Back to Black, Aphrodisiac By Kilian
Sealed with a Kiss
New fragrance review and interview with Kilian Hennessy
By Michael Davis
The scent of fresh, unburned tobacco has been a favorite scent of mine as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, I found a pouch of my dad's pipe tobacco in his desk drawer. The electric charge of finding something taboo for kids and 'for adults only' coursed through me as I opened the pouch. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes to focus on its rich aroma.
A tidal wave of honey, cherry/almond syrup, earth, and moist leaves washed over and through me. The intoxicating scent burned into my memory and still resonates strongly within me to this day.
By Kilian Back to Black, Aphrodisiac brings that memory into full focus almost as if if it happened yesterday. The new scent from Kilian Hennessy's line is a mysterious, multilayered, seductive interpretation of tobacco. The fragrance is a carefully cultivated collection of notes and accords that create a honeyed, amber tobacco scent with hints of fruit.
The opening of raspberry, bergamot, coriander, nutmeg and blue chamomile add warmth, flavor and aroma to the honey and woods in the heart. Honey from Laos, oliban from Somalia, Atlas cedar, Haitian vetiver, a dash of oakmoss and a touch of patchouli compose a honeyed woody heart that exudes sensuality. Underneath it all is an amber, anchoring accord of cistus labdanum from Spain, vanilla from Bourbon Island and bitter almond. The blend is very well balanced and evolves with movements as smooth as satin.
When describing how he created Back to Black, Kilian says "As you know, Back to Black, Aphrodisiac is the eighth scent of my collection “L’Oeuvre Noire", which is a collection composed like adeca-arôma. In other words a collection of ten scents. But what you probably did not know is that all the names of this collection have already been created. Back to Black, Aphrodisiac is part of my artificial paradises, along with A Taste of Heaven, Absinthe Verte and Straight to Heaven, White Cristal...just another way to go to heaven!" I concur. This fragrance is yet another return to paradise for all who wear it.
Regarding the name and how it represents a 'return to black,' Kilian adds, "But it is true that at that time, I was listening a lot Amy Winehouse Back to Black album so it was also for me an homage to her work. But the reason I released this scent now, is because after Prelude to love, Invitation, which was a fresh citrusy Iris scent, I wanted to come back to a darker and sexier composition…I cannot resist it….I think it is really my trademark!" Kilian's intent with Back to Black, Aphrodisiac hits the mark with this honeyed, amber, tobacco addition to his L’Oeuvre Noire.
Wearing Back to Black feels warm and inviting, slightly sexy, and a dash of danger and mystery. An undercurrent of nostalgia is also present. I feel as though I am leafing through a photo album of scented memories of tobacco. When I asked Kilian how it makes him feel when he wears it, he said, "It makes me feel very sexy yet elegant! This scent is exactly the epitome of what I am trying to achieve with all my scents: the right combination between quality, sexiness and elegance!"
Back to Black, Aphrodisiac is more than a fragrance. It is an experience that conjures all the wearer's scent associations with tobacco and tobacco stained memories. The comforting scent of father's pipe. The tough, sexy, smell of the jacket belonging the guy your mother warned you about. The smoke tinged scent of a lover's hair. Basking in the afterglow and the haze of a post coital cigarette.
Back to Black Aphrodisiac is tobacco seduction, rolled in desire, and sealed with a kiss. Strike a match. Light the fire. Let it burn...back to black.
Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Aedes de Venustas and Luckyscent.
Michael W. Davis is a writer and management consultant in Atlanta, Georgia. Michael has been collecting and testing fragrances for fifteen years, and is an active contributing member of Basenotes. Michael holds a B.S. in psychology, an M.S. in organizational behavior and focuses on behavior modification in corporate environments. Michael also studies the effects of fragrance from a social psychology perspective.
