When you're a child, and you look out the window when it's snowing, everything seems so magical. The landscape is transfigured and looks like something else, something different. Everything is calm outside. There is a new reality that we can call our new kingdom to conquer. These childhood episodes were moments to gain indispensable wisdom, but also to learn to invent a new magic every day. And then there was the Christmas season. It was quiet outside, but inside the house, there was the smell of smoke from the fireplace, the smell of tobacco from Grandpa's pipe and the rush of the adults. The adults were worried about the season arrangements and relaxed their vigilance. And we, happy neglected children, would go to the castle storehouse in search of gingerbread biscuits, cakes with candied fruit, sweets with honey, and biscuits with nuts and almonds. We would put everything in a rucksack, get a stick... sorry, a sword, and off we would go to explore the mysterious new surroundings. Nor could we forget the indispensable carrot to make the snowman's nose, our best ally to create new friendships and defeat any troll that got in our way. In between snowball battles, we would share supplies with the other wandering heroes, and fellow adventurers.
Several dozen years on, my rogue partners have turned into lawyers, engineers, teachers and other dull things that occupy their time and attention. The snowman melted without return, some animal ate the abandoned carrot, and I no longer get excited in the same way to eat the Christmas treats. However, the images of the past come back to me very clearly with the very vivid aroma of the gingerbread crackers, the cakes with cherries or berries, the spiced biscuits, the liquor or whisky chocolates, or even a warm waffle with honey, preferably sitting by the fireplace, and if no one complains, taking a puff on my pipe with moist tobacco lightly flavoured with vanilla. These Christmas aromas are my time machine device. Thank God it's Christmas!
About
Back to Black Aphrodisiac Perfume, Kilian says it smells like "woods in all their forms - from sandalwood to cedarwood, from patchouli to vetiver - but always with a Kilian twist of rum, coffee, cacao, cognac, whisky, as a reminder of his heritage". But more than the aphrodisiacs bakhoor, incense and tobacco, invoked by Kilian, this perfume reminds me of the smells of my childhood Christmases.
I smell this perfume somewhat linearly, but I highlight cherry and raspberry in the opening, lots of honey mixed with gingerbread nuances in the heart, and woods, smoke, incense, resins, and a boozy, caramelised tobacco in the base.
After a few sprays of this
Back to Black Aphrodisiac Perfume, the Christmas goodies dance around me, the nuances of honeyed muffins hover in the air and the smoky woods settle comfortably for several hours. If I am lucky and fall asleep near the fireplace, a generous Ebenezer Scrooge, playing with Little Tim, appears to me in my dreams. No one celebrated Christmas with more enthusiasm than he did.
My appraisal for this Kilian's Christmas Carol:
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- Opening: 9.0 (Cherry, raspberry, candied fruits opening, and an evolution for a heavy dose of honey and gingerbread nuances; just like a season greeting smelly postcard)
- DryDown: 9.0 (smoky woods, humid tobacco with whisky facets and an almond touch)
- Longevity: 9.0 (3 sprays last more than 9 hours)
- Sillage: 8.0 (6~7 feet of sillage and up to 2.0 hours of projection, with 3 sprays.)
- Uniqueness: 9.0 (It's unique although it recalls some scent nuances that you can find in other fragrances like
Tonka)
- Wearability: 8.0 (Not suitable for hot weather)
- Versatility: 8.0 (It's a night fragrance; Aphrodisiac? Yeah, maybe!)
- Praise: 8.0 (It's very sweet and a bit dark and smoky; Not really consensual)
- Quality: 9.0 (Above average quality impression)
- Presentation: 9.0 (Simple, attractive, but similar to all other L'Artisan perfumes)
- Price: 5.0 (The 50 ml bottle lists for € 250,0 in the By Kilian site)
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Overall rating: 8.27 / 10.00
- between 7 and 8 = above average;
- between 8 and 9 = recommended;
- above 9 = definitely not to be missed;
My opinion:
A fragrance type for sweet scents and black fragrances lovers. Due to its high price, you'd better try it before purchasing it. I quite like it mainly for my Christmas scents association.
Music: Queen - "Thank God It's Christmas!"
Top Notes
Bergamot
Raspberry
Chamomile
Cardamom
Coriander
Nutmeg
Heart Notes
Oakmoss
Honey
Patchouli
Vetiver
Frankincense
Cedarwood
Base Notes
Ambergris
Labdanum
Bourbon vanilla
Bitter almond
Rate
Collection
Classify
Notes
Estbienla
BoBoChamp
TRehf
Catarina
Itchynose
Hermesh
