Flaming Elixir Maison Alhambra

Love me a good cherry accord and I was hoping it'd be different enough from Lovely Cherie/Forbidden Love to not be redundant...but it really is just a slight mod. Whereas LC/FL is really a fruity floral with a clear rosy marzipan base (I have the original TF bottle-style release), this one cuts the rose entirely, darkening up the cherry a bit with a LIGHT woody character and a really cool wispy smoke in the mid. In fact, despite the cherry accord being darn near identical to LC/FL, it was the absence of that rose that made this the layering fragrance I was originally hoping for.

What makes this one stand out however, is just how the smoke is done. Unlike some woody fragrances that basically go nuts on the cade or tar (I'm looking at you T-Rex), the smoke in this is done JUST right, reminding me of something you'd sense if some distant part of your house was burning. Instead of it being straight up carbon smoke which has that dark, sooty and woody character like from a campfire, this one is more white, transparent, sheer and almost humid at the back of the throat if that makes any sense. It's also very subtle compared to TF's Cherry Smoke - which I always preferred over the original Lost Cherry. True, there's some booziness missing in the opening that you get with LC/FL, but after that it's basically all cherry, and just as synthetic as its predecessor.

Fortunately, that's exactly what I was hoping for. Even on paper, that cherry accord hangs on and on, never going into the floral direction, while dialing down the marzipan a bit. The woods aren't super strong either, but just enough to give the cherry some body, making it a wonderful choice for layering in the cool weather. True, it's likely that most will consider it a more masculine-leaning release, but I still think it's perfectly unisex thanks to the overwhelming dark fruitiness and perhaps even a touch of powder. And best of all, it's dirt cheap if you can find it.

No qualms about the bottle, atomizer or cap, which clicks into place; and the foam at the bottom of the box that the bottle sits in is far tighter than in LC/FL so there's absolutely no issue with scuffing. Gotta say, I'm a fan. Performance is very decent too, perhaps even slightly better than LC/FL, potentially because of the stronger and longer lasting cherry. But like I mentioned, cutting some of the booziness also makes it less syrupy and more on the woody side. Bit candied too. And does it remind me of Cherry Smoke? Yup. Is it the same? Nope. The TF pushes the smoke forward and the cherry accord is darker; but given the price difference, the contrast in quality is to be expected. I certainly prefer it over LC/FL though. For now it seems, I've found my cheap 'n' cheerful layering cherry of choice. A thumbs up!

It's time to report on another Maison Alhambra. Once again, this is a dupe of Tom Ford, which is what made this Maison Alhambra brand from Lattafa truly famous. Previously in identical bottle form, now it's independent. Nevertheless, there is a wide range of alternatives to these Private Blends from this brand. Forbidden Love is, of course, significantly more famous as an alternative to Lost Cherry, but I personally like this Flaming Elixir a bit better (especially for men). We're talking about "Cherry Smoke | Tom Ford." There is also an alternative to Electric Cherry with "Love Spark | Maison Alhambra." I like all three very much, but this Flaming Elixir is personally my best choice. Women can wear all of them very well, but this Flaming Elixir is the best for men due to its slightly smoky notes. Similar to Forbidden Love, this is an easy blind buy if you like cherry and especially the original Cherry Smoke. The smoky-woody notes are a bit more refined in the original, but I can't really notice that huge price difference. A great dark black cherry with a not too intense smoky note. You can definitely indulge in this for under €20 for 80ml.

The bottles have become independent, as mentioned, and do not hint at Tom Ford. The names are also independent, likely to avoid any lawsuits. The bottles are typically Alhambra: not really beautiful but robust and work perfectly.
A pyramid is not provided here. However, there is one online, of course without guarantee:
Top Notes: Saffron, Black Cherry
Heart Notes: Jasmine, Rose
Base Notes: Amber, Patchouli, Vanilla
With dupes, pyramids should always be taken with caution, as they are usually just something like "alibi." The smoked-woody notes are quite noticeable here and should actually be included in this pyramid. The start is quite successful with this dark black cherry and a slight saffron spice. Of course, there are also these smoky notes that harmonize quite well with this beautiful dark cherry and create an interesting twist. As the scent develops, it becomes noticeably tamer and calms down a bit, also thanks to this floral heart note. These floral notes do not come to the forefront but create a mild note. The cherry is active for about 3 hours before it becomes a bit weaker and makes room for the base notes of warm amber and sweet vanilla. This soft saffron spice also lingers a bit longer with this smoky note. Overall, it is very harmonious and definitely around 80-90% similar to the original, especially in the first hours. It’s worth it for this price and is a pleasing cherry scent with more edges and facets than, for example, the Lost Cherry direction.
Performance is quite good and can keep up with the expensive TFs. This scent boasts a minimum of 8 hours and good projection, especially impressive in this price segment. I like it a lot and it is particularly suitable for leisure and evening wear, but less so for everyday use due to the smoky notes.

Overall, a clear recommendation if you like Cherry Smoke. Here you get a great dark cherry with more edges and facets and fewer gourmand notes. Definitely interesting.