Black Cashmere

This if for the Original formula in the oval bottle. We all have that scent that strikes something deep inside of us and is our most beloved. It takes us places we want to go and for the time we wear it, makes us feel like the person we want to be. For me this is Black Cashmere by Donna Karan. I have a 30ml mouse bottle that I stash away in my perfume cupboard, like a dragon protecting it's most precious treasures. Definitely one of my most prized perfumes. The mouse bottle used to be rather affordable but the prices have spiked in the past year to ridiculous amounts. I really regret not getting a larger bottle when prices were better. I would love to wear this scent much more than I do, but I also know I will be heartbroken the day I spray it's last drop. I'm not sure about getting the re-released bottle. It's such an emotionally loaded scent for me I am not sure I want to risk the disappointment of a reformulation. Now, how she wears: It opens with a heady and heavy veil of charred wood. Peeking shyly from behind the veil are spices (clove, nutmeg). I believe this charred wood smell comes from the perfect blending of a deep, rich wood with a luxurious frankincense. For the first twenty or thirty minutes this scent is intensely heavy. It masterfully walks a fine line between being divinely heavy and cloying. After the scent settles the saffron, and to a smaller extent, nutmeg come into their own. They are supported by a nice base of cloves that blend magically with the charred wood note. There is also a hint of a sweetish floral (rose perhaps?). The real star of this composition is still that wood and frankincense blend. It really sings with the saffron, and it's a completely wonderful song. The dry down is the sweetest stage and the floral is strongest here (saffron touched by rose). There is also the interplay of spices (still mainly clove and nutmeg). Perhaps the Amber and Vanilla offer this sweetness we see here, though these do not show up as notes on their own but add a beautiful sweet edge to the notes that are more discernible. The charred wood / frankincense are now just snatches of memories that play around the outside of the composition. Just enough to remind you of their presence but not enough to draw attention away from the spiced and sweetened florals. This scent is one of the most unique scents I own. I have never found anything else like it. It always takes me places I want to be whenever I wear it. The longevity is about 7-10 hours, becoming a skin scent at around 5-7 hours. This silage and projection are rather large and heavy in the beginning but settle down to more reasonable and personal levels in the heart and dry down. She is special and I adore her.

Hello Darkness, my old friend. Black Cashmere is a classic for a reason. It's unique and it's amazing. I haven't worn it for a few years, though, so bringing it out of the perfume cupboard this autumn has been something of a revelation. I bought two spare of these beautiful black river stone bottles ages ago on fleabay after I finished mine and had heard it was about to be discontinued. The scent seems to be the same, though, as it was 15-ish years ago, stored in a cool dark place. The first blast of Black Cashmere is PEPPER with cloves and nutmeg (so, essentially, a spice bomb) with labdanum, amber, patchouli and woods slowly weaving in and asserting themselves, softening the spice into a delectable resinous oriental. The pepper calms down, but the cloves, nutmeg and saffron thankfully hang in for a few more hours - and remain balanced with the patchouli, resins and woods as they develop, creating a warm, comforting cashmere blanket of scent that lasts and lasts, perfect for the cooler months. The patchouli, as it makes itself known, adds a touch of earthiness and there is something also a little bit green (broom?) which, when mixed with the spices, gives an aromatic character to what is otherwise a solid oriental. I think this "aromatic" character is the mystique - the thing that makes this perfume so unique and addictive. There's something living and alive beneath the smoke and spice. Cistus, another living note, wouldn't surprise me; but if it's there it's in harmony with the whole composition. The drydown is heavily incensed labdanum with spices, flattening out from hour 4-ish to dry woods scented with amber (think: that expensive stationery smell - perfumed paper). I'm on hour 8 now and it's still going strong. Basically, if you are a fragrance head like me, this perfume is part of your education. It is quoted in books and on blogs as a reference for good reason, because it started something new and I think is hard to duplicate (although I am sure there are some good dupes out in these days of ten million fragrance houses - tell me if you find them). I'm sure it's discontinued, however, because it is not now and has never been for everyone. Luckily for those of us who love it, a few spritzes in the morning last all day, with monster sillage, and no need for touch ups -- so the little bottles go a long way. NB: The notes listed here are not the ones on Basenotes and other sources. I think the truth is somewhere in between. Basenotes lists: Head: saffron, masala spices, white pepper, co2, clove, nutmeg, pimento berry, broom flower Heart: wengue wood, bois de miel, cistus Base: patchouli, marechal rose, ethiopian incense, labdanum

The starting accord on my skin is strong nutmeg with amber, woods, and frankincense. I am not sure about the saffron, but I smell something boozy too. When the fragrance settles, I get some carnation or clove or both. The "african sorts of assorted tree" thingy slightly calls Lubin's Idol into mind, but this is just a weak and adventitious association. It is a pleasantly smoky fragrance, recalling gardens in the fall with burning leaves. The whole composition is rounded and softened by a warm, non-edible vanilla note. Neither sillage, nor longevity are great on me, I would call both moderate. It is definitely a unisex fragrance. While it is pleasant, it is not great or outstandingly interesting. It evolves very little after the first 15-20 minutes, it just goes on in a rather linear fashion, slowly getting fainter till it disappears at about the 4 hour mark. It is a very nicely executed frangrance which however fails to move me really. Politically correct, office friendly and non-offensive. C'est tout. 7/10 EDIT 17/10/2015 In time Black Cashmere has evolved to one of my special favourites. I was wrong. It is not politically correct and while maybe office friendly, if you smell more attentively, it has a very unique, animalic, carnal undertone, which I cannot really pin down, but it smells almost disturbingly "human" on my skin. While they have nothing in common, but I could compare this "something" to vintage Kouros: like there, here in BC there is a note that is balancing on the razor's edge between irresistible and off-putting. It is not the central theme like it was in Kouros, rather kind of a low hum, but that makes it the more unsettling. However at the same time it manages to be super cosy and alluring. 9/10

This is one of the most wonderful perfumes I have ever smelled! It is so sad all the wonderful ones are now so hard to find or much too expensive. My mom is a big fan of Cashmere Mist and DK in general; but for the most part CM didn't thrill me, it's nice enough, but THIS is beyond heavenly... *Malegria: Thank you Eva for the generous sample you gave Mother!* An opening devoid of citrus, fruits or any greens cuts right to the chase and opens with a wonderful warm nutmeg aroma that is spicy, yet smooth and powdery. The saffron's delicate floral pollen like aroma adds to this with a subtle rich flavor. The heart is spicy peppered carnation and a dry rose scent that reminds one of a flower pressed in a book to remember a long lost lover. This blends with the skin so well, and feels soft and warm not unlike a cashmere sweater, that still carries the scent of a heavy incensy resin or balm. The drydown is grand: oriental, sweet, and exotic. Rodrigo Flores-Roux; I should have known, the man is a wizard when it comes to creating unique and superb perfumes. More incense and woods than florals; this is a splendid spicefest that I won't soon forget, and will add it to my top ten most wanted scents ever... Sillage: very good Longevity: excellent Overall: 4.75/5 This scent is supposed to be a woman's perfume but it smells just wonderful on my male skin; and in fact very warm, and masculine as far as I am concerned. I have a new love in my life-a dark, smooth, exotic beauty that keeps me warm and loved; a sacred love that others may not understand, but takes me back to ancient forests, burnt offerings and mysterious rituals-a time when things were simpler and Mankind, Nature and the Gods were in harmony...

I have a couple of samples, but a while back I bought a partial bottle of this, knowing it was something I would like. It’s the silly black mouse bottle, one of the few that I’ll tolerate despite the fact that it doesn’t stand up by itself. The first thing I smell is frankincense, lots of it. Then it’s joined by woody and resinous notes, cedar, sandalwood, a pinch of clove/carnation and nutmeg, and a bit of myrrh and probably some cashmeran, hence the name. There’s a slightly smoky feel to the whole composition, like walking some distance away from a campfire or fireplace where fresh cedar and juniper wood is burning. When I first smelled the incense in the opening, I expected a heavy fragrance, but BC is very light and airy. At first, it’s delicate wisps of smoke drifting through the cool outdoor air, not a heavy wool wrap. It has plenty of sillage, but it’s subtle, not the sort that hits you in the face. It’s safe to spray, at least in small amounts, which is something I can’t say for most commercial perfumes. As it dries down, it becomes a little sweeter, with the vanilla and amber starting to come through, but overall it stays fairly linear, gradually thickening and increasing in intensity. It lasts at least 12 hours, and is still there full force on clothing the next day and the next .... Black Cashmere is one of my go-to scents in the rotation that I wear regularly, but it does need to be used in moderation.