Alexandria Black Tie Affair Solid Fragrance Review

Photo credit: Hany Hafez

Hello, ladies and gentleman! Welcome back once again. I am glad to see all of you stop by once again. Today I have another Alexandria review for you. This one is a new release as far as their solid fragrance line is concerned. Black Tie Affair is an inspiration of Yves Saint Laurent's famed fragrance, Tuxedo. Alexandria is pumping out tons of solid fragrance releases and from the ones I have tried, they are very good. This one was sent to me by the gentleman who makes them for Hany, E,j. Wells who owns and operates Happyland Studio. So, without further ado, let's get into my first solid fragrance review!


Presentation

The solid fragrance comes in a small circular can that is made of decent quality metal. The label on the front is black, with gold writing on it. It lists the fragrance house, fragrance name, and some of the key notes/accords of the fragrance. The top screws off counter-clockwise to open the fragrance. They come in only 1oz/30ml sizes right now. I really like the gold on black presentation. My version did have a typo that said "Begamot" instead of "bergamot". Not a big deal to me, but E.j. said only 25 of them have this label, so my can is special 😎


Notes

Note: I do not know if solid fragrances contain top, mid, and base notes or not or if they just are all notes melded together, so I will just use my normal format.

Top
Coriander, Violet Leaf, Bergamot

Mid
Black Pepper, Lili-of-the-Valley, Rose

Base
Vanilla, Ambergris, Patchouli


The Scent

Opening

This fragrance opens with some very natural smelling bergamot, woody and dark patchouli, sweet vanilla, black pepper, and a bit of fresh rose. It's very sweet and dark. Ambergris also makes its presence known in the form of a sweet and smooth amber type accord.

Dry Down

It's quite interesting in the dry down. Black Tie Affair manages to keep the bergamot alive. As most of us know, bergamot usually vanishes after the openings of most fragrances. I absolutely love the smell of bergamot, so this is a big plus for me. It 's very smooth and elegant. The sweet amber, vanilla, and spices make this fragrance smell very alluring. Added with sweet and natural bergamot and clean and dark patchouli...It just brings it to another dimension. It almost has a smoky tea type smell in it as well, coupled with the bergamot it gives of an Earl Grey tea accord, which is amazing. I love Earl Grey tea. This fragrance is very complex and you pick up some different accords at different times. The fresh and slightly powdery rose is also very beautiful in this one.

Performance

This is what most people want to know about the solid line from Alexandria...How do they perform and where do you apply them? Black tie Affair lasts around 9-10 hours on my skin. It projects for close to 4 hours. The sillage trail is also pretty potent.

As for where to apply them, I put some on my wrists and neck. You certainly don't want to put these on clothes. They contain beeswax and do leave a somewhat waxy residue until they dry down fully, which can take an hour or so. Stick to pulse points which are warmer and allow the fragrance to use the heat to project the scent. Only use a little dab on each area you apply, this stuff is pretty strong. Remember, this is an Extrait de Parfum concentration, not a cologne one like most solids are.

When to Wear it

Black Tie Affair sounds like the name. It's a formal and elegant fragrance meant for formal nighttime wear in the cooler weather. This one is not a casual signature scent. Although you can use it as you'd like, I do think this is a special occasion fragrance. It would work well for a date night fragrance as well, as long as you were dressed up a bit. I would say 30+ on this one. It smells like a more mature and successful man. This is for a man who knows what he wants and gets it. It doesn't smell like an older man fragrance, but it exudes someone who is older and has class. This isn't a fragrance for guys who want to go to the club and wear Ultra Male.


Overall Impression

My final verdict on Black Tie Affair is that is absolutely beautiful. I love it. It's so sweet and seductive, but retains a solid masculine feel. It's very complex and has a ton of depth to it. This fragrance's smell far exceeds its price point. This smells like a $300 fragrance. The notes are natural and well blended and presented. I am just now getting into solid fragrances since Alexandria came out with this line and I am quite impressed. I was sent 6(2 from Hany and 4 from E.j.) of these solid fragrances and this one is my favorite of the bunch. I would go so far as to say this one is blind buy worthy. I do not suggest blind buying many fragrances, but this is one.

Conclusion

I hope you folks enjoyed this one! Be sure to hit that blue follow button to support my work! Until next time, keep smelling amazing and remember to say positive things to people today! You never know what someone is dealing with and you could make someone's day today!


Buy Black Tie Affair here

Buy an Alexandria sample pack here

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