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Unmaguening – :
The incense, honey and florals are done perfectly. Don’be be scared off by the label, it’s not an intense dark fragrance. Very wearable. A blind buy for me with no regret.
opr622bedyWelty – :
عطر بودري عسلي ولكن ليس من العطور اليومية يحتاج الى مزاج خاص
sloginovksgs – :
The Dark Side is great. It’s a mesmerizing complex of different volutes, incense-y, resinous, sweet, musky, woody, abstractly floral, you get them, but you can’t catch them.
This is a sorceress’ stuff, really.
The words reviewer Paranoidandroid uses below are just perfect: whirls, wisps, curling, ondulating, that’s the nature of this wonderful creature.
If you, like me, are avid followers of the “This fragrance reminds me of” section, I can whisper “Incense Rosé”, because of the incense/flower harmony, and this is a compliment, but truly The Dark Side gets even better, more blended, more subtle and harmonious than Incense Rosé.
I also appreciate that Francesca Bianchi’s perfumes come in tiny, sober 30 ml. bottles, because I’m European and I’m a big believer that precious things come in small sizes, to be used wisely and appreciated drop by drop, like a glass of Porto or sherry.
In a perfume world that is inflationated with clone fragrances and so-so, often disappointing “novelties”, even in the niche category, we really needed Francesca Bianchi to bring forth a work that looks at tradition but aims at the future, I reallly hope she keeps creating such wonderful, astounding perfumes.
polin123 – :
A cheap concoction of rude raw materials,a pretentious perfume that would be a trip in the dark side (of what?)but goes nowhere,totally blind.Very similar to Blue Amber Montale and some Nasomatto-style.
This is actual niche.
brabus13666 – :
This fragrance pretends to be a deep, sweet gourmand, but there’s something deeply unsettling about it. The resins, the vanilla, and then you sense something lurking behind, like movement caught in the corner of your eye in a half dark room you thought you were all alone in. When you turn around to get a better look, the shadow flees and all you see is a sweet violet questioning your sanity. Gaslighted by a perfume! And the strangest is that it’s in no way unpleasant, just unsettling, but attractive at the same time. Perfect fall perfume moving up to Halloween. It ends in beauty.
Soadayendom – :
What an amazing dark and brooding fragrance. A big dark cloud of styrax and incense rolls in on the opening. It eases off a little and then you get the honey, iris, resins in chiaroscuro. Styrax is definitely king here and I think it is what creates the deep, earthy “darkness”.
Deep, dark delectable sweetness floating around a serene cool iris. I was worried about the styrax as often this note dislikes my chemistry. Thankfully it works beautifully here by providing an earthy anchor for all the other notes.
This is a real stunner. Well done Francesca!
Excellent longevity and reasonable silage. I would say it edges a touch towards the feminine but if a fella likes some sweetness then Im sure he will love this.
Indettemowpem – :
I think this is her best out of the three. S&S might get a get a lot of press, but this is her masterpiece. Highly recommend!
jtuzbzr – :
When MFK’s Absolut pour le Soir turns gourmand-ish.
kobaa – :
Gorgeous iris accompanied by violet, incense and honey! Not that dark after all!
yakkir – :
A gorgeous and sexy fragrance. The opening is absolutely breathtaking. I got a deep guttural styrax mixed in with dark honey and earthy powdery violet/iris. One of the most bewitching openings I’ve ever encountered.
I see this as a boardroom-boudoir scent. For the redoubtable female who rules the corporate boardroom. This is one scent that will awe her subordinates into speechless submission. Just as easily will this belong in an intimate setting. The violet/iris combo is intensely feminine while the honey/styrax certainly gives it a piquant animalic ferocity.
As it wanes into the later stages, the “freshness” that’s so exciting at the beginning subsides, becoming more powdery and incensy.
A more feminine and softer version of Laudano Nero.
nikmen – :
The Dark Side is not as dark as I thought and it’s a nice thing☺…Contains a lot of honey and spices, it’s sweet and even delicious…. until the incense appears and the compositions turns cold and metallic. Maybe is this the idea of this perfume – sweetness that hides something obscure and scary?
It would be marvelous weared by someone who likes incense, as it presents in the middle phase and remains there, but because of my personal taste it’s not for me.
Kunstkamera – :
I used to enjoy writing reviews here for different fragrances but something changed and I felt that it isn’t worth it. Then something like this comes along and I can’t stop myself from expressing the way this has me feeling.
This is my first ever sample set purchase and it wasn’t even well thought out but the name of the fragrance really intrigued me and helped in making this decision.
I was so excited that when I received the package I ripped it open and sprayed everything on. I got some deep incense with styrax with a backing of amber, honey and spices. It immediately made me think of a fragrance I already have so I moaned a bit to my friends.
In the phase that followed an hour or two later, I got smoked honey, sandalwood and some spice notes and when I smelt it closer, it reminded me of another fragrance I own so I went to moan about it again! hahaha. (Finding similarities to other fragrances is a compliment here because I already have them means I really like them and that’s why I have them).
After I had moaned and groaned, I went back to searching for my other potential ‘dream’ fragrance to buy and an hour or so down the line, things took an unexpected turn just like that and the surprise came in the form of whiffs of iris swiftly followed by violets from within the smoky honeyed amber. I have never smelled this combination before. I was not anticipating it but this element of surprise really won me over and I forgot about my associations to the other fragrances.
I also liked that it had good persistence and I could sense the fragrance whilst moving around the house. I am a bad bind buyer and usually fall into empty thoughtless mind traps and it is very rare that I actually feel things through a fragrance any more (The reason why I got into this ’hobby’) or have an out of body experience like I used to when I entered the niche world of fragrances, or feel I have been transported to another world. I have felt that with the Dark Side so I will be pursuing a bottle of The Dark Side in the near future. I should have gone for the bottle like I always do (and it would not have ended in woe this time) but maybe it would be my New Year treat once the atmosphere has calmed down.
Lastly, I think that any perfumer, whose work is able to make you feel a particular way or take you to places you can’t physically go to there and then, is a very remarkable achievement and their hard work should be taken note of.
Lesika – :
Strange, but I detected the evolution of this fragrance in opposite way to how @Amarah did. On my skin the opening was honeyed, sweet and very pleasant, but then after some hours it turned to be pungent, cold and incensy :-(.
alexandru.cebotari – :
This fragrance is from another era. Possibly the 18th century, when Mozart and Beethovan composed the most classical works of art. When Marie Antoinette’s reputation was ruined by the Diamond Necklace affair and when perfume was worn by female courtiers, amongst others, to demonstrate their social status.
The Dark Side is a fragrance that portrays that image. It is dark, antique smelling and has such an intense opening that it makes you wonder what you’re in for once it settles.
If you are trying out this fragrance for the first time, then you must be patient with it. The opening is pungent and abundant with woods, earthy patchouli and incense. Give it half an hour and you start to smell nuances of warm honey, dusty ancient smoke and powdery violets.
The scent sweetens up in the drydown, the warmth of the amber blends wonderfully with the creaminess of the vanilla. It becomes quite powdery and sweet once it settles, the honey is what makes this fragrance utterly divine as it has a dark dirty side to it, it blends beautifully with the incense, vetiver and spicy notes and is quite noticeable throughout the whole wear.
I find this fragrance to be perfect for the colder months, it is long lasting and quite intense if you overspray. I would definitely try before you buy with this one because it’s not for everyone. If you enjoy fragrances like Rania J Ambre Loup, Les Nereides Patchouli Antique or Jean Desprez Bal a Versailles parfum, then you might really enjoy this one.
This heavenly creation is best once it settles, it becomes seductive, charming, classical and unforgettable. You will feel like a character from an 18th century tale of seduction and intrigue. There is always two sides of a story, and in the case of this fragrance, it tells a story of lust, passion and betrayel. A story on the darker side of things 😉
werasd4 – :
I do not understand what happened…
When I got the sample pack from Francesca, I immediately adored Angel’s Dust and Sex and the Sea, but when I smelled The Dark Side, I was dismissive. Oudh, eeeeek…I hate oudh. But there is no oudh among the notes! And actually no oudh in TDS, just the illusion, the ghost of it. Still, I thought, I cannot abide even the ghost of my nemesis of perfume ingredients.
Days passed, and one evening, working on my computer, I wanted to spray a drop of S&tS on my arm to enjoy the glory. However, by mistake I spayed TDS. I was slightly annoyed, but not enough to go and scrub right away. And then….WHAT IS THIS OTHERWORLDY AMAZING VIOLET-EARTHY-POWDERY,EMBRACING, WARM BEAUTY??? I was totally stopped in my stride and could not for my life imagine what was wrong with me before! In my nose there was THE PERFECT autumn fragrance I was looking for.
I love violet in every shape or form, but when it is paired with iris and earthy, balmy notes, it is at its best. I totally agree with steveniox, it reminds me of a dense, damp forest with violets, but drenched in honey coloured sunlight, maybe at sunset.
The reviewers before me wonderfully described the evolution of notes, so I am not going into details. What I would like to add is that all three of Francesca’s perfumes – althought substantially different – clearly have the “Bianchi DNA”, her unique fingerprint on them. All are “personal”, “human”, intimate and to me extremely cosy. I rarely have felt such deep affinity with perfumes, they are just “me”. When I am wearing them, some knot deep inside me gets undone and I feel relaxed, safe and settled. In the centre. At peace with myself and the world.
If I was a queen of Perfumia, I would respectfully invite Francesca to be my Royal Perfumer and I would grant her highest nobility and richess. Thank you, Lady Francesca! Looking forward for more of your work!
Andrey999 – :
Violet, iris, incense, honey, spices, and some styrax for the mysterious dark effect. I can sense patchouli as well as allot of honey and some sandalwood.
Impressive darkened iris with some incense with a delicate honey. Quite delicately interesting and very mysterious, it could be thought of oud, cause after a while an oud note show up a bit beside the iris & the incense.
anur – :
Opening on an explosive set of notes of strong violet and a just the smallest touch of that strong honey note that made Miel de Bois such a polarizing fragrance, it is clear right at the outset that this one stands apart from it’s two siblings, Angel’s Dust and Sex and the Sea, in Francesca Bianchi’s current collection.
The violet note initially unfurls in syrupy layers of stunning ionones, soon revealing a chalky mineral like heart of iris hidden in its wispy folds. At the same time the woody core of the fragrance reveals itself to be an accord of incense, sandalwood and cedar that progress in that order through the heart of the fragrance.
Once the incense makes itself known, the violet blends with it and the combination starts to swirl in ashen purple wisps, curling and undulating like a candied, subtly-fruity smoke – that in every parting reveal spicy notes of cinnamon, burnt clove and allspice.
The core woody accord, which is quite similar to the one in CdG Man 2 or Serge Noire, and could get really prickly – is mollified by the honey and iris, which smoothen out it’s edges and ensure that it is soft yet strong, corporeal and full-bodied in contrast to ethereal swirls of ionone laced incense that occlude it initially while falling away like the veils of Salome over time.
Around the same time, a strong dose of styrax starts to cover the wood in a lacquered layer of leather, further smoothing out it’s edges. In addition, the sandalwood accord seems to be constructed with some lactones or laitones which also adds to the smoothness and works very well with the subtle fruitiness of the violet.
This phase continues for over 8 hours with the woody/leather core and violet/spice/smoke playing peek-a-boo with your nose the whole time. Finally, the swirls of violet die down and the perfume calms down into a dry and balsamic ending in which the strength of the cedar with it’s slightly sweaty touch continues to hum and the incense quietens down into a patina of cold ash and the slightest touch of a crystalline amber note and a quiet vanilla mingle with the remenants of the leather to form an extended coda of balsamic woodiness.
The whole process lasts almost 24 hours.
In this fragrance, I find elements that remind me of a lot of the bois series from Serge Lutens. The violet, subtle fruits, the dry sweaty cedar, balsamic incense notes, the spices, the iris, the leather, the honey – all remind me of different fragrances from the range – from Bois de Violette, Iris Silver Mist, Serge Noire, Feminite du Bois, Miel de Bois, Cuir Mauresque etc. It is almost like this is extrait version of Feminite du Bois lashed onto CDG 2 Man and done almost exclusively in shades of gray and purple. I love all these fragrances and so find a lot to admire in this one.
This is not a shy fragrance, but it doesn’t shout either – because of the extrait concentration. Strongly intellectual, the fragrance has a dense, chewy core that evolves through twists and turns over the course of the whole day. If there is one thing to warn about this fragrance is that it has a slightly serious attitude and you must love the violet-incense-leather-wood axis on which it is built to allow that attitude to relax into the softness of the drydown which is the first time this fragrance let’s down it’s guard.
An exceptional experience!
TimScaM – :
a fantastic debut by francesca bianchi! currently working through her three perfumes and, upon initial tries, i really can’t wait to see more from this artist.
wearing ‘the dark side’ in full now, it opens with beautiful crystallised violet, almost candy-like but not quite enough to feel edible in nature, enriched by iris, cool spices and just a touch of not-too-sweet honey floating in the background. all three fragrances by francesca have a distinct, dusty-powdery ‘plushness’ to them, and here it is present in a sort of ‘cold’ way, in the beginning at any rate, but this by no means makes it unfriendly, perhaps just slightly aloof; a suggestion, maybe, of even something long forgotten.
as it settles on the skin, the spices begin to come forward in their dusty, sort of old-spice-cabinet way, ever so slightly with the patchouli, rendering a tone of earthiness, and woodiness, contributed by the cedar. here, you definitely get a sense of a cold, brisk morning, violets poking their heads above damp, dew-soaked soil, the sky still overcast above. at this point i don’t find the fragrance particularly ‘dark’, as the name suggests, although there is definitely a sombre mood present, more so i find than francesca’s other two perfumes. a lightly smoking incense gradually begins to ebb in, further reinforcing this idea, but there are no cold-stone churches here; think more an out-in-the-forest cedar wood shrine, incense burning, surrounded by violets emerging from the loam. reverence, but without the haughty-taughty, clerical, cathedral vibe.
at this point i should reference performance dynamics; all of francesca’s perfumes are extrait strength and perform exactly as you would expect them to. strong upfront before settling into a relatively closer-to-the-skin experience that lasts and lasts; cool, powdery, smoky and woody violets releasing wafts of their fragrance for hours before the final dry down. and what a dry down it is!
sandalwood makes an appearance, lending its creaminess to the incense smoke and rounding out any sharpened associations. the violets now are becoming fainter as you step inside the small shrine, billowing clouds of soft white smoke greeting you as the small door is opened. here, finally, you find warmth and solace from the outside cold morning. styrax, picking up from the cool-spiced opening, here awakens de-sweetened cinnamon, a touch of clove, and hints of vanilla, wonderfully incorporating into the sandalwood. this is where the true ‘dark’ resides, but in a complete dichotomy to the ‘aloof’ opening, here we find comfort in the dimly-lit room, thin shafts of sunlight coming through gaps in the ancient walls and ceiling, illuminating tiny crystals of amber strewn about the altar, lending musky, sweet, woody warmth to this haven. i’m sure that having this on my wrist whilst i was in bed helped me to fall asleep, releasing subtle clouds of perfumed smoke and golden, dusty warmth, it is that comforting and ‘nest-like’.
as mentioned before, this phase then goes on for hours, experiencing subtle changes as various aspects of the fragrance gain and lose dominance. incense becomes more powerful, wanes and is replaced by spices. honeyed sweetness drips in every now and then. pale, ashy woodiness from incense slowly burning out. even a little of the outside violets and cedar coming in the breeze. gorgeous.
all in all i thoroughly recommend this fragrance for people wanting to get lost in cold, violet-coloured woods, only to find enveloping, sweet, warm solace in its center. bravo francesca bianchi!