Black Flower Mexican Vanilla fragrance notes
- vanilla absolute, lemon, grapefruit, caramel, nutmeg, gardenia, jasmine, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, musk, tonka bean
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Latest Reviews of Black Flower Mexican Vanilla

This is a beautifully-woven fragrance.
Thank you ClaireV - you're my heroine!

This feels like top-quality stuff, & there are echoes here of the "Guerlinade" in classics like Shalimar. If you prefer your vanillas blended with other notes to give them interest, as I do, rather than smelling like a straight-up vanilla extract, then surely this one is a must-try.
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A nice spicy, deep rich vanilla with that trademark Micallef base that's also in Vanille Orient and Gaiac. It has a warm, plush texture and avoids overly sweet, cotton candy territory. I don't find this incredibly complex (despite the note pyramid), just a simple, high quality cinnamon/vanilla fragrance of obviously good ingredients.100% unisex. I'm a guy and I find it very easy to wear as it's comfortable and nonchalant without any traditionally feminine notes in the mix. Projection is solid and longevity is very good. It's also priced fairly. Black Flower is a good place to start if you're looking for your first serious vanilla--it presents a 'niche quality' style that is completely accessible while still feeling different than what's typically out there. I picked up a bottle myself as it just seems like something that will be perfect for weekend mornings this winter. Thumbs up!

Its opening plunges one into Angel territory with its Christmas scent reminiscences of vanilla, caramel, jasmine and tonka.
There are potpourris and sprays used in stores during holiday time very reminiscent of Black Flower, used to put shoppers in the right mood.
It's quite linear on me, but perfectly pleasant.
My review is neutral due to its adherance to the Angel formula without breaking out in new directions or depths.

Projection and longevity are both strong, solid for an EDP concentration. This is a must-try for fans of vanilla. Excellent blend of vanilla and floral, light spicy notes.
8 out of 10

Anyway, to the perfume itself. Its evolution is sort of back-to-front in a way. The opening notes are of a simple, flat vanilla extract type of smell, briefly compressing my expectant heart into a moue of disappointment. But quickly, the rather flat extract note is shot through with the light of bristling citruses and warmed through by the gentle, brown spice of freshly grated nutmeg. The nutmeg note is remarkable it seems to deepen and expand the opening accord, so that the perfume seems to grow in strength rather than ebb away as the hours go by.
Thick caramel and Tonka bean paste come in to thicken the plot even further, and in its midsection, Black Flower Mexican Vanilla is almost narcotically rich and syrupy. It is sweet, yes, but teeters at the brink of too sweet without falling all the way in. The most noticeable character of this fragrance, though, for me, comes from the super thick white musk that forms the fat cushion on which the vanilla, nutmeg, and caramel rests. At first, the white musk presents itself as a light and pleasant baby talcum powder note, containing the gentle and nostalgic notes we all associate with baby talc such as rose, bergamot, and vanilla. But as the scent wears on, the musk takes on a much heavier and bullying role. It begins to be pasted down in heavy, intensely powdery layers, one on top of another, so thickly it almost becomes suffocating. When I first wore it, this stage of the fragrance made me think dealbreaker'. But the more I wear it, the more I think I can live with it. The rest of the fragrance just smells so good. It has the boom and oomph on my skin that I had been hoping SDV would provide, and gives off the sort of luxurious feel befitting a far more expensive brand. Well worth the money and trouble it would involve getting a hold of it here in Europe.

It's worth noting that ethyl maltol is the "cheap" marshmallowy vanilla made famous by Pink Sugar (and an ingredient that almost always elicits a bad review from me), but the musk, tonka, and other elements here are combined so perfectly that Black Flower never feels silly or immature. Instead, it rides a fine line between sultry and comforting.
As far as indie perfumes go, this is a fantastic first work, polished and professional. I look forward to smelling whatever else Dame Perfumery comes up with.
