The Black Rider

[Shadowdawn]

Black leather, oppoponax, tobacco, and black amber.

mhhh... definitely interesting. TOTALLY reminds me of Chimera, and maybe Morocco too!

In the bottle: sweet ambers and musky dar leather (not my typical blend so I wouldn't be able to figure out the oppoponax note), a bit sharp and cologny.

On skin: all sharp and cologny bits are almost totally gone leaving spicy, sweet, dark and VERY sexy leather. Definitely unisex, but it would come off much darker and sexier on a woman in my opinion, and almost a BIT TOO sweet for a man, depending on his chemistry (doesn't really work on my hubby). Reminds me of whip but spicy instead of floral.

Pretty good for those smoky, sexy, naughty dark times .. or butt kicking times. It would work for exemplifying dark power too.

[Incendiare]

As a person who generally doesn't get along with leather, I like this in the imp. The leather is subtle and I can detect a faint waft of oppoponax. It goes a bit wonky on me though. The leather is stronger and a sharp amber comes out. Better than I expected but still not for me.

[theredkilt]

This is such a tame blend, considering it has leather and amber

 

It has an aromatic sweetness which renders a sensual vibe. Don't let the components scare you off, cause it's downright gorgeous and unobtrusive oil blend.

[Smaragdina]

Preconceived notions: I don’t care if this is named after a fairy tale – the Tolkien nerd in me NEEDED this for the name alone. I know I love leather and I’m optimistic about the rest. I’m really excited about this one.

 

In the imp: Rich, mellow black leather.

 

Wet: This is pure, true store-bought leather, rich and sharp enough to be almost acerbic and off-putting. It’s got a grainy texture. I’m nervous.

 

Drydown: The leather mellows out and lets a little amber peek through. This is nice, if a little powdery and similar to Hellfire. It stays like that for maybe two hours, and them bam – amber and sweetness from the tobacco. The graininess is gone! It’s smooth and warm and sweet, with the leather still hanging around close to my skin. Mmmm.

[Wildwoodflower]

This is beautiful in the imp and wet on my skin. To me it's light, clean but not soapy, and slightly sweet. I love the leather in this blend, and the opopanax is nice. I see that some reviewers are calling it dark, but it's not dark at all to me. It's soft, pleasant, and generally unobtrusive. However, much to my dismay, something goes very wrong on my skin after an hour or so. I don't blame the blend at all - I know it's my skin chemistry. Does this have musk in it? I get the same harsh b.o. smell that I get with Crowley and scents that list red musk/dark musk/infernal musk/etc. It's exactly the same wonkiness, so if there isn't musk in The Black Rider, I am at a loss. After another hour or so, the bad smell is gone and I smell wonderful again. I don't know if I can suffer through the gross stage every time I wear this, which makes me sad, because I really love the way it smells when it is in harmony with my skin. It's very much a unisex scent and I think it would be awesome on a man.

[starfish327]

this. is. torture. king.

 

no. seriously. this is torture king minus the citrus with my chemistry.

 

i have finally found my holy grail GC. and i'm an idiot because it's been sitting in my imp box untested for 2 months.

[FormerViking]

Yum , tasty leather matched with slightly sweet notes . I know that when I first got this imp the leather was massive . It's calmed down beautifully . And the blend is masterful , as usual . Wonderful and I'll have to plan on getting a bottle next order .

[sisi33]

I likes, but it's a little too masculine for my tastes.

 

In the bootle: Incense-y leather.

Wet: Leather and... Bug spray? Smell like after you've gone riding, and it's all musty, leather, flyspay-y goodness.

Drydown: Okay, flyspray is gone. Incense and leather, he's GORGEOUS! If I could have one of my guy friends with me right now- he'd be covered in this! Medium high throw. It's like that nice guy that is straight-forward and earthy was bottled. :love!:

 

Not getting rid of the Imp, but I don't think that a big bottle is in my future.

 

4/5

[holborne]

Well, I was expecting to love this and I did. On me, it smells like gorgeous, fine leather, not like the cheap kind you find at flea markets and so forth. The tobacco is definitely there, but it's not overpowering; it reminds me of how my husband smells when he comes home from a cigar bar. I don't get a whole lot of opoponax, which for me is too bad, as it's one of my two or three favorite notes, but it's definitely there in the base note mixed in with the amber, working to mellow the whole blend out.

 

I fell in love with this one at NYCC and bought a bottle on the spot; I'm sure I'll be getting a back up bottle soon.

[Mechanical Death]

Love! I picked this up unsniffed on a whim--oh my god am I glad I did. Sexy black leathery almost honeyed dark and beautiful amber and resinous. It's incredibly smooth, dark, not at all powdery. Absolute sex! I would not call this masculine, perhaps unisex, but very very sex kitten powerful and beautiful. I can't rave about this enough, and neither can my fiancé!

[Balame]

This is so sexy! I was rather surprised when I put this on because I was expecting a really strong leather with a lot of throw, but it's actually quite balanced and light in terms of sillage. The intensity of the leather is nowhere near what it is in scents like Fighter and Kroenen. Surprisingly, I wouldn't even say the leather is as dominant as it is in White Rider!

 

Instead, this is beautifully blended and I get equal parts of the opoponax, which smells like a gently smoky church incense, some sweet tobacco and soft leather. But when I sniff this I don't immediately pick one note out above the rest.

 

I imagine a warrior priest wearing this. There was a book a super kind forumite gave me about a priest that went vigilante and started killing off the most despicable, disgusting people in the world (those with too much political power and the corresponding abuses) and I would totally imagine him smelling like this. Hot. Taboo but still way hot.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - A smooth green aftershave-y sort of scent

 

Wet on me - Warm, woody, spicy aftershave

 

Dry on me - A clean warm woody leather

 

Overall - I like this a lot, it's possibly a little too manly for me to wear everyday, but I like it

[Zii]

This is delightfully leathery. It's mostly tobacco and the dark sharp leather, plus what I swear is black pepper, though it's not a note. It's a spicy, deep leather scent, tempered by what may be a little sweatness from the amber or oppoponax, thought it's a very honeyed, though not sweet.

 

This is a very sexy and masculine scent, though I would love to wear this. Just delightfully yummy!

[brilliantcat]

In the imp and wet, it's a slightly cologney, slightly sweet leather. Leather is definitely the star here. I get a bit of the powderiness I expect from amber, though it usually grows richer on the drydown and I'm hoping that's what will happen here. But it doesn't. It smells like biker baby powder, leather and powder.

[Pumpkinn]

Disclaimer: I’m not too familiar with the notes in this fragrance, but I tried to do a little research beforehand in an effort to better describe what I’m experiencing as it develops on my skin.

 

Initially, The Black Rider smells like leather and something bitter and sharp. I think Kakiphony did a good job describing the leather at this stage: not deep and rich, but fresh and stiff.

 

Then, a little amber? It’s got a sweetness. The sharpness also mellows into something else that feels…rubbery? And synthetic. I wonder if it’s the oppoponax, assuming the other notes aren’t reacting negatively to my chemistry.

 

I think I do sense powder somewhere, but it comes and goes and eventually fades into a mild sweetness. I’m getting a chocolatey vanilla. Is this the tobacco?

 

The scent settles into a faint leather, a chocolatey vanilla sweetness (tobacco?), and a warm creaminess to fill things out. On my skin, it's more smokey and less sweet than it is on my paper test. I still catch whiffs of the aforementioned synthetic rubberiness, but it may be a little stronger on me. Whatever this is, I wonder if it's hiding in the "black" component of either the leather or the amber.

 

Or it could always just be my skin fighting something off. : )

 

I was initially very put off by The Black Rider and almost sure I’d hate it. But the drydown is the most important part of a fragrance for me, and I’m surprised to find that I think this one’s not that bad in the end.

 

I’ll take the recommendation of a few other users and let this one sit for a couple months before trying again.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Pumpkinn

[Rip]

My initial impression smelling it in the imp was that The Black Rider was rather unpleasant but I went ahead and applied a little anyway. Once it had a chance to start the dry down process it went from being unpleasant to being my favorite from the men's imp pack, leather tinged with tobacco. No sign of the oppoponax or black amber. Also not a very strong scent, which I attributed to my not applying much. After about a half hour the scent had largely faded away aside from a faint vanilla smell, which I take to be the oppoponax, if I hold my hand to my nose.

 

Later I tried slathering a bit more on my hand to see if that makes a difference to strength or duration but sadly it did not. If it was a little stronger and longer lasting it would be a must buy for me but as is I don't see the point.

[keileya]

In the bottle: very bright and just a hint of fruit.

 

Wet: tobacco and oppoponax, deep and resinous and solid. Very aged and mysterious.

 

Drying: resinous tobacco and amber. I'm not getting any of the leather (but then again, the Lab's leather note tends to take a few extra minutes to come out on me). The amber has that note in it that risks turning powdery on me, and I really hope it doesn't, because this is a really, really nice scent. It's very outdoorsy and resinous, without being at all green or herbal or floral. It smells a bit like riding through an old-growth forest at sunset in late autumn, right down to the hint of threatened powder from the dry leaves. Or rather, thanks to the tobacco, it smells like stopping for a smoke break after riding through old-growth forest at etc -- the tobacco is more the sweetish burned tobacco scent left behind on your fingers after you stub out a cigarette, when you manage to do so without getting any of the ash on you. (That's my favorite tobacco note, so I'm really enjoying it.)

 

If this avoids going to powder to me in an hour, this will be on the full bottle list, oh yes it will. Fingers crossed.

 

Half an hour later: oh, holy crap, the amber just (within minutes) morphed straight into that rich, resinous, thick and warm and golden amber that smells so good on me. Amber is one of those scents that's so hard to match on me: 95% of them turn to awful powder at half an hour to an hour. 5% of them turn to that golden liquid sunshine. THIS IS ONE OF THE FIVE PERCENT, oh my goodness, I smell SO AMAZING.

 

It stayed there, with the leather and tobacco grounding it and keeping it deep and complex and mysterious, for a good five or six hours. I loved this so much it went straight to the top of the "must buy full bottle" list.

[annemathematics]

freshly applied this is warm, bright, spicy. a light sweetness on top with a touch of bitter smoke at the base.

 

this dries down to warm, soft leather that is worn and dusty. i close my eyes and try to picture what I am smelling and I get dusty leather and parchment and the vanillin-esque smell of old books (I'd wager this is the amber). this smells like an old, treasured book on me! which for me is total love.

[mymymai]

• ITI: This is gorgeous, resinous, and haunting in all the right ways with the oppoponax, tobacco, heady black amber, and a lovely, deep leather note.

Wet: The resin here is strong and powerful but when combined with the tobacco, dark amber, and leather it creates for a really intense, dark, lovely brooding scent that would smell great on a man or a woman. I'm a fan so far.

Dry: Sweetly resinous from the oppoponax, tobacco, and amber, but no leather any more. It reminds me of my grandfather smoking his pipe on a warm autumnal evening.

[JuliskaMarie]

I did a double review of this with my husband, since it seems very unisex.

In the bottle:
Me:This is a very dark smell! I'm mostly getting leather & tobacco (& yes, it does smell specifically like black leather) held together with what must be the oppoponax & a little bit of black amber.
Him: Very sweet & smoky.

Wet on skin:
Me: Black amber mostly, everything else is currently hiding in the background.
Him: I smell like a beach & exotic flowers.

Dry on skin:
Me: Leather & tobacco mostly, with some dark, musky amber & a little oppoponax. I once had a friend tell me while wearing this that I "smell like an old-school goth club" & I definitely get that vibe from it!
Him: Leathery & smoky, with a little bit of something sweet. (Me: To me it smells mostly like oppoponax, with a little bit of smoky leather on him)

After a few hours:
Me: It's sweetened up a little now & there's not really any dominant notes, but it still has a "dark & tough" feel to it. Very nice!
Him: It's still a little sweet, but the notes have blended together better now & it smells much smoother.

Verdict:
Me: This is my go-to perfume for when I need to feel scary, confident & tough (eg: walking alone at night, gaming, etc... or if I ever go to a goth club again someday, haha!). It's not something I'd usually wear during the day & certainly not something I'd wear if I want to feel flirty, friendly, sweet or chatty, but it does have a purpose for me & it does it SO well!
Him: I can definitely see myself wearing this sometimes! (Me: The reducer cap on my bottle decided it didn't feel like reducing today & so his arm got quite a bit more perfume on it than any sane person would ever wear, so I was worried that this might go quite overpowering on him! However, even with his arms completely coated, this was far milder on him than one drop was on me! Not my favourite scent on him so far, but still nice.)

[RoseThornAndOak]

Yay for frimps! Especially ones you were already curious about.

In fresh-from-the-lab (+ a few days) imp: Interesting. Masculine. Well blended.

Wet on skin: Almost emotional, visual reaction. Its hard to say whether it smells like black leather, or just gives the impression of it like the spirit of it rather than the actual physical leather. The tobacco is clinging to the fabric. ...this has a creepy feel, like Ichabod better watch out before Mr. Darkness rides out of the woods with his cape flying in the moonlight, tattering up tobacco fields. Holy shit. Makes me think of black metal, too. Satyricon sort of stuff.

Drydown: Well that was fun while it lasted. There's a sharp soap smell coming off it now. Maybe the amber? Its like if Ichabod defended himself with the shaving water basin, that's it. That's on top of the woody...I wanna say piney note but its not its...hard to describe. Just woody. Might let this baby age. There was a glimmer of Antikythera's yumminess for a bit there, before the soapiness hit, so it may work out eventually.

 

Very little sourness, so that's good!

Yeah just kinda sharp soapy now, but this would work wonders on the right skin. I'd love to smell this on a man. If tobacco, amber, and leather work well on you, give it a go! I just have strange chemistry.

Edited December 30, 2014 by RoseThornAndOak

[Minh Scent]

This is a beautiful blend although it loses its strenth quite quickly after the initial dramatic entrance, considering the ingredients.

 

This would be good for daytime wear if you like leather and tobacco, but don't want to overwhelm your colleagues. Actually, after an hour it needs reapplying and I usually get good mileage on the bpal beauties.

[KerylRaist]

Sigh.

 

Baby powder.

 

It's baby powder in the imp, baby powder on my skin, on my clothing. I WANT to love this. It's all my favorite things (and add in the idea that this is Eau de Dean Winchester, and I WANT TO BATHE IN IT) and it should smell smashing.

 

I'm honestly wondering if I got the right stuff, because there are no other notes. It doesn't morph, there's no hint of anything that isn't baby powder. It's not my skin chemistry, because it's all baby powder in the imp and on my clothes, too. (Pout, grumble, moan, GOD DAMN IT! I want liquid Dean!)

[gentle-twig]

Hmmm this is not what I expected. This starts off very sweet. A combination of the oppoponax and the tobacco, perhaps? Although, elsewhere the tobacco is barely perceptible, maybe only adding a little bit of a smokey edge to the leather later on. As it dries down, this becomes an amber-dominated leather scent. The combination of amber and the sweetness I mentioned earlier makes this feel very scrubbed up. It's nice, but not what I was looking for and not really me. I was hoping for a repeat of the success I had with Iago, but there is nothing here I can't get from that blend. I'll keep it around and hope it gets a little darker/more leathery with age, but for now I'm happy with Iago as my go-to dark leather scent.

[Inscrutable]

Odd ball chiming in: Am I the only one who gets a tidal wave sized wollop of sandalwood in this? Whoa.

 

So, yes, sandalwood in all its dreamy glory.

And tobacco flower, warmed by the sun.

I find the leather soft, inviting and huggy-feely.

Skin loving amber, musky and spicy.

 

Overall impression: A beautiful, exotic, cuddly scent. Not what one would expect from something named "Black Rider" but who cares?