Impulse Oud Zimaya

By now, there are countless Oud Satin Mood Eau de Parfum alternatives on the market, some do well, others not so much.
Impulse Oud is one of the better alternatives.
While it’s not a 1:1 dupe, you can clearly recognize the OSM DNA.
In percentages, it’s always a bit difficult to assess how close such an alternative is to the original.
I would still say that when you smell the fragrance on the skin, it’s probably about 75%, and in the air, Zimaya resembles the original about 85-90%.

But now to the most important part, the scent.
The opening is quite alcoholic; I almost had to cough.
After a minute, you perceive a synthetic violet-benzoin note, which doesn’t remind me much of OSM at first.
The opening is definitely fresher and more floral than the original; other alternatives do this much better, but they also cost easily double or triple.

Overall, the scent is clearly fresher than the OSM, which is also noticeable in the dry down.
So, if you’re looking for a fresher alternative, this is the right one.
I must say I’m not a big fan of the opening.
After a few minutes, you notice a rose that you know from OSM.
But here, it’s much fresher, more synthetic, and not as "sticky" as in the original.
The rose here is somewhat feminine, but fortunately, the fragrance doesn’t drift too much into the feminine territory; the very prominent benzoin note prevents this.

"Oud" is also listed here, but I personally don’t perceive it much; if at all, it hides very much in the background.

Amber, on the other hand, is more prominent and provides a pleasant, warming sweetness.
Still, towards the end, the fragrance never becomes as sweet as its predecessor.
Soapy rose, benzoin, sweet amber, and a spiciness that slightly reminds one of oud dominate the scent.

The performance is strong.
Longevity on my skin is 9-10 hours, and the projection is also very good.
Other alternatives do a better job here, but for 14-15 euros, it’s nitpicking at a high level.

Definitely unisex wearable and more suitable for the colder days.
It performs very well below 20 degrees.

There’s not much more to say here.
A solid scent for a small price.
If you don’t know the original, you should probably get a sample first, because Impulse Oud isn’t that safe.
For those who know OSM, I would probably recommend a 10 euro more expensive dupe from Lattafa.
Still, I would say Impulse Oud is worth its money, and Zimaya could easily charge three times that.