Spring is here, and summer is not far behind. Especially with the current sometimes very warm temperatures, many of us are likely reaching for our light, refreshing perfumes. Citrus fruits, in particular, enjoy their popularity, as is well known. From the house of Al Haramain, we often hear that they see themselves as a fragrance house that bases its creations on well-known/famous (niche) scents. Thus, when searching for a supposed clone of Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, one eventually comes across Neroli Canvas.
I still remember very well the two times, about 2 years ago, when I tested Tom Ford Neroli Portofino twice (and to date the only times) and how absolutely overwhelmed I was. Even though the scent did not last particularly long on me, I immediately rated it a 10/10 in my nose. But when I saw that Neroli Canvas does not cost that much less in some stores (up to €190), I was initially very skeptical. What convinced me, however, was that it supposedly has a significantly better performance. Fortunately, I was able to snag this scent for about €85 during a discount promotion - and I’ll give it away: I wouldn’t have valued it any higher.
For me, it is much more independent than Neroli Portofino by TF and cannot be called a clone in any way. The citrus fruits in the opening are much brighter and "more aggressive" than in Tom Ford, and overall, I also miss a certain refinement in Neroli Canvas. In Neroli Portofino, the citrus blend felt very natural and fine to me; Neroli Canvas does not convey this feeling. In terms of character, they are not fundamentally different, but to me, it seems that the quality differences are quite pronounced, as Neroli Canvas simply smells more like a (very) well-made designer fragrance. Additionally, it is strongly linear and smells almost the same from start to finish, although the scent becomes a bit creamier in the base over time.
Unfortunately, the performance leaves much to be desired on my skin. Longevity, with a bit of luck, maxes out at 5 hours, and the scent becomes very close to the skin very quickly after spraying. For €190, I would have considered it a waste of money...
Sure, it smells good; I like it. But perhaps in the end, that is the problem when you have significantly higher expectations than what you then receive or perceive.
