Anthracite

I'm trying this today for the first time immediately after a shower, with light sprays to each wrist, lightly over my decollete, and lightly on the back of my neck. This is truly lovely, in absolutely every sense. It reminds me of something familiar from my past, but I do not know what. Based on what others have said it reminds them of, it may be something I've smelled many times, in many different iterations over the years, which is probably why it smells so familiar and somewhat comforting to me. This shares some similar DNA with some of the more floral Estee Lauder fragrances. In early moments, Anthracite is suggestive of a combination of Pure White Linen and Samsara. This is so feminine and pretty, and absolutely something that just about any female could easily wear, even quite young ladies I think. It seems neither mature nor girlish. It is grounded, while still feeling very clean, fresh, green, and airy. It's just so charming. Very classic and timeless, perfect for virtually any occasion. Another masterpiece that embodies a wonderfully French femininity. This opened for me with a huge sparkling and effervescent greenness. As time passes, I'm getting a bit less green and more of the florals, a slight luscious creaminess, and perhaps a bit of woodiness. This is all very smooth and there is absolutely nothing harsh or overdone here. I believe someone referenced Samsara in the previous comments, and I can see that, but this is so much greener and fresher. It's now an hour later, and the flowers are definitely stepping forward, as are the vanilla and resins. The wood and the woodiness of vetiver keep it all very grounded, and a bit on the dry side. That dryness is what holds the flowers in check, preventing them from becoming overly sweet. Like many of my favorites, Anthracite is present but understated in just the right way. I ordered a 30 ml spray, and after sampling this I had to go back for a 100ml EDT. This is one I will wear often in Spring and Summer. I'm going to call this a Spring and Summer scent, although I always hesitate to label any fragrance as to appropriateness for any particular season. Every time I have, I've been surprised, or have surprised myself, at something worn in a season that I wouldn't have expected it, and it's been lovely. For example, Terenzi's Maremma over Valentino Uomo Noir Absolu. This layered combo is the most delicious boozy, musky, vanilla and incense concoction, and applied judiciously is just perfect in the heat of a Summer evening, which is a shining example of why I sample and wear frangrances every day - even when it's just me to enjoy it. You simply don't always know how a fragrance will perform based purely on itellectual knowledge of how things "should" smell. I'm three hours in, and this is still going strong. I'm going to say that I will get good enough longevity from this, but perhaps less projection than I would like. Again, though, this is Winter in the Pacific Northwest, and this may really bloom and carry in the heat of warmer months. Six hours in, and it has faded to just a bit more than a skin scent. Still there, still recognizable as I move about, but I doubt anyone else can discern much. Scent - 10+ Longevity and projection are average, but I sprayed with discretion today, as I do when sampling. Perhaps a more liberal application will make a difference. Edit: After having applied this yesterday, I woke this morning to immediately notice I'm still experiencing this loveliness, but what I smell now is the fresh, clean green again, and bergamot! I can see how some may think this could be unisex, wheras yesterday it seemed overwhelmingly feminine. Clearly this one is anything but linear in it's evolution on the skin. Again, what a welll-blended masterpiece!! Also apparent is that Anthracite has better longevity than I originally thought.

Imagine that duality of green and vanilla/benzoin that we find in classics such as Must de Cartier and Calvin Klein Obsession, then fill the core with a gorgeous spring floral melange of lemon-accented magnolia, hyacinth, narcissus, and lily of the valley, and we sketch an idea of Anthracite. It is so much more than that though, because of this dark ketone-rosiness folded into the blend, a big leafy basil-lime muddle smack dab in the middle of the affair, and almost bitter almond heliotrope underlining it. The result is so dazzling and peculiar, like a true "Alien" rather than the jarring, discordant Mugler. It's almost a sequel to Jacomo Silences, this time with an amber instead of a chypre structure, and a dark vetiver, woods, and toxic berries sealed in orris, casting a foreboding shadow on the spring affair of its first movement. It shares that same "witch's cauldron" feel of Magie Noire and Mystere Rochas, with spurs and spikes, slopes and fuzz, sweet, sour and bitter, wet then dry, bewildering by design. Furthermore, the sillage is delicious.

Vanilla is the least voted note here? But this is like Must de Cartier in its vanilla and amber duet. The only difference is that the hyacinth and basil overrides the whole composition. It is throughly soapy and powdery with the oriental base that pervades Dune and Must de Cartier. It’s aromatic for sure. And I agree that other reviewers said that it’s a witchy blend: it’s a grassy and abrasive floral with a warm vanilla and amber backbone. It’s too detached for modern tastes. A green vanilla with lots of soapy sap. Edit: The somewhat soapy accord is lemon, hyacinth and basil. It exists throughout the drydown. When you open the cap, it smells wonderful and it translates on sillage. On skin it’s acerbic but with warmth, it’s splendid.

I had a vial of this and gave to my great love Chat. Luca Turin praised it as a masterpiece, and I would love to have a big bottle. But I never see it nowhere..

Animal, vegetable, or mineral? Yes. Anthracite is a beautiful fascination.

This is a spicy, powdery, wood and amber, floral bouquet sitting on the table in the middle of a castle, in a dark, mysterious and enchanted forest. It is the scent of the beautiful and wicked Evil Queen. It's better suited for cooler weather so I can't wait for summer to end so I can wear this.

This was the first grown up fragrance I bought for myself as a teen. I remember being 15 years old, trying various 'Tuscany Per Donnas' and 'Tresors' in my town's beauty shop and deciding to buy Anthracite. In retrospect, the reason I chose it was partly because it was different and 'unique' partly because the SA was quite pushy! I never enjoyed this smell I must admit, but as I said, I was young and ignorant. I strongly remember a minty and fresh accord and I'm surprised no such note is listed (maybe it's basil?)Overall it was a heavy, dark and mysterious almost androgynous scent that I bought about 30 years too early. And I wouldn't buy it again, as I never repurchase perfumes very strongly associated with a time of my life long gone...

Reviewing a vintage 30ml EDT bottle from 1990. Anthracite was launched in 1990, reformulated around 1995 and discontinued in the early 2000's. The perfumer is uncredited. Anthrancite is an 80's style green floriental that is truly unisex. 1990 was the bridge to the ultimate unisex movement of the decade and Anthracite was deliberately there. It opens with bright fresh herbal greeness. The lemon is subtle ? age loss. The hyacinth is fresh and blends into the florals. It is not powdery but comes across soapy. This to me gives it a slight masculine leaning, an aromatic fougere. Brands like Parfums Jacomo were at the time actively experimenting with blurring gender lines. The base is a deep resinous amber. Very little vanilla in my original 1990 bottle. Quality: 4.5/5 excellent materials and blending Unisex/ slightly masculine leaning by comparison to today's sugary female offerings Performance: 5/5 for an EDT (lasts longer than many current EDP's) Cold, fresh, green and soapy. A boardroom fragrance for women to match the men in the office. I like it for hot days as it refreshes without withering. I would love this on a man. My favourite from Jacomo will however always be their masterpiece green chypre Silences. 7.5/10

If you haven't tried any Jacomo scents yet, I encourage you to give this house a try. I've liked all that I've tried so far and can't wait to try the rest. They're very high-quality but very affordable, with scents available in almost every fragrance category I tracked down some Anthracite after reading good things about it another website. It is discontinued and a little hard to find, but it is still available on ebay and a few websites. I think Anthracite is probably better suited for cooler weather. I couldn't wait and have given it a couple tries this summer anyway. It's a warm floral oriental with many layers. Spicy fruits yield to warm florals, and the dry-down (the best part of all Jacomo scents) is amazing. Warm, sexy, cuddly, cozy. Sweet but not candy-like. The vanilla and benzoin are nicely balanced by dry, grassy vetiver and woody notes. The scent lingers for hours, surviving through a shower after a hot, sweaty day. If you enjoy Feminite du Bois or Calvin Klein Euphoria, you'll probably enjoy this one. Anthracite is complex, unusual and remarkably well-done. I look forward to wearing this one in autumn and winter.

There is something here which reminds me of Alexander Mc Queen's Kingdom, namely bergamot and musk -mixture. Kingdom starts with a lot of spices (ginger and celeryseeds mainly) and Anthracite with lemony notes and hyacinth, but after a while these two perfumes settle in the same citrus-amber-musk -base and stay there for many many hours (both are strong, at least on me). Right now I have Kingdom on one wrist and Anthracite on the other, and while I still can detect spices on Kingdom and a hint of white flowers on Jacomo (yes, in the short middle phase there is a bunch of flowers there, but only as a humming background chorus...) the dry down seem to be somewhat similar to my nose. Don't get me wrong: of course there are plenty of differences with these two scents, and both deserve respect in their own rights. It is only the last phase I am talking about - and even there Anthracite is more on a citrus side, alert and pungent. Edit: Perhaps I didn't stress enough how strong Anthracite is. It has a killer longevity and a monstrous sillage! At least when I wear it, nobody within a couple of meters can ignore it ;-)

This could be easily a dandy fragrance for men. This is so weird: a dark cologne of outer space. As the best perfumes the first minutes are a sort of messy where a certain note of ash and burned fresh herbs come out. But minute by minute this become something of fantastic that destroy your mind. Metallic tobacco, lime soap, fruity musky ambery astringent flowers. A masterpiece of rolling and daring notes. An underground punk oud sense. Really I'm under shock. Marvellous. Divine. But could be an hate/love fragrance. In a remote way remind me Asja and Silver Scent and i seriously find a fil rouge with Silences. this is not a typical 90s frag. It is more 78 modernized

This is an interesting scent from Jacomo so much so that I look forward to their other offerings. This is a winter scent leaning on the masculine side but I love it because it feels warm and it's unusual almost animalic - I love and smell the vetiver and the green notes. It is an interesting fragrance - almost mysterious and witch-like.

This is what I expected Chanel coco noir to smell like.