Black XS for Her by Paco Rabanne

Making my way through even more boxes of fragrance samples, I have another one for the ladies, even if it has been out a long time: Black XS for Her EDT by Paco Rabanne. This has been a fairly popular scent since its release in the mid-2000s, but does it actually live up to its reputation? In this post, I’m going to explore how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if this eau de toilette is even worth a buy?

What does Black Xs for Her EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: cacao, cranberry, rose, musk, vanilla, patchouli, pink pepper, wood, violet

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Black Xs By Paco Rabanne For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 2.7-Ounces

My Full Review

Upon first sniff, the opening of Black XS for Her, really reminded me of the men’s version. Fruity and patchouli. The difference? The women’s version is so much better and toned down the patchouli to a more tolerable level.

Also, they use cranberry in this one in lieu of lemon. I was having a hard time distinguishing the cranberry note, until it struck me that the opening had elements of another men’s fragrance, Polo Red.

Make no mistake, however, Black XS for her is a wholly feminine perfume and it starts off hard. That cranberry note is tart and delicious. It’s joined by the aforementioned patchouli, rose, and that semi-sweet cacao.

These are the notes which dominated this eau de toilette for the first 30 minutes or so. It’s funny, I don’t really smell the rose at all after this point, and it’s usually one that hangs around for the long haul.

I definitely like the pink pepper note here, that comes along later in the wear. It really does a great job at playing off of the cranberry note and adding a layer of warm spice with the mus

k. Also, I guess this has tamarind as an ingredient also. But, I’m not really familiar with exactly how that note smells. A bit spicy, I believe.

As it dries down, I get more of that raw cacao aroma, musk, and patchouli.

The cranberry becomes less prevalent and Black XS takes on a different kind of vibe. It’s sweeter and less tart, cacao and vanilla will do that to a perfume.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the early phase is pretty strong. At least it feels that way, because of the cranberry note. Again, it changes as it moves along and feels much more moderate to my nose.

So, at the start it can feel as if it’s been over-sprayed. Unless you really did pour it on, this perfume will settle down.

The longevity was actually good on my skin, I got at least seven hours out of Black XS, maybe a tad more. For what this is, that’s not bad at all. Since it’s really not a daily wear fragrance, you probably won’t need it to go 10+ hours in almost any scenario.

Seasonally, this is built for winter, or late autumn. Cold weather all the way. It would seemingly be a mess in any conditions that are too warm.

This isn’t an office kind of scent either. Black XS is great for the nightlife. It is youthful (not total teenager but twenties) and actually smells really sexy and appealing.

As a guy, I would love smelling this on a woman. It’s so sweet and has that gourmand edible quality to it. This Paco Rabanne perfume isn’t some complicated masterpiece, but it sure strikes a chord.

Overall Impressions of Black Xs for Her

Overall, would I recommend trying Black XS for her? Yes. That is of course, provided you enjoy berry-laden, warm, sweet, and chocolatey fragrances. It’s not really going to be an everyday wear, since it doesn’t fit into all of those situations.

However, for nights out? Yep! This stuff hangs beautifully in the wintertime and again for sure has sex appeal. Give it a look.

The performance is above average and the aroma is really darn attractive. A bottle is usually not too expensive either, so it can find a spot in one’s rotation, without having to shell out the cash.

This is much better to me than the men’s version. The cranberry and cacao are actually quite nice up top. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy that as much as I did, but the patchouli and vanilla come in and really provide great support.

It’s a mix of sweet gourmand and earthy light spice. The rose note doesn’t really do much on my skin, but maybe other people will get more of that note.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.