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Sennya – :
@hollycat: BT does not have any fougere accord whereas DN is a monster fougere. That may not matter to you or you may not be able to detect it, but it’s important that people not think this is some sort of fougere, even a mild one, because it is not. I don’t think they have much else in common either, but one reason people like myself buy newer releases is because we don’t want a detectable fougere accord, but we do want other notes, and we can’t always get that in vintage designers.
pompyxns588Diobtetty – :
A smoky, balmy and dark, incense-oud masterpiece combo. During a cold winter evening this fragrance will keep you warm and will leave a spicy mysterious sillage behind you. Great job by Olivier Durbano.
dj.sany – :
This is really a hard call for me.
When I first smelled it, it reminded me of the old church in the park near my house, that smelled of wood and incense. This is a scent of my childhood and probably that’s why I love it so much.
However, when I tried to use it in a public, the reactions weren’t so good.
This is a smell that I use mostly for my own comfort, but I’d never get rid of it, regardless people opinion.
КРОЛЬ – :
Black Tourmaline is a beautiful and challenging creation by Mr. Durbano. It took me a couple of samples to decide on a full bottle purchase. He takes darker perfume elements like Oud, spices, incense and weaves them into this magic potion which is still delicate, other-worldly and very wearable. Definitely not for lovers of sweet or floral perfumes and please try out before buying. On my skin, this starts off with a dark oud incense note and dries into an amber moss beauty. Very unique and interesting, and only for the more adventurous perfume lovers.
MALYSH – :
The first time I tried this my sensitivity was higher and it came across as too “chemical.” Today I wore it and it all seemed to fall into place nicely. It’s quite dry, but has a lively quality, which is not common in my experience. It has a burnt or ashy quality too, and despite the amber listed in the notes, this is not sweet, creamy, syrupy, etc. On the other hand, it doesn’t have the dry/harsh quality I’ve found in scents with strong wood notes (especially cedar). I could also understand a perception of mild celery. In any case, this is very well done but of course not likely to be a “crowd pleaser” (unless you are at a fragrance expo). It’s interesting to compare this to some of Tauer’s scents that are similar. This one seems “professionally” composed, whereas Tauer’s scents come across as amateurish. I wonder if this is due to technology that Durbano has access to but Tauer does not. Every time I’ve tried a scent by someone like Tauer (such as Kerosene) the compositions might be pleasant (for a while) but then they turn leaden/lifeless/crude. Of course these are just smells so some may prefer that, but I’m a bit surprised at how obvious a difference there appears to be!
klubnika – :
Mainly a spicy experience, Black Tourmaline by Olivier Durbano is pepper-dominant to my nose, with incense, leather, oud, and patchouli all contributing somewhat to its intensity, though I admit I cannot really pick these out individually, perhaps a testament to how well-blended it is. Incense (olibanum) is really the only other main element that stands out apart from the pepper. So it’s very simple–incense and pepper–if those are elements you like a lot. I generally enjoy black pepper but I don’t feel it’s especially well-used in this perfume.
Decently strong for an EDP at its opening but not overwhelming in the way of projection, at pricing of $205 for 100ml on Luckyscent this is potentially bottle-worthy for someone who loves it more but for me it’s mainly a “like” not a “love.” Still, a solid cold weather option I might opt for if it were priced a little lower or had something extra.
7 out of 10
dron715 – :
It doesn’t last on skin and smells like a cheap copy of Avignon, Comme des Garcons. I do not understand why all this hype about this scent, maybe the price 🙂
uranov – :
A bonfire in the woods…very smoky and inspiring, magical vibe.
since1972 – :
Its funny but somehow I get “Epic Man” vibe from it but without the green opening. not a bad scent at all.. On my skin Oud dominates.. In the middle I get a good dose of pepper and Oakmoss and dries down slight peppery musk. It also reminds me of Henna (used in middle east and Asia).
Le(3)x – :
Tra i Durbano è il più oscuro. Indecifrabile ed olfattivamente complesso, dall’aurea sottilmente “rocciosa” e “pietrosa” arriva alle note di base, mantenendo Olibanum e Pepe inalterati (quasi ribaltando la piramide olfattiva). Le note cuoiate sfumano dopo mezz’ora, lasciando intatti e su una sinfonia cromatica misurata, tutti gli altri ingredienti.
E’ un profumo “interno”. Meditativo ed autoriflettente.
darkness237 – :
I really like this dark, dry olibanum scent. But how disappointing to find it lasts just minutes before it disappears almost completely. I just went back to spray more, and poof… now in just about 15 minutes… I can barely smell it. WTF? Sadly I think I must share the opinion of enigmatic_jd’s review here. Food coloring. 🙁 Glad I only had a sample and didn’t get gouged for $200.
amalgeKaw – :
Lately I am experimenting with perfumes containing incense and having read reviews that this particular fragrance is a must try for incense lovers i got myself a sample. It is an extraordinary fragrance. It did not remind me of incense but of hot tar and burnt wood. It reminds me of the smell of a traditional shipyard for wooden boats that existed in the village where I grew up. One could always find there wooden boats with slightly burnt surface (in order to get rid of the old paint) and a pot full of boiling tar ( in order to get them waterproof again). I also guess that this could have been the smell of the old wooden sailing boats in earlier times. If a salty sea note was somehow included (besides tar and burnt wood) this could have been the fragrance of captain Ahab. For me a very masculine perfume. I cannot imagine a woman wearing it.
rodin.evge – :
Black Tourmaline makes me think of the elegant moves of a black panther: it expresses the strength, determination, energy and dangerous charm.
It’s a contrast of light and shadow, transparency and smoky spices. It is so seductive because the different notes come out with an unusual alternation. Like the reflections of the stone, which acquires different shades when the light hits it from different angles. But its greatest virtue, its mysterious power, is in the integrity of the olfactory pyramid, that through the hours rounds off the edges, while keeping intact every element.
sergei.dyachek – :
It starts out very oily,ashy,with a nice dose of frankincense.
it’s strong but tame very comparable to a city on fire in the drydown 8/10
Longevity 6
smell 7
sillage 6
rde038InsuffBooni – :
I find it to be very dark and too masculine for me, and I like incensed, woody, dry fragrances.
Opens heavy and dark – I thought of tar smelling it – rich, smoky, gooey tar! Thankfully that stage doesn’t last. The fragrance clears up to be super complex, smoky, dry-woody fragrance still with a touch of tar. I really like and admire this fragrance but let guys wear it.
Foks – :
A wearable incense. Perhaps too smoky and leathery for the mass market. But the lovers of dark incense scents could really like it.
vitasik – :
Materpiece worth everypenny i get a eucaliptus vibe with smokinesss and woods
nadaske – :
I guess it’s second time I’m writing a review of BT…
It was one of the first Durbano fragrance that I know.
It’s an opposite to Rock Crystal. Here we have dark, mysterious incense. I loved it from the first sniff, but I know people that are afraid of this smell.
It develops very slowly on my skin – olibanum is very strong here and stays throughout the fragrance “from birth to death”. So are leather, cumin and oud. These four notes are loud on my skin. Rest of the notes are rather a background and they play a supporting role.
Talking about sillage – this is a beast. One or two sprays on the neck and you’re set. Longevity – on my skin it lasts 16 hours.
It reminds me a little bit of Lutens’s Serge Noire. They are in the same genre – dark, mysterious and smoky. And I feel caraway in both.
I like it, or even I could say I love it. But I’m not ready to have it. Not yet.
miron83den – :
For lovers of this kind is the most balanced, unique and spectacular scentand i will buy in my collection.
Wonderful creation that reflects the artistic work of all those who love the scent and does a mix of molecules without a bit of commitment and passion.
The big names that you give arias: learn! go to sniff this elegant poetry of wood and smoke!
SyrfRider – :
Am I the solitary voice to find echoes of L’Air du Desert Marocain in the drydown?
veedoc – :
At $125 This Was A Great Unique Fragrance Worth Trying
At $200 Plus ….. Its A Bad Joke
And The Reason For The Price Hike ?
Maybe Food Colouring Is Getting More Expensive.
4nemo – :
mysterious, dark, gothic, kinky smoky and woody you might love it or hate it, I love it to bits, great artistic perfume!
lom1985 – :
Oh man, I hate this, it smells like burnt rubber, or burnt wood that’s been peed on. No, no, a million times no.
lexnatalie – :
This is the best out of the Olivier Durbano bunch without a doubt. It’s a dry smokey frankincense, moss, pines and… pomegranate? Smells cold, leathery and tart. Very long-lasting and noble scent, possibly a masterpiece.
fiywjqhowfq – :
This is one fine example of a smoke scent. It has a lot going on with pepper, leather, incense and musk, but it manages to all work together really well. Very masculine. This will not disappoint if you are a fan of these types of fragrances.
Might be a bit hard to wear, this is almost like fine abstract art. Some people might not get it or appreciate it, but they should not argue the quality.
I cannot see this being worn in warm weather. I tried it out in 45º weather and it was perfect.
51501 – :
I am surprised by all the dark gothicness I read in other reviews of this fume. Mostly I get a classic men’s scent. I keep getting whiffs of sillage that smells so much like Polo it’s a little discomfitting. It’s not exactly the same, a little more modern, dry and austere, but still too similar to my nose. As a lover of strange, dark, and smoky scents I am pretty disappointed. If you’re looking for a slightly different twist on a standard men’s frag this may win you over. If you’re looking for something more unique I’d look elsewhere. Projection starts strong and quickly quiets down. Longevity is only a couple of hours before completely fading to skin scent.
calstanny – :
I got my 5ml. Sample and was very excited to test it. 1 spray center neck, 1 spray center chest and 1 spray left arm then I observed. By the way, I have 1 spray right arm of Hermes Bel Ami.
First, do I get Black Afgano? For the lack of nothing to compare by others, yes.
But for me, not too close. The impression on one’s nose may remind him of Black Afgano but Black Tourmaline avoided the path leading to Afgano and took the alley instead, went on its way to be less noticeable as 3 sprays on my skin on a winter late afternoon, acted like a whisper compared to the loud projecting Hermes Bel Ami.
Is Black Tourmaline worth the price? No. Is it worth a bottle? Well it is not a bad scent, it is not a powerful one, though woody, smoky, well refined like a woody oudy, burning wood, piney, good incense & frankincense but price does not make sense.
I rate it 3.5/5 on scent & sillage. Why? If you have Black Afgano, you can still buy this.
But no way, would I buy a Black Tourmaline when I already owned a more potent version, more full flavor, stranger & more mystifying, 90% almost the same but more challenging to wear as this one has camphor, a bit sour, more strength, smoker, balmier, more oud, more incense, more of what Tourmaline has… More intense!
Black Tourmaline isn’t Black Afgano (way better). Black Tourmaline is a pleasant shadow, a good smelling younger bro of a way much cheaper but very beautiful & brute force of Slumberhouse Norne (the black juice).
Oh and is Black Tourmaline 3 sprays better smelling vs. 1 spray Bel Ami?
You betcha No! Bel Ami hit me so hard that I shall buy a full bottle soon.
kamepzan – :
On my skin it dries down to a nice and classy scent which seems to be built around incense and leather mainly. I saw oud to be listed as one of the notes but I can’t detect it. It is a masculine scent to me, even though I can imagine a senior lady in formal dress wearing something like this.
Black Tourmaline is similar to other works of Olivier Durbano in being somewhat dark, smoky and warm. I liked it but longevity and projection aren’t good for me. Overall: 7.5 out of 10.
pashkow74 – :
This piece of art is one of very few things I’ve been fascinated from very first moment I’ve met/smelt it. For me it is the biggest masterpiece of modern perfumery. I really love this divine mixture of smokey woods, ash, dark spices and cold, bitter-sweet olibanum. There is only one problem – on my skin it unveils its beauty only during really cold weather, so for me it is definitely winter scent. In my mind this is smell of some northern, pagan ceremony.
It’s amazing how unique this perfume is. I don’t recall any frag even remotely close to BT. Although there is some commonality between BT and other Durbano’s work, especially Rock Crystal and the newest one Heliotrope. I will call it Durbano’s signature.
I agree with Nysa, Black Tourmaline is truly unisex fragrance. Since art doesn’t have gender.
Calling it “sexy” or “for real men only” is blasphemy and devaluation, btw. who decides who is a real men?
Vit_17 – :
This is a real masterpiece of Olivier Durbano!
The opening, silliage and drydown are perfect and even after showering i still smell the darkness on my skin!
Sergio, i disagree. It is not for real men only. I am a women and it’s great on me and i get complimented all day bij men and women!
This is one of a kind and i will never tell anyone of my friends what it is and where i bought it, lol!
kchebikin2010 – :
Loved it from the first whiff. My wife loved it. Many positive comments from males and females all day. This is one of the best fragrance for men to come along in ages. For those men who like to smell “sexy and manly”. This frag is not unisex. “FOR REAL MEN ONLY” This is a must addItion to your wardrobe. Like all scents, never purchase without trying. Save your money for the ones that work on you.
max4743 – :
Amazing scent, smoky leathery trully insensy, but… not longlasting
amerboace – :
Smoky, dark woods no oud to me, main note is tar with a hint of leather and incense.
Main thing that stands out is tar, wtf?
Really why would anyone want to smell like you just got off a crew taring a roof at minimum wage?
1 out of 10 another $5. wasted at Lucky Scent
pograna999 – :
Black Tourmaline is so far the best incense perfume that I’ve tried (ex aequo with Aedes de Venustas).
Yes, incense! I agree with other reviewers. Although not listed in the notes, it’s my first and main thought when I smell this scent.
I like the fact that this incense doesn’t have a straight, biting, church-like quality. It’s tamed with woods and light spices.
Buergerites – black tourmalins, are rare.
They are a bit transparent.
In Sinhala language (Sri Lanka) tourmalin is ‘turamali’, which means ‘stone attracting ash’.
This perfume has the right name. It’s rare that an incense perfume is so well-balanced with other notes. It’s somehow light and transparent, suitable for both women and men. And it attracts people around you like a tourmalin attracts ash and pieces of paper.
One drawback: staying power only about 4 hours.
cln119speagoessenda – :
Amazing scent!!!
I don’t know which version I got, the older one or newer one… which sucks… well, on my skin it lasted only half an hour…
9/10
sarhan – :
This is magnific, a great scent! Here’s what I mean when I say I like weird scents. Black Tourmaline has a pretty common notes list but it is so brilliantly crafted and calibrated that the effect is totally distinctive and original. Smoky, dark, deep woods (mainly oud) and leather with a tar hint somewhere and incense that makes of it a very modern composition. At the same time Black Tourmaline has definitely the potential to become a classic, something that will leave a trace. Absolutely addictive. I rated it 9 out of 10 just because I’ve a few reservations as it is not easily wearable. A masterpiece, anyway.
Rating: 9/10
vladimir-nam – :
The second favourite after ROck Crystal by Olivier Durbano is this. Olibanum,leather,sandalwood combined in a magnificent perfume called Black Tourmaline.It is a real tornado,all you incense lovers should try it!!It has Medium longevity.
xcvbn – :
Right on! This one is great!
I like the burned woods, the leathery-peppery-incense. Really dark one, one of the most intense aoud stuff.
edited: this one don’t have the longevity that Montale’s have.
8,75/10
astafnatalya59 – :
This one is absolutely amazing. Smell of smoke,incense,floor wax. Beautiful and odd. Good longevity and medium projection. Durbano is a master of incensy frags. Real master. The whole stones poemes cycle is a stunning piece of art perfumary. I would love to have them all 🙂