Ralph Lauren Polo Black Eau de Toilette

Launched in 2005, Ralph Lauren Polo Black is the newest fragrance from Ralph Lauren and was another of the large range of aftershaves given to me at Christmas.

I have always been a fan of Ralph Lauren fragrances and class Ralph Lauren Blue as one of the aftershaves that is guaranteed to have my wife lusting furiously after me wherever I go.

Available in both 50ml and 125ml bottles of the EDT or aftershave, prices range from £20 for the 50ml and £35 for the 125ml bottle. Personally I prefer to buy my aftershaves online due to the discounts available however this fragrance can be found in most duty free shops, perfume counters and most high street fragrance stores. I have seen bottles of this retailing in Selfridges for £40 for the 125ml bottle.

The marketing for Polo Black has been restricted with very little television and magazine coverage. Ralph Lauren being a very known worldwide brand tend to see word of mouth and their very well presented website as enough marketing when releasing a new fragrance onto the masses. What is clear from the Ralph Lauren literature is that Polo Black has been designed for the urban professional, being sexy, mysterious and slightly dangerous. Ultimately described by the marketing blurb as modern, daring and sophisticated.

The picture above shows the bottle, black in colour surprisingly and very elegant looking. It's easy to spot and very easy to hold and apply. Unfortunately Polo Black does not come with any printed notes making it very hard to judge what this should smell like on application and dry down, however from further research it is clear that Polo Black contains iced mango, silver armoise and patchouli noir,

The first application of this fragrance was a pleasant surprise, a few sprays from the atomiser produced a very good coverage of the aftershave and there was little to no burn at all even after just shaving. The first thing to strike the senses is the very light nature of the fragrance, this smells clean and crisp and something of a sensory pleasure. The mango provides a fruity base to the fragrance which does make this very light initially but as the fragrance begins to dry it is clear that there is tea and pepper contained within the formula as the fragrance becomes warmer and slightly heavier on the nose.

After finally drying down completely after around half an hour all of the ingredients blend wonderfully, the dry mango is still the overriding fragrance, however the patchouli blends to give a more balanced well defined edge that makes this more masculine. Without this I would have said it was aimed more at the female of the species, as it simply was too light and fruity.

As stated earlier, only 3 squirts of the atomiser are required to give a very good cover of the aftershave meaning that a 50 ml bottle will last for well over 6 months. I have had mine for 3 months and it still isn't half empty making this very good value for money when taking the purchase price into consideration.

In terms of longevity Polo Black is exceptionally hardwearing, as you would expect from a quality brand name. Polo Black is noticeable well over 10 hours after application and I'm happy to report that my wife loves this as much as Polo Blue, and colleagues at work have commented on the lovely new fragrance I wear. Polo Black is indeed a modern new fragrance that has a masculine edge, fruity aroma that will not overload the senses making it a perfect all purpose aftershave great for daywear, special occasions and romantic nights out.

Polo Black is perfect. With both Polo Blue and Black Ralph Lauren have moved away from the traditional heavier rugged fragrances and in my opinion this is by far the best fragrance in their range, closely followed by Blue and Polo Sport.

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Thanks for taking the time to read and rate.Steve :o)