Piper Nigrum
Lorenzo Villoresi (1999)

Piper Nigrum was the first fragrance from Lorenzo Villoresi that I smelled while in a now sadly shuttered fragrance shop in Provincetown MA. I recognized the latin name for black pepper and had to give it a whirl, and I was impressed with its arresting freshness and "pop" upon application. Yes, black pepper, in spades, pungent and bracing, but invigorating to the nose. A supporting mint and clove are what elevate this effect, but do not fear: this isn't like a visit to the dentist's chair. A panoply of other spices reach through and grab the wearer lovingly, like a passionate dance partner. I also discern oregano and rosemary in the heart, lending to this showy two-step through Lorenzo Villoresi's herb and spice garden.

The piquancy of Piper Nigrum may almost be too overwhelming for those who can only handle pepper, spices and herbs sweetened and softened into amber or vanilla rather than laid bare and raw. It does, however, satisfy my yen in a way that Serge Lutens Serge Noire did not, as I find that it transcends my threshold for acridness and comes off as unsettling (a review to come soon). Here, Villoresi does bring it to the brink, and those who are familiar with his perfumes know his knack for bringing on the spices. However, his works often have a rustic, rather than aloof character, and this is no exception, especially as the base of Piper Nigrum enters this phase of warm, dry balsams and incense. If you want a real "Spicebomb," you've got it here.

Piper Nigrum is a scent that is based on the paradox of a warming coldness. It is a pleasant wear, but not very exciting, and not something of which I'd really want a full bottle. The wearer of this fragrance displays an invisible sign which reads "Do not disturb, or else".

Pepper is the dominant note followed by some soft star anise, a twist of lemon, and something smoky. There is an Iso-E-Super type of synthetic cedar-wood base that i don't typically enjoy, but in this perfume it creates a watery effect that i like.

In the dry down there is the resinous wood, tempered by the mint and cloves with a slight trace of the remaining camphor. Didn't get enough of a spritz to really measure it's attacking or staying power but both seemed respectable.

Very balmy, peppery and green - without being refreshing. Quite an accomplishment. Too many competing dry notes in this one, I had wished it was more about black pepper. Fairly interesting to smell now and then, that's about it.
May cause: vomiting, nausea, heartburn, diarrhea.

I had to go to LV in Italy for 4 samples.
Piper Nigrum arrived today. Fresh and minty and slightly powdery. Most reminiscent of Creed Viking in the opening then settles to a powdery barbershoppy powdery minty freshness. Almost medicinal but not terminally so. Longevity is good, Projection is C+. Lacks the smoothness and depth of Creed Viking. After 2.5 hours is a nice faint sweet skin scent.
Will test this on my wife as she likes the more subtle ones . Let's see if it topples Byredo's Super Cedar!
I also recieved Uomo which is a pleasant damp Vetiver. Nothing more.

Fragrance: 7.5/10
Projection: 6.75/10
Longevity: 7/10

The Procession of the Corpus Christi, Toledo BY
Arthur Melville 1890

This has the most refreshing opening I've had in ages. Pepper and mint, with some anise and clove. So it's spicy, but the mint makes it cool as well and a lovely wake up call. I cannot stand the smell of aniseed, probably due to Pernod and cider cocktails in my youth (sometimes I wonder how I made it this far...), and even the smell of anis or the taste of aniseed chewing gum sets me on edge. But when it's well blended in a perfume I've come to love it! And this is great - all of the components work together in a contrasting almost clashing burst. And it stays good, with some amber sweetening the clove. I'm still getting little bursts of peppery spice hours later. I find this one gives me the mind clearing space I often look for in more incensey scents.

It works so well on a sunny day that I'm very curious on how it will be in the middle of winter - I could be looking at this year's Christmas present to self!

A delicious, very organic pepper based fragrance. This is different to the Iso E Super, dry and somewhat synthetic scents (which I like, by the way). You don't feel as though you are getting saturated with one specific molecule - it's a nuanced, natural pepper with a supporting clove and anise note.

Unfortunately for me, as a unisex fragrance it's just too sweet. If they brought out a drier men's version with a touch of wood in the base, this would be my signature scent. A real shame as, if you like pepper, this is probably as good as it gets.

La caravane d'épices!!!!, outstanding start, with a spicy and fresh mint+pepper scent. The fragrance becomes warmer, with resin and animal scents . Better for winter, not for shy people

Piper Nigrum.

Today, while enjoying a chunk of black licorice 'tween cheek-n-gums like I like, I took out my three bottles of anise-minded fragrances for a spin. First off, if One has a problem with black licorice... One should stay away from these. Here are my other thoughts:

Piper Nigrum - Mint and anise are there up-front supporting the prominent pepper. The pepper is there throughout, with clove and other spice, even into the resinous vanilla-incense drydown. Much more pepper than anise, but still.

Reglisse Noire - Mint and pepper are there up-front with the prominent anise which lasts throughout the rather fleeting heart and is noticeably supportive in the exquisite vanilla drydown. Classy. A very nice evening scent.

Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin - Powdery synthetic vanilla and anise from the start. There are bothersome sour and floral facets as well. Strong and linear. It all wears this black licorice fan down... much in the same manner this tobbaco fan cannot find the appreciation for The Dreamer. No matter.

Sure, there are a ton of other black licorice / anise fragrances. These are my first three and I think I've drilled deep enough. Two outta three ain't bad! They shine bright in early Autumn.

This is a review of the original formulation (frosted bottle) as I have not sample the reformulated juice.

I blind bought this (against my best judgement) and was quite nervous about the purchase as I normally do not like scents that have a strong medicinal quality. However, I love the mint & pepper, strong Icy Hot opening of Piper Nigrum. I think the pepper makes the medicinal mint interesting and very pleasant. The opening doesn't last long before the sweet, resinous balsams take center stage and play the leading role for the remainder of the duration.

I will say that PN is a very interesting scent as I have experienced its many different facets during different wearings. At times I get a lot of pepper and other times no pepper. I frequently experience the root beer vibe that others talk about with wisps of pepper peaking through and during other wearings I get a very linear, sweet balsam smell for hours.

Scent: 9/10
Longevity: 8/10
Projection: 8/10
Sillage: 8/10

Piper Nigrum opens up with a heady aroma of spices, at the foreground of which are mint and pepper. The intoxicating opening calms down about 30 minutes later, where a beautiful balsamic feeling sneaks in to accentuate the pepper and the mint. In the final stages one can sense a hint of sweetness due to myrrh and amber, thus rounding off an unusual and inspiring olfactory experience. I can imagine this being worn both in summers and in winters, though I'd say it's best reserved for spring and fall evenings.

A blast of hot pink musk-stick candy.