Black Mango by BORNTOSTANDOUT®

Although Black Mango starts off sticky and innocent, it soon reveals its true character: the mango ripens quickly with leather and oud, resulting in a delightfully dirty scent. There are smoky, burnt, and nutty nuances. If you move from the cold outdoors to a warm environment, you notice how it awakens, like embers being fanned. It has that indefinable quality of cured leather, of something worn, of an old wooden tool. All in the best sense: pleasant and very original. As is logical, it performs above average (still bubbling at 12-13 hours), but sometimes these fruity-oud-leather combinations can be over the top. Black Mango is perfectly wearable and enjoyable. It’s not pretentious. With moderation, it can be worn in a normal office, now and then, without issues. It won’t get you flagged by HR or the psychologist. It suits both day-to-day wear and going out. It’s casual and, from my experience, sparks curiosity. Perhaps people dislike it because no one smells like that, but I’ve received several compliments. Although I prefer more moderate fragrances, I believe it’s worth knowing and having small-format versions of such creations.

Like the rest of the Borntostandout range, this is polarising: you either love it or hate it. I’m definitely in the former camp. The opening is a brutally intense, mature blast, with a hint of bubblegum or tropical hair mask that has me hooked. On Fragrantica and other sites, people complain it fades quickly, and I understand why, but it’s in the dry-down where it truly shines. The base is oud, animalic, dirty and sensual, with leather and smoke, as if it’s been set alight (if you’ve ever burnt sandalwood, you’ll get it). There’s also a toasted caramel note, almost like cocoa or burnt almonds. Some say it smells rotten, but no – it’s precisely the moment before: soft, chopped, inedible but not because it’s going bad. Others pick up a disco bath scent, and I admit there is a bit of that, but it’s that animalic, dirty, radical, nocturnal and underground facet that makes some feel nauseous while driving others absolutely wild. It’s pure ‘to standout’ in alternative settings, yet thoroughly enjoyable. Projection and longevity are beastly (up to 24 hours on skin and over a week on clothes); just one or two sprays (keep them away from your neck if you don’t want to suffocate) are more than enough. I think it’s ideal for layering – a little touch over something fresher on a summer night will give it an extra spark.