Firestorm French Avenue 2025

… this was not what I expected at all…

A lot of reviews note the apple as standing out, so I was expecting an apple pie type, fruity experience.

What I got instead on the first try was a very similar feel to Spicebomb EDT. The cinnamon, spicy, gourmand feeling. Spicy sweetness, and done very nicely.

A lot of what is written puts it in the “Stronger With You” type of sweetness. Sticky, syrupy, honey gold resin. That’s not the vibe that came off of my skin.

It is indeed very sweet, but I got that autumn spice sweetness. A gourmet spice cabinet. I’d even go so far as to say it’s IN BETWEEN the Spicebomb EDT and Extreme vibe. As if it was in the middle of THAT evolution.

That spicy sweetness is there for the first 2-3hours, and then it melts into a sweet, buttery, caramel-esque vanilla. A non fragrance friend jokingly asked if I was wearing Cocoa-butter, and said “you smell like chocolate” to me as I laughed.

It dries down to a very similar scent to the French Avenue Thunder drydown.

Performance is pretty strong in the first 3-4hours of a 6 hour ride. The scent bubble extends to a 3-4ft radius in the beginning, and backs down as the cinnamon and spices fade into the creamy drydown.

The sillage trail lingers nicely, and people will know you were there.

Not a bad grab for $28, and I’ll be using it randomly at night, and probably more often in the fall.

Again, it’s great if you don’t want to spend a lot on a scent, and it smells fantastic, but if you WANT the experience of a Spicebomb or SWY type gourmand, spend the extra $60-$90 on it, or you’ll never be happy.

"Firestorm" was released last year, but it completely slipped under my radar due to the many new launches.
It is said to be an alternative to "The World According to Arthur | Penhaligon's," which is a fragrance I haven't tested myself.

Firestorm starts off very fruity with a sweet apple note.
The apple here reminds me less of a fresh fruit and more of an apple dessert.
Almost simultaneously, Davana joins in.
With its typical, almost liqueur-like aroma of dried apricots and plums, it adds an intense fruity note to the mix.
The combination is complemented by cardamom. While it is noticeable, it remains subtly in the background.

After a short time, amber makes its appearance.
It gives the fragrance a sweet-balsamic, woody, and spicy note, providing a pleasant warm depth.

In the base, myrrh finally joins in, contributing another spicy and slightly smoky component.

For me, it is primarily the apple, davana, and amber that significantly shape the fragrance and are the most intensely perceivable.

The longevity is decent at about 6 to 7 hours, although I would have wished for a stronger performance with such a warm-spicy scent, as it loses intensity after just 2 hours.

It is a unisex fragrance with a slight tendency towards the masculine, but it can still be worn well by a woman.

In summary, I can say that I generally like the fragrance. The combination of apple and amber makes it warm-spicy and fruity at the same time, without being overly sweet, which makes it a lovely scent for the colder season.

Although I really like apple and davana, "Firestorm" hasn't completely convinced me, which is probably because I am not a big fan of very spicy fragrances and myrrh is not necessarily one of my favorites.
For this reason, it will remain just a decant for me.
However, anyone who enjoys this fragrance direction should definitely test Firestorm and see for themselves.

As always, I'll start from the beginning.
I like Arthur, but he is very expensive and I don't know if it's worth it for me. That's why Firestorm came in handy. I hoped it would be enough to ignore the other dragons.
The bottle does hint at what it is supposed to be, and whether it is particularly beautiful is up for debate. It should smell good.

Well then, off to the first spray.
A somewhat wild opening with rose and davana, which soon shifts to apple notes. A hint of cardamom is present. You have to sort that out first, especially if you're expecting something different. Frankincense is rather supportive in the background.
Amber soon comes to the forefront and feels a bit ... I'll call it simpler than the original composition with ambrette.
Finesse is nowhere to be found here.
At some point after half an hour or more, you get the impression that the scent is somewhat approaching the original... but somehow not really. But it does remind me of something... wait...

Something must have gone wrong in the lab during the cloning... or were the samples swapped?

If someone had told me that Firestorm was supposed to be an AS with a big twist, I would have believed it more. It certainly has little in common with the red dragon.

So, conclusion:
A nice cheapie that you can wear well in autumn/winter, especially if you like apple. I find the rose rather disturbing and it unfortunately lingers for a long time.
If you're looking for a scent that loosely (!) goes in the direction of AS in style and is a tiny bit more floral, you can give this a try. However, if you're looking for an alternative to Arthur, you're in the wrong place.

Firestorm starts off sweet with red apple, reminiscent of baked apple. A subtle spiciness adds interest.

As it develops, it becomes warmer and softer with vanilla and amber, leaning slightly towards a creamy direction without becoming too heavy.

The performance is good, lasting well and remaining noticeable.

Overall, a fragrance that simply smells good and stands out with its baked apple sweetness.

French Avenue has unleashed a real storm with Firestorm. The setting has to be right for it, though, so let’s go in: Advent is approaching, the first cookies are going into the oven, the winter apple pie is being prepared and the sunset is conjuring wonderful colors in the sky. All that’s missing is the perfect companion, so you spray Firestorm by French Avenue on.

Hmm, delicious! The storm begins: A baked apple with a delicate cherry sauce, vanilla and amber storms into the room. The warm seduction makes everyone weak. At least everyone who loves sweet and spicy fragrances. A few thoughts briefly circle through my mind: It does bear some similarities to Melting Lust by Emil Elise.

After around 30 minutes, I sense a roasted almond and rosy notes, but the baked apple with a delicate cherry sauce, vanilla and amber remains very loud. The cookies are now ready, the cake can go into the oven and you are cleared for release with your irresistible perfume. The storm rages on, naturally in a positive sense.

After 2.5 to 3 hours, the storm slowly begins to subside in the evening. The incense leaves its traces alongside the sweetish ingredients. You eat your winter apple pie, sniff yourself and go crazy because the fragrance is simply so good. Baked apple, cherry, rose, almonds, vanilla, amber and and and. Nice!

Shortly before going to sleep, after around 6 to 7 hours, you can still notice a few gusts of the storm. The sweetish, spicy and smoky components give it their all once again. However, the fragrance no longer projects at this point.

Nevertheless, the fragrance is very well done and in my opinion only needs a small upgrade in terms of longevity and sillage in the later stages.

The fragrance should definitely be worn in autumn and winter. However, I would not recommend it at temperatures above 15 to 16 degrees.

I currently only have a sample of the perfume, but I will very surely order it again.

For me, an absolute recommendation to buy for the price.