Dakar Al Rehab Eau de Parfum

Anyone who knows me a bit is surely aware that I love Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche. It was one of the first fragrances that I truly perceived olfactorily in my life. I associate many memories from my childhood with this scent. My father smelled of this fragrance at the breakfast table on weekends. These are olfactory memories that I will never forget.

And while I love the smell of Drakkar Noir, I have increasingly been annoyed over the years by its now terrible longevity. I can hardly think of a reformulation that has stripped a fragrance of its character so drastically.

Currently, I would say that a 4711 refreshing wipe that I apply to my skin lasts longer than the current formulation of Drakkar Noir.

The dilution of the current Kouros comes very close to this. So what does one do when one has embraced a fragrance so dearly but simply cannot come to terms with the fact that it lasts no more than 2-3 hours? One looks for alternatives. For a while, there was "Lomani pour Homme | Lomani," which smells similar but also lacks good longevity. So that was relatively quickly crossed off the list. However, through a comment on Parfumo, I stumbled upon Dakar by Al Rehab.

First, I have to tip my hat to Al Rehab. They didn’t skimp on the name here. What a stroke of genius in naming. Drakkar Noir simply becomes Dakar. Sometimes it’s just that close.

The bottle is not a sight for sore eyes. However, the sprayer is excellent. Someone needs to explain to me how these budget brands (not meant disrespectfully) manage to install sprayers of this quality, while my Tiziana Terenzi bottle of Foconero just drips out the liquid. A disgrace for the niche market.

A look at the fragrance pyramid initially shocked me. So this is supposed to be a 1:1 replica of my beloved Drakkar Noir? Oud in it? Where is the lavender? Where is the oakmoss? Is Guido Cantz going to pop around the corner? Alarmingly, though, Dakar actually smells almost 1:1 like the former Drakkar Noir. Therefore, a brief excursion on the topic of 1:1 copies, dupes, clones. Call them what you will.

I am generally not a fan of dupes/clones in the fragrance area. However, there are two exceptions for me. One is discontinued fragrances that I can no longer obtain at "reasonable" prices. In such cases, I gladly reach for the dupe when needed. Then there’s the category where well-known and older fragrances have been outrageously castrated or completely diluted over the years. Fragrances that one has come to love over the years and that cause immense frustration when they no longer smell like they used to.

If you want to know how Dakar smells, then read the reviews for Drakkar Noir and simply add 6-7 hours to the longevity. Because that’s where the rub is. While the current Drakkar Noir runs out of steam after 2 to a maximum of 3 hours, Dakar comfortably performs for another 6-7 hours. You can easily get through a full workday with this fragrance.

The price is still missing. There’s no nasty surprise here either. You can get Dakar for 50ml starting at €13. So here too, it’s an affordable alternative to the original. An original bottle of Drakkar Noir will always remain in my collection for sentimental reasons. But for those who want to smell this fragrance DNA today, they should only reach for Dakar in the future and steer clear of the diluted muck that calls itself Drakkar Noir.