New Niche Fragrance Review: Puredistance Black + What’s your Black? Draw

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Finsternis Natur by Elmar Elsch (2009)

Puredistance is one of those niche houses which are taking a different approach to their line. They are producing ultra-luxe perfumes and releasing them about a year apart, give or take a couple of months. Each new fragrance has a unique inspiration and doesn’t necessarily feel as if it is an outgrowth of that which came before. Another important factor is you smell the quality of the ingredients. All of the Puredistance perfumes I, Antonia, M, and Opardu have been among my favorite perfumes of the year in which they were released but none of them made it onto the very top tier of my favorites for the year. Barring an unforeseen torrent of amazing new fragrances the newest release Puredistance Black is going to be challenging for top honors when I compile the list for 2013.

Moon-Lune

Moon-Lune by Zawweli

For Puredistance Black, Jan Ewoud Vos the founder and creative director for Puredistance, wanted to take a different approach. He wanted to keep the ingredients of Black a secret. In the package that I received my sample in there was this simple request, “Envision. Smell. Feel. Don’t Analyze.” Mr. Vos wanted a fragrance in which the wearer was left to figure out what their black was to them. Mr. Vos explained his reasoning like this, “More and more I get worried by todays trend in society (including the media) to analyze and dissect everything in bits and pieces. Not only in the world of perfume, but in most media today everything is analyzed often 'supported' with poor statistics and surveys. I think there is a real danger that through all this analysis we forget how to use our senses and enjoy the beauty of that what is simply there. Our society quickly shifts towards a world dominated by science, dominated by that academically intelligent part of our brain that can easily fool us and in the end destroy all beauty.”

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Low Key by vos efx

To accomplish this he needed a perfumer who could create this vision and so he turned to Antoine Lie. Here is how Mr. Vos described their first meeting, “I first met Antoine in Paris to see if we had a 'click'. We had. Then I showed him visuals I created of the concept of Black and explained him the idea behind it. He loved it. In our next meeting he presented me 4 very different olfactive fragrance ideas. The first fragrance I tried was WOOOOW! RIght away. The other 3 I tried and put aside. I could not stop smelling the first fragrance. I was sold! I loved it! It took us some months to refine it and make it more mysterious. In the end we both felt it was a great fragrance that perfectly matched the feeling I had with my concept of Black.”

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David Bowie (l.) and Jeremy Irons (r.)

One of the other things that is special about Mr. Vos as creative director is he likes to give the perfumer a visual brief to go along with his inspiration. For Black Mr. Vos was inspired by two distinct personalities one from the musical world and one from the movies, “ I included images of David Bowie and the actor Jeremy Irons in the visual brief for Antoine. Since I was 14 years old I have admired (and enjoyed) the music and personality of David Bowie a lot. I find him very elegant and also mysterious. Throughout his career he has shown a lot of himself, but then, at the same time, he perhaps has hidden more. His layered and intriguing personality definitely has much in common with the DNA of Black.  And then Jeremy Irons. The first time I saw him was in the movie 'Reversal of Fortune' where he plays the European aristocrat Claus von Bülow. His performance in this movie – he acts in a darkly humorous and charismatic manner – I immensely enjoyed. When I see him starring in movies, when I hear his voice or when I see some of his images I really think the concept of Black fits him like a glove. For me the delicate and sometime fragile tone of Bowie's voice resembles the elegance of Black and the dark and noble tone of Irons perfectly mirrors the mysterious and darker side of Black.”

puredistanceblack

With all of this as background, and as one of the League of Evil Analytical Scientists, I really did try to allow myself to do as Mr. Vos asked and “Envision. Smell. Feel. Don’t Analyze.” When I do that Black is a swirl of heavy fog in an alleyway, somewhere nearby a joss stick is burning  in offering to keep the harmful spirits of the night at bay. The incense offers safety but there is a hint of danger out there in the mists and it is slowly sneaking up on you and before you know it, you have been bespelled by dangerous beauty. For those who want to live up to Mr. Vos’ entreaty against analysis skip the next paragraph because as a charter member of the League of Evil Analytical Scientists I am going to go ahead and analyze, SPOILER ALERT!

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Kodak No. 1 through the bellows by Adamantios

M. Lie uses a swirl of spices in the early going I think cardamom and cinnamon are the most prominent. Mr. Vos wanted Black to whisper and these two spicy notes do swirl around you as if they were tendrils of fog. They never get too prominent and they stay tantalizingly out of reach. The heart is a fantastic frankincense of incredibly high quality and it is the core of mystery within Black. It carries the slightly metallic facet of the best frankincense. Mr. Lie I believe also has a floral note in support here; I am thinking a tiny bit of jasmine or something like it. The base is oud in its most refined form and I also think a bit of sandalwood to keep the oud in check. Finally a bit of musk to represent the human equation. END OF SPOILERS AND ANALYSIS.

Puredistance Black has 24-hour longevity and low sillage.

Puredistance Black is one of those very rare fragrances which never entirely feels the same way between wearings. I wore it four times for this review and each time there was a tiny bit of subtle difference I encountered and that, I believe, is due to Mr. Vos’ insistence that I just go with the flow and quit checking boxes off in my head. From now on I will honor that and leave my scientific supervillain in the closet while wearing Puredistance Black. What I will be experiencing is one of the best new fragrances of 2013 and the best Puredistance release so far.

Disclosure: This Review was based on a sample provided by Puredistance.

Thanks to Puredistance we have five samples of Black to giveaway. To be eligible for this draw besides leaving a comment below on what you think black smells like you will also have to either “like” Puredistance on Facebook or follow them on Twitter “@puredistance” make sure to use the #pdblack. This is an international draw. The draw will end on October 14, 2013.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

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48 comments

  • StephenMc says:

    “Black”, to me,used to be Bulgari Black, then it was Encre Noire. Now I have a feeling it is going to be Puredistance Black! Thanks for the draw!

  • Monica H. says:

    Black smells of resinous incense, asphalt, tar, oud and frankinsense. Sometimes the smokey effect also reminds me of Black, now if Puredistance smells something along those lines I’m sold =)

    I’m really glad I chose to write down my impressions before reading your description of notes Mark! I’ve liked Puredistance on facebook and hope for the best!

  • Kim M. says:

    I picture smoke, anise, patchouli, myrrh, frankincense, hyssop, and salt water.

    Liked their Facebook page, too.

  • ringthing says:

    When I close my eyes and try to envision “black”, I feel transported to Louisiana and the thick heavy wet air of a night in August: banana leaves, moss, moonflower, a hint of decay. Thanks for the draw, looking forward to trying PD Black.

  • Melissa says:

    Birch tar, smoky incense, and liquorice all smell like black to me. And smoky tea. I would love to try this scent! It sounds wonderful. I liked Pure Distance on Facebook.

  • Lauryn says:

    This sounds gorgeous and right up my street. What does black smell like? hmmm…earth, plums, leather, smoke and velvet, perhaps.

  • Irina says:

    high hopes, here- a “black” that smells black- smoky tendrils, danger with thrills of expectation, darkness before dawn
    thanks so much
    I liked Puredistance’s facebook page

  • Francesca says:

    Thats a terrific review Mark- now Black…for me off the cuff its Mgnolia, Oud and some green Tobacco with Saffron to dirty it up..its Lou Reed and medieval poets all in the same club. I liked the FB page.

  • alexander says:

    Thanks for the review Mark.
    Black for me smells like cardamom,incense,oliban,patchouli,oud styrax,leather,castoreum,oud
    This one sounds amazing and right up my alley.I also love Putedistance M.I would love to keep update on Twitter.

  • Chapeau Clack says:

    Thanks for the review and the generous draw.
    To me, black is inky and viscous, then after a while it turns to smoky, arid and dry as a bone. It conjures up images of vast cold spaces under a moonless sky.
    I don’t have twitter, and I liked Puredistance on FB.

  • Janet says:

    Black is warm and smoky, cognac and leather on a cold night. Facebook page was already liked. All their perfumes are gorgeous.

  • Esther says:

    Black is a cool and caressing silk dress, smells of cardamon (black of course) and coffee sweetened with honey.

  • Laurentiu says:

    At first I would have said leather, but M is already doing that, therefore I do not know. Perhaps oud, some incense, a little touch of vanilla? Definitely a manly and a mysterious smell.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • Elia says:

    |I’d like to smell like the grey of shadows in an old black and white noir film. Mystery, greed and blood.
    ty

  • Seth says:

    To me, black is ink on a page, an evening that is just about to begin, with neither an idea nor expectation exactly where it will end or what will be written on the page . Black absorbs everything and emits nothing, it is mystery and revelation entwined.

    Liked Puredistance on FB a few days ago, when I first heard of, and began falling for, Black!

  • Ginny M says:

    League of Evil Analytical Scientists…hahahahahaha! Based upon the spoiler, I’d have to say that, contrary to what one would think from the name, Black smells like absolute heaven, with so many notes that I adore. I’ve not been lucky enough to try any Puredistance scents, but would love to start with Black… Heaven, I say, heaven! (And I live in the U.S.)

  • PatriciaC says:

    I invision black to have a slightly cool mint and a bit of incence, their has to be a little anice or licorice as well. Maybe a faint scent of an unusual flower not widely used for the mystery.I liked on FB and live in the USA-thank you!

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    I always envision black to smell dry and earthy. It should be unpleasant, mysterious, and addictive or in other words, beautiful in an ugly way!!!

  • Darilyn says:

    Black is mysterious and slightly alarming, then comforting, when you realize that there is nothing to fear…liked on FB…thanks for the review and draw! I live in the US.

  • Jackie b says:

    Black seems to lower its voice, so maybe corresponds to base notes in perfume…vetiver, patchouli, oud oud oud!
    I find the dark to be comforting anyway..

  • julesinrose says:

    Black: Incense, rubber, wet asphalt, stone & earth, developing fluid, ink, leather.

    Great article. Fab draw! Thanks. In the US.

  • StaceyW says:

    Black to me smells of leather, smoke, birch tar, incense, and vanilla for some odd reason! Thanks for the draw.

  • Ferris says:

    I would imagine it to smell like Frankincense, incense, leather, spices, musk and a touch of patchouli. I am in the US and I liked puredistance on Facebook and Twitter . I surely hope I win this draw. Thanks for the opportunity !

  • Mujo says:

    I imagine Black smells like an earthy warm and comforting frankincense scent that wraps you like a blanket.

  • Barbara says:

    Black to me is incense and smoke. I am in the US and would love to try this based on all the great reviews!

  • Michelle U says:

    I think black smells like resins, incense, leather, licorice and maybe just a bit of Vanilla to make it all blend nicely. I have liked and followed Puredistance a while ago so I just tweeted the #pdblack.

    Thank you for the draw! Wish you all the best!

  • Brooke says:

    What a great draw! Black conjures up smoke, leather, birch tar, licorice, and tires. I am in the US and I have liked them on FB.

  • Sarah says:

    To me the concept of black smells like the birch tar note in Chanel’s Cuir de Russie. I have “liked” Puredistance on FB.

  • Kathryn says:

    My concept of what ‘black’ smells like is usually a scent quite heavy in nature, often smoky, spicy, resinous or leathery. Black scents are broody, sensual and mysterious. Something like Molinard’s Habanita, Dior’s Midnight Poison, Donna Karan Essence Labdanum.

    I am from Australia. Thanks for the international draw!

    I have liked “Puredistance” on Facebook.

  • Borko Boris says:

    Really hard to tell. Probably some cognac or whiskey, oud, some spices like saffron, vanilla. I would love to try it! Thanks for this wonderful draw!

  • Devon H says:

    Black smells of a witch’s brew, resinous, mysterious, boozy – maybe dark rum or plummy Armagnac, moody and quiet, with incense. If you’ve ever seen Game of Thrones, there is a red witch character that gives birth to this evil spirit that looks like a black smoke in the shape of a being. It immediately came to mind when trying to think of how black smells. Thank you for the draw, and I’ve liked Puredistance on Facebook (Devon Hernandez).

  • Daniela Schuch says:

    Black could smell like resinous, mysterious, strong notes of narcotic flowers like narcissus, or resins like benzoin, peru balsam.

    Looking forward to smell black. Love the line!

  • susie frankel says:

    Black scents I remember are licorice, asphalt, Black Jack gum, burned food, and incense smoke. /what is next? perhaps Puredistance black! usa
    thanks for the draw.

  • RVB says:

    To me black smells of smoke and tar.Other notes such as cade .creosote,and burnt resins also have a black like feel.I love “black” perfumes.I live in the US and can’t wait to try this!Thanks for the draw!

  • Iphigenia says:

    Black for me smells subtle notes of cinnamon, cardamom,incense, patchouli, oud, leather, black chocolate, musk and black rose…. elegant, mysterious, luxurious and not easily identified it leaves its mark without shouting loud still not easy to be forgotten.

  • Iphigenia says:

    Black for me smells subtle notes of cinnamon, cardamom,incense, patchouli, oud, leather, black chocolate, musk and black rose…. elegant, mysterious, luxurious and not easily identified it leaves its mark without shouting loud still not easy to be forgotten.
    I liked Puredistance page on Facebook

  • Mary K says:

    When I think of black in terms of fragrance, I think of something that has notes that stay with the wearer a bit. For me, that would be vanilla, leather, smoke, and incense.

  • Lubka K. says:

    not sure about black in fragrance s terminology – it came to my mind leather, incense but also sweaty notes. I would like to try this. I follow them on twitter (@Klubka), thanks