Love in Black

Vintage lipstick smell . The violet is prominent but here it’s warm and deep . Iris is also there . Beautiful for violet lovers .

If you enjoy the smell of violets, then you will love this unique, incredible, high-quality perfume. I have a bottle I was able to purchase at a big discount because the cap was missing (and I think it was partially used as well). I'm dying to buy another bottle but am holding on to the last drops I have in the meantime. I even wore this on my wedding day, it's that good and sophisticated. Even though this is more of what I would think of as a winter/night-time scent, it's still so uplifting and even refreshing. This perfume is truly incredible.

I love the 2008 version of Creed’s Love in Black (I am yet to try the new one, and I really hope it isn’t any different from this, because this to me is perfection in a bottle). This is quite possibly the most powdery perfume I own. It definitely has a dusty, vintage quality to it, which is amplified by the clove note - that just serves to make this seem like a perfume from another time. I absolutely love it. It might be the most polarising scent in my collection based in reviews, but I absolutely loved it right from the first sniff. I never had any mixed feelings about this one. It’s powdery, soft violets, a calming herbaceous facet that comes through and adds complexity and the clove that adds a fascinating spicy depth to an otherwise very feminine scent. It’s extremely soothing, and I love wearing it to bed, which is unfortunate because of how costly it is.

I’m not experienced in the poetry that goes with perfumes, so I’ll just say it the way I experienced it. This is a violet lovers dream. The opening lasts a good hour with pure violet fresh violet maybe a little bit Parma Violet candy , but not too much. There’s a very light leather fragrance and in the background, you can smell flowers wildflowers very beautiful and it lasts a very long time . It is in comparison with Insolence perfume like this one isn’t as sweet. Very close though. You have to really love Violet to enjoy this Perfume.

I think I have reviewed before but what prompted today’s is I just received a vintage bottle of GUERLAIN Insolence, sprayed the vintage Insolence on a blotter and on another blotter , I sprayed my vintage version of Love in Black and forgot about both of them for about six hours . When I walked back into my bathroom I was pleasantly surprised and when I put my nose to both blotters it was clear Love in Black was the one that I was smelling. Both are fabulous but Love in Black is Phenomenal, nuclear and persistent. An absolute collective there are so many in this genre that are fabulous but this just says “ keep trying “ it’s a love ❤️ for me To be clear this is an early batch

This has been reformulated. I’d bet my life on it. I can distinctly smell leather which was not a note in my now empty bottle from a few years ago. I love leather so I’m not entirely disappointed- but - it’s a far cry from the orginal formula which was a violet lovers dream. I’m not sure how I feel about this. I think I want my original formula back 😭😭😭

To me, it smelled like industrial glue mixed with iris… unbearable and nauseating.

Ever since l was a child I wished l could eat.vinyl. I can't believe that's not a note in this one!

Top Notes White violet Heart Notes Florentine iris Clove Base Notes Violet Burgundy blackcurrant Rose

Smells like some generic floral soap on my skin. Meh.

Soft powdered purple florals. Vintage, sleepy, elegant. The feather design on this bottle reminds me of Dita Von Teese and I can see her wearing this at bedtime with a tulle mesh sweeping 'widowers gown' (you know the ones rich women wear in movies where they've had their husbands poisoned?). It is OK but I've smelt and own much nicer and more interesting purple florals.

It’s very expensive for a very mid perfume imo

I don’t see any “Insolence” resemblance… it smells like Raid Bug Spray on my skin definitely not a safe blind buy.

This was a huge disappointment. I purchased a bottle from Neiman Marcus with the classic black opaque , very dainty presentation. I tested the scent and loved it . The transparent bottle, according to the SA, was phased out and everything will come in the black bottle now. The tester bottle at the store was the transparent bottle and that might have been the reason my arm still smelled of the perfume by end of day. After spraying from my own bottle on my arm and neck, I sat down to watch TV. 30 minutes later, the scent was barely there and then in two hours, I couldn’t find the scent anymore. This is just awful, I was really hoping this scent will be one of my favorites! I exchanged the bottle for an Aqua di Parma. Love in Black smells just nice and distinct, with a little bit of violet in it. Some woody, peppery top note which develops into an almost faint floral-paper scent. The initial throw is strong an almost too peppery, but it dissipates so fast and disappears even faster. Sigh. I would recommend trying it for yourself as it might work differently on other people’s chemistry. It’s very promising but too bad, it was very disappointing.

One of the few powdery scents I like - has a powdery sandalwood/cedar quality that moves it away from the typical 'old lady' powdery scents. Before looking at the notes online I thought it had a plum note, the dark juicyness is a nice touch. I also smell cacao in there even though its not listed

Glorious and powerful violet, unmistakably feminine. Smells Victorian gothic to me.

I was underestimating the power of violet until I tried this perfume. When it settles on the skin it smells unmatched. I feel feminine, elegant, and and beautiful wearing it. I would suggest that if you don't like powder, you will not like this perfume.

I don’t get the hate for this. It may be Olivier Creed’s experiment on molecules but the effect to my nose is amazing. I never get the artificial notes some people talk about. Maybe the testers, being over warm store lights get spoiled (why oh why the stupidity of most retailers to insist on doing the worst you can do to a bottle of perfume). Each time I wear this I get a compliment. If you spray between skin and clothes or the nape of the neck it lasts till night. I like to smell myself, and I get delicious purple wafts throughout the day. I find it linear but I like it that way, it stays in the sweet spot. Get a fresh bottle, not a warmed up one. And a bit irrelevant but I can’t stand Insolence, maybe the neon violet is my thing.

I didn't expect good scent from comments and ratings here. However, when I tried this on my skin, I immediately fell in love with this. It smells weird on the paper, and it starts like BO scent in the beginning ngl. However, it turn into glamorous and mysterious powdery leather scent after 10〜15 mins. The note seems wrong here. Base note also include suede. The suede note in LiB reminds me of Daim Blond by Serge Lutens and Cuir d'Ange by Hermes. It's absolutely sensual!

Oh my. How can I put this nicely? This was straight MENTHOL and iris. I had to wait until my lunch time so I could drive back home and shower. I needed this OFF of me. It turned so badly on my skin within the hour. I don't know what happened to that lovely violet and musk, but it was just all cold spice and not good.

A shadowed bouquet, violets bruised and steeped in blackcurrant juice, their powdery softness curdled at the edges. The musk in this is not clean nor animalic, but density that hums low, tethering the scent to something darker, almost wine-like, as if fruit left too long in the sun had begun to ferment. Spiced warmth flickers underneath, but it never fully unfolds—just a whisper in the background, lost in the powdery sour-tart swirl. A perfume that promises romance but lingers in fear of commitment.

If Love in White is the rice thrown over the bride’s shoulder, the white flowers in hand, the thick lipstick, then Love in Black is the brides powdered face, the take home confectionery bags, and her going to bed after the long day. The violet is strong, and honestly reminds me of Violettas Francescas splash cologne, except more complex. It’s like the viewpoint of the parents, seeing their baby all grown up. If you can’t handle the sharpness violet can have, I don’t recommend. Not as beloved to me as Love in White, but nice and nostalgic.

No words to describe how uniquely beautiful this is - doesn't smell even remotely like anything I've ever smelled before. The opening has this stunning, almost savory buttery aspect to it before it all dries down into a gorgeous candied violet. The whole thing just smells like the color purple. Thoroughly unisex, don't let the marketing throw you off of trying this. One of my favorites from Creed. Reviewing from a 2008 batch in the 250ml decanter.

Imagine an animated cartoon character of a violet flower, but in the art style of Jessica Rabbit. It's sexed up violet. And that's sometimes all you need.

I've put this on my skin today and I am still not 100% in love with it. I am considering getting rid of it, I have to say, because it doesn't play on my skin how I'd like it to. The musky-animalic elements only exist at skin level, they do not waft up to me the way the way the violet and iris does, and so that is keeping me a little more grounded, but the fact remains -- that stanky musk is still there. The blackcurrant note adds some cold, mechanical elements to it too, giving it a point of difference, but overarching feeling I get from this is soft, dainty, cold and a little stanky. Does this fully appeal to me? Who can say -- but, I feel I need to spray it on the neck and chest to be 100% sure, if it's not an instant love, then I might be moving this one on, I think...

This was not a scrubber because I never test anything first on my skin. This never made it to my skin, I sprayed this once on paper and was immediately turned off by this. I do NOT want to smell this or smell LIKE this. Not a good violet fragrance, and I had such high hopes being the house of Creed. Look, nobody does purple florals like Guerlain. Nothing is going to beat Insolense so just accept it, Shelby. They are the only one to do a non-candied violet well. The violet sings in that one and is not muddled and hiding behind vanilla, sugar, raspberries, roses, and lost in the notes somewhere. I only need Insolence, Mallow, and Sweet Parmesan Violets from now on. As for Love in Black, stick to Love in White. I would rather be Dutch Oven'd by my boyfriend than have to smell this again.

Looking at the notes did not prepare me for what this actually smells like. I get something flowery, yes, but there’s a very bizarre plasticy hard artificial smell to this. It’s not new Barbie plastic smell but more car-like. Scroll below for more detail. I personally think it’s repulsive. Others might find it unique or nostalgic. Not something I’d enjoy wearing for any occasion.

Reminiscent of trips to Cuba inside old 1950’s cars…cracked leather & old school hair grease. A pleasant memory that I have no desire to smell like.

I keep coming back to this, it smells like pure parma violet sweets the whole way through. The projection on this is absolutely enormous and it lasts forever and a day - it's not powdery either which I often find in perfumes with violet and iris in, it's a very sweet, sugary and feminine perfume. I absolutely love this but unfortunately cannot justify the price tag... maybe one day! Lush's V is a pretty decent dupe for it, it's not as sweet and is more intense during the opening but the dry down is very similar.

First blast is heavily reminiscent of a certain type of candy we have here in Sweden called "violpistoler" (violet pistols). After just a few short moments it transforms into a powdery iris, rose, dry jasmine and violet heavy feminine-leaning scent with a slightly bitter geranium (and maybe even a touch of galbanum) edge that really balances everything out. Slightly sandalwoody backbone here with a hint of warm patchouli and incense. Gorgeous honestly and one of their best feminine offerings.