u/sciencecrazy

Here is another quick post in a new format continuing my previous posts.

UNFORTUNATELY THE REDDIT DRAFT SYSTEM IS COMPLETE AND UTTER CRAP SO I WORKED FOR ABOUT 1H AND THEN I LOST MOST OF IT WHEN I ADDED THE PICTURE, SO I AM RE-DOING THIS FROM WHAT WAS LEFT BUT NOW VERY, VERY BRIEFLY.

I am trying to keep things condensed - with my own scores for the scent quality, for longevity and for value for money. The picture and all bottles are mine.

Usual disclaimers apply - no affiliation, my nose is very specific, I count as usable just the time with projection or decent bubble that I can feel at more than 20-30cm (sometimes I might mention the skin scent part but not so interested myself) - and some spraying on clothes is generally now involved most of the time (and described as such).

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Layton profile

Layton is in theory an Oriental Floral (I would say with woody base) perfume by Hamid Merati-Kashani produced by DSM-Firmenich for Parfums de Marly. What I find very specific is the combination of green apple peel with something else (possibly bitter lavender) creating a nuance not very far away from clear sage and a tiny bit spicy-bitter which for some people is very easy to detect (and I also find something similar in YSL Y). Of course it also has a super-warm and sexy drydown (vanilla, cardamom and woods). It is the only profile which got me a perfume compliment from somebody completely unknown at a decent distance (2-3m) after 3+ hours after the (possibly generous 🙄) application.

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Al Haramain Perfumes Détour Noir (2021)

My first in the profile, blind-buy that got me hooked, very inexpensive compared to any other in this post.

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Shobi 154-PARF 30+2 24+ weeks

I ordered that one but I had to wait a long time for good maturation.

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Orientica Premium Xclusif Oud Bleu (2022)

I got that on a very very good end-of-year discount since it is otherwise very overpriced for a 60ml. It is reported to be same as Amber Oud Exclusif Bleu from US where it had a better price and also not very far away from Orientica Premium Royal Bleu (which is the EDP form in 80ml of the Oud Bleu which is elixir in 60ml but somehow is now even more expensive).

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Parfums de Marly (2016)

I also did order the sample kit to test if I was missing anything.

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Scent quality

Current original is for me a 9 at least, Détour Noir a 6+, Shobi like a 7-8 and XO Bleu a 7-9 but for different reasons - Shobi actually seems closer to current Layton but quality is artisanal while XO Bleu has good quality but forcing a specific outcome - it is sharper with more citrus and maybe some mint and also keeps the top feeling much, much deeper (even if it feels a little forced).

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Longevity and projection

Current original is probably like 8+ but there are tons of reports on how in first years Layton was significantly stronger like a 9. Détour Noir is acceptable (and great for the price) 6-7, Shobi at 30+2 is possibly longer-lasting than original but with less projection so 7-8. XO Bleu is nuclear 9+ as long as you like things a little extreme - but is the only perfume that got me compliment from somebody that I did not know 😉

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Value for money

Original is 290 EUR / 125ml so no matter how good quality and longevity is that would be 3-4, but you can find a tester arund 140-160 EUR depending on demand (and that would be a 5-6 depending on how much you want the original). Détour Noir is somewhere 7-9, Shobi is unfortunately NOT in lowest price bracket so is a 7+ instead of 8-9. I can't see XO Bleu in stock, mine was like 40+ EUR / 60ml so in this context like a 6-7 but Royal Bleu is now in stock like 90 EUR for 80ml which IMHO is insane (5-6, IMHO in that range you might want to consider the tester of the original).

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Will I buy again and which one?

Yes, it is part of my rotation in the right conditions, but which one I will buy depends 🙄 - right now I will mix some Shobi with XO Bleu for the hot part of the year (when XO Bleu is a little too much and anyway I like the extra nuance from the Shobi), will use XO Bleu for the cold season until it ends and I will hope there will be again very good deals at some point for XO Bleu.

Here is another quick post in a new format continuing my Shobi 1, Shobi 2, Shobi 3, Shobi 4, Shobi 5, Shobi 6, Shobi 7 and Shobi 8 posts.

I am trying to keep things condensed (EDIT - this time I did not succeed so well) - with my own scores for the scent quality, for longevity and for value for money. Also note that the pic with this post is AI generated, I do not own any of the Creed bottles pictured but I have sampled those 3 this week in a luxury shop (plus two extra that I will quickly mention at the right time). There should have been also one extra D&G bottle that also I do not own but is the subject of the new win / discovery which is at the very end of this post (I go from least favorite to most favorite).

Usual disclaimers apply - no affiliation, my nose is very specific, I count as usable just the time with projection or decent bubble that I can feel at more than 20-30cm (sometimes I might mention the skin scent part but not so interested myself) - and some spraying on clothes is generally now involved most of the time (and described as such).

Intro with the shop plus two Creeds not in the AI pic

I will not name it but is a very high-end shop and I very recently learned how the owner (which I never met) is friends with Roja Dove who made a small limited edition for this shop. The sales person was very nice and friendly and got me to see the Creed area and I got to test the 3 Creeds in the AI pic plus GIT - which will make the subject of a different post - and the 2026 Wild Vetiver, which was obviously very much pushed as latest and best in order to make a (huge) sale but I caved-in and I even wanted it on my skin. Let's just say that from all Creeds that I had on my skin so far this one lasts the longest (or feels like that) - the only huge drawback is that for my nose and skin after the first 5 minutes the rose becomes dominant and is not something that I expected or liked 🙄

Creed Original Vetiver (unknown year, see below)

Shobi 218-CRD 50+2 12+ weeks

This one was the previous to the latest that I have tested and I was already a little overwhelmed, they did not have it on the shelf so I had to ask about it and it turns out that it was last tester or bottle so I was not paying enough attention to the exact color of the bottle, so I can not say if it was the the pre-2024 bottle or the new 2024 one, now I tend to believe it was the old one.

This one was the one where the quality difference was obvious but the difference in longevity and projection was ... very debatable, in fact I believe that the Shobi is better 🙄

Both have a very nice non-dirty vetiver and in both the vetiver is hidden at start, the Shobi is just citrusy and the original is somehow citrusy and a little sparkling, but that only takes 5 minutes or so, then both go for a few minutes as just citrusy and then go slowly to vetiver. Both are pretty pleasing but the original is of better quality. Projection and longevity are nothing special, maybe better projection for original and better longevity for Shobi.

Scent quality is 8+ for original, 6 close to 7 for Shobi, longevity is 5 for original, 6-7 for Shobi, value for money is like a 2 on the original (you might be able to get a 100ml tester for 160 EUR and that might be a 3) and like a 7-8 on the Shobi (it was 14 EUR for 50ml+2 when I ordered and now is 15 EUR, if quality was much closer to the original the value would have been 9-10, but is not).

The one thing that sets the original apart the most IMHO were the first 5-10-15 minutes and the quality of the components but there is no chance I will buy it for only that, and even for the Shobi I think I will not use my 50ml too soon since I like better the TdH Vetiver Intense (also from Shobi) plus many, many other spring/summer fragrances.

Creed Bois du Portugal (1987)

Lalique Pour Homme (Lion) (1997)

Shobi 206-CRD 30+1 23+ weeks

Here is where I messed up big time, this one was the latest one I tested but only on paper since I had no more usable skin space after the Wild Vetiver. I also was rather unprepared assuming that Lalique Lion would be close enough and I will be able to just directly compare that and the Shobi at a later time when I will have a less tired nose, but Lalique Lion is not so close 🙄

From enough distance all are similar to my nose - in that all are lavender-dominated aromatic/woody fougeres but the amount of the aromatics is pretty different with the original (at least the current one) having stronger/better citrics at the top and better woody bases while Lalique Lion is for me vanilla-dominated, with the Shobi somewhere in between; maybe if it had more citrics and extra sandalwood and vetiver Shobi could come much closer but IMHO the one that I have is at most 80% and Lalique Lion at most 60%-70%.

I am a big fan of aromatic/woody fougeres and I feel I might need to try again the original and with some serious skin testing this time, but the "competition" is hard since I also liked TF Beau De Jour (which has a Shobi that is closer) and Chanel Boy (also has a Shobi, we'll hopefully have a review in 8-12 weeks). What all also have in common is the insanely high pricing so I might also consider testing something like Highlands from Alexandria Fragrances.

SCORES ARE PRELIMINARY AND SHOULD BE REVISITED - for scent Lalique Lion is 6-7, Shobi a 7, original 8+, longevity probably all are 8+ if you spray a little more on on clothes (I am very sensitive to lavender, it might not be the same for everybody), value for money original is a 2-4 and the other two in the 7 range.

Creed Erolfa (1992)

Orientica Xclusif Oud Emerald (2022)

Shobi 114-CRD ("EROLFA...type" on order) 50+2 14+ weeks

This is a very pleasant summer profile that convinced me to check against the Creed originals and is another one where things are pretty interesting for the world of the clones.

Original again has better quality components but Shobi comes reasonably close and is above 80% similar, maybe close to 90% after the first 15 minutes. Even more interesting is Orientica Xclusif Oud Emerald (from here on Emerald) - this one does not try to come super close (maybe just above 70%) but instead is trying to overpower everything, and it does - for this profile Emerald is nuclear in both projection and longevity, original is decent but rather average, Shobi similar in projection but lasts longer. The one extra thing worth mentioning is that Emerald feels a little extreme or forced, and after the first hour when the projection for the original is very restricted and for Shobi just a bubble this one still projects but in a rather screechy way as a result of an ambroxan bomb.

Scent quality is 8+ for original, 7+ for Shobi and 6+ for Emerald, longevity is 5 for original, 6-7 for Shobi, 8+ for Emerald, value for money is like a 2 on the original, 4-5 on Emerald (one of the expensive clones in 60ml) and 7 on Shobi (not in the low price tier unfortunately). For me the best use for Emerald is to mix it as 1:1 booster for Shobi, this way the screechiness gets fixed and the quality improves, also it lasts more than just the Shobi. We'll see how much of the clones I will use over the summer and I might buy those again, no chance for the original.

THE NEW DISCOVERY / QUICK WIN

GHOLA of Dolce&Gabbana pour Homme (1994)

Shobi 1098-DOL 30+2 23+ weeks

Finally a recent pleasant discovery from the Shobi world and generally from fragrance world - another (partial?) GHOLA that might be worth trying - Shobi 1098-DOL described as "Dolce&Gabbana pour Homme (1994)" - I got that in one of my first orders and at 30+2 it is good, very pleasant, pretty strong and with good longevity. Another friendly redditor pointed to me that in fact is somehow very close to the current Dolce&Gabbana Pour Homme (2012) so I went to Sephora and indeed it is, the 2012 (I did not check country of origin, that apparently also could matter) is much more citrusy in the opening for the first 5-10 minutes and then is almost identical, but my 30+2 Shobi projects better and definitely lasts much longer on skin and clothes (maybe like 8h with some generous sprays on clothes, of which at least 4h have usable projection or scent bubble).

I am convinced that the original 1994 from Italy was even stronger (and I don't get the cinnamon in the middle nor the iris in the base, but I have no idea how the original was in this regard) but the result is definitely pleasant. Scent quality is 7-8 for both, value for money for current (2012) original is poor at list price (100+ EUR) but is good at discounters, about 45 EUR / 100ml or 55 EUR / 200ml but I am even more tempted to reorder the Shobi, my main question remaining is if I should go 100+5 for 25 EUR or 50+5 for 17 EUR and try some creative combinations. There are also two other clones mentioning specifically the 1994 version, one from DUA and one from Frangrance Revival, but both are close to 100 EUR / 100ml so probably not so much worth going after that.