Black Velvet Cafe

This is so amazing. The initial blast is pure dark chocolate of the most bitter variety. Oud, woods, coffee, and apparently patchouli join in soon. It's fairly simplistic, at first glance, and there aren't many notes. But the notes are so saturated in dark brown and sepia tones that the pure volume of synesthetic color of this perfume lends its own form of complexity. (This perfume is definitely very dark brown; "black" in the title is a misnomer.) I have gotten so many compliments while wearing this, including from an older lady in my church (she caught and loved the patchouli note) and a blues-rock singer whose hand I shook after her show, and she loved the oud and wood notes. Once, my brother didn't realize I was wearing perfume and he was worried about an electrical fire since he thought he was smelling melted plastic. I'm pretty sure only a certain body chemistry and/or personality can pull this off. To the detractors: I've tried to smell the aspects of this perfume that you don't like, and I can't find any offputting note except for possibly Iso E Super in the far drydown, and even then, I don't catch it all the time. The first time I ever smelled this, I was mystified and captivated at the same time, and I'm every bit as enchanted by it now than I was when I smelled it for the first time in 2018.

Black Velvet Cafe marks yet another interesting entry from Sarah McCartney via her house 4160 Tuesdays. It very much hits on its intended encapsulation, an antique wooden cafe with lush velvet interiors. It rings sophisticated, woody, and timeless, and calls to mind such a room and the things in it. Its notes consists of tobacco, oud, leather, coffee, and according to some sources, chocolate. The effect is particularly a woody one and not that sweet, conjuring what such an environment might really smell like. The chocolate, if it's there, is a subtle, dark chocolate, and the coffee surely leans toward the earthy and bitter rather than sweet. The overall mix might surprise some people, as the notes are well-blended together that fans of all of the notes might not disappointed to see their favorites featured. The presence of oud and coffee, for example, does not make them prominent. Again, the effect is of a woody interior, antique or perhaps rustic, not necessarily dirty but at least worn in, saturated, time-tested. Performance is great, as with most entries of hers that seem to be geared more toward cold weather wearing, like this is. Pricing is $110 for 30ml EDP so not bad at all, especially if you regard it as a nice departure from the norm as I do. 8 out of 10

Its not often I am in the mood for this I will admit but man, when I am its exquisite! There's nothing I own like it. I guess I like the idea of coffee more than the actual stuff itself; the dark bitterness, a quaint cafe and some terribly intellectual books, november fog creeping outside the windows... This encapsulates that dark academia feel to me, I love it even if I don't live it constantly. It starts with a punch of straight up espresso for me and dark gloomy woods quickly join. I don't get much oud, but I'm not here for that. The patchouli adds a darkness in the background. I can see how this is polarising but the blurb and name is very accurate. Having tried this on a friend or two (both are now addicted) I can happily say it projects well and on me, it lasts ages! Worth testing first but a solid 100ml winner for me, I adore Sarah's creations!

Gosh I love love love this! For me the “black cafe” refers to black coffee and the velvet refers to how smooth it is. There is nothing that reminds me of an actual metropolitan cafe. Rather it is all about the farmyard - the pungent fungicide being washed out of a spray tank, barley straw and molassed chaff in the stable and disinfectant in the milking parlour. And tannins tannins tannins. The reason I like this so much is because it will absolutely not make a passer by think you smell fantastic. They might instead wonder if you’ve accidentally leant on a fence just after it was sprayed by wood preservative or possibly subconsciously feel reassured you’re hygienic. It is the sort of smell that enhances the right personality (hopefully mine!) So heartbreaking they are retiring this one.

This is a wake-up call for all coffee lovers and the ones liking oudh, as it punches you on the nose wearing a navy coloured silk velvet glove as it puts a smile on ones face straight out of the bottle. It settles down soon after, but it remains in you olfactory perspective for a very looooong time. Elegant but not overbearing like lots of oudh can be, still pungent enough to be noticed, by a wearer mainly. Word of caution: as with most oudh of a barnyard variety, please do not overdo it (unless you are walking down the "promenade" on Brompton Road, pass Harrods, on Saturday evening). Viva forever Sarah McCartney🌟 (!!!) one true unassuming genius of a scent scene of the Big Smoke.