Black Orchid Reserve

Seems like toned downed mix of black orchid parfum&edp. Less intense, less performant but also more versatile : might appeal to the ones wishing of making of black orchid a daily fragrance/signature (the other flankers might not be suitable for every occasions being too strong). I wonder if « reserve » word here stands for « a more reserved » fragrance for that matter, would totally make sense. Earthiness through patchouli and boozines are amped up compared to « parfum », truffle is still there. Less earthy than edp, and more feminine. While the previous flankers keep their BO dna during the dry down, here the base notes are more pushed forward to a more basic vanilla - tonka - patchouli where BO’s DNA slowly fades away. It’s like a better alternative to the edt : i know many people out there were hoping to meet a more versatile black orchid, that still keeps the edp/parfum dna. To be honest, i will still get it while having others ; sometimes BO might feel a little too heavy or inappropriate for some occasions but I would still be craving for that smell. That’s when Reserve plays its role really well. The con is that while being lighter, unfortunately performance falls short. I wish Tom Ford did better regarding that aspect of delivering a more universal scent profile of BO but which is still performant without ever feeling « heavy ». And they clearly failed. But still better than their edt My ratings of the flankers : 1) - Black orchid « parfum » : 9.5/10 perfectly executed, lacking perhaps a little bit of profoundness. Nuclear performance. 2) - Black orchid « reserve » : 9.25/10 signature worthy, a lighter fragrance, reuniting best aspects of all black orchid flankers. I wish performance was a little bit better 3)- Black orchid edp : 8.5 harsh opening, too heavy, dry down is where it happens. Good performance, but doesn’t overperform « parfum ». While you could substitute edp version by the « parfum », getting yourself a better one. You can’t substitute « reserve » with the « parfum », because they both play different roles while delivering best aspects of what black orchid has to offer

... Hard to start this.. I remember trying the OG a good few months ago and hating it.. pungent, old woman, dated, when could you even wear it? It was always something I wanted to try, a "classic" but the danger of classics are that they don't translate to what people like to smell today... ... Cut to me trying this a few weeks ago (in Boots) and walking around town, only to be asked what I'm wearing as "someone smells nice".. to me, it was a smoother, more modern version of what I'd tried those months ago.. and the more I smelled it, the more the sillage followed me, the more I kind of fell in love with it... ... Cut to last week buying a full bottle (and regarding price, go to somewhere like The Perfume Shop in UK) and you can get it for £150 for 100ml.. which isn't as bad as people are saying.. especially considering the longevity... .. Which brings me to performance.. when you first put it on, it screams like a banshee.. honestly... It's LOUD! but! I think it calms down pretty quickly (within an hour) and instead of being a "beast mode" fragrance, it becomes a "lingerer" honestly.. the sillage and bubble around you is so prominent, it's amazing.. and by this time it's rammed into this intoxicating, at first you might think "what is this? I don't like it!" But then the more you smell it, the more you want to smell it.. it's stunning. ... Is it for anyone under 30? No. I genuinely think this is a confident 30+ person (totally unisex by the way) because there is no doubt this fragrance is divisive.. it's not a JPG Elixir or Gucci Guilty Elixir (both amazing head turners and compliment bombs) - you need to be prepared for as many people saying they don't like what you smell like, to those who think you smell amazing... .. a "vintage" smell made relevant again... Amazing!

This is a stunning fragrance, unusual but exquisite. Now, I've read that it smells like old ladies etc, if that's the case you can slap my arse and call me Betty! I'll happily smell like I'm in god's waiting room if this is the scent! I suppose like everything it's down to personal preference and I understand that with something this different it's going to have a vastly varying array of opinions. Like everything, try it for yourself and make up your own mind. It's powerful, indulgent and luxurious but very unique with it's elegant profile. Yes, it's all there. The truffle, the citrus the florals and finally that creamy trio of chocolate, Tonka and vanilla is beautifully blended with a decent hit of patchouli. It just works, but this is a cooler weather scent without a doubt. Fresh from purchase it's lasing 6-7 hours easy, well above the normal! Even as a skin scent it's very detectable after falling back from a close to room filling performance for many hours initially. I've stored it away until the autumn now to let it settle and enrich, apparently this is a scent that benefits from this and continues to smooth out and develop further, performing even better! Definitely a perfume for the 35s and over. Truly unisex, my wife and I will have to share this one! 😆 It is opulent so perhaps one for days out, evening liaisons and very much a cosy, sofa day when your pulling a sickie from work. Honestly, I don't usually opt for this type of scent but this is gorgeous Niche, luxury and distinctive.....beautiful. Right, where's my walking stick!

As announced here before – and on the other Black Orchid flanker’s pages – I am a Black Orchid fanboy. I’m a BO enabler, a BO apologist and I will argue with people who put it down to my face. That being said I’ve been excited about getting my hands on this one since it was announced. When it finally came to my go to shop in a 100ml bottle, I had to blind buy it. When I sprayed it, initially, I kind of thought to myself that it might not be different enough to be worth the 100ml bottle purchase. The opening kind of made me wish that I only got the 50ml bottle. But that thought quickly changed in the dry down. In my opinion, all of the Black Orchid variations are different enough to serve their own purpose. Black Orchid Reserve in particular is probably the smoothest out of all of them. There’s something soft and buttery about it, which I imagine is the addition of the tonka bean. It would only serve right that this note would take center stage, after all it’s the only unique note that we’re getting with this one. If the rum note is what makes the BO Parfum stand out, it’s the tonka bean that does it in the Reserve. Whether you need it or not, it could kind of depend on how big of a fan of this DNA you are. But if you are, it’s definitely different enough to be considered a good flanker, and close enough to not be considered a complete departure from the Black Orchid DNA.

Black Orchid Reserve opens with a burst of high-grade patchouli marked by camphor and menthone facets that lend a tingling, aromatic lift. (To my nose, the profile smells strikingly similar to a premium CO2 patchouli extract from Hermitage labeled “Chocolate Patchouli.”) Zesty bergamot and a trace of truffle round out the effervescent yet slightly unconventional top. As the patchouli develops, camphor notes soften and transition into a cool, mint-laced dark chocolate accord poured over creamy tonka bean. Traces of ylang-ylang remain, though far more subdued than in Black Orchid. By stripping away the floral fruity sweetness of the original and its flankers, Reserve emerges as a woodier yet more gourmand and sophisticated expression. It’s a scent built for those who love the depth of high-quality patchouli. Longevity easily exceeds ten hours, projecting strongly for the first before settling into a comfortably moderate presence. Though it’s a flanker, the individuality within the line is undeniable. This is Black Orchid reimagined: modern, more balanced, unisex, and infinitely more refined. Sample first, but for patchouli lovers, Black Orchid Reserve might just be the version you’ve been waiting for.