Question:
I was in Neimans today and i noticed that they were selling this in the mens section. I guess its not selling well on the womens counter. It is very masculine smelling i think. Also, they had the new paul smith story. I have read comments here that it is a very light, almost imperceptible fragrance. I didnt get that at all. Very fruity and floral. Kind of reminded me of Promesse by Cacharel. And it didnt have that "cologney vibe" a lot of mens colognes do. I didnt buy a bottle but i will.....very soon.

Answer:
I think it is rather unisex. I guess that outside of the "fragrance knowledgeable" few are familiar with his name and accomplishments. This would account for slow sales if that is accurate.

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Neiman's SR are pretty clueless. They have Creed's AA only in the women's section.
The men's SR tried pushing Houbigant's Quelques Fleurs Royale on me (probably one the highest commission-rated frags that they sell).

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For all my raving about this scent I don't think it's highly, often wearable by either sex.
As a perfume emanating from stigmatic discharges, and for frag freaks (i.e. basenoters), certainly. let the pilgrims approach and drink deeply with nostrils flaring. in my (limited) experience the only other 2 fragrances that are in the same class in terms of delivering a "hit" on the order the punch BO packs are Silver Mountain Water and Marescialla. To wear it on your own hand to enjoy private moments, definitely it's top of the line for that.
As far as going out with a "full application" in public and mingling... I'm not so sure about Black Orchid. I haven't yet worn it in public. I will, but haven't yet.
Not that I'm trying to advertise but... a sample/decant of this is essential I think just for the experience, a bottle might be a lot more than you would ever use.
To repeat a disclaimer I 've disclaimed before: I personally have never smelled anything like it, so forceful on account of its richness, rather than by means of any sharp 'bracing' notes, as is the case with SMN and Marecialla.

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Interesting perspective supermarky.
On me, Black Orchid is not the loud, bracing thing you describe here. It's opening moments are definitely dramatic, but it settles down rather quickly on me. Reviews around the net are rather in agreement that Black Orchid makes a loud entrance, then becomes, if not quite a wall flower, at least a more civilized party guest.
It settles in pretty close to my skin, sillage is moderate at best, and that's only in the first hour or two. I find the scent quite interesting and I'm waiting to test it again when the mood hits. I agree that it's totally unisex. Maybe department stores will get it one day and instead of organizing frags in men/women, they will start organizing them alphabetically, or creating a section for "shared."

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Quote: Originally Posted by rosbergs3 I was in Neimans today and i noticed that they were selling this in the mens section. I think they should just have one big fragrance section and let people decide for themselves whether it suits them or not...I've missed out on sampling so many wonderful scents because they were marketed towards women exclusively. I have no shame anymore...I go to both sections, even if the ladies think I'm buying a "gift".

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oh not to be a stickler but I said black orchid was not "bracing"
I have sort of criticized the drydown as being a bit leaving a feeling of having spilled "heavy syrup" from some exotic fruit cocktail on my skin... but for quite a long while it's good for the "rush" of sniffing it for its intensity of effect
well. . . I really need to try really wearing it to see how it goes/is received/feels!

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since i've been wearing Black Orchid all day, I have found some other things.
It has struck an olfactory memory for me: pink lady slippers, a wild orchid that grows in the forest near pines and oaks. AND, those pink lady slippers are slightly decomposed in Black Orchid. It smells feral, but just barely.
Like the orchid that sends out shoots, Black Orchid makes a splashy entrance, then quiets down. Several hours later, a shoot! Then quiet...another hour passes by. Hey! Another shoot...it keeps sending out tendrils of scent, which is a welcome pleasure as I was unsure about its longevity.
A crowded elevator and worried people may wonder if there's something slightly rotten, yet sweet, stuck to someone's shoe.
This has been my day in Black Orchid.
ps: supermarky, woops! RIF.

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the 'decomposition' notes are a big part of black orchid's strange charm

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Let me chime in - in my 2 times wearing this (I'm wearing it right now, as I type this) I find many similarities to both the 'gourmand' and the 'decomposition' notes mentioned by supermarky and mochi...
The very 1st time I wore Black Orchid about 14 hours after application (in bed asleep, actually) the scent overpowered me with the smell of mustiness, perhaps unwashed animal skin, with a slight tang
In addition, the opening notes remind me of a raisin/coffee cake broken apart about 30 minutes after baking and the pastry notes inhaled...all warm, spicy and quite strong.
Incidentally, I detected almost NO ylang ylang on me, making this an alltogether un-floral scent for me (what orchids...orchids?)
Interested to see how Black Orchid's complexities are repeated (if they are) in the new 12 Tom Fordies that came out last week.