Bulgari Man Black Orient
Bulgari (2016)

Alchymia. Perfumare. Magnum Opus.

Subtle intoxication through pepper cardamon and mysterious amber

It took me some time to really get along with “Black Orient”, not only in qualitative terms but also in quantitative (the measure of application, with just two sprays being the right amount). “Black Orient”’s biggest flaw is the most common and typical to be found these days – the base, which is entirely artificially constructed in the lab. But at least this is pointed out clearly and doesn’t hide under some fancy aromatic names which goes against the desired commercial effects of a niche house and are frankly annoying. So, there is no going around this flaw in “Black Orient” but, to its merit, it has done a respectable job in not obsessing over the “oud”, which I find quite balanced in relation to both the “leather” in the base and the other notes in the composition.

Now that the base issue is out of the way, let's focus on the remaining part. And it is surprisingly well done. A very accomplished cardamon is decorated with some peppery notes, which are not listed in the official olfactory pyramid but is identifiable to me and very important in the overall construction. The cardamon and pepper fusion is supported by a mysterious amber, realized through a combination of rum in the top and taif rose in the middle. Whether both of these are natural is debatable and doubtful, but they work well enough to my nose. However, as so often, it triggers my dreams of aromatic beauties and I start thinking what this perfume would feel if it used highest quality ingredients.

“Black Orient” is an intriguing fragrance, combining liquor and oriental dimensions, resulting in an exotic subtle intoxication that follows you closely, without being cloying and lasts long in its essence, not just in its synthetic base. Inevitably, the last also happens but it takes a while, which comes to prove that the base, albeit artificial, is achieved with unexpected harmony for a designer scent. If you don’t like gourmand – no worries, this perfumes never goes there.

I agree with other reviews that “Black Orient” is a designer perfume with definite niche qualities and although it never manages to really cross the line into niche, I find it to be a very decent achievement and worth trying. If it were a dedicated niche house offering, I would find it lacking and give it neutral rating, but given the circumstances I think it deserves an honest positive one.

Also, from what I understand, the “Black Orient” edition within Bulgari’s “Bulgari Man” series is targeted towards the Middle Eastern market, which explains why it might be harder to search outside that region.

Bulgari, Bulgari Man – Black Orient:
Composition: 7.5/10
Complexity: 7.5/10
Development: 6.5/10
Naturality: 5/10

I love this scent, Dark,Spicey,and elegant with a little bit of leather. Longevity and sillage are top notch. This is definitely a manly fragrance for Fall and Winter. To me it's addictive and one of my favorite buys in the last two years. It's in my top 3 for cold weather scents. 9/10 IMHO.

The Bvlgari Man Black bombast comprises of variations on a rich rum note. Of these, Black Orient Man is the most fascinating, brimming with a mystery of Eastern redolence albeit through a tempered Western design. There is a hearty warm presence of a boozy player in refined robes of a spicy oracular mystic at hand here, conjuring an ominous spell of leathery tones over a bed of taif roses and oud cinders, through a dry fixed gaze of want. How sweet it is, under its trance; dark and seductive, full of grace and almost niche. Black Orient is all command and deliverance for those who obey.

Easily one of the better designer releases from the past decade, Bvlgari Man Black Orient is a "man of mystery" scent that brings niche aesthetics to the designer fragrance counter.

This scent's predecessor, Man in Black, was an odd bit of fragrance engineering from Morillas, a kind of mature take on Spicebomb by way of Tom Ford. All the notes seemed to fit on paper but didn't really seem to be conversing with one another when you actually smelled it, a collision of luxurious components that could sometimes be captivating but often just seemed confused.

Black Orient is more purely a Western designer riff on Middle Eastern styles, a spicy rose-oud that somehow distinguishes itself in an overcrowded genre. In marrying a well-behaved rose-oud to MIB's best element, its boozy leather, Black Orient finds balance and focus, offering a kind of paradoxically minimalist opulence that feels both contemporary and lush. The Taif rose here is particularly nice; it's not the plastic-y or jammy rose of so many releases, but a drier, papery rose note that seamlessly blends with the prominent leather. That familiar designer synthoud rounds out the base and becomes more noticeable in the late drydown.

All in all, this is a leather scent that offers a sort of "desert wind" ambience not entirely detached from scents like L'Air du Désert Marocain, along with the approachability of something like Oud Wood with a central accord that is all its own. I'd call that a success.

Black Orient has good, persistent presence and is dry enough that it actually performs well in both heat and in cool weather.

A spicy take on the Bulgari Man series. The spices in the opening are nice and provide a richness and perceived higher-quality smell that the other flankers do not have. Later, it closely resembles the original Man DNA, but still has some spiciness left to differentiate.

Projection is average but better than a skin scent. Also, lasts all work day, so pretty good performance overall.

Should have been called Bulgari Man Black Oud...but 'black oud' probably would not get love?

Deep, rich sensuous. More alive than the previous flankers that can seem cold...like cold bitter coffee. This adds warmth, sweetness and a bit of mystery.

To me the ones to buy are: Orient, Cologne and Man in Black (the third only for reference of how good the first 2 actually are!)

Easily Unisex.