Black XS Paco Rabanne

Black XS arrives as a peculiar contradiction—a fragrance that announces itself with the brightness of citrus whilst simultaneously pulling you towards something darker, more ambiguous. The tagetes and calamondin create an initial pop of green-tinged fruitiness, almost herbal in its tartness, but this is rapidly complicated by the black cardamom and cinnamon in the heart, which transform the composition into something altogether more sinister. There's a gourmand sweetness threading through it all—the praline and tolu balm work together to create an almond-like confectionery note that shouldn't quite coexist with spiced citrus, yet somehow does.

The synthetic accords (76% of the fragrance's character) are notably present, lending an almost plasticky, artificial quality that prevents this from feeling naturalistic or refined. It's deliberately unconventional, even jarring—the ebony and black amber in the base suggest leather and darkness, but they arrive muted and somewhat underdeveloped. This is a fragrance for the contrarian, someone drawn to olfactory tension rather than harmony. It works on those who appreciate architectural dissonance in their scents, who want their fragrances to provoke rather than soothe. The unisex positioning feels genuine; there's nothing gendered about its peculiar spiced-sweet-citrus proposition.