Creed
Creed
148 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
White violet emerges with almost aggressive brightness, sharp and slightly green, immediately joined by clove's peppery intrusion. The composition feels top-heavy and spiced, distinctly different from what the base notes promise—a moment of deliberate dissonance before the fragrance settles into itself.
Florentine iris ascends, revealing a woody, slightly mineral character that transforms the composition into something genuinely sophisticated. Clove remains present but less frantic, now serving as seasoning rather than protagonist, whilst the violet deepens, becoming more complex and less bright. The dark fruits begin their subtle emergence from beneath, adding shadow without defining the scent's character.
Burgundy blackcurrant, rose, and violet converge into a softened, almost austere floral skin scent, the spice fading to memory. The powdery iris lingers longest, alongside a gentle dark-fruit undertone that never quite becomes sweet, leaving a refined, slightly dry finish that rewards close proximity.
Love in Black arrives as a violet-centric fragrance that immediately declares itself through a spiced floral lens, refusing the obvious sweetness one might expect from its berry-laden base. The white violet opening doesn't whisper—it announces itself with crisp, slightly green insistence before the heart reveals its true complexity: a Florentine iris that's less powdery than genuinely woody, kept honest by clove's sharp bite. This isn't violet as a delicate, soapy affair; instead, it's violet as a structural element, one that appears twice on the formula and serves as both frame and focal point.
What makes Love in Black compelling is its refusal to settle into obvious territory. The burgundy blackcurrant base promises richness, yet it arrives muted, almost shadowed—the real drama happens in that middle conversation between clove's peppery snap and iris's mineral undertones. Rose appears in the base but remains largely behind the scenes, lending textural depth rather than floral prominence. The 76% fruity accord reads more as dark fruit suggestion than jammy sweetness, whilst the 64% powdery element derives entirely from the iris's natural character rather than dedicated powder notes.
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3.5/5 (147)