Best Back to Black by By Kilian Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Perfumer: Christophe Raynaud accepted the challenge of translating into a perfume the soft and sensual voice of Marvin Gaye singing Sexual Healing…

“Živeli” (ZHEE-vuh-lee) is a common Serbian toast used to wish good health and a long life. In this extrait, a juicy burst of plum brandy melts into a leathered tobacco, encapsulating a celebratory night out with friends. Giddy joy is further fluffed by cherry and raspberry notes, while the leather aspect is warmed by honey, saffron and labdanum.

This composition is 24% parfum concentration, with 70% natural ingredients. Capped in Mexican Riviera Gray marble in a delicately etched glass bottle.

A new perfume by Olfactive Studio, a new collaboration between an established photographer and talented perfumer.

Close-up is an intense dark woody gourmand, the signature theme of Annick Menardo (also the nose behind Black for Bulgari, Bois d'Armenie for Guerlain and Lolita Lempicka among others).

The perfume smells boozy and bitter sweet with a cherry liqueur - tonka nuance going through the structure.  The opening is cool anise and green coffee which then gradually descends into a very dark heart concocted of rose, honeyed Atlas cedar, patchouli and amber. The perfume turns fresher in the drydown of bright musks.

Incredible longevity on skin.

The artwork: Close Up by Suren Manvelyan.

***

The Sniff on Close-up:
"This deep and seductive blend combines lots of rich and multifaceted notes to produce a real dark brown bear of a scent. Not for the timid or faint hearted, Close Up is one for the sophisticated gourmandy types."

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Glowing red in the dusk, this latex cherry is spiced with clove, dusted with heliotrope, rolled in vanilla, smoked in tobacco. It’s cushy and cozy, but just a little wicked. 20359 is the postcode of St Pauli, the Hamburg district where 32.JULI was founded. For centuries, sailors arriving through Hamburg's harbour, artists, musicians and night owls have shaped the neighbourhood's unmistakable character. Known for its independent spirit, iconic nightlife and historic red light district, Sankt Pauli is a place where stories begin. The fragrance captures the anticipation of an evening just unfolding, lifting the cocktail cherry from the first drink of the night.

Volcano is a luxurious complex scent, an oriental spicy blend in which resins bathe in sweet rose sending spicy splashes in every direction (like a fuming Volcano).

Kumaru is the name of the tree that produces the star of this composition: the incredibly expressive tonka bean. This sensual and comforting fragrance is built around this versatile material in all its facets: woody, balsamic, vanillic and almondy, with hints of tobacco and hay. Cardamom, roasted barley and amber add a gourmand texture that shimmers between touchable and lickable. Musks heighten the addictive quality.

Perfumer: Céline Perdriel

Santal takes its inspiration from a Sandalwood fragrance originally created in the 1800s which has then been given a distinctive contemporary edge.

The perfume was inspired by contemplation at the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, London.

Nature and people come together to celebrate the summer Solstice. Light tobacco smoke rises above the tall grass, drowning merry people in its sweet cloud.

Ripe berries and plant seeds attract park squirrels and other animals. White Royal swans fall asleep in the pond. A light breeze ripples the surface of the water.
The mystical snake (serpent) rustles on the dewy evening grass and disappears into the fern, frightening the screaming birds.
Everything around is immersed in a bohemian night.

Inspired by an Art Deco skyscraper and the paintings of Tamara de Lempicka, Tabac Rouge is a striking androgynous fragrance, conjuring up curling tendrils of incense and tobacco smoke. Turkish tobacco absolute is warmed by ginger and cinnamon, with a luxuriant hint of honey. Tabac Rouge dries down to a lush base of Siam benzoin and musk. 

Many ancient cultures revered rubies, believing these sacred stones to be immortal emblems of love, vitality and the unyielding pulse of life itself. Ruby opens with a burst of red berries, pineapple, and juicy, juicy cherries. Much like cherry blossoms, cherries conjure the delicate and fleeting nature of life, a reminder of moments to be savoured. The heart notes swirl with whipped cream and brown sugar, before settling into a rich fusion of musk, amber and benzoin.