Black Lotus

This perfume was purchased in an effort to construct a collection of 4 for life. In purchasing this perfume, I was attempting to find a rose or red-flowered scent. Indeed, I found this scent to satisfy my need for this field of fragrance. Initially, I was hoping to conclude my search at 3 perfumes. However, I wanted to provide focus to a more feminine side of me by purchasing a perfume that would be feminine or non-binary in nature. Thus, I looked to a scent that I personally associate with femininity: roses. In searching for a perfume, the cost was important to me as this smell was to be the position of a casual and personal romantic scent that I wanted to portray. At first, I found this perfume to be complex, but several scents stand out. Otherwise, the cost of 90 from Sephora was satisfactory to me. Roses are mixed with leathers when you smell the cap of the bottle. Otherwise, this scent mixed well with my skin into the leather side. I don't know if the smell is considered musk (I haven't tried to smell physical musk) but it may conclude on the skin as a musky skin that alludes to the aforementioned roses. A note for the spraying of this perfume: this perfume has a long spray time compared to other perfume bottles. Hence, you get a lot of perfume from one press of the spray. Two different ways to mitigate this so that perfume is not wasted is to slowly press it as you wave the spray over the desired part of skin. So, the neck was easier to use this motion as I just have to simply wave my hand, with the bottle in hand, while looking up so that I could spray a good amount of perfume on a wide area of real estate. The other method was to press the spray halfway onto one portion of the skin, such as the wrist of one hand, and then spray the other half onto my neck. If you want to have a perfume that reminds one of roses, then get this perfume. I also recommend this perfume to masculine people who wish to take that first step into a more feminine perfume.

For me this is an EXOTIC ROSE fragrance. I love rose fragrances, from light and airy to deep and intoxicating cords...Rose perfumes is something I am drawn to. I decided to wait to write a review for Floral street perfume, this is a London based fragrance company, relatively new and their fragrances are very contemporary. I visited their Covent garden store last January and their 'floristas' are very knowledgeable and know great customer service, warm and inviting. So that was a BIG PLUS. Since I love roses I was immediately drawn to Black Lotus and it was love a first spritz. I usually wear spicey, deep, floral fragrances during the colder months and Black lotus would have to be the Sexy Rebel Rose that I was looking for. This perfume is really not for someone who prefers the sweet gourmand because this is a mature bold scent. The saffron opening could get bitter at first but when the fragrance settles the deep spicey Rose comes out, I could not detect the pepper. There is a sweetness in Black lotus, but it is caramelised sweetness which goes well with the leather cord. The leather cord tied with spiced sweet rose for me is very sexy. The musk that some reviewers can detect might come from both saffron and leather cord. Black lotus is a fragrance that also requires patience. It evolves, and I love the projection and the longevity. This smells amazing within time and best worn during colder months. The heat will overwhelm this fragrance, but cool weather helps his fragrance to radiate.

Bit of an odd one out in Floral Street's lineup (possibly explains the disproportionately negative reviews...) but a welcome addition nonetheless. The basics: Strong leather and rose initially, which I enjoy. The patchouli shyly emerges after about half an hour, possibly sweetened by the cherry. I don't get any of the other listed notes, though this isn't necessarily a bad thing (sometimes I enjoy simplicity lol). Fades to a skin scent after around 4 hours, which is pretty decent longevity in my opinion. Reminds me of: You've found yourself in a bar where a Crowbar cover band has just finished their set and dozens of overheating, leather-clad moshers are making a break for the smoking area. Though you're sat at the bar with your whiskey and cherry coke (a single, since you wanted to be "sensible" tonight), the venue is small enough that you can smell the rose perfume of the women as they inch past you with a polite "'scuse me". You note with amusement that there is patchouli incense burning behind the bar, probably to cover up the sweaty aftermath of the mosh pit that you were too scared to jump into. You promise yourself that you'll join in during the next set.

Caveat: I love woodsy incense fragrances and resins. Leather is fine, tobacco is great. As touched on by other reviewers, this one will definitely be a hit or miss. For me, this is a hit. This one is very dual in nature. It has on the one hand a smoky resin with some pipe tobacco and the leather on me is not overwhelming. I am getting more of an incense vibe. On the other hand, we have some fresh juicy cherry and that hint of violet that welcomes spring. It's not quite 50/50%. The smoke does tend to overpower but the hint of fruity/floral comes off to me as a strawberry incense. Because it's surrounded by smoky tobacco and resin, it just makes it even more fresh and creamy like a berry doused in sugar and cream. I hope more than anything I can get away with this at work. It really works on my chemistry, as I seem to ignore any aldehydes or white florals and project away anything vaguely spice or stone fruit such as peach and cherry. It's worth a try for you but I really love this and can't stop being infatuated with Black Lotus.

The reviews prove this is not a crowd pleasing scent. Perhaps then, it is a scent for those who care not for your opinion, only seeking to please their own nose. It is reminiscent in my eyes of the dizzying fragrances of the 70s and 80s, not necessarily in smell, but certainly in presence. The scent is best described as a leather, cigarette, dry rose fragrance. There is nothing fresh about it. It cannot (unfortunately) be worn with much success in the summer, so resides firmly in winter or autumn. You cannot wear this if you like to fade into the background, or if you prefer for your perfume to not slap the face of passers by. It will last for absolutely ages, whole days certainly without any need to top it up. Needless to say it is one of my favourite fragrances of all time. I would tentatively go as far as saying it’s the one i could never live without. I just hope that its unpopularity does not lead to it’s discontinuation, as has been the case with my old favourite, decadence by Marc Jacobs.