Black XS for Her Paco Rabanne

Black XS for Her is a fragrance that wears its contradictions proudly. The cranberry and tamarind blossom open with a tart, almost savoury brightness—there's a slight spice to the tamarind that prevents this from reading as purely candy-sweet. This fruity prelude quickly melts into its heart, where black violet and Christmas rose establish something unexpectedly gothic: a floral arrangement that skews darker and more powdery than typically feminine florals, with the violet providing an almost indolic earthiness that grounds what could otherwise become saccharine.

The interplay between the tart fruit and the dusky violet is the fragrance's most compelling moment. Rather than the florals softening the fruit, they seem to conspire with it, creating something that tastes almost like blackcurrant preserve mixed with dusty petals. The massoia wood and vanilla in the base add a creamy, almost coconut-tinged sweetness, which threatens to tip this into full gourmand territory, yet never quite surrenders to it.