Black is many things. One of those things is a positive number on a balance sheet, the opposite of red. That may be the thinking behind BLACK, Comme des Garçons' fragrance started in 2009 “In response to the general negativity engendered by the recession and to counter the feeling of things being blocked or stopped because of the crisis.“

Four years later, the brand marks the concepts anniversary through the launch of BLACK Eau de Toilette, an emergency, guerrilla-like, spiced-up new scent, which Rei Kawakubo, never one to shy away from literalism, has infused with Madagascar black pepper and Somalian incense, with essences of leather, licorice, birch tar and pepperwood. The result? A swoon-inducing trip into the smokey, spiritual world of incense, touched by the solar warmth of pepper and cedar wood. The licorice note adds a touch of cleansing 'eternalness' and, at times, feels uplifting. And in the end, we're left in a dizzying spell of delight. Dark and mysterious, yet ultimately calm and reassuring.

Black Fragrance Notes

Cedarwood, vetiver, leather, liquorice, birch tar, pepperwood, black pepper, incense

Black Sizes Available:

100ml

$110

0.7ml sample

If you like Black Eau de Toilette, we recommend you try:

Avignon by Comme des Garcons: Incense

Blackpepper by Comme des Garcons

Wonderwood by Comme des Garcons

Hinoki by Comme des Garcons x Monocle

L'Air du desert marocain by Tauer Perfumes

Kyoto by Comme des Garcons: Incense

Here's what other people are saying about Black...

Been looking for a good smoky scent for some time and never ran into anything I could say that I really enjoyed and wore often. Until I was recommended CDG Black. Such a rich, dark, masculine smell that just makes me feel good. If you are looking for smoky, and I mean smoky, give this a buy!

By Cole - Waiter from Lake Geneva on 7/18/2024

I’ve been wearing this since it’s first release and it’s become my signature Nothing compares the notes are amazing. I’ve tried to change up with other parfumes but it’s not the same. Definitely was at a party and a woman smelled me and said “OMG YOU WEAR CDG BLACK??” I’m planning on experimenting more with other fragrances in the CDG realm.

By J - Receptionist from NYC on 6/30/2022

I think this is probably the best of CDG. This is smoky and strong incense. I get the one-star wonders here, but hey, to each his own.

By Donald - plant supt. from URB on 4/5/2022

The sexiest Christmas cookie at the party. It’s giving dark tan and black warm clothes. I would almost call this gourmand with the amount of baking spices, but somehow also very sexy. At least one girl I kiss is going to be impressed by this, god willing and all praises to the most high.

By Midas - Music from LA on 12/19/2021

This is black.... I mean "BLACK". For many years I have been looking for a frag that matches my love of Gothic and industrial music. This is it. There is smoke, tar, steel and just darkness in this scent. Also it lasts for at least 5-7 hours.... On me. I just love CdG frags. They take chances unlike any other house.

By Mentallo - Fly Indentifier from NYC on 12/12/2021

I sprayed this on and immediately knew this was a bad blind buy. It smelled as if I was sitting in a fire place. Terrible. Just a waste of money!

By Strange - Administration from Fort Lauderdale on 3/23/2021

Wow this scent is witchy and dark! Opens with smoke, incense and black pepper. I also detect a spice, it's coming off as cumin, along with tar, leather and licorice. The dry down is a bit on the sweet side. Seems slightly masculine but women can pull this off - if you're feeling bold and like something really different! it's probably more of a fall/winter night scent. It's very gothic...

By Lauren - Designer from Toronto on 8/14/2020

The scent was gone after 1 hour and a half. Was this the last of this Toilette? I really wanted to enjoy this, but the top notes were gone after 25 minutes, the middle notes after 15, and the base notes, well, didn't last long much after that. For a Toilette to be gone after 1 hour and a half and pay $110.00, I was very disappointed. Guys, stick with Nasomatto "Black Afgano", at least that scent will last a minimum of 6 hours.

By Robert - Administrator from Memphis on 5/12/2020

Very boozy. Smells like cigar and whiskey, playing a poker game in a white undershirt with the boys. Has a syrupy effervescent smell, like Coca-Cola. Definitely has a character to it. A bit too much for too long. A couple glasses of strong whiskey are enough—any more is a hangover, or at least you’re too numb to enjoy it. Smelling this after an hour is tiresome; I can imagine smelling this throughout the night with a lover, and in the morning, would be sickening and like smelling the booze from the night before while hungover. Interesting DNA. It’s close to likable. Has notes and goes through phases that I really like, but there are some unpleasant disqualifiers. Willing to try other CdGs.

By Luz - Instructor from Akron on 4/11/2020

Ah, now we're talking. This is not a perfume for balmy summer days, but in the cold of winter, it hits all the right notes. I feel like mentions of the rubber accord and the foodishness are a little overblown - it's there, if you look hard enough, but most of what I get is the pepper, the incense, some smoke, and then that delicious gingerbread drydown, with several of the earlier facets shimmering in and out of focus at will. I'm fond of Avignon, I adore this one.

By Dave - Musician from Bethlehem on 1/9/2020

..If I had Irish leather from Memo, I was in complete ecstasy feeling this smell on my husband, then with this aroma I suddenly found myself in the school canteen - a prune compote and the smell of kersey boots and smoked wood, but I don’t smell this aroma on a man I want ... I’m waiting for it to unfold, but I don’t like it at all.

By Nataliya Shevchenko - dishwasher from Woodburn on 6/29/2019

An incredible shape shifter of modem perfumery this beauty from the CDG line starts off with a blast of pepper and birch and immediately begins drying down to begin to slightly reveal the other elements including incense, olibanum, cedar, licorice and vetiver. Like many other CDG offerings, sillage and projection is on the moderate side. Thus, layering this with something neutral like Molecule 01 brings out the full three dimensionality of this subtle mysterious creation. This is about as mainstream CDG is going to get folks so this may be a good place to begin to start sampling this eclectic rule breaking house.

By Rajesh Balkrishnan - Professor and Perfumer from Charlottesville on 1/28/2019

Absolute joy to wear. Stays 4-5 hours strong and then becomes skin sent. Will recommend if you like dark smells. Its is dark but not overly dark which makes you sick. It projects class, maturity and elegance. Sporty citrus smell loves can stay away from this one, but for mature persons, it is a must have.

By szafar - Black, Mysterious Dark from Stockholm on 3/14/2018

My mommy says this is her favorite Comme des Garçons incense. To us, it smells just like a teriyaki chicken dish, smothered in a brown-red sauce or glaze. I got so excited, flaring my nostrils and sniffing the air, I nudged mommy towards the kitchen to show me the meal! These days, mommy swears by the Italians. However, I think I can get her to buy Black because a day without chicken or chicken liver treats is a day without smiles. *5 BARKS!!!!!*

By Anonymous - Helen, Retired Artist's Owner from New York City on 12/9/2017

Black is my favorite Comme des Garcons incense so far. I agree with one reviewer out there who brought up Teriyaki chicken. I smell cooked chicken smothered in a spicy ginger and cumin sauce or brown-red glaze. This isn't something I would wear, mind you; it's too savory a foody scent for me, yet I can appreciate sniffing this, especially after a less than mediocre sampling of the incense frags offered by Cire Trudon. *4&1/2 Stars*

By Anonymous - Retired Artist from New York City on 12/6/2017

OK.. for you newbies... this is what you think of when you are looking for a Masculine Cologne. It has strong tones of tobacco, pepper and spice but like the reviewer before me stated it has a sweetness to it as well. Reminds me of an old room that has been exposed to cigar smoke for 50 years and it's ingrained in the furnishings.. not smokey smell but tobacco if that makes sense. It's absolutely awesome. As of today.. outside of my Le Labo Santal 33 (My Favorite) this is my signature scent. My wife likes this one and I get compliments on it all the time.. very strong and lasts all day so just a couple sprays will do. I will always have a bottle of this on hand.

By KP - Engineer from Safety Harbor on 8/24/2017

Blackpepper's godparent, with the spotlight on anise (black licorice). It reads as slightly oilier or heavier to me, with a comforting sweetness -- spending a moonless night snuggled into a sleeping bag, rather than camping out directly under the stars.

By Angela - editor from Seattle on 1/30/2017

Fantastic. Love a smoky scent like this. Very well done

By Lisa - writer from Chicago on 12/10/2016

Like walking into a medieval temple, finding and old wood box and opening it only to discover is filled with candy. Incense, old woods and a bit sweet. An evocative and transcending scent. I just wish the bottle was more mysterious.

By Terpenoid - Scientist from Florida on 11/26/2016

This is what I'm talking about! As a former choir and altar boy, I yearned for a sophisticated fall scent to remind me of the formal events at church with the incense burning and filling the air with that intoxicating scent. I've tried several scents such as Heeley's Cardinal that were simply too literal. Then enters Black......the only way to describe my impression at first sniff is a parallel to Anton Ego's reaction after trying Remy's Rattatouille. It was all there, the incense, the subtle smoke, the excitement - a big big winner!

By Tiger Pounce - Technology from Eastvale on 11/3/2016

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Eau de Toilette

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