mysterious, what's going on there?
And you should be off again and again
painful experiences,
know that you are just doing this task
will once again not be able to grow.
Once again. Not.
My dear.
How could you?

Because you don't even get
the simplest things:
numerous pets are deceased,
because you always forgot,
that besides the caresses
also need very tangible things,
like feed for example,
or, for fish,
sufficient water.

Also friendships are broken,
because you never could speak properly
to your friends,
who needed advice,
or clear instructions.

Instead you sang with them,
mindful crocheted and bobbin lace,
the names danced,
in the city park embracing old trees,
the pelvic floors trained,
all healthy cooked and supplied with food
and even the most harmless problems
still smiling away.

How can you be so reluctant to learn!
How's that ever gonna turn into anything...

And also the plants in your care
it wasn't enough,
that you confessed your love to them,
its flowers and leaves caressed,
their beauty and vitality.
Because despite, or because of,
this well-intentioned care
one morning they were very easy:
dried up.

Can that be true?
Do not see the essentials?
It's desperate.

So how can you become a janitor -
sure, clothes make the man,
and a grey coat always comes well,
with checked shorts until autumn,
that looks like a pro.
But is that enough?
Behind right ear a self-twisted
and three pens in the breast pocket:
of Saturn, Boris and Yeltsin -
we need all three of them.

And then this self-righteous attitude,
in the back, in the parking lot,
people are bawling out,
who just want to shop:
"Nanananana, you know you can't park here!" "
"Neeiiin...? - okay, boss, I'm off."
"Well, let's hurry up - and that's hoppla!"
Handseiving, knowing,
to have shown it to them again so correctly.
So.

As I said -
little willing to learn.
And alien to the world!

But then everything comes completely different
than expected.
It's very easy to get ahead,
nothing is wrapped, littered or delivered.
On the contrary: it's very neat,
tidy almost:
actually it's picobello,
blurred
and held in suspension.

Turns out,
that the time is in this said apartment,
air, dust, powder too,
the light of the sun
of a well lived life
of a still perceptible person
and its very special history.
By leaving these rooms
and the closing of the door was stopped by time.
On this warm afternoon
june 1973.

____________________________________________________________________________

"The Dark Side differs
not so much from the others
Francesca Bianchi Fragrances.
They're all very beautiful,
not very fresh, vital or pulsating,
but rather from a very special
deep, morbid and subdued effect -
so: how long ago,
the time held, paused,
Slow motion, standstill,
while around it the superficial life
always goes on.

What unites them is their respective magnificence,
the very long !! Shelf life
and then:
this special, small, fine and mean,
always a little dirty,
dirty and disgusting note.

This is perceptible throughout,
always only as a small accent.
Like this one little annoying thing,
which emphasizes the opposite.

_______________________________________________________________
The door is closed again,
and you go down the stairs,
in and back to real life.
Into the sun,
into the glow of this day.
Things are done.
Yes.
Music plays on the radio:
Fleetwood Mac - Peacekeeper.

10 Replies

05/25/2018

7.5
Scent 10
Longevity 9
Sillage 8
Bottle

Pepdal
226 Reviews

Pepdal

The Dark Side

Francesca Bianchi Perfumes currently have four fragrances in their line up and this is my third review to date. If you are looking for something a little heavier, resinous and yes, darker, this might be the one for you.