Black XS (2018)

It's funny how some don't like this cologne. Because, as a people pleaser - it succeeds. I have many different types of colognes (niche, designer, clones, etc) and when I have people smell several - Paco Rabanne Black XS always gets favorable reactions. I've never seen anyone blindly "not like it". My nose isn't as cultured as some. It's difficult for me to identify one scent over another. But as a combo, I just love it. It's soft, but dark and sweet. Not too much citrus, but enough. Yeah, I smell a little strawberry, but it isn't strong. (it's not strong like Green Apple is strong in Layton). The original version of this cologne was a near G.O.A.T., and this latest version (2018) is still great. There are some colognes I like more, but not many. I sprayed it on this morning, and my wife commented, "Oh, I love that one, you don't wear it enough."

Having not gotten the chance to smell the original I can rate this scent for what it is, not what it used to be. Opens up with a blast of sweet orange, mandarin and lime. The description of orange soda+sour gummy worms is pretty spot on. After a few hours the top notes take a step back and the praline comes through which is where I think this fragrance really shines. Overall a pretty fun scent that is very different to what Paco usually brings to the table, and one that I reach for quite a bit more than I expected. Performance is not close to being as bad as people make it out to be, it does the job just fine, but I get that it's not as loud as other Paco's. If I had to have only one scent would I go for Black XS? Probably not, but it's a fun addition to my collection, and at a decent price.

Had the original back in high school and girls used to absolutely love it. Recently saw it again half price and bought some. After not smelling it for a good 10 years Its probably 85-90% of how I remember it, crazy how the mind and memory work. People with more knowledge than me have said its not the same as the original and I will probably agree, but its close enough. I cant put my nose on what it is I love so much about this. The sage/cardamon maybe? It lasts fairly well. 4 sprays on body and half a spray on my shirt. 6 hours later and was still getting small whiffs of it. (Much better than pure xs in the blue bottle, smell hardly lasts and is very weak to me) Skin scent is also great. Good for romantic nights.

You can tell the slight difference in the reformulation, but for me it's for the better, I always liked Black XS but the old version had just too much of something.. this one is just more polite on the nose. I get like a nice fresh blast of almost green apple on me..& it just reminds me of a slightly more masculine version of the women's D&G light blue, absolutely in love everyone says suitable more for fall/winter but idk all the citrus & fruit smell I get I could totally see this being okay for year round, not super sweet on me & like the softness, debating if I want a bottle now..hmm..

Well since it's my favourite fragrance ever I had to have it in my life again. After reading about the bad performance I was waiting for PR to bless us with an EDP or something like that but I guess it ain't happening. Anyway I'm glad to say that i does not perform worse than the previous formulation that I used to own around 2015-16. The smell to me is the same., so I'm quite satisfied, still I'd love to have a formulation having the power of Pure XS Night, yeah I'm that kinda guy :)

This newer version smells about 80% similar to the original 2005 version. The original was sweeter,more dense smelling,less citrus and with noticeable "praline" note. This version is like watered down,more citrus,and instead of the praline it smells fruity. The fruit note smells like pineapple. It reminds me of the original but this is like a fresh version for the spring and summer. Not good that they reformulate the fragrances,1 Million is also watered down.

excellent skin scents! i wore this under tshirt sprayed on shoulder and chest and had blazer on, could smell this on and off up to 12hrs mark., and people even compliment how good i smells after 9hrs at work. wonder how crazy when others say they cant smell this after 5mins. i always had other layers of frags at different spots like neck, back of arms and chest/shoulder, but any frags i sprayed on shoulder/chest area would be the strongest and long lasting.

Really good perfume. I smelt this off my friend and I feel like the Lemon and citrus notes are really misleading I do not smell them whatsoever, but non the less one of the best sweet fragrances I've smelt. The longevity is really good, my friend sprayed it in the morning and 8 or so hours later I could still smell it but that's only if I went close to him, I couldn't really smell it off the air. Overall really good perfume, highly recommend. 9/10

Nice looking bottle update, I guess, but they cut the balls off of this fragrance sadly. Black XS used to have a long lasting dark strawberry incense aroma to it, almost jammy in it's density. This version has no depth, it has more citrus, and almost no gourmand feel to it anymore. This is a neutered dismissal of the Black XS line by Paco Rabanne as they try to push Phantom, Invictus, and One Million down our throats. What fools.

Not going to give it a review, just passing by to say how this is my favourite fragrance ever, it got me into fragrances and even tho I'm getting older I still love it to death. Just waiting for an edp version with at least normal if not great performance. I don't know what those guys at Paco Rabanne are waiting for...

A very nice dark gourmand "Night" version of Light Blue for Women by the same perfumer, Olivier Cresp. It's basically a choco liqueur accord fragrance with the famous juicy Light Bue citrus note on top. I find it unisex because it's purely gourmand and of course also because of the Light Blue connection.

Great smell.. have that Creed Aventus vibe.. BUT it lasts like 30 mins TOPS.. (one spray). AT first very powerful, like i said have that Aventus vibe...at the beginning, but then... fades...and like water disappears. Costs A LOT for 20min smell. It is realy great smell and nice blend..but weak as f....

It smells same like the old one I have found an old nearly empty bottle of Black XS which I bought around 2010 and I can say it's the same... I can't say anything about longevity beacuse I have only tried the new one at Debenhams, but the first version was a beast, lasted at least 10 hours...

Black XS is my new favourite fragrance. Super sweet but not overpowering, smells like strawberry and citrus and light woods. Not a commanding scent, but one that attracts instead. Unisex leaning with that strawberry note but just smells so good on anyone. Very safe blind buy.

I was a lucky teenager back then. I bought it while the stores were putting it onto the shelves for the first time. Now I bought it again.. exactly as I remember. Instead of two sprays I do eight but it is still fantastic and not outdated at all.

I love the mix of rosewood and ebony tree 😍😍 with a bright sweetness. Longevity gets better the longer this fragrance matures. The scent is very noticeable and complemented by people around you. Light and bright enough to be used in summer.

On what planet is this considered a Fall and Winter fragrance? This gives me Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue Pour Femme vibes more than anything else. There are some sweet woods underneath, but this is all about the citrus and sage to my nose.

I bought it. I want to like it because it smells very good. Its poor performance and low projection, disappoints me. It doesn't matter if you spray yourself 30 times, it just seems to vanishes away almost immediately (tear).

“ There are too many good frags in this category to waste money on this.” What category? Strawberry for men? Name one. Also, the old Rock style bottle is still produced in France!

nucna olí la piña, un citrico dulce y ligeramente amaderado, uno de mis diseñadores favoritos y el daily perfecto si quieres un perfume crowd pleasing qie te de cumplidos

smells absolutely beautiful, but lacks in performance for me

the epitome of dark masculinity itself

Whoa, NELLY! This is a very strange beast indeed. At first, when I smelt it I thought it seemed rather dark and mysterious, and it is just that, but then through the dry down it transformed into smelling like a bag of lollies, gorgeous and sweet and even a little bit creamy. Very sexy scent this one, oh yes, many compliments and head turns you will most definitely get. Perfect to wear on a date when you want to smell alluring and sexy and perhaps even get some action after a nice romantic walk. I got the 100ml bottle and it is a ghastly thing, so damn bulky and not user-friendly. The sprayer is a little too close to the flip-up lid, that's a minor gripe though. Overall, this is a real winner, it has sophistication and playfulness in equal measure. wear it and see what happens! ;)

Black XS is one of those fragrances that feels effortlessly wearable. It opens with a sweet, slightly spicy vibe that gives it a seductive, night-out energy. I find it very recommendable for evening occasions: dinners, casual parties, or even a relaxed date night. It’s youthful without being immature, and stylish without trying too hard. Performance & Longevity: Unfortunately, this is where it dissapointss. On my skin, it fades within 3–4 hours, and projection is OKish at best. You’ll likely need to reapply if you want it to last through the night. Still, for the price and the vibe it is ok, I’d say it’s worth having in your rotation and especially for younger wearers or those who want something playful and easy to enjoy.

Black XS 2018 has less of that strawberry vibe that the original had. This one is also less sweet and not as long lasting I would say. The first Black XS was beastly and lasted all day. 2018 is toned down just a bit but it's still a great fragrance. I think this is a great masculine aroma and not a lot of other fragrances smell like this. This has a unique scent dna all to it's own. It's sweet but it's masculine too. Sometimes I picture like a spiky haired douchebag wearing this at times but it's something any guy could wear if he wants to stand out and get compliments. I like this fragrance and I wear it regularly. I give this an 86/100.

The fragrance is really pleasant, got me a lot of compliments, but my problem with it is the crap performance. I'd say I became sort of noseblind to it because it just stops projecting for me after 30mins/1h, but got compliments 2/3hrs after using it, lasting about 4/5hrs then it barely becomes a skin scent. Most reviews think this isn't a summer/spring scent but I'd say it is. It's fresh, citrusy, playful and sweet with the lemon + cinnamon note, but when I used it in scorching heat the scent just fades away even faster, so I wouldn't recommend it in really hot summer days, but definitely summer evenings.

This one is a fun fragrance. It's very playful and juvenile which means it isn't the most sophisticated smelling but its just one of those fragrances you put on when you want to have fun. I think this would be a good summer time clubbing scent as it has that sweetness but leans more toward the fresh end of the spectrum. I get a ton a strawberry throughout the scent even though strawberry isn't listed in the notes. Sweet and fruity is pretty much what you're getting. Some might say it's feminine smelling which I can see. Overall though it smells good. 8.5/10

It costed me 40 bucks so it's a nice frag to have. I don't get strawberry but I get a fizzy coca cola note and it must be the citrus-spices interaction. Sweet but not vanilic sweet... ambery but in the right amount. Performance is average but... c'mon it's cheap and it's a quality frag. A couple of months later I definitely get that patchouli, it's not too earthy but woody and transparent. It plays well with the ambery and gourmandy aspects of the fragrance. Performance stills average at best.

At first, I didn't like it. Too sweet, a simple sweet scent and too playful. But every time I used this perfume, I got a lot of compliments from friends, even strangers. They said it was nice, sweet and a bit addictive. Maybe it's good in the air, I dun know. But I think I will purchase another bottle when mine run out. P.S: I got nose blind easily with this scent. But after 2-3 hours, my friends can still smells it.

Very sweet vanilla and pinapple, not the most masculine scent in the world but defo not a womans frangrance imo. Noticing on my skin for several hours which is a big plus and has received compliments from guys and gals. This is a nice synthetic so if you try it and like it then buy this. DO NOT go for Qaed Al Fursan which is just plastic pineapple and smells really really cheap.

Scent profile is amazing, If you like sweet and fresh scent this one might really appeal to you. The sweetness in here is different from the typical vanilla based sweetness, more like a fizzy cola with praline, However performance here is very disappointing it becomes a skin scent after few minutes. I have 2023 batch, which shows no noticeable improvement even after maceration.

Yesterday, I quickly tried this version on a test strip. First impression: seems less sickly sweet compared to the original. I definitely get the cinnamon, praline and citrus. I really enjoyed the scent, I find it less juvenile than the original. I don't own the original so I could be wrong and it is the same scent. Will definitely smell it again when I pass by the perfumery.

Starts of super sweet and fruity with a little citrus then spices, then there’s a little backbone of aromatics and something slightly woody and spicy. After a while all I get is the fruity sweetness which is still great and lasts a while. Great value and a unique scent. Good for pretty much all year round and I can see it either working day and night.

An interesting fragrance for sure. and it differs every time you smell it, i have it on my wrist and sometimes i get a sweet scent and when i smell it again i get the citrus notes. i have never experienced this, it keeps alternating. It’s very long lasting on my skin, easily 12+ hours and the dry down after a couple of hours is very sweet.

Opens with a very sweet strawberry. Kind of like strawberry shortcake but not "gourmand" if that makes any sense. The dry down is a sort of masculine floral, if such a thing exists, with a hint of strawberry. Very poor sillage and longevity though. It's a skin scent on me an hour after application.

Nice, gourmand frag. Not my thing, better suit a young lad in his early twenties trying to get the girls to drop their panties in the club. 8/10 Edit 2nd try : Yeah I love it lol It's playful, airy, gourmand but not sweet. Will probably get a bottle 9/10

I had the original and now I bought this newer version. I remember liking the original. It smells similar, but can't say for sure how close it actually is to the original. I like this though. It is a mix of fresh and sweet scent.

This is a playful scent that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's not strong so spraying a lot wouldn't be an issue. It has a fruity sweetness that's not aggressive.

Very sweet fuzzy starwberry fragrance I smell strawberry for some reason and it’s like a champagne performance is meh but the value is pretty good

Nice fresh and sweet scent at a good price (at discounters). Wish it projected a little more, but otherwise very mass appealing.

Loved it, used to spray it for a year then had to go for another one

To all the people saying that this hasn't changed, just parallel the ingredients; the old formation is in the "this perfume reminds me of" section. Laziness is a disease. Juxtapose this 2018 formation with the 2005 version, and you'll see that the bottle, as well as the notes, are different. Also Christian Dussoulier isn't involved in the creation of this flat, weak-ass Sprite. The older flip-lighter bottled version was a BEAST; it was a worthy adversary to the original Creed Aventus, and could be worn all year round😳 It was sexy, simplistic, strong, tropical, yet alluring to women; this current formulation is GARBAGE; women despise it; my older, angelic lady-friend really dislikes this, and she likes everything; her palette is not sophisticated, on account of the fact that she wasn't interested in self-preservation, self-presentation or outward-expression-of-self, until I taught her. I polished her up, trained her, mentored her, and now she's gorgeous and so sexy, while being submissive and extremely feminine. Even she finds this sickening and pointless!! I hate that I bought this expecting familiar territory; this is some new heavily diluted mishmash that just doesn't work. Or perhaps it produces the desired result: we'll spend more to receive less - in that we spray more (because it's weak) and run out quicker, repurchasing more, sooner...🧐🤷🏾♂️ I don't even want it in my collection, much less actually wearing it. The O.G was sexual MAGIC! R.I.P🥀😪

I owned this in 2005 right through to 2015 and it was deeper, denser and more tropical... I consistently bought this because it was strong, long lasting and went extremely well with my character. Dear Paco Rabanne, You're having an absolute giraffe; how is this only a skin-scent, when the 2005 - 2015 versions were all genetically-modified BEASTS!? Please reformulate this, QUICK; this is a shadow of it's former self; it's far too weak; it dries down to a skin-scent in 30 minutes!😱🤮😖 it was absolutely PERFECT the way it was! It used to be my signature scent, all year round... but this will only work in high heat, then it'll evaporate FAST! As it stands, I will not repurchase this after I've finished this bottle. I also won't be wearing this much, as I have far better fragrances, with far superior performance. The old version was perfect; it used to be a sweet equivalent to Montblanc Explorer; it used to be a worthy rival to Creed Aventus, whereas now, it's absolutely frigging POINTLESS; It's balls have been taken away... I'm absolutely devastated💔 I'll hold a funeral for XS Black, at some point in the next month. Goodbye old friend. We smashed a lot of chick's together... but now you've changed... for the worst; who are you!? I don't even recognise you anymore!!😪

Tried a sample on and off for a year. Black XS is straight up orange soda and candy, I don't get anything else. It's like you bathed in gummy worms and soda. It also lasts all of five minutes before it's just a skin scent. That said Black XS really does conjure up the 2000s era of Myspace, Pop Punk, and Scene culture. It has that teenage/early 20s skinny jeans and band tees, neon everything, hanging at a mall with your friends rawr vibe. Definitely could have seen some of my friends who were Scene kids wearing this back then. Not my thing but it's not terrible if you're a young guy or girl and don't care about horrible performance and smelling like a candy shop. Or try Yves Saint Laurent L'Homme Parfum Intense, it has a similar gummy candy orange note with better performance. The women's version actually smells a lot better and has better performance from what I recall from a friend wearing it.

Not gonna lie... I can't keep this. I'll give the 2021 200ml bottles of this, Paco Rabanne Invictus and Prada Luna Rossa Carbon, MontBlanc Legend, 100ml Ferragamo F-Black and Gianfranco Ferre L'Uomo to my teenage nephew; he'll love them. I'd add 2021 Sauvage EDP, 2021 Dior Fahrenheit, 2021 Hermès Terre D'Hermès and 2021 Allure Homme Sport too, if they weren't so damned expensive. They're all far too weak for me, because they've been watered-down to hell, all in the interest of corporate greed. I'm opting out. Even seeing them on my shelves irritates the hell outta me😖😡 *I just handed off all of the other bottles of unwanted Smelly to my nephew. He was very pleased; he could never afford that stuff, not at his age. Happy days!!!😃😃😃

Bought a bottle of this almost a year ago...never wore it outside of the house. It was just too....sweet....and citrus. Tomorrow, I'm going to layer this on pulse points with a vanilla fragrance underneath. As strong as this is...you don't need much. If this doesn't work out, I'll give it to a friend...as I have "Invictus Victory" and "Invictus Victory Elixir" on the way to me. I know i'll be wearing those two consistently until the end of 2024...tested them in-store and I'm over the moon. But...first full-wear review of "Black XS" to come in an update tomorrow night. 01MAR24 Nope...still don't like it. Plus..."Invictus Victory" is FAR better than this one. I'm passing this on to a friend, "Victory" is my favored citrus-vanilla.

Wearing this scent. Quite sweet but still with the Jovanovich vibe. It has a very hearty smell which i think is the cinnamon and the wood. Opening citrus burst is very short. But longevity wise, it fades far too quickly. It's a skin scent at best. Was on a date and she always likes to know what I wear, and this time is was almost not noticeable. For its price, this is a disappointment that deserves to be discontinued

It's not bad, but not good either. I just don't care for this scent. There's way better out there for less money. Try Prada Luna Rossa Black - you would wear it in the same situations you'd wear Black XS and it's MUUUCH better at both the longevity and the scent. If this was released in early to mid 2000s, it would be a masterpiece. But as recent as 2018 and still being this generic? Pass.

I’m not getting the same strawberry sweet scent everyone seems to get. In my skin it smells like an unholy mix of orange peels and pralines that should not be worn by anyone. Also, it only last about an hour or two on me. To be fair, the sample I tried smelled nothing like this and maybe the bottle I bought is spoiled. The bottle I have smells horrible and I would not recommend.

Too feminine for my liking. Mostly strawberry scent with some rose and watermelon mixed in. It reminds me of a Bath & Body Works body spray that my girlfriend wore back in the early 2000's. I'm surprised to see that so many people vote this as a mostly male scent. I don't know any men that want to smell like strawberries and roses.