Back to Black Review

The By Kilian website succinctly describes Back to Black as having ‘a tobacco aroma with sweet undertones of honey’. A more accurate description however, might be ‘a cherry aroma with sweet undertones of honey’.

In Back to Black, the vanillic, cherry pit scent of heliotropin is developed atop a balsamic (labdanum, benzoin), coumarin rich oriental fond and sweetened with honey which though, is spared the urinous, phenylacetic acid qualities explored in Serge Lutens’ Miel de Bois.

Enfolded in this comforting, powdery warmth is a subtle, linalyl type agrestic note (perhaps from bergamot oil) and some light ionone and cedar woodsiness for support. Overall though, it’s a very linear scent, and apart from a slight turn towards laundry musks at the end, what one smells on application is what remains for the duration.

Nose: Calice Becker

House: By Kilian

Release date: 2009
Notes (per Fragrantica): bergamot, saffron, nutmeg, cardamom, coriander, raspberry, chamomile, olibanum, honey, cedar, oak, tobacco, patchouli, almond, vanilla, labdanum.

Flower of Immortality Review

The problem with Flower of Immortality is that there’s no real contrast and consequently, the perfume wants for impact. 
A powdery, musky base supports a basic fruity-floral arrangement of nectarine, peach and cassis one the one hand, and vague impressions of rose and Hedione-like jasmine on the other. 

Nose: Calice Becker
House: By Kilian
Release date: 2013
Notes (per Fragrantica): white peach, carrot seeds, iris, black currant, rose, tonka bean.

Light My Fire Review

There’s something rather Tabac Blond-ish about Sidonie Lancesseur’s Light My Fire, and that’s no bad thing. Both have an ambered, nutty cedar/vetiver chord going on that fairly recalls whisky. The clove in Caron’s classic however, is here largely replaced by cumin, making Light My Fire the raunchier of the two (at least when pitted against the current iteration of Tabac Blond). Light my fire is also the sweeter, the vanillic-cherry scent of heliotropin blending with a musky, balsamic, coumarin-tonka, type Oriental base.

Nose: Sidonie Lancesseur.

House: By Kilian.

Release date: 2014.

Notes (per Fragrantica): cumin, hay, patchouli, vetiver, honey, vanila, tobacco.

Sacred Wood Review

Sacred Wood was supposedly conceived as a sandalwood base rather than a fully worked out perfume which fact would plausibly account for its rather underwhelming and linear character.

Calice Becker here chose to accent the lactonic facets of sandalwood, yeilding a creamy, musky, lightly balsamic beige-woods blend. Aside from some subtle spicy and hesperidic accents, the main counterpoint is a nose-wrinkling dill/pickle note stemming perhaps from the elemi (absolute ?). 

Nose: Calice Becker

House: By Kilian

Release date:  2014

Notes (per Fragrantica): Sandalwood, milk.

Intoxicated Review

Intoxicated sees By Kilian create a heavily Mugler-inspired gourmand, featuring a familiar coffee/cocoa/ patchouli blend that’s sweetened with enough sugary Maltol and Ambrox-type woody-ambers to turn its wearer diabetic. This is overlaid with a citrus accord that starts fresh-metallic-ozonic-grapefruit before turning aldehydic-waxy-herbal-agrestic-bergamot. Smuggled amidst it all also seems to be a pinene-y resin which idea could have been developed further.

Intoxicated is a bit like a conversation where both sides are talking yet neither is listening.

Nose: Calice Becker

House: By Kilian

Release date: 2014

Notes (per Fragrantica): cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, coffee.

Smoke for the Soul Review

Smoke for the Soul opens with the smouldering scent of birch tar offset by a bright citrus accord that incorporates a fresh, methyl pamplemousse-type grapefruit synth. This is infused by the camphorous, herbal vapours of eucalyptus which introduce a sweet-n-spicy green heart with vetiverish tones. As the phenolic aspects begin to recede, the perfume takes on a more familiar character of slightly damp peppery woods (Cashmeran etc) and musks, with some vanillic / benzoinic and ambery sweetness.
The publicity for the scent mentions cannabis, but truly, it smells nothing like ganja. That said, it is one of the better releases from the house in recent times.

Nose: Fabrice Pellegrin

House: By Kilian

Release date: 2014

Notes (per Fragrantica): eucalyptus, grapefruit, tobacco, mate, birch, cashmirwood, cannabis, cardamom.