Back to Black
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- Authentic original perfume
- Try before the full bottle
- Travel-ready 3ml, 10ml, 30ml
- Long-lasting scent
Back to Black from By Kilian is honeyed tobacco with a dark cherry sweetness, rich and unapologetic. Saffron, nutmeg, cardamom and coriander give the opening a warm spice, with raspberry and bergamot for a little brightness. Honey fills the heart, softened by chamomile and a thread of olibanum. Then the base settles in: tobacco, vanilla, almond, labdanum and patchouli, framed by oak and cedar. It launched in 2009 and is worn by men and women alike, especially anyone who likes sweet scents with real depth. Voters keep it for the cold half of the year, from early evening into the night, and for going out. The longevity vote leans long-lasting and the sillage vote leans strong, so start with a light hand. A 10ml decant gives you a whole season of cold nights to judge it.
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Selling out fast
Due to high demand, quantities are limited.
89% sold
Ends in
30-day money-back guarantee
Try it worry-free. If the scent isn’t for you, tell us within 30 days and we’ll refund your order.*
50,000+ scent lovers and counting
The community verdict
On winter nights, Back to Black pairs honey and tobacco with saffron, spice and oak; autumn and the evening work too. Wear time divides between long-lasting and exceptionally long-lasting, while the leading projection report is strong. Its dense sweetness suits a bold mood.
Summarised with AI from perfume-community reviews
- Brand
- By Kilian
- Scent profile
- Unisex
- Launched
- 2009
- Decant sizes
- 3ml, 10ml, 30ml
We ship across the EU. Orders over €75.00 ship free. Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery.
By Kilian Back to Black, hour by hour
How it opens, settles and lingers on skin.
Honey and tobacco soaking into an oak bar near closing.
What wearers say
Votes from fragrance communities, most-voted answers first.
Longevity2,636 votes
Most voted: 44%Long lasting
41%Eternal
Sillage399 votes
Most voted: 48%Strong
24%Enormous
Season2,718 votes
Most voted: 55%Winter
35%Autumn
Time of day2,701 votes
Most voted: 50%Night out
41%Evening
See all votesHide votes
Longevity2,636 votes
- Very weak1%28 votes
- Weak2%55 votes
- Moderate12%312 votes
- Long lasting (Most voted)44%1,152 votes
- Eternal41%1,089 votes
Sillage399 votes
- Intimate6%24 votes
- Moderate22%89 votes
- Strong (Most voted)48%191 votes
- Enormous24%95 votes
Season2,718 votes
- Spring8%215 votes
- Summer2%54 votes
- Autumn35%961 votes
- Winter (Most voted)55%1,488 votes
Time of day2,701 votes
- Daytime8%205 votes
- Office2%41 votes
- Evening41%1,098 votes
- Night out (Most voted)50%1,357 votes
Which size is right for you?
Every size is decanted from the same original bottle.
At 3 sprays a day.
Loved by 50,000+
Why scent lovers try it with us before they buy the bottle.
Hand-decanted from the original bottle
Decanted by hand from authentic bottles, never diluted.
Wear it for days before you commit
Live with it at work, at night and at the weekend before you buy a full bottle.
Just like the full bottle
A fine-mist atomiser sprays like the original, so it opens, projects and lasts on your skin the way the full bottle does.
10ML vs a blind buy
What a decant gives you that a bottle bought unsmelled can’t.
Why 10ML?
Blind buy
Authentic original perfume
Yes
Yes
Smell it on your skin before you buy
Yes
No
Try several scents for one bottle’s price
Yes
No
Travel-ready atomiser
Yes
No
No full bottle wasted if it’s not for you
Yes
No
If you like By Kilian Back to Black
Perfumes that share its most characteristic notes.
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Shares tobacco · coriander
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Shares oak · saffron
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Shares coriander · nutmeg
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Shares chamomile · vanilla
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Shares almond · cardamom
- Sale · 10% off
Shares oak · honey
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Shares coriander · nutmeg
- Sale · 15% off
Shares oak · labdanum
Layer it with
Chosen for cinnamon, leather and agarwood (oud), notes that often share a formula with its saffron, vanilla and labdanum in the perfumes we stock.
By Kilian
Back to Black layered with
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- Save 37%
- Save 37%
- Save 35%
The house
More from By Kilian
By Kilian started in France in 2007 with a clear taste for boozy, sweet, after-dark perfume. Rum, caramel and vanilla run through much of the range, warmed by cinnamon and cardamom and set on patchouli, cedar or sandalwood. Angels' Share is the natural first try, warm spice and sweet woods with a glow like an old liqueur. Love Don't Be Shy is softer, sugary white flowers over vanilla. Back to Black brings honey and tobacco, and Black Phantom leans into caramel and spice. For a lighter mood, Moonlight in Heaven pairs citrus with tropical fruit.
Frequently asked questions
What does By Kilian Back to Black smell like?
By Kilian Back to Black opens with Bergamot, Cardamom, Coriander and Nutmeg. The heart brings Chamomile, Honey and Olibanum. It dries down to Almond, Cedar, Labdanum and Oak.
Is By Kilian Back to Black long lasting?
Shoppers on fragrance communities most often rate its longevity as long lasting (44% of votes), and 85% rate it long lasting or eternal. They most often rate its sillage as strong (48% of votes). How long it lasts on you also depends on your skin and how much you apply.
Is By Kilian Back to Black good for summer?
Shoppers on fragrance communities rate it mainly for winter; summer takes only 2% of season votes.
Is By Kilian Back to Black good for winter?
Yes. Shoppers on fragrance communities vote winter its best season, with 55% of season votes.
Is By Kilian Back to Black for day or night?
Shoppers on fragrance communities mostly wear it after dark: 91% of time-of-day votes are for evenings and nights out, 9% for daytime or the office.
Can I wear By Kilian Back to Black to the office?
Shoppers on fragrance communities rarely pick it for the office: only 2% of time-of-day votes go to the office.
Who makes By Kilian Back to Black?
Back to Black is made by By Kilian. It was launched in 2009.
How many wears is a 10ml decant of By Kilian Back to Black?
A 10ml decant of By Kilian Back to Black holds about 200 sprays, roughly 67 days of wear at 3 sprays a day. The 3ml decant holds about 60 sprays, around 20 days. The 30ml decant holds about 600 sprays, around 200 days.
Which other By Kilian perfumes can I try?
Besides By Kilian Back to Black, 10ML has Angels' Share, Love Don't Be Shy and Black Phantom from By Kilian, each decanted from the original bottle.
Is this By Kilian Back to Black decant the original perfume?
Yes. Every By Kilian Back to Black decant is filled by hand from an original By Kilian bottle, with nothing added or diluted, so it opens, dries down and lasts on your skin the way the bottle does. We sell only authentic originals.
What is a decant?
A small amount of a perfume, taken from its original bottle and put into a travel atomiser. You get the real fragrance in a size that lets you live with it for days before you decide on the full bottle.
How does the money-back guarantee work?
If a scent isn’t right for you, get in touch within 30 days of it arriving and we’ll arrange a refund. Terms apply. See our refund policy.