06 Black Platinum

This was another blind buy that I found on clearance at some rack store a while ago and stashed away (until finally opening it today). However, I was inside a Banana Republic store a few months ago, and they had a tester of this on display. The cashier handed me a tester strip, and after spraying it, I remember saying out loud "Ugh! This smells AWFUL! Like a pimp in the 80's!". The cashier laughed and agreed that it was also her least favorite of the selections they had there (I think Vintage Green and Pure White were the other options). I quickly handed the tester strip back to her and walked out, feeling forlorn for the day I would open this, and wondering if it would immediately turn into a bathroom spray. I wish I had a camera on my face to capture my expression as I opened this up today. Nervous and scared, I probably winced as I sprayed this on, my mind (and nose) harkening back to when I smelled it in the store. "Yup...that's what I remember..." I thought to myself. "Thankfully this is only a 30mL bottle, so it won't take long to go through it. They can't all be winners, right?". I walked out of the room, feeling defeated that I let my urge to save a few bucks cloud my judgement. Then something strange happened...I went into the kitchen to make coffee, and as my arm reached up, close to my nose, to grab a mug from the cabinet, I smelled it again. Maybe 5-10 minutes had passed, but it had already changed into a much softer scent that was way more pleasant than the initial opening was. I had hope... This fragrance reminds me of the scene in The Devil Wears Prada, where Andy is first pitching herself to Miranda and says: "You’re right. I don’t fit in here. I am not skinny or glamorous and I don’t know that much about fashion. But I’m smart. I learn fast and I will work very hard for you." I honestly don't know why I am getting slightly emotional as I write this, but I feel like this particular BR fragrance, if it were a person, would say something similar. This is far and away not what I would expect from Banana Republic. Then again, I've only ever finished one bottle, and that was Classic, which neither wowed nor disgusted me, but left me indifferent to its linear blandness. I currently have open bottles of Vintage Green, Neroli Woods, and Midnight Hour. Each of those seem like the other actors in the movie. They know what to do to get praised and not thrown a coat and bag to hang up like some inept lackey (or put in a bathroom). Eventually a new scent emerged. This soft, comforting, almost baby powdery-like scent made me stop and smile, like Miranda did in the final scene when she saw Andy walking alongside her car, and noticing how much she changed. I misjudged this fragrance at first, but I "took a chance and hired the smart, fat girl", and of all the Banana Republic fragrances I've ever smelled...this was by far my biggest (initial) disappointment...and, if you don’t give it a chance beyond the first few minutes, you're an idiot. It must have done something right... 9/10

The Banana Republic Icon line has been something I am surprised by more and more as I get more of the fragrances. They are $20 at my local Burlington/TJ Maxx/Marshall's. Black Platinum is my latest pickup and I'm very impressed, this doesn't smell like something that you'd think Banana Republic would put out. It doesn't have the typical designer DNAs that are popular now either. It reminds me of a toned down version of Greenwich Village by Bond No 9 for some reason. Greenwich Village is very loud, and similar to BR540, but not a clone of it. Black Platinum has the sweet floral vibe to it that I smell in Greenwich Village, but much softer and more powdery. So Black Platinum smells like its inspired by Greenwich Village, which smells like it was inspired by BR540. Black Platinum doesn't smell like BR540, but it gives off a similar vibe, IMO. This is a soft scent, but I feel it actually projects pretty well, better than the others in the line. It's powdery, leathery, ambery, white floraly... kinda hard to describe. It's a unique scent and for the price you can't go wrong. I draw the comparison to Greenwich Village, but only for that sweet/floral component. It has a lot going on, and the cactus note is new for me. This one, for me, was love at first smell. It's definitely something I will be wearing in the spring, but probably not in the summer as much because maybe it could be cloying. Could be a fall scent too, maybe too soft for winter. EDIT: some more thoughts after some more wearing Def the strangest and most unique scent in the collection. Oud Mosaic I do dislike, but the rose/oud is a beloved accord. I find it extremely hard to describe and put my finger on as to what to describe this fragrance with. There's no "one" note that just pulls it all together, It is listed as being animalic and I definitely get that, in an odd sense.. maybe the amber/leather and the powdery notes... there's just the lightest bit of funk in there, but it doesnt smell bad. Gonna smell weird to some, and strangely alluring to others.

Man that cactus 🌵 note is so unique and delicious smelling! When I first tried this I thought it was okay. But I found myself going back and back to it. I tend to reach for this on warm rainy spring days. It starts out more masculine unisex and drydown into a more fem unisex. But to me I love it for the cactus. And I enjoy the light almost smoky leather/patchouli drydown. Kinda smells like a light musky cigarette smoke left on a jacket in full drydown nearing very end before you can’t smell it anymore. But it’s nice. Great quality for the price. Niche level transitions. I haven’t smelt anything like this yet. 8.5/10

Erhhhh Mah Gherrrd! I have no idea what I’m smelling but this freaking rules! It’s by far the most unique of the series. Decent longevity unlike the other three I owned: Pure White, Linen Vetiver & Neroli Woods. I still have a mini of Oud Mosaic which is quite good and lasts awhile but it’s not nearly as as interesting as Black Platinum. I’m def gonna buy a backup bottle of this if I come across it again. I can’t think of anything I can compare it to tho! Weird!

I think this smells really nice. It seems to feel a bit feminine to me - but I wear it nonetheless. It is a light floral with a slight bit of powder. Oddly enough, I kind of understand the habit Rouge comparison, but I don’t know how or why - as I feel like HR is a fairly strong woody. Regardless, this is fairly unisex - maybe on the feminine side - but very pleasant. I’m pretty impressed with the line. 7/10

Yay! I like it! Reminds me very much of Gaiac 10 by Le Labo, but there is definitely more of a shifting landscape with this fragrance. I am very impressed by this. Very unisex, though I could see a girly girl might find this to be too masculine. For me...just right. I am certain it is the cactus note I am finding so Intriguing, since it is the only note I am not really familiar with. I like it!

I love this perfume it's so mysterious, Its lasting power hovever is pretty crap. It does remind me a little of narcisco edt black bottle but way more citrus herbal fresh. I was going to move this on due to lasting powder but I think il try layering with diptyque opheon dupe from Rosa salas. Its just too beautifully niche smelling to get rid of.

I couldn't i.d. a single note in this. Well blended composition. "What IS this!?" I asked myself. Its opening made me smile. It quickly softens, maybe a little too much for this guy, but I have to say this is a favorite of mine from this Icon collection. How BIG a bottle I get is the only question I think...

Love this. It smells niche and unisex. It has an inky opening that morphs into white flowers. The low rating must be due to performance. I just have a few spritzes in my shirt from a sample bottle. If I saw the full size at Burlington I would grab it so I could spray with abandon.

Got both Black Platinum and Vintage green. Vintage green = Ok, a cheaper neroli amara, wulongcha. Black Platinum = Damn! smells niche, warm, a little powdery. So addictive. 9/10!

has a very nice soft floral smell to it, almost intimate in a way. after a while, it has a woody scent to it . you can wear this fragrance at anytime pretty much.

I really enjoy this one, it's like a dark berry scent. It's nice, but I wish it was louder

Sporty powdery scent. Wear any time, anywhere.

If I were to take Ex Nihilo Fleur Narcotique’s sunny nectar sweetness, Narciso Her’s or Byredo’s Velvet Haze creamy florals and soft musk, Gris Dior’s gloomy creamy patchouli, and the polite leather from something bright and unisex and iris-based like ... ELDO Tom of Finland, you’ll see what Black Platinum holds for us. In cooler weather, imo, it works best - it manages to evoke summer longing in me, and the patchouli and the leather sit just right in the cold. In warmer weather it somehow doesn’t have the same magic and can even feel cloying at times. This isn’t some masterpiece of the century, but it’s a no brainer and it’s exactly what works in most random of daily occasions. Magnet cap and nice design add to the pleasure. I have a backup bottle, but still, every now and then I get startled because I haven’t checked if it’s still in production. Excellent grab-n-go! If the above mentioned scents aren’t off-putting for some reason to you - I’d say, it’s blind-but worthy, provided the price point. EDIT: ELLA K has an incredible perfume called Lettre de Pushkar - amazing opening, wears a bit close to the skin and it’s pricy. Its opening is everything, though, but something in the drydown gets amplified in a sour way, like juicy sweet saffron, which causes the fragrance to shift off balance for me entirely. That’s the moment when I chase Lettre de Pushkar with Black Platinum - it’s a match made in heaven for me, as I not only get to change in another scent, but I actually get to get more out of Lettre de Pushkar, instead of struggling with its far drydown and getting tired of it. (Btw, Gris Dior is another chase for both fragrances - so I guess , their audiences may overlap) . In general I could say that it chases well after patchouli fragrances whose top notes leave and the patchouli lingers on like Jeroboam Gozo.

I wore this today and I've had this for a while. It's one of those fragrances where I'm really only in the mood to wear when it's like 50 degrees outside. Mostly spring but fall too. Today was a warmer winter day where I live so I pulled this one out. It's definitely a unique scent where it kind of strays into that unique territory but doesn't fully go there kind of like Calvin Klein euphoria, even though that one is a different scent. I get the florals, the cactus, pepper, leather, oak moss as the main notes in this. It's really like a floral scent made for men and more for everyday use. Even though I don't really wear this one that often, it's nice to have it for these kinds of days, and once in a while when I'm in the mood to wear it. It's linear and lasts as long as it should, like 6 hours tops. You can smell it on yourself when you're wearing it on your skin. Even though this is cheap, I'd recommend to smell at a BR store before buying because you might not like it that much or might not think it has enough use to be in your collection. I think the use use of florals and darker notes in here make an interesting smell. It's something I don't wear often but when I do I enjoy it.

The Icon line from BR is by far one of my favorites from the brand. I can find something to appreciate in all of these fragrances, but that’s not to say I’d wear them. Black Platinum is my least favorite in terms of wearability, but only because it’s not my style. As a fragrance, it’s quite interesting. It’s not that it’s just feminine, but it’s Old Lady feminine. It reminds me distinctly of my grandmother. The florals are driving the fragrance with Pink Pepper giving it a little kick in the background. It’s definitely a pleasant smell, and if I were to smell it on someone I’d find an appreciation for it, but I personally will not be getting much use out of this bottle. Though, who knows.. tastes change. The dry down brings about a clean leathery quality that is a bit more my style, but with the florals in the forefront, it leaves more to be desired than not. It’s all about occasion with this one. On a crisp spring day, you might be able to go to a fancy get-together and rock the hell out of this, but that’s why I collect. I’ve got something for every occasion. Hope I can find the right place and time to wear this one. 7/10

Banana Republic 06 Platinum was not love at first sniff. I was rather disappointed. However it grew on me and by using it more often, I started enjoying it. This was a blind buy based of YouTubers recommendation from Ross at TLTG Reviews and Yana at The Scented. Lemon with pepper combined with this Cactus note (WOW), floral throughout with the jasmine and orange blossom playing their part here and then a beautiful leathery/ambery accord dry down. I do understand that it does not last long but so are 95% of all perfumes. The scent profile that I grew to love is what makes me come back for more. On my second bottle and an advocate of this beauty. BR 06 Platinium is sophisticated, elegant and cozy. A fragrance that beckons to be worn.

This one’s weird, I bought it blindly and figured “what the heck”. I sprayed it and wasn’t impressed... it almost smelled old ladyish at first. But after keeping it on the shelf a couple weeks I came back to it with a greater appreciation. It’s got a nice unique peppery green smell from the lemon, pepper and cactus in the top and a soft powdery white floral and leather accord that fills out the spicy sweet opening. This fragrance dances to the beat of its own drum and I believe everyone should have a couple fragrances like that in their collection. Daring but not obnoxious. I’d roll the dice on this one if you’re looking for something that stands apart from the rest.

Michelle1234567 spot on review. This does indeed smell like NR for her, with more cedar.. it’s a bit like the white cube too (NR). Lots of powdery musk here and when I first sprayed it I could barely smell it at all; there is some kind of chemical here that numbs my nose. It doesn’t quite manage the smoothness or power of the narciso scents but it does get the vibe down. This is the second I’ve smelled in this line that is very similar to another fragrance- the other one was cypress cedar which smells almost exactly like Hermès Terre. Is that a thing with BN fragrances? Decent longevity but stays close to the skin. Very nice for the office. Leans feminine.

This definitely smells like a chypre! It's predominantly floral but then there's an oak moss note that makes it smell more complex. If you aren't familiar with floral chypres, they open with a citrus, have floral notes in the heart, and typically have oak moss and/or labdanum in the base. I'd say this is pretty unisex. The name and the box make it seem like it would be way more masculine, so don't be fooled, a woman could pull this off too. It's not a beast when it comes to performance, but I've also definitely smelled weaker perfumes so.. This is for someone with a refined taste, I think it's classy.

This is a great perfume at a great price—it's my favorite from this collection. It's peppery yet sweet and milky (in a weird diluted way, maybe it's the amber + white flower + cactus water), reminds me of Hermessence Poivre Samarcande a little (not a replacement though, of course). Some days it smells perfect and I wonder how is it ever this cheap at retail, but some days it smells really odd...There's a weird plastic-like bitterness that pops up here and there; I supposed it's the fake moss, leather accord, and again, cactus (whatever that smells like) :/

I blind bought this one after hearing Yana from The Scented on youtube rave about it and compare it to Narciso for Her. This is a very interesting scent. There’s more leather in it than I typically like but it mellows out after an hour. The weird thing about this fragrance is one minute I’m thinking it’s too masculine for me, then the next minute it turns more feminine. It smells much more expensive than it is. Longevity is decent. This is a great all-purpose scent that would work for almost any occasion.

This is an odd one. Smells a bit powdery, fresh, subtle florals , and get a light bitterness from the cactus that stays throughout the life of the fragrance (on my skin) and a very light leather, which I picture like a white leather . The combination of this reminds me of something metallic. I think this is more of a freshie Chypre . A huge like for me, can’t go wrong with the price! I got this under $30 , and it lasts like 6 hours .

A ‘YouTube made me buy it’ blind buy win. It appeared in a favourite leathers lineup, and was $30 for 100mL from a discounter, so what odds. Turns out I’m a sucker for chypre florals in this style. This doesn’t have remotely the magic of Bottega Veneta, or the ‘smells expensive’ luxury of Gris Dior, but as a cheap workhorse, this will get a lot of use.

I bought it because of Yana's from The Scented review, our tastes are very similar. And I agree with her, smells so expensive for such low price. Smells clean, a little bit bitter, fresh, leathery-citrusy. The lasting power is a joke though - 2 h max, overspraying doesn't help. But I will keep it just because of the scent.

It's fun and light. Wearing this for the first made me do a double take thinking I left a leather jacket in the car. I wasn't expecting a such a bright and green fragrance to transition to amber and leather. For it's odd note break-down and almost kind of weak performance I like using it as leathery sport fragrance.

This doesn't smell bad by any means. its nice but I have a hard time finding when to wear this stuff. I wouldn't wear this to school because of the weak longevity but the projection isn't half bad. its a ok scent but its a good price. Smell it and if u like it go ahead and get it 7/10

Good white floral scent, a little weird smelling too but I still get some compliments, a nice work/school fragrance that most people would like, my only problem is the white floral being a little overwhelming to me EDIT: now it’s starting to smell like dookie to me so I hate it now

Super sexy. Like effortLesly so. Very addictive and smells way more expensive than it is. However, for me personally, this leans feminine. A bit too much so for my taste. Still, another fantastic budget friendly frag that punches well above its weight class. BR remain undefeated.

Very nice fragrance, that I struggle to describe. Fresh, leathery and spicy at the same time. I would have gone for it if I could find it around $20/30 online, but performance is not the best here. A pass for me, but still, very nice scent! Spring/Fall days, 20-40

It smells balanced, luxerious, complex, wearable... but it doesn't wow me like the others from this line.

Dry down reminds me of Prada L'Homme with a fig note. Not sure if anybody else picks that up.

It opens with bright citrus and pink pepper notes. Then through the middle it is very flowery, you really can smell the orange blossom and the jasmine. Then after about 15 minutes in the dry down it goes more to the Amber and Wood which gives it a sweet note I get decent lasting about 6 hours and sillage is arms length for 1-2 hours depending on no. of sprays. It is definitely a unisex, but leans slightly masculine with the pepper and leather. It is confusing to some because this is a very non linear fragrance. This is an all around scent, anytime, anyplace, any occasion. And yes a women can also wear this

This is quite nice for what it is. Smells like musky white flowers--reminded me of magnolia trees the first time I smelled it. Or just white flowers that kind of have that sour or vegetal quality to them in the background. I don't really get leather like in the notes however maybe that is what the dusky/musky feel is. Not very strong but it would be nice to wear while doing laundry since it kind of smells like it haha

I can't figure this one out-maybe because of how everything blends, there's no discernible notes that I can detect. At first go, it almost medicinal? It fades into a strange (maybe white floral) haze that I don't dislike, but that I don't really like either. I don't know when or where to wear this, it seems almost experimental.

Lovely opening with citrus + cactus + jasmine, but after that mainly patchouli I get, no leather unfortunately. Overall is an elegant smell, interesting indeed, but not pleasant for me.

I suppose this could bear a passing resemblance to Gris Dior but the drydown between rose and white flowers is very different. Not close enough to be a true cheap alternative.

I tried in the store today. It’s a good floral but very feminine. If you like The Dreamer, is the same mood, but more sweet and powdery.

weird, but not altogether unpleasant. smells like rain on cold metal. if youve ever seen Equilibrium it smells like that.

This is the one fragrance from the Icon collection that got me to turn up my nose at spraying it. Sadly I could never see myself ever being interested in wearing it. I agree with the previous reviewer: it comes across to me as feminine, in an old lady feminine, funky grandma kind of way. Maybe other people don't get that at all! I'm not down on it for smelling that way, since after all the Icon line is supposed to be unisex. It should be expected that some of the fragrances would be unappealing to me. I'd encourage trying it regardless. One person's trash is another person's treasure, and the Icon frags are still decent quality regardless. Just not my jam, but I'm still glad to have it for collecting purposes. Bought it at a rack store like all the rest of my Icon frags, so keep an eye out for it there.

I blind bought a 15 ml bottle of this frag for around $20 or so. First spray, I got this nice Terre d'Hermes vibe in the opening then in a minute or so, a mature floral feminine twist comes in with a faint synthetic vibe. A little confusing to my nose but yes, for a minute or so the opening was cool. Not a bad fragrance but for the most part, I am in line with @ redhawkmillenium below. If you are interested, test it and you may like it. I like its bottle. Glad to have it in my collection. “Let's spread the scents of peace and kindness. The two most beautiful fragrance in the world that will cost you nothing and will get you a totally different kind of compliments” 🙏

I should preface this by saying that I am a fan of the BR Icon line in general. I bought this blindly because of my love of Cypress Cedar and Vintage Green. This one, however, is a definite NO for me. The notes are simply too confusing, with leather, florals and a musky amber all fighting it out at once. I'll date myself with this image, but the overall scent conjures up a stylish woman circa 1982, rocking Cinnabar perfume and wearing a cordovan Aigner leather car coat. I know that skin chemistry differs, so I'm simply describing how it worked on me. I use and enjoy this forum and never want to disparage a perfumist's work, but I will say: sniff before you buy!!!

The composition of this scent on Fragrantica sounds exactly like something I would love. But it's not. It's not Chypre and I don't smell any Whie Florals. In fact, I don't smell anything at all. It's extremely weak! Has zero sillage and doesn't last more than a few minutes. Why doesn't Banana Republic sell their own fragrances? I just see them on discount websites like fragrancenet.com. Waste of $20.

Initially a lovely citrus and floral notes on me. Very clean and professional. Unfortunately it didn’t last very long. It was gone within an hour or so. A little disappointed with the performance of this parfume BR 6 Black Platinum. I was expecting more. Won’t be restocking this one.

Nothing spectacular for sure, to me it’s a safe fragrance for those mediocre guys who go along with whatever a Brand clothing line puts out. I’m using it as a bathroom fragrance now rather than trash it. Weak and nondescript. Save your cash and buy something outstanding.

Damn - just bought it blindly from TJMaxx and it’s quite a generic, boring scent - I’ve smelt it dozens of times before. Oh, well - at least I can probably recoup my loss selling it on FB marketplace.

Blind buy off reviews. It smells cheap. If I could return it I would.

Definitely a feminine fragrance, and definitely more for a mature lady (60+). Bought it as a blind buy. I wish I could return it!

The notes are completely different but, to my nose, Black Platinum smells really close to Jacomo for Her (2005). Both scents get compared to Narciso Rodriguez For Her, the similarities between which I'd never noticed before. I think of NR For Her as predominantly sweet, apricotty osamanthus over a base of something I've never been able to identify (in spite of reading the notes). Well, the base that the sweet osamanthus is over in NR For Her smells like both Black Platinum and Jacomo For Her! (Glad I figured that one out! :p) If you enjoy any one of these fragrances, you may very well like/love the other. I think they all lean a little bit vintage, so you have to enjoy pre-1990's stuff to appreciate them (though NR For Her is a little less vintage-y, I think...). All this being said, I really like/low-key love Black Platinum and, like other folks who've smelled this one before me, also notice the generally poor longevity of this otherwise excellent line of fragrances. Honestly, in spite of this issue with all of them, there are some real beauties here: Oud Mosaic, Dark Cherry & Amber, Tobacco & Tonka, Gardenia & Cardamom, and the list goes on... These are just so good (and generally inexpensive) that they're meant to be sprayed liberally and OFTEN! Edit: OK, during my first full day of wearing Black Platinum, the apricotty sweetness that IS similar to Narciso Rodriguez For Her revealed itself. I don't know if it was a factor of the bottle being opened for long enough or my nose needing to smell BP for a long enough time, but now I definitely can smell the similarities. I received compliments from my students on the scent, as well. It's a beauty!

I really enjoy the BR Icon line, similar to NCscent - I love 78 Vintage Green, Neroli Wood, Cypress Cedar and 83 Leather Reserve. I also have Tobacco & Tonka, which is nice... (I gave Gardenia & Cardamom to my... Mom... That's way to floral / feminine for me.) The price, presentation and fragrance quality is hard to beat. I too bought 06 Black Platinum blindly... Which for the price at a rack store, not a major gamble. This is a scent that a has grown on me... When I first sprayed it, I thought no way. But the more time I have given it, there is something that is very pleasing and intriguing about it. The Pink Pepper, Cactus opening has hints of the Lemon Citrus... But pretty quickly heads into the floral mid. Some days I feel this scent overall is unisex leaning a touch masculine. Others, I feel it leans feminine without a doubt. Even as it hits the deep dry down and the Leather, Amber and Patchouli come into play. The Patchouli is never a big player to my nose, just a supporting a note to the Leathery Amber. I also do not get anything Animalic about this scent... Not sure where that comes from. All in all.... Something different, something a bit challenging for those use to just basic "Blue" fragrances. I can see why many would not give this a second spray... But for some, I think if you stick with it - It may turn out to be something that makes your rotation from time to time.