The Black 92 by Emper

Excellent interpretation of the scent by which it is inspired. On my nose I find it more floral, but that earthy tea leaf note is well present, like the The Noir 29 I own. For my taste it is an all-weather, smart-casual fragrance which for the price is completely worth it. I agree it is not for everyone, but honestly if you want something different, mature and versatile give it a go. It has earned me a good many compliments, the reason I opted for The Noir 29

Very similar to The Noir 29, obviously it is a dupe so do not expect it to be the same, but for the price it is well worth it, floral, so for fragile and heteronormative masculinities it does not work, in fact nothing in life suits them. Otherwise it is a very good perfume, much better in the afternoon – evening, in the daytime it could feel a bit heavy, those “funeral lady” comments are from narrow-minded people. But well, each to their own.

It’s a perfume for men, confident and uncomplicated. It’s a serious scent but not at all old-fashioned. At times it reminds me of Encre Noire and hints of the Toy Boy rose, but very faintly. Maybe that’s what puts so many people off… To my nose, this “floral” touch comes with an elegant and distinguished aromatic profile, you can perceive a somewhat dark laurel (in Chile there is a laurel used to make living hedges, not edible) plus the tobacco that lasts through the whole development of the fragrance. In my city it’s autumn-winter most of the year, so the weather is the perfect companion. I’ve dared to wear it to the office, though, in layering, it goes very well with the citrus notes from Imagination dupes. It easily lasts me a full working day and on clothes until the next day. I love it.

And yes, yes it smells like a funeral home, like old-lady floral perfume, guaranteed headache. Sorry, I know niche-type scents are for “knowledgeable” people who “take risks” with perfumes. But I’d a thousand times rather be labelled as simple or a novice with perfume than wear this. I’ll let it macerate for a few months to see if it changes, and if not, in the bin because I don’t think anyone in life deserves the headache this causes

Interesting, that’s the best way to describe it. I don’t know the original fragrance it’s inspired by but for the price it’s a quite complex and memorable experience. Fragrance isn’t really that present in my everyday life, so it’s a completely different scent to my nose, nothing like what you’d expect from mass-market fragrances. Aside from that pompous intro I can say it’s one of the fragrances that has given me the most contrasting impressions but that in the end I’ve loved, the hit of hay and bay leaf is very noticeable in this fragrance, in my opinion that’s what gives it that complexity and makes it not very versatile, the fig note is delicious and gives it a youthful/experimental vibe, I’m not completely sure but vetiver does take centre stage at times and gives it that powdery-cosmetic quality you’d expect from more aggressive beauty products. Longevity is pretty good, I’m not sure it’s a fragrance I enjoy reapplying but it has given me good performance, if I apply it from 10 in the morning I still perceive it very faintly until 9 at night. I wouldn’t recommend it for all occasions, I imagine how tiring it must be to wear this stuff at over 25°C and in enclosed spaces. I have this crazy idea that it somehow reminds me of Toy Boy by Moschino, not 100 per cent but there’s something similar there, as if The Black 92 were the older brother who has taken knocks from life and had to mature early, it doesn’t have the romanticism of Toy Boy’s rose and has a deeper effect.

It’s a fragrance for confident, unselfconscious men. It sounds serious but nothing stuffy. Sometimes it reminds me of Encre Noir and hints of Toy Boy’s rose, though very subtle. Perhaps that’s what turns many off… For me, that floral note blends with an elegant, distinguished profile; I detect a dark bay laurel (the kind used for hedging in Chile, not the culinary variety) and tobacco that lasts throughout the development. It’s cold almost year-round here, so the climate is the perfect companion. I dared to wear it at work with layering; it works brilliantly with citrus dupes of Imagination. It easily lasts all day and on clothes until the next day. I absolutely love it.

And yes, it smells like a funeral, like an old lady’s floral, like a guaranteed headache. Sorry, I know niche fragrances are for ‘knowledgeable’ people who ‘take risks’. But I’d far rather be simple or a beginner than wear this. I’ll let it macerate for a few months to see if it changes, and if not, to the bin because I don’t think anyone deserves the headache this causes.