Black Cashmere Donna Karan for women

I feel like it is asking for too much money for what it is. It could be a night version of Cabochard or a similar oldschool budget woody chypre.

Too much booziness and not enough scent for me. The closest scent I know sold nowadays is Izia Nuit.

Cont'd cos I hit post by mistake 🙄 Anyway, roadtesting Others Mystic Zingaro and I couldn't quite grasp what it reminded me of and then I got it. Black Cashmere! A lighter, more airy version to be sure but, tbh, I don't mind that as the OG went on for days and could get a little overwhelming. Suffice to say I've now ordered a full bottle and can still hoard those last few drops of BC for high days and holidays. ..

Ah I remember the days when I could buy this for a song and I never fully appreciated how precious it was. Now I'm down to my last few drops (who knows exactly how many? Thanks opaque bottle!) and I only ever wear it on special occasions.

Fast forward to the final days of dreary January and I'm roadtesting a sample of Others

The dusky woods and spiced incense of Black Cashmere has given it a cult status of sorts: at the time of its release in 2002, it was bold to introduce such a dense amber fragrance with so much chewy, gothic labdanum. One could argue it did actually ride the coattails of CdG and its incense series, but here, Rodrigo Flores-Roux, opted for witchy nuance, employing what I am convinced is a good helping of Hydrocarboresine.

Produced by Biolandes, this derivative of both labdanum absolute and cistus absolute (a more top-note heavy and vegetal, sweet extract from the leaves) is one of the more evocative materials I've encountered. Not only is it reminiscent of church incense, but it imparts smoky qualities without feeling charred, campfire- or barbecue-like. It's quite lovely, and it's rumored that Norma Kamali Incense is pretty much mostly Hydrocarboresine in a bottle. With Black Cashmere, it serves more as a foundation for the melange that orbits it.

This one swaddles and hugs the skin, it is one of those where the sillage haunts rather than accosts. Now you smell it, now you don't, now you smell it again: it's ambient, but present, and persists for hours. This is best experienced when carving out some time for some deep breathing, removal of distractions, and perhaps a prayer, if you're into that sort of thing. I must admit that I am, now and then. Also, the bottle is a church mouse. Why? Because I said so.

Pure perfection but so hard to find nowadays. If you have a bottle for sale, contact me.

I had a bottle of Black Cashmere some eons ago and was soooo in love with her. I had bought a gift set for myself that had the mouse shaped bottle and a tube of body lotion. Smelled soo good, as I am drawn to spicier heavier scents (i.e., Opium,
Youth-Dew, Chanel Coco, Obsession). I don't know what happened to my bottle; I believe a guest in my home may have lifted it and I haven't been able to find another since. The closest scent to Black Cashmere was Serge Lutens (originally Shiseiedo) Feminite Du Bois, and even that formulation has changed. I have a bottle of it, but it's just not the same. Oh well.

If you love Black Cashmere like I do, check Ella K Cri du Kalahari. It has the same vibe and wonderful woody-spicy sillage, I was immediately mesmerized at the similarities in style. The wonderful oriental, mystical atmosphere is all the same in Cri du Kalahari. Black Cashmere is more incensey, while Cris du Kalahari is a little spicier, but they are relatives without any doubt.

Black Cashmere, Chaos and Gold are three unique Donna Karan fragrances, that for whatever reason, didn't last long on the market. I'm guessing they were too outré and ahead of their time. Be Delicious, which is an apple jolly rancher floral saved the house a few years later.

Such a lovely mysterious spice in a bottle like no other.
In addition to the black ovals, I have the original pure parfum (I have never seen anywhere else): the same shape bottle but a clear gray glass dabber. Just stunning.
Thank you Donna Karan.

Oh now i see one on Google's image search, but that one has a silver cap while my cap is clear gray glass.

If This Perfume Was a Song - Hal by Yasmine Hamdan

This was perfumery PERFECTION. I still have about a half of an ounce of a 3.4 oz. bottle left, kept in a black velvet bag, in a cool closet. This is only the most special of occasion perfumes . . . so special I didn't even wear this on my wedding day.

Nothing else has EVER smelled like this. I have tried dupes to no avail. I actually cried when I went to buy a "backup bottle" and none could be found without emptying my back account at the time.

THIS is how you do an exotic perfume - so exotic that you would never have imagined that this was a DK perfume you could buy at any dept. store. THIS is how you do sex in a bottle - spicy, dirty and luxurious all at once. THIS was perfume genius.

Such odd notes to blend, maybe that is why this was perfume perfection. I was lucky that my chemistry always picked up the Saffron, Nutmeg, Clove and Pepper, with almost no rose noticeable. The notes swayed and merged into one, as if liquid on your skin. Sileage and Longevity - RIDICULOUS!

THIS is my Spice Melange.

Want to feel sexy and cozy? Approachable but still a goddess? Wear this glorious vintage or a modern interpretation. The spices (Nutmeg, saffron and vanilla) pair so well with amber and patchouli. I'm wearing it today with a slightly oversized sweater with skinny jeans and a scarf... such a vibe!

This is very niche smelling nowardays.Didn't appreciate it enough when it was still available.

I have the longer, rounded bottle, released in 2002, which I wear sparingly, so I don't know the version of this bottle to compare quality and durability

Oh god yes. Rich and resinous. Sexy but intimate, cozy. A night in with your lover, sipping on glasses of something expensive before the dying embers of a fire. You wear plush sweaters and then you wear nothing at all, warm skin on warm skin. A slow, lazy kind of passion. Divine.

this scent was donna karan’s masterpiece. it’s winter in a bottle. but the classy type of winter - warmth and booze and you can still smell it after you opened the bottle once. It’s a POWERHOUSE. this lasts eternally. too mature for me but it’s so beautiful. like a really warm hug

By far my all-time favourite. A singular perfume, very appropriately named, because it gives off dark and cozy vibes. On the whole, I would rate this a unisex scent that leans female because of the moderately floral dry-down. It's also suited for cooler weather.

What I smell for the first couple of hours is a very resinous and spicy scent that is vibrant and medicinal. I'm a violinist and the smell reminds me a little of rosin. The resinous top note goes away after a while and the dry-down is incense and dry rose. (I have no idea what carnation smells like, and while I have tasted nutmeg and saffron many times in cooking, I must confess that I don't smell any of those things in Black Cashmere...)

It's one of those scents that never fails to lift my spirits even when I just remove the bottle cap and give the spray head a little sniff. It's been over 10 years since I bought my first bottle and it's as special as ever.

I own the bottle released in 2002, there was also the Essence collection, a series of quality materials and very good outfits.

For those interested in a dupe/inspired fragrance, try Kubera's Perfume Oil inspired by Black Cashmere, which is the closest I found so far.

I have the exact one in the photo and it's vintage. GORGEOUS! I don't wear it much because I NEVER want to run out...and it's difficult to find anywhere for a reasonable amount. :( Enjoy it if you have it! It's absolutely beautiful.

Happy start to your summer everyone!

I got a tester of this gorgeous perfume back than, in 1997 or 98, and some hairproducts, and, I smelled so wonderful, I can never forget about it, but when I finally had the money to buy it, it was sold out in the perfumerystores... So, I bough Chaos insted, it's okey, but not the same as this Black beauty :D

Fin
ally snagged a bottle of this @ a half-way decent price.
I loved this way back when,and never got it out of my mind.
IMO....on my skin....this gives me a sort of similar vibe (in the drydown) of TF Sahara Noir, the opening is different for sure.
I get a nutmeg/pepper.....and a touch of "fresh" underneath...with the added carnation/rose/woods. All nicely balanced.

Although..not a "powerhouse" IMHO....it's still a classic love for me.
Juice was "intact" and the performance/sillage is medium.
Glad to finally have this gem back in my collection.

Someone accidentally reviewed cashmere mist & said it smelled like Nivea face cream. Well. That was the description for this "black cashmere".
Not the "cashmere mist". This one black cashmere is more medicinal. Nutmeg spice but more menthol smelling. This one should be more for guys than women. I am not a fan of this one. from the magazine sample i tested. but i have never smelled it straight from the bottle so i could be totally wrong. Maybe its a bit like midnight poison

I'm a guy. I had a bottle of this in my possession about 10 years ago and I can't for the life of me remember how that happened since it's a lady's perfume.

But...the scent is phenomenal. I was in high school and like to wear fragrances that were more mature for me. Me, being an idiot thinking I have mens cologne, wore this shamlessly for a little bit. This stuff was great and I got compliments.

When I found out it was for women, I stopped wearing it out of embarassment. I can't remember what happened to it and I didn't know what I had. Looking back, I wish I kept it. And not use it until now. Being 30, I'd rock this scent in a formal setting or when I'm around girls. And I wouldn't care if this was targeted for women to wear. Easily a unisex scent. A very dark and mysterious unisex scent. Man or woman, it's one that will get noticed.

I have the cylindrical bottle released in 2002 and I can assure you that this dark scent where incense and saffron and amber are in harmony and do not look at all like a dentist's product.
I do not know the version of this pebble-shaped bottle where it may have been reformulated.

Held off reviewing this much revered perfume, a scent I find difficult to get to grips with personally.

So, we have had test runs over about 4 years in various locations in all sorts of weather (actually it is generally raining where we live, no matter the season).

What I always get is a "familiar" (to me) smelling lotion. (Whether I had some lotion as a child that smelt of carnations or something?) No idea. Or some kind of balm?
Nutmegs, carnation, saffron dark lotion, that has spilt inside a deep rosewood and ebony box, into which I have just stuck my nose. I literally don't get incense.
The scent does feel warm and dark. So I think I can reference the black cashmere sweater thing used as the inspiration.

Although to me, it is of dark wooden boxes containing magic potions and lotions.
This is an unusual fragrance, I find haunting. Imagining now a past life of witchy ways.

I have a pebble bottle which has the unfortunate design of looking not dissimilar to a computer mouse.

edit: after 2 years of deliberation, I have put this up for sale eBay UK. It needs to go to a lovely new home in time for Xmas, when I think it is best worn.

Is it still available? I remember I bought it blindly after some glowing reviews. It was about 14 years ago. One spray was a traumatic exprience for me. It was burnt tyre and that was it. I quickly sold it and never thought about it. I am curious what I would think about it now. I liked the bottle, holding this pebble shaped sleek bottle was calming, opposite to the juice.

This scent's name fully embodies how it smells. It is dark, warm, comforting and like a fuzzy soft sweater. Its not too sweet, woody, with warm nutmeg, a little spicy and incency, and the amber and vanilla round it out perfectly. It could absolutely be worm by a man or a woman, and feels like a warm embrace from someone you love. It would be perfect for a brisk autumn evening. My only complaint is that it does not last very well: just 2-3 hours at best. I tend to wear it late at night and go to sleep with it.

This stuff is truly amazing and I will slowly go through what I have stocked. It is for cold weather and wonderful on a sweater that gets re-worn. I get all of the notes and it is perfect, without one of them it wouldn't be the same. Nutmeg, clove and amber dominate for me and rose, carnation, vanilla, patch and woods accentuate. Really perfect, I love it, I hope I don't lose too many notes from it over time as it is already years old. One bottle I purchased is still complete, the other still smells wonderful but has lost just a bit of what it was.

Edit: While it may not be the most dominant or immediate, for me the star of the show is carnation, it makes the scent unique and a peppery, velvet dark floral.

The trail of the light veil of my body lotion is slowly gaining ground. I follow it curiously. Intoxicating. I rubbed on Black Cashmere, a bit of cream in a little black tube (test sample) I kept since time immemorial, unopened until today. I was unaware about the aroma of the content, due to the aluminum protection film.
Like a dreamlike mystical journey, it delights my soul and senses, grave in this purifying silence of twilight.
Unrepeatable mood, I squeezed it all out.
Mysterious.
Meditative incense.
Austere beauty.
I know I will miss this entity.

This smells divine.like a sexy vampire biting the best incense ever with a touch of sweetness. wHY oh WHY was this DIVINE SCENT discontinued?I have been searching all over for dupes of this. I have gotten fragrance oil dupes from several places and even try one of those replica fragrance services, which btw was awful, watered down lasted 2 mins. If anyone knows of a good dupe or replica oil of this please let me know. Also is anyone has one to seek or trade please let me know.

Finally, an incense that isn´t trying to save my soul. Olibanum deposed of sanctity, soft-pedalling on that lemon-conifer strong nuance that I associate with clerical sacramental rituals, conceding instead just a small ecclesiastical blessing and then pyrogenated into ink-dark smoke.

There´s a disturbing element of overripe fuity acridity that reminds me lightly of Magie Noire but it is soon sobered up by a medley of spices, mostly nutmeg and clove, dusted through a spray so thickly I can almost see a dark cloak forming around me when I spritz it.
A rather dark amber and a musty cellar base walks this from the church into the graveyard, yet a soft-fabric sensuality is still ruffling the edges like a little morbid Poe short story about a beautiful, mysterious woman in black silk visiting an underground mausoleum every fortnight to leave cryptic epitaphs.

This is the sort of fragrance one would expect from upscale niche brands or the likes of Comme des Garcons, so Black Cashmere as well as the wonderful DK's Chaos and Gold paid the price for their grit and got discontinued. No good deed goes unpunished in modern mainstream perfume biz.

It smells like PROPOLIC. I know how the real propolis smells like because my relatives had a bee farm. If you dislike the smell of propolis (aka bee glue), dont bother.

I've been slowly but steadily testing my way through the enormous stack of samples I've amassed over my years as a perfume addict. Many of them I didn't choose for myself, and although I'm obviously always delighted to receive samples and give everything a proper test, it's an approach that has both positive and negative effects. On the one hand, it's been a very enjoyable journey of discovery, and I've even found some genuine all time favourites where I was least expecting them. But on the other hand, I do end up with a lot of reviews that say essentially the same thing, and this is one of them: this is not a bad perfume, but it's not for me.

As for the scent itself, I think the name Black Cashmere is well chosen: it's indeed rather dark, but in a very soft and feminine way. The woody element is the strongest, closely followed by the warm spicy accord, neither of which do anything for my personal taste. But both are very well done, very smooth and harmonious. The effect is comfortable as well as elegant, so indeed not unlike black cashmere. Longevity and projection are both good as well. The only thing I can really hold against it is the impracticality of the bottle design.

So, like I said: I don't dislike this scent at all, and the fact that I'm not particularly enthusiastic about it either says less about it than about me...

Black Cashmere is warm, dry spices and woods to me. It makes a statement but softly whispers. I've never smelled another designer scent like this. I appreciate the art and straight-forwardness of it very much. It's so interesting yet relatable... Where I live it is THE perfect winter snuggler.

I love that it is almost devoid of sweetness, almost. Vanilla and amber are quietly present a bit after the opening, but not overdone like a lot of current designer perfumes. Instead of the sweet parts being the main focus, Black Cashmere allows the sweetness to just peek through. It's what keeps the dryness of the woods and spice from becoming scratchy. It is first and foremost a warm spicy, woody fragrance, very much reminiscent of what Christmas smells like to me. The bottle is beautiful as well.

It's about time someone comes out with a women's designer fragrance like Black Cashmere again. I adore this fragrance. Mostly for the emotional connection I make with it. If a designer brand would be so brave as to come out with another "Black Cashmere" and market it for women, they might be surprised how well it does. Gum drops and lollipops can only cut it for so long. We need this kind of gem in the designer scene again!

I have an original oval shaped bottle and a later cylinder shaped bottle. They smell exactly the same to me.

It's a unique fragrance. There are some wood and spice based mens fragrances which are similar to it, but I haven't found any that are a dupe for it.

I love to wear it on a chilly night with a flowing wrap and smoky eyes. It really lends itself to dramatic boho luxe fashion statements. I feel mysterious and magical in it.

This was a fantastic and mature scent that I really miss . Seems senseless to throw this to the curb and create twenty more candied confection potions to replace it . I guess the bosses think the market for sugary scents needs more offerings .

This was a fantastic and mature scent that I really miss . Seems senseless to throw this to the curb and create twenty more candied confection potions to replace it . I guess the bosses think the market for sugary scents needs more offerings .

I have just been in a do or die auction battle on eBay for a half bottle of Black Cashmere !..(cant believe I did that).. but I did.....and I won....and even better I wasnt disappointed... When it arrived I couldn't wait to open it...it was well packed... and did indeed contain 50% BC....and is without a shadow of a doubt the genuine article. Maybe I was just lucky.... but I would do it again..i paid a reasonable price (not the cheapest)… for the most delightful scent anywhere. I have loved Black Cashmere from the moment I first smelled its smoky peppery carnation odour and although other perfumes have c0me and gone this remains forever favourite.... Estee Lauder you dont know what you threw away...

A very sophisticated amber perfume. Very oriental, but not cloying at all. I just wish the longevity was better.

Thankfully, I have found a "type" of this at my favorite "Damn, it's discontinued" store-- worldwideoils. I'm anxious to try it. Will update.
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Fabulous! I really love this fragrance! So much so, that I'm going to order some lotion as well. This scent is warm, mysterious and cozy and the same time.

I have had the original Black Cashmere for years and considering how long it has been discontinued it has amazing longevity. The note structure is still intact unlike newer fragrances some of which I've noticed turning when only a few years old.
The saffron/nutmeg/wood/ carnation notes are most prominent on my skin. It's just beautifully blended wears softly yet has substantial silage and longevity. As with any truly well made fragrance the subtlety and craftsmanship is delectable.
Imho Donna Karan was ahead of her time in designing BC and Chaos. The bottles too were gorgeous and unique, as well as obviously designed to be diametrically opposed in shape and color; very refreshing when compared to what we see in current bottle designs.
I loved Chaos too like Tlund and mourn its loss.
There's no doubt the current Estee Lauder/Firmenich "collaboration" simply exists to make as much money as quickly as possible at the expense of quality; quite different from when I worked for EL while Estee was still alive.

To respond to mmmmgood's comment below, Donna did stop making fragrances after Black Cashmere. This was the last fragrance that she was artistic director of before she sold her Donna Karan Beauty line to the Evil Estee Lauder and they are the ones that discontinued all of her beautiful ground-breaking "niche" fragrances she had created. Estee Lauder is the one that is all about the money and went to making all these foolish releases. FYI, Cashmere Mist was created because of the cashmere body products to her signature scent were scented differently than the perfume and clients asked Donna to create a "mist" that smelled like the body products for her signature collection. I know all this because I was a Donna Karan Beauty Account Executive in 1998 when Estee Lauder took over and discontinued my signature fragrance, Chaos.

It took me a lot of time to understand this fragance, which for me is a good indicator. Voilà! Black Cashmere is all about church frankincense mixed with a creamy sandalwood lying in a bed of amber, cloves and carnation. Saffron and a strong note of black pepper make all the difference in this composition, otherwise it would be a white cashmere instead of a black one. An ambitous work from Rodrigo Flores-Roux, behind the supervision of Donna Karan.

Beautifully peppery yet gently curvy wood with enough zing in the incense to keep things moving along nicely for hours. (Having said that - I think it's a true unisex, it's several notches butcher than Feminite du Bois or similar.) Deeply aromatic and hugely classy. It snuggles you. All in the best possible taste; would go with absolutely anything. Unlike a lot of things in its class, I'd love to smell this on a warm or hot day - it's light enough that it might work brilliantly. But for now, in the winter chill, it's just perfect. Discontinued now but very much worth swapping for or searching out. Thank you to user corkscrewcurly for the little bottle of this champion stuff.

To me this is definitely unisex. I love this scent. It is a shame that the best scents bu Donna Karan (Fuel for men and Black Cashmere) have been discontinued. I hope they will be re-released.

an autumnal walk to an old wooden church infused with faint aroma of incense patiently layered on the timber over the centuries. smoke of precious wood and scent of old books detectable in the air warmed by the sunlight merges with the bouquet of ripe pink lilies left at the altar.

Hmm this is so soft and close to the skin I can hardly smell it. I do get that Vaseline vibe someone spoke of but I wonder if I am not partially asnomic because I really can hardly smell anything at all. A tad bit of nutmeg spice and Vaseline that’s all I get :(

I got a great deal on a 1oz vintage of this over the summer. I was getting interested in quality incense fragrances for the first time. To me this is interesting and dark at the very least.

It feels like a smooth blend of saffron, carnation, white pepper,incense and nutmeg. Somehow I am also strongly reminded of Vaseline. It's like a more intense version of Vaseline. Am I the only one who gets this lol?

I was on the fence with this during the summer but now I do like this take on incense and sort of consider it a novelty frag because I keep smelling Vaseline everytime I wear this.

This would totally be suitable for a man to wear. Especially a teen boy.

This is very nice indeed. I can see why some might find it a tad boring but it depends on what you love. I do tend to gravitate towards woody or spicey fragrance so it suits me.
I definitely pick up the wood, nutmeg and saffron on the opening. The nutmeg is low key though.
The magic happens when it settles and the warmth of your skin brings it alive. The amber, carnation, pepper and a bit of patch gentle sizzle. Yes, its sexy.
With time it loses some sweetness and it focuses on the pepper and spices. If there is one note that remains from start to finish then it is the saffron. Saffron is such classy and unassuming note. This fragrance is really a classic. It has such a timeless quality.
This would be great on either sex.
This is one to wear when cuddling up by your fella in front of a fire. The silage isnt brilliant but it does last for many hours.

To this day there's still nothing else like it! Exotic, seductive, NO MERCY...If incensed, vanilla-based fumes appeal to you and you can get your hands on some, or even the lotion, do it! Commanding- but not in a bad way, lingering- but oh so welcome to linger on and on...I think this is a cooler weather fragrance for me. If he doesn't love you, he'll wonder why not. If he does love you, he'll be reminded why he fell. My favorite sexy, no holds barred, perfume of all time. Like the woman behind the perfume counter told me years ago as she handed me the bottle I bought, "There's nothing else like it." ~~ I LOVE this!

Dark and carnal, but not dirty. Black cashmere is not as soft as the name implies. No, she's twisted and sultry, looking at the world through narrowed eyes.

A sour, heavy amber streak runs through; strong saffron, sharp pepper and snappy carnations. Nutmeg and an abstract floral arrangement make the composition more approachable, but still somewhat unique in the realm of designer perfumes.

Black Cashmere has some attitude, her jaw is always set, ready for action -- studded choker and black leather kicking boots. She never warmed up to me.

This is gorgeous. Really my type of scent, woodsy, ambery, peppery. Yummy!

Not really a fan of this one, to be honest. There's some type of... mustiness that pervades the fragrance from opening to drydown. It makes me vaguely nauseated, which is a shame, because otherwise it's a very nice pencil shaving type scent with some spices and rose for good measure. Doesn't really make me think of black cashmere though, it's too harsh for that.

to me this reminds me a lof of TF Velvet Orchid. I would almost say if you have one you dont need the other. its a woody spicy fragrance and I would also say a little unisex. I would not suggest it for business professional, but more of a night out dinner and movie fragrance, or if are you staying in by the fire on a cold winter day! I would say an older 25+ fragrance and I really like it. I own though TF Velvet Orchid, so I would pass on this, but it is nice.

Just got mine today after a 14 year search. Yes 14 years down here in Africa. Am looking forward to enjoying this relic

Whenever I wear Black Cashmere I feel like I am walking in an autumn forest, crisping leaves at my feet, smelling a campfire in the distance. Somehow its a perfume for dusk. Its warm, spicy en broody. Its witchcraft in a bottle! Very special en beautiful.

I bought this a few years ago and wore it a few times but then passed it on. I found it quite nice, as in different, no flowers, more abstract and dark woods, but the reason I could not really learn to love it was that I found it just too damn linear. After a few hours of the same thing it was too much for me to take.

Beautiful juice, especially if you like dark, woody frags. I have an extra 100ml of the vintage juice in its original sealed box. Contact me if interested. Serious US inquiries only.

There was certain amount of frustration on fragrantica threads over whether BC of Donna Karan in new formulation is different from "vintage" - so I feel a little bit obliged to write this short review solely for sake of "reality check". They are NOT different at all, same juice, same nuances, same enjoyment, warm-woody-spicy sensual, slightly animalic, I have a decant of new version from indigo and wear and own old version for a few years, -wouldn't be able to identify which is which and, being a fan of Black Cashmere, I can guarantee you, I was very precise in my comparison. Still you can often find for better prices juice in black stone, rather than in new stand bottles.

Black Cashmere opens with a hearty dose of nutmeg and pepper. After about 15 minutes the incense has begun taking over, but the wood is gaining on it quickly. I find this primarily a dry, woody fragrance and a pretty good one at that. The only floral note I get is the saffron, and that’s not exactly the most flowery floral. It eventually settles down to a standard vanillamber.

To me Black Cashmere is a cold, austere fragrance miles away from, say, the sappy soapiness of DK’s Cashmere Mist. It seems to me like it would be more at home in the company of Comme des Garcons or some unisex niche house. I know that the millstone of gender-based marketing around the neck of designer fragrance companies is entirely of their own making, but in this case it seems particularly pointless…why cut off half your noses to spite your face?

Despite this being marketed to women, it's not hard to consider it more of a unisex fragrance that is definitely wearable by men. Wonderfully approachable incense accord. "Dark, mysterious, intriguing and intoxicating," is how alfarom put it and I couldn't agree more.

Very peculiar bottle. It looks like a glossy black wireless mouse! :-D Unfortunately it is completely opaque, so you can't really know the fluid level even by holding it up to a bright light.

Fragrance: 8.5/10, Longevity: 7

Black Cashmere is a very intruiging creation. I had it for quite some time, loved it, but ended up selling it. It's combination of woods and spices is almost ethereal. The balance BC manages to strike is very compelling. Dry, silky woods are combined with intense spices and dark amber. I loved this combination, but ended up being bored with the drydown. The vanilla would overpower and BC lost it uniqueness on my skin. Sillage is intimate and longevity is great. However, vintage BC is worth the steep prices. Please don't buy the DK Collection version. Trust it me, it doesn't hold a candle to the vintage one.

My take on this is fairly different to other reviewers and I must admit I'm surprised at the strong spice and incense references as I find both very subtle. I am a lover of incense heavy fragrances and find this offering simply too light in that respect. However, I do find this juice intriguing and moorish. I get that slightly medicinal, peppercorn blast followed by an immediate honeyed note. The honey is almost a little cloying for a few minutes until the carnation and saffron emerge in unison and hold their floral heads high for several hours. At some point within the first 10 minutes or so, the floral notes are supported by liquid Amber and dried fruits with barely a courteous nod at any incense or spice. I really don't discern any woods until dry down but in that comfortable, skin hugging state, all elements seem to find equilibrium.

this smells like a vampire

but like a beautiful vampire

so it kinda reminds me of bath and body works dark kiss because that is legitimate vampire smell everybody. but that is more intense than black cashmere i'd say

black cashmere is like vampire incognito when she's among us humans and is trying to conceal her true form. dark kiss is like when she goes full on vampire mode later that night

it's not something i would personally wear but i must say i really appreciate it. it smells really good and it gives off that mysterious vibe like that person you see around who always seems to have somewhere really interesting/dark to go to later and you just wanna ask but you also can't ask because she scares you...

but you don't really run away from her either, there's something magnetic about her (and her smell) so despite the scary dark mystery aura surrounding her, you are drawn to her

i just wanna say that this is how vampires lure us in, people :)

on a serious note, writing this review is making me wanna take back my sample from my mother because damn i wanna smell dark, mysterious, and inviting from time to time but i also think i'll let her keep it because to me this is a smell more suited for mature, no-nonsense women so in 20 years get ready for me

Donna Karan is my favorite New York based designer and I have loved her debut fragrance Donna Karan for years. This is an Oriental fragrance with spicy touches of pepper, nutmeg and sweet saffron and rose. The carnation flower however is the dominant floral note and it is in it's sexier stages. Sexy, confident and sultry. A tad like Decadence by Marc Jacobs. If you like spicy Oriental perfumes, this will satisfy your craving for incense. Smoky, black, rich, sweet and strong. There is something almost like strong black coffee in this scent. Instead of feeling warm enough for me to get cozy in it and sleepy it energizes me. I wear it in winter months. On me contrary to the smoke effect others get it becomes more a puff of smoke and warm. It's subtle if you don't put too much of it on. I love the unusual bottle. Elegant, feminine but also unisex, bold and fragrant leaving it's scent everywhere I go. Feels great smells great.

Incense scents are an obsession of mine. I allow my boyfriend to liberally use any of the perfumes I keep on my dresser, except the Black Cashmere. It's become sort of a joke with us.

"Not the Black Cashmere!"

I'm not sure a review can do my love of Black Cashmere justice. There's something of Pavlov's Dog about this scent for me, it just brings up a whole universe of sense memories and emotions. This is my 'going out' fragrance; it's elegant and sophisticated but not prissy, instead kind of prickly and interesting. It smells to me like the person I dearly wanted to be as a teenager in the 90s. Do you remember how in 90s romantic comedies, the most desirable girl was always kind of a bitch, and the plot was often about a man-child learning the error of his ways? Black Cashmere is the fragrance I imagine that spiky, articulate, 90s cool girl would wear. So, yeah, when I wear it, I'm just trying to fulfill my teenage dreams.

Notes-wise: harsh aldehydes in the open but never mind, it moves quickly on to a really smoothly blended mix of dark woods, benzoin, saffron and amber. It's dry and warm, with a kind of glowing velvet depth. Just gorgeous.

This is amazing. I just got a sample from Sephora today, and I've been wearing it since I got home. I feel like it's early to write a review, but I can't help it.
This might be my new favorite perfume! I can't stop smelling myself.
It opens with a very warm and deep. The amber, nutmeg and woods stand out. The saffron, carnation and rose start to bloom after that, followed by the patchouli and vanilla. Everything seems to swirl around, with one note coming to the surface after another, changing constantly. It's complex and delicious.
The dry-down is warm, woody and sweet. No note stands out particularly, it's just a comforting, warm smell.
It's a deep, sexy, but sophisticated, the perfect scent for a night out.
I absolutely have to buy a full-size bottle.

For me, Black Cashmere is a walk through an open-air European market... or even the French Market in New Orleans... spices, incense, flowers, food, candles, time-worn architecture... it's dark and sensual and earthy... I didn't enjoy the top notes, but I followed the advice of other reviewers and let it settle and WOWZA! So sultry. I think I'm in love.

Just THE MOST GORGEOUS fragrance I know, and I'm sooooo glad I'm lucky enough to own it.. The only problem is that I'm loathed to use it too much as I may never be able to get it anywhere again..at least not without a mortgage!!

I love woody perfumes- I'm all about it, but it's sometimes hard to find one that treads enough into the feminine side to be predominantly woody without smelling like a man. Other reviewers have done a really good job of describing how it smells (I don't smell medicinal, but everyone's different).

Black Cashmere doesn't smell like the crowd pleasers or "safe" fragrances, she defies all of that and stands on her own. She doesn't care if you like her or not, she knows who she is. I personally don't get why she chose to look like a computer mouse but she doesn't care about that either.

People who don't like strong woody or unisex fragrances and live or die by fruity garamond florals shouldn't bother. I don't mean that in a rude way, it's just the complete opposite.

Black Cashmere is me in drag; Yves Saint Laurent Nu with a suspicious bulge.

This if for the Original formula in the oval bottle.

We all have that scent that strikes something deep inside of us and is our most beloved. It takes us places we want to go and for the time we wear it, makes us feel like the person we want to be. For me this is Black Cashmere by Donna Karan. I have a 30ml mouse bottle that I stash away in my perfume cupboard, like a dragon protecting it's most precious treasures. Definitely one of my most prized perfumes. The mouse bottle used to be rather affordable but the prices have spiked in the past year to ridiculous amounts. I really regret not getting a larger bottle when prices were better. I would love to wear this scent much more than I do, but I also know I will be heartbroken the day I spray it's last drop. I'm not sure about getting the re-released bottle. It's such an emotionally loaded scent for me I am not sure I want to risk the disappointment of a reformulation.

Now, how she wears:
It opens with a heady and heavy veil of charred wood. Peeking shyly from behind the veil are spices (clove, nutmeg). I believe this charred wood smell comes from the perfect blending of a deep, rich wood with a luxurious frankincense. For the first twenty or thirty minutes this scent is intensely heavy. It masterfully walks a fine line between being divinely heavy and cloying.

After the scent settles the saffron, and to a smaller extent, nutmeg come into their own. They are supported by a nice base of cloves that blend magically with the charred wood note. There is also a hint of a sweetish floral (rose perhaps?). The real star of this composition is still that wood and frankincense blend. It really sings with the saffron, and it's a completely wonderful song.

The dry down is the sweetest stage and the floral is strongest here (saffron touched by rose). There is also the interplay of spices (still mainly clove and nutmeg). Perhaps the Amber and Vanilla offer this sweetness we see here, though these do not show up as notes on their own but add a beautiful sweet edge to the notes that are more discernible. The charred wood / frankincense are now just snatches of memories that play around the outside of the composition. Just enough to remind you of their presence but not enough to draw attention away from the spiced and sweetened florals.

This scent is one of the most unique scents I own. I have never found anything else like it. It always takes me places I want to be whenever I wear it. The longevity is about 7-10 hours, becoming a skin scent at around 5-7 hours. This silage and projection are rather large and heavy in the beginning but settle down to more reasonable and personal levels in the heart and dry down.

She is special and I adore her.

Today's weather was dark, cloudy and rain from time to time. I decided to wear Black Cashmere today, because it sounded so cozy.

Honestly I didn't really get the notes listed, only ambergis... I do like ambergris, but did not expected that one haha! From beginning to end, smoky, dark and seducing. It got a bit toned down after a while, but no evolving and other notes.

Very nice, but it just doesn't really seem to work with my body chemistry. Sillage is soft, just within armlength, but wears only for 3 hours on my skin. Too bad, I really wanted to like this one and was prepared to fall in love with it. Only BC didn't fall in love with me..

Ahhhhh... I love Black Cashmere. I bought the pebble shaped bottle when it was first released. It's so spicy and cosy and reminds me of the woodsmoke one smells when walking through my old Victorian neighbourhood on a winter evening. Definitely unisex. Gorgeous scent.

Another beauty bafflingly discontinued. If you find it, buy it! I hoard my remaining bottle. Oriental but not cliched--warm, sexy, close vanilla, rose, wood. Wonderful for cold weather, but an unexpected delight on a summer night.

The only thing I can say about BC is I call it "Sex in a bottle" Heck this beautiful perfume turns me on, so I can only imagine what it will do to a man...My wonderful husband died almost 2 years ago, I miss him so much,but if he was still here, I guarantee you that he would have used every drop by now.. I have dated a few men, but I haven't worn it yet, I believe it may be one of those perfumes that I should ask before wearing it because I know people (Men and women) either love it or hate it, there is no "oh, its ok"..I will continue buying this online as long as thereis still any left.. The only complaints I have ever had about DC's perfumes is the bottles are brautiful but are hard to stand up, and her first one Donna Karan New York the one in the gold and black bottle was very hard to spray..Other than that, I love almost all of her scents, I am not a big fan of the ones that look like apples, but the rest, Chaois, I also love her Cashmire in the silver bottle, and the Cashmire Nude, I think that is wbhat its called. The one in the gold bottle I don't care for as much. All in all she has the best scents

Oamae, Black Cashmere is available on the Donna Karan website in the cylindrical 3.4 oz bottle. (Thank goodness, because it has wrapped its soft, dark tendrils around me and just won't let go!). Perhaps an after-Christmas gift for yourself ..?

If you love the smell of church incense, you'll love this. If I spend the day in my office with the door closed, it perfumes the room and I can still smell it when I open the door the next day - but in a good way! It's the frankincense that lingers, and creates an aura that is both spiritual and earthy.

Years ago, when I heard this was being discontinued I bought several bottles. I still have them...... I love this fragrance. If you love this, try the Valentina Oud, very similar. Also, Creed Royal Oud is amazing!!!!

Oh, how I wish I could get my hands on a bottle of this! Without mortgaging the house, that is. It sound just like my kind of scent. Why do they always discontinue the good ones?

Hot and woodsy (sexy), this fits into the same category as Tom Ford's Black Orchid and Oud Wood . Black C. can be worn during the day, but I would be very careful about wearing it to work (just a dab). I love to wear it for an evening out. Dry down is fresh and clean even though it's a complicated fragrance. It also wears well under heavy clothing.

Update: The nutmeg/pepper notes are a bit heavier than desired. I noticed this during the holidays while shopping for holiday baked goods. If you love this remember to select the right (holiday) occasion and apply lightly. It must be applied carefully. Some fragrances work better in the home than on the body, so I added Black Cashmere to my burn list: I now purchase is oil form, add to paper towel and boil in pot of water on the stove (remember to set the stove timer). I love the scent in my home on cold fall/winter evenings but I prefer to wear Black Orchid or Velvet Orchid (Tom Ford). Samsara (Guerlain) or even Narcisso Rodriguez for Her are also great.

This review is based on the new cylinder shaped bottle currently available on the Donna Karan website.

It's the same formula as far as I can tell. Slightly lighter and smoother, which I'm going to attribute to the fact that my other bottle is old and the fragrance inside has aged. I'm perfectly happy with it. It's the same Black Cashmere that I fell in love with years ago.

This review is based on the original stone shaped bottle.

It starts off as a woody spice box with a sharp peppery note. Then as it dries down I get a bit of patchouli and some floral notes peeking through. The faintest hint of vanilla comes in to soften and sweeten the mix and it if I really focus on it I can pick out the carnation.

Sillage is surprisingly gentle. It's more like being wrapped up in the fragrance rather than trailing clouds of it everywhere I go. Staying power is strong, and it never gets harsh on my skin.

It is my signature scent and one of the reasons I look forward to the first cool evening of Fall.

The starting accord on my skin is strong nutmeg with amber, woods, and frankincense. I am not sure about the saffron, but I smell something boozy too. When the fragrance settles, I get some carnation or clove or both. The "african sorts of assorted tree" thingy slightly calls Lubin's Idol into mind, but this is just a weak and adventitious association. It is a pleasantly smoky fragrance, recalling gardens in the fall with burning leaves. The whole composition is rounded and softened by a warm, non-edible vanilla note.

Neither sillage, nor longevity are great on me, I would call both moderate. It is definitely a unisex fragrance.

While it is pleasant, it is not great or outstandingly interesting. It evolves very little after the first 15-20 minutes, it just goes on in a rather linear fashion, slowly getting fainter till it disappears at about the 4 hour mark.

It is a very nicely executed frangrance which however fails to move me really. Politically correct, office friendly and non-offensive. C'est tout.

7/10

EDIT 17/10/2015
In time Black Cashmere has evolved to one of my special favourites. I was wrong. It is not politically correct and while maybe office friendly, if you smell more attentively, it has a very unique, animalic, carnal undertone, which I cannot really pin down, but it smells almost disturbingly "human" on my skin. While they have nothing in common, but I could compare this "something" to vintage Kouros: like there, here in BC there is a note that is balancing on the razor's edge between irresistible and off-putting. It is not the central theme like it was in Kouros, rather kind of a low hum, but that makes it the more unsettling. However at the same time it manages to be super cosy and alluring. 9/10

This one is exotic and unusual. I find the pepper and cinnamon both come through strongly on me but it's also rather comforting and warm. It reminds me of being in a souk in Morocco surrounded by dozens of wonderfully rich but unidentifiable smells.

A really great fragrance in the depths of winter...way too overpowering and rich for the English summer.

I also love the design of the bottle (it reminds me of a naughty toy).

Try this - you'll stand out from the crowd.

Think I'm going to have to give this a try again in the fall/winter. Right now it smells like a soft, masculine fragrance to me. I dare not get rid of it. I used to be a huge fan of Cashmere Mist before my chemistry decided it wanted to change. I have a nice little box of bottles just dying to jump out and be loved come winter :o) This is definitely in there. I am so hoping that it works out. I want to be a lover of it!

"Her perfume smells like burning leaves. Every day is Halloween." - Type O Negative, "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)"

I love Black Cashmere. It is sexy and wicked, calling to mind forbidden sacraments, and it is most certainly the fragrance Little Miss Scare-All was wearing when she "cast that spell on me. Boo b*tch craft." Dark and smoldering, it is only suitable for autumn days that chill to the bone.

I just received my fb of the new version in the mail yesterday. I had a shower gel to go on as far as whether I would like the scent, and I do love it. It's not nearly as heavy as I expected from reading the reviews here. But then I wear the revised Chaos on almost a daily basis, and it's the most calming perfume I own. My question is this, and maybe I should post this in a forum, do any of you who have the old and new versions detect a major difference? I can't seem to get a full opinion on this, and I'm still considering purchasing a fb of the original. Thanks!

Update: I've been wearing this for the past few days, and it has moved right up to my number one favorite. I thought Chaos was "me", and while I love Chaos, Black Cashmere is her smoother older sister. No rough edges here, just pure scent heaven.

Interesting.

I have a carded tester from sometime in 2002-2003 (the first wave of my perfume obsession), so that's what I'm writing about.

Black Cashmere is sort of tricky. It starts out with a peppery nutmeg and wood combination that's pretty strong, but then I lose it, surprisingly fast. It could be that my skin is simply hard on a lot of perfumes and eats them with great dispatch.

I was ready to write BC off, but as I was working at my desk I kept smelling something lovely and wondering what it was. Finally it occurred to me that it seemed to get stronger every time I paused and rested my chin on my left palm. You know, a few inches from my left wrist.

After a couple of hours I smell a light and complex cinnamon, and a sweet light amber. Black Cashmere turns out to be more long-lived than I thought, and also to change quite a bit as it dries down. It also has pretty far-ranging sillage. I confess myself surprised.

I really love this in the fall/winter. It's warm and spicy and makes me think of boots and scarves and fallen leaves and fires. Very rich smelling.

Sorry guys,
This is going to disappoint some of you. (I normally have a real affinity with Donna Karan's offerings.)
On the first spritz I got a huge blast of a medicinal aroma. Then the nutmeg kicked in and it hasn't left the room. There is also (very much in the background) musk. A really dirty musk. (Not even listed in the notes) It has given me a real head-ache but it won't wash off.
However, for what it is worth, my skin eats fragrance and this little lady only needed one quick blast from the vial.Probably a real beauty on those with the complimentary skin chemistry, unfortunately it's not me.
I personally think this could be a unisex.

I knew it existed somewhere, my Precccious, that will turn me into Gollum at once
But I would never expect it will be Black Cashmere...Impulsive blind buy that turned my world upside down and I just "got" how IS on my best inner opinion a Great Fragrance smells like.
My bottle is this old smooth stone. My juice is most peaceful puzzles from the childhood – to sleep in front of an open fire at my Granddad's farm right on the sheepskin after early service in orthodox church. Delicious mix of wool, nutmeg and saffron, its better than in a dream. Better than any oud-niche ones..There is no incense in it, or frankincense, its an agarwood and saffron sort of woodiness
“We wants it, we needs it, must have the precious”.

Just bought this from Donna Karan's official website. Don't know if it's been reformulated or not since I never smelt the version with the oval bottle. It's very nice though. Smells exactly like wood chips. Not overpowering though. It's sexy and mysterious. Very daring for a woman's fragrance. It's very unisex. I like fragrances marketed to women that forgo the sweet trend. Not all women want to smell like candy.

Sultry, autumnal, Halloween, dark, incense-y, sensuous, confident, mysterious. It's perfection.

Similarities in its smoky aura to Bvlgari Black. Bvlgari is motorcycles, leather, cigarettes, steel and urban and sexy. This is Victoriana, pagan, eerie, beguiling, private. It's reminiscent of firesides and old, old stories, as much as it is candle light and cigar, older boots still, crossed on a table as a kick butt babe reclines in a velvet seat, contemplating the breaking storm outside.

Well done, DK.

People either love or hate this. It's as far removed from a fruity/floral fragrance as it can possibly be. I happen to love it, but only in certain weather. I'm on my second bottle.

To me it smells like sinking into the buttery soft black leather seats of an expensive automobile on a frosty night, with someone very, very sexy at the wheel.

I should probably add that it makes me feel slightly stoned. I don't know what ingredient is doing that.

I can imagine that my review may bring out Black Cashmere aficionados to light up their torches and bring out their pitchforks. But in my defense, I shall state what I always do because it is plain truth. My body chemistry is to blame for my experience, not this perfume.

Alright, now that we got that point out the way, here is my review:

Black cashmere...
I was expecting something warm, comforting, organic, and luxurious. On me, it smelled as if I hugged cashmere while it was still alive on the goat. Patchouli and I clash more often than not, but the spices and amber saved this fragrance from being a total nightmare to my nostrils. The patchouli and woodsy notes were a bit overkill and I had to take a walk outside of the department store and go for a long and lonely stroll. A walk of shame right into the nearest loo to wash it off.

It was definitely warm, somewhat smoky and organic, but there is something I find quite frequently in DK perfumes...they tend to have a rather cheap undercurrent that flows along with the scent. I suspect it may be the choice of alcohol used, not so much the ingredients themselves.

Too bad I've never been given this perfume as a gift, I would have loved to have used it to troll my boyfriend by making him believe it was his computer's mouse. All trolling aside, this perfume failed to inspire me to buy it. A definite PASS.

I read about this for months but could never find it in stores. I finally ordered it and was disappointed. It smells funny on me. I can't put my finger on the note but it's smells like freshly cut grass, not offensive, but I don't was to smell like grass.

Yep- re-released in 3.4oz/100ml EDP on the DK website for 120USD; the new bottle isn't as exquisite as the original, however...

+1 for using the phrase "sea of non-scents" [below]

Well it looks like Donna Karan has answered Desertrat's prayers... Black Cashmere is available again on the Donna Karan website in the 3.4 oz size :)

Are you lucky? If you are, like me, Black Cashmere is Divine on you. It's so perfect for the holidays and colder temps. On me it conjures up Renaissance images of cathedrals, castles, and damsels in distress, romantically speaking, of course. I have the original as I was obsessed when I discovered it and bought boat loads. I especially love Enigma7510's review and wholeheartedly agree. If you are lucky enough to be the woman, or man, secure enough in your own skin and compatible chemistry to pull this masterpiece off, it will serve you grandly. My respectful plea to Donna Karan is simply this: Dare to bring Black Cashmere back, even if it's not popular, for those of us who would worship at your feet in return. Dare to stand for a Fragrance Icon awash in a sea of non-scents.

This, to me, is very reminiscent of going to church and smelling the frankincense that envelopes the place. Very dry, smoky, spicy, and comforting. It's a unique scent and it can be unisex, it's so masculine. At first spray, it'll light up a room with the clove and patchouli (which stayed with me), but when it dried down, I couldn't place anything else but the clove, pepper, and patchouli with the woods in the background. It is an acquired taste/scent that doesn't disappoint.

After years of trying to source this fragrance in Australia and obsessing over it, I finally blind-bought from eBay and couldn't be happier. This is completely stunning and original and makes me feel so happy just to smell. It opens with a strong clove note, and softens to a spicy Wenge wood that is unique among commercial perfumes of my experience. I will be scouring the internet for this for as long as it is available. Five smoky, incensey stars. An absolute tragic loss to the fragrance world.

This was bought for a present, I can honestly say it's the worse perfume I've smelt, it made me feel sick as soon as I smelt it.
The only way I can describe it is like this..you know the comfort fabric conditioner when they changed all the fragrances to a fake kinda smell with something chemical smell left behind, yep that's it.

Black Cashmere is very spicy but has a mentholated note to me. To me it smells like vicks vapor rub with a bit of clove in it. It's not a bad smell, no, but it is not something that in the order of perfume I would like to smell like. Now, if I had a head cold I would perhaps reach for the Black Cashmere and spray it on my chest and breath in the vapors....Not my fragrance.

To me this reads like an incense cologne or eau de toilette. It is everything that has been described, and I want to add that it is very transparent, which is unusual for something that is so present. Perhaps that is what reviewers mean by its being dry. I also think these heavy spices become lighter because they are layered over a clean musk base that may be Galaxolide, as it reminds me a bit of drydown of (old) Hypnotic Poison. Initially I get incense and saffron that to me smells like cardamom, wafting in a transparent veil. It seems like it will disappear, but then morphs into a mentholated labdanum over a warm sunny saffron. This radiates; I was expecting an incense cloud but experience it more of a transparent but ever-present veil. It's definitely unisex. One that grows more comfortable with each wearing. Sophisticated yet casual.

UPDATE: I have since bought a bottle of the original formulation. The one I reviewed was a later edition. Saffron and rose dominant, very pretty but unbalanced. The musks in the base are much more prominent in the original and anchor it as a whole linear accord. It's a denser formula that smells like a real concept for a perfume as opposed to a pretty series of smells. Later formula better if you like perfumes like recent vintage Safran Troublant, earlier if you like vintage Hypnotic Poison et al.

i had it. for me is unisex

Hmmmmmm. First of all I love the shape of the bottle, like a beautiful smooth black river rock. This is smoke and spice right out of the gate and has a dominating presence for sure. The spices are gorgeous, the smoke/incense is perfection and don't even get me started on the dry down!!!

A light hand is all you need. This little beauty lasts and lasts. This lasts 12+ hours on my skin. As others have stated, I have woken up the next morning to the softest reminder of the beautiful perfume I wore the night before. I know this scent is dry as a bone but if the most luxurious black cashmere had a scent it would whisper DK's Black Cashmere. This is the 1st fragrance I pull out of my drawer when the weather starts to turn chilly. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! Fall and winter wouldn't be the same without this baby!!!

I used to have this years ago and LOVED it!! I didn't know they re-released it until now so thank-you!. So spicy, woody and very sexy. I'll definitely seek it out to buy this Winter.

a pleasant surprise, opens with wood and turmeric, which refers to a smell woodsmoke same, but this output is nothing that scares a few minutes ..... the Ambar appears and makes that smoky resin, I could have sworn I had oil coconut ....... thought perfect, I was lucky to find mine with good price. :)

Upon reading the reviews, I felt badly that this particular DK fragrance garnered so many kudos because I was sincerely scratching mah head goin', "huh?" Yet, I couldn't resist giving my two cents anyway...Upon the first spray, I surmized that it was a lucky thing that I sprang for a few samples online instead of blind buying a full bottle...Initially, I was almost kicking myself for having spent a few dollars for the samples but yet, reminded myself that another stroke of luck was not having succeeded in a swap for this questionable baby...

The opening of DK BC on my skin was hideously medicinal...It reminded me of Listerine mouthwash with a bit of that burned plasticky smelling liquid handsoap you are forced to use in a public bathroom...Oh, the horror...

This stinkiness [no other way to describe it, folks] lasted about 1/2 an hour...Then, the 'heavy' old-fashioned shaving foam stench commenced...Yeesh...It is indeed masculine on my skin and not in a good way..

Then, lordy, lordy...DK BC does a total 'about face.' It stops being combatitive, and oddly, after two hours, extends a peace offering with a sexy 'come hither' invitation...The saffron, patchouli, amber and bewitching African wenge wood notes decide to harmonize -- this is the seductive payoff for putting up with such a stanky opening...

Yup...This is mos def the Ugly Duckling morphing into the Stunning Swan...

Smells nice after a while but in the beginning it smells like going to the dentist to me

An unusual and unique fragrance - that is saying a lot in these days of hundreds of releases! So glad that DK decided to re-release it. Incense is the note that leads and lasts on my skin; there is a slight harshness, mellowed by warmth and spices. This is not "church like" incense, but more a warm, sultry note that makes you want to curl up and enjoy!

I used to have this years ago but gave it to my bf at the time it seemed to suit him better. It's definitely unisex. It's sexy but a touch too much for me. There's smoky rum and raisin there and incense, hard to describe. It's interesting. Worth sampling if you like that sort if thing but a bit too strong for me. Still very nice though :)

I agree completely with Lizapnelli!

It is Santa Fe...unlike anything else.

I don't typically wear warm, spicy scents but was talked into trying this.
I love it...surprised myself. It is soft and delicious, smells of wonderful memories, beautiful people and places. Mellow, comfortable, like a good companion. Warm and inviting. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Lasted well over 12 hours. Woke up the following morning to the most delicate, indescribable scent. The scent of a perfect day.

Wow! Lucky me to find this.
Erin

(I'm usually not one to gush, but this one really has a positive effect on me).

Musky and spicier than Femininité du Bois, but I was disappointed with its relatively short lasting time (only about four hours on my skin. In the undercurrent of this perfume I am reminded of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's "Morocco."

The only fragrance with patchouli in it that I've ever been able to wear without feeling my throat was going to close. Beautiful, mysterious, dark ...everything I think a woman should be, in a bottle. ;) How I miss it!

LOVE this. What an amazing scent. No wonder people are so crazy about this. I'm a spice lover but normally I go for more gourmand, vanillic scents and I didn't originally think I would like this one. Boy, am I impressed. It's absolutely gorgeous. A little woody, a little incense-y, a little sweet, and a lot spicy! I also appreciate that the scent is strong, but you don't feel like you are going to walk into a room and have everyone look up at you like wtf?! Sillage and longevity are just right. I would truly love a bottle of this if I could find one. :) If I could organize my shelf by "moods", I would put this one right next to the Kenzo Jungle Elephant!

This is a dark brooding scent, that manages to be soft and sultry at the same time. It’s spicy from the nutmeg and pepper, very woodsy..but really woodsy..like bark or..pencil shavings. It’s not really my cuppa tea but I would say it’s very aptly named. Dark soft smoothness fits really well.

I sometimes get hints of what I can only describe to be “coffee” tones. It’s weird, but it feels murky AND fluffy at the same time. And although it’s soft, I wouldn’t call this a pleasant smell, not to me anyway. This has a dark sultry feeling to it.

The more I smell it on myself the more I’m getting turned off by it. Deffo not my cuppa tea as I said. This is Cashmere Mist's, uglier, older and more witchy sister! Haha. I love dark scents as much as the next person but something in here is just...not sitting right.

OMG I love this perfume - I had it a few years back. It is a perfect winter scent. It wraps around like a warm woolly scarf. Unique and uplifting. It is smokey but has some lovely high notes. The sillage is both enormous and soft - in that it is subtle, very subtle, but always noticeable - that in my mind is a sexy scent! If perfumery is architecture this scent is a catherdral. I though it was discontinued however today saw it has been rereleased - not in the pebble shaped bottle though and is pricey - but totally worth the dolleros!

Bitter, woody and mature. I smell mouldering tree bark. Assertive. I get quite a bit of carnation. A dark, "old school" fragrance.
I think this one works very well for men as well as women.

Saffron, incense, and the inside of a person's clean (but not minty) mouth. It reminds me of when I was twelve years old and my sister and I tried to inhale incense smoke through our mouths like we were smoking because we thought for some reason that it would make us "cool" and more grown-up.

The incense-saffron-mouth trinity sounds like it would be heavy and oppressive, but no. The combination is all very light and airy, as well as wearable. How a guardian angel would smell. I can't believe this was discontinued.

Pure ebony wood.

Is the smell of the house of the sicilian mother of a friend of mine in my childhood, that was back from India, where his husband had work, as widow, filling her flat with indian fornitures, elephant tusks, statues in black wood, oriental rugs, metal cups with gems, ivory knifes, incenses, kajal.. It was odd and exciting house for italian children.. and "that" perfume..

No Incense in the notes list. Incredible!

UPDATING:

Fragrance born in 2002, no Oud inside, but I do believe this composition has teached and inspired so many nowdays fragrances.

It's one of those rare fragrances that deserve the "black" in it's name. It's also bitter and serious some way, but still sensual and spiritual at the same time. And no leather also, incredible again.
This is also one of those fragrances you have to live with for some days before to fully appreciate.
This perfume is even more masculine that feminine, then at least it should be unisex.

black cashmere is the smell of santa fe, new mexico in winter. there is no other place, or smell, like it. not an everyday scent but definitely one of my favorites.

@ Rdharmapuri - I totally agree! This smells exactly like my dentist's surgery. Too harsh on me, I just couldn't hack this fragrance at all, I'm afraid.

This is pure clove extract and nothing else. I can't spot any other note! I've been patient for the other notes to develop but nay! I just smell like a bag of cloves, so much so that someone would think I am on my way to the dentist after self-treating my toothache with a gallon of clove oil :(

Too tooo TOOO much on me.
I received a sample in my Spring Luxe box, so I gave it a try.

It's starts out as a sharp, sour, almost caustic smell. I even waited for the dry down, and it didn't do anything. It smelled like old lady meets hippy. It was weird.

The pepper wood patchouli mix didn't meld into anything interesting with my skin chemistry. Which stinks (no pun intended) because those of you that reviewed it make it seems so sexy and seductive. :(

This is my favourite of all perfumes, it's unusual and heady and unlike anything else i own. If you don't like clove/cinnamon/nutmeg spicy mixes then you are not going to like this, but this to me is like home on a winter's night.

As others have said, there is a comfort to this scent that is unbelievable, it's warm and sensual and draws you in slowly with it's layers. I only wear this on special occasions and mostly during Winter but it's so sexy in a subtle way i relish it when i do.

Not a strong overpowering 'look at me!' kinda knockout, which isn't my personality style either.... more of a quietly confident and alluring woman, sliding past you in black boots, unbridled hair and earthy sex appeal. It's the kind you want your lover to lean in and notice as they kiss your neck.

Is hard to find, especially in Australia but definitely worth the investment for having something unique and sensual.

I get loads of compliment anytime I wear this. Dark and mysterious, yet warm and inviting. Reminds me of the smells of midnight mass. Unique and lovely!

Black cashmere... is like wearing liquorice !!
To my surprize there is NO liquiorice notes to this composition. It must be the pepper and nutmeg creating that smell together...
The initial blast of a few seconds is a little dry incense to me but must be saffron I guess, than the nice liquorice is revealed, almost like salt liquorice that is so popular heré in Sweden.
I love this start. Black cashmere is as read in the little text above,
said to smell like the essence of black cashmere the darkest of dark .
I guess they meen soft as a cashmere sweater.The vanilla in the dry down creates that feeling.I have to say I have smelled darker scents not ...meaning this is bad,
but I would call it a soft black - almost charcoal grey to my nose.
This is still lovely though. !
Makes me think of DK signature mixed with her Wenge ,that I dont at all think is a twin to this, but maybe a older and very determend sister ...
or brother.It also reminds me of dior addict in the drydown.
I find my memory of DK dk, signature wins the battle.of darkness -
at least to me..and the surch has to go on , for it !!
This sample is classy and nice to wear for both day and evening all year round, because og´f its softness.
I enjoy wearing it - thanks someone for letting me have a sample !
Longevity 8/10
Sillage 6/10
Smell 7/10

The saffron note in the opening gives the fragrance a bitter, sharp edge; however, this softens in the drydown and the spicy-woody notes take clear precedence. It is a deep and dark fragrance, dense and warms. It is reminiscent on my skin of Chaos, with more bitterness and a strange honey note.

the secret object of desire...elegant ,refined ,black hole which carries you to a different way of living .for me the smell is a dry .delicate ,but ever inspiring odour which is never ceased to amaze us.
who was the person behind thebottle design ? the late sprouse of donna karan ?

Amazing!! I love wearing this to bed on a cold wintery night - In bed with Black Cashmere ~ comfort, warm and totally luxurious!!

Classy,posh, so sensual perfume ... it makes you feel warm and cosy, self-confident and exceptional. For me it's real temptation and magic! I'm fully bewitched and enchanted by it ... this perfume is not for everyone, but if you understand and accept it - your love will last forever - evergreen, unchangeable and timeless!!!

Dark smoky incense. A very lovely fragrance with such an adorable bottle design. 30ml sits in my handbag so comfortably.

A scent that can accompany me day or night, just great.

A beautiful oriental. Very dry spices and incense.

Deep & meditative, Black Cashmere starts off potent but mellows after an hour. Definitely unisex.

This one was a blind buy for me. I imagined I would love it since I like woody, spicy notes with a hint of flowers. After spraying it on myself all I can smell is smoke and incense - no amber or patchouli, no rose or carnation. Even after it dries down it doesn't change on me. I expected more from this fragrance, especially that it's hard to find and it's so expensive. My husband just hates it. I had to go take a shower because he couldn't stand it on me. Must be not working well with my body chemistry. Too bad...

ONE OF THE BEST PERFUMES I HAVE HAD!!!!!
IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE. MAGIC IN A BOTTLE!
So sad it is discontinued, I treasure every drop.

i buy one bottle maybe 7 or 8 years ago...the bottle is still full because i can´t stand the smell. it´s to much! my ex-boyfriend just hated the smell and he can´t stay near me while i used that parfume. not for me although i am a fanatic parfume lover!

Spicy, wooden, dark and warm, smells like old magic books, library, sometimes griefy, sometimes warm. Interesting combination , not for all ages and not for all women.
Ladies in mid 30ties or older, brunettes, wearing mysterious dark warm velvets, in the autumn evening..

this should have just been marketed as unisex for it works well with both genders. on a women it takes on such as air of sophistication as being out in the cool brisk New England night with the stars in full bloom. for men it take on a rugged rogue feeling of that mysterious person either through their glance or impeccable style caught your attention and you want to know more about them.

My signature sent. I had it in the late '90 and used it to the last drop, but I couldn't find it again. :-( Armani Mania was the closest thing but it also got dicontinued. And so a year ago I stamble up on the news that it's back! The tricky thing was that it was only at DK online, Nieman Marcus and Harrod's and only to be delivered in US or UK, Bummer! But with the help of a friend I managed to order one to her sister in the UK and she sent it to me in Sweden and what a joy! As good as I remembered it, woody, spicey, just discretly feminine and perfect for colder weather, (I have to skip it wen I go abroad for a sunny vacation and a hand full of hot summer days). It's a sent most sertenly not for everyone but for me it was finding my signature sent again. I feel comfortable wearing it, I feel instantly proper and secure, it's like nice underwear or high class jewelry. ;-) When my bottle it empty I'll fly to London just to get my hands on a new one if I have to.
And I love the new bottle as well, large enough to last and like the Kiehl's bottles no fuss, just plane simple and elegant.

Classified as a feminine scent (which I completely disagree with), Black Cashmere opens up with a dominant burned woody smell,(I do smell incense, although not listed in the notes) mixed with an evident spicy tone of saffron and nutmeg.

The scent lasts for about 30 minutes, and soon after that, goes down giving more space to a white pepper note. Longevity on this one is very good.

its a pity this is a rare find- an ideal representation of classic scent, with a dark richness not commonly found
anyone knows where i can get me one of these lately?
been searching for this for close to 9 years now

I adore this fragrance - it sends me to a happy place when I put it on and I would wear it as my signature fragrance if I could get my hands on another bottle. I love the cinnamon/carnation/spice scents which I adore.

I love incense notes in a fragrance, but this one has too much patchouli for my liking and it gives me a headache. It's a 'no' from me, I'm afraid.

I popped by David Jones tody to try this gorgeous smoky/spicy bomb on my skin and see about getting my name on that list.
To my delight a solitary bottle came in and was there ~ Just.For.Me!
So I bought it and tested the tester... Wont be returning it!
This has heavenly spices with a whisker of florals, a kiss of rose and carnation, seasoned to purfection with some pepper and that smokiness, its similar to woodsmoke but not overpowering.
The spray on my wrist after 4 hours is still very detectable but soft, its the squirt down cleavage that is producing a strong comforting pulse of perfume.
This is so deffinately a winter scent, absolutely suited to leather and wool and I would suggest spraying on the warmest parts of the body and on clothing.
This will be my signature for winter.
So pleased to be one of the few to have in in 'Ye ol Perth town'

Love this in autumn and winter. Strong, so I apply with a light hand, but the dry down is a dreamy blend of spices and incense. Brilliant sweater scent. Love love love!

As an incense fragrances lover I had to test Black Cashmere and I got totally satisfied. If you ever wondered about designer's fragrances that smell like niche you have to test this marvellous composition by Rodrigo Flores-Roux. A distinctive and very elegant blend of frankincense and spices (clove) on a delicate floral accord of incredible beauty. Stark yet friendly. A perfect unisex fragrance that comfortably seats next to expensier up-market releases and niche's cult compositions. Dark, mysterious, intriguing and intoxicating.

I still have to make up my mind on the packaging / bottle, but this is part of the Black Cashmere's mysterious game.

Rating: 8/10

I have a couple of samples, but a while back I bought a partial bottle of this, knowing it was something I would like. It’s the silly black mouse bottle, one of the few that I’ll tolerate despite the fact that it doesn’t stand up by itself.

The first thing I smell is frankincense, lots of it. Then it’s joined by woody and resinous notes, cedar, sandalwood, a pinch of clove/carnation and nutmeg, and a bit of myrrh and probably some cashmeran, hence the name. There’s a slightly smoky feel to the whole composition, like walking some distance away from a campfire or fireplace where fresh cedar and juniper wood is burning.

When I first smelled the incense in the opening, I expected a heavy fragrance, but BC is very light and airy. At first, it’s delicate wisps of smoke drifting through the cool outdoor air, not a heavy wool wrap. It has plenty of sillage, but it’s subtle, not the sort that hits you in the face. It’s safe to spray, at least in small amounts, which is something I can’t say for most commercial perfumes. As it dries down, it becomes a little sweeter, with the vanilla and amber starting to come through, but overall it stays fairly linear, gradually thickening and increasing in intensity. It lasts at least 12 hours, and is still there full force on clothing the next day and the next ….

Black Cashmere is one of my go-to scents in the rotation that I wear regularly, but it does need to be used in moderation.

I REALLY like this one! I find the name to be quite fitting. Upon the first spray the Saffron hits you right in the nose! It's so spicy and smokey, smells like burning wood in a fireplace on a cold DARK night. This is certainly a WINTER scent. I too agree this could be a unisex scent.

I have obtained a decanted sample of Black Cashmere and I rushed to test it. Indeed, having little expectations saves one from disappointment. I have wanted to try this perfume for so long, I have read so many praising reviews, I have imagined it to be so beautiful and unique… Now that I have worn it from morning till night I can say that this is a rather linear spicy scent on me. Unfortunately, there’s nothing black and nothing cashmere about it. What I get is freshly ground nutmeg with a little vanilla. At first, it has a sweet medicinal cough syrup note which disappears quite quickly. Then it settles down and becomes pure fresh spicy nutmeg. The nutmeg becomes sweeter and woodier in the base, but this is still nutmeg. Well, maybe the weather is wrong, or my skin chemistry does not allow me to appreciate potential beauty of this juice, but what I feel about BC is that … it is boring. I’ll keep my sample till warmer days come to give it another try.

Update: Wear it with wool as the name suggests - then it becomes as dark, smoky and incensy as it is described by other reviewers.

Today I received this unique, hard to find gem!
This was a blind buy for me, I always wanted to smell this as the notes seem very intriguing.
Well, my first impression was: Wow, very woodsy, masculine and nicely spiced!
This gem is an amalgamation of different kinds of woods drenched in a spice bath full of pepper and mainly cloves.
Yes, cloves are the scenestealer all the way for me!!
From the beginning I can smell the cloves,very sharp in the beginning and later it stays very soft on the background.
I have never encountered such a fragrance before! A very mystical scent, perfect for cold, dark weather. What I like is, how it changes its character from a smoky bit masculine scent into a soft, milky comforting scent.
I am glad that I have tested this at least once.
But I know that its not my scent, though I like it very much but still its not me. I know my father would love this scent very much, but since he bathes in his perfumes, I will definate not give this rare scent to him. Will put this up for swap.

Don't be fooled by reviews that this is a dark scent ok it has good amount of incense but i'ved smelled perfumes that
are darker then this like Habanita and amouage Lyric Woman but it promises to offer coziness and warmness those are the
ones i agree with, Black Cashmere has the same dominant note of Saffron as of Chaos
but not as overpowering then chaos

it does give you to cozy feel of a cashmere sweater i also love the nutmeg
note it reminiscent to the scent of hot espresso on a cold winters day curled up
with a good book,

the spices are suble and yet noticible
and with carnation to warm the senses
and powdery rose to dry the middle for
the more woodsy touches of Sandalwood
pure and uncut warm amber and vanilla

I wouldn't called it Opulent dark mysterious I think it's a little to
shy for that and a bit modest but
Cozy warm and Soothing.

...after 2 hours...

ok. finally this witch of a fragrance isn't making me wretch.

in fact, if it continues like this, by 6 pm (it's 1pm now) i will love the stuff.

i did mix it with the omnia. all i smelled was black bilge. so i threw on some cashmere mist on the pile. take one gross fragrance, one great one and one about which i'm luke warm to cool, and it should even out.

i think it has.

WOW! i have had an ephiphany. thinking. with dk, i have to think, sniff, think, etc. until i reach no decision at all.

i don't wear perfume to strain my brain. that's why i watch tv.

personal perfume chemistry should be just that: an spark of recognition. i give each new fragrance i don't love 3 tries, a few days apart.

but NONE of them require so much bloody THINKING. i like it, i don't. i like the top notes only, i like the dry down better, the whole thing is great, or totally...

with dk, i feel like i'm having to invent the stuff. she is not paying me enough for that. based on her perfumes, she's not paying anyone enough to do that.

oh well. i'm going to lie down. i have a headache.

i had never hit the dislike button. but i have now.

i adore saffron perfumes. i thought i'd mix this with bvlgari (god i hate those precious twits for that bloody "v") omnia, or wear it alone.

alone is right. it won't even mix with dishwashing liquid enough to come off my hands.

and this complete idiot, this dolt, bought 2 litres (yeah, you read right) before even sniffing the junk. it was 99 bucks, what're you going to do? an auction where nobody else bids should have been the subtle clue.

i better consult my extra evil enemy list and pick one out for a special delivery.

no, i won't let them have the bottles. i'll spray the outside of their house and car and yard with it. the paint will peel, the tires go flat, and the grass will wither on contact.

i could have liked this one just a little more.

time for dk to get out of the scent biz.
one good perfume this woman makes. just one. and it isn't black. it's gold.

I second gypsy perfumista's opinion, so rather than writing another take on this sultry oriental gem, here's a tip:

I just aquired a huge bottle of Chaos by Donna Karan, the re-edition in the tall black bottle and is a part of the 'Essence' range, thinking it's the original Chaos fragrance which I never smelled.

Oddly, I actually think the new Chaos is the mixture of 80% dark, woodsy-nutmeg-clove heaven Black Cashmere + 20% light and creamy spice benzoin Theorema.

So if you're trying to hunt down BC, I recommend you go for the re-issued Chaos that can be purchased in UK department stores for £55 / 100ml Eau de Parfum. I actually got mine on ebay for half as much.

This is one of the most wonderful perfumes I have ever smelled! It is so sad all the wonderful ones are now so hard to find or much too expensive. My mom is a big fan of Cashmere Mist and DK in general; but for the most part CM didn't thrill me, it's nice enough, but THIS is beyond heavenly...

*Malegria: Thank you Eva for the generous sample you gave Mother!*

An opening devoid of citrus, fruits or any greens cuts right to the chase and opens with a wonderful warm nutmeg aroma that is spicy, yet smooth and powdery. The saffron's delicate floral pollen like aroma adds to this with a subtle rich flavor. The heart is spicy peppered carnation and a dry rose scent that reminds one of a flower pressed in a book to remember a long lost lover. This blends with the skin so well, and feels soft and warm not unlike a cashmere sweater, that still carries the scent of a heavy incensy resin or balm. The drydown is grand: oriental, sweet, and exotic. Rodrigo Flores-Roux; I should have known, the man is a wizard when it comes to creating unique and superb perfumes. More incense and woods than florals; this is a splendid spicefest that I won't soon forget, and will add it to my top ten most wanted scents ever...

Sillage: very good
Longevity: excellent
Overall: 4.75/5

This scent is supposed to be a woman's perfume but it smells just wonderful on my male skin; and in fact very warm, and masculine as far as I am concerned. I have a new love in my life-a dark, smooth, exotic beauty that keeps me warm and loved; a sacred love that others may not understand, but takes me back to ancient forests, burnt offerings and mysterious rituals-a time when things were simpler and Mankind, Nature and the Gods were in harmony...

A special thank you to Malegria: Thank you Eva for the gift of this wonderful perfume. It exceeded my expectations.

A superb spicy floral with a heavenly incensy finish. Perfect for cold winter nights...

Black Cashmere, is rich, sultry and dark. I liken it more to black, shiny silk rather than cashmere.

There is something oddly sexual about this fragrance, perhaps it is its slightly masculine smokiness and bold spiciness. I'm surprised that this wasn't so popular when it was first released, however the amount of followers it has gained since the re-release has been huge.

In a sense this fragrance is quite complex, with an array of spicy notes, woods and earthy vanilla. I expected this fragrance to be much stronger, sillage-wise than it was. Black Cashmere is surprisingly quite intimate, soft almost.

The scent is bewitchingly beautiful, a definite must-try for incense lovers like myself. I sprayed Black Cashmere all over myself prior to going out in the city, I did however have Myrrhe Ardente by Annick Goutal sprayed lightly on my right wrist. While I enjoyed both scents, Black Cashmere unfortunately didn't last the distance, the long seven hours, drunken, in a pair of heels was too long for this fragrance to last.

I do believe that with the re-issue the scent has been watered-down, made much softer, because from what I've heard, Black Cashmere in its original formulation was heavy and cloying.

This fragrance is still delightful, don't get me wrong, however I'm a woman that loves her incense-based fragrances heavy and lasting. Black Cashmere, in my opinion, is better suited to intimate occasions, like romantic dates or cold nights lying in front of a nice, warm fire.

I was expecting something much warmer from a perfume with cashmere in its name. Unfortunately, I find this very dry and can only smell the incense along with some nutmeg in the drydown. I don't mind incensy fragrances (I love my Encens Flamboyant) but there seems something to be lacking from this one. I hoped it would grow on me, like Fumerie Turque, but after a week of wearing it everyday, I still find it just OK. Oh, and my husband hates it, but then he dislikes all incensy perfumes. The lasting power is really great though.

Talk about the opposite customer from Cashmire Mist. You know the scent is going to be heavy if the top notes are customarily used as base notes (nutmeg). This one smells very masculine. One of the strongest and borderline offensive scents Ive ever smelled. Not a fan.

I think this would be a great masculine scent- initially it is very dark and resinous then settles down to incense on my skin. Not smelling any flowers at all..not really my cup of tea.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting from this perfume. Black cashmere brings to mind soft, luxurious, stylish comfort. I don't get any of that here.

Resin, wood sap and incense dominate this composition. Looking at the notes I am stunned to discover none of these are listed. It must be perfumer's alchemy because my olfactory nerves are quite insistent upon this.

Black cashmere reminds me of a dark, cold, dense woods filled with red-eyed critters hiding in the foliage and danger lurking under every log. I am all alone and lost. Everything around me is alien and threatening. I am one very unhappy camper.

The drydown I find even more depressing. After a day stumbling desperately for the light, night sets in and while the day leaks away through the canopy, so too does hope.

Black Cashmere speaks to my soul but its message is not one of love. It is about stark bewildered loneliness.

When I first test it - it was miracle. Dark, sexy, a bit spicy and very "confident" scent. I knew I had to have it.
Today I got decant and I couldn't wait to put it on and all I could notice is spice, spice and spice. It made me sad because I was waiting for this mysterious scent...
I do like (mild) spicy perfume, but it simply took me by suprise.
It reminded me a bit of Myrrhe Ardente, but is more wearable than MA.

I am sure during winter I will rediscovered his other, more misterious, side.

Well, I liked it but I did not love it as I had expected to. I loved that the spicyness of the perfume lasted the entire time of wear-a good 4 to 6 hours-it was still spicy on my skin ! Excellent! It seemed to be only Frankinsense and Myrrh, wich is perfect for me-with a back drop of flowers-but I see there is no Frankinsense or Myhrrh listed in the notes here! What I did not love-is that it acted as a skin scent on me, with no sillge, and the scent did not change very much during wear. Ms. Karan-this is being scratched off my list of Must-Haves..oh well...

i love this perfume i think its unisex perfume

this was the fragrance being launched when I was applying for the PR job at Estee Lauder's Designer Fragrances division in London. I got the job. I took individual notes and made a live presentation as a demo to my boss. I got white pepper, wenge wood, I remember that and rose I think...and maybe ylang ylang? Very very unusual and heavy, definitely a uber wintery scent in my view cos it literally can heat you up. the bottle is a 'pebble'. The lotion is nicer I think.

Really smoky and woody with touches of spice. A unique, unusual scent that would be reasonably divisive - you're going to love it or hate it. It used to be reasonably affordable but has now moved into the high end part of Donna Karan's range. I don't love it enough to stomach it full time but I'd be intruiged if I smelled it on someone else. Would work excellently as a unisex too.

this smells reeeally good! i smell alot of woods and cloves. Yummy sexy scent!

I love it so much!!! The scent is warm and compliments my body's chemistry - I can smell it and enjoy as a cat enjoys smelling catnip... It last forever on my skin and hair... it gets better and better after long hours of wearing it - no need of re-applying it. I enjoy it so much!!! Unfortunately, it is discontinued...:( But I still buying this amazing perfume on-line... LOVE IT!!!

When I close my eyes and smell this on my skin, I am transported to an old church with real incense that burns on charcoal burners and polished wooden pews. It is deeply soothing, dark and peaceful. I wore it recently on a night out and my husband thought it smelled as though I hadn't washed!!!! oooops I can't wear it around him again. I'm assuming therefore that it is a polarizing fragrance and I am not sure when to wear it (apart from church) but I will certainly keep it for my own olfactory pleasure.

very strong ,spicy, but the dry down is more pleasant.perferct for cold winter nights,lasts forever,please dont purchase it without testing, its not an easy to wear fragarnce

To jeden z najpiękniejszych zapachów jakie znam. Całkiem mój;-) Kadzidlany, mistyczny i piękny. Trudno go opisać. Jest boski!

I seen the tester bottle of this for sale today for $9.95 so I sampled it and yuck it reminds me of CK secret obsession in which I detest.Second the bottle looks like a mouse for a computer so silly looking.NO SALE.

I love the top! Intense, heady, spicy and rich. I think there may be too much of something (carnation? patchouli?) though, as all I smell after the opening is clove. Lots and lots of clove. This may be the incense everyone refers to. It's ok, but not perfect for me.

Saturday i sprayed on Agent Provocateur - this time it was very "dirty" and animalic - and i love it... and as it dried down i could smell the saffron.

So Sunday i sprayed on Black Cashmere over the remains of AP. I bought both early this year on the recommendations of other Frangrantica members when i asked about saffron scented perfumes.

Where Agent Provocateur can come on like a punch in the nose (but a really pleasurable one :-) Black Cashmere caresses its way into one's sensibilities. I've worn it before, but this time the saffron, rose, and carnation lingered long and gentle, after the hot spices, which make for an exciting beginning, simmered down. It is absolutely delicious and multi-layered.

I have been waiting and wanting to test this for a long time and finally acquired a decant the other day. I was so excited to open it and eagerly spritzed my wrist....only to be disappointed. All I can smell is oddly metallic cloves! And cloves aren't even listed in the fragrance notes!! Maybe it is the Nutmeg and the Saffron leading me to believe I am smelling cloves, but that still doesn't explain the metallic twinge I was getting. Strange, very strange indeed. I am not going to give up though, those notes sound soooo good and I am determined to give this scent another try or two. Who knows....maybe it was something I ate that messed up my regular body chemistry....perhaps garlic? (I had made alot of grilled onion/garlic and swiss cheese bread that day, and had sampled quite a bit of it, hot from the oven, LOL)

one of the best perfume in perfume world. very deep and distinctive scent

Thanks to all these rich reviews I discovered it for myself! To fall in love with it completely I had to try it two times. One time I tried it on cooler day and felt very strong smoky wood from the beginning, which in hour changed into something warm soft -difficult to describe. I found it so strange, that decided to try it one more time and it happens on sunny and windy day - I was so surprised to like it from first wind blow.. I was looking for right words or images. For me it is combination of leather, motorbike, elegance and confidence, maybe a bit of loneliness. Could be the most suitable perfume for Trinity and Neo from Matrix:)

I think I just fell in love! I got a bottle without testing and it is amazing. It`s coming on strong, like a blow of sweet prune-scented tobacco in your face, almost offensive, and you think - but it`s a man fragrance!!! - and all of a sudden you feel the magic of nutmeg and cloves and the first impression of an assault starts to change altogether.You feel yourself as a spanish dancer,Carmen with her little cigarette, maja of Madrid of the times of Goya...And just when you get adjusted to your newly found medieval feminine powers - you get incense, and smoke, and even a bit of bees wax, and you are in the dark, gloomy ancient church, a beautiful witch being judged by Inquisition and still not afraid of anything...

One of the best perfumes ever... In the biginning, few years ago it was signature scent of my best friend, I used to love them but could not wear them... This summer I was on holiday and tehy were on sale...I bought them and I fall in low in them... Love at 2nd sight:)

Great undertones of sweet resin and florals, but the dry down brings it firmly into the 1980s oriental bracket, a range of fragrances I don't like. If the beginning notes lasted longer, this might be great, but the ending smells too much of heavy oriental for me.

Have to agree with an early reviewer that drydown is key to this scent. The spicy/woody sharpness that opens (which I don't mind) ends up being warmed up by something not patchouli, not musk, and not really amber...my words aren't working so well right now, but the Black Cashmere is. :)

Have you ever been in a old, traditional finnish smokesauna? Smokesauna is small, separate timberhouse that is warmed up by burning logs for many hours, and there isn't any pipe for smoke go out, and befofe entering the sauna, thick smoke and carbon monoxide is ventilated fast away, and the heat remains. It's dark inside, blackened walls, strong smoke aroma lingering and make your eyes watering, and when you leave it, no matter how much you wash yourself, your skin is fragranced by this dense, dark smoke. And now i know, you can have this special aroma in a bottle!

Really different perfume.

it was very straight prune scent. There was prune and some cinnamon(almost undistinguished). It's very soft, CASHMERE word is right here, because the prune is almost woolly here, but still a one sided prune, and some spice, soft and warm, of course..

Can't imagine wearing it..food and drink smell for me, and very straight forward one..smelling like a dried black cashmere prune drink.. and warm
Even the bottle in the picture looks like this dried fruit,but this is from original edition I guess, the one I tested was a regular cylinder bottle

It's the intriguing mixture of saffron and carnation that push my buttons. Absolutely unique and the kind of incense perfume to try if you tend to shy away from patchouli. Even though it's discernible, the patchouli here is a gentle, dry note that acts as a conduit for the warmer, more powdery notes to follow. It's never allowed to dominate.

Black Cashmere is a beautiful, lingering fragrance that evokes the same atmosphere one finds in ancient churches - those years of incense forever infused in the timeworn wood of the pews. A hushed reverence at first, which blossoms into warm and comforting spice. Never harsh, beautifully blended and actually a very good rendition of what black cashmere would smell like, if cashmere did have a scent! Fabulously touchy-feely bottle, too, that begs to be snuggled in the palm of your hand.

Everything is right - this one deserves far more accolades that the rest of Donna Karan's perfumes. Then again, if it were more popular and widely available, perhaps it would lose some of its exclusivity, which is part of the great allure, after all.

Forego the innocent side of yourself, bring out the Diva in you and explore the world of drama with this exceptional scent. The sexiness of the spices of nutmeg and cinnamon along with carnation which exudes it's natural clove essence is superb. The intensity of the incense, which is predominant from beginning to end will entice you as well as those around you. "I'm just mad about saffron, and saffron's mad about me", so Karan's ingenious idea in adding this mellow yellow note bring forth a tinge of lightness was brilliant. If you love dark incense, if you want to be noticed (in a good way) this is a must
Black Cashmere seems to be scarce but it's around and worth the find!

Spicy notes? Cinnamon? Carnation?
I have had samples of this fragance for years and I love it, but I can't get any of these notes. I smell the most lovely incense which makes me think of catholic churches and procressions. I don't see it as a hot scent. To me it is cold, dry-bone, but so relaxing...

Gloomy, dark, incense smell. Heavy, magic. For femme fatale, so, not for me.

Today I´m testing this fragrance for the first time and I definitly have to have it! I want to be wrapped by this warm Amber-scent all winter long!

I have to agree that this scent is a must for incense lovers.. Very intense incense. There is something in it that reminds me of Maja and that is the only part of the fragrance that ruins it a bit for me.

Important: wait for the drydown before deciding if you like it. It takes some time to develop and mingle with your skin. After some time has passed, the magic happens. Black Cashmere is smoky and spicy, rich and mysterious. It's not a sweet comfort scent...this smells more like spices and incense baking on hot sand. I live in New England, and BC reminds me of the autumn air here. In fact, it would be perfect to wear when you're relaxing in front of the fireplace. A must try for incense/spice lovers, it's a most unique perfume. Love the sculptural, stone-shaped bottle, too. Would also smell GREAT on a man.