Magnificent Black

There is a particular time of day when the dying light has not yet given way to darkness, or the dawn has not yet pierced the veil of night. It is a magical moment in which the landscape seems enveloped in a muffled atmosphere and suspended in an unreal dimension, and everything, everything, is tinged with blue. When the sun is below the horizon, before dawn, which heralds the passage from darkness to light, or after sunset, in the twilight which precedes darkness, then the blue hour occurs. It is an evocative and exciting chromatic phenomenon: everything is enveloped in soft light, in shades of blue and purple. It lasts a few minutes, half an hour at the most, but it represents a show of rare beauty. The blue hour is the idea that everything is about to end or, conversely, that everything is about to start over. Magnificent Black is comparable to the blue hour, disarming and enchanting fragrance, a superimposition of two masterpieces, one from the last millennium and the other from recent production. Imagine spraying Baccarat Rouge 540 EAU DE PARFUM and then over this original M7 (2011). Well, the major accords of these two perfumes, M7 at the opening and BR540 at the end, are the ones I find in this creation by Hamid Merati-Kashani. M7 was my first experience with the oud, sweet, warm, and sensual. And this specimen reminds me so, so, so much. Amber, mineral, leathery, with that complicated oud smell-feeling that comes to life after about two hours. Please, don’t get me wrong, this is not a replacement for M7 original or BR540, yet it shares many vibes with them. Magnificent Black is an exploration of amber wood with a beautifully subtle opening of spicy and semi-bitter orange peel. Underneath, something liquorice-like darkens the concoction and smells like Konfekt gummies by Haribo, chewy, soft, creamy, and flavoured candy surrounding a liquorice centre. There is an energetic affinity between amber and orange that is softly explored in the opening spray, which remains slightly sweet and vaporous while in the background circulates a tone made of smoky agarwood, noble vetiver, and wisps of leather. It takes a few minutes to settle, and the warmth of the skin helps give off a semi-caramelized amber tone reminiscent of BR540. The heart is many things: sandblasted, soft, woody suede, fine-grained, a little fleshy, steaming, brushed. A cocoa-like patchouli takes the stage, along with a burnt sugar tinge. It is balsamic and floral. But not sweet floral with a too-feminine slant. Instead, violet brings a water facet, a dewy, mineral, while jasmine subdues it with a creamy nuance. That sense of burnt amber and warm wood is always there. The more it grows, the more it gets akin to BR540 while keeping a distance from M7. It’s slightly medicinal, with a cherry cough syrup nuance. Woody scent with strong oud and vetiver note. A little sweet and powdery. In the end, the scent turns a tad woody, earthy, and slightly leathery and resinous. A lot is going on there, while drydown, so from time to time, you can hardly differentiate which of the components you hear at this moment. At first, it is very medicinal but turns into a natural and very sensual vetiver and wood scent. Over time, the perfume becomes sweeter, amber, salty, and dark, it gently settles on the skin while remaining slightly powdery, deep, soft, stimulates the senses, and above all, elegant, virile, oriental, dense and damn sexy and long-lasting. The ultimate combination is an amber musk haze, a sweet, creamy, even slightly powdery scent that continuously caresses your nose in a very warm, friendly way. Also, I feel some hints of vanilla. What it left on the blotter after many hours, and even days after, is a sweet oudy accord with semi-medicinal cherry cough syrup nuance. Besides, the M7 shadow is still lingering. Last night I put a couple of squirts on my neck before dinner with friends I had invited to my house. During dinner, everyone wondered who was wearing that perfume that they sometimes felt spinning in the air. It turned out to be mine, and I got a ton of compliments. They said it was so manly as if some natural BO was among the notes. Hence, pay attention to the number of sprays since all room smells Magnificent Black if somebody wears it, surely dominant. Longevity and projection are all great on my skin. Definitely, this is the best performer of the SERIES N° 01 collection. It is a cold-weather scent, for fall and winter late-evening intimate events. I would refrain from wearing it at work, it projects too much and not everyone enjoys oud-like perfumes. Thank you Hamid Merati-Kashani for bringing this magnificent creation to us among ZARA's infinite collection. I'm basing my sensations on a bottle I've owned since April 2023 (BC 30240).

From the moment you spray it on, Zara Magnificient Black pulls you in with a smell that’s both comforting and exotic — imagine a blend of spicy cookies with a twist. The opening notes are a hook but they're just the beginning; this fragrance has a lot more to offer. This fragrance stands out with its unique mineral note, an uncommon component in perfumes. This intriguing feature seamlessly blends with the subsequent earthy, woody notes, revealing meticulous craftsmanship from top to bottom. The fragrance truly shines in its complex yet harmonious blend of elements. Imagine being in an Arabian marketplace, enveloped by various exotic scents; this fragrance captures that in a single, well-balanced experience. Each note is distinct but works in harmony with the others, avoiding any sense of disarray. As you wear it, the scent evolves. The mineral note, for instance, becomes more pronounced over time without overwhelming the other elements. It keeps you interested, from the first spray to the last lingering note. The fragrance is tagged as unisex and rightly so. It’s versatile, not just in who can wear it but also when it can be worn. You might think this is a cold-weather scent, but don’t be boxed in — it's versatile enough to wear all year round, be it day or night. Now, Zara scents have a bit of a reputation for not lasting very long, but Magnificient Black goes against the grain. It's got a longer lifespan than you might expect and the reach of the scent is also better than most in the Zara lineup. Considering the affordable price, particularly if you find it on sale, it offers excellent value for money. In conclusion, if you're looking to expand your fragrance collection, Magnificient Black should be at the top of your list. This is particularly true if you can snag it during a sale. It’s a fragrance that keeps you guessing but never disappoints, a rare find that’s worth every penny. The real kicker? It smells very niche, but it's from a mall clothes store. Opening note: 9 Sillage/Projection: 7+ Dry down: 9 Longevity: 7 Blend/Composition: 9 Versatility: 9 Uniqueness: 9 Value for money: 9+ Bottle design/Aesthetics: 6 Overall experience: 9- Blind-buy rating: 4

I consider Magnificent Black to be the best of Zara's 2023 collection. The fragrance opens with a clean oud-like smokiness and a cold inorganic quality that is said to be orange, mineral, and violet. The duality of stillness and movement is very balanced and noble. Yet there is a calm energy, not an old man vibe. The drydown has a slowly shifting beauty with the sweetness of vetiver and amber and the smokiness that continues from the opening. The sweetness is definitely there, but I think it can be worn all year round, except for mid-summer afternoon. I had hoped this fragrance was some kind of clone, but this is truly a Zara original. The only reason I wish it was a clone is because the performance is not very good, and I would even buy a full bottle right now if there were other perfumes of higher quality. Magnificent Black does not last unless you reapply it every hour. The only disappointment is the performance, the scent is really great.

On the first spray and sniff it really reminds me of M7 but that’s just in the opening of this perfume , that reminiscence does not linger very long . It quickly evolves into its own character and scent profile which is luxurious and smooth . The mineral/watery notes give this perfume a metallic scented vibe, mixed in with a sweetness of I think the amber and violet mixed with the patchouli. The leather in it is not the putrid one of goat-leather, the ones you can smell on Marrocan leather wallets and such, but more the buttery one of suede, so not so detectable , at least not in the beginning. Will continue this review when it has had time to really evolve but I’m already very happy to have found a bottle of this just recently. Édit : 21/12/2023. Getting lots of compliments when I wear it out , even got asked what I was wearing. It does stay long on clothes.

IMPORTANT: if you buy this or any of Zara refillable bottles please adjust them tight to avoid leakage. Do this and there will be no problem! This is so good for the price. And truly unisex on me. It is woody, sweet and ambery. It has a dna similar to Baccarat Rouge 540 in the middle stage, but it is more incensy (no incense in the note but I can feel it), also fresh in a way. It's smoky and mysterious but at the same time the violette gives a clean and louminous vibe, a little soapy even! It is the one that impressed me the most from this line. Elagant and niche smelling, I strongly suggest you sniff it! Edit: a salty layer can be appreciated if used during a very warm day, but more in the dry down. Like a salty soapiness, very peculiar. And that bit of licorice undertone and woody suede? Unique for sure! And it is now on sale for only 17,00€.

From the 01 collection, this is my favorite. It’s complex. Don’t get fooled that is a flat boring fragrance. It has a reasonable projection, and a great longevity. On skin lasts easily 10-12 hours. On clothes, 2 days. It’s well balanced. It’s different. The mineral note is cold but the Amber and jasmine gives it a soft/delicate scent. The leather blended with cedar, Vetiver and patchouli, gives it body and makes it robust. I think it can be worn all year around, as long as you don’t go nuts with the trigger, particularly in the summer when it can be cloying in the heat, but can be a seductive summer evening fragrance when the temperature is not too hot. Backup bottle purchased on 6/21 during Zara’s summer sale. Good signature scent, for sure. The more I wear it, the more I love it. Hamid Merati-Kashani did a phenomenal job.

This wasn't a blind buy as i was able to sample it in a Zara store next to my hotel, i kept sniffing my hand and went back to buy it, it was already discounted but for the price i payed it's totally worth more. The scent itself is very high quality, very well blended, the bottle is simple yet beautiful the sprayer is surprisingly good. Speaking of the scent, the opening is fresh and soapy then it goes immediately to the sweet ambery side backed up by some earthy patchouli vetiver base. I can see the ressemblance with Haltane, because of the sweetness. Surprinsingly the performance is really really good, i can easily get 8 to 9 hours, 2h of good projection then other 2h of moderate projection, but comapred to other Zara's it stays longer. 100% worth every penny

I recently got all these fragrances in this line ( except for the one that’s compared to angels share) and this one was not one of my favorites right off the bat but as I’m testing them one by one on my skin I’m falling in love with all of them. To me this smells like the taste of chowards violet mints. I love it. One reviewer said it’s sweet spicy candy and I couldn’t agree more. I’m not a fan of leather on my skin but this doesn’t bother me at all. Sadly I don’t think it’s suitable for the hotter and humid weather where I’m at but I will definitely be wearing this in the evening and when it starts to cool off again

Very Nice Woody Fragrance Boozy woody spicy opening then comes a mixture of floral notes and a light Oud base note . To make it easy for you , this fragrance fits in the same shelf as M7, cdg 2, cdg wonderoud, jazz club and Bentley intense bsolute. It’s woody spicy with little Booz and hint of Oud . Don’t be mistaken, the Oud is there but not to loud , it lies in the background and gives you a reminder of M7 feeling for hours as a skin scent. It’s not a beast fragrance, not that rich deep either But is is very complex and the notes there play very nice together.

So glad I got a bottle finally and the wait and anticipation was worth it indeed, I am so so happy I got a bottle of this beauty masterpiece any hater who hates on this has his nose broken for sure. Sweet candy spicy and yes there are elements of zara ebony wood in it for sure, I would've been really disappointed if I had missed this one especially since its always sold out in store and online Very classy spicy sweet elegant fragrance Edit yes I get the initio oud for greatness or the lattafa version oud for glory, WOW

I love this. it has become kind of my signature. I find the name to fit it perfectly, gives off a dark mysterious vibe, kinda gothic. strikes a great balance between fresh and sweet while sitting in it's own category. admittedly I'm quite new to fragrances so me saying "it smells very unique" might not mean too much. I like to layer it a lot, to give all my other fragrances that certain special classy dark edge. all black outfits, classic books and candlelight, a thunderstorm at dusk are vibes I'd associate with it.

This stays on clothes for WEEKS. And it's from the accidental residue absorbed while spraying on skin. It still projects mildly from my cotton sweater after days, way more than Imperial Purple or Majestic Green (which are great on their own). I'm keeping the bottle hands down!

It's a lightly sweet fragance, you can definitely smell the leather and amber. The mineral and water notes show up in the opening and then reduce a lot. Overall for the price point it's a really good fragrance, kind of reminds me of Le male.

Magnificent scent but I have one with terrible spray. This is a common fault with several in this Zara men's range. But I can live with as the juice is so rich and unctuous. Worth buying but check the spray if you can!

This has become my favorite fragrance in my collection. I can't fault any single bottle from the No.1 collection that I own. They are all great, but this one is my favorite, Regal White coming in 2nd.

Great Blind buy for me! didn't like liquorice in the opening, but drydown is amazing on this one, a bit soapy, you can still feel Leather and Amber after a while. One of the greatest from the line!

it's smell expensive. good longevity with moderate projection. i feel bad for people who give bad reviews.

Three years on my shelf, in the box, in the dark, and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.... This is amazing!

The BEST from the collection! Performance is insane...more than 7 days on clothes!

So tried this today at the Zara store in Edinburgh. Firstly, it does smell mysterious and classy. The opening reminds me a bit of Zara's Ebony wood; you get hit with the same kind of sweetness and woodiness; However Magnificen Black is smoother and more rounded. You do get a mineral vibe after a minute or two, accompanied by florals; the florals are not bright or fresh smelling; Think if flowers that are slowly decaying after being on your window for a week, then imagine the smell; However it's done in a good way; jasmine can be smelt amingst the dark flowery mids. It remains sweet until the base, which sirtbof turns into a dark ambery accord with touch of cedar and what I perceive to be Ebony Wood. Overall I do quite like it; only complaint I have is the longevity. I sprayed twice on both my clothes and arm and the smell dissappeared in 3 hours. I don't think there is any ambroxan in thisbthat I go nose blind; I sprayed my Lattafa Asad heavily i the morning on skin and clothes and I could still smell it at 5pm. I will try and macerate this for a few months and hope performance gets better; knowing this is Zara, they would have rushed the maceration process during production, even if a k owm perfumer is attached to the fragrance, Zara calls the shots, and they tend to focus on putting fragrances on shleves without giving the bottles ample time to macerate. Overall its a dark, sweet, mysterious woody fragrance; perfect for night time, date night. Would work great in Spring, Fall and Winter and even Cool summer nights.

What a great surprise, Hamid Merati-Kashani is none other than Perceval and Layton’s dad (Parfum de Marly) , and offers us a lovely creation at the price of Zara!!! This is for me the most creative scent of zara ( we are not out on a clone this time) It reminds me of an M7 from afar, with a sweet little note from our childhood , remember the taste and smell of purple skittles , and well you will find it here in this beautiful creation. An amber leather but not heavy , because softened by this violet and mineral notes that lightens the creation and makes it very pleasant to wear To come witness already this beautiful picture the bottle is beautiful and refillable , and the sprayer of a much better quality than usual zara ( mist). Close your eyes, trust your nose and don’t let yourself be influenced by the fact that it is in a bottle "zara", it could have been in a bottle of Parfum de Marly at 10 times its price.

Bought thisnin February this year when it was released. I felt it was absolutely amazing; dark, mysterious and had a hint of dried flowers in the background and that mineral note. But the performance was lacking; wore it 3 times in Feb and March and did not receive any compliments. Kept it in a dark corner in my Cabinet to macerate (My Maceration Chamber😂). It's been Macerating since March. Wore it today and the performance has improved leaps and bound. I've been out in the super windy scottish weather with heavy rain; and 2 hours after applying this fragrance; I got complimented by 2 women in que with me. 4 hours later and another woman at the check out counter at Hugo Boss complimented me and said I smelled really good. I kept getting whiffs of it all afternoon. Absolutely bang for your buck. I have I.perial Purple, Regal White and Magestic green from this line as well and all are absolutely amazing!

Zara Magnificent Black by Hamid Marathi Kashani, produced in 2023 A leathery and very bitter fragrance with an oriental theme...very stylish and warm. Although the scent is warm, it is not unpleasant or spicy. In the beginning, you can feel some similarities with Black Afghano... mineral, leather, and amber notes are more noticeable than it... I think it is a stylish perfume suitable for the age group of 30 (at least). It is versatile and can be used daily for parties, meetings, and appointments... but it is recommended to use it in parties. Time of use in autumn, winter, and early spring daily and all year round for gatherings and parties. Scent: Very good Longevity and sillage: good

This was a pretty solid blind buy for me. I really like it, for the price it'd be hard to match it. Good value for money. Nothing to do with Haltane by the way, I own it and love it and the only similarities between the two is the seasons you wear them in.

If I was told this was niche, I would believe it. A Mancera, for example, as I have the same feelings as when I'm wearing most Manceras. It opens up nicely, slightly gourmand but not overly sweet (for some reason, I was picturing some cookies in my mind). I see why people think it has a Haltane or Oud for Greatness vibes - there are some common notes. Then, in a few hours, it gets heavier and smokier. Not alike, but somewhere in the same ballpark as, let's say, By The Fireplace (but take it with a grain of salt: I don't pick up much nuts from that one). Although still projecting, I'm not a big fan of it at this stage, but it might be more appealing in cold weather. About 15 hours later, in the morning, it reminded my of Aoud Vanille, and I was trying to scrub it off my forearm. For me it's a pass, but it's an interesting scent for a good price.

The reviews under this scent show that people are picking this up in drastically different ways so go out there and check it out for yourself but on my skin, this was 90% ambroxan (mineral masculine synthetic) with a touch of spiced soft woods. I'm not impressed, but again, try it for yourself.

WARNING, 0 LONGEVITY but in Argentina is the only scent in the world that is off 60% a cheap cheap cheap price, but no... , i dont like it, neither i hate it, is a masculine sensual fragrance but sophistication doesnt exclude that some notes are meh, there is something smokey and like "watered or bright" that doesn't fit, if it would be more ambery warmer or balsamic, could win the magnificience that is not to put on my nocturnal wardrobe, short living on my skin, again because is cheap, last like a cologne

This starts off very nice with prominent leather and patchouli. In the dry down though, a very sweetly acrid note reveals itself. To me, it's like a rotten pineapple which probably comes from amber and mineral notes. Honestly, this corrupted the whole otherwise pleasant men's leather perfume vibe. The longevity is good enough for Zara, approaching 5 hours. Definitely test it before buying.

What I get on my skin with this perfume is : Ambroxan in your face, with mineral/woody notes and watery/violet leaves in the back - nothing more. Boring as hell but you get what you paid for. I dont like it.

No, it's not even close to M7. I have bottles of new M7 and M7 oud absolu, also sample of old M7 and there is no resemblance to neither. Magnificent black smells like candy, it's ultra sweet and synthetic. Performance isn't bad but for sure worse than M7.

This is Unisex fragrance. It does not lean masculine, it is squarely unisex... surprisingly the leather is not a main player and I appreciate that because lately cheapie leathers have been bugging my nose. This smells like a spiced ambery woody fragrance. Very warm, the spices comes across as something like cinnamon/nutmeg... there is the faintest leather-like note in the background but isn't doing too much. This also doesn't go too dark. The overall effect is very intriguing, alluring & a little sexy. Can be worn day to night. Best suited for when the weather is only just a little chilly out -- this perfume can be worn like a sweater, to stay cozy & warm... ...I imagine wearing it while walking at the park. I can picture a chilled breeze picking up, on an early Autumn 🍂 day, dried leaves rustling on the ground & around the base of tree trunks... And then heading to a hipster coffee shop ☕️ for a chai latte and to sit on one of their worn out couches, to read the paper... ...This fragrance has a kind of chai tea spice scent to it, so it's very fitting. Really beautiful, but because it's Zara it is done in a more tame way. Projection is slightly above -or maybe just at- average, but lasts way longer than expected. As a 38 yr old female - I am really enjoying it. And see it fitting into my collection, exactly for these types of leisurely activities.

Tried the whole line today and I'm here with the first impressions. The whole line has great bottles that feel solid and have a very good sprayer, the best sprayer I have seen from Zara. It sprays evenly and makes a good mist. Way above what Zara usually puts on their fragrances. This one smells completely different than what the note breakdown says to me. I get a fruity, tropical guava-like smell here. It's however not a one-dimensional "fruity and nothing else" fragrance. There are some dark woods with a bit of spiciness, I'm thinking that maybe that is the leather and cedar from the official note breakdown. The combination of exotic fruit and some spicy darkness gives it quite a mysterious vibe. It feels very wearable and unisex. Overall I like it, it smells interesting and very unique to me. I can't really say this one reminds me of any other fragrance I know which by itself is a compliment, especially at Zara. Do give this one a try, even though I like Majestic Green and probably even Regal White more, this one is worth trying.

This is surprisingly fantastic. One of the best zara fragrances ive smelled. This smells like a mix of baccarat rouge in mid or so alongside parfum de marly haltane with a touch of extra soapiness on the drydown. I put it on my hand at 8pm and can still smell it on skin next day at 1pm. Longevity is there but doesnt project like crazy or anything. Extremely solid release. Can imagine this easily selling out once people start smelling it.

smell wise, this is incredibly good for the price. i would say it smells like a perfume of very high quality, evolves decently on skin and has decent projection initially. longevity isn't the greatest, but I really cannot complain as I bought this for around 13 euros. this could have easily been a PDM release with a bit more pushing power and some refinement to the scent profile.

Whoever says this does not smell like M7 it does not have it. I do and believe me, this is very close. Definitely lighter and subdued. It's a bummer that is gone now, I don't know why Zara keeps doing that, this was a good one. 90/100 RIYL: M7, Grand Soir, Shaghaf Oud.

This is so good, very natural sweetness from amber and cedar wood & metallic edge with i believe violets. I also get a powdery booziness. First hours I get strong sillage but then lingers close to skin. Suitable for layering with something earthy/green

To me this is a safe blind but for anyone ..the dry down is magical and I can’t fathom how this is a Zara perfume ..longevity is shit as always tho .

Got some similarity to Roberto Cavalli Uomo, but its lighter and more powdery.

Arabian scent. Not my taste. Very oudy ! Well balance for fan. Last for day !

this is my favorite, I tried them all, no more needs to be said 10/10

Of course now that I want it it's expensive and hard to find!

Strong ambroxan undertones, not a safe blind buy.