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apatmebra – :
This is an interesting one. Synthetic, smoky gourmand in a similar vein to Hanae Mori HM but with a bit of a ‘sports’ freshness.
A recent release – Prada l’Homme l’Eau – is really similar to this (which in turn is similar to Amouage Reflection Man, albeit obviously synthetic). The marzipan note is powerful and long lasting, giving it a certain ‘fizz’. Prada l’Homme l’Eau gets its sweetness with the white florals and iris, where this one uses the gourmand marzipan and achieves a very similar powderiness.
Bought this on CGV’s recommendation having seen it going fairly cheap.
This is a very synthetic-smelling fragrance, which I don’t necessarily mind if the fragrance doesn’t smell tooo generic. This one may do – still not sure. It would be good for dates in a built-up metropolitan area – where the synthetic vibe would shine against city nightlife backdrop. In a country pub or in the afternoon pretty much anywhere, I don’t think this would work. I would say this is autumn/winter and definitely night time.
It also reminds me somewhat of Issey Miyake PH Intense, which mixes smokiness with freshness. I prefer this to the original 1884 PH, which I find too pokey (and inferior to Boucheron PH).
Barik0106 – :
Similar to Cerruti Pour Homme which I have and like.
zym – :
A woody spicy beast more aimed at the winter market, still retains the soapy powdery top notes of the original 1881. But somehow the spice kills it off so if your a fan of the original avoid.
ZimberGate – :
A clean, fresh and woody fragrance. 1881 Black is a real grower.
At first, I didn’t like it much. Now, I’m appreciating it’s clean woody fragrance – almost a laundry vibe to it. Longevity and silage are OK too. This is good and has got character – it’s something a little different!
Tamplier – :
I picked-up several Cerruti fragrances back in the Spring including 1881 Black. I only tried it once and didn’t recall any details since one of the other 1881 fragrances caught my attention. Fast forward three-seasons and I said to myself, “Wow, I really like this one” when it was applied to my skin: 1881 Black walked that fine line of having a clean, fresh, sweet side but also striking a nice balance with having a woodsy-spicy side. Nice!
After spending 10-minutes wondering why I didn’t give this fragrance more attention upon first sniff…well, the lavender started to push-forward, and push-forward loudly on my skin. While I do love some lavender fragrances, I really loved how 1881 Black opened and didn’t like how it transitioned to this lavender-heavy stage.
Fortunately, 20-minutes later and I’m really enjoying the drydown: woods, fresh-spices and a touch of marzipan sweetness. Not to shabby! This fragrance performs well for inexpensive EDT: lasts 7-hours on my skin and projects moderately except for that lavender phase in which radiates off my skin for about an hour.
Overall, I like this one: versatile scent that is good for the office and in most casual settings. In a nutshell: the opening is excellent; the heart a bit challenging and the drydown very nice. A very good fragrance for the price.
xfe681speagoessenda – :
This was a buy based on the notes listed here on Fragrantica. Marzipan? Where?! I’m a female who will on occasion wear men’s cologne – Fahrenheit is phenomenal! I want to like this fragrance but all I smell is pepper (which I do like) but my chemistry just doesn’t work with this scent. First I smelled of pepper and then about 20 minutes later I smelled like a pencil, all wood and lead. Poor longevity and poor sillage.
lola-ok – :
Very nice, I totally dig this fragrance and again its a Girard creation! Calm and sophisticated, a bit sharp, slightly sweetish woodiness with some dark berry mystery to it yet refreshing and never cloying! Perfect for a nice evening dinner and similar occasions!
TitMeessoff – :
Ugh. This has obviously recently been reformulated. Just bought a bottle and it smells quite different to what it used to. Gone is the almond/marzipan note. This WAS a lovely fragrance. Now it just smells like an uninspired sweet and fuzzy fragrance. ‘Well done’ Coty!
I noticed that the 1881 original is also changed – much weaker than before. Very, very annoyed.
🙁
vitas2 – :
Very almondy and sweet but not overbearing. Not the best as far as projection but it’s quite well done. More of a casual than a night scent beacause of the lack of power.The oud and woody aspects play their parts well. A nice change of pace frag for all year wearing. Females can wear this one as well.
360gap – :
A really nice fragrance. Fresh and interesting with a strong marzipan note, the only drawback for me is that it that it doesn’t project too well at times.
Aerohoplenerixfs – :
Fruity, woody, sweet and fresh. To me it almost gives off a grape bubblegum type of smell in the top notes. I like the frosted bottle too. I wish the sillage was more pronounced but for the price this is a good fragrance that’s suited for warmer weather.
Damager – :
I am woman and ordered this perfume to my own. Yes,I love it that much,it is definitely unisex creation.Woody and gourmand aroma,good longevity ,about 3 or 4 hours on my skin,it is enough for me,I like to respray,silage is ok also.Today I ordered two more aromas from Cerruti,so impressed I was may I say,I did it blindly ,again,thank you all for reviews on Fragrantica to help me find new favorites…
10killer – :
I’ve been looking for this for ages! I remember when it came out thinking I hadn’t worn the original 1881 for years so why would this interest me? Having looked at the notes though on here some 6 months ago or more I found myself thinking wow! That sounds like a bit of a fragrance wet dream for me…sweet almond, Oud and spice I have to smell this one.
Unfortunately, no where seems to stock it anymore and would have to blind buy online, well I actually found it at a discount store in the end.
The opening is great and you do get pepper and orange in there with some nice fresh spice. It settles into the marzipan accord almost instantly and the woody Oud gives the Almond note a creaminess that gives the impression of vanilla.(perhaps there’s some in there? I don’t know because you can usually tell in the dry down, 1881 Black seems to be getting woodier on my skin…if anything.) Having said all that it never once tips over into gourmand really as you still get the spices and lavender which just freshen it up and give more dimension.
A really nice sexy scent and not too dissimilar to D&G The One…(not as popular obviously) Not really in smell, more in character.
It was… and it wasn’t quite what I was expecting… but in a good way.
got 100ml bottle for £20 can’t say fairer than that.
Oh and the bottle looks great same as the original with a black tint.
Update: wearing this again and the Oud is definitely present now, I honestly couldn’t detect it for sure at first just a distinct woodiness but the more I wear it the more I get it. The interaction of sweetness and wood reminds me a little of Jo Malone Oud & bergamot but with almond instead of citrus very creamy, this scent is getting higher up my winter fragrance list!!!
and1239 – :
I just got this today, up to now its seems a decent enough frag, not the best cerruti i have though, That goes to L’Essence de Cerruti. to me this is not a strong scent although longevity seems ok maybe 6hrs, it mainly sits as a skin scent after a hour or so, but its a cheap scent so that’s ok.
overall id say give it a try its worth a shot for the price 🙂
pesa – :
I don’t always agree with the “Main Accords” that are used here at Fragrantica to characterize a fragrance. But “Fresh spicy” is exactly what this is.
The orange/pepper top notes are not very exciting, but be patient. The oud, the marzipan and the woody base notes come slowly creeping and turn 1881 Black into a very good, fresh spicy evening scent.
It is not a powerhouse, but it easily lasts a whole evening on my skin. It is not terribly sophisticated either, but sometimes you just want to smell really good in a straight-up and safe manner. For that purpose you could choose a lot worse than this. And that goes both for young guys and oldies like myself. Everybody can use this stuff without feeling out of place.
As an extra bonus the bottle is great and it is very inexpensive. A true bargain.
cumas – :
just got this , smells amazing and fresh , not too overpowering , i just want to keep smelling it over and over again would suit better in summer time i think or a warm evening .
Dimonka1991 – :
Opens up with a lot of bitter orange and black pepper. If you leave it at that, yes it’s quite boring. Once it dries down and you get the marzipan, oud and guaiac the game changes. Cedar creeps in gradually and really compliments all the other notes.
Bitter, sweet and a bit smoky. A touch barbershop from the lavender, and a bit gourmand. Strikes a nice balance.
I like it on myself, and on my boyfriend.
Demon_ – :
Overall, I was expecting far more from this beautiful bottle than it actually delivered. With its “Black” title I was expecting a suave scent to match a black shirt or polar neck sweater or even a tuxedo (not that I ever wear the latter, but anyway), but was soon frustrated to find that projection from my skin after the first hour or so is virtually non-existent even in winter. So I’ve resorted to spraying my clothes where the smell lingers for a few hours more albeit still a bit too softly for my liking. Based on performance alone this is my second disappointment (after Amber) from the 1881 series, and it desperately needs an intense version to give some potency to what I’m sure is aspiring to be an evening fragrance. I think it’s best used in a very intimate setting as the scent is warm, sweet and cosy (women seem to like it), but curiously is no more “black” than Davidoff’s Cool Water and regrettably comes across to me as rather shy and common. Would I get it again? No, but at least it’s generally affordable.
zeleniydollar – :
For the price, definitely better than much expensive ones. Don’t know about other skins but on my oily skin it has more sillage than any other perfume I tried. Longevity is very good, can last for hours. A bit of lovely black peppery smell at start and the dry down is extra warm and cozy. Highly recommended for those who like, woody, spicy, earthy, leathery perfumes even though it will not fall in those categories. In other words, if you like non floral perfumes, this is a must buy for you.
komogorov62 – :
1881 Black! Got it for present.
It was in the want-list a while.
First spray :
Opens fresh with a 90’s shaving cream vibe waiting 5 minutes (lavender?? where??) when its slowly turns into aquatic warm spicy mix , what in my opinion is a really great combo.
Its not groundbreaking but damn its comfortable!
It gets (on my skin) warmer and sweeter in the next 12-15 minutes leaving the fresh blue path towards a little gourmand waft path lead by the caraway (nutmeg is slightly there and i cannot detect the much used Oud).
It stays in this warm combo for 30-100 minutes turning to the marzipan route which ends up a close to skin warm,cozy, sweet gourmand smell.
But the gourmand is in the final stage and will be smelled after 1.5 or 2 hours.
The stage before this is a great journey
You are mostly walking around with this spicy warm cozy smell with a hin of freshness
The sillage is not great its moderate.
But its long lasting through its slow top to base
Women will love this in a intimate setting.
striptiZer – :
it lasts a really longtime without ever being overpowering and it smells good.projection is relatively good(it makes people lean close to smell it after many hours).the smell itself is not strong but noticeable to people close to you.
enrf0 – :
Wow this really smells like marzipan on the drydown, the opening is as same old same old, but jus wait a few minutes than it’s getting really pleasant. thank you Cerutti. the bitter orange works well with marzipan.
irpa – :
To me it smells like many cheap and synthetic Adidas colognes, etc. Or if you buy an old car from the 80s and smell the backseat you come pretty close to this.
moloko109 – :
I totally love this bittersweet harmony created with marzipan, cedarwood and orange in combination with the warmth and depth that the exotic spices provide! What gives this scent another punchline, is that the orange and the pepper notes add a very nice breeze of freshness and liveliness, to ensure that you do not fall asleep in all this sweet and pleasant warmth.
All the ingredients are perfectly balanced and create a seductive, warm, deep and complex atmosphere that just makes me feel sexy!
A first class, modern and masculine, oriental scent, that gives you more maturity by simply wearing it!
Also it last very long on skin.
Perfect composition, perfect longevity, perfect projection – that is true quality!
sokrat060386 – :
10/10 Buy it! Masculine, deep and mysterious, cant pull my face away from my wrist. Just buy it, next.
mr.Dunk89 – :
When i put this on it smells spicy with a bitter/sour freshness the first hour. After a hour it becomes sweet and warm. The marzipan and nutmeg strikes in and stays till the end, the freshness is totaly gone. I love the dry-down of nutmeg and marzipan, it’s warm and sweet but nothing that seems dark. Great fragrance for the colder days (fall, winter and maybe early spring). It stays 5 a 6 hours on my skin. I give this one an 8 out of 10.
Teelobenecest – :
I bought Cerruti Black for my boyfriend because unlike a lot of fragrances for men it was not too spicy or woody.
It’s called Black but is actually quite fresh and not that spicy.
Buldogs – :
To complete the previous review, there is a gentle floral note that persist for all evolution of this dark and nice scent.
servelator – :
Very noticiable amd with a great longevity and silage. Definitely a oriental scent with a sweet, smooth and wood confotable touch. Fortunately, It isn’t a sharp smell, but a nice black “velvet” in the form of scent, nice!
kca225elipseskism – :
With pepper, nutmeng and marzipan this is really an interesting mix. It reminds me of myrrh or incence when I smell this scent. It’s a good scent for a man to go out with. It’s very yummy.
NathanAdler – :
Black is the more appreciable version of original 1881. though i like the original as well but this one really stands out a bit unique, dark and masculine fragrance. Spicy/floral/citrus/aromatic all the notes u can smell simultaneously. I like the fragrance very much genuinely! Great bottle too!
Overall i give it 7.3 out of 10.
Marafet – :
I like the bottle 🙂 smells very powdery almost berry like and very similar to kenzo power but more watered down – I think its a nice scent and longevity is not an issue either I was smelling this the next day on my skin , and it was on that basis I bought another bottle , I think it smells refined but it is similar to a lot of other fragrances out there thats what makes it hard for this one to stand out
Meedh436elipseskism – :
Dark-ish with a sweet note. Different and exciting, supposed to have been inspired by the seductive, balmy atmosphere of an Italian evening.
The first time I sprayed this on my wrist, at an airport duty free, it smelled medicinal, so I put the bottle down and walked away. 10 minutes later, I was intrigued by a sexy smell near by, so I looked around trying to find the wearer of this mysterious scent. There was nobody, the smell was coming from me..it was the Cerutti 1881 Black. Wow! On the dry-down, it smells really good. So I went back and bought it. This is how impressed I was.
If you are into male gourmands, like me, this could be a nice and interesting addition to your collection.
Silage and longevity are both good. Also complements to the designer of the bottle; it’s a work of art.
spectors – :
My boyfriend wanted to buy this, luckily he tried it first. It’s a complete disappointment. Huge lack of originality and innovative thought from a designer house like Cerruti, this cologne smells quite similar to Brut, the one with the green packaging. Sharp, linear and done hundreds of times before.
hoorierbackib – :
great scent! to me, it smells like some kind of berries… it s very intensive, and seductive
sakura_17 – :
this is a very sexy smell! kind of like 1881 but a bit darker!!!!