Black XS Potion for Her by Rabanne

I bought it 10 years after its launch and now it’s discontinued; I’m totally confused by the XS line. Paco, I don’t get your perfume connections—I assume you approve them on drunken nights because I don’t see how they relate. Well done. My favorite is definitely Pure XS; that Disney villain bottle, ‘Marbella version but not over the top,’ is gorgeous, and thanks for not making it tacky because it could have easily crossed the line, so, brutal. Black XS Potion has a dark vibe that doesn’t quite match its contents, with that pretty poisonous bottle but a definitive wax seal; you never know what to expect. I expected something more opulent and sweet, maybe warmer and amberier than it actually is, yet it still fits the description of a warm perfume with amber and a sweet touch, but I don’t see that sweet note declared! I’m baffled. It has a faint hint of Black XS but is like a distant cousin who moved abroad. This one is way better and has left the unisex vibe behind (which wasn’t bad either). Coming fresh from nights out at luxurious places, pool parties full of petals, compliments never returned, and evening outings in silk dresses that always end in romance. (Different romances). I don’t know, it’s a weird perfume that promises dark and then turns into a sweet rose that dances between something fiery and dark. It’s weird, which is why I like it.

It’s a mysterious, enveloping perfume that smells like a sophisticated rose, with an exquisitely soapy dry-down. In my opinion, it’s a super well-executed perfume; even though its scent resonates as somewhat vintage, that doesn’t take away from how wonderful it is.

It’s very similar to Paco Rabanne’s Black XS Potion and Olympea. Exquisite, sweet, and very intense. Note: the cheapest alternative is Sweet Black by Cyzone.

I also love this fragrance; I buy every unit I find at every perfume store I visit since it’s a limited edition and I know I won’t get it again. I adore the entire Black XS line; I own the whole line. The only edition I haven’t tried is L’Aphrodisiaque because I never found it in my country, Argentina; I’m excited about the Los Angeles edition which I know has just arrived here and I haven’t tried it yet, and if I like it, I’ll definitely buy it and it will be part of my Black XS collection. This fragrance, Black XS Potion, leaves a slight boozy scent that fascinates me, and since I’m a huge fan of powdery scents, it’s ideal for me; I loved it the moment I smelled it.

Paco again, what have you done to me? The bottles are the most obvious part; maybe they launched everything wrong. First it should have been Le L’Exces, then Potion, then Black XS, so there wouldn’t be so much disappointment from one to the other. This one is sweet and extremely powdery; it doesn’t last on my skin, and I don’t like it; it has something floral or fruity hidden. It’s not my style.

I agree with Facu22; I found the ‘masculine’ version of this potion pair from Black XS more attractive and better executed… this one, although it smells good, has left me wanting. At first, it’s a very different twist from the original and the other flankers; it doesn’t match what its name and bottle suggest it could be—a more intense and (again agreeing with Facu22) ‘addictive,’ or greedier version than previous editions; instead, it’s a subtler, common, bland, and forgettable scent. It’s creamy, feminine, and smells very good. I’d be happy and grateful to use it if someone gifted it to me… but it doesn’t excite me to buy it myself. The bottle (more than its male counterpart) would fit without difficulty in a row of liquor bottles… I wish the fragrance had some intoxicating point that would have been more interesting 🙂 I should smell it more closely, but for now, I didn’t detect bergamot and haven’t noticed the hellebore flower… in fact, this fragrance doesn’t even smell like roses to me; it’s just a creamy scent, slightly ambered, pleasant without a doubt. If the concept PR intended to convey with this fragrance was ever meant to be some kind of love potion, mysterious, or another adjective ending in ‘osa’ that matched its bottle or previous products, I fear they’ve only managed to give me the image of a distant, secret, late-night, shy yet persistent, and always longing ‘enchantment’ that could have been and wasn’t.

Totally delicious, addictive, and perfect for night out—very seductive. It’s worlds away from the richer XS Black. I’m hesitant to use it up because I can’t get more, just like I couldn’t snag another bottle of DKNY’s Delicious Night.

Well… for me, this Potion perfume has nothing. I don’t like the smell, neither the top notes nor the base. One might think that being a ‘Potion’ would make it sweeter, gourmand, or addictive for the other gender, but nothing happened. It felt a bit ‘matronly’ and not youthful at all. It doesn’t match its male version, which is much better executed.