I just noticed I never reviewed my Sublime. It was a blind buy for my wife (it was on sale for $20), but she didn't want it, so I'm using it is a layering fragrance for more manly fragrances I have.

THE PROFILE

While these have the same vibe, they are not that similar. Maybe 70% similar. Both are mostly fruity (plum+lychee mostly), rosy, and the only thing that makes them (IMO) only "almost" unisex is the mossy base. So fruity-floral of what you'll mostly get from them, but not in the "clean laundry" fruity+floral that relies on white florals and citrus fruits. Because this is rose+sweet and tropical fruits.

THE DIFFERENCES

First thing, the PL is MUCH smoother and higher quality than Sublime. Sublime has some type of musk at the base (not in the notes breakdown) that is very low quality. PL doesn't have that, and has that added liquor scent that rounds up and elevates the profile quite a bit.

For men, this will be a super playful casual profile. For women, this could work for pretty much everything.

As they dry down, they get closer to each other, but PL is smoother, more vanillic (even when it's not in the notes breakdown), and rounder.

Subjective Scent Score (should be the least important thing for you): Sublime 7.8. PL 8.3.

Longevity on skin (so, 100% skin scent counts): PL 6-7 hours. Sublime 8-9 hours.

Projection (only above skin count): PL low-medium for 1-2 hours, then skin scent. Sublime medium for 2 hours, skin scent at hour 3-4.

Blind buy safety score: For men, 5.0. Will be too feminine for 50% (at least). For women, 8.0.

Unisex Score (0=100% fem leaning, 5=unisex, 10=100% male leaning): Both 3.0.

Versatility Score: For men, 6.0. spring-summer-fall, but only for casual and playful occasions. For women, 8.5. Same seasons, all occasions.

Blend Quality Score: Sublime 6.0 (significantly below average clone quality). PL 7.4 (above average clone quality).

Value Score (for 100ml): Sublime 7.5. Only $21 on FragranceNet right now, but low quality and average performance. PL 6.5. $30 on Jomashop, for good quality, but slightly below average performance.

Should cost (based on performance, quality, and available competing clones, averaged): Both should be $18-$20. One because of the performance, the other because of the quality.

Bottle design: Sublime 7.5. PL 6.5.

Atomizer Score: PL NA. Sublime 7.0.

Conclusion:

I'm my book, this was an easy win for Paris Corner. But I wouldn't buy that for my wife because of the poor performance.

And as always, don't trust me, Get decants.

Odyssey Limoni

I don't see why people say this is an Afternoon Swim twist. You need to squint very hard to think that.

It starts with a BLAST of candied lemon and orange/mandarin up top, and has a nice tea note at the base. At best, this is 60% similar to other Afternoon Swim clones I've tried. I actually prefer this over any of them by far! Why? Because Afternoon Swim is such a basic boring scent, even for a mandarin lover like me. This makes it interesting, and Armaf played to their strength... Because I don't care that it's synthetic, as it feels intentional. There are no lemon candy trees out there, so synthetic fragrances that are candy like (caramel, bubblegum, candy watermelon, candy lemon, etc) feel less like a quality downgrade. Problem is, it barely last, and another quality issue is that it loses structure EXTREMELY fast (about 1.5 hours in), and becomes a mess of unrecognizable notes (and also a very faint skin scent) at that stage. It's a shame, because the first hour was really nice.

Subjective Scent Score (the least important part for you... This is more for my own notes to know what to buy): average 7.0. Opening 8.9. dry-down 6.3.

Longevity on skin (so, skin scent counts): 4-5 hours. I'm 5 hours in and neither me nor my wife can smell it on my skin! That's absurd! I had body washes that last longer than this!

Projection (skin scent doesn't count): Surprisingly strong for 30 minutes, but then immediately drops to a low sent bubble for another hour or so. 100% skin scent after 2 hours.

Blind buy safety score: 8.5. very fun, playful, but also not super playful (mainly because of the tea note that gives it more balance), and also very fresh and uplifting.

Unisex Score (0=100% fem leaning, 5=unisex, 10=100% male leaning): 5.0. Perfectly unisex.

Versatility Score: 7.0. Summer-spring only, but pretty versatile occasion-wise. Problem is, you need to reach that occasion very quickly if you want people to smell you.

Blend Quality Score: 6.0 (below average clone quality). The note separation lasts maybe an hour or so, progression on skin is just okay for the first 30 minutes, note realism isn't there (but doesn't matter much), but the worst offender is the total collapse of any structure between the 1st and 2nd hour.

Value Score (for 100ml): 6.5. only $24 (Jomashop), but bottom of the barrel performance, and lower than average quality.

Should cost (based on performance, quality, and available competing clones, averaged): $10-$13.

Bottle design: 5.5. Like most of the Odyssey line. Childish.

Atomizer Score: NA.

Conclusion:

I wish another house will do this spin-off, but with better quality and performance.

RAEES VS RUE BROCA L'ALLIANCE SPIRIT

For those who don't know the profile: It's a green-citrusy aquatic. More green than citrusy, and very aquatic. Not remotely a favorite of mine. Somehow, salty marine notes (like Atlas or Nomad) smell better on me (and to me) than aquatic notes. It's usually the opposite for most people. In the dry-down (1 hour), some Amber sweetness joins in, and it's even more balanced. The one thing this profile has going for it is the versatility. It will work pretty much any season and any situation, for any age group (maybe not teenagers), from a job interview to a night out. It will not offend anyone, but it's also not too boring like the first ADG in the line. Problem is, I can't appreciate the "interesting" part of it, because I'm not a fan of green-herbal other than mint.

Spirit is MUCH greener in the first 5 minutes... Like an herbal bomb. But after that, I'll be doing you a disservice of I'll bury my nose in my wrist to try and analyze the subtle differences, as they are pretty much the same. Maybe Spirit stays a hint greener... But that's about it. It's very redundant to own one of you have the other.

This has a "man who got it together, but also knows how to sometimes be easy going" vibe to it. If you're like me, an immature "child at heart" middle aged men, this is not for you. This smells to me like "this guy has children that are well behaved". I don't know why this thought came to mind, but I'm always writing what I think at the moment. It's not heavy or super mature, just has 0 playfulness or "pizzazz".

Subjective Scent Score (the least important part for you... This is more for my own notes to know what to buy): Raees 7.4, Spirit 7.3.

Longevity on skin (so, skin scent counts): Spirit 8-9 hours. Raees 6-7 hours.

Projection (skin scent doesn't count): Spirit Medium-strong first 1-2 hours, then medium scent bubble another hour, then small scent bubble another 1-2 hours, dissipating into a 100% skin scent at hour 4-5. Raees is weaker, and it's a skin scent within 2-3 hours.

Blind buy safety score: 8.5.

Somehow, even green-notes haters like me will find it hard to be offended by this.

Unisex Score (0=100% fem leaning, 5=unisex, 10=100% male leaning): 7.5.

Versatility Score: 9.0. other than a midwinter date night in the evening, this will fit pretty much anywhere and any time.

Blend Quality Score: Big surprise here. Spirit 7.5 (above average clone quality). Raees 7.0 (average clone quality). I'm used to Arabiyat being high quality. Raees starts above average, but collapses into a messy soup of unrecognizable notes at the 2nd hour, while Spirit retains its structure very well. Raees smells a tad more natural the 1st hour though.

Value Score (for 100ml): Raees 7.0. $20 ($35 for 180ml on Jomashop), but low performance and bad quality after the first hour. Spirit 8.0. $24 (on Jomashop), but above average quality and performance.

Should cost (based on performance, quality, and available competing clones, averaged): Raees $13-$15 for 100ml (so $25 for a full bottle). Spirit $22-$25 (so it's priced correctly).

Bottle design: Raees 6.0 (just because it's going to be hard to find room on a short shelf for that height). Spirit 7.5.

Atomizer Score: NA.

Conclusion:

Very safe and mass appealing, but somehow not boring... Just not interesting as well. I think that objectively, Rue Broca won this battle.

And as always, don't trust me, Get decants.

The roof has been stripped and repainted since then. It was isolated to the roof ONLY. Nothing on the hood, so can't be acid rain, hail, stone chips, as those would cover the hood too, right? It's all over the roof. Front and back of it.

Has anyone ever seen such a thing?

I haven't tried the OGs or any other clones for these profiles yet.

BANADIR 55

Man, that sure will open your sinuses. Very strong and aggressive blast of lemon at first, and a hint of something green. There's a very slight sandalwood creaminess, but it doesn't even begin to subdue the pungency of the tea and lemon. I'm usually a pretty big fan of tea scents, but not much with this one. I think an orange or mandarin on the top would've worked better than lemon in this composition. I'm sure there are other notes in the background, but they play such a supportive role, that they blend too much for me to recognize them. Maybe patchouli in the base? Don't know. It's not as summery as I imagined it to be... It's more of a spring-fall fragrance, because the lemon isn't uplifting or fresh, it's concentrated and sharp. Kind of like CDNIM Sillage, but very slightly higher quality. On the bright side, it performs almost like CDN Sillage as well.

Subjective Scent Score (the least important part for you... This is more for my own notes to know what to buy): 7.1. I'll take a SMW clone, a Wulong Cha clone, or Lattafa Dynasty clone over this.

Longevity on skin (so, skin scent counts): 8-9 hours

Projection (skin scent doesn't count): Nuclear for almost 2 hours, then a large-medium scent bubble for 2 more hours, fully settling to a skin scent only at hour 5-6.

Blind buy safety score: 8.0. Most people are fine with synthetic lemon. If you were good with CDN Sillage, or CDNIM you'll be okay with this. If you wanted a SMW clone with no metallic notes, you got it!

Unisex Score (0=100% fem leaning, 5=unisex, 10=100% male leaning): 6.5.

Versatility Score: 7.9. Spring-fall-early winter, and great for almost all occasions. From hanging out to a job interview. Very versatile. The only thing it wouldn't fit is "fun"/"party" vibe. I don't think it's a summer fragrance, as it's too concentrated and dense for that.

Blend Quality Score: 7.1 (average clone quality). I expected more. The other Banadirs I tested had higher quality. Note separation is good, and it retains structure, but the note realism isn't great at all.

Value Score (for 100ml): 5.5. $50 for "okay" quality, but amazing performance.

Should cost (based on performance, quality, and available competing clones, averaged): $25-$30.

Bottle design: 7.0.

Atomizer Score: NA.

Conclusion:

Not for me personally. I think there's also Lattafa Emeer for that profile, but I haven't tried it yet, so can't know if it's the same. It's 30% cheaper though.

PERSEPHONE

Oh, that's a fem leaning fragrance. Fruity-floral-powdery-musky. I like it quite a bit. Looking at the notes now, Where are the florals? Is that the Ambrette scent? How does Ambrette smells like? I'm gonna need to buy some seeds of that and smell them... My wife will be on board, because she'll grow the flowers after I'll smell the seeds. I get the Mandarin, but not so much the pear. It's like a "professional but sexy lady" fragrance. NOT a "lady that her profession is to be sexy" (not that there's anything wrong with that... Just making an important distinction). It's not youthful, but not mature, super balanced between being sweet and being delicate at the same time. It doesn't "bomb" you with one note throughout. Unfortunately, the delicateness also comes across in its performance.

Subjective Scent Score (the least important part for you... This is more for my own notes to know what to buy): On a women? 9.4!

Longevity on skin (so, skin scent counts): 4-5 hours only!

Projection (skin scent doesn't count): almost non-existent. Low-medium scent bubble for 2 hours, then skin scent.

Blind buy safety score: For women? 9.5! This can't offend no one, and doesn't have "too much" anything.

Unisex Score (0=100% fem leaning, 5=unisex, 10=100% male leaning): 3.8. I can see some men pull it off... But not me. DISCLAIMER: I'm not in a majority vote on this. Both Fragrantica and Parfumo put the OG at a slight male lean and perfectly unisex. So maybe this isn't an accurate clone, or maybe I'm just in the minority vote.

Versatility Score: 8.3. summer-spring-fall, all occasions and situations.

Blend Quality Score: 8.0 (entry designer quality). Good (not amazing) structure, amazing blending, and VERY natural smelling (which is very important for this type of profile).

Value Score (for 100ml): 3.0. $65 (filledwithbarakah) for great quality, but UNACCEPTABLE performance.

Should cost (based on performance, quality, and available competing clones, averaged): $20-$25. I know there are other clones for this from reputable houses (like Bujairami), haven't tested them, but they are definitely better priced.

Bottle design: 9.0. Love the gradient.

Atomizer Score: NA.

Conclusion: Can't really recommend it to anyone except for a "mood scent", because while it's very high in quality, it's more of a body mist than an actual fragrance, but priced almost like a designer fragrance.

Wife Alert: She wasn't a fan nor a hater. Said it IS fem leaning, but "just okay".

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The more I test these "new hype on the block" clone brands, the more I see they're nothing special, and they don't bring more value than what we already had. They have hits and misses like all the rest, only for a higher price point. People hyping those up are probably like the people in the past who hyped Game Of Spades fragrances... That while being good, are nothing special, and cost 2X-3X the competition, and being equal or only a tad above some of them. To justify a cost $50+, they need to bring exceptional performance AND quality consistently... And they don't. They're not "trash" by any means (except Street Origins), just almost never "the best choice" when analyzing everything they do at their price point.

And as always, don't trust me, get decants .

I intentionally chose these 2 to battle because they're not a lime twist like Hawas Verde and Platin Blanc. If you want a battle of those 2 (which I prefer a LOT more), search my profile's search bar for "Hawas Verde".

THE PROFILE

A mojito profile. The fruity top is dominated by one of my least favorite fruits... Lemon. There's also plenty of mint, and other herbs that make it "smooth & fresh green", not leafy green. So somewhat spicy-minty green lemon, on top of a woody musky base. The musk is taking control of the base for the first hour, and only then the woods join. I think this profile works so much better with lime replacing the lemon, as lime has a sort of a sweeter green quality that compliments this composition much better. Lemon seems to try and compete with the other notes more than lime does. At first I categorize it as a quality difference... But I think I was wrong and I'll correct it now. But I guess these were going for straight cloning the OG , because the OG breakdown mentions lemon too (but I never tried that one)

THE DIFFERENCES:

The opening is damn identical. Yeah, I can't tell you maybe one have a hint more mint and the other a hint more herbal, but it's so minute, and I had to bury my nose at my wrist so hard to find that... That it would be pretentious of me to lead you on to believe they have a different twist to them.

The initial dry-down (30 minutes) is also very similar, with single digits percentages of the Bujairami being a little more musky, and the Velixir more woody. But if you prefer one, you'll score it maybe 0.1/10 over the other. That's how close they are.

In the deep dry-down (2 hours), the lemon stays better on the Bujairami, and less in Velixir, and because I hate lemon, that makes Velixir better for me. But I assume people who like the OG actually like the lemon, so I'm not sure it's going to be an advantage for you too. Surprisingly, the $21 Bujairami has almost the same quality level as the $60 Velixir, but more on that later.

Wife Alert: Wife says the differences are all in my head, and they're exactly the same. Also, we both prefer the lime version in Verde and Platin Blanc go with.

Subjective Scent Score (the least important part for you... This is more for my own notes to know what to buy): Velixir 7.7. Bujairami 7.6. Only because of the slightly less lemony dry-down.

Longevity on skin (so, skin scent counts): Velixir 7-8 hours. Bujairami 9 hours.

Projection (skin scent doesn't count): Both are "not bad". Almost room fillers the first 30-60 minutes, then medium scent bubble for about 3 hours, and 100% skin scent at hour 4-5. The Velixir "feels" stronger just because the note separation is slightly better for a little longer period, but when tested from several distances with my wife, it was detectable at the same distance as the Bujairami.

Blind buy safety score: 8.0. People go gaga for this profile... I do only when the lemon is replaced with lime. I'll trade my Limonana bottle for Hawas Verde in a heartbeat!

Unisex Score (0=100% fem leaning, 5=unisex, 10=100% male leaning): Both 6.0. Slightly male leaning, but not macho at all.

Versatility Score: 7.8. summer-spring-fall, but great for all occasions. Not too sweet, very balanced, and has a "sophisticated party" vibe.

Blend Quality Score: Bujairami 7.3. Bumping it up from my previous review), I guess it took it a while to mature, and now it's slightly above average clone quality. Velixir 7.6 (slightly higher quality). Both have good note separation and progression on skin, but Velixir keeps its structure and separation a little better in the deep dry-down.

Value Score (for 100ml): Velixir 5.5. $48 for good quality and average performance. Bujairami 8.8. $21 for above average quality and above average performance. Both out of stock.

Should cost (based on performance, quality, and available competing clones, averaged): Bujairami $25-$30. Velixir $30-$35.

Bottle design: Velixir 9.0. Bujairami 9.5.

Atomizer Score: Velixir NA. Bujairami 9.0 (pressurized)

Conclusion:

They're ultra-similar. There is no reason to get the Velixir unless you like to just spend more money for no reason. And if you like doing that, get OGs for everything instead. As for me, I prefer the lime twists much better.

Final Thoughts: Second Velixir tested, and the conclusion stays the same. They're good at what they do, but so are many brands at lower price levels. It's nice to have more options, but would be better to have new options that actually benefit the community. Like higher quality for the same price (up to $35), or only above average everything for a super deal price ($20-$25). Right now, they don't disrupt anything in the market, as high quality+high performance was always available at these price points (and even lower). But at the price I got Bujairami Limonana for (see photo), I can easily hand it a "disrupter" tag. Also, bringing value doesn't necessarily mean "lowest price ever", it means "be the best at your price bracket"... And I don't see Velixir doing that, as their price bracket is almost designer level for most of their lineup. In this specific test, both are at a deep discount, and both are out of stock, so it's a fair but weird comparison.

And as always, don't trust me, get decants.

Disclaimers: I never tried the OG. I tried Turathi Blue and Maison Asrar Majesty.

The profile:

Grapefruit and ginger will dominate the top, and then mostly woody and musky base.

These are similar, but not identical to Tygar. These are a bit sweeter, less aggressive, more gentle. They lack the Ambroxan overdose that the Tygar DNA calls for. I like these better than the Tygar clones for sure, especially Highness.

The differences:

Pretty large difference between the 2. Highness' grapefruit is sweet, almost 0 tartness, and adds noticeable florals to the DNA, which makes it pretty much unisex IMO. Very soft and balanced. It's like you took LV Symphony top and mixed it into Turathi Blue. Don't get me wrong, Sorrento also has some ambery sweetness, but with Sorrento, the grapefruit is more realistic, less sweetened, more noticeable ginger, and there's a slight green/herbal tone in there. I'm usually a herbal-hater, but it's so slight here, that it doesn't bother me at all. Because I'm a fan of sweetened fruits, I prefer Highness, but both of these I prefer over any Tygar clone I've tried. Sorrento is higher quality than Highness for sure.

As they dry down (1-2 hours), Sorrento becomes a little sweeter, while it retains its structure. Highness becomes muskier, and a little less structured (but still not horrible note separation). At this point, I prefer Sorrento.

Subjective Scent Score (the least important part for you... This is more for my own notes to know what to buy): Both 8.4. One I like better the first 1-2 hours, the other the later hours.

Longevity on skin (so skin scent counts): Sorrento wins this. About 9-10 hours on skin, while Highness is 7-8 hours.

Projection (skin scent doesn't count): This time, Hawas didn't make a room filler. It's Above average for sure, and even pretty strong for the profile, but it's not going to blow your mind with amazing performance like most Hawas fragrance line. Medium-high projection first hour, then medium-high scent bubble for 1-2 more hours. Tapering to a skin scent at hour 3-4. Sorrento matches Highness' performance, so it's no slouch as well... But also not anything to write home about. Sorrento "feels" stronger, especially after hour 1, because of better note separation.

Blind buy safety score: Sorrento 8.8, Highness 8.3. That's because the added sweetness in Highness might tickle some the wrong way. But still not a sweet bomb, so very safe

Unisex Score (0=100% fem leaning, 5=unisex, 10=100% male leaning): Sorrento 6.3. Highness 5.5.

Versatility Score: 7.5. summer-spring, but any occasion, and any time of day. Will work for business AND pleasure.

Blend Quality Score: Highness 7.4 (above average clone quality). Sorento 8.2 (well into designer quality).

Value Score (for 100ml): Highness 6.0. $45 on Jomashop, for only above average performance and quality. Sorrento 7.3. $50 on Jomashop, for great quality and above average performance.

Should cost (based on performance, quality, and available competing clones, averaged): Highness $27-$30, Sorrento $35-$40.

Bottle design: Both 7.5.

Atomizer Score: NA

Conclusion:

2nd Mykonos I've tried. So far, my conclusion is they have great quality, but nothing that blows the other high quality houses out of the water or makes the pricetag very well justified. If it kept that quality, and destroyed the competition in performance, then it would be a different case. Right now, it's just another $50 clone that does a good job... Which you'll get with many other houses (Middle Eastern and private smaller houses). But at least it's not another "shilled for nothing" brand, as it does bring quality and longevity to the table... So at least we get more choices, which is never a bad thing.

Edit: Now that a few comments were written...A better way to describe the 2 Mykonos came to me. Imagine Game Of Spades with a slight bump up in quality, but at $50 a bottle instead of $70. That's pretty much it. For me, anything above $35 for a clone is exaggerated, so I'll keep testing them, but not gonna get a full bottle yet.

Get Highness if you want a sweet twist opening (yes, please), and Sorrento if you want quality and a more "dressed up" version. If I had to guess, I think most people who look for a Vibrato clone will give Sorrento the win.

And as always, don't trust me, get decants !

Disclaimers: I never tried the OG, and I'm also not a fan (almost a "hater") of geranium. That's why I shy away from most blue generic scents. I find geranium to be generic, so at least they named the flower correctly (should be Generium). I picked up some geranium from our garden (my wife grows more than 80 different types of flowers, herbs, etc.). That's how I usually compare the quality. But I don't think I have the correct geranium type, because that flower barely has a scent, and the scent it has is barely close.

The profile:

Geranium OVERDOSE. I always found geranium kind of sickening, and it always makes me almost nauseous. You get a hint of musk, and a recognizable woody base (more than the musk, much less than the geranium). Now looking at the note breakdown of each...WTF, something isn't right here. Looking at the OG... Okay, that's more like it, but the bergamot is not here (on the clones). I'm pretty good at recognizing bergamot, because I'm not a fan of that one too, and if it's here, is definitely isn't a main top note. Or maybe the geranium bomb just throws me off.

The differences:

The Lattafa might actually have a bit of bergamot (but barely), and the geranium smells much more natural and diffusive, and not syrupy and synthetic as the Khadlaj. It's also more woody, so more well rounded and balanced. Khadlaj is just a geranium bomb and that's it .

That's pretty much all there is, people. Nothing much to analyze in this simplistic and generic profile. My wife gives them both a "meh", I'll say the Lattafa is "meh", and the Khadlaj is "meh minus".

Subjective Scent Score (the least important part for you... This is more for my own notes to know what to buy): Khadlaj 6.5. Lattafa 6.8. The Lattafa is more balanced. But both are super generic, and even for a generic profile, I'll take pretty much anything else.

Longevity on skin (so skin scent counts): Lattafa 5-6 hours. Khadlaj 7-8 hours.

Projection (skin scent doesn't count): Khadlaj is the clear winner. Lattafa starts medium for 1 hour, then a small scent bubble for 1-2 hours. 100% skin scent at hour 3. Khadlaj starts strong 1st hour, almost a room filler. Then medium-high scent bubble another hour, but pretty quickly dies down to a skin scent at hour 4.

Blind buy safety score: 8.4. Most people aren't me, they don't find geranium offensive, and enjoy generic scents. So this is very safe overall.

Unisex Score (0=100% fem leaning, 5=unisex, 10=100% male leaning): 5.5. almost unisex. Sweet and floral... Just like... Wait for it... GERANIUM!

Versatility Score: 8.0. Other than mid summer, this will fit any occasion or situation you'll throw at it. The Lattafa might not perform in the cold though.

Blend Quality Score: Lattafa 7.5 (noticably above average clone quality). Khadlaj 6.8 (slightly below average clone quality). This has actually been my experience with most Khadlaj fragrances I've tried.

Value Score: Lattafa 7.0. $26 (FragranceNet), for good quality, but bad performance. Khadlaj 6.5. $31 (Fragflex), for below average quality and okay performance.

Should cost (based on performance, quality, and available competing clones, averaged): Both $18-$22.

Bottle design: Lattafa 6.0. Khadlaj 8.2.

Atomizer Score: NA

Conclusion:

Don't mind higher price and lower quality for better performance? Khadlaj. Don't mind trading low performance for better quality and price? Lattafa. I'm clearly not getting either.

And as always, don't trust me, get decants!

I never tried Nishane Karagoz, but I'll find it extremely funny if a niche house actually did this type of profile.

The profile:

Welcome to my wife's #1 ranked in my collection. I like it a lot, but I would never rate straight up grape juice as #1. You're gonna see a ton of notes... Ignore them. The combination of these specific florals with the lavender and lychee will create an almost 100% accurate grape juice profile.

The differences:

Silver Scent and Signature are 90% the same, and I'm not good enough to recognize the differences. Blue is a touch more floral than fruity over the other ones, so that you can actually tell it has florals in it. But again, they're all VERY similar. Signature is slightly higher quality, but TBH, in this type of profile, it won't really matter to most. Silver is BY FAR the most projecting summer-spring fragrance I've ever encountered, matched only by Atlas. So, if you're not afraid of letting your inner child out once in a while, this profile is for you.

Subjective Scent Score (the least important part for you... This is more for my own notes to know what to buy): Signature 8.7, Silver 8.5, Blue 8.3. That's mostly because I like the pure grape ones, and because signature is the highest quality one... But you can see, it's not creating too much of a difference in this profile.

Longevity on skin (so skin scent counts): Signature 8 hours, Blue 10 hours, Silver Scent 15 hours. I usually stop the clock at 10 hours when I test... But because some of these I wear daily, I know how long they last.

Projection (skin scent doesn't count): Signature 1 hour medium-high projection, followed by 2-3 hours medium scent bubble. Skin scent at hour 4-5. Blue will get you better performance than Signature, and Silver gonna DOUBLE what Blue does. Silver will be nuclear for 2-3 hours, then 4-5 hours of a medium-large scent bubble, and skin scent only at hour 8-9!

Blind buy safety score: 7.0. Very youthful. Some might say "juvenile". So not safe for everyone.

Unisex Score (0=100% fem leaning, 5=unisex, 10=100% male leaning): 5.0. I don't know why they're marketed for men, and not as a unisex fragrance.

Versatility Score: 6.0. While they have the power to push through cold weather, they have the profile and vibe of summer-spring, maybe fall daytime at most. NOT for formal occasions. Strictly a "go and have fun" fragrance.

Blend Quality Score: Signature 7.8 (Very high clone quality, almost designer quality). Silver and Blue 7.0 (average clone quality).

Value Score: Signature 1.5. $100 for 100ml ($50 for 50ml bottle), for okay performance and very good quality. Blue 8.5. $14 for better performance and average quality. Silver Scent 9.5. $22 (I got a tester for $17) for THE BEST performance ever, and average quality.

Should cost (based on performance, quality, and available competing clones, averaged): Signature $30 (or $15 for the 50ml bottle they offer), Silver $32 (for the performance), Blue $23.

Bottle design: signature 8.0. Silver 7.0. Blue 6.0.

Atomizer Score: Signature N/A, Silver and Blue 6.0. I'm not a fan of their built-in atomizers... But they work.

Conclusion:

My very first Mykonos tested... But this isn't a fair test, as that type of profile doesn't benefit from extra quality, so I'll reserve my "over-hyped or not?" conclusion for when I test the other Mykonos' I got in this haul. For me, Silver Scent is the (literally LOUD and clear) winner.

And as always, don't trust me, get decants

*if you can't see the format well (all in one block), back out and tap the title, not the photo.

The profile: Aether is mainly a semi-sweet, semi crisp+tart green apple, on a musky base, with a hint of moss. Apple shampoo type of profile. Nexa adds a noticable amount of fruitiness (orange/Mandarin), and a hint of cinnamon (not in the breakdown, but I love cinnamon, so I'm good at recognizing even small qualities of it), and lower on the musk (so a tiny bit less shampoo-y). Wicked sits between the two, it adds the orange/Mandarin, but less of it, and no cinnamon, still retains the musk level. Banadir is very similar to Aether, but the green apple note is sweeter, instead of semi crisp-sharp, and I personally, always prefer sweeter. Aether quality is pretty damn great, and Banadir manages to match it. The notes separation and structure-retaining over time on these 2 is the best. Nexa and Wicked are behind in quality, but not by much. Their progression on skin is losing a little structure, but they don't become "messy". All 4 scents are pretty linear, which is a good thing for this profile. The apple and citruses get weaker with time as always, but are still there. So all 4 will be in a quality that won't disappoint almost anyone.

So, it's more about sweetness... Sweetness/fruitiness ranking (each ">" is 5% sweeter): Nexa>>Wicked>Banadir>>Aether

Subjective Scent Score (the least important part for you... This is more for my own notes to know what to buy): Aether 8.0 (used to be 7.0, but I'm starting to like it better). Banadir and Wicked 8.3. Nexa 8.6.

Longevity on skin (so skin scent counts): Aether and Nexa 6-7 hours, Wicked 8-9 hours, Banadir 7-8 hours.

Projection (skin scent doesn't count): Aether and Banadir medium first 2 hours, then low-medium scent bubble for another hour. 100% skin scent at hour 4. Nexa low-medium first hour, then low scent bubble another hour. Skin scent at hour 3-4. Wicked medium-strong 1 hour, then medium scent bubble for 2-3 hours, skin scent at hour 4-5.

Blind buy safety score: All 8.5-9.0. Very safe and easy to wear. 0 offensive notes.

Unisex Score (0=100% fem leaning, 5=unisex, 10=100% male leaning): Aether 6.5, Banadir 6.2, Nexa 5.5, Wicked 5.9.

Versatility Score: All 8.0-8.5. great for any time of day, any occasion, and any season except mid winter.

Blend Quality Score: Aether and Banadir 8.0-8.2 (designer quality). Nexa 7.4 (above average clone quality), Wicked 7.8 (approaching designer quality).

Value Score: Aether 6.0. $40 on Jomashop, great quality, meh performance. Nexa 7.5. only $25, good quality, meh performance. Wicked 7.8. $29, and good quality and performance. Banadir 6.0. $45 for average to below average performance, and great quality.

Should cost (based on performance and quality averaged together): Aether and Banadir $28-$32, Nexa $20-$25, Wicked $27-$30.

Bottle design: Aether 10.0. my favorite bottle design! Nexa 9.3. Wicked 9.5. Banadir 7.0.

Atomizer Score: N/A

Conclusion: Want a substantial fruity sweet twist? (yes, please), get Nexa. Want something more accurate, but with a slightly sweeter apple? Banadir. Want some added orange/Mandarin sweetness, but not as much as Nexa? Get wicked. Want to get the signature tart crisp green apple? Aether it is.

Lucky for me, the ones I enjoy the most are also the cheapest of the bunch.

Final Thoughts: 2nd Banadir tested. Are they game changers in the market like many say they are? Nope. They're good quality, but not above French Avenue, pretty similar to Bujairami. If their price was significantly below the other clones with high quality, then I would call them game changers myself. But now, they're just another choice to make, among the many good choices you can get at that price bracket. Bujairami used to be game changers when they were cheap at FragranceNet, but now only a handful of them are under $30, so they became "just another okay choice to make". Still most of them are a better value than Banadir. In order for me to hype up a fragrance, it needs to bring exceptional total value. Almost everyone can sell a high quality and good performance $50 clone, not everyone can do that for under $30. The ones who do, will get my vote of confidence. Greed seems to be an infectious disease these days, and I'm here to find the healthy clone houses. That's why I keep hyping up the low price tier Shobis. They have the largest range under $30 per 100ml, with most of them above average clone quality and performance.

And as always, don't trust me, get decants

The new atomizer Decantified is using on their decants is a really nice upgrade to the others I tested.

Let's start with THE PROFILE: Tea, musk, slight tea, Petitgrain ,and citrus is what you'll mostly get here. And because I LOVE tea notes, I love this profile. It's bright, slightly green-metallic, a little sweet, and becomes more woody as it dries down.

As usual, Armaf blasts with their signature synthetic citruses, that can push harder than everyone else, but not at all photorealistic, and more in a room spray quality. It's the loudest, and most metallic of the bunch. Shobi smells better blended, rounder, and more natural, it has a creamier sandalwood, and less Petitgrain (less "metallic"). Saqar Platinum is not bad, but not great. It's somewhere between Shobi and Armaf. Dossier did an AMAZING job, and smell like luxury... The notes just effortlessly blend with each other, while still being detectable individually, without competing with each other. It has more emphasis on the green tea. Banadir is somewhere between Shobi and dossier (above Shobi, below Dossier). Closer to Dossier, just with more Petitgrain and slightly less tea. Yes, there are slight nuanced differences between them, but if you liked one, you'll like them all. The most significant difference is that in the deep dry-down (3 hours), Shobi loses most of the citrus, and the sandalwood somehow developed some type of sweetness to it. I like it, but it's veering the most out of the SMW DNA in the deep dry-down.

Subjective Scent Score (should be the least important thing for you): Dossier 8.7, Banadir 8.4, Shobi 8.2, Saqar Platinum 8.0, CDN Sillage 7.6.

Saqar Platinum isn't a straight up clone, but a twist, and I like the slight green element it adds to the profile, and the white tea instead of green tea. It's about 75% similar to the others. I enjoy smelling the Dossier the most, just because of the quality, roundness, and smoothness that makes it so enveloping. CDN Sillage's dry-down isn't great, kind of screechy (less than the opening, but still screechy).

Longevity on skin: CDN Sillage 9-10 hours , Shobi 7-8 hours, Banadir 7-8 hours, Saqar Platinum 6-7 hours, Dossier 3-4 hours, which pretty much disqualifies Dossier from being recommended by me.

Projection: CDN Sillage 9.0 (room filler), Shobi 8.4 (very good), Saqar Platinum 7.0 (average), Banadir 7.5 (above average), Dossier 4.0 (weak) and Dossier is disqualified again.

Blind buy safety score: 7.5-8.0 for all of them. Very easy going freshy. Not ranked higher just because some people are very sensitive to a "metallic" note here.

Unisex Score (0-fem, 5-unisex, 10-male): 6.0.

Quality ranking: Dossier 8.3 (above average designer quality), Shobi 7.5 (above average clone quality, halfway to designer quality), Saqar Platinum 7.0 (average clone quality), CDN Sillage 6.4 (below average clone quality), Banadir 7.8 (approaching average designer quality).

Value Score: considering performance and quality, for 100ml. Saqar Platinum 8.0 ($23 on fragranceNet), Shobi 8.3 ($26), CDN Sillage 7.0 ($34), Dossier 1.0 ($90 for 100ml, $45 for 50ml), Banadir 5.5 ($45 100ml).

Bottle design: Shobi 5.5, Saqar Platinum 7.7, CDN Sillage 9.0, Banadir 7.0. Dossier 6.5. b

Atomizer Score: Shobi 7.0, Saqar Platinum 2.0 (with Saqar platinum, you need 28 sprays to get 1ml!), Dossier+Banadir+Sillage N/A.

Conclusion: This is a hard one. If performance is what you're after, Armaf and Shobi will give you the best value. If you're after quality, Dossier is in a different league, but you'll have to reapply every 40 minutes and pay 4X the price of the others. If you're okay with spraying 18+ sprays just because the atomizer is shit (not because the fragrance is weak, and want a slight twist, then Saqar Platinum will be the best value. I think Shobi is the best one to get, as that way you get a non-screechy clone (cough Armaf), that performs well, for a pretty low price. If you want more quality than Armaf, more accuracy than Shobi, but less value (because it's not the highest quality, nor the best performing one), get Banadir.

Final thoughts: First Banadir I've tried. So far, not bad, but not mind-blowing for the price. I've encountered this type of quality and performance on clones $35 and under quite frequently, so I see no reason to cough up $45 for this. I have a few more Banadirs to test in this haul, so let's see if I change my mind.

And as always, Get decants.

The new atomizer Decantified is using on their decants is a really nice upgrade to the others I tested.

Yes yes, I know they're not remotely the same profile, but they're the same category (which as a Gourmand lover, I really appreciate). While I live in Canada, so I can wear winter profiles 7 months of the year easily (and if at night, even 9 months), I would still love it if I could have something like that for the summer or late spring. So these are my options.

KHAMRAH WAHA

Okay, it'll be silly to analyze the first 10 minutes, because no one would smell you at that point. But that's when it's actually "refreshing".

Don't get distracted by the notes breakdown, after 10 minutes, this is going to be pretty similar to the OG. I'd say this is 80% winter and 20% summer at best. Even something like the Nishane Ani profile will be as/more "summery" as this (which isn't summery).

Yes, you will be able to detect some added citruses, and even the cucumber, which is actually not annoying like other frags with cucumber I've tried, but those don't take the center stage. It's also more creamy/buttery than the OG instead of spicy/boozy, less cinnamon, and still has the strong vanilla base. I actually love it more than the OG Khamrah! I might even like it more than Qahwa (my favorite of the line so far)...But this is NOT a summer scent whatsoever! Canadian spring at best.

At the dry-down (60-90 minutes), it becomes a "Khamrah lite", which again, I think is VERY good, but not for the intended purpose. I want to buy it to replace my Qahwa when I run out, but it won't work as my "winter for summer" fragrances I'm looking to add to my collection. It's more like SWY by Armani. A better option for a "winter for summer" in this DNA type will be French Avenue Obsidian. Waha isn't as well performing as the other khamrahs, but still a good,/above average performer.

Subjective Scent Score: 8.8.

On skin (longevity): 8-9 hours.

Performance above skin: Medium-strong first 2 hours, then a medium-small scent bubble for another 2 hours. 100% skin scent at hour 5.

Blind buy safety score: 8.5. Safer than all the other Khamra flankers, because it's more balanced. Still sweet, but not heavily spiced or cloying.

Unisex Score (0=fem, 5=unisex, 10=Male): 5.7. More unisex than Dukhan or Qahwa, but more masculine than the OG Khamrah.

Versatility Score: 7.0. Winter-fall-spring nights, more night time than daytime.

Blend Quality Score: 7.2. Slightly Above average clone quality.

Value Score: 6.0 $44 (Jomashop) for barely above average performance and quality is a bad deal.

Should cost: $23-$27. Just like the rest on that line.

Bottle design: 9.0. I love the Khamrah line design.

Atomizer Score: N/A, but if it's similar to Qahwa, then 6.5. Not bad, not great.

Conclusion: If you liked any other Khamrah, this is 95% safe. If you didn't, then this might be the safest Khamrah for you, because it's the least heavy/challenging.

FRENCH AVENUE NOMAD

Yes! This is how you do it! This is really a "winter for summer" profile. It says lemon, but smells more subtle than other times I smelled a lemon note. More like a tiny splash of lemon water. No sourness, no tartness... Just barely there. Then add some sweet-salty (but mostly ambery sweet) aquatics into the mix, with an airy vanilla powder base. The vanilla is also not heavy or dense, it's even airier than MCB.

Imagine getting an icy bottle of those gently flavored water, but in a vanilla light flavor. This is very unique. Refreshing and deep+vanillic at the same time is something I've never tried before, and I tried over 600 at this point. The quality is also very good. It's really hard to criticize French Avenue in the last 2 years, because even the ones I didn't like, where super high quality, and almost always above average or great performing. If Waha is 80% winter, then Nomad is 60%. I really like Nomad, but I also think it's just because it's unique, and not the composition itself... I'm not sure about that yet. Performance is great. Not loud, but very persistent and diffusive.

Subjective Scent Score: 9.0.

On skin (longevity): 10+ hours (I'm stopping the clock at 10)

Performance above skin: Medium strong only one hour, but then you get 3-4 hours of a large-medium scent bubble, that slowly dies down to 100% skin scent only at hour 7!

Blind buy safety score: 7.0. Very niche and unique, I think some people will find this combo too weird.

Unisex Score (0=fem, 5=unisex, 10=Male): 6.0.

Versatility Score: 8.5. pretty much all seasons except mid summer, good for day, night, and maybe even the office (though there are probably better choices for the office... But you can pull it off).

Blend Quality Score: 8.0. entry designer quality. If it was in a Paco or Armani bottle, it wouldn't surprise anyone.

Value Score: 9.0. Yes, I know, $40 is a lot for a clone, and I rarely give a 9.0 value for that... But this is an original creation. You can't buy a competing clone, or even an OG. Plus, it has AMAZING quality and performance. So because I have nothing to benchmark it against, it IS the new benchmark!

Should cost: $40-$50. Until there's another clone house that will make a similar one, with similar quality and performance.

Bottle design: 9.5. LOVE the ancient scroll case look!

Atomizer Score: N/A.

Conclusion: Didn't expect to like it this much. I would suggest not to blind this one, but I would also HIGHLY suggest to not skip on trying it out, because there's nothing like it!

Wife Alert: She really loves both, and can't choose a favorite.

Final Thoughts: For "winter for summer", I'm going to have a tough choice between obsidian and Nomad. As for Waha, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like it, but I don't need another winter fragrance. I already have about 2 winter fragrances for every summer fragrance I have. I think I'll pick Nomad just because of the unique factor. Or I'll see which one goes on a deep sale first, and get that one... Let the universe decide for me.

And as always, Get decants .

Let's start with WTF is that name?! Can they make it any longer? Am I reading a Harry Potter book title? I'll just call it London from now.

I made a mistake and believed some influencers, so wore London as competition to Blue Talisman DNA. That's silly. The Blue Talisman DNA (and Enforcer) is a super musky, Ambroxan heavy pear and ginger fragrance. Yes, the notes seem very similar between the 2, but the scent is barely 50% similar. Just like I can make 2 fragrances that are just Oud and peach, one will be 95% peach and 5% Oud, the other will be the 95% Oud and 5% peach. They won't smell nearly the same!

London is much softer and neutral, the pear is airy, not juicy or sweetened as it is in Enforcer. The florals get more room on stage, and the musk is completely absent, so there's no "bite" like you get with Talisman clones. It has a linear ambery sweetness instead of a deep one, which works better than deep Amber in this profile, so they made the right decision. These differences make London more fem leaning as well. So if Blue Talisman (and Enforcer) is a more blue-fruity scent, London is a fruity-floral-ambery scent, which puts it in a completely different category... Not a "shampoo" or "shower gel" anymore. London is also pretty weak, and the quality is only slightly above average.

As it dries down, London loses some of its structure, and becomes a little muddled, not a mess, but still worth mentioning.

My full review of Enforcer (and many other Blue Talisman clones) are available in my profile, just go to the search bar there and type "Blue Talisman". I don't want to add it here, because I feel it's not a direct competitor. I'll review London by itself.

Subjective Scent Score: 8.1

On skin (longevity): 6-7 hours.

Performance above skin: Medium projection first hour, then a small-medium scent bubble for another hour, skin scent by hour 3. Lackluster performance.

Blind buy safety score: 6.5. Might be too fem leaning for most, but no offensive or challenging notes.

Unisex Score (0=fem, 5=unisex, 10=Male): 4.0.

Versatility Score: 8.0. Fruity, but not too sweet. Floral, but not dense. Ambery, but not heavy. Will work at any season, but kind of situational for men... Not an office scent for sure.

Blend Quality Score: 7.1. Barely above average clone quality. The blend quality is just okay. Not super natural, but not horribly synthetic. Progression on skin is almost non-existent, and the notes separation is "meh", especially in the deep dry-down (2 hours in)... Not a chaotic mess, but not remotely like an orchestra masterfully conducted.

Value Score: 6.5. 28 USD on Fragflex/FragBuy, but poor performance and only average quality.

Should cost: $13-$18.

Bottle design: 5.8. Simple, but somehow still childish.

Atomizer Score: N/A.

Conclusion: Oh well, they can't all be bangers. Usually I find who can actually benefit from having the frag, even when it's not to my taste. Here, I don't think anyone should buy it. It's not horrible, just below average on all fronts, without being a hyper cheapy to justify it. So whoever likes it, probably has better options for the same or lower price. That's the reason I get decants.

I already reviewed the Vurv here.

I just had to get the decant of the OG to make sure what I said was right, as the last time I smelled it was years ago, and generic blue scents aren't that memorable to me.

Now that I have each on one arm, I stand by my original review (so I guess I did remember correctly). Vurv is like 20%-30% sweet Invictus, added to the Dylan Blue profile, with the removal of the Insense note. My wife didn't know which one is on which arm when I asked her which is better, and she chose the Vurv. That just shows you that even my wife, which isn't into perfume as a hobby, but do have about 40 of them, can't really tell the quality difference that people like us can tell. Even when Vurv is a $14 clone! That explains all the compliments you all are getting from screechy CDNIM.

I, on the other hand, can tell the quality difference. Dylan Blue isn't an amazing quality one anyways... Not even average designer quality. The notes separation on it is a bit better, but the blend quality and progression on skin is almost identical between the two.

So if you want an added bay leaf sweetness and incense removal twist to your Dylan Blue, and only spend $14 for it, Vurv is your choice. Both of them are below average performers, Dylan Blue has only a slight edge (it better have, as it's 4X the price).

Subjective Scent Score: Dylan Blue 7.0. Vurv 7.6 (gets a slight bump up from the last review)

On skin (longevity): Dylan Blue 6-7 hours. Vurv 5 hours.

Performance above skin: Vurv is medium projection for an hour, then gets closer to skin, then a skin scent at the end of hour 2. Dylan Blue is only slightly stronger. Not a huge improvement.

Blind buy safety score: Both 8.5. none of them is "too" anything. Vurv is slightly sweeter, but not in the realm of "this is only for young people" sweet. It's going to be very hard to find people that find any of those offensive.

Unisex Score (0=fem, 5=unisex, 10=Male): 7.0-7.5. Not super macho, but very clearly male fragrances.

Versatility Score: 8.5. they're too "rich" to wear in mid summer. Summer nights are good, and any other season. Any occasion too.

Blend Quality Score: Dylan Blue 7.5 (just high clone quality, not even designer quality). Vurv 7.0 (average clone quality). This was the one that surprised me the most, and was worth this test alone.

Value Score: Dylan Blue 3.4. $60 for a lower than average designer fragrance, with lower than average performance. Vurv 8.8. $14 for only a tiny step down in quality and performance.

Should cost: Dylan Blue $30 (for the name and bottle). Vurv $16-$19.

Bottle design: Dylan 8.0. Vurv 3.8. Vurv has the cheapest bottle materials possible, with a super-cheap plastic cap that doesn't close properly 50% of the time.

Atomizer Score: Dylan NA, Vurv 6.5. Okay... Nothing special, but works.

Conclusion: If you're a big fan of Dylan Blue, and want an accurate clone with better performance, AVOID Vurv. But, if you're a fan of Dylan, okay with that performance, and want to have a twist of it as well, you got nothing to lose by trying Vurv. Worst case, you're out $14 (FragranceNet). See the photo so you'll choose the right option (circled in red).

Because it's so cheap, and because I'm "just okay" with it but my wife loves it, Vurv is now my "in the car" bottle. So we agreed that if I forgot to wear a scent by the time we reached the car, this is what I'll wear that time.

Attention: You will NOT be able to find notes for Vurv. The ones on FragranceNet are for the normal edition, and it's not anywhere on Fragrantica or Parfumo. TBH, this fact just made this test more fun!

Decanter review: 1st order took 3 weeks and then was freaking stolen (opened, emptied, repackaged very poorly, then left near my door). Second order was 4-5 days, and perfect. That just shows it was someone at the shipping company. What type of idiot steals decants, and for clones? Hope he/she enjoys the almost $10 value on the second hand market for them.

Never tried the OG.

THE PROFILE:

A sugary vanillic fruit salad. Always amazing, but a bit too fem leaning for me. I am on the lookout for a slightly more male leaning version, did I find it? Let's find out!

THE DIFFERENCES:

Chrome and Gold are almost identical. If we're splitting hairs, then in the opening 10-20 minutes, they're actually pretty different (only 80% similar), because Chrome has a tiny bit of something like a lemon candy addition, and the cantaloupe and watery feel is stronger, while on Gold, the syrupy vanilla is more prominent. But after that, they become at least 90% similar. If chrome stayed as the opening, that would be exactly what would've solved my problem, and I'd buy a full bottle, but it didn't. It's half a step in the right direction, so we're almost there. The quality is almost as high as the well. Bleu is the opposite of what I wanted. It adds more red fruits and a very airy-watery rose to the profile. Barely 50% similar to the others. Beautiful, but hyper-feminine. Good quality though. Bharara king is EXACTLY what I wanted. It's unisex, and maybe even a tad male leaning. It does that by making some of the citrus a hint more tart (still sweet though, just not sugared), decrease the overall sugary sweetness by just a little, and turning the volume down on the vanilla by just a hair. I must admit, I enjoy the others a little more, but King is the only one I feel comfortable wearing.

Subjective Scent Score: Chrome and Gold 9.2. Bleu and King 9.0.

On skin (longevity): Chrome, King and Gold both 10+ hours. At that point, I stop my hourly reminder. Chrome and King probably went for close to 14 hours. But skin scents don't matter to me that much.

Performance above skin (what really matters):

All except Bleu are pretty much identical. Nuclear for one hour, then a large scent bubble for 2-3 more hours, slowly getting closer to skin, until it's a skin scent at about hour 6 at least. Damn good performance! Bleu is a skin scent at hour 4, but also a very good projector the first couple of hours.

Blind buy safety score (For men): Gold and Chrome 7.0. Because I would say at least 30%-35% of men will think they're too fem leaning. But that means about 70% of men will be fine with them. Bleu 5.0. King 8.5.

Unisex Score (0=fem, 5=unisex, 10=Male): Gold 3.8, Chrome 4.1, King 5.5, Bleu 2.5.

Versatility Score: King , Chrome and Gold 6.5-7.0. Winter+fall+early spring. Not for formal occasions, not for office. More of a date night or going out having fun scent. Blue (for women) 8.0, because as a female fragrance, it will work almost anywhere and anytime. It's less heavy and dense, and has a very balanced profile.

Blend Quality Score: Gold and Bleu 7.5 (significantly above average clone quality), Chrome 7.2 (above average clone quality). King 7.7 (approaching designer quality). So none of them will disappoint you, where you feel like you're wearing something cheap.

Value Score: Gold 6.7. $40 for 100ml tester on Jomashop. Chrome 6.3. $45 on Jomashop. Bleu 8.0. $28 on Jomashop. King 6.0. $50 on Jomashop.

Should cost: Gold, King, and Chrome should be $30-$35, as that's a price where I can get many great performing and higher quality clones. Bleu $25-$30.

Bottle design: Chrome and Gold 7.5. Bleu 5.5. King 8.0.

Atomizer Score: N/A.

Wife Alert: She liked Gold and Chrome Best on me, and fell in love with Bleu for her.

Conclusion: There's now an amazing new DNA twist for women (Bleu). Get King if you want the more balanced version. Chrome and Gold are pretty much the same, so get whichever is on a better sale. I'm getting none of them, because I have a $35 cutoff for clones. If King ever falls to that, I'll get it. And no, not even at $36. It's a matter of principal, not budget.

Case in point: The "before" is with all the micro swirls (that no one could see, unless they're right above the hood in daylight), with a simple 1 hour wash (no decon, no iron remover, no nothing... Just pH neutral soap), then Meguire's hybrid ceramic.

The "after" is after 11 hours of work! (prewash with alkaline APC, then 2 bucket with alkaline soap, then iron remover, then clay, then 1-step polish, then 20% alcohol wiping, then ceramic coating (Gyeon CanCoat) on all surfaces, including most windows, lights, plastics).

Let me tell you, the Meguire's hybrid ceramic spray was MUCH stronger than I anticipated. The 2 APC washes (one prewash, one 2-bucket) didn't remove it. The iron remover didn't remove it, the clay made it only 20% less hydrophobic, and the APC took another 20%. Only the polish finally got rid of the slickness, so only then I was confident it was removed, and I had to remove it in order to coat with the ceramic coating... And that Meguire's is a $15 bottle that lasts 2 years! (I applied once on dry, and then every 3rd wash just spray and rinse).

So, in short I can reach a result that is 95% the same from 2ft away, and 85% the same if you're inspecting it so closely that your nose touches the paint, for one tenth of the time invested, and 1/20th of the money! I bought a budget polisher (Maxshine M8S V2), 4 polishing pads (Meguire's M5PFP2), polish (Sonax SONAX PROFILINE EX 04-06), CanCoat Evo, and 10 microfiber coating leveling towels (that can't be used again after you coat with them... Maybe on wheels).

Edit: BTW, this is not a 'Meguire's is amazing" post. I'm sure there are other spray sealers that are even better... And please chime in with some of your recommendation for them. But that just makes my point even stronger, because you can probably get an even better result with the minimal amount of time and money spent.

After hearing 3 horror stories of people forgetting their sunroof open and going back to a flooded vehicle (one had such bad mold problems later on, that the insurance totaled it!), and after I forgot it opened twice, but luckily it wasn't raining that day, I decided I needed this thing. With the Windows, I always remember to close them as they're right in front of me when I exit (I only use the driver side window), so I don't need a unit to close them.

Installation is almost TOO EASY, you unscrew 2 screws in the overhead glasses compartment (see this video), disconnect the motor, connect the connector to the unit, connect the unit to the motor, and you're done. No soldering, no splicing, no wiring... NOTHING needed except the unit.

And as usual, my signature move to avoid rattling, is to cover anything I touch with insulation open cell foam tape, and zip tie everything. I found a perfect spot for the unit, so please see these photos.

It closes the sunroof about 5-10 seconds from when you switch off the car. If you want to override it (you're sitting in a switched off car and want the sunroof open), you just hit the open button while it tries to close.

It will close the sunroof from both the open position and the tilt position.

And of course, here is the unit itself. Took me 5 minutes, but an extra 5 minutes to foam and zip tie everything up.

If you want a listing that's good for other models (50, 3, etc) try this.

42 CAD more expensive on prime day after coupon!

I saw that with a LOT of detailing products. Use Keepa extension (my favorite) or CamelCamelCamel before you fall for their marketing or YouTube influencers videos.

LE FALCONE AL MAJD (Feb 2024 batch)

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I got this one because the only two reviews I could find said it's an Erba Pura clone. I tried Amber Oud Gold, loved it, but wished it was a tiny bit more male leaning, so I thought to myself "hey, let's save some money, get only 30ml for $8, for a known good clone brand, and beat the system". Boy, was I WRONG! I will now INSIST you'll read the advertised notes of this:

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Top Notes: Sicilian Lemon, Bergamot, Orange, Ginger

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Middle Notes: Green Apple, Melon, Pear, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves

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Base Notes: White Musk, Amber, Madagascar Vanilla, Beeswax, Woody Notes

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Sounds great, right?

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Now, either I got the wrong fragrance in the right bottle, or this is total bullcrap!

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This smells like vinegar, cat piss, and sourdough mostly, then maybe a little leather and Oud (but not much of these two). My wife loves the Erba Pura profile as well, and she almost kicked me out of the house when I tested this. Here's how our conversation went:

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Me: Babe, smell this...

Her: 🤮🤮🤮 (running 10 feet away from me) Why would anyone wear this?

Me: You'll be surprised, there are probably quite a few people who like this, even though you and I find it disgusting.

Her: Yeah, there are also people who like to suck on stinky toes and smell used women underwear, that doesn't mean those scents should be bottled.

Me: You'll be surprised again, as those scents were probably bottled and available somewhere.

Her: I don't care, either go away, or wash it off, I can't handle this stench.

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I went down to the basement, because I wanted to see if it evolves into something. It didn't.

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I'm gonna keep this bottle just to shock non-frag-heads friends and family with it. Or if I have an unwanted guest, I can get them out by spraying this.

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And of course, just my luck... This thing is NUCLEAR on a different level! One spray on the wrist filled the entire house for hours (and I spray OUTSIDE, so it was all pure projection!) and left a heavy and persistent trail behind me. I wish I would've gone nose-blind to it... But again, I wasn't so lucky (nor did my wife).

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Please, if anyone got a bottle, let me know if it smells differently, because something with these advertised notes and 2 reviews don't make sense here.

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Subjective Scent Score: 1.3.

On skin (longevity): 11 hours with freaking ONE SPRAY.

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Performance above skin: Nuclear room filler first 2 hours, then a HEAVY trail/bubble for 4 more hours. Skin scent at hour 8-9 or so. My guess is that 5 sprays of this will last days on you, and project for 12 hours, but I'm not going to be the one to test that theory.

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Blind buy safety score: 2.5.

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Unisex Score (0=fem, 5=unisex, 10=Male): 7.5.

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Versatility Score: N/A. I got no idea where and when to wear that type of abomination.

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Blend Quality Score: I'm disqualifying myself from evaluating the quality. If they were going for sweet fruity style, then this is 0.1. If they were going for a small piece of leather drenched in vinegar, then this is a 7.5.

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Value Score: 9.2. 30ml for $8 is about $26 for 100ml, and you get performance that beats Atlas and anything else you can think of. So if that's a profile you like, you hit the jackpot!

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Should cost: How much does it cost to create a weapon of mass destruction? So, that much!

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Bottle design: 8.5. LOVE the cap of the 100ml bottle, but the bottle itself is meh.

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Atomizer Score: N/A (decant).

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Conclusion: I'm really glad I didn't blind on a full bottle of this... Though maybe the full bottle would've actually smelled like Erba Pura and I got something else by mistake.

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VURV PROFUMO INTENSITY COLLECTOR'S EDITION (July 2024 batch)

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Notice there are 2 versions. The normal one is more known and reviewed (but also not much... I had to look at Spanish reviewers on YouTube) and clones Acqua Di Giò Profumo. That profile isn't my style, so I didn't bother getting it. The Collector's Edition is unknown, and no one ever reviewed it. Not YouTube, nor Parfumo or Fragrantica (I refuse to install tiktok and Instagram, so I don't know if anyone there ever reviewed it). So this is a REAL blind buy, no notes breakdown, no nothing!

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What I distinctly get here is bay leaf and violet leaf, then indistinctly something green and something aquatic, with a drop of grapefruit at the top.

At the base, earthy patchouli and musk (but mostly patchouli). This is pretty nice. It's like a sweet and earthy blue fragrance. Now, don't catch me at my word, as it has been about 5-6 years since I smelled Dylan Blue, but I think this is 70%-80% Dylan Blue (no incense though) and 20%-30% Invictus. I was never a fan of blue scents, so I kind of like it, but not remotely in love with it. It's pretty complex for a blue scent though, so this might be up your ally if you like blue scents but get bored with them quickly. The quality is "just okay". You won't say "if this was in a designer bottle and cost $150, no one would know", but it's also very wearable, so not crap quality or anything. The performance was really weird... I do 2-3 test. I always test performance with my wife from various distances every hour or so. If the 2 tests (one each day) are consistent, I post as is, if not, I run a third test. On the first test, this one had pretty good performance, but on the 2nd and 3rd test, it became a skin scent in under an hour!

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Subjective Scent Score: 7.4. I was never a fan of Dylan Blue (and most blue frags), but I didn't know this one is similar before I bought it... So that's on me.

On skin (longevity): 8-9 hours first test, 4-5 hours 2nd and 3rd tests.

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Performance above skin: first test was strong projection for an hour, then a medium-large scent bubble for 1-2 more hours, skin scent only at hour 4-5.

Second and third tests it was a skin scent in under an hour, thus it's disqualified, and now a bathroom spray. I will year it from time to time, and let you know if anything changes.

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Blind buy safety score: 8.5. I'm a weirdo that got a beef with blue scents for some reason, but most people would like this. If you liked Dylan Blue, this is 95% safe, but for Invictus fans like me, it's a slight downgrade.

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Unisex Score (0=fem, 5=unisex, 10=Male): 7.0.

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Versatility Score: 7.5. The sweetness, complexity, and richness of the profile, make it more "dressed up" occasion-wise, and the highest heat you can wear it is Summer nights.

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Blend Quality Score: 6.6 (slightly below average clone quality, so about the average Armaf quality). If you're good with the CDN line, you'll be fine with this one (but this doesn't perform remotely like the CDN line).

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Value Score: 8.8. $14 for "okay" quality and shifty performance, with a profile not many cloned or hybridized is pretty good. This won't be added to my "winners" post of under $20 bangers because it doesn't meet the criteria (which average on both performance and quality).

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Should cost: $16-$19.

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Bottle design: 3.8. The cheapest materials possible, with a super-cheap plastic cap that doesn't close properly 50% of the time. But at least it's not ugly like Sapil Bound.

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Atomizer Score: 6.5. Not bad, not amazing. Does the job.

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Conclusion: If this was performing well, this could've been a hidden gem.

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MAISON ALHAMBRA EXQUISITE PRIVE (Jan 2025 batch)

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I've tried the OG quite recently.

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With Maison Alhambra, I'm used to get good quality, good accuracy, and shit performance. Not this time! This is not good quality at all.

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You get ALL the listed notes very well, so you won't even need my breakdown interpretation, but the whisky is low quality (and very prominent), like a $20 budget whisky, and the same goes for the rest of the notes. The iris is oily instead of buttery, and the overall feel is that the notes are fighting each other instead of complimenting each other. The note separation is pretty good though. I felt the same way about Inekas Luna, but now that I smell how much worse is the MA clone next to Inekas Luna, I appreciate the latter more (though it's not even remotely close to the OG quality). My favorite of the bunch is Qaa'ed Intense, but that one is more of a twist than the OG, and it's almost impossible to get these days.

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Subjective Scent Score: 5.8. The profile is correct, the execution isn't.

On skin (longevity): 6 hours

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Performance above skin: Medium projection for 30-60 minutes, then a small scent bubble for 1 hour, skin scent at hour 3.

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Blind buy safety score: 7.0. Could be higher if it had no quality issues.

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Unisex Score (0=fem, 5=unisex, 10=Male): 6.3. Can be pulled off by women, but still male leaning, for the whisky and woody notes.

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Versatility Score: 6.5. Evening only, and winter-fall only. Not casual. Good for formal and upscale occasions.

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Blend Quality Score: 5.5. I'm usually not a quality connoisseur, and I even own and enjoy a few of Armaf's low quality offerings (I don't own even one full bottle of the handful of their high quality ones)... But this is too low even for me.

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Value Score: 8.0. yeah, it's under $13, but it smells and perform like $13.

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Should cost: Under $15.

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Bottle design: 8.2. Heavy bottle, nice heavy cap... Good quality bottling overall.

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Atomizer Score: 7.0. Does the job pretty well. Not pressurized though.

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Conclusion: If your looking for room spray quality and performance, this is for you.

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PARIS CORNER NOUF (AUGUST 2024 BATCH) VS QA'ED AL FURSAN (3 YEARS OLD BOTTLE)

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Got it because I ADORE my QAF, but like everyone else, I wish it performed better.

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I think everyone already know this profile. A boatload of pineapple, with some saffron, on a woody base. These 2 smell pretty much 95% identical, so I can't even try to pinpoint the 5% difference. If you force me to try, I'll say QAF is a tiny bit sweeter at the dry-down. But again, they're pretty much identical.

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I saw the (very minimal) votes on performance at Fragrantica and Parfumo, which suggest this will perform significantly better than QAF. Well... Yes and no. It projects maybe 20% stronger, and lasts total on skin maybe 2h more. Nothing that will make me suggest people should give away their QAF bottle and get this instead, but if you finish your QAF or don't have a pure pineapple frag yet, get this one. I think QAF's bottle looks nicer though. The bit of luck I have is that these layer well with pretty much anything, so I might find a way to use the 200ml of pineapple juice I have now. I love it straight as it is, by I don't want to wear this for a full year straight in order to use up the bottles. I might gift QAF away to a friend and call it a day. 9PM Rebel (decant) was nuclear, but I didn't like the mossy dry-down, plus, it's not at this price bracket to compete. Nitro Platinum performed pretty similar to Nouf, and cost almost twice as much.

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The quality is also identical, and when I asked my wife (blindly) about them, she said (without knowing what I thought) the exact same thing... That they're the same, and QAF is a hint sweeter. These (QAF and Nouf) are one of her top 5 on me.

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Subjective Scent Score: Both 8.8.

On skin (longevity): QAF 5 hours. Nouf 7 hours.

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Performance above skin: QAF is 1 hour projection, then a small scent bubble for 1-2 hours, then skin scent at hour 3 tops. Nouf will get you a stronger projection, for 1.5 hours, and a medium scent bubble for 2 full hours, and become a skin scent only at hour 4-4.5.

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Blind buy safety score: Both 9.0. One of the community favorites, and layers well with almost everything too.

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Unisex Score (0=fem, 5=unisex, 10=Male): 6.2.

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Versatility Score: 8.8. Layers well, and by itself, great for winter+fall+spring+summer nights, and pretty much all occasions except super formal.

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Blend Quality Score: Both 7.3 (slightly above average clone quality).

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Value Score: QAF 7.6. $17 for 100ml (QAF comes in a 90ml bottle). You get meh performance, but slightly above average quality. Nouf 8.5, because you get slightly better performance.

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Should cost: QAF $15-$17. Nouf $20-$23.

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Bottle design: QAF 7.8. Nouf 5.5.

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Atomizer Score: Both 6.0. Not horrible, but pretty weak.

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Conclusion: Great pineapple scents. DON'T get one of you have the other. Funny (/sad) that the only winner from this haul that will make it into my under $20 hidden gem list will be a fragrance I already have the same profile of... But at least it's a profile I like.

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And it's almost impossible to Get decants of these ones... So you'll have to make an informed decision based on reviews.