Black Powder

There are clearly a ton of people in the comments who have never smelled cocaine before (which isn’t a bad thing) but seeing as it literally goes into your nose I am a bit confused as to why you are leaving a review for an olfactive experience. It DOES however have that resinous, sweet, and ring of slight vinegar (though more in spirit than an actual vinegary accord) that is reminiscent of the inspiration of the name. This is not a mass appealing scent. It is not an easy wear. But as far as the actual meaning behind this statement goes, this truly is a modern niche MASTERPIECE. It is a work of art, a song of sorry written by Jusbox and performed by Julien RASQUINET. It starts with the opening rush, a kick with the pimento and a wave of euphoria in the juicy black currant and crisp green apple reminiscent of Cobain’s ingenious creativity. It flows into the olfactory system and begins to mellow in the heart as the leather accord of the suede and dried tobacco leafs swirls with the resinous olibanum. As it fades into the dry down the tonka, patchouli, and sandalwood bring out an earthiness, an almost ashy nature to the dried tobacco leaves that is reminiscent of a coffee and cigarette Kurt would frequent in the come down. The euphoria settles as it brings you back down to earth for the remainder of the wear, yet there is still a hint of hope from that crisp apple that somehow lingers far after it should have faded. This is as niche and artisanal as modern perfumes gets. It tells a story from start to finish and is a scent that is absolutely loaded with emotion. You can feel the duality of happiness mixed with sorrow, the pleasure mixed with pain, and the euphoria mixed with fleeting hope experienced by so many who suffer through what this fragrance represents. It is absolutely beautiful. Perspective is key, as scent is such a subjective experience that is different for everyone. But on an objective note you are getting great performance and longevity. The presentation is immaculate, not just in the heavy, beautiful bottle and vinyl cap, but even the juice is art in its blackish brown, mud water color as if it was blended on a spoon and registered into the bottle. For me, I call this the “hot shot of fragrance” ready to be injected into the jugular of the olfactory system and experienced from start to finish. There is true beauty in this fragrance beyond the smell and I hope people can appreciate it as an accurate story they represent the pain and suffering that so many wonderful people have gone through, and so few make it out of. A statement that while those people might be struggling and dirty from the outside, there is still a beauty underneath that pain, lost but not a lost cause, a plea for understanding and empathy for the help to get out from that dark place. Kindness, compassion, and understanding go a long way, and this fragrance tells a sad but beautiful story. (There is a way out)

Out of the scents I have tried so far, from the sample kit from Jusbox, Black Powder appears to be the most unique and truly a niche fragrance. Again, I am half through the sample set, not tried them all, but this scent smells awesome. Strong, nuanced suede with a warm spicy, syrupy sweetness from fruits and an incense, sandalwood, patchouli, tonka beans base. On the more masculine side but not heavily masculine leaning, I would wear Black Powder if I would have a bottle. Has an intense presence and it is moderately mass appealing (I mean by that that’s not a challenging perfume that’s too far gone on the niche side) even though it doesn’t remind me of anything from my collection. To put it in a context, Black Powder feels more like an elevated version of a designer perfume. Don’t know how to put it exactly in words but I am really loving what I am smelling. Rich, dark, intense, bit of sweetness, bit of fruitiness, bit of tobacco, bit of vanilla, bit of patchouli. It’s a great one for sure!! Great longevity and moderate to strong sillage. Fall and winter season only! Impressed with how well done Black Powder is! It’s one of those scents that flies under the radar from the brand..

I recently bought a sample set from Jusbox and I liked a lot of them! But my teenage son fell in love with this one. He is a musician and he felt this one really suited his personality. I absolutely do not think this is a “young” scent that would appeal to most teens. In fact when I asked my son what he liked about it, he said that it’s unique, he hasn’t smelled anything like it (thank god for that now that I’m seeing people say it smells like cocaine) and he said no other kids at highschool are wearing anything like it. He said it’s dark and edgy and kind of Rock n Roll. He likes the sweet leather edge and the slightly dirty undertone we both detect (the smell of dirt, not the smell of a dirty person). I also really like the way the fragrance smells on my son, but I would probably not wear it myself because it was a bit too heavy for me. My son enjoys wearing cologne, but this is the first time I have ever seen him get really excited and into a fragrance and see it more then just a way to smell good, but as an extension of his personality and as a way to express himself. I am going to save for a bottle to surprise him with.

OK ok what. I actually like this and I'm shocked. Usually I go for stuff more geared towards like black opium, Moschino bubblegum, replica Whispers in the Library, kayali musk... but wow. I got this as a free sample in an order, I'm shook lol I had even looked at this brands perfumes and reading the notes on this one I passed thinking I'd hate it. It has an interesting cooling scent (think like eucalyptus mint I guess) with some suede-y leathery powdery smell. Reminded me of Madly in Love by Kilian. I dont get apple or black currant but everything else is there. Might lean a little more on the masculine side buuuuut I'm still gonna wear it hahaha. I would consider a full bottle even. I can't stop smelling my wrist. Dang perfumes man...you just never know what you're gonna like til you smell it, I'm so happy they threw this in there. Note I went into this brand not knowing about the concept of the line and I think that helped me keep a better open mind to the fragrance too.

Super dark, super sexy, leather and tobacco perfume. While it’s definitely a heavier nighttime fragrance, the notes here are blended so well that it’s not too dirty or overpowering. There’s a delicious smokiness from the suede, grounded by an earthiness from the tobacco and patchouli, and then lightened by some sweetness from the apple and black currant. Julien Rasquinet did one of my favourite perfumes, Tabac Rose by BDK, and you can see some of the sophistication of that frag here (although this, if course, has no rose in it). The performance on this one is also incredibly good, I can still smell it very prominently after 5-6 hours. I think it’s unisex although would smell particularly sexy on a man. I’ve been working my way through the Jusbox sample set and I’m honestly baffled by why they consistently score in the 3s on Fragrantica - there are some really unique well executed perfumes by this house, made by some great perfumers.

Take Layton, add some Ombré Leather, and just for fun sprinkle some cinnamon on top, what you get is Black Powder from Jusbox. One of the most underrated perfumes in the market, and an absolute delight! Don’t get the tobacco nor the apple, and trust me, I hate tobacco, I would certainly get it if it was noticeable, all I get is a complex/animalic warm spicy leather. I don’t care for all the grundge backstory Jusbox wants to pair with this perfume, I find the reference completely random and unnecessary. This perfume has a very strong presence and personality it’s definitely not for the faint hearted. Longevity is amazing, projection is moderate... and I’ll say it again, spicy fragrances never really project, but that’s ok.

A truly deep, heavy, warm, woody and smoky pungent fragrance. The silage and lasting powder are, as expected, other worldly. I spray this on my less frequent wash items (ie sweaters, outerwear) and the sheer strength after days stuns me to this day. I’ve nearly finished my bottle but if i could describe it in a more digestible, simple way i would say it’s a heavy heavy woody fragrance perfectly uplifted by fruitiness and green. It also, to me, smells like a leathery bukhoor with that same intensity/ woody-ness and smoky-ness I would definitely recommend sampling and would air on the side of caution on wearing this fragrance to school or work.

This needs more love in the fragrance community! It isn't talked about nearly as much as it should be. The composition is intoxicating and invokes the feeling of the early 90s grunge metal scene and Kurt Cobain. Love at 1st sniff for me along with a few others from the house like Sirens and sailors, feel and chill, 14 hour dream, cheecky smile and green bubble....get your nose on it and make your own assessment!!!! Do not listen to peoples opinions on here or anywhere I gurentee you will be surprised how great it smells especially if you like dark and leathery fragrances

I tried it after testing 20+ niche perfums in the store.Still the genius pairing of apple+pimento conquered my heart instantly,then I was carried away by the hypnotic cloud of olibanum, suede & patchouli all day&night.It isn't a perfume, it's a therapy to the soul.Became my indispensable right at that moment.CAUTION:Addictive, I left all my other perfumes on the desk untouched,ever since I bought the "Black Powder", I don't feel complete,unless I wear it.Bravo Julien Rasquinet, Bravo to the entire team behind this master piece

I had a sample and was thinking to purchase a full bottle, but doubted because I don't go out so much, and this is "a go out in a leather jacket until the flour of the club is sticky" kind of parfume. I changed my mind when a tiny women passed me wearing a small white dress and this parfume, in the MIDDLE OF A SUMMER 🤯 blew me away, I could smell it at least 10 meters after she passed. Black powder is what I am giving myself as an early Christmas present 😍 and I am looking forward to choke my coworkers and family with it 😅

JUSBOX BLACK POWDER besides the brilliant campian has absolutely amazing perfumes. Full disclosure I requested this as my bday gift 🎁. The opening is loud and very much a male driven sent. With grape (black current) and pimento. The middle you move on to a leather sent. You end up with the Tonka bean It stays within my skin a nice reminder of the reverberation of long string Guitars that some of the bands in the time used. I love it This is defiantly bold not for the weak Perfect for winter 🍻 cheers!

Pungent, leathery, fruity and powdery. If used lightly it's a completely different scent. Light floral and fruity, but a full spray it become masculine, musky, dirty. Jusbox atomisers are like water hoses so I get the full on grunge fragrance. It's amazing especially outdoors. Lasts a long time vefore fading to a skin scent after 6-10 hours and fills every corner of the room. Definitely not to everyone's tastes. Dark and dangerous. I love it.

I bought it last week in Caleri artistic perfumery in Genoa (Italy) and I can say that it smells AMAZING ! Before going, I read an article on "Rolling Stone Italia" and, due to the fact that I am an ex-grunge little girl lol, I couldn't wait to try it. The first time I smelled Black Powdery, it reminded me about my teenage time in the 90's and of course about Nirvana,Kurt and my leather jacket I used to wear... definitely worth buying.

How can you not like this? It really blows my mind. I absolutely love this and so has everyone around me who's caught a whiff. Black Powder is undoubtedly masculine and I'd hate to smell this on a woman, it just wouldn't work! I can't stop smelling myself everytime I wear this it's just brilliant but you need to have an open mind. Longevity is fantastic and well above average. The ties to Kurt Cobain really make no sense....

The packaging and concept of the whole brand are kind of nauseating IMO, but this is the ultimate badboy fragrance. Amber and cocaine are really showcased, but the there's more if you have time. The cocaine thing is really the selling point, it's spot on, and completely intoxicating; a slightly sharp, gasoline type smell. It's pretty loud, but smells great after 2 days, which is kinda the vibe anyway.

This perfume smells like the difference between PDM Layton and Layton Exclusif, concentrated. Whatever was aded to the original Layton to make the exclusif version, is the whole profile here. If you are unfamiliar with that, this is dry, slightly green tobacco. Well blended, with a lot of depth. Very good longevity and projection.

Suede and tobacco opening Accompandied by some green notes which freshen it up There is some sandalwood and patchouli in the base, first smelljng very fresh spicy but it becomes more earthy as it dries It kind of gives plasticky/rubber vibes but i think that jst makes it more unique and not just another incensy leather fragrance

Im sure this is Parfum de Marly style! 🙂maybe a better quality version. This brand has a lot to offer. I'm impressed. Top material 👏

Dark, leathery, smokey fragrance. Does remind me of a more mellow version of Interlude, but has a tart and spicey opening.

Love this one! To me it smells like a grown up version of la nuit l’homme le parfum.

Smells like a rockstar. Cool, attention grabbing, a little offensive.

The blackcurrant ties in very nicely

This is definitely the most interesting of all the Jusbox scents which I feel are well made but not very unique; what makes them fun is that they generally match to the vibe of whatever music or artist is represented. I could see Kurt Cobain turning over in his grave at the thought of a fragrance being associated with him and his music posthumously but the fragrance itself is sick. Everything seems to roll up into this smooth, tar black leathery fruity essence and I I really don’t get any distinct notes except I can kind of pick out the tobacco and there is something keeping it a bit sweet. Reminds me of Falcon Leather. Seems rather masculine but as a woman I would definitely wear it if I wanted to add a leather to the collection. This is a good one

Truly one of the most interesting fragrances I've smelled and it really manages to evoke what it's going for. This is your rockstar boyfriend in his leather jacket, smoking in the dressing room after a show. A little sweet, deep, and ashy. Smoky tobacco with just enough spice. Really does evoke the lingering remnant of cigarette smoke and sweetened leather. My husband loved this one. In my opinion, this is unisex and can be worn by anyone. It's rough around the edges and someone below me said it's like "bad decisions in a bottle" and I totally agree. Wear this one with confidence! 7.5/10

This is what niche perfumery is all about. Love it or hate it, I am still trying to figure that out lol, this is not meant for the masses and that will always peak my interest and get my respect. I notice the spices and musk. There is a little leather. And while I am unable to pick out the fruit or tobacco I am aware of how their addition affects the recipe, if that makes any sense. As this dries down I am reminded more and more of any number of Amouage fragrances. There is a smell here that I associate with BO/cumin but it is balanced by the powdery aspects of this fragrance.

Smells remarkably similar to Pegasus Exclusif to me, it gives off the same dark vibe with slightly sweetness but I would say Black Powder is stronger and is more leathery and thus “darker” smelling. I would say I like this a lot if I didn’t own something I think was similar but is still a super nice dark fall/winter wear

This is a nice one. It is a grainy dark appley fragrance with a restrained creamy sweetness. After a few minutes the fruit does mostly disappear but the sweetness doesn’t (tonka). I think “creamy gray powder” makes more sense than black powder. 8.0/10

Extremely dark and heavy fragrance with lots of dry and earthy patchouli mixed with smoky leather. It does remind me of Azaran Bvlgari - with its intense leather and some spicy and sweet undertones. Follow me on IG: scent.guide

Interesting. I haven’t worn this in four months. The experience is very different than last time. Today fruit, cumin, leather, tobacco. To my nose the tobacco and cumin form an Oud accord. The fruit is very subtle.

Definitely apre masculine leaning scent, I mainly get the tobacco, leather and patchouli in the dry down. Decent but I'm not sure I'll purchase another bottle.

The opening is SO unique! I get an in-your-face blast of green apple and pimento pepper with a dusting of tobacco... but the fruit vanishes in the blink of an eye. The scent then transforms into a dirty, spicy, dry suede/tobacco hybrid. I chose to try this fragrance because I am into resins/woods/leathers and wanted to smell something innovative. If Jusbox found a way to preserve that opening for longer than two seconds and blend it into the dry-down, I'd be sold. Don't get me wrong, Black Powder is not a bad fragrance... it’s just very safe and forgettable. It’s an olfactory experience that starts off attention-grabbing, does a 180, and quickly becomes lackluster. For a fragrance based on the iconic grunge scene of Seattle in the 90's, I expected more willingness to push the boundaries and take risks. I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed. I think I'm going to let my sample macerate for a while and then try it again. EDIT 6/15/25: I macerated my sample for about two months. Same experience. Underwhelming.

Ehhhhh. There's tobacco, frankincense, and I can't fully understand/feel the suede note. To me, it's a synthetic or commercial suede - like the interior of a shoe store. There IS an impression of gunpowder and that's very interesting, but not something I'd personally want to wear. Other scents do tobacco and pome fruit better, imo; I'm thinking about Red Tobacco, but that might simply be my taste. This one does it very stripped down and dry. Despite the well blended but shy top note of green apple, there's none of the vanillic or resiny sweetness you will frequently encounter in tobacco forward scents. Even the lower notes of frankincense and sandal are dry, stripped of creaminess and sweetness. Artistically, it's refreshing, though personally off-putting to me. The scent "feels" quite aggressive rather than warm and should this appeal, give it a try.

I doubt Kurt would smell like this and I get that wasn't the premise but rather the soul of the grunge scene but I would've liked to see a perfume made in that direction. Woulda been cool. It does feel like a rockstar would wear this but more along the lines of say Slash. To me, this is a spicy deep blue fragrance with something green in the mix. While that is what you get upon close inspection, the hovering experience is a spicy pungent aromatic powder. Hence, "Black Powder". Anyway, this is ok. To me this is strictly masculine. Goth. Although this is my rating, its important to note this isn't my preference in scent profile. If you enjoy the typical scents geared towards men/what sells in the market, you will probably like this. Dry down is dark pungent and green

Objectively a 🙂 but I hate spicy scents. This one reminds me of Armani Code. I thought the fruity notes would be it’s saving grave but it’s overly blended to the point that the fruit is borderline indiscernible. Not a bad thing, per se. Anyway, here’s a boring spice storm, even if slightly atypical.

Certainly well named. On me it smells strong and dark powdery, it absolutely radiates off the skin. That said, it is an *extremely* strong perfume. Not suitable for casual wear. I can recommend it for a night out in open air but anything in closed quarters is not advisable.

Disclosure: I’m an educator with a background in branding, copywriting and design. I admit to my disdain for this brand’s attempt to align and profit off musicians and cultural movements, but I do judge the juice separately. Ultimately I believe the art of scent is something that appeals to all senses — not just our nose. I look at bottle design, naming, texture of materials used in packaging and so on. It’s separate from the olfactory experience, but it does make up a significant part of the overall experience, and plays a part in my reviews. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Through support literature, Black Powder is supposedly representing the city I live in during the 90s (Seattle), generation X (me) and the music that came out of it (Grunge). Yes, the brand is suggesting point-blank that Black Powder is a scent Kurt Cobain —one of the most iconic and influential musicians of our time — would douse himself in. File that under a terrible, misguided marketing idea. One that people who spent formative years listening and supporting the music of this region would find offensive. And I can imagine Kurt’s disgust at the blatant, commercial, money-grabbing ploy on the part of Jusbox if he were alive today. That said, Black Powder is the most interesting scent I have tried from this brand. Not really unique, in fact I feel like I’ve smelled it many times before: a rich, leather infused cocktail lounge, complete with sweet tobacco smoke from a pipe. The intensity reminds me of Black Afagano, a perfume I own but seldom wear. There’s also a resin and tar quality that ultimately gives my nose fatigue. Although it’s interesting, I would not go beyond my sample. I don’t like to gender perfume but in my opinion it leans masculine. Not down voting the perfume, but it is a pass. Jusbox on the other hand, is everything Kurt was not.

Wow, this is such a bold, unusual scent! I have to admire it for how original it is, but I'm afraid I can't really review it any further than that: the note list is so far from my taste that I can't even really tell if this is a well-made perfume or not. It probably is, but I personally don't like it: it's just too bold, too masculine-leaning, too leathery, too spicy for me. All those things I can take in small doses, but not all together, and on top of that it does something weird to my nose that reminds me of my days of working at a chemical processing plant. Black powder is a good name for it, though! Recommended for those less faint of heart than I am.

What a weird combination of grape soda and pimento! At the same time, it resembles a sweet and spicy bbq sauce. Next, small waves of suede and tonka are joining as well as an earthy patchouli note. The dry down is going into an opposite approach than the beginning; it's boring and predictable, a dry sweet and sort of a fruity smell. This feels very synthetic as a whole, but at least the crazy opening made it interesting for a while. 5.5/10

I expected so much more from this. Reading the reviews, I thought this would be a brutal, dark, strong, masculine fragrance. But it's not. It's a slightly sweet, boozy light fragrance. Yea, the opening does smell like cocaine, which is pretty interesting. But it's too weak to be good, it's like a paper tiger, which just looks... cute at most.

This one was too rough for me. Heavy on the tobacco and suede, and the combo hits way too masculine for my taste. It’s bold and powerful, but not my vibe. Longevity is crazy good, though, so if you like strong, dark scents that last forever, this one delivers.

This really does smell like cocaine. Mellows into a leathery tobacco-y fragrance with a tinge of fruity sweetness. Not sure how I feel about it, feels like bad decisions in a bottle. Fitting of a troubled rock star I guess, so the brief was nailed.

Okay, first of all, grunge is part of the music mix I grew up with. So I wanted this fragrance to work with me so so much. It didn't. But still, it's remarkable. To be honest, I can't distinguish the apple notes. For me, this is some pimento on top, then a very distinct ashtray scent mixed with leather. I don't like any of these notes. If it weren't for the leather, I could definitely say it smells like a venue where grunge is the main choice. But the leather gives it a more refined note, a sophistication you won't find with the grunge crowd. I don't like it. Yet I really appreciate it. Wouldn't want anyone wearing this near me, but I guess it will appeal to a certain breed of men who don't mind a cigar cloud around them. Or Marla from Fight Club.

DO NOT BLIND BUY. Thankfully I just purchased this in a discovery sample set. This was the worst of them all. On me, this was just - acrid, acidic, ashtray smoke - and strong. not cute. genuinely horrid. I had to wash my skin multiple times to eradicate the stench. A family member also tried it and her results, while not as awful, were also not good. On some other people this may be beautiful. Get a sample first is all I can say.

Whatever the opposite of nose-blind is, that’s what I am to leather/suede notes, especially combined with tobacco. It overpowers everything and ruins everything it touches in almost all blends, including this one.

This is different... Very dense dark sweet fruitiness is what you get from the very beginning, then a smoky leather accord will punch you in the face, and you will only smell this no matter where and how much juice you put in your skin. The very first time I try it I thought I was going to love it, but then after a while in my skin I wanted somehow to stop... It's true that this is very intoxicated, but do not know if this is in a good or bad way. You keep smelling it, just to check again and again this disturbing combination. I love bold and artistic scents, but in this case, this radiates a very synthetic, pungent aroma, that I do not find very enjoyable. You should try it and make your own conclusion, but for me this is still a "I rather wear something else" Uniqueness: high Scent: 5/10 Performance: high (1st hour is extremely laud) Would I buy it: No

I don’t know how they did it. I am not being sensationalist or edgy, I swear. Please believe me when I tell you that this opens like cocaine. Smells exactly like cocaine. Earnestly thought for a moment that I was just sticking my nose in some cocaine. I don’t know what it does or where it goes from there because I promptly threw the blotter away. You know, on account of all the cocaine. I’m a (retired) junkie so you can trust me on this. If you are, too, this may be either an extremely difficult or an extremely therapeutic fragrance for you.

This is versace man on steroids! I favor suede and tobacco (really just a generic tobacco like in VM) I can see the similarities with tuscan leather but this would be for suede lovers mostly. Strong like! Update: Opening is like a stronger version of versace man as said and dries down to a more suede based tuscan leather or even argos bacio for that matter. Bacio is just a way more fruity interpretation tho but the suede/leather tobacco/cedar is there and well done!

“You never appreciate the things you have until you lose them.” Kurt Cobain It is precisely from him that this dark, intense, introspective fragrance is inspired. To his scratchy, painful voice, to his style that is so innovative and simple at the same time, to his beauty. A sweet, beautiful apple at the opening, which leaves space to tobacco accents, leather and slightly incensed. An incisive, uncompromising, beautiful fragrance. Absolutely wintery for me.

Pretty much exactly what I’d expect from the name Black Powder. Dark, spicy, leather or tobacco. It’s got a slightly fruity punch to it which rounds out the darker notes nicely, but it’s very tobacco and suede heavy, so not at all for me. Someone else mentioned tar and I definitely smell that at the end of a deep whiff. So, tar and leather. I guess it’s better than tar and feathered.

Dirty, Sexy, Exquisite Ashy Tobacco with a touch of metallic fresh gun. Evokes a black and white image of James Dean, white T, blue jeans, ciggie and cycle. Turns to a sweet tobacco light ash leather about 2 hours in then a syrupy sweet fade to end about 10 hours later .