Roberto Cavalli Nero Assoluto Roberto Cavalli 2013

Not as black as the name indicates. A beautiful woody floral, one of the best mainstream-releases of 2013. It smells of flowers (synthetic orchid), very controlled and without sweetness. Added to this is a warm vanilla-note with a velvety feel and, of course, some wood ("ebony") to round the harmony. In its amphora-curved flacon, "Nero Assoluto" is as pleasant to look at as it is to use. Could be worn to parties/banquets/theatre etc. together with animal prints like crocodile and leopard - in genuine Cavalli style.

Nero Assoluto (meaning absolute black in English), has a name that doesn't quite fit to this fragrance. I would have expected a way darker perfume just based on the name alone. It is very lovely, dark just right after the initial spray, and then it settles into a smooth, very pleasant fragrance. Almost too shy and too close to the skin, but outstandingly beautiful and velvety. Longevity is not that grand, but I don't mind, because this is really a wonderful fragrance with way more sweetness than darkness, very harmonious and so worth every penny I paid for it. I like it a lot.

I absolutely cannot be objective about this fragrance. Not that that's possible even with the best of intentions but I'm not even going to try. This was my first grown-up perfume, purchased about a decade ago with my own money, and that same bottle has accompanied me ever since.

In a way, it's very of its time as a scent. It has a heart of vanilla, but lacks any hint of sweetness that's so prevalent in modern vanilla fragrances. Instead you get a dark floral note at the top, again so unlike the white fluffy florals that are currently popular. I love that combination, but it's very much the skinny jeans of fragrance. It's a millenial fragrance for millenials. Which works for me.

Longevity is pretty good but not exceptional. At the end of a work day (and yes, I wear this to work because I don't go on enough nights out to make it worth it), all that's left is a trace of wood and amber close to the skin.

Here we are again: everytime I see on the drugstore shelf a black bottle I think immediately of a strong and intense perfume. But often it isn't so and this is one of those cases.
Nero assoluto is a pleasant and well balanced perfume, although its acchord is very simple , but I was expecting a stronger base note and a better longevity. Anyway, I like it and I think it's a modern fragrance easy to wear and perfect for the happy hours or the summer nights .

I bought this without trying a tester. I listened to the girl at shop and just bought it. She said it's an "intense" version of the original. I already had the original when I went to buy this.

My biggest mistake was not testing it first. The shop didn't have a tester, and once I bought it I had instant regrets! Not saying this doesn't smell luxurious, it just didn't sit right on me.

This smells NOTHING like the original. The original is a luxurious soft Orange Blossom & Vanilla. This one on the other hand is straight up Ebony drenched in Black Varnish with Orange Blossom. I just didn't know how to react to it. That's exactly the scent, very Inky.

I tried selling it right away, but no one showed interest. This was the most difficult scent for me to finish. It was very difficult for me to wear. Sure many people would prefer Inky scents. I thought I'd like it hearing a very quick review from the shop girl, (never again)!

Let's just say, this perfume taught me to never impulse buy perfumes again LOL