I ordered the fragrance - since I really like Aventus and Tuscan Leather, and this one supposedly smells like a blend of these two well-known scents according to comments and reviews.
Done - finally arrived from the UK. I immediately checked the bottle, which is standard for Alexandria:
“Leather - Pineapple - Birch” -> These are probably the main ingredients of this mix, which are prominently displayed on the bottle.
I immediately sprayed a puff into the room and smelled it.
“WOW - what a scent” - was my first thought and I was thrilled.
The fruity pineapple was perfectly balanced with the woody & slightly scratchy birch. No trace of leather. A strong Aventus touch!
With the second spray on my wrist, the association with Aventus immediately came back to my mind. Very strongly reminiscent of it - but why is Tuscan Leather missing?!
In comparison, I also have the “dupe” of Aventus in the form of Rasasi’s “Pour Lui” (Zebra) - which smells quite a bit more synthetic.
After that, 2 sprays behind the ear and off to the acoustic band rehearsal. In the car, the scent lingered in small clouds in my nose - but altered. You can sense a bit of sweetness, and leather -> Finally, Tuscan Leather emerges.
Very subtly in the background, I noticed the scent throughout the evening and found the interplay of the two notes of fruit and leather very good.
However, a nice anecdote at the end of the evening: a colleague came closer to say goodbye and asked, “Why does it smell so much like incense sticks here?”
My answer: “That must be me.”
And yes - this smoky, sweet-woody undertone of the fragrance, which is stronger in the air and in the room than the fruit -> does remind one of typical incense sticks.
But there are differences too.
All in all, it is a very good fragrance - high quality and worth the money. Longevity is a good 6-7 hours.
Did I expect more? -> Yes, something seems to be missing. Something that makes the scent unique. But how can that happen with the two role models....
