Dark Lord is a bold and statement-making scent, the kind of thing you would hope to see from Kilian; Alberto Morillas doing what he does best. It’s a strange and unusual mix of notes which may not look great on paper, but somehow emerge as something beautiful when combined. It’s very peppery in the opening, a brutal kick of pepper enough to make your nostrils tingle, offset slightly by the bitter refreshment of bergamot. From here things get interesting - a green, stemmy jasmine with clean soapy facets is contrasted by the almost smoky booziness of rum and birch, settling on a dark, rich and earthy bass of patchouli, cedar and leather. Dark Lord is a fitting name for a gorgeously daring perfume, it doesn’t approach the boundary of being unwearable, but definitely smells outside of the norm. Despite all the praise I have for it, it’s not a true love simply because it’s not really my style. I’ll enjoy wearing my sample but likely won’t be buying a full bottle.