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ChrisBerlin
Top Review
39
Sillage 9.0, London 9.5 - A Comparison
Introduction:
Kinetic is a young niche perfume house from Barcelona. There was even a giveaway on Parfumo that drew my attention to the brand (unfortunately, I didn't win anything^^).
I definitely wanted to test Sillage after learning that it is said to be very similar to the "Sapphire Collection - London | Widian / AJ Arabia," and London is one of the top perfumes on the market for me. Therefore, I started a sharing and ordered the fragrance. I hope a few Parfumos enjoy their sample. Btw: Decanting was a nightmare >_<
Shipped from a logistics center in Poland, the fragrance arrived safely packaged after more than a week. I eagerly tore open the package and plastic wrapping and took a direct look at it.
According to the manufacturer's information, it is an (Extrait de) Parfum. The alcohol content is stated to be 70%. The perfumer is Christian Carbonnel (among others, "Erba Pura | XerJoff").
For a first test, I sprayed London on one wrist and Sillage on the other to compare. I will try to describe my subjective impressions from the direct comparison. The next day, I wore Sillage all day.
The fragrance:
The similarity to its model is striking, which was certainly intended. The scent starts similarly to London. Immediately, leather and raspberry hit the nose - what I find so brilliant and love about London. However, the leather in Sillage is a bit softer and more subdued than in London. In return, Sillage is noticeably fruitier with a bit more sweetness, as the raspberry is more prominent. As far as Oud is present, it hardly stands out in my subjective perception, just like in London. The top note is supposed to differ from London in that saffron is included in Sillage instead of cypress. You can definitely smell that in the direct comparison. I find that the saffron makes Sillage a bit creamier and softer, while the cypress gives London a herbal-woody edge, which I personally prefer as a guy. Violet and jasmine bring a subtle floral component that makes the entire composition rounder and more palatable. I don't detect any incense in Sillage at all.
Later, vanilla emerges, adding a bit more sweetness to the fragrance after the sweetness of the raspberry has diminished. Amber and musk are also present, giving the fragrance some depth without being intrusive. In the base, Sillage differs slightly from London, but I can't describe how (maybe the amber/musk ratio is different). Leather is well noticeable throughout the fragrance journey but diminishes over time.
Sillage radiates a cozy warmth and class like London. It is just as round, complex, and harmoniously composed. To me, there is no trace of synthetics. Sillage smells high-quality and natural, just like its model. The pejorative label of "dupe" seems inappropriate for Sillage - it is certainly not at Eclat level. Craftsmanship is top-notch!
It is thoroughly a unisex fragrance that, in my opinion, might even be a bit better suited for women than London (due to the softer leather and slightly sweeter profile). Incredibly sexy for all wearers (m/f/d). Wearable all year round, except in the peak summer, I think.
Sillage draws on the unique DNA of one of the (in my opinion) best and highest quality niche fragrances on the market and does its job exceptionally well (but not better, I think). It hits its model about 95% - only in direct comparison is a difference personally noticeable to me. Of course, this may vary subjectively for more trained noses.
I give the fragrance a 9.0 after rating London a 9.5. I don't want to make a blanket deduction because the DNA is obviously copied; the fragrance doesn't deserve that.
Longevity and Sillage:
Sillage projects very well, truly great performance. However, in my opinion, it doesn't quite reach London, which is truly outstanding in this regard. The same goes for longevity, which is very good but not quite the monster that London is. That is, I can smell London all day and at least for a week in my pillow when I go to sleep (before the bedding gets changed). Sillage isn't quite that intense, yet it lives up to its name. It lasts all day. I would estimate the longevity with noticeable sillage (there's always a little cloud in the nose) at about 10 hours (9 AM - 7 PM), with the sillage becoming weaker after 4 hours with the corresponding scent development. In one word: awesome. With a bit of O2 and time, it might get even better.
Sillage has to concede this point to London, but it delivers a very remarkable, above-average performance.
Bottle: The bottle makes a good impression at first glance, but nothing more. I find the design rather uninspired. It is a dark cylinder with a magnetic cap, on which the Kinetic-K is embossed. The labeling is appropriately modern and minimalist, gold on black. The spray head appears to be of rather low quality. It looks nice in gold with the embossed Kinetic-K, but it doesn't feel great to the touch. Decanting with a syringe is a disaster. The mist is also rather mediocre - others do it better. The underside of the cap has a production flaw for me. The black paint is flaking in a circle around the opening for the sprayer. Sorry, but that's not acceptable. Overall, it's not a showstopper that needs to be in the front row on the shelf. Here, London is the clear winner by a large margin.
Price: 100ml is available for 169 EUR. This is quite reasonable for the quality. For that price, you get a high-quality niche fragrance that can compete very well with its model. London is available at the regular price of 239 EUR - but only 50ml. Sillage is by far the price-performance winner. Due to the special DNA, Sillage - just like London - should be tested beforehand and, in my opinion, not bought blindly.
Conclusion: Absolute recommendation! I would buy it again. Anyone who loves Widian London will also really like Sillage. Ultimately, it is a high-quality, well-composed fragrance with great performance. Definitely worth buying in terms of price-performance. The fragrance house Kinetic should be kept on the radar. I'm curious to see what else they have in their portfolio and will develop.
Thank you for reading :)
#Leather #Raspberry #London
Top Notes 
Saffron
Violet
Oud
Heart Notes 
Raspberry
Frankincense
Jasmine
Base Notes 
Suede
Benzoin
Musk
Vanilla
Ambergris
BertolucciK
KatieScent
Holscentbar
FabianH
Topfpflanze3
Aximo
Theris
Schalkerin
StayFly
SirLancelot
