The Dark Side by Francesca Bianchi

There are saints and there are whores, and sometimes they share the same bottle. The Dark Side is exactly that: I hated it at first, then I loved it. With me, the perfumes that make my pants fall down are the ones that stick. On my skin, the incense and woods are bold, while the amber and spices play in the background. It’s church with its purity and warmth and sexiness all at once. An English comment said it’s like having sex inside a church, and I loved that.

I don’t see the point in this, I’m sorry. I don’t understand why they make perfumes that stain clothes. If the perfume goes on clothes, why in the hell would they create one that stains the moment it touches a garment? IT MAKES NO SENSE. Then the scent is, by definition, an old smell. I mean OLD, not old people. It smells rancid, dusty, dirty, and camphoraceous. I can’t fathom why anyone would want to smell like that. I’m sorry, this is a hard NO, just like the Burgos Cathedral.

Perfect fragrance, well-rounded, it has everything. Starting with the bottle size, it’s pure Francesca Bianchi DNA. Here lies a contained sexuality, closer to sensuality. Morbid. Morbid, morbid, morbid. A touch of sweetness (without being gourmand), a smoky note (barely perceptible), resins, animalic (without overdoing it), and an iris that adds magic to the whole. For me, the entire aroma pivots around the iris. Wow. What an iris. Nothing is missing, nothing is excessive. For dressed-up occasions, I think it adds a lot, for example, for a date. It pairs wonderfully with cool days, and even more so with cool nights. The performance is massive. Totally unisex and suited for a mature profile. Without a doubt, it will be part of my collection. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled an iris so well-balanced and sensual. Simply stunning.

A rich perfume. I find it soft. Leans feminine but is definitely unisex.

A fragrance that has nothing to do with its name. Perfectly balanced perfume, I’d consider it floral (obviously, an FB-style floral), completely unisex. Usage: formal or casual. Season and time: preferably cold weather or no heat, to wear all day.

For me, The Dark Side is a journey every time I wear it. At first, the opening disgusted me: potent rose and honey, almost like cat pee, so it was a no. Then the incense comes out, gothic but silky like everything from Francesca. Finally, the iris arrives, like vanilla violet, the most delicious powders I’ve ever tried. I love powdery perfumes that smell like vintage makeup. It resembles the opening of Angel Dust, but more concentrated and evoking yellow, whereas here they are softer, evoking pastel purple with a gourmand touch because I want to eat my arm; it gives a nostalgic and modern vibe. In the end, it returns to rose and honey, but blurred. Now that I use it more, the opening seems beautiful (I’m not a rose person, but here it’s a crystalline liquid that adds light to a dark base). It becomes decadently feminine; on a man, it would make me want to devour it because it’s delicious. It’s the perfume of a burlesque actress vampire getting ready in her dressing room. As I read in another review, this is what I thought Les Putains de Palaces (the ELDO one) would be instead of the eau de parfum.

Starts with potent violet and honey, but soon releases a calcareous mineral that hides a delicate iris. The heart blends incense, sandalwood, and cedar in that order, creating a cloud of ashen, fruity smoke that leaves behind spices like cinnamon and clove. The wood is softened by the honey and iris, while styrax adds a touch of lacquered leather. It’s neither shy nor a beast; it lasts over 10 hours with a subtle trail. Unisex with a feminine lean, and I love it.

Everything from FB has its base with nuances. The Dark Side reminds me of Angel’s Dust, but less floral. It’s a bit darker and more masculine than Under My Skin, but not as much as the Black Knight, which is the top of the line. If you don’t want the extreme, this hits a middle ground. I place it as sweeter than Lost in Heaven and less so than Angel’s Dust. With the name ‘Dark,’ one expects tarred incense and liquors, but it’s not like that. It’s honey over a faint iris and an animal leather base. Potent and long-lasting, high FB level, without reaching The Lovers Tale or Sex and the Sea.

Another brutal from Francesca Bianchi. The price is prohibitive (3€/ml), but it delivers quality and longevity. Other more expensive brands don’t last half as long. You pay 90€ for 30ml and it performs like a 100ml bottle because it’s so dense that one spray lasts all day. The scent is linear, with honey and incense throughout the day. I already have Sex & the Sea, my favorite from the brand (balsamic pineapple and coconut that last 24 hours, which is rare), a decant of Lost in Heaven, another of The Lovers Tale (smells like potent oud that doesn’t work for me), and another of Under My Skin. I don’t have space for this right now, but when I finish S&S, maybe I’ll try it. Longevity is immense, projection is high. It’s very intense and can be overwhelming in the heat. The liquid is super oily, almost an attar, and stains clothes. Scent: 7.5, Longevity: 10, Projection: 9.5, Value: 6, Versatility: 5, Originality: 7, Overall: 8.5.