Al Haramain Attars Review PT. 1
Before jumping into the reviews, a quick disclaimer:
All of these are 6ML attar oils, and I picked them up during 50% off Republic Day sale so keep that in mind when I talk about value.
These are not ranked in any order, and honestly, I wouldn’t be able to rank them anyway. I enjoy all of them and wear them depending on my mood.
I’m not new to attars, and I understand that projection and performance depend heavily on application. With attars, a bit of over-application usually does the trick.
A friend of mine tried some of these in perfume form and wasn’t happy with the performance, but I’ve also heard from a Redditor that these can improve significantly with long maturation.
I haven’t had much experience wearing winter attars yet, but I’ll still share whatever insights I can.
Also, I haven’t smelled most of the original fragrances these are inspired by. Part of the reason I bought these was to build a reference library, so I can confidently blind buy the OGs in the future.
One interesting thing I’ve noticed is many of the summer attars seem to share a similar base. Not sure if it’s due to common ingredients or a shared note profile, but it’s definitely there.
Bvlgari Tygar
My Top 2 for Summer in this collection
Never smelled the OG.
A friend of mine liked this attar so much he said he will buy 4 for using and for gifting. Now I get why this is their bestseller.
Fresh, citrusy, slightly metallic grapefruit vibe. Clean and uplifting, great for daytime. Smells expensive, Great performance.
Roja Elysium Pour Homme
Bright, airy citrus with a smooth woody base. Very classy and easy to wear one of those “you smell good” without trying too hard scents. Somehow smells very close to Tygar. Again never smelled the OG.
Paradise Garden Le Beau
My Top 2 for Summer in this collection
Not smelled the OG but liked how my decant of Khadlaj Island smelled so bought this as a replacement.
Sweet, tropical, coconut freshness. Sometimes I can smell the base sweetness/powderiness on shirt even after a wash and it is nice. Only sweet fragrance I will not get bored of any time soon. Some people say this smells like vomit for some reason and now I am able to smell it too but only when there is too much heat and it starts to feel cloying.
Montale Arabians Tonka
Never Smelled OG but first one that my wife approved from the winter lot.
Sweet, spicy, slightly smoky with a strong tonka/oud feel. Not worn this one in public but something tells me it will be a hit with its sweet chocolaty-oud smell.
Will be using heavily in winters.
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille
Not smelled the OG but liked how my decant of MA Tobacco Touch smelled (got a compliment on that)
Bought for winter ofcourse and has gotten very little testing.
Warm, spicy tobacco wrapped in sweet vanilla. Cozy and rich, perfect for evenings or cooler weather. Smells like confidence and money. Prefer this over Mancera Red Tobacco Intense.
Tom Ford Ombre Leather
Have a decant of the OG and have reviewed that before
Was in the market for a clone to replace the decant when I decided to get this one, Will say quite impressed by projection from day one.
Dry, bold leather with a slightly smoky edge. Not for everyone, but if you like leather scents, this hits hard.
Louis Vuitton Imagination
Not smelled the OG but have used the decant of Aqua Dubai
Smells same as Aqua Dubai, Nice projection, great performance.
Once someone asked me is that you who is smelling good and I asked does it smell like a soap and he said yes, so I can confirm this is a nice one to have.
Fresh, citrusy, slightly soapy-clean. Very versatile and refined easy summer wear.
Xerjoff Erba Pura
Tried the OG at a duty free when I was trying Naxos and liked Erba Pura very much. Not able to afford the OG had me searching clones and gave this one a try
Fruity, sweet, almost candy/jelly like with a musky base. It reminds me of the hard boiled candies like Poppins. Loud and long-lasting can be addictive or too much depending on taste.
Versace Dylan Blue
Again tried at duty free when I was trying out Eros and liked this one much better.
Classic blue fragrance—fresh, slightly spicy, a bit shower-gel vibe turns little musky at dry down. Safe, versatile, works almost anywhere.
Creed Centaurus
Had asked for AAM Bin Shaikh but that one was out of stock so was given this one as a replacement(seller recommendation)
So, I have no reference point for this one at all. I will try to describe what I smell in this.
Rich, oriental, slightly sweet-spicy with a regal feel. Smells traditional but luxurious—leans festive and traditional.