By Kilian Back to Black EdP

By Kilian Back to Black EdP is part of the Collection L'oeuvre Noire (Black Masterpiece), created by Calice becker and released in 2009,   It's deep honeyed tobacco notes, fully spiced was a huge break-out hit, and we couldn't keep it in stock for months, as well as just trying to hunt it down as supplies dwindled.  During that holiday season, everyone wanted this warm comfort scent to wear, it was the perfume "sit by the fire and cuddle up with" fragrance. 

 Notes: honey, cherry, wood, amber and tobacco, with a hint of bergamot, spicy nuances of saffron and cardamom, and a sweet touch of raspberry.

Kilian Hennessy launched By Kilian in 2007.  Yup, the Cognac Hennessy, grandson to the founder of Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Group, he followed his interest in scent, writing his thesis on the semantics of odors.  After spending time with leading perfumers, he launched By Kilian with the Collection L'oeuvre Noire (Black Masterpiece) series.  There are now 10 fragrances in that series.  The over-the-top marketing copy drew a lot of criticism in the early part of his launch, but the gorgeous packaging - black lacquer boxes and black bottles - started to win us over, as did the artistry of the fragrances. 

REVIEWS

Fragrantica- I will forever have a bottle of Back to Black in my bathroom cupboard waiting for use; it's been with me for years and clearly isn't letting up. I adore this scent with my entire being, the sweet tobacco really feels almost boozy instead of commercially sweet, which redeems it massively... I am absolutely addicted to fruit warm spicy perfumes, and Back to Black captures it perfectly.

Fragrantica - "I LOVE IT - One of few perfumes that I love even after years have passed. For me, this is a Masterpiece. It's complex as you have guessed from all the notes listed above. It is dark, dangerous, seductive, threatening, daring, challenging & honey-sweet. I feel the blast of confidence from this perfume."

Fragrantica- "It's sweet and vanillic, yet dark and heady. Intoxicating, yet invigorating. It is the embodiment of sensuality..."

Fragrantica - "Back to Black by By Kilian is no ordinary fragrance; it's a dark and sweet masterpiece. Launched in 2009, it hits hard with a blend that's as bold as it gets....This ain't just for the ladies; it's a scent for men who embrace their dark, sweet side. Back to Black is a journey into a world of richness, complexity, and unapologetic boldness. It's like a magnetic force that draws you in with its sweet darkness.  This perfume isn't subtle; it's a statement. It's for men who don't shy away from making an entrance, leaving a trail of intense sweetness that lingers. Back to Black isn't just a fragrance; it's a bold declaration of your presence. If you're not afraid to embrace the dark and sweet, this one's for you."

Fragrantica - "Sweet fragrances do not work on me...at all....but this is one of a select handful that do & by God does it perform. This is one of those scents that you have to be very careful by how much you spray. Too much & people will dislike it but 1 to 2 sprays & this thing is a magic potion. 1 spray honestly lasts me all day & projects far & wide which for me, where sweet scents never really work on me, is unfathomable. Going back to the spray gauging- a female co-worker of mine didn't like this when I accidentally oversprayed it (4 sprays!! Oops) but with 2 sprays, she absolutely loved it! Back to Black, going by the last 4 years, is my most complimented frag & that's because 1 to 2 sprays really makes this thing magical. Overall, a work of art!"

Fragrantica - "This thing is a true Aphrodisiac. If pheromones had a smell it would be gingerbread, tobacco, honey, chamomile etc. And it tells stories. They can be different to anyone but there is a narrative in this fragrance with picks and curves and complex characters. It's a perfume for dreamers, explorers, time travelers, lovers, philosophers."

Fragrantica - "I loved this from the first spray, and bought a bottle. This is exactly what I've been wanting to smell: honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg/spicey, cherry, tobacco. I find this evokes an feeling of warmth, a luxe and comforting vibe. Because of the vanilla, and possibly the honey note, there is a cleanness and an innocence to this fragrance, despite its simultaneously decadent undercurrent with the tobacco-ey depth and overall sophistication of the whole.  The cherry note is for me more like a black cherry gateau kind of louche 70s thing, it combines well with all the above notes and I like it a lot here.  Perfectly unisex. It is sweet but not cloyingly so. Honey, vanilla, berry and tobacco all work together to make what may be among the smoothest, most well-blended of fragrances I've ever tried."