Club de Nuit Intense Man Armaf 2015 Eau de Toilette

It seems that there are clones of Creed's bestsellers in abundance, here from Armaf, Al Haramain, Parfums Vintage, Mont Blanc Explorer, etc. Many want to offer a cheaper alternative for all those like me, for whom Aventus is simply too expensive (or just not worth the price). In the search for a clone, one inevitably comes across Armaf Club de Nuit Intense Men (CDNIM) in the community, which comes in two versions - with a silver (vintage version) and a black (current version) cap. The topic of reformulation or batch variations has become so over-discussed and scientific with Creed, unlike any other perfume. CDNIM is said to reflect the character of older, smokier batches the best.

I personally own the version with the black cap. It was a blind purchase, even before I knew that Armaf might have reformulated this perfume. The CDNIM with the silver cap is said to be significantly more aggressive and piercing in the opening and to have somewhat better longevity, while the current version with the black cap is said to be a bit softer and rounder. When sprayed on the skin, I am greeted by a very strong synthetic lemon scent, unlike the "original," which appears significantly more natural and weaker. Unfortunately, many compare the opening of CDNIM derogatorily to "toilet cleaner" - I wouldn't go that far, but it does hit you quite hard! So please don't be startled when you first sniff it. What then comes a few moments later is a decent portion of birch smoke, which noticeably pushes the lemon into the background. Ultimately, it even overwhelms the other top notes; I only perceive the rose in the heart note faintly and with a bit of imagination, as a slightly floral note hides under the smoke.

The interesting thing on my skin is that the pineapple (which is one of the very typical characteristics of Aventus) is not perceivable at all. Instead, I perceive it around me through the sillage as a smoky, grilled pineapple, which gives the scent a very characteristic and complex note. This is actually the kind of smoke/birch + pineapple that I totally miss in the current Aventus batches (too fruity and zero smoke). Overall, the sillage is quite strong; you have to be careful not to spray too much. The spray head distributes the scent broadly enough. Otherwise, you might fill an entire room with it.

The birch smoke remains constant in the drydown. Vanilla gives the perfume a pleasant sweetness after a few hours on the skin. Speaking of longevity: 8+ hours are definitely achievable.

The great thing about both Aventus and CDNIM is that the scents are so versatile. They are a good companion for almost every season (except deep winter) and most occasions (casual and formal). For example, I like to wear the Armaf in combination with a leather jacket because the smokiness matches the outfit. Additionally, I own samples from Parfums Vintage alongside CDNIM and must say that each really goes its own way. Those who want to stand out from the crowd are really well served by the punch of CDNIM, especially for the price of 25-30 EUR. For many fans, Aventus is the untouchable "King," and I would probably be lynched by those people if I said that CDNIM is, especially in terms of price-performance ratio, the clearly better option (at least on my skin), lasts significantly longer, and I personally like it even better. "Attacks incoming in 3...2...1..." ;-)