Signature Blue Al Haramain

Let's be honest - without the BdC similarity, this fragrance would fly even further under the radar than it already does. However, I believe it's the wrong approach to measure a fragrance solely against its inspirations - and I say this as someone who is by no means averse to clones. For this reason, I will push the BdC topic to the end of the review.
Now, let's get straight to the point.

Bottle & Presentation:
I have had many little boxes from expensive designers and niche brands that, in the end, were nothing more than a printed cardboard box with a thin insert. If the contents didn't impress in this case, it would be considered an outrageous cheekiness given some of the prices. However, Al Haramain has not skimped here and has provided Signature Blue with a really solid flip-top box with a pull tab, in which the bottle is nestled in a sturdy insert covered with a velvety fabric. I mean - a perfume box is part of the 'unboxing experience' - but normally plays no significant role. I still want to mention it, as the box might be one of the best I have ever held. However, the bottle is in a worse state. In principle, it is heavy, fits well in the hand, and feels valuable. It reminds me a lot of Dior Homme in its design and is not as much of a disaster as other bottles from the fragrance house (the best example being the traumatic bottle of Detour Noir; good gracious...). Nevertheless, it seems that someone miscalculated before production and planned the recess where the spray head sits in the cap to be 0.5mm too tight. As a result, the cap sits so firmly on the bottle that you have to practically rip it off and every time fear pulling the entire spray head along with the mechanism off the bottle. In principle, this is only a problem if the bottle occasionally goes into a bag. In the cupboard, the cap can simply be placed on without clicking in, so you don't have to warm up every time before applying perfume to avoid a backache. Because here, force is really necessary...

Fragrance:
First of all: I am absolutely no fragrance expert and do not possess a perfumer's nose. I can read the note listing from Parfumo, but I will only describe what I can actually smell and identify. This is especially important for readers who like to buy fragrances blindly based on pyramids or notes.
The opening is absolutely top-notch. On paper, Signature Blue tends to smell more lemony, while on my skin, the grapefruit dominates a bit more. Here it gets tricky: many freshies suffer from a toilet cleaner note, trying to make the top note last longer with powerful citrus or getting lost in the attempt to achieve a rounded freshness and losing their freshness within 15 minutes, thus losing what they are supposed to be. However, Signature Blue does this very well. The citrus is perfectly balanced and does not sting, yet has enough power not to evaporate immediately. A certain green undertone can already be felt in the opening, which smooths the transition to the geranium in the heart note beautifully. The geranium keeps this freshness on course for a while until it fully takes over the job. To be honest, from the transition to the base on my skin, I can unfortunately only smell vetiver and very distant sandalwood. I've heard that this can come across as a bit musty to some. I find that a bit unfortunate, as I believe that a slightly larger portion of sandalwood would have worked really well here. As can be seen, Signature Blue, like many freshies, has its strengths in the opening/heart, which I find simply superb in combination. It feels refreshing, light, not intrusive, rounded, and balanced. Those who enjoy geranium will be happy here. However, for wood fans, it may falter a bit too much in the second half.

H/S:
Room for improvement. The longevity is acceptable (considering it's a citrus fragrance), but you will only get through the day with the help of reapplying. Admittedly - I find that unfortunate too, but by now, one knows before purchasing that with such DNAs, you can only expect a lasting freshness of 8 hours in very few cases. Otherwise, a few sprays on the clothing can help, where the geranium can cling for a few hours, as the liquid otherwise becomes only perceptible up close after a maximum of 4 hours. For the price, you shouldn't be stingy here. The sillage is also fine, but doesn't win any awards. You don't leave a huge cloud like Sauvage behind you, but you are definitely noticeable for the first while.

Price/Performance Ratio:
If you're looking for an uncomplicated freshie with a super opening, like geranium, and don't want to be the loudest in the room, you can buy it confidently for 20-25€. This assessment applies solely to Signature Blue and does not scale upwards just because it is, for example, cheaper than BdC or similar. As a standalone fragrance, I find Signature Blue very successful and suitable for everyday wear for the price. I must admit, however: if it didn't say Al Haramain on it, I wouldn't want to pay more than 35-40€, as the competition in this price range simply becomes too strong and good (see Missoni, etc.).

Lastly, a few words on the BdC topic:
Similarity yes, dupe/clone no. Certainly, one has drawn from a certain direction and DNA that is very close to BdC. Therefore, I cannot exactly determine whether Signature Blue is closer to BdC EdT or BdC EdP. I would say that Signature Blue fills a non-existent gap between the EdT and EdP with its similarities. Additionally, I simply smell too much individuality on the skin (see geranium) to categorize Signature Blue as a dupe.

U.N.