Or Black

Imagine the deepest darkest mossy forest... aged tree bark still giving off the aroma of campfires from days long gone by... bone dry earthy and smoky, yet without bitterness. Distill this essence along with choice notes from nearby growth into an essential oil, then lubricate and condition a well worn leather jacket using this concoction. Take a deep breath. A chill comes up your spine as you hear "Or... Or... Or Black..." whispering in the distance. There is a touch of softness that comes from the tonka bean, labdanum, sage, and ylang-ylang supported by a tinge of soapy quality from the benzoin. If aldehydes were thrown in, this would become a soap fest like that brought on by vintage Tsar or Tuscany per Uomo. Thankfully, the ingredients were too well blended for that. When I first took in the aroma from the splash bottle opening (a batch that followed the original by a few years--still vintage), I thought for a moment that this might be some kind of Brut/Polo hybrid. But once on the skin... oh. Oh my. Something is going on here, something quite special. I bought this blind, and it is right up there in my top 5 favorite finds. Fragrance: 9.5/10

Vintage Or Black is a breathtaking beauty for sure. My favorite leather along with vintage Bel Ami. It is one of a few fragrances that grabs my nostrils so hard and hangs on to them firmly until my nose begs for mercy. I have two reformulations: first reformulation is slightly toned down and more "friendly" but still retains the extraordinary beauty that is Or Black. The 2014 version is very good, but the opening is more transparent and anemic while it struggles to identify itself as Or Black. Do I recommend 2014 version? Yes! If you never tried vintage Or Black you would say the 2014 version is fantastic, and it is fantastic. Don't let snobs tell you that the 2014 version is unwearable and horrible...........they lie! I will do a review of Or Black in the near future.

I mourn the day the original Or Black was discontinued. I've been searching for something comparable for years (along with a suitable replacement for Rochas' Macassar), but to absolutely no avail. I haven't even approached the reformulated version for fear of being incredibly disappointed. I recall reading a review of Jul et Mad's Amour de Palazzo - someone said they were similar. I almost blind bought that very pricey fragrance based on the review alone and I'm glad I didn't! Picked up a sample last night and am wearing it today and it's not even remotely close. Nice - but not even in the same family. If anyone has any suggestions for a beautiful substitute, I'd love to hear of it.

I had sniffed this year ago.....but failed to ever buy it....until now. I ordered it from France....which I was skeptical about doing...!!....but it all worked out just fine. Imagine my surprise....that I actually received the bottle shown above....and it was NOT the 2014 newer version !! I received an older version.....Hooray !! Yes, this is one of the best leathery/balsamic fougeres IMO..this still holds up to what's out there in today's market. Classic...gem.... Performance is very medium on my skin...but no matter....still a big love.

MY GOD!! This is absolutely gorgeous.... A true piece of art.The opening notes, and first minutes are pure glory . One of the most brilliant in the perfumery for sure. Breathtaking at least. The problem is later, when starts the dry down, beautiful for sure, but too weak, lacks of volume. This is about the vintage formula. Grab it if you can. 9.9/10, only cause of the low projection.