Or Black 2014

After several past disappointments (and even a couple of really bad experiences) in blind-buying some "under-the-radar cheapies" that were supposedly "gems" according to some reviewers, I was very skeptical with this one. This is especially true when looking at several other perfumes of this house, with fragrance names inspired by soccer, rugby, and sports in general (rarely compatible with fashion and arts). That said, here I had a real great surprise. It opens with a citrusy cardamom and artemisia accord, followed by a reference rosemary/lavender duo - strong but never harsh -, and closes on a state-of-the-art violet/musk/wood trio (reminding me of a oakmossy/juniper-ish leather - no worries, it smells modern!). The notes would qualify this one as reference fougere fragrance, but the bitter leathery drydown makes me want to classify it more as a green chypre. No surprise it is still a great seller after nearly 40 years of life: a masterpiece by Jean-Louis Sieuzac - the father of Fahrenheit and Opium - could only result in a legend, and has surprisingly been well reformulated by Vincent Ricord in 2014 (despite the new IFRA regs banning oakmoss). While there is a clear consensus online to define this creation as a masterpiece, there also seems to be a clear consensus that this house hasn't issued any other fragrance really worth of interest since this one in 1981 (or, in the best case, are just good but very poor performers according to reviews). So...is it an "under-the-radar underrated cheapie gem"? It is indeed cheap to get now ($30 online, check!), it is definitely a gem (check!), but not at all under the radar (maybe for sephora customers, but not for the online frag community), and not at all underrated (4.3 on Fragrantica is a great mark). (on a side note: I'm sorry for the cheapie hunters, but at the age of internet, no gem stays under the radar. If a cheapie is underrated and stays U-T-R, there's a reason for it: it just smells cheap - cf. Bogart fragrances) I learned to read in between the lines, and I'm not anymore going to be misled by cheapie-hunters' opinions: despite my strong enjoyment for this fragrance, this will be the first and only fragrance of this house that I will buy. (and possibly re-buy at some point, because this one is really great in its category - still, it's a fougere, thus a fragrance family that may not please younger noses). Morabito and Bogart are like those singers who do only compose one hit song (Morabito: Or Black and Bogart: One Man Show Oud edition) that stays in mind to many, but no one can tell their name, and they disappeared in the limbo. For Spring and Fall days, leaning towards the colder side, 30+

I asked Luca Turin on Substack which one of the following four fougères that he raved about in the first Guide he would choose today: Rive Gauche Pour Homme, L’Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu, Yohji Yamomoto Yohji Homme, or Pascal Morabito Or Black. He replied, simply, “But... I don’t have to choose.” I laughed. Fair enough. I added that I’d recently found a bottle of the latter, to which he replied: “Or Black is the driest, darkest perfume I’ve ever smelled, even more so than Guerlain’s Djedi. An absolute marvel.” Of course, Turin refers to the original 1981 release by Jean-Louis Sieuzac (of Opium, Dune, Bel Ami, and Fahrenheit fame). The bottle that I’d found was of the 2014 rerelease, which by reputable accounts is a faithful reorchestration. I’ve personally never sniffed the original, but I am thrilled with this one. It opens on a violet leaf note that is anisic, green, and creamy, suggesting something unctuous and somewhat medicinal. There are resinous rosemary needles and a deliciously biting artemisia that are suffused with lavender, giving it a shaving cream vibe reminiscent of Barbasol. As it dries down, the violet turns muskier and the leather in the heart comes through. It’s a dark fougère with chypre elements. It contains a very subtle petroleum or motor oil effect, recalling Fahrenheit (it’s been noted that the 1981 version prefigured the finished gasoline accord of the 1988 Dior release). The darkish-greenness here doesn’t turn increasingly resinous and smoky — like “triple-distilled Earl Grey”, as Turin puts it in the 2008 Guide. Instead, it stays relatively crisp and cooling, though always bitter, as it radiates with its verdant hue. I enjoy this juice a whole lot, and discover something new each time I wear it. Fantastic.

I tried this a few years ago and didn't get it. It didn't seem anything like the reviews I'd read. Where I'd expected tea or leather or something else dark, I remember an impression of a vaguely androgynous, sweet-rubbery abstract smell. But as the years went by and I tried more and more perfumes, my ideas about what did and didn't smell good (or interesting or memorable) cohered. And every now and then I'd remember this oddball in the faux metal-frame bottle. And I'd wonder what I'd think of it now. A couple of weeks ago I reacquired it in a swap. I was wrong. As I suspected--and hoped--I'd been. A few years ago, I didn't appreciate violets ... I sniffed too relentlessly ... I was preoccupied with ideas of who a given scent "should" be worn by. It was all these things, but also (and, probably, predominantly) the subconscious shifts that shape one's aesthetic appreciation over a lifetime. What do I smell now? Shaving cream. Cut grass. Dried herbs. A leather saddle with bits of sweetgrass and clover. And a gentle, high-desert wind soughing through it all. Equal parts innovation and nostalgia. Damn near as good as it gets.

If you're a fan of Rive Gauche, Fou d'Absinthe, Azzaro Pour Homme, or Drakkar Noir you may very well enjoy Or Black 2014. I was pleasantly surprised by this, a very darkish green herbal fougere with an anisic, licorice like quality accenting its central accord. Or Black is piquant to some extent, its aromatic herbal notes catching the nose with a crisp, cooling spiciness. And it's fairly light. For some reason I was expecting Or Black to feel a bit heavy and stuffed, but it is not. It's more diffusive and bouyant, with a vibrant bite, a sparkling quality to its dark green hue rather than any kind of smokiness or leathery qualities. It can be described as fresh, spicy, herbal and aromatic with a Barbasol, shaving cream aroma. Projection is moderate but nice and solid, and longevity is about 6 to 8 hours. Overall this is a very nice offering from Pascal Morabito and available for a very fair price on eBay from sellers in France (about $50). Recommended as a blind buy if you enjoy the above mentioned scents, otherwise, it's completely worth sampling. Thumbs up.

Pascal Morabito OR Black is a take off two very different fragrances. This page is for the reformulated 2014 version. Both are good but wildly different ace extremely hard to find. I’ll reserve comments for the vintage version for the other page, but the 2014 version was very familiar. I could go through all the notes, when in reality all people want to know is what it smells like. It was on the tip of my nose as I continued to sit with it. Then it hit me...Bally Masculin. Bally Masculin by Bally Switzerland was a beautiful lightly powdery, lavender scent - in the vein of a unique barbershop scent. According to Parfumo it was created in 1984 and was discontinued shortly thereafter. If you’re any sort of vintage collector you’ll know that Bally Masculin a true holy grail fragrance, and fetches $500 or more for 100ml. Pascal Morabito OR Black 2014 smells nearly identical to me (I own both). If you can locate a bottle of either for a fair price, I highly recommend purchasing. You won’t be sorry!!