Black No. 05

Initially I was disappointed. I've smelled this before! Wasn't that the Amouage Epic Man Oud I smelled? And this other note, I know that vetiver from someplace... After an hour, my opinion changed, and disappointment was replaced by admiration. Dark, earthy, sweet, clean, and with a sharp note in there that I can't place. This is very masculine according to my girlfriend. Others have described this scent as fitting of it's monicker "black", I'm not sure about that. But it is dark, with vetiver and oud mixing perfectly. Yet to describe this as an oud or vetiver does a disservice to what PD has created. There's so much more going on. Having worn this scent on and off for about a week now, I'm not picking up the oud as much as I did when I first wore it, instead it's that earlier mentioned sweetness with a touch of sour. Seems like a very complex and rich perfume, and immensely enjoyable. When I don't wear it, I want to. When I do wear it, I look forward to the continuous wafts of... whatever note I don't know what it is hitting my nose. Black has gotten into my head, and I'm glad it's there. After the first hour of moderate projection it becomes a skin scent, and from there it lasts all day and all night, with the scent still lingering on my arm after a good nights rest. So far all that I've asked have been very impressed with it's smell, from family and friends, to the SA at Neiman's, everyone likes it. And I do love it. This scent is appropriate for every occasion since I'm the only one likely to enjoy it, along with anyone who happens to hug me. So far no one has noticed the fragrance without me getting in close and pointing it out. I'm a fan of M. If M is the James Bond of perfume, announcing it's presence strongly, then what would Black be? Perhaps Tom Cruise at the masquerade ball in Eyes Wide Shut... Puredistance has combined otherwise familiar scents into something that's wholly new for me. I'm looking forward to other people's reviews to get a better understanding of what the notes are and if this fragrance has been done before since I'm fairly new to the fragrance game. For now, I will do as Puredistance asks and not analyze it any further, and just experience their newest creation with myself and my SO. Overall: 4.5/5 Scent: 4.5/5 Longevity: 5/5 Projection: 2/5

I tend to like my perfume to speak for me -- as volubly as possible, with sillage visible on regional Doppler. This subdued, "whispering" mystery scent represents a significant departure from that ideal. On application, the aptly-named Black is cool, dark, equally piquant and sweet. There's a pinch of oud (to which I'm very sensitive), a curl of incense, a brush of something green and earthy which others have called vetiver but feels to me like an abstract and clean patchouli, a slice of ripe plum, and a sprinkle of cardamom and saffron. All these are miraculously contained by a cordon of 15-denier amber, each note clearly perceptible, none shouldering forward. Its timbre calls to mind Black Afgano, but at late-night-TV volume, down the hall and on the other side of a door. Around the one-hour mark, a sueded leathery vanillic cloud (tolu balsam?) condenses and hovers. At home, I'd grab my MAC MV3 for comparison. The aura clings close, woods and smoke and amber -- and the plum, now dry and lightly spiced -- still in attendance, albeit semi-transparent, mutable. Fashionably late to the party are a boozy bourbon note and a trace of benzoin, further warming and softening the lengthy drydown. My fragrance-devouring skin took the better part of a day to consume Black entirely. True to the marketing, this is a majestic yet intimate scent, with qualities like velvet: rich and subtly lustrous, susceptible to the angle of the light, drawing in rather than projecting. It doesn't come to you; you have to seek it out... let your attention shift, then inhale deeply and realise it's as present as ever. TL;DR: ultra-smooth wood/incense oriental

Released in 2013, this Pure Parfum Extrait, sold in 25% of Perfume Oil concentration, was created by Antoine Lie to suffer mutations on the skin, releasing layers of scent in a sensual form, without much fanfare. It was designed to be shared by both genders, but I believe that men can take better advantage. It symbolizes the unknown, which lurks in the shadows, the timeless concept of elegance and mystery. And for this reason, the company made a great effort by not providing its official composition. It means that each one can feel and interpret the fragrance in a unique way. Challenge accepted! To my nose, the fragrance presents itself as a hybrid of Puredistance M with hints of other feminine creations from the House, such as the vetiver of Puredistance I, the galbanum of Antonia or maybe the jasmine, from Opardu. But the biggest difference relies in 4 notes that presented themselves to me in latent form: frankincense, patchouli, oud and leather. I read numerous comparisons about it: since Epic Man (Amouage) to Tobacco Oud (Tom Ford), among numerous other creations and brands, what really matters is that Puredistance Black has concept, is linear and behaves as follows: it touches the skin incensed, with slightly bitter nuances. Then, a playful oud insists in a hide-and-seek all the time, while the leather keeps the concept together, just like in a bell jar. Time or another my nose implies the presence of the Bulgarian rose, but I think it's another trick from its proposal. Exudes well, without being a bomb, and doesn't disappoint in any way. With Puredistance Black, the mystery is everywhere.

It was at noon when he arrived back to his cabin. His dark hair looked a bit messy because the wind played with it a bit. He opened the heavy, wooden door and his eyes softly outlined with kohl pierced into the shadows who were filling the room. A few steps and he reached to his favorite place in the house - his ebony desk. Laying there, in complete silence was a leather bound diary, waiting. The man reached for the chair and sit there, reaching for his pen with trembling hands. Oh, yes. It was time to write about her. The ink began to tell a story, as it was greedily absorbed by the paper. It was about a woman with amber eyes and golden skin. Ahhh, her skin, always smelling like agarwood oil. Her presence was enough to make the air around boil. She was a woman of the desert and maybe that is why he feels so much warmth when he remembers her. The man felt the urge to open the window, and as he looked outside, he felt some very familiar smell. Incense maybe? Like a thread of fog, a silver shadow took shape outside. Was it only his imagination? The man could swear she was right there, with him, as her unforgettable perfume filled the room, but in the next minute it was gone only to come back more powerful and sweet, leaving him bewildered. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let the smell pierce his soul. They were now as one, perfectly blended, inseparable. This is Black, a longlost, bittersweet memory.

I am trying this perfume today. The quality is so good as most of perfumes in the brand have. As the notes are not listed i would try ti explain how It smells for me. In first place what It makes me think of... And when insmell It i imaginé myself SAT on the terrace of a nightclub, having an alcoholic drink mixed with cola while some people are smoking around me... Because the feeling i get is that: alcohol, cola and tobacco. And now dime of the notes i think It could has. The scent shares for me some smoky resinous vibe with perfumes like interlude by amouage ir black afgano by nasomatto, so i am almost sure that It must have some kind of balsámic and smoky resin like incense ir opoponax. Then i am almost sure that It has some sweet resin like amber ir benzoin, because It has some sweetness but balsámic and i think It is not vanilla. In other hand It has also some dark note like cofee ir fresh cocoa and some Woods, but dark Woods like patchouli or a very subtle oud. In adition It has some Green and spicy notes as Well. I think also that It could have some leather and tobacco... The longevity is good, about 8 hours on skin, with a moderate projection, what is normal un a 25% concentration perfume. Unisex and in my opinión better for cold weather. Scent: 9 Longevity: 9 Projection; 7 Quality/price: 5 Versatility: 6 Originality: 8 Global: 9