'Black for Her' is an oxymoron in bottle form. Why? Because the scent has nothing of Blackness. Nothing dark, heavy, or deep. Instead, it is almost the absolute opposite. A fresh green lily of the valley scent. It doesn鈥檛 get much cleaner or more innocent than this. Qualitatively at a good designer level. Slightly artificial and without strong character peaks. But still with a clear identity. A friendly, quiet impression maker.
It reminds me in its consistency and structure of Donna Karan's 'Be Delicious', albeit with somewhat higher quality ingredients. That fresh green, transparent lightness. Achieved through the use of a spherical, slightly moist musk that gives the scent a hint of hair shampoo and fresh, not quite dry laundry. Here, instead of the Karan apple note, combined with the initially marginally dominant scent profile of a black currant. Slightly sour fruity-citrusy, noticeably green and subtly watery. In the middle, a metallic lily of the valley shines, gently leaning towards grassy ivy - but not strict in it, rather showing a friendly demeanor through the carefully dosed shampoo-laundry musk and a thoughtfully measured, sweet floral note. Sometimes I catch myself even getting the impression of an unripe, artificial fig. Due to the green-moist and minimally herb-fruity texture. It is also the quality that gives the scent its uniqueness. And in interplay with the slightly quirky lily of the valley, a clear identity. Gentle strength. This correlates with its skin scent property and the manageable perception of about three to four hours.
For me, it is overall a wonderfully casual, clean lily of the valley scent that is very pleasantly balanced, not too sweet and not too herb-green. Very pleasing in mid-tonality, gently underscoring the personality and thus a surprising contrast to the name. Why this was chosen remains a mystery to me. Except perhaps that the American designer Kenneth Cole sees such a clean, understated scent as the ideal combination for a black outfit. By the way, it was designed in 2004 by Firmenich perfumer Amandine Clerc-Marie, whose most famous scents are probably Chlo茅 (EdP) and Angel (EdT). Due to the simple yet clever scent profile and its more than solid quality, it is completely understandable to me why it is still produced, despite the change of distributor - from Lancaster to Parlux (who are known for having celebrity scents in their portfolio). However, I must say in comparison that the Parlux version (recognizable by the completely black bottle; the one tested for this review was produced on 22.05.2023 and was brand new) has noticeably lost quality and scent character. It now seems, although it is still a rather close-to-skin scent, penetrating due to a differently used creamy musk that obscures too much of the profile of the other notes. Unfortunately, this is hardly significant, as the interesting citrus note has much less weight and comes across as one-dimensional and cleansing. The lily of the valley note is stripped of all grassiness and seems rubbery. Similarities are present, but the Lancaster edition (recognizable by the transparent cap and the white square with label print; the version underlying this review was produced on 06.09.2007 or 2017 - due to the repetition of the codes every ten years, it is not more precisely determinable for me) is more expressive, independent, and clearly more valuable. I can imagine that people who like scents in the style of Donna Karan's 'Be Delicious' or Issey Miyake's 'A Scent' would also find something to appreciate in the Lancaster edition. In that version, at least from my perspective, a worthwhile look for lily of the valley lovers (like me).
That's not my scent profile, but as always, wonderfully and vividly described :). I've also noticed the musk notes in some fragrances where I had a comparison.
Thank you, dear Iny 馃檹馃槉 Yes, changes in fragrances are always a tricky thing. Most of the time, they don't suit you because you liked the original scent just the way it was. I can't rule out that the current version might appeal to some people more, but I feel there have also been qualitative setbacks, and that shouldn't be the case. Profit margins certainly play a big role in this.
As you mentioned in your statement, I also see the scent, even though I don't know it, more as White for Her. Black or dark doesn't come to mind at all.
It's always a shame when the reformulation craze ruins otherwise good fragrances. And I know well that I can trust your excellent descriptions blindly 馃憤
Thank you, dear S. 馃槉馃檹馃徎 Yes, no one needs those reformulations. I always find it baffling why companies allow this, even if they have a new distributor, because there must have been some kind of vision behind the original version, and one hopes that love or conviction is also part of it. But for some, it鈥檚 probably just pure business. Anyway, I鈥檓 glad I got my hands on an intact vintage version. 馃榿
馃槀馃槀馃槀 Absolutely! More like the floral summer dress. Just like this one. But one of the brand's mottos is: Always on purpose. That will remain a secret here. By the way, the proceeds from a T-shirt from the brand are currently going to an independent organization that aims to bring about changes in the voting process and citizen participation in the USA. The founder is known for such initiatives. That鈥檚 why his thoughts behind the naming would have been even more interesting. Thank you for your feedback, dear Floyd! Great to have you here 馃檹馃徎馃槉
Lancaster was legendary, producing the best Jil Sander fragrances of the 1980s.
It's a shame that company changes always come with a noticeable drop in quality.
By the way, I really like lily of the valley too.
With the magnolia in the original version, the scent would be perfect in a refreshing way, like just having showered.
Unfortunately, the men's line from Kenneth Cole is less exciting.
I don鈥檛 know that one at all. In fact, Black for Her is the first scent from the brand that I鈥檝e encountered. The magnolia definitely contributes to that "freshly washed" effect. You can also really notice it in Cartier's Pur Magnolia. For me, this scent always has a musky quality, which is why I associate the effect mainly with that. But your analysis is spot on. And the mentioned lotus would fit in very well too. Thank you for your feedback, and I'm really glad you were here, dear K.! 馃檹馃徎馃槉
You should definitely steer clear of that! The old version is much better. Strangely, the new version is still being sold on the Kenneth Cole website. One would think that at least in the brand's first women's fragrance, there would be a bit more passion from the client, so that such a drastic reformulation wouldn't happen. But of course, the launch was a long time ago, and love can fade... It's great that you were there, dear V.! 馃槉馃檹馃徎
With lily of the valley, I can appreciate it in any form, and it鈥檚 unfortunately not surprising that this one has also undergone a dreadful reformulation. Currently, it seems the wonderful Santa Maria Novella fragrances are next in line.
Oh no! I know, among others, the lovely Mughetto from them, which I liked... I just checked: SMN is under the distribution of an Italian investment holding. That's really not a good sign. And it's even more disappointing for such a traditional brand. Thank you for the info and your visit, dear A. 馃檹馃徎馃槉
That might be a bit too floral for me personally. It's a shame that the reformulation devil has struck so mercilessly here. You've explained it all wonderfully!
It's always a shame when the reformulation craze ruins otherwise good fragrances. And I know well that I can trust your excellent descriptions blindly 馃憤
It's a shame that company changes always come with a noticeable drop in quality.
By the way, I really like lily of the valley too.
With the magnolia in the original version, the scent would be perfect in a refreshing way, like just having showered.
Unfortunately, the men's line from Kenneth Cole is less exciting.