F by Ferragamo Black

#75 of My Fragrance Journey - Salvatore Ferragamo F by Ferragamo Black: What the Dark Carries That very specific amber. The kind that doesn’t flatter you—it reveals you. Or maybe... reveals the version of you that was already there, just waiting for the room to dim a little. My jacket was still cold from outside. London cold. The kind that gets into leather and stays there like memory. I’d been leaning against the bar for a while. Not thinking. Just existing. Watching the room breathe. Then - The guy beside me. Big. The kind of build that doesn't announce itself, it just reorganises the space around it. Shoulders that changed the geometry of the bar. A henley shirt that wasn't trying to show anything, and showed everything anyway. He'd been there a while. Paying attention in that still, unhurried way that takes practice. He leaned in. Just past accidental. The air between us got heavier. "Whatever that is," he said. Voice low. Measured. Like he'd been deciding whether to say it. "It's doing a lot of heavy lifting." I looked at my wrist. F by Ferragamo Black. Sprayed an hour ago. I'd almost forgotten it was there - which is the point, maybe. The things that work don't beg for attention. They just hold. It had started dark. That's the only word for it. Lavender, , technically - but not the kind you know. Not clean. Not shower-fresh or polite. This one felt... bruised. Scraped a little. Roughened by pepper and something herbal underneath. Coriander, maybe. It had edges. Texture. It didn’t bloom—it tightened. There’s a moment in the opening that feels slightly uncomfortable. Intentional discomfort. Like the scent is testing the space. Testing you. Some people won’t like that. That’s fine. It’s not trying to please everyone. We talked for a while at the bar. I noticed the fragrance shifting as the conversation did - the lavender going quieter, the pepper coming forward, coriander underneath it all, something almost herbal clinging to the leather of my jacket. The scent matched the temperature of the room. The temperature of the exchange. That's when you know something is working. When it stops being a thing you're wearing and starts being a thing you're in. We walked out eventually. No plan, just movement. The night air was cold, and he walked beside me with that particular ease that big men sometimes have - unhurried, grounded, as nothing much could rattle them. His voice had settled, too. Low and balsamic. Creamy, almost. The conversation had slowed into something quieter without losing its current. The tonka had taken over by then. Smoothed all those peppery edges into something richer, warmer. A cloud that sat close to the skin and didn't drift. Labdanum underneath it all, anchoring everything - the way the night itself had started to feel anchored. Less like a series of moments and more like one long, continuous thing. Nobody ever believes what it costs. In a world of niche bottles at £200 that vanish in two hours, this Ferragamo just performs. Seven, eight hours. Through the bar, through the cold air, through whatever the night becomes after. It doesn't fade so much as deepen. The muscle of the collection - not flashy, not loud, just relentlessly present. The muscle of the collection. Not flashy. Not obvious. You get compliments in the bar, and you're still wearing it home. Just reliable in the way that actually matters. It's for the man who wants to be noticed but doesn't need to be told he is. A little dark. A little unpolished. The kind of thing that works in a white tee at noon or leather at midnight, and doesn't ask permission for either. The charm lives in the rough parts. Always has. More scent stories and visuals on Instagram - @lavendercloudsjd

***Update 12/10/25**** Woah! After letting air in my bottle and letting it "Maturate" for a few weeks this has completely changed for the better! Yeah, I suppose its a "Synthetic smelling 90's dna", but it smells AMAZING now after Maturation! The Lavender note isnt your classic take on a BarberShop fragrance, its a ultra fresh, floral take on Lavender! The black pepper smells amazing now as well and the performance has even improved! Im 100% positive that any negative reviews are mostly from folks who have sprayed their brand-new bottles and rushed to judgement (Like I had prior to this update.) This scent is unapologetically a 90's masculine, but with powdery and Lavender-Fñoral touches. Its also a super clean smell even though it has the soft-spiciness from the black pepper. It now lasts around 6 hours on my skin and much longer on clothes where I can easily smell it the following day. Guy's RUN and grab a bottle of this discontinued hidden gem! Im so glad I did! Absolutely a 90's dna. Synthetic?.. Yes! Great smelling?.. YES!! Its not nearly as "Powdery" as I'd expected it to be according to the reviews here on Fragrantica, but it does have powdery touches. A clean smell, very woody dry-down like an Iso e Super type of woodiness, the black pepper isnt as prominent as folks say it is either. The closest fragrance I can compare this to outta my collection has to be Shiyaaka Silver (Reflection Man Dupe) but Shiyaaka does smell of slightly higher quality imo and is definately longer-lasting. Still tho, F-Black is different enough so that it isnt refundant. A very nice 90's style masculine scent with slightly above average longevity and pretty good projection for the first hour to hour and a half. I like it!

First of all, I would like to thank aneudi1994 for suggesting to everyone to let this sit, because today I was proven OH SO WRONG about my initial opinion (which you can read below). It was a cooler day, so I figured I'd give this one another try, and boy am I glad I did...because this may have been the biggest surprise of the year. Right after I sprayed this, it came across to me like a Dunkin' Donuts French Cruller, and as it settled, it transformed into the closest rendition of Allure I have come across so far. While writing this, I keep bringing my wrist up to my nose and smiling. Please, whatever you do, don't make the same mistake I did. This one takes time to get good, but man is it worth the wait! 8/10 --------------------------PREVIOUS REVIEW: OH, HOW WRONG I WAS---------------------------- I really wanted to believe this wasn't going to be another blah ho-hum lavender scent. I put off buying this, even after hearing all the hype from Jeremy Fragrance years prior. Well, I walked into my local CVS (which manages to stock familiar fragrances at very random times) and every now and then a few will be marked way down to clear out the inventory. On this day, F Black happened to be marked down to $29.99 for a 100mL. Remembering I had a few of their coupons I could use on this brought it down even further, to $13.99. Even then, at that price, I am still disappointed. It smells super cheap. All I am getting is cheap synthetic lavender followed by a headache-inducing musk. In contrast, La Nuit de L'Homme smells like lavender, but as if it was floating in a glass of champagne. Even at an over 80% discount for a clone, I'd gladly spend more for the real thing. 4/10

Rating: 10/10 F Black by Salvatore Ferragamo is the epitome of a fragrance that exceeds all expectations. When I first sampled this fragrance, the warm spices captivated my senses, creating an unforgettable experience. I knew I had stumbled upon a hidden gem. Now, let's talk value for money. I purchased my 100 ml bottle for $30 at Ross, but let me assure you, it's well worth it, and beyond. In fact, one could easily pay four times that amount without hesitation. The quality and complexity of the notes are simply amazing. Each spray transports me to another world of sophistication. My first experience with this scent comes to mind. I wore this fragrance with a suit in my office. The combination was perfection, and the compliments ensued. F Black possesses a versatility that can be both dressed up for a formal setting and embraced as the ideal date night fragrance. This fragrance has me constantly drawn to my wrist, taking in its mesmerizing scent. It’s addictive. If you're unsure whether to make this purchase, let me simplify it for you: just do it. As many reviewers have mentioned, this scent is a masterpiece that deserves a place in your collection. Trust me, you won't be able to get enough of it. You won’t believe the experience and the magic this fragrance has to offer. It's a journey you won't regret.

extreme nostalgia value 🥀RIP the new formula I guess. I had a small 10 mil dropper bottle of this back in 2012 and I remember wearing it every night out on the town in Tokyo and the local bar scene, back then this was more than just a few notes or whatever it like blew away all the other cheapies. Zero problem with girls. That first like 15 minutes of the fragrance it was kinda rough almost animalic fruity smell, and it turned me off at first, but the kicker was 100% this intimate soap 🧼 smell comes through, and just kills the game for like 5 hours on skin, like it creates a bigger and bigger projection actually as it dries and as you move. Pretty soon legit just smelled like just some really delicious next level clean soap with some sweet leather touch. Like a little bit sweeter YSL Rive Gauche dry down. I have a very sad love story connected with it as well, my woman left me and married another dude, because I got discharged and sent back to the states. She had a shell casing of this and she tried to hold onto my memory as long as possible but emailed me that the scent had died. It was a bullet casing that had cotton stuffed in it that I saturated with F black. 🫠 Live long and prosper.

Rating 8.7/10 This is an excellent "cheapie" fragrance if you can find it online or at a rack store for around $25-30. Okay, so how does this fragrance smell? If you ever opened up the pink bubble tape candy its powderiness smells exactly like that. That mixed with mist of apple for some freshness and black pepper notes to pierce through along with the powderiness, and the tonka accord really smooths and rounds everything out. As far as projection goes this one is really decent with at least a few meters depending on the environment I am in. Longevity with this fragrance; it projects for at least 3.5-5.5 hours depending on whether you're in an outdoor or indoor environment. Projection does get closer to the skin as time goes on but I can still smell it and can tell that it is projecting even after the 6 hour mark. I've received compliments wearing this scent and would be ideal for an office or work-type setting, but the versatility is off the charts and can honestly be worn during any occasion and season. Very masculine scent that woman love.

It was a hate at first. Why? All I got was a baby wipes/powder accord (probably due the black pepper). Who wants to smell like baby wipes, I always thought to myself. I was excited when I bought this since it was supposed to be a clone of La Nuit or Allure Homme. It was a cheapie so I couldn't really sell it for much, so I decided to just throw it on my drawer and forget about it. 1 year later, I decided to respray it and I got the biggest surprise. I got a straight-on smell of Chanel Allure Homme. The notes where perfectly balanced and the "baby wipes" note wasn't as pronounced as before. Yes its still there but its more hidden in the background like Allure Homme and yes Allure Homme also has the baby wipes thing but controlled. I get nothing of YSL La Nuit and people who compares this to that need to get their nose checked. TL:DR, if you want a longer lasting and cheaper Chanel Allure Homme, get this, BUT let it sit for a couple of months. If you want a clone of La Nuit, THEN skip this.

Honestly to me it smells nothing like YSL La Nuit. In my opinion it smells more like a mix between PR 1 million elixir and edt version. On dry down it smells closer to the edt version and throughout initial spray it’s a mix between the two. Although it’s slightly creamy and smooth smelling with a hint of wood. It’s Not as creamy/woody and smooth as either of the 1 million. Due to not having as many ingredients, but strongly smell the same. P.R. colognes is more well blended and portioned. My cologne collection is pretty steep so my nose is quite trained. If you don’t like paco rabanne dna/ essence then this isn’t for you. I love it and love layering it with 1million. It blends well together for the shared notes but also creates a new smell from the notes that are different. Projects well and last over 7 hours on skin. 👍🏽

How do you define synthetic ? My god these fragheads smh. It's a really good super masculine powdery soapy scent and it last 10+ hours on me. My friend which is not a fraghead still smells me after 12 hours of applying it. Don't listen to these fragheads saying it smells synthetic and weak longevity blah blah blah you should buy this one. Every man needs F Black it works all year round. Don't listen to these fragheads they're exposed to different kind of scents and their olfactory has messed up. Majority of people doesn't care what you're wearing. Buy this one you will not regret. If you're a regular dude, you only need 3 fragrance F Black - works all year round (great office scent and special occasions) CDNIM - great summer everyday scent Burberry London/Detour Noir - great for colder months.

Blind buy and I really like it. The opening is fairly peppery spicy but fresh and invigoratingly fruity too thanks to the prominent apple. I appreciate that the apple note remains through the dry down, which takes on a bit more warmth and sweetness from the tonka while staying fresh thanks to the lavender and apple. There's a bit of a powdery feel in the dry down but with enough substance that it stays interesting. This makes for a masculine but restrained and very likeable scent, great for cozy situations, date nights, etc. It's also suitable for just about all seasons and the performance is solid. To me it's safe and mass appealing but with plenty of personality - it doesn't really smell like anything else in my collection of 80+ scents. Glad to have it for the very reasonable price.

A little apple off the top. Fades away rather quickly. Black pepper, lavender, and the tonka kick in heavily. This is a very powdery scent. Although its powdery it still comes off as masculine bc of the spices. I feel like this smells better in the air than on you. My wife likes it on me but I am not a really big fan of it. I do not wear it for personal pleasure. More of when I want to switch things up at work. This is an office scent esp during cooler weather. I would say 2-3 sprays max. Or it can come off as baby powdery and even take on a grandma scent if you spray too much and or its too hot/humid outside. Good for the price tho. Esp if you are looking for a powdery scent. Just have to wear it right.

I've slept on this fragrance for a couple of years. I initially got this because a lot of people said it smelled like YSL LA Nuit de L'homme. I didn't like it at first because it only smelled like baby powder to me. This about 2 years ago. Very recently I've came back around to that classic YSL DNA and maybe my nose has changed a bit, but I can't believe this has been sitting my collection this whole time lol. Not a 1 to 1, but definitely in the same family. Off my skin, this projects for about 2 to 3 hours. Longevity is about 9 hours. This will work great in the spring, summer, and fall...day or night. Easy to like. Office friendly. Can't miss!

This is one of the best apple colognes I've smelt. This is an amazing winter, spring, fall, sunny day, and night time cologne. You can wear it in the summer but nothing over 75 degrees. When I first spray it on I instantly smell pepper, vanilla and green apple with lavender, its a sooth creamy spicy smell that is so pleasing. Then it becomes way more vanillay with the green apple still there. This lasts me 10 hours. This is one of my best buys and has an amazing price. It is worth it. Inoffensive and pleasant. Smell 8/10 Longevity 9/10 Projection 8/10 Performance 9/10 Wearability 10/10 Overall 8.8/10 Personal rating 9/10

Sweet Spicy Blast from the Apple Tree Definitely like this one. It's for those special intimate occasions(not that I ever have any) but also for just going out to run errands on your own. Or for the club with friends. Or when you hit the bed. It just works IMO. It's sweet apple note coupled with tasty peppery blast form a really likable sweet and spicy fragrance that just keeps giving. Lavender says hello with every whiff. TRULY DELICIOUS FRAGRANCE! The coriander with tonka truly shines and makes this fragrance ever so much more creamy and likable. Truly a wonderful fragrance. Would recommend even as a blind buy.

Had this bottle since 2018 so I can't comment on new bottles. Mine is very peppery and powdery....nothing like LNDL, and I never got the comparison. For me, mine is and has always been a deeper, more powdery version of savauge. The old bottle I have is a beast, smells amazing, not synthetic like a lot of people say. I still have half the bottle and hopefully it'll last for years to come because I won't buy a new one if it's not the same. One thing jeremy got right about this one was "less is more" the wolf of Wallstreet 😆. 2 sprays for me and I smell it all day. Strongest edt ive ever smelled at 40+ years old

Great office scent. "Peppery with a touch of sweetness" (shout out review below me @davepol). Now the sweetness here is very similar to Montblanc Individuel, but obviously dialed down a notch. And the pepperiness and spices are alike La Nuit de l'Homme. Can't go wrong with this fragrance. I did blind buy it and I'm happy with it. I could seen this being worn in any season when its not too hot. And yes it does capture the masculine essence. This was hyped up by Jeremy Fragrance a while back, and I think it deserves respect. But not quite the hype he was giving it. I'll give this fragrance a 8/10.

Absolutely mesmerizing! If a man wears it and walks near me, I will definitely do a double-take! I bought this as a birthday gift for my brother, and he liked it, but it's too intense for him. The opening is to die for, fresh with the soothing quality of lavender. The dry down is spicy and powdery. This perfume has crazy projection on my brother, even though it's EDT. It's better suited for colder months, in my opinion. You will get compliments from women for sure! My mom and I both loved the scent. If I hadn't known the price, I would have guessed F Black to be a very expensive perfume.

A blind buy for me, but an exceptional one. This is a poor man's Chanel Allure, but I would agree it is different but loses nothing by being so. It has a boozier quality, which draws comparisons to YSL's La Nuit, and I can swear there is a touch of lipstick note in Dior Homme (only better, this is not feminine). A long lasting, projecting masterpiece that is probably wearable by anyone of any age. It is sexy, romantic, and versatile--just like Chanel's Allure homme, an equally as classy. If you want your man to smell good (or if you want to delight your woman) buy this frag.

got mine for cheap. totally love it.this will be my new signature from now on. i got bored with BDC. price-10/10 for me i could use this for any occasion, any season, day and night. versatility-10/10 the longevity is decent enough for me as a student. and the projection is moderate, its good to be moderate cause if its strong, this will be an annoying to everyone in the same room. longevity-8/10 projection-9/10 i dont see what to hate on this frag, this 1 fragrance army for a guy who doesnt want to spend much on cologne. overall-9.25/10 love it

It used to be good. It was reformulated multiple times away from its original intended scent. I had in 2012. Opened really animalic leather, then would get soapy and smooth. Basically that was what it was, kind of animalic dark leather, sharp and strong, then would transform to a beautiful unique soapy smell gradually and then really smooth out on the later dry down. Was a game changer for me at the time! Now smells pure powdery crap and almost no insanely twisted transition. Those days of fragrance are over. Period they are over.