Onyx by Bharara

Quite pleasant perfume. In the opening it feels sharp, with those citrus notes and cilantro very present. I also pick up a pepper-like note, even though it’s not listed; I think that combination is what gives it that freshness that lasts much longer than expected. After 5–10 minutes it starts to settle, and vanilla and apple come through more clearly. To my nose, it’s like a tart, juicy green apple, but with a sexier twist thanks to the incense (which isn’t listed here either). That note, along with the vanilla, adds a soft darkness and a restrained sweetness, not gourmand at all, which gives the fragrance more personality. In the base, the woods and tonka bean balance everything very well. Over time it becomes slightly resinous, although it’s not a fragrance that evolves too much; it rather keeps its profile steadily. I had the chance to try Wildcard by Game Of Spades (inspired by the same DNA) and this Onyx, and personally I stick with Onyx. I found it denser, with more body and presence. As for performance, it has good longevity (8–10 hours). It projects well for the first 3–4 hours and then settles into a closer scent bubble, quite enjoyable. I see it entirely as a fall/winter fragrance, mainly for nighttime, ideal for going out in social settings where you want to stand out. It also works for dates, although personally I feel there are options more focused on that context (that’s a matter of taste). I don’t agree with the idea that it’s a “common” or overly repeated DNA. At least where I live, I haven’t smelled it on anyone. In fact, profiles like Bharara King (type Erba Pura by Xerjoff) are much more cloned and saturated in comparison. In short: a fragrance with character, balanced between freshness, sweetness and a dark base that makes it stand out.

Ugh, the scent isn’t bad at all, but… if you put it in a cocktail shaker, it smells like several fragrances on the market, nothing new. Too bad it doesn’t have the same projection and sillage as the Bharara King… For a while it reminded me of Boss Bottled and also YSL Ultime. Layton? Not that much. It left me wanting; I had high expectations. I’ll let it macerate. It’s not that it’s weak, I can smell it on myself and it lasts a good 6 hours, but I’m used to Bharara King, which is a bomb…

Quite pleasant perfume. At the opening it feels sharp, with those citrus notes and cilantro well present. I also perceive a pepper-like note, although it’s not listed; I think that combination is what gives it that freshness that lasts much longer than expected. After 5-10 minutes it begins to settle and vanilla and apple appear more clearly. On my nose, it’s like a sour and juicy green apple, but with a sexier twist thanks to the incense (which is also not listed here). That note, along with vanilla, brings a soft darkness and a restrained sweetness, not gourmand at all, which gives the fragrance more personality. In the base, woods and tonka bean balance the whole very well. Over time it becomes slightly resinous, although it’s not a fragrance that evolves too much; rather it maintains its profile steadily. I had the opportunity to try Wildcard by Game Of Spades (inspired by the same DNA) and this Onyx, and personally I stick with Onyx. I felt it denser, with more body and presence. As for performance, it has good longevity (8-10 hours). It projects well during the first 3-4 hours and then stays in a closer halo, quite enjoyable. I see it totally as a fall-winter fragrance, mainly for nighttime, ideal for outings in social settings where you want to stand out. For dates it also works, although personally I feel there are more focused options for that context (it’s a matter of taste). I don’t agree with the idea that it’s a “common” or very repeated DNA. At least where I live, I haven’t smelled it on anyone. In fact, profiles like Bharara King (type Erba Pura by Xerjoff) are much more cloned and saturated in comparison. In summary: a fragrance with character, balanced between freshness, sweetness, and a dark base that makes it stand out.