Dark Horse

A real dark horse, indeed. Lately I'd been seeing more and more references to Dame Perfumery, without having experienced any of the scents myself. Well, I recently snagged this one, and received a very generous selection of samples as well (thanks, Mr. Dame!). I rarely purchase fragrances without testing, but Dark Horse is certainly among the best blind buys I've ever made. This is an exceptionally smooth melange of notes that is - for me - primarily centered on the interplay between carnation and guaiac wood. The quality-to-price ratio on this fragrance is stellar, which is always a big plus. Although this fragrance is very well balanced, one can identify virtually all of the listed notes. It opens with a bright citrus and very slight sweetness. But really - this is all about the heart- and base-notes. The carnation is very clear and bright, with the baking spices playing a nice supporting role. The cloves are relatively restrained for those of you who fear this note (I would actually like to find a louder clove note in fragrance, but I'm clearly going against the grain..) The primary basenote of guaiac wood is supremely well-judged and natural smelling. As you wear the fragrance, the guaiac seems to slowly absorb the top and middle notes with a velveteen warmth. I don't get great projection with this one, but the longevity is adequate (6-7 hours). Would love just a bit more oomph, but this is still a big thumbs up. As I've transitioned from a 2-3 fragrance guy to a collector over the past seven or eight years I've been a little dismayed by the continued inflation in the niche market. While I'm certainly attracted to luxury and quality ingredients, the proliferation of $200+ a bottle fragrances represents a steep hurdle for most fragrance fans. So I really admire what Jeffrey Dame and other similar souls are trying to achieve - quality, interesting fragrances at reasonable prices.

I think it's high time I reviewed this phenomenal scent. I had a sample, which I used up in short order. I loved it so much that I bought it for myself on my birthday last August. I am a waitress, and I obsessively save all my coins. I purchased the 50 ml bottle with quarters, dimes, and nickels, and it is all the more special to me because of how I paid for it. (I could not have afforded it at that point in time if not for my coins.) This perfume is what awakened my love for Guaiac wood. The guaiac, cloves, and vanilla blend so beautifully together, with the barest hints of florals and citruses, and it works perfectly with my chemistry. I see it is mostly feminine because it is quite sweet, though it wouldn't be out of place on a man. I wore my sample during a special trip my family took last summer, which this perfume will always remind me of. In reading more about Dark Horse, and others' reviews, I kept seeing Dark Horse compared to Fendi's classic, Theorema. So out of curiosity, I snapped that up, too, when a seller on eBay accepted my "best offer." I like Theorema. I might even love Theorema. But while Theorema focuses on the citruses (especially orange), Dark Horse focuses on the spices, with the guaiac wood as a common major note. Theorema almost has a "Graham cracker" accord to me, and it is constructed and blended well. But, I like Dark Horse even better, as it is a far more interesting composition and just as skillfully made.

Mmmm...I love this fragrance. Not only is it delicious, memorable, and utterly appealing, it's an amazing price. I bought a rollerball of it at Indigo Perfumery in Cleveland and enjoy it so much. It's a deeply cozy, sexy scent that manages to avoid the dreaded "scented candle" thing that so many fragrances with cinnamon sometimes take on. I particularly like the rollerball version for putting on at home in the evenings, as it stays close to the skin so that just you and a loved one will enjoy it. The rollerball also gives you a lot of control over how much you put on and precisely where, which I think is particularly valuable with something that comes across as so sensual - it will prevent you from overwhelming your partner, whether for just snuggling on the couch or for something more. Longevity on me varies a lot. Sometimes I'll put it on in the evening and still smell it strongly the next morning, sometimes it will be gone before then (again, this is for the rollerball). For me, it's the perfect sexy, at home pick-me-up to put on late in the day when whatever I wore to work is gone. I personally find it virtually seasonless, but I can see how the cinnamon causes many to construe it as a fall/winter scent. Ultimately, though, the cinnamon comes across as so much more fragrance than flavor that it never feels cloying or predictable.

Drugstore Classics, the reviewer directly below mine, thought I would enjoy Dark Horse, and she is absolutely correct. This is a beautiful, spicy sweet Gaiac wood scent, and very similar to my all time favorite Gaiac wood scent by M. Micallef (coincidentally voted most similar on this page). Both scents open with a dominant clove note and end with the a natural gaiac. I’d describe Dark Horse as having a heavier, thicker overall profile. Compared to my favorite, all the notes are sweetened and noticeably amped up. But M. Micallef’s Gaiac has a more balanced opening—and it’s one of my all time favorite openings of any perfume, I could bathe in that scent forever— but within an hour it’s projection is so low that it’s almost a deal breaker....though the scent stays for several additional hours. Dark Horse has a more robust opening and it’s no surprise that it quietly projects in a 6’ radius for several hours. My favorite Gaiac scent is still created by M. Micallef. But it’s also hard to find as it has been discontinued. Dark Horse is comparable reach for fans of spicy/gourmand and natural gaiac wood. My only wish is that Dame offered smaller spray bottles—I’m not a fan of rollerballs and scented hair oils. I wish I could buy this in 30 or even 50ml, but as far as bang for your buck, $85 for 100ml is quite a deal.

Like others, I found Dark Horse by seeing it compared to M Micallef Gaiac, which I really enjoy. The problem with Gaiac, however, is its performance. My hope was that Dark Horse provided a similar scent with better performance--it somewhat lives up to that hope. First, the scent is very, very similar to Gaiac, though I'd say this one is a bit heavier on the cloves while Gaiac is a bit more powdery. Both are fantastic scents. In terms of performance, I'm still evaluating but so far this is what I've found: Gaiac has somewhat better longevity while Dark Horse has better projection & sillage. They both seem to project for 3-4 hours, with Dark Horse being the stronger fragrance of the two. They both begin to fade at this point though; Gaiac remains as a skin scent longer as far as I can tell. The difference isn't huge though with about 7 hours for Dark Horse and 9 for Gaiac. I'll continue testing the two. All in all, both are great fragrances but because the differences are so minimal, Dark Horse is clearly the better deal. Dame has great service as well--they offer 5ml samples for sale and sent a bunch of other samples with my order.

I love this. I will never get tired of it. It's a beautiful, dry, sweet and spicy clove scent in the opening. Jasmine isn't strong at all so don't expect it but it's not totally absent. Same with the lemon. It adds edge but I can't really smell it strongly. It's mostly the spices and the vanilla, but Dame blends everything fantastically. It seems like a modern take on the powerhouse exotic spice perfumes from the 80's. It's sophisticated, it's chic, but casual and easy to wear, and feels very natural too... It's a great perfume for someone who likes sweet scents but wants a bit of an edge and a bit of a unisex feel. Not juvenile at all. It gets compliments, but it's not overly strong. Lasts well for me. Good for day and night. And it's a great price in my opinion.

Jeffrey Dame has said that he wants the perfumes in this line to pass what he calls "the grocery store test": regular folks in the grocery store would say, "you smell great!" I had wondered if this one might be not quite as wearable as the other Dame Perfumery scents, but it really is. It's a pleasant woody spicy scent that manages a nice lightness, sort of like the way Bvlgari Omnia is spicy yet light. Not that it smells like Omnia -- there's the predominant wood note, with the gorgeous cinnamon-clove-carnation combination well blended. There's also a bit of smoke, like a wonderfully aromatic campfire. If you like Diptyque L'Eau de L'Eau or Estee Lauder Sensuous, definitely try Dark Horse. It is perfectly unisex too.

I adore this -- perfect mix of cloves, woods, sweetness, powderiness. Love it on myself but can't wait to put it on my husband. First time I tested (3 sprays -- LOVE their generous tester sprays!), I went for a walk in 90+ weather and while I was definitely in a little cloud of woody cloves, I didn't feel overwhelmed at all. Did a side-by-side test of this and M. Micallef Gaiac (review also on that frag's page) and for me, Dark Horse is the winner. I may be biased for the hometown team, but I'm very impressed with Dame Perfumery so far -- the frags, presentation, customer service. Can't wait to see what Jeffrey does next!

Dark Horse is a first-rate artistic scent that opens with a citrus spicy bright mix that is fantastic. It has a soft dry down - a clove accord having traces of clean cinnamon and wood. Reminds me a tiny bit of Eau des Baux because of the cloves, but way more appealing and interesting. Sillage moderate, longevity 4+ hours. This is already one of my favorites. Elegant, fresh and so easy to wear! Ordering the spray so that I can apply it all over - skin, hair, clothes. Smells so good that my brother demanded to have it to wear himself!

This one reminds me of 2 scents from Carner, Palo Santo and El Born. Am I saying they smell alike? No. They do have that same creamy vanilla drydown which is about as close to gourmand as possible without being gourmand. The clove in this makes it more spicy but all 3 are wonderful soft safe scents. None are cloying at all and when comparing prices well it's obvious that the Dame is the clear winner. This is long lasting and has perfect sillage, Not beast mode or a skin scent. This is a perfect blend of spices and light woods.

I received my free sample yesterday, courtesy of the very generous Mr. Dame, and am smitten (or is that bitten?!) I cannot think of another line of fragrances that I have sampled in the last few years that are as fascinating as Dame Perfumery's. This scent is dark without being noir. A warm, pitch-dark night with tiny bright stars piercing the sky. Mesmerizing. I want to leave this scent trail always. Will be ordering a full-sized version.

Sublime, ethereal, atmospheric take on a woody, spiced, vanilla oriental. Very warm and soothing, with an American Southwest flair owing to the Mexican vanilla in combination with the smokey, tarmac notes of guaiac wood. Cinnamon, clove and carnation lend the warm, comforting spiciness. Understated, restrained, and very tastefully composed like all of the other offerings from Jeffrey that I have tried.

I'm wearing this in cool fall weather and it's an absolute delight. This is an inviting fragrance. It may be the truest unisex fragrance I've come across. I feel masculine wearing it, yet I'd find a woman very appealing if she wore this. 2 sprays will go farther than 12 hours. A thing of beauty and quality, a must have.

Oh, Myyy. This is some seriously beautiful stuff. And Mr. dame is one of the most personable and generous people out there too...my spray sample arrived today with a handwritten note and I'm completely smitten...can't stop smelling my wrists! This one goes right to the top of my want list, asap.

Wow! I HATE cloves, cinnamon, and vetiver.....but I just love this! What an awesome blend! Very, very sexy on me, and yet I can imagine a man giving off that sexy vibe with this too. Saving for a FB. Dame is rapidly becoming my favorite House. Keep it up, Jeffrey, you ROCK!

Dark Horse is a well-balanced cinnamic-clove spicy, vanillic, woody scent that's casual and very comfortable to wear. Totally unisex. I swear there are also cocoa and leather notes in there too. A masterpiece!

Opening is so so. Dry down is fantastic. Sorry, couldn't resist. But it's my honest opinion. Cloves are very present but I wouldn't call the central. They just bind everything together in a splendid, airy way.

Wore it today in our lovely Midwest humid summer day. Very nice, in spite of probably being better for winter. Stayed all day.Most scents are off by mid day in humid weather on me. Full bottle in my plans.

I received my sample sometime last week and must say, of all the samples in the pack, I am hooked on Dark Horse. It is, as Mr. Dame put it, "Damn Sexy". I will be purchasing a bottle soon.

I get a hint of chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla. really a delicious smell. not gourmand - very unisex. I'm a big fan of dame perfumery. 7/10