Piper Nigrum

This is no ordinary love as Sade would put it. True, this is obsession. Amazing scent that makes me swoon over the places where it's been applied, like a child excited about the promise of a new toy - no other niche perfume in many years made me salivate and simply want to run with ecstatic craving of telling "all the people" that with such a smell happiness is easy. I expected something violent and harsh, and awaited with trepidation the opening blast of eponymous black pepper and intensive herbs to cause my nostrils and brain ache, yet on me it presented a mellow and moderate side. Just a passionate mint kiss that promises a lot of sensuality and finally delivers. The most dominant notes on me are: mint, cloves, nutmeg, anise, some spices forming the curry mix and juniper. Pepper is there, but it does not pierce or force itself upon me at all. Perfect aromatic blend with ingredients of superior quality that I cannot stop inhaling. But the best is yet to come: with development to a warm, resinous, balsamic, almost smoky concoction of myrrh, benzoin and some ambery tones with... bay leaf traces, similar to those from Ambre Sultan, only ending up with ambery feel from Lubin Akkad and the fantastically sensual and enveloping aura of vintage M7. Don't know how, but this perfume carries best elements of my beloved scents, and additionally offers a unique outcome. Piper Nigrum is full of contadictions: it's cold, fresh, reserved, herbal, aromatic, and warm, sweet, salty, powdery dry, resinous, cozy and sensual at the same time. A longlasting spring/summer scent to die for and I'm so thankful I discovered it finally - with a little boosting help from a friendly and inspiring soul I simply owe a lot:)

Piper Nigrum was the first fragrance from Lorenzo Villoresi that I smelled while in a now sadly shuttered fragrance shop in Provincetown MA. I recognized the latin name for black pepper and had to give it a whirl, and I was impressed with its arresting freshness and "pop" upon application. Yes, black pepper, in spades, pungent and bracing, but invigorating to the nose. A supporting mint and clove are what elevate this effect, but do not fear: this isn't like a visit to the dentist's chair. A panoply of other spices reach through and grab the wearer lovingly, like a passionate dance partner. I also discern oregano and rosemary in the heart, lending to this showy two-step through Lorenzo Villoresi's herb and spice garden. The piquancy of Piper Nigrum may almost be too overwhelming for those who can only handle pepper, spices and herbs sweetened and softened into amber or vanilla rather than laid bare and raw. It does, however, satisfy my yen in a way that Serge Lutens Serge Noire did not, as I find that it transcends my threshold for acridness and comes off as unsettling (a review to come soon). Here, Villoresi does bring it to the brink, and those who are familiar with his perfumes know his knack for bringing on the spices. However, his works often have a rustic, rather than aloof character, and this is no exception, especially as the base of Piper Nigrum enters this phase of warm, dry balsams and incense. If you want a real "Spicebomb," you've got it here.

The "french lack of hygiene" is a urban legend . And reality is more complicated than the legend . In France we had public latrines since Louis XIII ( around 1610 ) .The Versailles smells was a mix of horses , goats , cows , knights sweat . To hide these smells , it was used bellows , pellets to burn , censers and perfumed gloves. At the Court , you had to change of clothes at least 3 times a day to be well seen .... Louis XIV possessed , not a bathroom but a full appartment with 5 rooms dedicated to his bathrooms. The bathrooms had 2 baths : one for soaping , one for rinsing. Louis XIV even had a depilated body ( an aristocratic beauty fashion canon , which was launched by Henri III , around 1570 ) Marie Antoinette took a bath everyday . Not naked .But once a day Kings had their service attendants servants only to bathrooms , they were called "etuvist swimmers" . Galimard was already making perfumes for King Louis XV in 1747 (to sum up ) There were stinky places like all around the world . Anywhere in Europe , in the 16th or 17th , 18th , 19th , 20th century , peasants and lower classes were less "clean " than aristocraty and "bourgeoisie": question of money . Paris under the Baron Haussman ( 1850- 1870 ) became one of the cleanest and modernest city in the world . It's more complicated than a legend ..

I love this fragrance especially in the summer when it manages to give its best even during the hottest ones. I consider P.N. as one of the most reliable and truly persistent fragrance so that you can successfully wear it even in the hottest August (do not forget that P.N. is only an E.d.T!) when the majority of the frags wouldn't be so 'efficient' while losing in the comparison. The starting is surprising because it explodes in a fresh/warm sequence of spices where mint and pepper are the main characters. When I say "fresh" I say so because you can feel the lowering of the temperature on your skin, a curious, mechanical effect that I couldn't stand in winter, for instance. Then, I can admire the rich number of ingredients, happily stitched together as spices, nutmeg being quite evident, herbs, woods and (.....) amber, the latest is so evident especially in the dry down when the mixture becomes "softer" like to show the other side of itself: two fragrances at once?! Not so sure, it seems that the creator has decided to "play" with the wearer... and he has done it since the very beginning: so, pay attention as it would be advisable to spry it while keeping your eyes shut. Try it, and enjoy yourself! I love P.N. Definitely. p.s. I love also the good quality of the ingredients here employed.

potent...spicy opening. it grabs your attention. I was trying to figure out what this reminded me of. what It reminds me of is the way the original Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur made me tilt my head back. that spicy crisp but somewhat sweet aroma, this is a different fragrance than that all in but just the initial impression I got from spraying this on my wrists, a bit darker perhaps and I could be all wet but that was the first fragrance that came to mind. I see this is listed as a unisex fragrance and I guess that is fine, but to me it is as masculine as they come. it really is quite powerful in it's presentation to the wearer. I like this!! The next time I wake up in one of those moods where I don't want to take any crap from anyone I am reaching for this. after wearing this for a couple of hours the aroma of this scent softens a bit but to me it is still not changing what I thought when I first put it on. classy and I guess manly.. well blended, all of the Lorenzo Villoresi fragrances I have sniffed have impressed me, not a inexpensive line though..i don't think they cut many corners I had always planned to get around to this one. I probably need to give it more time and check it later. I am hoping this can keep up the pace. it is worth checking out.. I would call it an ass kicker.

Piper Nigrum is a day in a Mediterranean dream world. We begin in the morning, the coolness of the night still blankets the fields of wild herbs and refreshingly welcomes you at the open window of your Tuscan farmhouse. Mint and anise enliven you and prepare you for the day. A day, rich and full of nature and culture intertwined as only it is in these old, old lands. As you stroll through the streets, across the markets, you recall the merchants bringing the invaluable pepper and other spices, like nutmeg, from afar, creating powerful dynasties in the wake of their success, to which the beautiful palazzo you now admire bears witness. Beside it stands and old woman selling local herbs, fresh and dried oregano, and with the oriental odours it blends into something both invigorating and soothing, like sitting in the cool shade of ancient ochre walls on a warm day, watching life on the piazza, the plaza, in the mdinas of the Maghreb. The day passes quickly and you retire to your fireplace, burning spicy woods, with a libation of wine and warm bread, and now the pepper embraces you, with styrax and amber, like a silk and cashmere blanket, like the glow of the embers, power in the service of tranquility.

There are a lot of notes listed in this perfume. And it's true, it does smell like a herbal concoction coming from an alchemist's lab rather than perfume. And this is why I love it so much. It's very crisp, different, aromatic. Is it beautiful? I don't know... but I love the energy it eludes. Is it feminine? No. Is it masculine? No. I think it's transcendental beyond humans. It's got a vibe that detaches the wearer from reality. It start pungent, almost piercingly spicy. Then it mellows down... it gets icy cold ( yes, a little camphorous, although, to my surprize, eucalyptus isn't a note listed ). Then it gets hot.... and cold.... it's a playful game that slowly looses intensity into a fresh woody skin scent. The silage, when sprayed generously, is good. Lasting power in my skin is a little above average, on clothes much better. The bottle? Well, nice, but suprizingly similar to the L'Artisan' s bottles. Actually, wow. I wonder who copied who. Becase obviously the juices inside those bottles bear no resemblance in style. Well, Piper Nigrum is a stunning experience guaranteed to get you a lof of ..."what in the world do you smell like"? Prepare your answer in advance...

I love the smell of black pepper. In real life and, when done well, in perfume. After falling head over heels for the black pepper in Bois d’Encens, I hunted down a couple of other black pepper perfumes. Among them, Piper Nigrum. Piper Nigrum is a weird one. The first seconds are a blast of citrus and mint quickly joined by strong spices, especially staranise and cloves. The spices in this stage remind me very much of the chinese 5-spice combination. Nearly too much for my taste. But the spices quickly mellow somewhat, still dominant, but softer. With my first test, the ‘too much stage’ took a bit too long for me. On second wearing it passes quicker and I am aware of the midstage much earlier. Thank goodness, because this part is beautifull. The drydown later becomes more woody and warm from the resins, even softer. All in all, Piper Nigrum is a weird combination of spice cabinet absolue with mediterranean freshness. But while weird, I think I’ll grow to love this scent, a lot. Oh by the way, the pepper is unfortunately not so evident to my nose.

A classy, masculine, fresh-spicy green scent. I must admit I do not find this fragrance to be strange or off-putting as many previous reviews have stated. The opening is mostly green, although not traditionally green in a piercing or balsamic way. It's unique (perhaps due to the interesting inclusion of watercress). The Star anise is also quite apparent in the opening. That quickly gives way to a beautiful blend of spices that revolve mostly around clove, but are never overpowered by it. The well rounded blend of clove, star anise, black pepper and nutmeg is supported by a woody, resinous base making for a pleasant modern nod to classic fresh spicy masculine fragrances. The performance is good, expect 6-8 hours of longevity with about 2 hours of solid protection. While more is better, at this price point I'm satisfied with that, especially considering the originality here. If you like fragrances like Costume National Homme, Clive Christian X, Creed Viking, or Ormonde Jayne Man, give this a try, you'll love it.

I have smelled it a handful of times from a sample I have and I must confess I love this fragrance especially in the summer when it manages to give its best even during the hottest ones, I love also the good quality of the ingredients here employed, it is a truly niche perfume and it is perfect to summer night, the only bad this is: I just have a 1,5ml that has just finihsed. As it dries, the amber comes on board, and the scent smoothes out and sweetens. It gets richer and less "chaotic," but it never loses that raw and natural edge. It lasts almost days, really. The sillage is great - like a huge aura that surrounds the wearer. Not an overpowering presence, not one of those "wake" sort of fragrances that spew off beams of sillage, but rather a warm and slowly enveloping cloud of scent that intrigues and amazes everyone around. Try it, and enjoy yourself! Definitely it is another wonderful perfum from the house Lorenzo Villoresi.

"a rich Parisian putting on a handkerchief and using it to block out the stench of the streets." Mouarf...so cliché ...( we have water , in France, and even electricity ...since last year , you know . Well ,of course, maybe, we'll have cell phones in 10 years ...let's hope ) So , anyway , concerning Piper Nigrum . Very interesting headnotes , very spicy , invigorating ...but ..it becomes ,rather quickly, a ordinary woody masculine . Not that bad ( really , i find the headnotes wonderful , i would have liked this energy all way long. At this stage ,it looks like "Esprit du Tigre" Heeley ) but the basenotes are flat , losing their temper , the cedar becomes more and more important but it"s not a "sparkling" one , like "muffled" by the myrrh ... I tried it several times , always loved the beginning and always , was disappointed par our short love story ...

In my opinion, the perfume crafted by Villoresi has a magnetic and hypnotic allure. Piper Nigrum is undoubtedly a complex and intensely aromatic fragrance, almost dense, yet it never becomes overwhelming. Its spicy and resinous heart, in particular, evokes the Orient, a region on the olfactory map that has long held a special place in my heart. The composition is incredibly lively and dynamic. Despite its cool menthol opening, it quickly becomes warming, making it especially suited for autumn's gray, rainy days. It is also bold and, to me, very masculine. In summary, Piper Nigrum is a fragrance that you must experience! My rating: Highly recommended! (7/7)

A beautiful blend of sharp notes of Black pepper, clove and mint. Very refreshing, sets my head to a relaxed mood. I feel like walking trough a small garden with spices and green notes. In the drydown I smell sweet amber too. Excellent for warmer weather. Good sillage and longevity. An ultimately masculine scent in my opinion. I really like this! P.S.: I only have a 2ml sample, but planning to buy a 50ml bottle. After two full wears, I feel fresh and confident wearing this.

Some might say that this is too full on, too much plain spice. For me, that is exactly the appeal of this scent, it reminds me of travelling in Southern India and Sri Lanka, where a step in many recipes is to roast (and use) whole black pepper corns. I am glad it manages to capture that exact fragrance without adding heavy oriental notes. Sillage is very minimal, so you aren't going to offend random people by smelling like pepper. I only wish the staying power was longer!

This was the first Villoresi fragrance I bought. I enjoyed it from the first sniff onwards. It elaborates on both the sharp, lemony top notes of black pepper and the warm musky base. It's like putting a single peppercorn under a microscope, identifying the details, playing them back slowly, loud and clear, so each element can be savoured to the full. A hymn to pepper. And why not? Sadly, this is quite hard to find for sale in the UK outside of London.

This is beyond lovely. I don't know what it is about my skin, but with almost every scent I try it smells like the paper scent, plus a whole bunch of vanilla. Weird. With Piper Nigrum it turned into this smoky, green, peppery vanilla that's nearly indescribable. I never thought I'd love anything more than Tea for Two, but this comes very close. The cooling effect it has on the skin is an added bonus in the summer heat.

Aromatic and minty opening with spices like pepper, anise and clove Very strong aromatic notes the kind that clear your sinuses Reminds me of a medicine oil with different herbs my parents used to have when i was little As it dries it stops being so aromatic and spicy forward and develops more resinous and a bit sweet qualities Very nice and clean experience It's giving spa vibes, definitely relaxing to wear

love this perfume! i bought this for my husband last year, he loves it as well...I found it faboulos on a man, but surprising on a woman. whenever I wear it, somebody asks to me "what is it?" and wants to know. the beginning is fresh and balsamic at the same but not in the esperidate's mood. I love this perfum at the end of the day mostly, when it becomes sweet, ambery, more comfortable

This beauty has upended my ideas about which fragrances work in the summer heat. (It doesn't have to be a citrus freshie.) The opening burst of pepper cuts through the steambath of New York in July, and what follows stimulates, refreshes and, in the dry down, soothes. I haven't met a Villoresi perfume I didn't like; a full bottle of this is calling my name.

Milky peppery and very very cozy. Smell like something from childhood. Pepper is very prominent but is not sharp and spicy rather gentle and smooth more like sweet cream. It lasts long time. Used early morning is still detectable in the evening. I recommende it for everybody who likes comforting scents not very feminine or masculine. Buy it and enjoy.

This is a bold and extremely complex fragrance which leads with mint, black pepper and anise. Nuclear aromatic and very long lasting. I would not wear this in the summer but otherwise it is very flexible. Bravo!

What a beauty! So classy and classic! Strong and elegant, masculine mint, clove, rosemary, anise scent. I smell the resemblance to Creed Viking though it predates Viking by 20 years!

Basically the perfect black pepper and spice fragrance. No synthetics that I can pick up. Perfect strength. Just a beautiful fragrance for guys.

It is very very similar to diptyque's Eau Lente, wich i love so much. Piper Nigrum is one of my favorite fragrance of the oriental spicy line.

Becoming unabashedly passionate about a fragrance is becoming a rare occurrence the more I explore the world of modern perfumery. Without any doubt there's a fair number of fragrances I can appreciate or flirt with, but falling in love with a fragrance on a permanent basis is a completely different matter. Lorenzo Villoresi ́s "Piper Nigrum" is one of those few scents that, upon its initial application, made me exclaim: "Wow, what a delight!" My first impression of Piper Nigrum was that of an explosion of herbal and spicy notes, namely mint and star anise. When I say "explosion", I don't mean a punch-in-the-face type of blast, but rather a fresh and invigorating one. From the very first moment it becomes crystal clear that you're dealing with an exceptional scent. As it continues evolving, its notes gradually settle down. Clove together with the nuances of spice, nutmeg, rosemary and oregano dominate the heart while the base, which is Piper Nigrum's calmest stage, is composed of woody notes, amber and cedar. What draws me to Piper Nigrum the most is the fact that throughout its development, it manages to maintain its sublime spicy-herbal character. In spite of its name, Piper Nigrum evokes rather than contains the smell of black pepper. I find it perfectly wearable, especially in the cold days of autumn/winter. A true five-star fragrance!

Undoubtably a spice lovers fragrance. This is briming with spices from the opening to its last breath. The opening to my nose is a bizarre combo of sharp citrus, petitgrain, incense resins Peru balsam, olibanum and thick green notes almost to the point of patchouli and a TONNE of mint. The settling transition is so interesting as it gets drier and more peppery then reveals unmistakable pepper, aniseed and the main player in my opinion cloves. It's a very traditional scent to me, quite bold and almost medicinal in its approach. It's something I'd imagine a rich Parisian putting on a handkerchief and using it to block out the stench of the streets. It mellows slightly and the base seems resinous and call me crazy but when it sits very close smells a bit like cola. All in all...spicy, incense like...very interesting opening that second by second I could pinpoint all the notes I mentioned but it's over to soon and then the fragrance is dominated by those strong cooking spices. Good longevity but surprisingly subdued after no time at all.

The review below is spot-on: a blast of sharp mint, that will be supported by a strong mix of spices shortly after, and give an overall impression of green rotting vegetables (a la Tauer Vetiver Dance). The base is about an aromatic balsam note, with (possibly) a hint of incense. And I confirm that unfortunately, the name is a bit misleading, as it is the clove, nutmeg and cumin notes that are dominant here (not the black pepper). Performance is average (at best). Villoresi seem to be a master in blending spices, that he uses (overuses?) in many of its creations. Will please who want to be reminded of India. I appreciate the art, but personally not my style. Just a like for me. Spring/Fall days, 30+

There's peppery and then there's Piper Nigrum. My bottle just arrived from Italy, I sprayed some on, put my nose on it and shot my head backwards. Liquid black pepper is what this is. I mean it will make you sneeze. It is so peppery (and I'm a huge pepper fan) that it made me have a headache. To tame this beast I am spraying on a light application of this and then overlaying that with other fragrances. Basically this takes another fragrance and adds the pepper aspect to it. It's THAT straight pepper that you can do this. Note: I blind bought this directly from Italy via Ebay. There's no other way to get it here in the states. In all honesty I regret this blind buy.

The beginning was almost medicinal, but very pleasant - I like mint and other herbs a lot. Then strong mint with strong pepper, than I stopped sniffing and now it developed into slightly sweet, incensy, extremely pleasant base. My memory actually found something that is similar to this perfume. I remember the herbal liqueur that was added to a hot water for me to inhale when I was a kid. This wonderful herbal notes remind me of this kind of treatment, which I liked a lot.

Great use of Wikipedia but I think you're being a little pedantic about this. I don't wish to perpetuate any myths about the French. The facts are that big cities smell bad even today and I wasn't aiming criticism specifically at Parisians.(or any criticism actually?) I used it as an example because the city of Paris is undoubtedly the apotheosis of Perfume. Now lets not clog up the reviews section with this kind of beef...save it for the forum.

No pepper. Maybe I'm spoiled after testing CDG Blackpepper and Le Labo Poivre 23, but I do not detect pepper in the slightest. I get a powerful green hit of mint, lemongrass, and anise, and then a mishmash of fresh spice, incense, and beeswax, like a fancy Christmas candle. Medieval healer is also a very accurate description. It's nice, just don't get it for the pepper.

Herbal and cool and somehow still warm. Pepper and warm wood and green herbs. Smells a lot like summer outdoors. Unfortunately fades at the half day mark, so you probably have to load this on. I wear my scent very thinly, so I haven't tried that yet. It's weird, and I can see it being a love/hate as afraafra says. This is not anything usual, which is part of it's charm.

It smells like herbal syrup, AMOL. Pepper, mint, spices, nutmeg—all the notes described are included. After a moment, you can easily detect the citruses as well. It's very refreshing and energetic. The only risk is that you might end up smelling like a medieval healer!

Solid fragrance for men aged 30+ depending on their style. Reminds me a bit of Bvlgari Kobraa with the green, resinous aspects. The spices here are a delight, and everything together feels very well rounded and pretty robust.

I want this one for 5 years now! I can't buy all in 2010 but maybe in my next 10 purchase. I love the pepper and lemon-grass. It stays long on clothes with an above average sillage like I want. Very original one! 9,5/10

Wow. Just wow. Amazing masculine scent, just perfect. Minty, spicy, resinous, woody...just a classy beauty. You have to experience it for yourself. I think this goes right into my top 10 of all time.

sharp camphor black pepper and clove that settles into a generic amber. intense scent that lasts but is restricted to a close bubble.

Oh Regarding the hanky comment I didn't feel it necessary to specify 'like a couple of hundred years ago' I thought that was obvious.

Nice pepper fragrance, alas, the lasting power is so weak on my skin.

The Procession of the Corpus Christi, Toledo BY Arthur Melville 1890

The opening of Piper Nigrum is unexpected and complex: minty-menthol-medicinal and woody. It settles down into more aromatic earthiness, musky herbs — rosemary, oregano — and woods — cedar, a little sandalwood? And spices! Black pepper, mace/nutmeg, anise, clove in descending order. But very smooth. Mint, pepper, mace and cedar is my main read. On skin it's curiously softer. The mint still starts a little toothpasty but mellows. The woods and resins are warmer, the cedar very soft. This is dreamy, hard to pin down. It's complicated, I like the smell, but I can't imagine reaching for it saying, "Today is a Piper Nigrum day". Perhaps it's the herbs that don't work for me. As it softens the resins are coaxed out. It becomes more herbal, there's more mace. It's earthier. Supposedly representing the desert wind and the spice markets of North Africa and the Mediterranean Middle East. I'll roll with soft, dusty earth and clay and that spice market. The mint is tamed and for the first time I can pick out the smokiness of myrrh. It becomes more and more masculine. We're almost in Serge Lutens territory: Arabie , but without the fruits. And at the very end of the trail, benzoin. The progression is extraordinary. If you're looking for a perfume to take you on a journey this is one for you. You may not like all the stops en route but by the end you'll feel you've been on a real voyage.

This is truly horrendously awful in my opinion. I so rarely say that about fragrances! I tend to like almost all of them or at least appreciate them even if they aren't my style, but this one is an exception. It's a blast of intense spicy peppery overload that stays mostly linear and, in this case unfortunately, doesn't let up for hours and hours. This just brings to mind the image of a taxi driver with a poor sense of what's 'too much' fragrance trying to cover up the smell of all kinds of various food and stenches that accumulate in his car throughout the day. I'm more than willing to try the rest of Villoresi's lineup but this is so far from my own taste.

Piper nigrum opens with a powerful note of pepper mixed with mint and spices, the entrance is nice but lasts a sigh. Then a balsamic and spicy chord is installed, with that like spicy pepper note, but rather linear and boring that lasts until the end. Medium-high quality, moderate duration and soft projection, really inconsequential fragance. Rating: 3

So like with Spezie, Piper Nigrum doesn't smell like perfume and it doesn't even smell particularly good. Spices, black pepper in particular. Not all that pleasant. I struggle to find the meaning of this, but apparently enough people like these scents for them to be commercially viable? Intriguiging.

If you want to smell like an Indian grocery store, this is your cologne. This is an unfinished project at best.

My New Year resolution was to have a very slow buy of fragrances. Well, that resolution lasted three days. So much for that and whats even worse, i broke it with a complete blindbuy. I’ve never smelt a perfume from the house of Lorenzo Villoresi but it sparked my interest lately and i’ve been mostly researching Musk, Uomo and Alamut. On 3rd of January, someone put up a licitation for a half full bottle of Piper Nigrum and out of curiosity i looked up the notes. Im well aware that the notes of a fragrance usually tell only half the story and its not much to abide by but the notes in Piper Nigrum were right up my alley. Dry spices of pepper and clove along with mint? Yes please, so i said to hell with it and placed a bid. I ended up winning the licitation and got the bottle for 29 dollars with shipping included. Piper Nigrum is a very interesting perfume, very unique too i should say. It features all the notes that were promised so for once, my expectations were partially met. Only partially because I was expecting a summery refreshing fragrance, something in the lines of Terre D’Hermes which i love, only with added mint but that's not the case. Its not as energetic as i thought it would be but i like the scent alot and I’ll try to deconstruct it. Firstly, a strong black pepper in perfumery tends to have a stale aspect to it and i’ve noticed that with Poivre Noire by Serge Lutens. With the Lutens i thought its a creative decision and its an exagerated aspect but now i see that its not because the pepper in Piper Nigrum also leans in that direction. The black pepper is dry, nose-tingling and its the dominant accord as the name suggests. Secondly, the mint is the second main character of the perfume. It helps air out the fragrance so it doesn’t fall into the trap of smelling like an old dusty storage space where spices and other kitchen stuff are kept. The mint dances around the black pepper like an exotic dancer around a king who sits motionless on his throne. Interestingly, there are times when the mint moves forward but its still part of the dance. The pepper remains still as a rock, anchoring everything down and in a way it also keeps the mint “in check” by preventing it to fleet away in a short but intense burst of energy. Thirdly, there are supporting characters in the form of warm notes and spices. This cluster of warm notes and spices take the scent into an almost tea-like direction. They are reminiscent of the spices you smell near a small wooden shop that brews tea at a Christmas fair in the main square of an European town. These three sides of the perfume create a complex scent that isn’t summery fresh nor is it wintery warm but somewhere in the middle. Overall, its the spiciest and one of the mature perfumes in my collection and its up there with Ambre Sultan in this regard. It so happens that Ambre Sultan was also a blindbuy and a succesfull one. Im happy to say that about Piper Nigrum aswell.

Umm, really reinforces some of my earlier reviews when people comment;... this has a lovely exotic.....blah blah blah....I am reminded of the catacombs of Marrakech and enveloped in the rich Arabian splendor.... you know the sort of review where you think this person has been sniffing something stronger than perfume and cutting it with a razor blade. But we have in posts here posts which state this smells like an Indian Grocer and curried coffee in the review of Dior frags, so that makes you think do we like exotic smells which are Asian or we don't. We cant have our curried carrot cake and eat it! I know smells are a subjective experience but one gets a feeling of passive aggression made manifest in posts about immigration policy. Its abit like we like the food, we like the culture, we like their women but not the Y chromosome carriers Rant I am going to curtail. This reminds me of a classier version of Parfum Nicolai New York. It smells of rich class alluring and manly. Infact bank tellers love the smell of this. I guess this is the fragrance version of cash or female viagra (the one and same some would argue). I had just splashed this on and some of the fragrance was on the pound notes and one female bank teller just held the notes to her nose and commented how nice the smell was. I thought it was the money she was commenting, but she actually came out from behind the glass security and door and smelt me, her nose on my cheek. Wow she said! This is really nice. If it does smell of and Indian grocery,no wonder curry is the national dish of England and why all the supermarkets carry piper Nigrum and other asian dishes and the BBC have so many Indian presenters.

Piper Nigrum, a scent that took a complete 180 for me. I tried this scent 10 years ago when I just came into the fragrance scene. I found it too medicinal and repulsive. 10 years later I tried this in a vial didn't realize the writing on the card, I thought this smells really good and unique, a few days later i found "Piper Nigrum" on the vial card and I was shocked. A scent that I really disliked 10 years ago had become one of my favorites. From the first blast to the drydown, everything is just perfect about this fragrance. I can clearly detect the black pepper for the first hour, it is very true to life and very hypnotic. The first blast hits you with full spice assault, it's like opening a spice cabinet first time in years, it's actually rather soothing with this first stage. Then it becomes a little balmy, somewhat sweeter but still with the black pepper in the background. At this stage the sweetness gives off a little cinnamon vibe. Many hours later, it becomes a little ambery but still retains its spicy vibe, this sweet and spicy combo is absolutely breathtaking, I cannot stop smelling this fragrance. It just smells so 'Pure'. This surely has one of the top 3 drydowns among thousands of fragrances I've tried. Is it groundbreaking? Yes, it was very much ahead of its time. It sounds like something that would nauseate you, but it's the other way around, it's very comforting and relaxing. They say it's a fragrance full of contrasts, and it's absolutely true, contradicting ingredients are at play and the result is daring, fascinating and hypnotizing, a true masterpiece.

Piper Nigrum is really a tale of two tales: the opening and the drydown. The opening is pungent, weirdly herbal green and frankly challenging. Someone below described it as smelling something like rotting vegetables. While I don't think it's that harsh, there is a bit of putridity that is somewhat off-putting. Interesting, but a bit off-putting. Some have described the smell of an Indian grocery, even curry. Some as medicinal. I assume it is some combination of the "green notes", watercress, rosemary, fennel, even the mint and whatever else in the opening. I'm not sure whether to admire some sort creative artistic perfumery or simply chalk the opening up to a mistake of combining the wrong herbs. I'm a ScentWimp and typically perceive challenging as bad. Thankfully, the better Angel's of Piper Nigrum's nature reveal themselves gradually through the drydown. As the putrid herbal influence of the opening recedes, the straightforward pleasantness of the sweet spices, licorice-like anise, amber and resins come to the fore and dominate. A transformation into a completely different fragrance takes place through its lifecycle. Even the mint note manifests differently amidst the now-dominant sweet cinnamon, cloves and anise. It's in this drydown that its profile more closely resembles Creed Viking, or Costume National Homme, or even a traditional Bay Rum. It's not really ever that similar to Viking, but it does share that mentholation, sweet spices and pepper. Very nice. I just wish the perfumer had done something different with the opening.

I love the smell pepper so much and have been utterly disappointed by every single pepper fragrance i try out. Why. I will say this smells rather cheap- it has a certain accord as the backbone that it shares with my least favorite fragrance of all time- paul sebastian by paul sebastian. It is some sort of overly clean synthetic musk that for some reason just invokes an immediately nauseating type of response from me, and even though im biased in that regard, i think objectively it makes most fragrances smell like cheap pieces of crap at their core when its used. On skin i get that note and a tobacco vanile like/big red gum type of accompanying accord. That musk just ruins everything like i said. It starts out more realistically like pepper and citrus- to me not distinctly lemon-y, i might even assume more of an orange like citrus, but on skin the pepper disappears and on clothes it remains in the background more- it has more of a cool fresh pepper effect than a warm spicy one that i love- but it doesnt feel well rounded or complimented by the rest of the fragrance Most of the negative reviews are about this smelling more like a spice rack than a a fragrance and i feel the complete opposite way- i was hoping for something starkly naturalistic and it smells like a nauseating synthetic mess. Has some redeeming qualities but still not a true fragrance for pepper lovers imo...