Dark Lord
Kilian (2018)

The jasmine overwhelmed this one for me. And I certainly like jasmine, but it's simply not what I wanted or expected from this type of scent. Unfortunately, no darkness, booze, leather, or smoke for me.

The opening interplay between juicy bergamot and coffee-tinged pepper gave me hope. But after about 10 minutes all I smelled was vetiver. On occasion, a wonderful dirty-garage-mechanic note burst in like dad with his hands on his hips yelling at the interloper to keep its voice down, but in the end it was more Encre Noir than Bulgari Black. I have the former, I regret never replacing the latter.

Hamana-Hamana-Hamana…

At first, I found myself swatting at the air trying to get away from what I had just sprayed…fair warning, the opening is a bit harsh…but after a few seconds I settled into the surprised stammering above.

This one is polarizing. If you hate it, I feel you. If you're neutral, I get it. If you love it…welcome to the club! Its smoke! Its leather! Its smokey-leather! And for me, it's all about that smokey-leather with a touch of mechanic garage goodness (gasoline, oil, metal, hot electrical equipment, danger)…you get the picture. It is from “The Smokes” collection after all.

So, my dad was an aircraft mechanic and this reminds me of what he smelled like when he came home…jet fuel, hydraulic fluid and man. With all of that being said, I would not call this balanced. Yes, it errs on the side of acrid…but I like it. Ok I'll just say it…time to nerd up…the smoke in this is reminiscent of model train smoke. That's right…a whiff of ozone and burning oil…ahh.

Also, I wouldn't call this Dark Lord…I think it's more akin to a rugged slightly dangerous “good guy” and I'd call it Aragorn. Regardless, however you self-identify…if you want to smell like a Ranger of the North…this is worth a sniff.

-Leather and Smoke? In ya face!
-Bergamot and Pepper? Yeah, sure it's in there I guess
-Smokey Vetiver? Yep
-Woody cedar? Mm-Hmm
-Jasmine and rum or a dandyish entrance? What?!

Oh, and this thing is Marshawn Level Beast-Mode on me. Can't Stop…Won't Stop…eh-eh eh-eh!

A softer and sweeter version of Gucci Guilty Absolute. Reminds me of Body Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent (sweetness, leather, eucalipthus). In the drydown it gets a bit more rough. Sillage is poor, longevity is around 8 hours.

Unnecessary and redundant.

This is easily a flanker to Gucci Guilty Absolute for men, I see a clear connection.
To my nose the Gucci is better, the Kilian more like someone created it in their garage.
That said, if you want to smell unlike anyone else, and smell metallic mechanical and new age, this is it.

Acrid medicinal smoke. I'd rate it an interesting not-always-pleasant onetime ride if it were just 12 hours but the nasty base takes a couple of days to scrub out.