Magical: Alexandria Fragrances Highlands Review

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Hello! Welcome back, everyone! I am so glad that you stopped by. I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season.

Today, I have another Alexandria for you. This time it's Highlands, which is a recreation of one of my favorite fragrances, Creed Bois du Portugal. It's also lovingly named after the Scottish Highlands, which makes me proud. Let's see how this one compares to the real thing! Let's get into it!

This fragrance was sent to me for free by Alexandria, but my opinions remain my own. I won't go over the presentation because it's a travel spray.


Notes

Top

Bergamot

Mid

Lavender

Base

Cedar, Ambergris, Vetiver, and Sandalwood


The Scent

Opening

Bois du Portugal opens up similar to the Creed with a bright and zesty Calabrian bergamot that is a signature in most Creed fragrances. Creed's version is a bit brighter in the opening. Shortly after the bergamot calms down a bit, you get a smooth and semi-sweet powdery lavender with spicy cedar. You end up with a sweetened lavender by the bergamot and a spicy wood until about 30 minutes in.


Dry Down

The rest of the life of this fragrance is quite linear. The bergamot takes a back seat and the most dominant notes are the spicy cedar and clean lavender. The creamy sandalwood comes into play here and mixes wonderfully with the lavender to create a cleanly spiced woody accord with a faint nuance of citrus. I don't pick up on the vetiver here, but perhaps it's mingling with the lavender to make it smell more fresh and clean.


Performance

Highlands performs like a Scotsman with blue face paint charging into battle. It's strong and lasts a long time. I get around 10 hours with it, which about 3 of those being around 6 feet of projection. Needless to say, this is a powerful fougere that people will smell.


When to Wear it

Sadly, this fragrance is too strong for the warmer months. It's certainly a fall and winter fragrance. This fragrance can be dressed down with jeans and a flannel(Like I am wearing it as I type this) or dressed up in a suit. It's a classic fougere, so it's quite versatile in the proper season.

This is a 100% masculine fragrance through and through. I don't imagine any woman would want to smell like this. This is also not for younger guys. I say 30+ men who know who they are. This is a family man's fragrance to me. Something your kids will say was the signature scent of their father who they respected greatly.


Overall Impression

As of right now, this is my favorite from Alexandria. It's 97% similar to my nose. The Creed is slightly smoother and the opening has a bit more citrus zest, but outside of that, Highlands is dead on.  This is a fragrance for the man who knows who he is and wants a versatile fragrance that is regal, but can also be casual. this would be a great Christmas present for fathers.


I absolutely love this one and I am sad that my travel spray is almost gone. So, if anyone wants to get me a Christmas present *wink wink*. I am joking, but seriously, I am not trying to hype this up, but I think it's amazing. As always, sample first. it's a classic fougere and it might not be for everyone, but it is for me. It speaks to me and who I am as a person.


Conclusion

I hope everyone enjoyed this review as much as I did writing it. I hope everyone has a great day. As always, be a beacon of goodwill and kindness to those around you. You never know who is watching!

Have a blessed holiday season!

Buy Highlands here 

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