Creed Fragrance review
Creed Love in Black 2024: A Violet Leather Statement
Creed's powdery violet-leather feminine gets a 2024 edition — moodier and more divisive than its name suggests.
In this review
Accords
Notes Pyramid
Scent Journey
The first ten to twenty minutes are brighter than the name Love in Black implies. Violet leaves give a green, slightly dewy bite, while raspberry and cranberry push a tart, almost jammy fruitiness forward. There is a faint ozonic lift here — a cool, airy quality that keeps the fruit from turning syrupy. It reads as polished and slightly aloof rather than sweet.
Roughly one to two hours in, the fragrance settles into its true character. Violet and orris take over and the powder arrives properly — soft, cool and cosmetic, like the scent of a compact of violet-scented talc. Rose and jasmine keep it from going flat, and there is an unusual, faintly lactonic butter note that gives the heart a rounded, almost creamy texture. This is the most 'perfumey' stage and the most divisive one.
From around the four-hour mark, Love in Black turns dark. Leather and cedarwood come forward, drying the composition out and giving it a smoky, slightly animalic edge, while musk softens the landing. The violet never fully disappears — it lingers as a ghost over the leather — but the fragrance ends considerably more austere than it began. On fabric, the base can stretch well past the six-hour mark.
Performance Dashboard
4-6 hours on skin
strong, particularly in the first 90 minutes
moderate to strong
When to Wear
Pros & Cons
- Genuinely distinctive violet-leather accord that stands apart from mainstream feminine releases
- Strong projection in the opening 90 minutes — it announces itself without shouting
- The drydown is sophisticated and unisex-leaning, with a real leather backbone
- Excellent for evening and cold-weather wear; feels dressed-up without effort
- Longevity of 4-6 hours is modest for the price bracket
- The powdery iris-violet heart is a love-it-or-hate-it proposition
- Premium pricing with no credited perfumer and limited transparency
- A 3.28 community rating signals a genuinely divided audience
Price & Value
“Fair value for violet-and-leather devotees; harder to justify for anyone who wants a workhorse signature. Sample first — this one is not a safe blind buy.”
Reformulation History
As a 2024 release, batch variation data is still limited and no significant inconsistencies have been widely reported. Creed's older Millésime batches are known within the community to vary in strength and freshness, so it is worth buying from an authorised retailer and checking the batch code if you are particular.
Who It's For
Ideal For
- Wearers who love powdery, iris-forward and violet-centred fragrances
- Anyone drawn to dark academia, quiet-luxury and vintage-inspired aesthetics
- Evening and cold-weather wearers who want presence without gourmand sweetness
- Collectors looking for a leather-floral that is genuinely unusual on today's shelf
Not Recommended For
- Anyone who dislikes powder, iris or cosmetics-like accords
- Wearers looking for a light, fresh, everyday summer scent
- Those who want a universally liked, low-risk crowd-pleaser
- Budget-conscious buyers — this sits firmly in the luxury bracket
The Family
Love in White
Love in White for Summer
Explore More
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Layering Ideas
- Layer over a plain cedar or sandalwood oil to extend the leathery base and add wear time
- Pair with a single spritz of a clean musk on the chest to soften the powder for daytime wear
- Combine with a green, galbanum-forward fragrance to amplify the violet-leaf opening
- On fabric only, mist a light vanilla or tonka scent underneath to round off the austere drydown
