G. Bellini - X-Bolt Lidl 2012

G. Bellini X-Bolt is a fragrance that caught my attention some time ago in connection with Boss Bottled (which it is said to copy well). This comment is primarily a comparison of the two fragrances.

I am referring exclusively to the samples available to me (G. Bellini X-Bolt batch no. 2146 and Boss Bottled batch no. 5293) and my subjective perception of both fragrances. All descriptions are meant to be comparative (relative to each other), so please do not misunderstand this as a context-free "review" with absolute statements.

The opening of X-Bolt strikes me as somewhat spicier and has a slightly woody note that, from my subjective feeling, almost carries the "vibe" of a slightly smoky nuance. This interplay feels overall a bit rough and somewhat scratchy - I find Boss Bottled to be significantly softer and rounder at this point. The fruity aspect comes across as somewhat less clear than in the opening of Boss Bottled. X-Bolt also seems a bit more synthetic in comparison.

During the first, immediate "drydown" phase, X-Bolt appears overall a bit flatter and somewhat less fruity. It’s as if you have two different prints of the same image in front of you - the parallels are there, but one of the prints is a bit blurrier and the colors are somewhat paler. At this point, X-Bolt seems to already have the sweetly appearing vanilla briefly sandy and soft emerging from the base notes. In Boss Bottled, the top and heart notes are too present for the base to be discernible on its own yet. Overall, X-Bolt still feels a bit more synthetic.

As the "drydown" progresses, I noticed something that, while not immediately affecting the overall impression of the fragrance at this time, I would like to mention for the sake of detail. The sandy soft aspect of the vanilla, which I had already noticed before, partially disappears again; the sweetness of the vanilla recedes somewhat more into the background and, in the meantime, almost takes on a slightly creamy but also flat undertone. Such a change in vanilla, even if it is not initially very significant, feels somewhat unusual to me at this point and in this specific form. I see it at least as an indication that the quality of the individual components of X-Bolt (commensurate with the price) differs from those of Boss Bottled. A bit later, there begins a gradual loss of the fruity elements of X-Bolt (I want to refer again to the above-mentioned comparison with the two prints), while the slightly synthetic effect remains unchanged and thus subjectively increases. It is a gradual process that one might not notice immediately, but is evident in direct comparison. By now, X-Bolt loses a bit more of its similarity to Boss Bottled.

The opening and the first, immediate "drydown" last only briefly and pass relatively quickly. To me, the progression feels less like the respective transition is intentionally designed by the composition, but rather that individual fragrance notes simply fade or diminish over time.

In summary, I would say that X-Bolt comes close to Boss Bottled at times - except for a certain distance - but never represents an authentic copy. There may be production batches that are more similar, but I do not know that and therefore cannot comment on it. For the two samples I tested, I cannot confirm the often-mentioned, extremely large similarity of the two fragrances.

I do not want to give a detailed evaluation for X-Bolt at this point, as I focused mainly on a comparison, but I am subjectively of the opinion that there is at least one point of difference between the two fragrances.