Black Afgano by Nasomatto is the holy grail of perfumes and its allure is so intoxicating that it sells out pretty quick among those in the know. So coveted is this scent, that Selfridges only have a massive display bottle and if you’re lucky, they’ll give you a spritz from a tester under the counter.
After scanning the Nasomatto fragrance collection and continually finding Black Afgano to be missing, imagine my delight to find that Harvey Nichols is now stocking the illusive scent!
Not to be confused with hemp, Black Afgano encapsulates the mysterious scent of hashish – smoky and spicy with hints of cedar wood, vanilla, amber and patchouli. It’s very strong and full-bodied, so you can expect it to last for hours and hours.
The liquid itself is a deep, inky black and apparently it is said to arouse the effects of temporarily bliss – as a perfume addict, I can wholly believe that!
At £98 for 30ml, it’s something of an investment buy, but then again you probably wouldn’t spritz on Black Afgano to go and do your laundry, so it will last.
If you need to wait to put Black Afgano on your Christmas wishlist, there some slightly more affordable niche scents that have that intoxicating, midnight aroma.
Comme Des Garçons Red Series are made up of five fragrances with red elements (obviously), all centred around peppery florals and spicy woods. My absolute favourite is Palisander – a woody, aromatic scent with a hint of raspberry jelly and sherbet (although the official sweetening note is actually myrrh).
Another favourite is Robert Piguet Visa – a dark, smoky vanilla-infused scent that is a million times more appealing and modern than its iconic sister fragrance, Fracas. Visa was created in 1945 by Germaine Cellier, but was brought bang up-to-date by Givaudan’s Aurelien Guichard, who gave the perfume a revival while staying true to the original fragrance.
Also worth a mention are Dior Midnight Poison, a mixture of black rose, bergamot and patchouli with a slightly menthol scent, and Comme Des Garçons Daphne, created by the formidable Daphne Guinness with notes of Tunisian jasmine, amber, bitter orange, oud and saffron. It evokes the heavy incense aroma of a mysterious old Moorish church and is an intense, seductive evening fragrance.
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