Bvlgari Black is one of those fragrances that doesn't smell like anything else in its era — or really any era. Perfumer Annick Ménardo built it around a tension between the industrial and the sensual:...
Bvlgari Black is discontinued, and this has become a genuine source of frustration among fans — secondary market prices have climbed significantly, making bottles difficult to justify financially even for people who've loved it for years.
The fragrance sits in an unusual position: it's from a mainstream luxury house but smells nothing like mainstream luxury. Enthusiasts frequently describe it as one of the most original compositions they've encountered, and it tends to be a gateway fragrance for people who go on to explore niche and unconventional perfumery.
Performance generates some debate. The consensus leans toward moderate longevity and sillage — present but not aggressive — which some see as appropriate for such an unusual scent, and others find underwhelming given the price point on the secondary market.
Comparisons to other fragrances come up regularly. Dzing! by L'Artisan Parfumeur shares a similar industrial-meets-sweet character and is sometimes mentioned as a spiritual relative for those who've lost access to their Black bottles.
Seasonally, fall and winter dominate the recommended wear windows by a wide margin. The smoky, warm, leathery character doesn't translate well to heat — this is a cold-weather fragrance through and through.
