GUARANTEED TO HAVE HER GUSHING....... (Bvlgari: Black, Eau de Toilette)

Member Name: Gingaro

Product:	Bvlgari: Black, Eau de Toilette
Date:	02/08/05 (937 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smells wonderful, cool bottle and long lasting fragrance

Disadvantages: None at all

Bvlgari fragrances first came to my attention a number of years back when an ex girlfriend wore the Pour Femme version of their best selling fragrance. The smell to this day still haunts me, but still gets my nostrils tingling when I walk past someone wearing it. Happily, she couldn’t stand the smell of Bvlgari Black and I instantly fell in love with it after winning a bottle in a prize draw a few years later.

Bvlgari are a well known fashion and design house famous for their jewellery and watches more than their actual fragrances, however, the chances of me actually owning the latter are slim to zero due to the extortionate prices they charge for anything. If you cast your mind back to the start of Mission Impossible II, the necklace being stolen is made by Bvlgari.

Bvlgari Black was launched in 1998 and as such is a fairly new fragrance to the market. It may be new, but in my opinion, it’ll be around for the foreseeable future.

A 40ml bottle of the EDT retails in Rackhams for £27.99, and it is widely available from most perfume counters for the same price. Obviously, the bigger the bottle, the more expensive it becomes. After some quick searching of the Internet, I can advise that you can pick this up online for a few pounds cheaper. I’d recommend www.wellbeing.com and www.kelkoo.co.uk if you were considering a purchase.

Bvlgari Black is instantly recognisable on the perfume counter due to the stylish packaging and unique shape to the actual bottle. The picture above doesn't illustrate it! The actual packaging is stylish being all black with the BVLGARI logo evident and the bottle rather flat, but wide in shape. The actual bottle reminds me of an inkwell standing 3 to 4cm high. Coated partly in black rubber means that the bottle whilst made of glass is quite sturdy and can be bounced around the bathroom without it shattering. It also makes the bottle a damn sight easier to hang onto with wet hands.

Normally when I buy or receive a new aftershave the packaging goes straight in the bin. This isn’t the case with Bvlgari Black simply because it looks damn cool sat in the bathroom or on a dressing table.

Bvlgari, like all fragrance manufacturers market this as something different to everything else on the market. “Black is a supreme exponent of the metropolitan concept, about shapes designed to be lived, shapes designed to be admired, shapes designed to be dressed.”

The notes to Bvlgari Black give a clear indication of how this is meant to smell. The fragrance contains blends of black tea, rosewood, bergamot, cedar, oak moss, amber and sandalwood. In addition to these, the fragrance also contains hints of vanilla. Black, unlike all other Bvlgari fragrances does not contain any traces of tobacco.

Taking the above ingredients into consideration, one would expect a light fragrance at first with it turning into a heavy, spicy fragrance with woody undertones.

After removing the cap to the bottle you first have to turn the atomiser from the off to on position. This stops any unnecessary loss of the fragrance in transit or just down to basic fiddling with the bottle. Three squirts later and bathroom smelt wonderful, as did I. It was like an explosion of smells has gone off. The vanilla was the first noticeable smell, as was the amber and sandalwood. This was an invigorating experience and a lot more lighter than I had expected. It was more of a citrus fragrance for the first 20 minutes or so until the fragrance began to change on my skin.

After approximately 30 minutes the fragrance became heavier and the vanilla less noticeable. Although it was heavy, it was more of a subtle fragrance and wasn’t overpowering at all. Evidence of the black tea and rosewood within the ingredients was apparent not only to me, but also to those who were around me.

The test to a truly great fragrance is whether or not you can smell it yourself after an hour or so. I’m happy to report that after a while, the only time you’ll smell this is when you catch a whiff of yourself when moving about and at times I’ve forgotten I’m wearing it until some pays me a compliment. I’m reliably informed that this is one of the best fragrances in my possession and due to its amazing staying power, after the initial change in smell, it’s still noticeable after 7 hours.

I find Bvlgari Black to be a refined fragrance, heavy, but not too heavy with that little bit of difference that makes it stand out when out and about. Personally I only wear this for special occasions, but depending upon your tastes and bank balance it would be suitable for casual wear, a day at the office or a night on the town.

Bvlgari Black will make you stand out for all the good reasons and that’s a Badger Boy guarantee. Although a touch expensive, a 40ml bottle will last in excess of 12 months if used sparingly making this great value for what is a superb product.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Further information about all Bvlgari products can be found at their website www.bvlgari.com. It’s well worth a look just for the accessories.

Thanks for taking the time to read and rate.



Steve :o)

Summary: A must have for the bloke who likes to smell gorgeous