Black is Black for Men by Nuparfums

Bergamot , Lemon, Tangerine, Grapefruit, Anise, Basile, Lavender, Juniper Berry, Licorice.

Rose, Jasmine.

Amber, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Guaiacwood, Musk.

No sooner I smelled Black is Black by Nuparfums, I could not help comparing it to C.O. Bigelow Black Elixir 1581. Now, they're not exactly the same, but redundancy could exist having both of these in your wardrobe. I own this now and have used up my Bigelow Black, so it's a win-win for me.

To be truthful, the Bigelow is slightly superior, but that's this man's opinion. That aside, Black is Black wears like a dark, masculine barbershop scent. From an economical standpoint, Black is Black will be difficult to beat since I paid around $6 for a NIB 100ml at a local TJ earlier this year. It's a good masculine if you're inclined to this genre and the only reason I stated that the Bigelow was better was because of their respective drydowns. Again, that's simply my opinion.

The opening shimmers with energy. It's a dense grouping of citrus and the licorice quality. It settles down within 2 to 3 minutes and hovers closer to the skin, but retains the top accord. I cannot claim to experience anything balsamic, but there's a subtle woodiness slowly scratching its way through to the surface. On my skin, the floral components aren't readily recognized as such, but they may be tuned in such a way as to add substance to the whole instead of coming to fruition on their own.

Licorice and Anise are two aromas I have always enjoyed. I like to smell them in the many forms they come in and fragrances are no exception. They are well represented in Black is Black, semi sweet and never too loud, in spite of being obvious through the top and heart accords. The Oriental base and Guaiac could have been tuned with a bit more presence, but though they are low volume, it's not a deal breaker by any means. This masculine relies mostly on the first two stages of development before morphing into a quiet base and drydown.

Black is Black, for all intents and purposes, is a terrific deal for anyone looking for a barbershop fragrance that smells good and costs next to nothing. During all my wearings, never once did I regret choosing it to wear that day, or for that matter, purchasing it in the first place. Sillage is appropriate and longevity is approximately 3 to 4 hours on me before I'd consider reapplication. Thumbs up from Aromi for Black is Black. As always, a sample wear is highly recommended.