Zoha Aroma: An Up and Coming House

Hey guys! Sorry for being away from so long. I took a break from blogging to realign myself and prevent me from getting burnt out. I am back and will be posting 2-4 times per week again, maybe more if I am inspired! I hope every has been doing well and is in good health. Today, I want to bring you a new house that I haven't seen anyone speak about yet, but I think deserves to be. My buddy Carlos Colom told me about this one. Also, Carlos is an encyclopedia of indie and cheaper fragrances and he's always down to talk to you about fragrances. Just throwing that out there. I got in contact with Sam (The owner) through FB and he decided to send me some samples for review, so yes, I did not purchase these. As always though, this in no way impacts my review on his fragrances.

Zoha Aroma is a Middle Eastern style fragrance company from Canada, so when you look on his site (which I will link below) take note that the prices are in Canadian dollars and not USD. I made the same mistake, that is why I am warning you about it, so in USD his prices are much better than a lot of leading clone companies, but not all of his range are clones. He carries a lot of perfume oils, both westernized clones and original Arabian style fragrances. He is starting up a range of inspired expressions in eau de parfum sprays forms as well. So, he has a lot on the horizon and I think people should give Zoha a chance. I wouldn't be bringing them to you if I didn't think it was worth your time to check them out. It surely would not be worth my time in typing this up if it wasn't. I was blabbed enough, now I have 6 fragrances from them that I will do a short review on. A few of these warrant full reviews and will come in the near future. Let's get into it!

Golden Sand

This was my favorite that I received, by far. It's from their Arabian collection. Golden Sand is a gourmand lover's dream and one of the best gourmands I have ever put my nose on. Citrus, caramel, and vanilla is what you get with this one. When you first apply it the vanilla is somewhat strong and off-putting, but wait for the dry down. This one turns into a smooth, sweet, and decadent melange of creamy citrus, smooth vanilla, and buttery sweet caramel. It smells like some dessert I have had before, but I cannot put my finger on what it is. This fragrance is amazing though. It projects for around 2 hours and lasts about 10. Keep in mind that this is a perfume oil, so they typically do not have monsterous projection, but they last a long time. It's not a skin scent though, it does project about 6 inches off of the skin for most of its life. If you love gourmands and perfume oils, then I would say that you should certainly try this one out.


Arcane

This is one of his inspirations in spray form. It's inspired by Roja Dove's Enigma. I have never smelled Enigma, but I will say this one is really good. A smooth boozy cognac with tobacco, sweet vanilla, and some spice. This one is elegant and smooth. It's more of a dressed up fragrance to me, but it could be worn with business casual as well, but perhaps it is too boozy for the office. This one was my second favorite of the ones I was sent. It reminds me of Black Tie Affair, but they don't smell similar, but they are in the same genre of fragrances to me. If you are looking for a dressed up fragrance for a lavish party, consider this one.


Oseberg

Another one from his inspired collection. Oseberg is inspired by Creed's Viking. It smells very similar to Viking as well, but perhaps not quite as strong on the spice, but it has great performance. The icy cool peppermint is there, just like in Viking. I did a side by side comparison of them and Oseberg is 95% similar to Viking, just not quite as spicy. I am a big fan of Viking, so naturally, I really like this take on it as well. If you want to get the vibe of Viking without paying for a sample or decant, then try this one out. It's cheaper than Viking is, by far and it smells just as good.


Kalemat

This is another one from their Arabian Collection. Kalemat is like 24 Gold by Scentstory, but with the oud being a bit more Middle Eastern than 24 Gold. Warm amber, oud, and vanilla are what you get with this one. I love 24 Gold, so I love this one as well. It doesn't project as much as my bottle of 24 Gold, but I get around 12 hours on the skin with this one. It's a great fragrance that I can take with me on extended trips due to the size of the bottles. Here is what Sami told me about Kalemat, "This scent itself has many names...Different houses give it different names. Arabian Oud has two variations called Kalemat and Kalemat Black. Both smell very similar. However, it is originally known as White Oud (or Oud Abiyad) in the Middle East. It's a common fragrance in the Middle East. We decided to name it Kalemat, which means speech or statement". I think that is pretty cool to know a bit more about this fragrance. I can see why it is common in the Middle East. It's a very wearable and pleasant Arabian fragrance. Creed Aventus

This is their perfume oil inspiration of Aventus. It's certainly inspired by a fruity batch. The birch in the background is really nice. It's more natural smelling than some of the other mainstream clones like CDNIM and Insurrection Pure II. I mean it's a good Aventus clone. Aventus is probably the most clones fragrance, but this is one of the better one. He recenetly came out with a spray version of this as well called Napoleon. If you are looking into getting into perfume oils, then this is a good one to start with. I get around 7-8 hours out of this one, but it's Aventus. I could be getting longer than that. I could be going anosmic to it. It has about 2 hours of prohection. For this price, it's a steal.


Bal d'Afrique

Another western inspiration. Their version is a good standalone fragrance, but I will say that I do like Alexandria's version better. It has more of the citrus elements in it than this one. As you folks know, I love my citruses. It still has that fresh vetiver and some citruses in it. It's still good, but it was my least favorite from them. Not everything each house creates can be a winner. I fyou enjoy the fresh vetiver over teh citruses in Bal d' Afrique, then this one might be a winner for you. Just to be clear, I don't dislike this one, I just enjoy other versions more personally. It's all subjective though.


Conclusion

This house is rarely spoken of. That should change. Sami is doing an excellent job and his prices are very good. 5 out of 6 of them were winners for me. That's not a bad track record by any means. Any professional baseball player would love to geta hit 5 out of 6 times he's at bat. Sami is doing great things and I look forward to trying more things from him. He is going places with what he is doing. He's a great guy and really friendly as well. Give Zoha Aroma a shot folks, I don't think you will be disappointed. As you know, I take my reputation seriously and I would not suggest this company if I did not believe in it.

Thank you for stopping by again. Everyone have a great day and remember to say something positive to someone today. Be sure to check out Zoha Aroma's site. They have quite a wide range of perfume oils. They are quickly expanding their spray selection as well.



Links

Golden Sand

Arcane

Oseberg

Kalemat

Bal d'Afrique

Aventus

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Alexandria Fragrances Fructus Virginis Review

Sweet seductive cherries willingly lend their smoothness in a dance with an amaretto accord. So sweet, breathtaking, and alluring. The vanilla wants its turn as well, but it's too shy to ask for the center stage, so it bashfully hides in the corner, but manages to make its presence known. The sweet tonka manages to convince the vanilla to dance with it. Together, they become a beautiful concoction. They dance the night away in joyful synchrony. They don't care who is watching. They are doing their thing and doing it in their own style. It works for them and they are happy with being who they are. Together, their splendor exudes an aroma of pure bliss. This is the 5-star performance that much of the world will not see.

Hello, everyone! Good morning! I hope everyone is having a fantastic day today! Forgive the corny intro, but I am trying to be a bit more poetic. Let me know if you like it or not in the comments! Today, I have a new release for you, Alexandria's Fructis Virginis, which is inspired by Tom Ford's Lost Cherry. This fragrance should release sometime this week. "Should" is the keyword. Hopefully, it will. People are really comping at the bit to get their hands on this, and rightfully so. This was sent to me by Hany, since it's not for sale yet, then I didn't purchase it. My opinions are still my own. Hany never asks me to say anything about his fragrances.

Presentation

The presentation is slightly different than the other Alexandrias. It has a red label. This is the first Alexandria fragrance to have that. I like that touch because it makes it easier to spot in my growing Alexandria collection. Everything else is the same, so I will not cover those details.


Notes

Black Cherry, Bitter Almond, Cherry Liqueur, Griotte Syrup, Tonka Bean, Peru Balsam, Cedar, Sandalwood, Turkish Rose, Vetiver, Jasmine Sambac, Vanilla

(I added vanilla in there because I certainly pick it up in this)


The Scent

Opening

Fructus Virginis(FV from here on out) opens up with a blast of tart cherry flesh. It is by far the most dominant note in this fragrance. Drizzle in some vanilla and griotte syrup(sour cherry syrup) to add some sweetness. Also, I get an amaretto accord from the almond note mixed with the cherry liquor. It's very sweet and powerful in the opening. It smells very rich, deep, and decadent.

Dry Down

The cherry notes start to mingle in a more friendly manner with the amaretto, vanilla, tonka, and cedar here. It turns into a more blended fragrance. The cherry is still the focal point and it only likes to share the stage with the amaretto during the entire life of the fragrance. The vanilla, tonka, cedar, and balsam mingle in a friendly manner behind those two notes. It's a very sweet and gourmand fragrance. It's simply breathtaking. I don't notice any sort of vetiver or jasmine in this one. I do get a slight hint of what could be some candied rose. The sandalwood is creamy and is a supporting actor to the sweetness of this fragrance. After a while, the cherry elements fade to the back and this fragrance becomes more of a balsamic sandalwood with vanilla scent.

Performance

I get around 8 hours of longevity. 2 hours of that are projection. It's a much better performer than Lost Cherry, or so I hear at least. I have not tried Lost Cherry. It leaves a decent sillage trail for about 6 hours. I think once it ages a bit more then it will get even better performance. This is a new release, so the batch is only about 3 weeks old.

When to Wear it

FV is a very sweet fragrance, as I have already stated a few times. It works best for cool to cold weather and at night time. This is a great date night fragrance. It has an err of sophistication about it, so I don't think this would be a clubbing fragrance, despite its sweetness. It can be worn by any age and gender, but I think it suits a working professional more than someone in college.

Overall Impression

Fructus Virginis is a very good release, considering the richness and depth of this fragrance. I cannot compare it to the Tom Ford, but as a standalone fragrance, this is one of the best Alexandrias I have tried to date. I really enjoy this one. I just wish it was released earlier in the year. It's already warming up a bit here, so I won't get too many wearings out of it. However, that will let it age nicely for when it cools down again. This one will get a huge amount of hype. It's just a very likeable fragrance and you will regret it if you are late to try this one out.

Make sure to put it on your wishlist, so that you will be notified when it purchasable. This one might sell out a few hours after it drops, so be mindful of that. Don't be the guy/gal that is behind and has to wait for a restock.



Conclusion

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed this one. Have a great day everyone! Remember to say something kind to someone today. You never know how much it could help them!

As always, take care until next time and hit that blue follow button and sign up to receive email updates if you enjoy my work. It really helps me!



Buy Fructus Virginis here

They are also releasing a solid version with it. Purchase that here

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Babylon Fragrances Luxurious Review (TF F'ing Fabulous Impression)

Hey, folks! I hope everyone is doing fantastic today! I am coming at you with another review from Babylon Fragrances, the new clone house in town. Luxurious is an inspiration of Tom Ford's F'ing Fabulous. Ahmad did send me a full bottle of this to review, but as always, my opinions are solely my own. Let get into it!


Presentation

Babylon fragrances come in a matte black bottle with a plastic gold cap. The sticker on the front gives you all of the information about the fragrance. There is also a small oval sticker on the bottom of the bottle which has some information as well. The atomizer is gold, just like the cap. It's one of the longer necked ones, like the old Alexandria bottles used to have. The atomizer on mine performs like a squirt gun. I am not sure if that is how they are supposed to perform or if I just received a faulty one. Either way, it works. Just make sure to spray it far away from your skin or you will soak whatever you spray it on. I like the whole black and gold vibe.


Notes

Tonka Bean, Clary Sage, Leather, Bitter Almond, Orris Root, Cashmeran, Lavender, Vanilla, Woody Notes, Amber


The Scent

Opening

Luxurious opens up harshly and with a punch to your olfactory sense. Raw leather, herbal clary sage, and bitter almond combine to make the opening quite unpleasant to me. I think the raw leather is the main culprit for that. There is also some powdery orris in there, which is stronger than in the Alexandria version. It's not the makeup kind though, it's more of a clean powdery kind.

Dry Down

This one gets much better about 30 minutes after application. The raw, but refined leather settles into a powdery bed of clary sage, orris, and lavender. The bitter almond is still very strong, but it is blended well into the leather and powder. The tonka does it's part to provide that hay feeling, but without making this fragrance feel like you might step in a cow patty. It also undoubtedly accentuates the almondy facets. Like the Alexandria version, there is some sort of cumin vibe in here. It adds a bit of warmness to the composition. The vanilla is quite faint, but it does lend some sweetness to it.

Performance

Luxurious is giving me around 10-11 hours of performance with 3 of those being projection. The sillage trail is quite nice, from what I heard from people around me. I think this one probably smells a bit better in the air than on the skin. When you first spray this it will fill a room, until it settles into a scent bubble that hovers around 6 feet away from you.


When to Wear it

Cool to cold weather. This one is very leather and rich. It has a deep density to it. It's probably best for night time wear. I originally thought the Alexandria one was more casual, but after wearing that one more, and this one, I have come to the conclusion that this one is more formal. I still think it can be pulled off casually. Ages 25+ and I think it errs on the masculine side due to the strong leathery vibe, but a female could certainly pull this off.

Overall Impression

I wasn't a huge fan of this one at first. I liked it, but I didn't love it. The more I wear it, the more it draws me in. I still don't love it, but I am coming around to it more each day. It confused me at first with how unique it was. It's like an old school fragrance that was turned modern. My nose was pretty confused at first, but after you spend some time sniffing the dry down you will notice that this fragrance has some character. I don't think this one is blind buy worthy, not at all. You certainly want to sample this one first. Give it about a week's worth of wearing before you judge it. It might grow on you like it is with me.


Conclusion

I hope everyone has a great day! Remember to say something positive to someone today! Hit that blue follow button and sign up for email alerts! Every little bit helps! I want to thank all of you for the support. It really does mean a lot!


Buy Luxurious here

Get a free sample from Babylon Fragrances here

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Babylon Fragrances Sacred Review (BR540 Extrait Impression)

Source: www.babylonfragrances.com

Hey, folks! Sorry that I took a little hiatus this weekend. I was very busy doing a lot of things and didn't have time to blog. Here we are again though! Today, I am bringing you another Babylon fragrance, Sacred, which was inspired by MFK BR540 Extrait. I will preface this and say that I did receive a free sample of this and that I have not smelled BR540 Extrait before. Let's get into it!

Notes

Top
Bitter Almond, Saffron

Mid
Egyptian Jasmine, Cedar

Base
Ambergris, Musk, Woody Notes


The Scent

Opening

Sacred opens very sweet, almost like a fruity sweet, with a bit of darkness to it. Which I assume is the saffron being accented by the sweet ambergris. You get a little bit of some nuttiness from the almond, but not much. The jasmine is also noticeable with its sweet chamomile type vibe.


Dry Down

When this fragrance dries down, it still remains very sweet. Others have reported that BR540 smells like latex or a dentist's office. I get that from Sacred as well, so I assume the two are similar in that regard. It does have a bit of woody cedar in it as well as the nutty almond, but it's very well blended outside of the sweetness and it's hard to discern all of the notes individually. I cannot detect what the other woody notes in this fragrance are. I assume the musk used is a very sweet white musk which lends to this composition, but I cannot individually detect it.


Performance

I am getting around 10 hours of longevity with this one. It projects for around 3 hours before becoming a fragrance that sits around 6 inches from the skin. At around the 6-hour mark, it becomes a skin scent. It leaves an impressive and intoxicating sillage trail that will most likely turn heads. So, needless to say, this one performs well.

When to Wear it

This one is very sweet, so it's safe to say this is for colder weather. This seems like one that would be cloyingly sweet in the warmer weather. Despite the latex type vibe, I think this one is more upscale and refined and should be used when you are at least slightly dressed up.  This fragrance is suitable for any age and gender. I don't think it leans more feminine or masculine. It's very much in the middle to me.

Overall Impression

This fragrance is like a sweet poem from one star-crossed lover to another. It tells its own story and does it with style. It's unique and heartfelt. It's like a person who does not seek attention, but they get it anyway because their kindness and personality draw you in. I know you probably heard "latex" and thought, "Why would I want to smell like that?", but the truth be told, this fragrance is so much more than that vibe. It has a personality to it that is hard to describe. So, my overall impression is this fragrance is really good and I am impressed with how much quality this one has, considering it's a clone. I wish I could tell you how close it is to BR540 Extrait, but I cannot. All that I can tell you is that if you like sweet fragrances, then you will probably love this one.


Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my review of this newer house. Ahmad is a good guy and I want to see him be successful. He is coming out with some really good stuff and has plans for some originals as well. Being that he is from Iraq, I am excited to see his personal take on his original fragrances. I am hoping for his version of something that is very Middle Eastern in composition with some potent oud. He has good things in his future, for sure.

Don't forget to subscribe to receive email notifications when I post and to hit that blue follow button to support me! Have a great day everyone and remember to say something positive to someone today!


Buy Sacred here

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Babylon Fragrances Majesty Review

Source: www.babylonfragrances.com

Hello, everyone! I am back once again, with another review. This time it's coming from a new clone house that is similar to DUA, Alexandria, and Genre Parfums. This house is called Babylon Fragrances. The owner's name is Ahmad Hamid. He was born in Iraq and moved to the US in 2009. He's a nice guy. He was posting about free samples in one of the groups and I messaged him about it. He sent me 4 samples to try out his house and review. That is why I am using a stock picture because I hate taking pictures of samples. This particular fragrance is their take on Royal Oud by Creed. Let's see how it holds up. I won't go over presentation in this one since I do not have a full bottle in hand to properly judge it.

Disclaimer: He did send me these samples, but as always, my opinion remains my own.


Notes 

Top
Lemon, Pink Pepper, Bergamot

Mid
Cedar, Galbanum, Angelica Root

Base
Indian Oud, Sandalwood, Tonkin Musk


The Scent

Opening

It's more synthetic than Royal Oud in the opening. It's a bit fresh too. I get more lemon in the opening. That greenness that Royal Oud has is there and it's a bit sharper, but far from unpleasant. The cedar is there, but not as pronounced and smooth as in Royal Oud. After the initial blast, the lemon starts to smell much better and I like the fresher opening on this over Royal Oud.


Dry Down

When it dries down, the lemon and citruses fade to the background and you are left with a very close iteration of Royal Oud. I was actually pleasantly surprised how close this one is in the dry down. I would say about 90% similar. Royal Oud has a bit more woodiness, while Majesty is a bit fresher and retains more of that minty type vibe. Majesty is also a bit lighter as a whole. I can't hardly detect any oud in either unless it's the medicinal type that is hiding in the background with the galbanum and angelica root. Overall, a pretty nice dry down that is pretty similar to Royal Oud.

Performance

I get around 8 hours with this one, as far as I can tell. So, that is comparable to Royal Oud. As far as performance goes, at least. The projection is a bit softer and I get around 2 hours of it with Majesty. The sillage trail is lovely and nearly identical to Royal Oud.

When to Wear it

Majesty, like Royal Oud, is best in cooler weather. It's best in the fall and winter. However, this is a lighter take on it, so I think this one would go well in the spring as well. I also believe this is a superb nighttime fragrance. This is more formal to me. You could get away with it in business casual attire as well. I would say this one is 25+ and for a working professional.


Overall Impression

I think this is a great alternative to Royal Oud. Is it better than Royal Oud? No, I don't think so. However, it is very good for its price and can serve as a viable alternative if you don't want to spend Creed prices. I do enjoy this take on it. Especially how it is a bit fresher. The performance is decent. Like with the other houses, maybe this one needs to macerate and it will be a bit stronger. As it is though, it's strong enough to compete with the famed Creed fragrance.


Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this review. Ahmad is really working hard on this. You can go to his site and get a free sample of any fragrance he has in stock to give him a try. I would encourage you to do so. It's free...What can you lose? I will be reviewing a few more of his fragrances over the next two weeks, so stay tuned to get my take on them.

I hope everyone has a great day! Feel free to support my work by clicking the blue follow button and subscribing to be alerted by email when I post. Your support means so much to me! Remember to say something positive to someone today! You never know how much it helps!


Buy Majesty here

Get a free sample of any Babylon Fragrance in stock here (yes, they are spray samples, not vials)

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Alexandria Je Suis Une Femme Solid Fragrance Review

Source: www.alexandriafragrances.com

Hello, good folks! I hope everyone is having a fantastic day today! It's a cool and rainy day here. Well, it's supposed to rain for the rest of the week. I am not complaining though! I love it! There is nothing like sitting down with a hot cup of Earl Grey with a dash of milk on a rainy day and doing some writing! ANyways, enough of my pointless rambling! Let's get int my first feminine fragrance review, Je Suis Une Femme by Alexandria Fragrances. This one is a solid fragrance that was inspired by Coco Chanel Eau de Parfum. Let's get into it!

Disclaimer: E.j. Wells(the gentleman who makes these for Hany) did send this to me for review. It does not alter my opinion of the fragrance in any way.


Notes

Bulgarian Rose, Cloves, Coriander, Civet, Opoponax, Amber, Peach, Mimosa, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Orange Blossom, Mandarin Orange, Labdanum, Clover, Vanilla, Tonka Bean

The Scent

Opening

For the opening, this fragrance smells of sweet florals with some animalic and sweet civet.  I get a little bit of the amber, but it's not the warm and golden kind. it's more sweet and soapy. It has a soapy feel to it, which is probably a result of the powdery rose. I don't get any of the clove that Coco Chanel is fabled for, but it could be there, perhaps it is just blended very well into the composition.

Dry Down

Je Suis Une Femme dried down to a sweet soapy rose and civet. This fragrance is animalic and certainly an ode to classic perfumery, as is Coco Chanel. I detect a slight hint of clove in this phase, but it's not super spicy. It's a very smooth and tame clove note. The sweetness of the peach comes out during this phase as well, but it's not a freshly sliced one that is juicy. It's more like smelling the fuzzy skin of one. I also detect a slight whisper of something woody, which is probably the sandalwood.


Performance

This fragrance will last at least 10 hours. I kept getting whiffs of it for around 4 hours. I am not sure about the actual projection because I didn't wear this one outside the house. It's way too feminine for me to be comfortable wearing it in public. Judging by the strength of this one, I would say it would leave an impressive sillage as well.

When to Wear it 

This fragrance is pretty strong. I am no expert on women's fragrances(nor do I claim to be on men's fragrances either), but I would say this one is too strong for warmer months. It's classy and elegant, so I think it befits a woman who likes to dress in nice clothes and enjoy finer things in life. I would say this is for women 30+. I am a 33-year-old man and I enjoy it. So, I assume women in their 30s would as well.


Overall Impression

I really like this one. I obviously wouldn't wear it myself, as I stated above, but I would love for a woman to wear this one around me. It exudes a certain aura of distinct femininity that I enjoy. It treads the line between clean and soapy coupled with dirty and animalic. It's very interesting. This fragrance reminds you of why Chanel was and still is such a staple brand for women's fragrances.I had a friend who used to wear Coco Chanel and this is how I remember it smelling. So, to my nose, it's a dead-ringer for it.


Conclusion

I hope you folks enjoyed my first female fragrance review! I am down to do more feminine fragrances if it is requested, but I don't buy full bottles because I don't wear them. So, only when I can get samples or things sent to me will I review female fragrances. I hope everyone has a great day! Remember to say something positive to someone today! It might just make their day! Also, feel free to support my work by hitting that blue following button and subscribing through email!


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Alexandria Arabian Horse Solid Fragrance Review

Source: www.alexandriafragrances.com

Good evening, everyone! I am so glad you could join me once again. Sorry that I didn't review anything yesterday. I had quite a busy day. Tonight I have another Alexandria solid fragrance for you, Arabian Horse, which is inspired by Parfums de Marly Herod. Also, I started a new Instagram account. Feel free to follow me there. I will have some exclusive posts on there. Now, let's get to the review!

Notes

Top
Peppercorn, Cinnamon

Mid
Osmanthus, Tobacco Leaf, Olibanum, Labdanum

Base
Vanilla, Cedar, Patchouli, Musk


The Scent

Opening

You get some sweet vanilla tobacco when you first apply it. It's accented with some warm and spicy cinnamon and a hint of patchouli and vetiver as well. A very nice opening. It's very cozy and well blended.


Dry Down

The vanilla comes out a bit stronger during this phase. it's nice and creamy. The cinnamon and pepper combine to give this fragrance a warm and inviting allure. The tobacco is there and very slightly metallic. Unlike Herod, which I get a lot more metallicness from it. This tobacco is darker and richer than Heroid and the vanilla comes out more strongly. The patchouli lends its woodiness to give it a defined masculine backbone. The vetiver is slightly dirty, but not so much that it brings the fragrance in another direction. I can't really pick up any more of the notes in this one.

Performance

I am getting around 7-8 hours with 2 of projection. If you put it on your pulse points then it gives off a nice scent bubble. All of these solid fragrances perform very well. I am surprised by that.

When to Wear it

Arabian Horse is best suited for colder weather and nighttime activities. It's rich, spicy, and sweet. It would make a great seductive date night fragrance. This one smells a little too upscale for jeans, but it could be pulled off. It is best worn for business casual or formal though. Ages 25+ would be suitable for this. It's not a clubbing fragrance.


Overall Impression

Honestly, I have Herod and I prefer Arabian Horse. There aren't many inspirations that I prefer over the originals, but taking the metallic bite down and amping up the sweetness did it for me. This is a very good fragrance. At $30, this is a bargain. It doesn't smell cheap and you can easily carry this on a plane and not worry about breaking the bottle or having too much juice. Another very solid releases from the house of Alexandria. Hany has also teased at many more solids coming soon as well, so keep on the lookout for them.  I am very happy to have this in my collection. I love vanilla and tobacco together and this one certainly quenches that fix when I need it.

Conclusion

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Alexandria Forbidden Plum Solid Fragrance Review

Credit: www.alexandriafragrances.com

Hello, ladies and gentleman. Welcome back to another solid fragrance review. Today, I am reviewing Alexandria's Forbidden Plum, which is inspired by Tom Ford's Plum Japonais. Heralded as the best plum fragrance by many, this fragrance has a lot to live up to. Hany did send me this one for review. Let's see if it can compete!

Presentation

This fragrance comes in the same presentation as Black Tie Affair, but with a purple background instead of black. Very nice and classy. Also, very fitting for this plum dominant fragrant.

Notes

Japanese Plum, Plum Blossom, Oud, Amber, Saffron, Cinnamon, Immortelle, Camelia, Vanilla, Fir, Benzoin


The Scent

Opening

Forbidden Plum opens with ripe, fruity, and strong Japanese plum and spicy saffron. It also has some slightly medicinal oud that is accented by amber, vanilla, and soft florals. It's very beautiful and luxurious.  Smells close to the Plum Japonais on the opening, but the plum is much stronger in this one.

Dry Down

This is where it gets more complex. the plum and plum blossom are still very dominant with the oud and amber. However, they blend very well and share a stage with the saffron, which is both spicy and floral which resembles iris somewhat. Fresh iris from a field though, not powdery iris like in Dior Homme. It's a very oriental fragrance, befitting of a peaceful Japanese field of luxury florals and plum trees in your mind. It's very sweet, spicy, and it simply smells amazing.


Performance

I get around 9 hours from Forbidden Plum, which given its price tag is a steal. It projects for around 3 and leaves a nice sillage trail that will turn heads. Especially if you live in my area where plums aren't very common.

When to Wear it

Forbidden Plum is a nighttime fragrance. It's a great date night fragrance when you are dressed up a bit. It can be worn in the day time as well, but it favors nighttime wear. This one is so sweet that it should be only used in cooler weather. This should be worn with at least business casual clothing. It befits any age, but keep in mind that it's sweet and have a floral vibe. It is decidedly unisex.


Overall Impression

I love this one. Not as much as Black Tie Affair, but it's my second favorite that I was sent. I will certainly get some wearings out of this one. I did receive a compliment in a drug store when I stopped to get my mom's meds for her. The woman who complimented me said I smelled "fruity and delicious". So, it does get compliments.

I am very glad to have this in my collection and it is a great fragrance to get instead of paying Tom Ford Private Blend prices for Plum Japonais. So, yes I think it measures up and possibly even surpasses it. I haven't smelled Plum Japonais for a while and would need to test it again to make my final verdict. As it stands though, Forbidden Plum is an excellent fragrance by itself and does not smell cheap at all. It's a sure winner in my book and I am very happy to have it in my collection.


Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this one. Stay tuned for more! Hit that blue follow button to support my work! Until next time, keep bringing people smiles with beautiful smells and positive words! Have a great day everyone!


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Alexandria Black Tie Affair Solid Fragrance Review

Photo credit: Hany Hafez

Hello, ladies and gentleman! Welcome back once again. I am glad to see all of you stop by once again. Today I have another Alexandria review for you. This one is a new release as far as their solid fragrance line is concerned. Black Tie Affair is an inspiration of Yves Saint Laurent's famed fragrance, Tuxedo. Alexandria is pumping out tons of solid fragrance releases and from the ones I have tried, they are very good. This one was sent to me by the gentleman who makes them for Hany, E,j. Wells who owns and operates Happyland Studio. So, without further ado, let's get into my first solid fragrance review!


Presentation

The solid fragrance comes in a small circular can that is made of decent quality metal. The label on the front is black, with gold writing on it. It lists the fragrance house, fragrance name, and some of the key notes/accords of the fragrance. The top screws off counter-clockwise to open the fragrance. They come in only 1oz/30ml sizes right now. I really like the gold on black presentation. My version did have a typo that said "Begamot" instead of "bergamot". Not a big deal to me, but E.j. said only 25 of them have this label, so my can is special 😎


Notes

Note: I do not know if solid fragrances contain top, mid, and base notes or not or if they just are all notes melded together, so I will just use my normal format.

Top
Coriander, Violet Leaf, Bergamot

Mid
Black Pepper, Lili-of-the-Valley, Rose

Base
Vanilla, Ambergris, Patchouli


The Scent

Opening

This fragrance opens with some very natural smelling bergamot, woody and dark patchouli, sweet vanilla, black pepper, and a bit of fresh rose. It's very sweet and dark. Ambergris also makes its presence known in the form of a sweet and smooth amber type accord.

Dry Down

It's quite interesting in the dry down. Black Tie Affair manages to keep the bergamot alive. As most of us know, bergamot usually vanishes after the openings of most fragrances. I absolutely love the smell of bergamot, so this is a big plus for me. It 's very smooth and elegant. The sweet amber, vanilla, and spices make this fragrance smell very alluring. Added with sweet and natural bergamot and clean and dark patchouli...It just brings it to another dimension. It almost has a smoky tea type smell in it as well, coupled with the bergamot it gives of an Earl Grey tea accord, which is amazing. I love Earl Grey tea. This fragrance is very complex and you pick up some different accords at different times. The fresh and slightly powdery rose is also very beautiful in this one.

Performance

This is what most people want to know about the solid line from Alexandria...How do they perform and where do you apply them? Black tie Affair lasts around 9-10 hours on my skin. It projects for close to 4 hours. The sillage trail is also pretty potent.

As for where to apply them, I put some on my wrists and neck. You certainly don't want to put these on clothes. They contain beeswax and do leave a somewhat waxy residue until they dry down fully, which can take an hour or so. Stick to pulse points which are warmer and allow the fragrance to use the heat to project the scent. Only use a little dab on each area you apply, this stuff is pretty strong. Remember, this is an Extrait de Parfum concentration, not a cologne one like most solids are.

When to Wear it

Black Tie Affair sounds like the name. It's a formal and elegant fragrance meant for formal nighttime wear in the cooler weather. This one is not a casual signature scent. Although you can use it as you'd like, I do think this is a special occasion fragrance. It would work well for a date night fragrance as well, as long as you were dressed up a bit. I would say 30+ on this one. It smells like a more mature and successful man. This is for a man who knows what he wants and gets it. It doesn't smell like an older man fragrance, but it exudes someone who is older and has class. This isn't a fragrance for guys who want to go to the club and wear Ultra Male.


Overall Impression

My final verdict on Black Tie Affair is that is absolutely beautiful. I love it. It's so sweet and seductive, but retains a solid masculine feel. It's very complex and has a ton of depth to it. This fragrance's smell far exceeds its price point. This smells like a $300 fragrance. The notes are natural and well blended and presented. I am just now getting into solid fragrances since Alexandria came out with this line and I am quite impressed. I was sent 6(2 from Hany and 4 from E.j.) of these solid fragrances and this one is my favorite of the bunch. I would go so far as to say this one is blind buy worthy. I do not suggest blind buying many fragrances, but this is one.

Conclusion

I hope you folks enjoyed this one! Be sure to hit that blue follow button to support my work! Until next time, keep smelling amazing and remember to say positive things to people today! You never know what someone is dealing with and you could make someone's day today!


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Alexandria FUntastic Review

Source: Alexandriafragrances.com

Hello, everyone! Welcome back! It brings me tons of joy to see you back here again. To those who are new here, welcome! I hope you enjoy this article. Today, I will be covering Alexandria's FUntastic, which is an inspiration of Tom Ford's F'ing Fabulous(called TF FF from here on out). I have never smelled TF FF before, but this one is an interesting fragrance. Hany did send me this one for review. Let's get into it!


Notes

Leather, Clary Sage, Bitter Almond, Cashmeran, Orris Root, Tonka Bean, White Woods, Amber, Vanilla, Lavender


The Scent

Opening

Right off the bat, FUntastic punches you in the face with a very potent dosage of bitter almond, clary sage, and leather. These notes persist through the dry down as well. The cray sage smells somewhat herbal and leathery. The leather smells raw and suede-like. The orris is powdery, but it doesn't smell like makeup. Some people have likened the opening to a baby wipe, but I don't get that. I get more leather and bitter almond. Very strong opening that can be offputting for many. Don't judge this fragrance by the opening.

Dry Down

When FUntastic dries down it becomes a bit more powdery. The lavender and orris are the culprits for that. The potent bitter almond note is still there. It mingles with some woody nuances, dry and warm amber, and semi-sweet vanilla that is accentuated by roasted tonka bean. Don't let these notes fool you, I would not classify this as a gourmand. It is most certainly more powdery and aromatic than gourmand, even with the potent dosage of bitter almond. Sometimes I pick up some sort of cumin vibe, like the stuff you put on tacos, but without the peppery spices.


Performance

This fragrance has outstanding performance. I get around 10 hours with 4 of those being projection. It leaves a massive sillage trail and can fill a room while projecting. Be very careful with this one, this fragrance can be very offensive if over sprayed. I suggest no more than 3 sprays.

When to Wear it

This fragrance is no doubt a cooler weather one. The strong almond and leather nuances, matched with powdery elegance certainly fit the cooler months better than the summer. I wouldn't wear this one formally, but business casual and casual should work fine with it. It's probably too unique to wear to work though. As I said before, it can be offensive.


Overall Impression

I like it, but I don't love it. This is the one I was talking about being neutral on in my Hafez 1984 review. It's a very strange fragrance, but it does draw me into it. I think it will grow on me and eventually turn into a love, but as of right now, it's just a like. It has beastly performance and smells very unique. However, I certainly suggest sampling this one. If you do not like bitter almond, then this one is not for you. I am not sure if I would wear this one much. I am going to sit on it and let it mature a bit before trying it out again. Even if the warm weather is only a month or so away here. I might have to wait until next year to get some good wearings from this one. I am intrigued to see how it develops because it's such an interesting and unique fragrance.


I hope everyone enjoyed this one. Remember to smash that blue follow button! I will be reviewing only Alexandria Fragrances this week and the rest of them will be solid fragrances. Until next time, keep smelling great and remember to say something positive to someone today!

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Alexandria Royal Equestrian Review

Source: www.alexandriafragrances.com

Hello, ladies and gentleman! I am so glad you could join me once again! This is going to be an entire week of Alexandria reviews. So, one review each day, minus "FragComm Friday" which is an interview with Hany himself. Forgive me for not posting for the last few days. I just turned 33 last week and I was somewhat busy. Back to the normal schedule of posting every day. Today I have Royal Equestrian from Alexandria Fragrances for you. This is their impression of Layton by Parfums de Marly. Let's do it!


Presentation

The presentation is the same as all of the other Alexandria fragrances. A black label with their logo and the fragrance name on the front. The accords on the right-hand side which read fresh spicy, aromatic, warm spicy, and woody. On the left side, there is some Arabic sort of writing and California on it. The cap and silver and plastic, but it works well and adds value to the presentation. The atomizer is very good and sprays a ton of juice.


Notes

Top
Citruses, Apple

Mid
Violet, Geranium

Base
Amber, Vanilla, Spices, Woody Notes


The Scent

Opening

This fragrance opens with some crisp apple and cardamom. There is also some sweet and natural smelling vanilla in there. You can pick up some lavender and sandalwood as well. The apple, vanilla, and cardamom take center stage though.

Dry Down

When the dry down comes you get a bit more sandalwood and what I suspect is some woody patchouli in there. The apple, vanilla, and spices(cardamom and cinnamon I think) are still dominant in this stage, but they are accompanied by some woody notes. It has somewhat of a JPG Le Male vibe underneath the apple and spice. I am not a fan of Le Male, but I like this one.

Performance

I don't think my bottle was aged as much as some of my others. I am getting around 8 hours from it, which is still amazing. I am hoping to get more when it matures a bit. The projection is solid for about 2-3 hours. The sillage leaves a great spicy cloud that will turn heads. It's a good performing fragrance, but not as good as my other Alexandrias. As I said though, I expect it to perform better when I let it age. 8 hours is still very good and nothing to scoff at for sure.

When to Wear it

Most people say this is a cooler weather fragrance. I disagree. I think this can be worn in any weather besides super hot summer days. It's somewhat light for a super cold winter fragrance, so I think it could work in warmer months as well. It's very versatile. It's fresh, a little bit sweet, and spicy. I do think this one is best worn casually though, it might be okay for work as well, but I wouldn't suggest this as a suit and tie fragrance. It can work for any age group as well.


Overall Impression

I really like this one. It's a nice versatile fragrance with decent performance. It could easily be a signature scent for someone. While I do think it can be worn in warmer weather, I do think it's better suited for the cold because of the vanilla. I didn't get any compliments with it yet, but I have only worn it 3 times. I enjoy wearing it and think it is well worth the price. I have only smelled Layton once, so I am not going to compare the two due to unfamiliarity, but I like this one more than Layton. At least what I remember of Layton.

Hany is making some really good fragrances and this is another one that I love. Be sure to check Alexandria out and try a sample pack. You can choose 7 5ml samples for $50. GIves you a good chance to try out stuff and see what you like. You really can't go wrong with his customer service and prices.


I hope everyone enjoyed this review. Until tomorrow, keep smelling great and say positive things! Remember to hit that blue follow button to support my work!


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Alexandria Hafez 1984 Review

Source: www.alexandriafragrances.com 

Hello, ladies and gentleman! Welcome back to my blog! Much love to all of the new faces and old faces alike. Thank you for joining me once again. Today, I will be covering a fragrance that received a lot of hype in the fall and winter of last year, Hafez 1984. This fragrance is named after Hany Hafez, the owner of Alexandria Fragrances. He is very proud of this one bearing his namesake and the love that it gets. Let's see if it lives up to the hype!

Disclosure: Hany did send this to me for review, but my opinions are solely my own.


Presentation

The bottle is like every other bottle that Alexandria carries. It's simplistic, but it works well. The label on my bottle is white with gold writing instead of black like in the picture. Sorry, I didn't get around to taking an actual picture of it yet. I did notice that he changed out the atomizers since I received my Mr. Sillage last year. The new atomizers are beastly. They spray out a ton of juice with each pump.


Notes

Cavendish Tobacco, Rum, Leather, Patchouli, Vanilla, and Exotic Spices


The Scent

Opening

Hafez 1984 opens with a lot of spice and a potent blast of rum. The tobacco is somewhat pungent in this stage. You also get a healthy dose of some sweet and creamy vanilla. The patchouli is somewhat dry, but not the earthy and dirty kind.


Dry Down

I like the opening, but the dry down is where the magic happens. It turns into some sweet and spicy vanilla, accentuated by darker notes of patchouli and tobacco with a touch of rum. The spices smell like a cinnamon and cardamom mix to me, but I could be wrong on that. They are certainly oriental spices. The tobacco leans a bit sweet due to the vanilla I think, while still managing to add depth to the composition. I don't get much of the leather that is mentioned, but perhaps it is mingling in with the patchouli and I don't notice it as strongly as the other notes. What this results in is a very sexy and seductive fragrance.

Performance

I don't say this about many fragrances, but this one is nuclear. It can project strongly for around 5 hours. By project, I mean with one spray it can fill a room. I took a shower and went to bed at 3 am one night, then I sprayed this on. At 5 pm I could still smell it, slightly projecting about 4-6 inches off the skin. It was mostly spices and tobacco at that point, but it was still there. That's 15 hours later, folks. That is absolutely ridiculous longevity for a scent of this quality and price. The sillage trail is massive on this one. People will know where you have been 15 minutes later. This stuff is super potent, folks. If you go anosmic to spices easily then the opening might not allow you to smell it until a few hours later when it calms down. Warning: 1-2 sprays unless you want to kill every living thing within a ten block radius. Okay, that was slight sarcasm, but seriously, go easy in the trigger. Remember these atomizers spray a ton of juice.

When to Wear it

This fragrance is for cooler weather. It is way too strong and dark for warmer weather. I know, it's a lovely fragrance and you want to wear it in the summer too, but it's just too strong. Maybe a cool spring night would work as well. It's best used as a night time fragrance, but it's fine for day time as well. You can dress this up casually or with a suit and tie. I would say this fragrance is very luxurious and leans slightly mature, so it is best suited for 25+.

Overall Impression

I am just going to come right out and say it. You folks that know me know that I don't use this word liberally. This is a masterpiece. It certainly lived up to the hype for me. Hany did an amazing job with this one.

Some people were saying this smells like Red Tobacco by Mancera. I have never smelled Red Tobacco, so I cannot compare it to that. Some others said it resembled one of my favorite fragrances, PdM Carlisle. It does have a slight similarity to Carlisle in the dry down. The spicy cardamom used in Carlisle is very similar to the spice in Hafez 1984, so that leads me to believe it is cardamom and some cinnamon that was used. It doesn't have the orange note that Carlisle has, but instead uses vanilla, so I can see some vague similarities, but it is certainly not an impression of Carlisle.

I don't hype many fragrances, but this one is certainly worth checking out if you love sweet tobacco and spicy fragrances. I see why Hany is so proud of this one. He has every right to be. I can't wait to check out the new intense version he just released.

He also sent me a can of the Hafez solid fragrance as well, which smells slightly different. I tried layering the two. Check out my full review of that coming soon.


Conclusion

I hope everyone enjoyed this article. Thanks for stopping by. I hope everyone has a great day! Remember to always say something positive to someone. You could make their day by doing so. We never know what sort of impact we have on people! Keep smelling amazing, folks!



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Al-Rehab and Nabeel First Impressions

The Dead Sea. Source: www.pixabay.com

Hello, ladies and gentleman! Thanks for coming back and visiting my blog! Much love to all of you! This past week my friend, Carlos Colom decided to give me a birthday present and with it, I decided to dip my toes into some Arabic fragrances. I went cheap to start and ease my way into it, so I decided on two from Nabeel and two from Al-Rehab. You can find all of these on eBay for anywhere between 4-6 USD. Sorry for the bad photos ahead of time. I will take better ones for the full review. I am also not going to list notes and go into detail, I will save those for the full reviews. Let's get into it!

Al-Rehab Shaikhah

This stuff is potent. When you first apply it I would suggest not sniffing it too closely. I did and it made me cough. Very medicinal oud and sweet rose right off the top. This fragrance has a very long dry down. In about an hour you will see the magic happen. That first hour is pretty harsh though. It turns into a dry woody fragrance when the medicinal oud tames down. Add a bit of spicy saffron and cardamom and you have a nice warm fragrance. If you can get through the first hour, then this one is nice.

Al-Rehab Sultan Al Oud

This one has a much more pleasant opening than Shaikhah. The oud is woody and smoky and only slightly medicinal.  It has some good spice to it to keep it warm. It has some nice vanilla in there as well to make it sweet. A very comforting and warm fragrance that is very oriental.


Nabeel King of Sultan

This one doesn't have oud in it. It's citruses and herbs to me. Sweet, fresh, and herbal. I get a lot of lime and herbs from this one. I haven't given it a full wearing yet since it seems like a warm weather fragrance, but it has promise for sure.


Nabeel Macho Man

Macho Man is supposed to be a clone of Tom Ford's Tuscan Leather. It does smell a lot like it with amped up sweetness from the raspberry. However, the rollerball didn't want to turn very well, so I am not sure if I applied enough to really get a feel for it. Hopefully, I can figure out how to get it to work better later.


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