Casablanca Swiss Arabian 2016 Eau de Parfum

The Christmas season includes many occasions to celebrate. It starts with Christmas Eve, then Christmas Day, Boxing Day immediately after Christmas, the last day of the year, New Year's Day, and Epiphany Day, which closes the holiday season. I don't know about you, but I'm an introvert who needs to stop from the holiday hustle and bustle to take a deep breath. So the smells I'm absorbing can do wonders for my body and mind.

Casablanca has an extra sweet, woody, earthy note from blends of various resins, which might impress surrounding people. It opens with an alluring variety of ripe fruit, grapes and sweet apple. There is an overdose of sweetness, and the apple accord is akin to cooked apples topped with caramelised sugar. Then comes sour grape juice, but the sugary apple is predominant. The initial stage is obnoxiously sweet.

Powderiness and woodiness rise from the heart. The dusty orris and the creamy sandalwood dictate the rules, whereas patchouli is tamed and barely detectable. The fruitiness on my skin has the same vibe as Boss Bottled Eau de Toilette. Its sweetness is undeniable, intense, and too mighty for me. It's a sweetness that I like a little, and if I overdo it with the application, there is the risk that the fragrance will induce a sense of nausea, headache, and discomfort. The same goes for Boss Bottled, and it is precisely this point of extreme fruity sweetness that unites them. It is the same type of apple as me. It doesn't wait to dry down; that caramel is there immediately.

And finally, it leads to the base notes of amber and liquid caramel. I get a deep dose of vanilla with a touch of Peru balsam, an extraordinary hint. Vanilla does not appear in the pyramid, but among the ingredients, we find coumarin. And the sweetness that unites vanilla pods and tonka beans is felt full. The powdery notes rest on a musky and balsamic bed. My skin intensifies the gourmand facets of amber and caramel, and the latter is very prominent. The base is mostly apple and sticky caramel with a creamy touch of vanilla and a smoky undertone. It should be suede, although I can't see any trace of leather.

Casablanca is such a soft, warm, creamy, caramelised scent, so nicely blended, though definitely too sweet, gourmand, and fruity for my tastes. A great fragrance with outstanding performances, though not my cup of tea, not my jam. You really have to have a thing for sweet aromas to appreciate this, and if you're anything like me, you might find this too sweet too. I wouldn't say I like too sweet fruit and gourmand scents. They aren't for me, and after half an hour, I was done and wanted to wash Casablanca off. But I could tolerate it. It is a fragrance for the colder months, fall and winter. It might cloy during the hot days or nights of summer. If you are planning to stay indoors, spray lightly. The projection is average for many hours, and so is the longevity. Nightly wear is more appropriate. Despite my experience, Casablanca is a good scent on a budget.

I'm basing my review and experience on a bottle I've owned since November 2017.

-Elysium

Casablanca is one of the best “cheapies” on the market. The low price is one of its best qualities, but then you go and actually wear it??? And BOOM! You’re blown away by how good it smells AND how well it performs longevity and sillage-wise. Lasts literally all day, especially if you spray on clothes, and projects beautifully for most of its wear. Like another reviewer said, I would still buy this beauty even if it cost 3-4x its actual market price. It’s THAT good.

Now in terms of the scent profile, it’s not one that everyone is going to love because it does have some challenging mid/base notes (patchouli, musk, suede, peru balsam). But those don’t become very apparently until the late drydown (for me at least). The opening is straight caramel apple and woody gorgeousness. I love the transition from pretty gourmand-leaning to soft and sweet golden balsams. It’s truly remarkable and as someone that’s not crazy about apple in fragrances, this is probably my favorite scent with a notable apple accord.

I will always have a bottle of this in my collection. Best for cooler weather but you could get away with it in warmer weather (particularly summer nights).

This is fun and different from other apple gourmands. Instead of relying on the usual wintery spices like cinnamon that are often found in this kind of scent, Casablanca uses soft suede and sharp, slightly bitter, almost oudy wood notes to complement the apple, caramel and sweet vanillic amber.

This apple is very juicy and smells more green than red, but doesn't have the unpleasant artificial green apple flavor undertone that can ruin apple fragrances for me. The addition of grapes makes it even fresher. The note smells like crisp green grapes, not like wine or raisins, so it's extremely fruity.
The caramel on the other hand is very warm and feels almost animalic in the drydown, maybe due to the addition of patch and Peru balsam and, of course, the suede. I can sense a very light powdery overlay from the iris, but not much of it.

I think this needs to be sprayed on skin to really show all its facets, on a paper blotter it feels a little flat, but on me it's multidimensional and mouthwatering.

Compared to Nobile La Danza de Libelulle I find Casablanca bolder and rougher, but also much more exciting and not as simple. I don't this they're all that similar.
This is a strong scent that really needs to get scrubbed off if you want to get rid of it, but still very wearable and not too overwhelming, especially in the colder months.

Swiss Arabian, another great brand from Dubai, which in my opinion sells its fragrances below value. Similar to Al Haramain and Rasasi. Some have a strong oriental touch and some are less so, like this one here. From the Swiss Arabian brand, I also have the strong Interlude Man twin Shaghaf Oud Abyad, which is a real hit. I've been interested in this Casablanca for quite some time. The pyramid reads beautifully and as a fan of sweet scents, it's of course top-notch. I'm surprised there are no comments on this. But insider tips are always great and usually very unique, like most brands from Dubai.

First of all, I have to praise the price-performance ratio. You get a high-quality and above all a really long-lasting scent with strong sillage. And that for 30 to 40 euros per 100ml. Very strong. This is also an Eau de Parfum, which matches the strength.
The bottle is very attractive and elegant. The name Casablanca has little in common with the scent. It could fit any other city, as it is a sweet fragrance with no connection to the capital of Morocco.
In terms of scent, you have to be a fan of sweet fragrances. For many men, this will be too sweet, but with today's sweet trend, it is also wearable for men. However, it should match the type. A good choice for women as well. Everyone has to decide for themselves.
The DNA of the fragrance slightly reminds me of Light Blue by D&G or Versace Man Eau Fraiche. The citrus note is, of course, not present here, but the DNA is similar. Here, apple is very prominent. The indicated grape can also be sensed. It has something of grape sugar, which comes across wonderfully with the apple. The base DNA remains active throughout the entire duration and changes only slightly. What is also active throughout is caramel. It smells as if the composition has been coated with caramel. Very delicious and very pleasant in cool temperatures. The scent also has a somewhat sensual-balsamic quality. Despite the great sweetness, the fragrance is never too overpowering, as the sweetness meets a balanced mix. It also slightly reminds me of Black XS by Paco Rabanne. Those who like this scent will probably like this one too. Nevertheless, it is very unique, thanks to this beautiful apple-grape-caramel note.
Overall, a fragrance that can be worn well on cold days, but also on mild ones. Thanks to its fantastic performance, it is also versatile. The longevity is well over 10 hours and the sillage is very good, but not too much. Well dosed and successful.

A great fragrance that not everyone has and is actually only available online. It has earned its high rating, even though only 40 people have voted.

This is roughly how I would have imagined a prototypical perfume a few years ago, when I was not yet interested in fragrances: captivating, delicious, somewhat seductive. An accessory that primarily aims for two things - to stand out (positively). Then, at some point, my fragrance journey began, and I no longer see it so narrowly. Nevertheless, wearing Casablanca again made me think of that clarity from my naïve years, when perfume was still “functional” for me in a non-negative sense.

Casablanca evokes western-filtered fantasies of an “oriental” city full of scents, 1001 Nights, hustle and bustle, colorfully painted historical buildings, embraced by the desert, kissed by the sun. This smoothed image likely contrasts with the reality of the 3.36 million-inhabitant metropolis Casablanca, much like an Instagram selfie does with a real person. It’s not about wanting to see reality, but rather a staging. More Casablanca film than “Sky Over the Desert.”

Casablanca opens with a soft, (not sharp) sour sweetness, which is why “apple” and “grape” are good associations. The scent progression seems relatively linear to me, although over time, a slightly dry woodiness in the background provides a bed for the soft opulence of this delicate-sweet fragrance to rest upon. “Caramel” might suggest that we are dealing with a cavity-inducing scent - but that’s not the case; the sweetness does not overwhelm (me). What distinguishes it, in my opinion, is that despite all the “punch,” it still allows for breathing space. A warm (with a balsamic touch), slightly fruity, delicious scent that, in my view, suits women better than men. But perhaps it is just on the edge of being unisex. Even though Casablanca seems made for the cold season, it also wears well in the height of summer - tested last year at 30 degrees during a company party. One must, however, enjoy this sweet genre. For this reason, I wear it rarely, even though I must say subjectively-objectively: This is really a good one, if: you don’t expect art; no complexity; no “niche” experiments. Because in its composition, it is indeed very smooth and uncomplicated. But I like that.

Longevity and sillage: both really good, but not yet in the “premium segment.”

Bottle: slim and tall made of glass with rounded edges. A bit wobbly on its feet. The plastic cap does not sit very firmly on the bottle. Overall okay for the price (25-30,-/100ml, which is really fair).