04/02/2022
MrHonest
106 Reviews
MrHonest
2
Bingo-Bango, sugar in the gas tank...
Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this one suddenly pop up out of nowhere at a local discounter. For years it was touted as the best inexpensive alternative to vintage Fahrenheit that existed at the time. I wouldn't know...because it didn't seem to be available anywhere when I began my research - almost as if those in the 'know' relentlessly bought up all of the stock, relegating any remaining bottles and their prrreciousssss whereabouts to the archives of obscurity. So you can imagine my surprise and excitement when a couple suddenly appeared online, seemingly out of thin air. I had to get my hands on at least one bottle, if only for my own amusement and peace of mind. And this is what I discovered:
Firstly, without any doubt in my mind, it's clearly a copy of Dior's Fahrenheit edt, vintage or otherwise. Secondly, yes, there are a few minor differences in quality and performance compared with the original, and some more glaring ones when compared with other clones like Claiborne's Bora Bora Exotic (BBE) and Pascal Morabito's Grey Quartz (GQ). But if this is as far you choose to read, in my opinion, Metal Jeans is easily the most balanced and my favourite of the three. If you're looking for a straight-up clone, the value is simply unbeatable. For something like five to ten bucks usd, shut up and get it. No, really.
As far as the scent goes, the fragrance opens up with that obvious and nostalgic hit of Fahrenheit violet leaf, nutmeg, cedar and amber-musk. Not a trace of alcohol - nor any citrus for that matter - which is one of the first clear differences that I noticed. As far as the petrol vibe, it's significantly toned down, opting for a sweeter and more balanced take - a welcome change for those who thought that the smell of gasoline detracted from Fahrenheit's appeal. And this is where the comparisons to the vintage begin...
Literally within 10 minutes, a very decent quality chamomile and florals show up, blending seamlessly with the violet leaf and sweet amber to give me a quasi-cherry vibe, that always seems to bring a great big smile to my face. If you've smelled the current version of Fahrenheit, you'll notice that the floral mid is grievously overshadowed by the citrus and petrol giving it a somewhat sharper edge - much closer to the opening of Claiborne's BBE. Metal Jeans does a flip-flop by toning down the gas, cutting the citruses altogether and amping up the florals, giving it that retro flavour that reminds me of many drugstore floral-musks from the 90s.
And wheras BBE flattens into a weird synthetic fruitiness coupled with a mineralic flint in the drydown, Metal Jeans seems to hold its ground, remaining linear for a good 6-7 hours on skin. Projection is great for a solid 2 hours too - well above average for such a cheap fragrance. Unfortunately, there are relatively few woods and leathers to speak of...none actually. But that's partly why it's so much more mass appealing. Don't know what some people mean when they mention a metallic note or vibe, because I don't get that at all, despite the name. But you can tell that the quality isn't on par with the original when sniffed up close. Let's be real - it's Metal Jeans, not Miracle Jeans.
Overall, if you're looking for that dense petrol vibe, you're unlikely to find it here. Go for Morabito's Grey Quartz instead. That one cuts the sweetness right out and replaces it with a synthetic sheen of greenish glass and orange Tang. Performance is pretty weak on that one too. And the Mercedes line (especially the Intense version) is not to be ignored either. Although I've heard that the calone in them can be annoying sometimes. Luckily, if you want something more rounded, sweeter, more floral and appealing, Metal Jeans is a killer copy. Straight up FiRe - especially if you want to ride the nostalgia train for dirt cheap. Quality is on par with clones 6-8x the price - noticeably in the sillage - and the wearability even trumps the original. In an ergonomic bottle with a great atomizer? What more can I say? I can totally see why it was so coveted in its time. Perhaps not worthy of several backups, but truly one of the best bargains I've ever come across. A definite win for vigilance.
Firstly, without any doubt in my mind, it's clearly a copy of Dior's Fahrenheit edt, vintage or otherwise. Secondly, yes, there are a few minor differences in quality and performance compared with the original, and some more glaring ones when compared with other clones like Claiborne's Bora Bora Exotic (BBE) and Pascal Morabito's Grey Quartz (GQ). But if this is as far you choose to read, in my opinion, Metal Jeans is easily the most balanced and my favourite of the three. If you're looking for a straight-up clone, the value is simply unbeatable. For something like five to ten bucks usd, shut up and get it. No, really.
As far as the scent goes, the fragrance opens up with that obvious and nostalgic hit of Fahrenheit violet leaf, nutmeg, cedar and amber-musk. Not a trace of alcohol - nor any citrus for that matter - which is one of the first clear differences that I noticed. As far as the petrol vibe, it's significantly toned down, opting for a sweeter and more balanced take - a welcome change for those who thought that the smell of gasoline detracted from Fahrenheit's appeal. And this is where the comparisons to the vintage begin...
Literally within 10 minutes, a very decent quality chamomile and florals show up, blending seamlessly with the violet leaf and sweet amber to give me a quasi-cherry vibe, that always seems to bring a great big smile to my face. If you've smelled the current version of Fahrenheit, you'll notice that the floral mid is grievously overshadowed by the citrus and petrol giving it a somewhat sharper edge - much closer to the opening of Claiborne's BBE. Metal Jeans does a flip-flop by toning down the gas, cutting the citruses altogether and amping up the florals, giving it that retro flavour that reminds me of many drugstore floral-musks from the 90s.
And wheras BBE flattens into a weird synthetic fruitiness coupled with a mineralic flint in the drydown, Metal Jeans seems to hold its ground, remaining linear for a good 6-7 hours on skin. Projection is great for a solid 2 hours too - well above average for such a cheap fragrance. Unfortunately, there are relatively few woods and leathers to speak of...none actually. But that's partly why it's so much more mass appealing. Don't know what some people mean when they mention a metallic note or vibe, because I don't get that at all, despite the name. But you can tell that the quality isn't on par with the original when sniffed up close. Let's be real - it's Metal Jeans, not Miracle Jeans.
Overall, if you're looking for that dense petrol vibe, you're unlikely to find it here. Go for Morabito's Grey Quartz instead. That one cuts the sweetness right out and replaces it with a synthetic sheen of greenish glass and orange Tang. Performance is pretty weak on that one too. And the Mercedes line (especially the Intense version) is not to be ignored either. Although I've heard that the calone in them can be annoying sometimes. Luckily, if you want something more rounded, sweeter, more floral and appealing, Metal Jeans is a killer copy. Straight up FiRe - especially if you want to ride the nostalgia train for dirt cheap. Quality is on par with clones 6-8x the price - noticeably in the sillage - and the wearability even trumps the original. In an ergonomic bottle with a great atomizer? What more can I say? I can totally see why it was so coveted in its time. Perhaps not worthy of several backups, but truly one of the best bargains I've ever come across. A definite win for vigilance.
