kilian

Dark Lord by Kilian

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Dark Lord is a part of ‘The Smokes’ collection by Kilian. I’ve had a sample of this for probably over a year, at this point, just sitting in a box waiting to be tested. Well, I finally got around to putting this fragrance through its paces, in order to do my full review. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Dark Lord Smell Like?

Notes include: pepper, jasmine, vetiver, leather, bergamot, rum, and more

Click here to try: Dark Lord

My Full Review

Tried Dark Lord? Leave your own rating and review in the comments!

Let’s see how Kilian describes this: DARK LORD ‘EX TENEBRIS LUX’ is a gentleman of the night. Meet him in the most surprising of circumstances and his mystery slowly unfolds: A head-twisting mix of shadows and light…

Dark Lord opens up with a fairly dense and intense aroma. Bergamot gives it a bit of bright citrus up top, but this is offset by peppery and smoky rum, and a rather dirty-ish leather that permeates through the entire wear.

The booziness of the rum is there, but it isn’t a completely soaked feeling during the wear.

Jasmine, however, may be the strongest player in the opening stage of Dark Lord. It sits right in the middle flanked by the other notes, giving Dark Lord an early floral scent.

For me, the spiciness, is really only in the opening act. From there, it takes on an earthier and woodier quality for the rest of the wear. Kilian says that the pepper is one of the key notes, but on my skin at least, that’s not the case.

In fact, I get a lot more vetiver, cedar, and other general woods than I ever do the pepper.

As we move forward, the jasmine will start to lose its position within the composition. The leather and vetiver become pretty strong here and I’m still getting the smokiness sans the spice.

Dark, earthy, and has an herbal or medicinal sort of finish to it.

The latter stage is leather, cypress, vetiver and the faded remnants of cedar and jasmine. Cypress really climbs the ladder and contributes towards the tail end. It really doesn’t do all that much for me early in the wear, then, it’s basically the same weighting as the leather.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Whoa, this fragrance really packs a punch. It’s a room filler, but not the most insane levels that I’ve come across, though it gets up there.

Dark Lord is an example of a little going a long way. Scent trails will be left for sure and the projection from the skin  while you’re just standing there can be picked up from far away.

Not ever going to be mistaken for a weak scent.

The longevity is also top notch. On my skin, it has gone for at least 11 hours, each time that I have sampled it. Other times, a few hours further than that. The real strength of Dark Lord seems to be its performance.

Seasonally, I’d save this one for autumn and wintertime. I couldn’t imaging breaking this Kilian cologne out in the summer heat.

It’s also one that’ll be best served for the nighttime. Lounges, bars, maybe dates…for the right type of guy.

Office wear? No. Younger guys wearing to school? No. This is a masculine beast. Confident and bold, not a daily wear for confined spaces.

Is it sexy? There will be those who find it sexy. This kind of  fragrance can really go either way with the reactions. Some will detest it, while others swoon for it.

Overall Impressions of Dark Lord

Overall, do I like Dark Lord? Somewhat. This isn’t the type of fragrance that I particularly enjoy wearing, on a personal level. That being said, this is a pretty good example, and wasn’t something that I hated wearing.

The opening is pretty intense and is probably my least favorite aspect. I like Dark Lord more so, when it settles, and the leather takes more control. That with the woods and vetiver is nice and smooth.

It reminds me in some aspects of Ombre Leather (the jasmine and earthiness), though I enjoy that one way more. Also, Gucci Guilty Absolute is a pretty close comparison.

This isn’t a mass appeal sort of fragrance, though. Those who dig this sort of scent are going to love it, but a good percentage of people aren’t going to feel the same way. But, if you like Dark Lord, it will reward you with performance.

To me, it’s not a must buy at Kilian prices. More one that you should sample first to see if it appeals to you. Then, commit to making a full purchase. Otherwise, you might get stuck with a sparsely used paper weight on your table.

Forbidden Games by Kilian

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Forbidden Games is a sample that I received from Kilian, when I purchased Angels’ Share a long while back. It is a part of their Narcotics collection and is a perfume that I wasn’t too familiar with going in. I recently broke this perfume out of the box to test it out and give my full review of it. How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Forbidden Games by Kilian Smell Like?

Notes include: peach, osmanthus, orange blossom, tuberose, cinnamon, honey, apple, plum, vanilla, and jasmine

Click here to try: Forbidden Games

forbidden games review

My Full Review

Tried Forbidden Games? Leave your rating and review in the comments!

Forbidden Games kicks things off with its peach note taking center stage. This is flanked by a rather light plum note, apple, spicy cinnamon, and a bit of honey coming through. It’s actually light and pretty fresh with how it comes across.

The apple kind of gives it a body wash or shampoo type of vibe, when I catch whiffs of it.

The cinnamon will roll off and the floral notes will come in. To my nose, I get periods where the orange blossom is particularly strong, and others where it is the tuberose note. Early on, it seems to be the rose that sticks out more.

So, it’s basically a sweet syrupy peach, rose, and the remaining plum note. 

As it moves forward, the peach note will remain distinct. But the other fruity notes, just kind of become a mass of sweetness. The honey recedes, vanilla is introduced, and they combine with the peach to give off a fruity dessert aroma.

The floral notes also feel like they kind of combine into a single entity instead of distinct notes. That’s like what I get for the rest of it. A sweet peachy aroma with a soapy floral backbone. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one starts out as a fairly strong moderate, that will taper into something lighter. It’s not a thick or heavy sort of perfume. Nor is Forbidden Games going to leave a long trail in its wake.

For much of the wear, it will stick closer to the skin, while still being noticeable.

The longevity is around 8-9 hours, on my skin. Not absolutely top of the line, but it wasn’t a disappointment either. 

Seasonally, this one is fine for spring and summer. You can go into autumn with it to, at least the early part.

The name is misleading, as this one isn’t a sexy or really a nightlife type of scent at all. It’s more upbeat and pretty. Can easily become a daily wear, that is suitable for the younger crowd, but isn’t so girlish that it can’t be used by older women.

It’s fresh and clean with how it presents itself. Not seductive, not formal, but can be an easy go to otherwise.

 

Overall Impressions of Forbidden Games

Do I like Forbidden Games? It’s a nice and pretty perfume. Is it amazing or must have? No, not really.

The peach and fruity opening with touches of cinnamon is great. I enjoy that aroma, but it is rather short-lived. After that, it becomes more of a generic floral clean with the peach and some honey.

Is that terrible? Nope, and for some, it could be just what you’re looking for. But, at this price point, Forbidden Games probably isn’t worth it for most people. Plus, Kilian has better fragrances than this one. 

However, if you do happen to like the scent, the performance is solid. Not the loudest perfume out there, but it gives a long enough wear. Everything about Forbidden Games is fine.

With the name, I expected something sexier. It’s in the Narcotics collection, but isn’t all that seductive nor addictive. More like a sweet and clean body wash or shampoo. 

Love, don’t be shy by Kilian

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Love, don’t be shy is one of the most popular perfumes from Kilian. That probably has to do with all of the press, when it was revealed to be the perfume that Rihanna wears. Aside from its celebrity bonafides, Love EDP has always been a fragrance that I enjoyed. I got a sample vial of it, when I ordered Angels’ Share months ago. Now, I figured it was time to finally give it a review.

What does Love, Don’t be Shy Smell Like?

Notes include: caramel, marshmallow, jasmine, rose, honeysuckle, orange blossom, sugar, vanilla, musk, and more

love don't be shy review

My Full Review

Tried this fragrance? Leave your own rating and review in the comments!

The opening of Love EDP really comes with the orange blossom, honeysuckle, and neroli, as the floral notes. Those are joined by the sweetness of marshmallow, caramel, and some vanilla.

The main two are going to be orange blossom and marshmallow here, early on. It’s sweet, sugary, and a warm floral scent that is quite captivating. What I notice about Love, don’t be shy, as I’ve worn it is how the floral notes change…but the sweet notes stay much the same.

So, early on it’s the orange blossom. Then, you get some slight powderiness from iris and rose (both are pretty light), and finally jasmine starts to show up more on my skin.

The neroli here is there at the very start, but to me it gets overshadowed by the orange blossom and eventually I cannot even pick it up at all.

As it moves on in the wear, the marshmallow will take more of a lead and the caramel will fall out of favor for the vanilla. The sweetness here is indeed sugary and pretty candy-like with how it comes across.

That can be a good or bad thing, depending on your own personal tastes. I happen to enjoy this kind of scent.

The final stages are the vanilla and musk notes’ time to shine. The marshmallow is still there, but faded. It’s a general sweetness overall with a vague sense of floral notes. Though, I cannot personally pick any out as individual ingredients.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty strong for a time. It is a fresher and lighter sort of sweet perfume, rather than a massive thick cloud. But, the projection is good well into the wear on me.

I’ve seen people say that this has been reformulated and the performance of Love EDP is bad now. I have a sample vial from 2021 and the longevity is fine for me. It doesn’t disappear in a few hours.

In fact, I can still pick it up about 8 hours after applying it. It’s not a complete marathon or a monstrous scent bomb, but I think reports of its demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Seasonally, stick to autumn through early spring. This Kilian can handle some moderate temperatures, but I wouldn’t venture into the heat of the summertime with it.

It is suitable for all ages. It is a sweet and sugary fragrance, but feels a tad more grown up than the usual fare in this category.

It’s an attractive and edible sort of gourmand scent. Not necessarily sexy, but I do enjoy being around it. Love, don’t be shy isn’t a formal wear and isn’t really a perfume that would be appropriate for all work environments.

Overall Impressions of Love, Don’t be Shy

Overall, do I like this scent? I do. It’s not my favorite, but I do still think that it is one of the best from Kilian.

The orange blossom, caramel, and marshmallow start is great. I like the touches of citrus early on, that give it more of a dynamic feeling.

The floral notes are interesting and give Love, don’t be shy most of its change during the wear. Also, the performance is still fine for me, even with the small sprayer of the sample size.

Now, this may not be one for everyone. I do think most folks will enjoy the way that this smells. However, if you’re not into soft, sugary sweet sort of fragrances, or have problems with orange blossom or marshmallow…you should probably look elsewhere.

Gold Knight by Kilian

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Gold Knight is a fragrance sample that I’ve had sitting in a box for many months now. I tested it out a few times, but never got around to putting my thoughts about it down. Well, I essentially forgot about it for a while, and rediscovered it more recently. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try? Find out below.

What does Gold Knight Smell Like?

Notes include: anise, vanilla, bergamot, patchouli, honey, amber

My Full Review

The aroma of Gold Knight immediately reminds me of Opium Pour Homme, with that anise note up top. Vanilla, anise, and bergamot are here (in lieu of the black currant); along with a general warm amber thickness.

However, it’s definitely not the same as that YSL. Here, it actually is a sweeter honey/amber combination. The spice of the anise is flatter in Gold Knight and it lacks much of the balsamic and smoky notes of that fragrance.

To me, this Kilian is sort of like taking Opium and blending it with Grand Soir. The amber and vanilla notes are especially prominent, as this dries down and that’s basically what that Kurkdjian perfume is.

So, opening up you get a blend of spice and sweetness, both of which are tempered by that thick amber quality. The anise is nice and paired with a delicious honey note early on. Just a hint of the citrus and the opening act is quite attractive here.

The early stages are sweet with the anise giving things a nice added kick of spice. The bergamot hangs around for a little while, but will fade.

The anise also fades, just not entirely until later. This is when Gold Knight starts to really resemble Grand Soir, which I’m not that big of a fan of. Honeyed amber and vanilla with a touch a patchouli to dirty things up…which separates Gold Knight from that perfume.

That’s pretty much what I get for the rest of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is good, but not enormous on my skin. It’s pretty steady through most of the wear and I’d call it on the upper end of moderate.

The longevity is very good, even if Gold Knight isn’t entirely beast mode. As I’ve tested it out, Gold has stayed around for at least 9 hours and can venture into double digits. Now, those last hours are basically skin scent level, but very detectable.

Seasonally, this one for the autumn and winter months. It’s warmth, spice, and thicker constitution aren’t going to be great once the heat and humidity kicks in.

Gold Knight is listed as a fragrance for men. But, it’s actually quite unisex. Opium Pour Homme had more intensity and spice, that made it masculine. This is softer and easy to wear for anybody.

During that time frame, it’s safe to wear basically anywhere. It probably won’t lend itself to most high school students, but outside of that, it’s office safe. It can venture into the nightlife and be able to draw complements and not negative attention.

Overall Impressions of Gold Knight

Overall do I like Gold Knight? I do like it, but I also don’t want a full bottle of it. I like the similarities to Opium, which I used to wear a lot, but I still think that the YSL is a better scent. Plus, the back half here isn’t all that exciting.

Pleasant, sure. But, it doesn’t really do all that much for me. If you’re a fan of this kind of vanilla and amber (honey) combination, it could for sure be one to pick up.

The performance is good and it provides plenty of utility, as a versatile unisex perfume.

When I think of Gold Knight, the phrase ‘it’s fine’ comes to mind. Some people will absolutely love this stuff and it is generally highly rated. To me, it’s a slightly worse version of a scent that I really did love at one point, and another that I never fully ‘got’.

L’Heure Verte by Kilian

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I’ve had a sample of L’Heure Verte for over six months now, that I purchased along with the other Liquors from the Kilian collection. Angels’ Share became an immediate love for me, the others less so. But, I did like Verte when I tried it. So, revisiting for my full review, I wanted to see if this still held the number two spot in the series.

What does L’Heure Verte Smell Like?

Notes include: absinthe, violet leaf, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver

Click here to try: At Sephora

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Kilian describes it: Absinthe essence opens L’Heure Verte by KILIAN with an instant head twist into a nostalgic heart of violet leaf and licorice root absolute. Its dry-down articulates a unique and precisely chosen facet of patchouli that resonates throughout, and blends into a trio of earthy woods along with vetiver and sandalwood. 

The first time that I smelled Verte, I thought, “Oh, Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin“. The resemblance between the two fragrances is obvious to me, as that unique scent was one of the earlier reviews that I did on this site. 

The licorice in that fragrance, will give you much of the same scent as the absinthe accord within this Kilian. Actually, I think the Lempicka also has the wormwood note as well, so it’s basically absinthe.

However, this one is way smoother, less sweet, and the licorice doesn’t hit you as hard up top. 

Up top, it’s got a nice sweet and almost powdery aroma to it. Verte’s licorice is nice, although, I personally start to have enough of it after a while.

Underneath that absinthe is a violet leaf, that hangs around for a while. It does add to the greenish, sort of herbal quality that the booze packs in. 

I do like that this one adds the vetiver, patchouli, and sandalwood to a greater degree and makes it more tolerable than the Lempicka scent. It’s dry, warm, and gives Verte a bit more depth than it otherwise would.  

To me, this fragrance is about the absinthe accord early on. Then, the patchouli will become the second strongest, as we dry down. The sweetness will turn more into a woody booziness that is pretty pleasant. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Verte starts out fairly moderate, very noticeable, but will ultimately sit pretty close to the skin. Not a completely weak perfume, by any means, but not a massive beast that is going to leave a huge trail.

Decent, though.

On my skin, it’ll stick around for 6-7 hours. Not too terrible. Again, the performance isn’t all that great, respectable. Though, I’d personally want more for the Kilian price tag. 

Seasonally, this could work anytime outside of summer. Autumn through early springtime. In the more moderate temperatures, L’Heure Verte is still good to go. However, I wore it on a warmer day and it wasn’t at all near its peak.

This is going to be more of a casual or nighttime wear. I think depending on where you live, it might not get associated with alcohol and could be safe for work. Here in the US, people would associate the licorice note, but probably not catch on to the absinthe.

It’s a boozy gourmand. Not really sexy, but does have an attractiveness to it. It does swing more in the masculine direction, but it is still pretty safely unisex. 

Overall Impressions of L’Heure Verte

Overall, do I like L’Heure Verte? I like the scent, but it’s not a love for me. You’re going to have to really enjoy the aroma of absinthe, because that’s the star here. I do like it for a short period of time, but the smell of licorice wears on me.

Still, this is my second favorite from the Liquors line by Kilian (thus far). The dry down with sandalwood, patchouli, and vetiver is nice. Albeit, not very strong. Once the grip of the licorice gets loosened, I tend to like the back end of this fragrance more.

The performance is just okay. Really, nothing to write home about. It could indeed be better.

This is sort of a safe niche. It’s probably not going to offend anyone, but it’ll stand out as being pretty unique. Most people have never smelled the Lempicka cologne. But, it might not be one that you’d want to take a chance on buying blind. 

The licorice absinthe aroma, is one that isn’t universally appreciated. As such, it’s probably best you try it our before committing to a full bottle.