u/moanadota

Rule to self: ‘pag hindi na kasya (in one single file), tama na muna. Or unload first. 😂

In retrospect, I wish I installed completely floating shelves. Kaya lang walang stock when I went out to buy. Sayang.

Lmk if you have any questions about sa meron ako. Hehe.

Hello everyone! I was recently sent a few fragrances from Alexander Fragrances to try out, and I wanted to share some of my initial impressions on a few of them. Note that this isn’t a paid review and I’m just doing this for the love of the game 🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 😂

These are purely first impressions, so I won’t be commenting too much on longevity or overall performance since I haven’t worn-tested them and the fragrances may still need more time to mature and settle. Also do let me know if you want me to try out other local brands (methanol free only plz) Let’s hunt those gems down 🎯

Nostalgic Silver (MFK GFS)
Clean, metallic floral scent, though the floral notes standout more. Floral note smells like sampaguita. Metallic accord doesn’t smell too sharp as opposed to other GFS takes. Masculine-leaning. Not the first time I’ve smelled this since I had an older bottle before that performed really well. Safe blind-buy - Rating: 4.5/5

Ethereal (Diptyque L’Eau Papier)
Soft white musks with steamed rice accord. Around 85-90% close to the original; lacks green complexities compared to OG. Might need more aging for these complexities to appear and for performance to improve; so will definitely need to do a revisit. Unisex. Safe blind buy. - Initial rating: 4.4/5

Delicate (PDM Delina)
Airy, rose, fruity scent. Feminine. Not the most groundbreaking scent profile but you really can’t go wrong with this one. Even better than some middle-eastern takes on the DNA. Safe-blind buy. Initial rating: 4.4/5

White Musk and Lily (MM Lazy Sunday Morning)
Clean, fresh linen scent. Turns (very) powdery and musky in the dry down. Unisex, but a little feminine-leaning. Blind-buy safe. Initial rating: 4.2/5

Wood Sage (JM Wood Sage and Sea Salt)
Citrusy, aquatic, salty scent. Brighter, a little bit spicier, less creamy, less salty version compared to original. Feminine-leaning. Blind-buy safe but only if you like the original DNA. Initial rating: 4.1/5

Gentleman (Bvlgari Extreme)
Slightly sweet, aromatic, grains with woods and notes of tea. I could see the grain/woody notes being a hit or miss to some people. Masculine. Smell it first in store. Initial rating: 4.1/5

Oud Symphony (Own Blend)
Oud made more wearable. A variety of mildly sweet fruits blended with oud. Unless you’re an oud lover, not blind-buy safe. But a very cool concept!. Initial rating: 4.1/5

Opaline Dust (PDM Valaya)
Clean, musky, floral scent. Has an aldehydic note that doesn’t appeal much to me. But a friend of mine told me that this is his favorite. Feminine. Better to smell in store first, but generally a safe DNA. Initial rating: 4.0/5

Marine Tides (OP Megamare)
Bold, citrusy aquatic scent. Polarizing scent profile probably because of the heavy oceanic accord (seaweed?). May have some appeal to those looking for a potent, niche-smelling DNA. Best to smell it first in store. Personally not a fan. Initial rating: 3.0/5

COMING SOON (by June)

Velvet Crush (MC Hibiscus Mahajad)
Rose scent with vanilla in the background as a supporting note. Elegant. Unisex. Pleasant, good projection. Safe blind-buy. Best for colder settings than as a daily in a warmer environment - Initial rating: 4.6/5

Conquer Intense (Creed Aventus Absolu)
Smoky, slightly green and mildly fruity scent. Green notes add a layer of complexity, but not entirely sold if I want it there or not. But overall this feels elevated and professional. Not screechy (which is important) and wildly projecting compared to other Absolu Aventus dupes. Initial rating: 4.4/5

VIBRATO by Cotidiano is the local brand’s take on the viral, soon-to-be timeless classic Sospiro Vibrato (2022).

First, let’s start with what Sospiro Vibrato actually smells like and why it has become one of the highest-rated modern fragrances on Fragrantica, currently sitting at an impressive 4.57/5.00.

Sospiro Vibrato is a fresh fragrance inspired by Bvlgari Tygar (2016), a citrusy musky amber scent created by perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, the same nose behind Louis Vuitton Imagination. Vibrato moves away from Tygar’s amber-leaning profile by emphasizing the juicy citrus facets instead. Sospiro Vibrato's semi-sparkling opening is built around grapefruit and bergamot, supported by subtle herbal bitterness from ginger in the heart. As it dries down, a soft powdery musk emerges and lingers throughout the fragrance’s lifespan.

Performance is another reason Vibrato has earned such a strong reputation. It is one of the few genuinely “beast mode” fresh fragrances on the market, easily lasting 8–10 hours straight out of the bottle.

To my nose, Sospiro Vibrato carries a slightly “medicinal” character, but in the most addictive way possible. That aspect is probably due to the extreme juiciness of the grapefruit, which gives it a punchy edge. Meanwhile, the ginger adds just the right amount of complexity and support, while the musk smoothens everything out enough to keep the fragrance elegant and refined.

Cotidiano’s take on Vibrato, on the other hand, leans even harder into that medicinal and punchy character and maintains it throughout the fragrance’s entire lifespan. True to the image on the bottle, Cotidiano’s citrus accord also feels more orange, grapefruit, and bergamot-driven rather than predominantly grapefruit-based. It also does not fully capture Sospiro’s ginger nuances and smooth powdery dry down that make the original feel more complete and polished. This is why to me, it smells only around 80–85% similar to the original. Despite the differences, it still remains highly addictive in its own right.

Performance is also relatively modest. Cotidiano’s version lasts around 5–6 hours, with the first 4 hours projecting moderately before gradually settling closer to the skin.

Regent on the other hand comes across more effervescent, vegetal, and ginger-forward compared to both Cotidiano and the original, particularly in the opening. While Maison Asrar’s take gets closer to the original in the dry down more so than Cotidiano does, it fails to capture the same juicy, addictive opening that both Cotidiano and Sospiro deliver so well. Overall, I would also place put it at 80–85% closeness to the original scent profile. Sadly, its performance is the weakest of the three, lasting only around 3 hours with moderate projection.

Verdict:
If you want something fresh, fruity, and addictive to add to your rotation, and you don’t mind sacrificing a bit of closeness to the original, Cotidiano’s Vibrato is an easy recommendation. At around PHP 700–800, it’s a great option especially for those on a tighter budget or for anyone looking to try a safe, mass-appealing DNA before fully committing to the original.

Rating: 8.7/10

Personally, I’m a fan of Cotidiano and many of their releases. In my opinion, they are one of the better local brands when it comes to juice quality and overall scent composition. That said, I’m still not fully sold on their bottle designs and branding direction (despite them having new label designs) so I think they could use more refinement in this aspect moving forward.

Edit:
I’m looking for ideas on which local/ME fragrance to review next. Please do leave a comment below if you have any suggestions. :) Thank you!

SUN by Alexander Fragrances is a local dupe of Diptyque’s Ilio. My girlfriend and I discovered the brand at The Podium last year.

Our first impression was that the bottle presentation felt quite bare and minimal. “Baka bagong brand lang?” was my initial thought. Still, the clean and understated look worked in their favor, avoiding the overdesigned, tacky feel that some local brands fall into. That alone sets it apart, especially from those that don’t fully consider how their design choices connect with their target market.

This dupe is a gem. Diptyque is one of the few houses that’s genuinely difficult to replicate because of its distinct “skin-scent” approach. I’ve tried other Diptyque-inspired fragrances locally, but this one really stood out. I’d put it at around 95–97% similar to the original.

It’s a simple, fresh fragrance that opens with white florals and an airy iris note, then dries down into a slightly powdery finish. It leans unisex, though slightly on the feminine side, and works well as a summer scent. Longevity is solid at around 6–7 hours, with moderate projection in the first four hours before settling closer to the skin.

Is it blind buy safe? I generally don’t recommend blind buying, especially since the brand is available in retail stores like Frankie’s General Store where you can try it first. That said, this one is relatively safe given how mass-appealing and easygoing the scent profile is.

My only gripe is the atomizer. It’s quite stiff and feels clunky to use. Their newer releases have improved on this with a pressurized atomizer, though Sun is still sold in their older bottles since it’s one of their earlier scents.

Rating: 9.5/10