I picked this up after a fellow Redditor on this sub, whose reviews I really enjoy reading, recommended it as a clone/twist on Cool Water. Since Cool Water is one of my favourite fragrances, I obviously had to give it a shot.

However, I have to disagree with the Cool Water comparison. To my nose, this has very little to do with Cool Water or GIT. Instead, I get much more of a twist on the Fierce DNA. That crisp, clean, fresh and slightly floral scent profile that gives you the impression of just stepping out of the shower.

I really like it. It is incredibly easy to wear and works pretty much anywhere. Office, errands, BBQs, casual outings, you name it. It is very safe, mass appealing and, in my opinion, an easy blind buy if you enjoy this type of fresh, clean DNA.

Performance is fairly average, which isn't too surprising for this style of fragrance. These "out of the shower" scents generally aren't known for huge longevity or projection. Projection is medium and it never becomes a particularly loud fragrance. And I must admit, I value performance much more than the average person. An average performer is not what I look for in a fragrance.

It's a shame because I genuinely really enjoy the scent itself. If the performance were better, I'd have no problem keeping this in my collection. But considering how much I value performance, I'll unfortunately be giving this one away. Great scent, just not enough longevity or projection for me.

Hawas Kobra

I won’t go too deep into this one because everyone in the fragrance community is already tired of hearing about LV Imagination clones.

When I first smelt French Avenue Essence De Blanc, I fell in love with the soapy tea smell. Shame about the performance on that one. Kobra fixes that problem completely.

The performance here is absolutely nuclear. If you enjoy the Imagination-style DNA and want something that actually lasts, this is the one to get.

Overall, this is incredibly easy to wear. The DNA is universally liked, it smells ultra clean, non-offensive, and performs like a beast. You really can’t go wrong with Kobra.

Hawas Fire

This does not smell like anything else I’ve ever tried. People compared it to Gissah Imperial Valley. While I have not smelled that, I know it’s an oud fragrance, and Hawas Fire I certainly get no Oud.

It starts off with a sort of very mineral and aquatic. Then it goes into a very sort of fruity type smell. My girlfriend says it smells like berries, more specifically strawberries. I do get the berries smell but not strawberries.

It comes off as a typical blue fragrance but it’s not. I know doesn’t make sense but you’ll know what I mean once you try it. It’s a very unique creation that is its own thing. It takes “Blue” DNA and makes it interesting. It’s like the Anti-Blue Blue fragrance.

I can’t think of a scenario where this is not suited for. That’s how versatile it is. It’s holds really well in the cold, like I’m wearing now. Not too sweet or cloying that cannot be worn in the heat either.

Best thing about this: performance. Jesus Christ. This thing lasts and lasts. I sprayed it one night out and kept smelling it the whole day next day on clothes. I left my used clothes in my laundry pile, and the day after (which is 2 days later) I could still smell this. Easily the best performer in my collection.

Hawas Ice

At this point, everyone knows Hawas Ice. And honestly, the hype exists for a reason. This fragrance has stood the test of time because it simply works.

It's one of those fragrances every guy should own at least once.

To me, this is the single most mass appealing fragrance I've ever worn. Easily my most complimented fragrance too, and I rarely get compliments. People just seem to love this scent profile. Clean, fresh, and masculine.

It's perfect when you want to play things safe and still stand out.

Performance is ridiculous. Easily one of the strongest fragrances in my collection. Truly nuclear. Six sprays max with this one. I know we all love overspraying, but with Hawas Ice, less genuinely is more.

Overall, I think Hawas Ice is almost impossible to beat. Once my bottle finishes, I'll immediately buy another. And then another after that.

I had a sample of Atlantis Extrait and decided to give it a proper wear last weekend. I sprayed it on before going out with my girlfriend and some friends, not really thinking much of it.

Throughout the night, whenever my girlfriend was standing next to me, my friends told her how nice she smelled.

So I turned to her and said, “What did you put on? I’m not really smelling anything.” She looked at me and said, “I applied my fragrance this morning before I went to work, it’s impossible they’re smelling mine and not yours”.

They were smelling my fragrance. 😂

Now I'm left wondering whether it's because Atlantis Extrait is actually a lot more feminine than I realised or if its because they would have never guessed that I would wear that.

For context, my usual fragrances are what some would consider pretty traditionally masculine: Armaf Legesi, Amber Oud Carbon, Moonstone Bleu, Hawas Fire, Hawas Ice, Hawas Kobra. I definitely tend to gravitate towards heavier masculine scents.

That said, I don't mind unisex or even slightly feminine-leaning fragrances. Atlantis Extrait was actually really enjoyable to me. To my nose, it smelled like expensive shampoo. A sweet, watermelon and coconut shampoo, with seriously impressive performance.

My girlfriend absolutely loved it too, and she jokingly told me that if people are going to compliment a fragrance she isn't even wearing, then I'm apparently going to have to buy it for her.

So yeah… I think my sample of Atlantis Extrait has accidentally become my girlfriend's fragrance.

I can’t speak to how close this is to its inspiration, PDM Castley, since I’ve never smelled that one. However, if you’re a fan of the Imagination DNA, you’ll most likely enjoy this. It shares the same general DNA, but it takes it in a slightly different direction, which makes it a bit more interesting among the gazillion Imagination clones out there.

The opening immediately reminds me of Imagination, with that fresh, citrusy and slightly spicy vibe. The big difference is the pepper. A lot of pepper. As it develops, it gradually starts becoming its own thing, getting warmer, spicier, and moving a bit further away from that Imagination DNA.

Unfortunately, performance is a major letdown for me. It’s very weak, with poor longevity and projection. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it when I can reach for Hawas Kobra and get a similar overall vibe with much better performance.

Overall, I think Onyx Silver is a decent fragrance and I can appreciate what it’s trying to do. The twist on the usual Imagination DNA is actually quite interesting, but personally, it doesn’t offer enough for me to choose it over other options in my collection.

I’ve realised recently that fresh fragrances have become some of my most-worn fragrances. Despite having a pretty diverse collection, I keep reaching for these easy, fresh, clean scents more than anything else. Whether it’s for the office, running errands, BBQs with friends and family, or even a cinema date, they’re just incredibly easy to wear. They smell great, they’re versatile, and most importantly, they’re not going to choke anyone out.

Scent

First things first: to my nose, this has absolutely nothing to do with YSL Y Elixir. I’ve also tried Paris Corner Zodiac Stratos, which is often mentioned in the same conversation, and again, I don’t find them particularly similar.

Fakhar Platin has its own thing going on.
The opening is fresh, sweet and very "designer" smelling. There’s a guava note listed, which I can’t really pick out as a distinct note because, honestly, I’m not entirely sure what guava is supposed to smell like in perfumery. But whatever it’s doing here, I really like it.

As it dries down, it becomes soapy, woody and subtly smoky. That smoky aspect is actually one of my favourite parts of the fragrance. It’s not a dark or heavy smoke. It’s a really nice type of smoke that reminds me of the kind of smokiness you get in the Aventus DNA.

The combination of clean soapiness + woods + that subtle smoke works incredibly well for me. There are also some fougère-like undertones that I can’t quite put into words, but I suspect they’re another reason why this clicks with me so much. There’s something about that slightly aromatic, clean, ultra-masculine character that makes the whole fragrance feel very put-together.

Overall, it gives me that fresh, clean, modern designer fragrance feeling, but with enough woody and smoky character to stop it from becoming generic.

Performance

Performance is above average, especially considering the type of fragrance this is.

I get around 2 hours of solid projection, after which it settles closer to the skin but remains noticeable for roughly another 6 hours.

It’s not supposed to be a huge, room-filling fragrance, and thankfully it doesn’t try to be. It sits in that sweet spot where it has enough presence for you to enjoy it and for people around you to notice, without choking anyone out.

Versatility

Basically any situation where you want to smell clean, fresh and put-together without having to think too hard about what you’re wearing.

It’s one of those fragrances you can spray almost automatically and know you’re going to smell good.

Final Thoughts

I really like Fakhar Platin. It’s easy, versatile, fresh and mass-appealing, but the soapy woods and clean smokiness give it enough personality to keep me interested.

I think this is a very easy blind buy. It’s hard to imagine someone actively disliking this style of fragrance, especially if you enjoy fresh, clean, slightly sweet designer style scents. The only thing is some may find it boring. But not actively dislike the smell, just merely find it boring I guess.

Creamy, rich tropical fruits with a slight metallic background. This is definitely a younger scent rather than a mature one.

As it dries down, the fragrance develops sweet, ozonic aldehydes. It's almost bubblegum sweet, but not quite it's more of a creamy sweetness, if that makes sense.

I saw someone describe it as *"God of Fire and Art of Universe had a baby."* I actually dislike both of those fragrances, but I absolutely love this. The reason is that it removes the overly sweet mango from God of Fire and the overly sweet pear from Art of Universe. Instead, you're left with a beautifully blended mix of tropical fruits where no single fruit dominates. It's so well blended that you can't really pick out the individual fruits, and that's exactly what makes it great in my opinion.

The quality is excellent. The bottle feels solid and premium, and it comes with a pressurized atomizer, which is always a nice touch.

Performance is also very good. It lasts all day on my skin. Projection is strongest during the first couple of hours, after which it settles closer to the skin. But even then, I kept getting small whiffs of it throughout the day.

Can any kind soul tell me if these are real or fake? To be clear, these aren’t very available in my country so I don’t have many options to buy them unless its these from marketplace. Seller claims they are legit.

Disclaimer: This is my own personal opinion and I’m aware my opinion here is not the popular one. I just like to share my thoughts and be honest as I always do. Let’s go.

Ok I see everyone comparing these two as “Amouage Reflection Man” clones. And I want to start off by saying I have never smelled the original so I cannot comment on that.

So what I will do instead is compare the two I have in hand. Why? I’m asking myself that. Why do people compare these two? I disagree with a lot of people when I say this but these two do not smell anything alike to my nose. I will keep it honest as always.

To me, these 2 are very different in almost every aspect except “the genre”. Both Lattafa Khamrah and Lattafa Teriaq Intense are sweet gourmands, but they are super different. Both Armaf Tres Nuit and Armaf Legesi are aromatic fougeres, but again totally different scent. This is how I feel with Khadlaj Shiyaaka and Rave Royal Supreme The King.

I’ll be honest I’m finding it extremely hard to describe The King. What I get is a sweet, creamy (almost vanillic but not quite) floral scent. There is a sort of spice in the background which I’m not sure what it is. I’m sorry I can’t quite specifically point out the notes because it’s just so well blended. For the price it’s a steal.

Shiyaaka is another beautiful scent that punches way up its price range. This scent is a beautiful blend of soft powdery, and floral notes with a really nice woody base. No mint is mentioned in the notes but it definitely comes of a bit minty as well. It’s the most male floral scent I have in my collection.

Performance of The King is better than Shiyaaka for sure. So if performance is essential to you. Go for The King instead of Shiyaaka

I love both of them. However I prefer Shiyaaka’s scent profile more than the other. This is purely personal taste however as I’m sure, others would say vice versa.

Risala Elixir ($20)

Sauvage Elixir DNA but much sweeter. The cardamom is not very well blended. You get a straight up sweet spicy cardamom. I have a sample of French Avenue Enigma Une and it’s miles better in my personal opinion. Considering the many DNAs available for Sauvage Elixir, this is not it at all. Performance is as good as Asad OG, if not slightly better. But worse than Enigma Une.

Rave Ambre Noir ($20)

Bottle and name do not do it justice at all. It is a very nice fresh musky floral scent. Perfectly unisex right in the middle. Having said that, I have very low tolerance for fem leaning scents as I like mine masculine. And this is something I’d be comfortable wearing. I struggle to find a more real “unisex” scent than this. Super easy to wear but downside is it’s very generic. Something you’d expect from a designer brand. Did not test it much for performance to be honest as I gave it to my friend.

Khadlaj Ghadeer Silver ($20)

I hate that I love this. I almost feel bad. When someone says that a fragrance is “shower gel” smelling or “out of the shower” scent, it is usually a boring fragrance. But this, this is not just that, it somehow takes that to an extreme level. It could not get any more shower gel than this. Aquatic, blue, fresh, ultra masculine. Think of Montblanc Legend or Kaaf. For this DNA, this is has very good performance. It projects well and last a long time too. Nothing nuclear. But again for this type of DNA, I’m impressed.

Rave Royal Supreme The King ($30)

WOW! What a fragrance. I’ll be honest I’m finding it extremely hard to describe this. What I get is a sweet, creamy (almost vanillic but not quite) floral scent. There is a sort of spice in the background which I’m not sure what it is. I’m sorry I can’t quite specifically point out the notes because it’s just so well blended. For the price it’s a steal. Performance is better than I expected, I kept getting whiffs of it for a whole day. Medium projection for a couple of hours then becomes a close skin scent.

Rave Nardo Red ($20)

Another Invictus twist. I realized a bit late in my fragrance journey that I might love the Invictus DNA much more than I initially thought. I do not care about compliments and genuinely do not believe in them. But whenever I wear Hawas Ice, I almost always get compliments. And I can’t help but wonder why. Of course I enjoy it, and it makes me feel good that people enjoy my scent.

I got this after I spoke a bit with my good friend u/Low-Stomach-8831. And I must say, his explanation nails it. I couldn’t have said it better myself if I tried. This is Invictus with Pineapple. Which makes it my favourite twist on that DNA. I think to me it smells a bit better than Hawas Ice, less musky and more fruity. Projects super well for the first couple of hours then switches off. Perfect for errand runs and short outings. I have a feeling I’ll run out of this one very soon.

Naseem Emeral Elixir ($30)

I’m beyond disappointed. What is this shit? This is supposed to be clone of one of my favourite DNAs: Green Irish Tweed. It smells like rotten GIT. Immensely powdery as well. No freshness whatsoever. And somehow smells dusty like a drawer that hasn’t been opened in years but someone spilled GIT in there. This is aqua based but not white like all other Naseems. Very oily as well in fact it is a Parfum. Sold it immediately, got my money back and I’m happy for that.

Looking for fragrances with a noticeable metallic accord. I love the metallic feel in Armaf Legesi, French Avenue Moonstone Bleu, and Khadlaj Musk Rasaas (SMW Clone). I also get a very tiny bit of it from Hawas Fire somehow. Any recommendations that have that metallic smell to them?

This smells like 70% JPG Scandal and 30% JPG Le Beau. And somehow the combination works way better than I ever expected.

It is sweet and fresh at the same time, while staying incredibly smooth and well blended. No harshness, no synthetic blast, nothing screechy. It definitely carries that Scandal DNA, but without the overly cloying sweetness that usually puts me off. Funny enough, I’m not even a fan of either Scandal or Le Beau individually…but together? This is very good.

The notes I pick up the most are amber, apple, toffee, and musk. I honestly don’t get much coconut, and personally I’m glad because coconut accords usually ruin fragrances for me. So if you’re expecting a strong tropical vibe, you might be disappointed.

Performance is unfortunately nothing special. Thats the only drawback about this. It projects a nice scent bubble for the first hour and a half, then sits closer to the skin for around 6 hours. Unfortunately due to this, it won’t have a place in my collection.

But for €15 you get a pressurized atomizer, a heavy luxury-feeling glass bottle, a super weighty metal cap, and genuinely great juice inside. To me, this leans heavily masculine despite being marketed as unisex. I personally don’t see this as unisex at all.

# 11. Hawas Atlantis

This was one of the fragrances I was looking forward to the most, so maybe expectations played a part, but even putting that aside, the scent just feels strange to me. I genuinely can’t figure out what it’s trying to be. On my skin it smells like seaweed mixed with rotting vegetables.

Performance was disappointing too. I got around an hour of projection before it basically disappeared.

Overall, this is easily the weakest fragrance in the Hawas line for me. I really can’t say much positive about it.

# 10. Hawas Verde

The opening is fantastic. It smells like a fresh mint mojito, a huge blast of lime and mint that instantly feels refreshing and summery. Unfortunately, the dry down completely ruins it for me. It turns sour and the notes stop blending together properly. It ends up smelling awkward and unbalanced.

Performance is above average. Not one of the stronger Hawas fragrances, but still better than a lot of fragrances in general.

Overall, I honestly can’t see myself wearing this much. The only situation where it makes sense to me is some kind of seaside summer event. Outside of that, I’m not sure where it fits.

# 9. Hawas Lava Gold

I went into this already knowing it probably wouldn’t suit my taste. It’s 100% not my style. That said, I can still appreciate what it’s trying to do.

The scent is dark, bold, and heavy. It opens fruity, but not in the playful “Erba Pura” type of way. It’s more of a leathery fruity scent, with the leather staying present throughout the entire wear. Surprisingly, despite the oud note, it never goes animalic. The leather actually smells quite synthetic, almost like artificial leather.

Performance is excellent. Easily one of the stronger performers in the Hawas lineup.

Overall, this is a difficult wear. Definitely not blind-buy safe and nowhere near mass appealing. Not for me personally, but I can absolutely see certain people loving this style.

# 8. Hawas Exotic

The name completely misled me. I expected some exotic tropical fruity fragrance with mango, papaya, dragonfruit… something along those lines. Nope.

What you actually get is a very sweet, spicy, winter-style fragrance. The opening is unique, but once it dries down, it strongly reminds me of JPG Le Male Elixir Absolu.

For my taste, it’s just too sweet. Hawas Elixir does this style much better in every way. Performance is good, but again, not better than Hawas Elixir, which makes this feel unnecessary to me.

Overall, I think the fragrance itself is well-made. It’s simply too cloying for my personal taste. Ironically, I feel like I’d probably enjoy smelling this on somebody else more than wearing it myself.

# 7. Hawas Elixir

Hawas Elixir is genuinely a great fragrance, just not really my style. And since this ranking is based on my personal taste, that naturally affects where it lands. That being said, I honestly think this is the best interpretation of the Le Male Elixir DNA so far. Better than Rayhaan Elixir, better than Lattafa The Kingdom, and from what I’ve heard, possibly even competitive with Armaf Lionheart, although I haven’t tried that one yet.

You get that classic sweet honeyed Le Male Elixir-style DNA, but with a fresher twist. The mint in the opening gives it a nice lift, and the lavender adds a smooth masculine touch that keeps it from becoming overly dense.

Performance was great as well, nothing to complain about. Not nuclear however, which is actually better here.

Overall, this is a very well-made fragrance and a strong standalone scent in its own right. It’s just not something I personally crave wearing often. Still, if I were going out at night and reached for this, I definitely wouldn’t complain. It’s not a dislike at all, just not a love.

# 6. Hawas Black

You really need to enjoy earthy notes and heavy oakmoss to appreciate this one. People always talk about the “lemon pledge” vibe in CDNIM, but barely anyone mentions it here. To me, Hawas Black has that same sharp lemon-cleaner type opening, although I do get a noticeable pineapple note underneath it.

After 5 mins this settles down really nicely. It becomes mainly pineapple, oakmoss, oakmoss and oakmoss. Oh and more oakmoss.

Performance is absolutely insane. This thing is deep into nuclear territory and can easily choke people out if you overspray.

Overall, I do find this interesting and I’d wear it, but it’s definitely a tougher fragrance to pull off. This is something I’d only really wear outdoors because of how powerful and dense it gets. Personally, if I’m going for this kind of scent profile, I’d still choose Afnan Supremacy Collector’s Edition instead since I find it much easier to wear.

# 5. Hawas OG

Hawas OG is extremely similar to Hawas Ice, but to me, Ice improves on it in every single way.

That doesn’t mean OG is bad at all. On its own, it’s still a great fragrance because the DNA itself is excellent. But when Ice exists, it becomes hard to justify choosing this one.

Ice feels fresher, slightly less sweet, and performs better overall.

Still, this is an easy wear. Very mass appealing, non-offensive, and versatile. I’d happily wear it anytime, just preferably when Ice isn’t available.

# 4. Hawas Kobra

I won’t go too deep into this one because everyone in the fragrance community is already tired of hearing about LV Imagination clones.

Personally, I’m not even the biggest fan of the Imagination DNA, although I do love EDB. Shame about the performance on that one. Kobra fixes that problem completely.

The performance here is absolutely nuclear. If you enjoy the Imagination-style DNA and want something that actually lasts, this is the one to get.

Overall, this is incredibly easy to wear. The DNA is universally liked, it smells ultra clean, non-offensive, and performs like a beast. You really can’t go wrong with Kobra.

# 3. Hawas Thunder

I barely get any citrus from this. Honestly, almost none. Even the ginger is very faint to my nose, which is strange because most people seem to pick it up immediately. Maybe my nose is just broken, but I’m glad it’s this way.

What I do get is a really smooth fresh floral masculine scent. There’s a subtle soapy, lotion-like sweetness to it, and the patchouli is blended beautifully.

Performance is above average with solid longevity, but considering the Hawas line is known for nuclear fragrances, I expected more. This definitely isn’t one of the monsters. Having said that, it’s definitely not weak either.

Overall, I genuinely love it. Proper masculine floral scents are rare nowadays, and finding one with solid performance impressed me a lot. It works day or night, summer or winter, and honestly fits almost any occasion. If you have a smaller collection, this is a fantastic all-rounder.

# 2. Hawas Ice

At this point, everyone knows Hawas Ice. And honestly, the hype exists for a reason. This fragrance has stood the test of time because it simply works. It’s one of those fragrances every guy should own at least once.

To me, this is the single most mass appealing fragrance I’ve ever worn. Easily my most complimented fragrance too, and I rarely get compliments. People just seem to love this scent profile.

It’s perfect when you want to play things safe and still stand out.

Performance is ridiculous. Easily one of the strongest fragrances in my collection. Truly nuclear. Six sprays max with this one. I know we all love overspraying, but with Hawas Ice, less genuinely is more.

Overall, I think Hawas Ice is almost impossible to beat. Once my bottle finishes, I’ll immediately buy another. And then another after that.

# 1. Hawas Fire

My Number 1. This does not smell like anything else I’ve ever tried. People compared it to Gissah Imperial Valley. While I have not smelled that, I know it’s an oud fragrance, and Hawas Fire I certainly get no Oud.

It starts off with a sort of very mineral and aquatic. Then it goes into a very sort of fruity type smell. My girlfriend says it smells like berries.

It comes off as a typical blue fragrance but it’s not. I know doesn’t make sense but you’ll know what I mean once you try it. It’s a very unique creation that is its own thing. It takes “Blue” DNA and makes it interesting. It’s like the Anti-Blue Blue fragrance.

I can’t think of a scenario where this is not suited for. That’s how versatile it is. It’s holds really well in the cold, like I’m wearing now. Not too sweet or cloying that cannot be worn in the heat either.

Best thing about this: performance. Jesus Christ. This thing lasts and lasts. I sprayed it one night out and kept smelling it the whole day next day on clothes. I left my used clothes in my laundry pile, and the day after (which is 2 days later) I could still smell this. Easily the best performer in my collection.

Overall, this is a fragrance that I will never get tired of wearing. I’d call this signature scent worthy. Yes I don’t have one, I love wearing different scents. But if I had to pick one for life this would be it. That’s the highest compliment I can give to a fragrance.

Before I say anything, let me address the number one comment y’all are gonna say:

“But Cool Water is only $30 lol.”

Yes I know. That’s not the point of this post. Money isn’t the issue here.

The issue is performance.

Davidoff Cool Water is one of my favourite scents of all time. My number 1 fragrance was Al Haramain Amber Oud Carbon, which is a clone of Cool Water that is actually more expensive.

Why? Because it performs. Because Cool Water lasts about as long as a fart in the wind.

That was of course until I found this: Rasasi Fresh Waves.

In my experience, Rasasi is the number one Middle Eastern house. Almost all their Hawas line are phenomenal performers, and their Shuhrah line as well. They don’t really make weak scents.

Contrastingly, almost anything from Maison Alhambra (except a few) performs very poorly in my experience. So when I saw this by Rasasi, I had to try it.

Of course I’m not saying Fresh Waves is nuclear. Not even close, but for this DNA it has really good performance. A bit better than AH Amber Oud Carbon.

Price vs Value

Cool Water at $30 is easily the weakest value in terms of performance.

Fresh Waves at $15 completely outclasses it in longevity and overall value.

Amber Oud Carbon at around $70 used to make sense to me because I just wanted that DNA to last. But now it’s hard to justify when Fresh Waves exists.

Final Ratings

🥇Rasasi Fresh Waves
Price: $15
Scent: 9.8/10
Performance: 7.9/10
Value: 10/10
Almost identical scent to Cool Water, but with significantly better performance and unbeatable price. Best overall package.

🥈Al Haramain Amber Oud Carbon
Price: $70
Scent: 9.7/10
Performance: 7.5/10
Value: 6/10
Good performance, but pricing is hard to justify compared to Fresh Waves.

🥉Davidoff Cool Water
Price: $30
Scent: 9.8/10
Performance: 3/10
Value: 7/10
Classic scent. Amazing smell. Extremely poor longevity by today’s standards.

All you SMW lovers, let me put you onto this hidden gem: Musk Rasaas by Khadlaj. You genuinely won’t regret it.

Best Silver Mountain Water clone I’ve tried…and yes, it easily clears Club De Nuit Sillage, even in performance.

The biggest difference compared to CDN Sillage is how much smoother and better blended it is. It completely gets rid of that harsh, synthetic opening Sillage has. I’m not going to overcomplicate the scent breakdown because at the end of the day, it’s that classic SMW DNA, but with a much more pronounced tea note and toned-down citrus. The note breakdown doesn’t include this but it is very present to my nose. Exactly how I personally like it.

Performance is honestly insane for the price. I tested it with just 2 sprays on skin and couldn’t stop smelling myself for hours. This thing projects and projects. It is one of the most powerful fragrances in my collection. Could be I don’t go nose blind to it, or could be due to the fact that I got a batch from 2023 as well, so it has had time to mature. Either way I can’t complain.

This DNA and this kind of performance was very unexpected. I’m not sure this is a considered a freshie but usually freshies don’t really perform very well.

And the best part? It’s only €15. Somehow it even comes with a pressurized atomizer, which is crazy at this price point.

I’m honestly proud of this find because barely anyone talks about it online. I found almost no information on it before buying, so it was a complete blind buy. Just wanted to share it with fellow SMW fans because this one seriously deserves more attention.

First thing I noticed was holy shit, this thing is oily. My skin was shining like I had rubbed baby oil all over it. But I remember reading that Ahmed Al Maghribi fragrances tend to be like that.

The opening is fruity and ozonic, with a hit of melon and a syrupy, juicy background. As it develops, it turns into a creamy floral scent that leans feminine. Very pleasant and smooth on the nose with nothing harsh or sharp about it.

It actually reminds me a bit of Amber Oud Gold. They smell quite different, but they belong to a similar fragrance family. I would say this is way more summery. It’s just a scent that reminds me of summer. I know it doesn’t make sense but it’s not just a day fragrance, I could also see it being use as a date night fragrance. It just works.

I read a lot of reviews mentioning a salty accord, but personally I do not get that at all. What I think I pick up instead is a very soft and well done oud note, which is surprising because I rarely enjoy oud. To my nose, it comes across as a fruity, creamy floral fragrance with a subtle oudy undertone.

Performance is very good. I have not worn it in the heat yet, but I can already tell it would probably become nuclear in warmer weather. It projects loudly for the first couple of hours, then settles into a nice scent bubble with softer but still noticeable projection. Longevity was easily 8+ hours on me, and I never really went nose blind to it since I kept catching whiffs of it throughout the day.

Overall, it is not really my style. To me it leans feminine, although others might see it as unisex. I would definitely love smelling this on my girlfriend though. So in the end, it is a great smelling fragrance with excellent performance, just not something I would personally wear.