Widian is one of the houses that can certainly impress with their range and quality; in particular, the "London (Extrait de Parfum) | Widian / AJ Arabia" as a flagship shows how a beautiful oriental can indeed be suitable for everyday wear. I was all the more curious about the "London Harrods Exclusive | Widian / AJ Arabia". At the same time, I wanted to temper my expectations, as many Harrods Exclusives are simply not worth their price, think of
Lufu or some of the Rojas, which really are not worth the money by any means. Well, opinions are subjective, but now it's primarily about the "London Harrods Exclusive | Widian / AJ Arabia" - how does it smell and is the fragrance worth it if you already have the "London (Extrait de Parfum) | Widian / AJ Arabia"?
Let's get into it:
- The fragrance starts off really intense; the juniper berry is clearly noticeable and creates a truly full, almost cool clarity with the pepper, which comes along with the spiciness of the pepper. Very dense, intense, and different from the "London (Extrait de Parfum) | Widian / AJ Arabia", which has the raspberry much more in the foreground and lacks this spicy-cool aspect. The raspberry is also present here, but for me, it only comes into play later in the progression; however, it is less sweet, rather earthy-green due to the patchouli with a good woody foundation. Yes, the fragrance smells much greener than the "London (Extrait de Parfum) | Widian / AJ Arabia", without losing its character entirely.
- As it develops further, the subtle oud appears along with the incense and leather; the green-earthy aspect remains in the fragrance, and the raspberry takes a bit of a back seat. Towards the end, a bit of sweetness balances the fragrance, and it lingers on this base... and lasts, and lasts...
- The sillage is really top-notch! You definitely can't complain about that; the longevity is also impressive, in my view more performant than the "London (Extrait de Parfum) | Widian / AJ Arabia" and much "denser".
In summary:
- The "London Harrods Exclusive | Widian / AJ Arabia" is less sweet-leathery-raspberry-like, but rather green-earthy-leathery and spicy with a slight sweet twist only in the drydown compared to the "London (Extrait de Parfum) | Widian / AJ Arabia".
- The fragrance is much denser and more intense; the "London (Extrait de Parfum) | Widian / AJ Arabia" can be worn more easily in everyday life; the "London Harrods Exclusive | Widian / AJ Arabia" is already more special, challenging, and also more exciting.
So, yes, complementary fragrance and yes, for me it was worth it... but folks, I'm not the norm here, don't get me wrong :)