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For me, oriental fragrances always have something special. Mystical, smoky, woody, aromatic, they can captivate you. Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud was a blind buy for me. For the cheap price of just over €20, it was definitely worth a try. At first, I expected to encounter that well-known rose-oud blend that can now be found in many oud fragrances.

Shaghaf Oud opens very spicy and slightly smoky with saffron - well, I couldn't have said that it was saffron, but that's how saffron must apparently smell in perfumes. This spiciness remains present in the top note for quite a while. At first, it is not at all like a classic rose-oud. But as the top note recedes, the rose emerges more strongly and comes with a chocolaty sweetness. The two come into the spotlight hand in hand, yet the spiciness from the beginning remains consistently in the background, covered but not disappearing. The rose is dark, subtle, reserved. Furthermore, I find the rose not very long-lasting in its splendor. After a while in the drydown, there is more vanilla, a bit of oud, a bit of what is indicated here as praline in the base note. The fragrance notes are all well distinguishable, and the scent progression is clearly perceivable. The oud is not extremely strong; however, the entire fragrance should be approached with caution in its composition. I would also suggest that the oud is synthetic and not natural, certainly not for this price. The rose probably isn't either, considering that these two oils are among the most expensive.

Better to spray a little less than too much, as I would not classify Shaghaf Oud as a scent that everyone around will perceive positively. In fact, I did my first scent test of Shaghaf Oud when I went to the Christmas market. I had just sprayed two cautious puffs on my wrist. My companion could very clearly perceive this perfume in the crowd without knowing that it was mine. I almost chose this perfume as my Christmas Eve scent, but it felt too risky for me. However, anyone wanting to stand out will be very well served here. Sillage is strong, longevity for me is about 7 hours when applied discreetly.

Price-performance ratio definitely top! But I don't think Shaghaf Oud is a beginner's fragrance for rose-oud combos. Yes - quite unique and striking, but please apply with feeling ;-)

Bvlgari Man Extreme is the first perfume from the Bvlgari Man line that I own. I have never smelled the original and therefore cannot assess to what extent its scent DNA has been transferred to this perfume. I have only smelled Man Black Orient, but that is completely different.

Admittedly, I have never been a big fan of fresh scents, especially not aquatic ones - if anything, I prefer citrusy scents like this one. They are usually safe and well-received. I received Bvlgari Man Extreme as a Christmas gift and thus came into contact with the scent for the first time. I actually like the top note quite a bit at first! It doesn't immediately smell like 95% of fresh fragrances with bergamot/lemon. For me, grapefruit stands out much more and feels immediately invigorating. Definitely, the successful top note is the selling point. However, one shouldn't be misled by it. Time and again, soapy vetiver comes through, which I usually don't like, but the composition works here. Unfortunately, I can't really perceive an oriental touch, as reported in some reviews.

While the overall progression leaves a rather synthetic impression, it remains pleasantly crowd-pleasing. Still, it doesn't evoke any cheers from me. The sillage is rather subtle, and the longevity on my skin is perhaps 4-5 hours. It remains a casual scent, an office scent, or even a gym scent. However, Man Extreme does not give me the feeling that it must be a must-have in my collection. It is just too interchangeable.

Many years ago, as a teenager, I owned the Roberto Cavalli Just Cavalli for Him. At that time, it was my favorite fragrance, when I otherwise had nothing to do with the world of perfumes. But even back then, I had the impression that Cavalli had the potential to create scents that could stand out from the crowd.

Last year, I stumbled upon Roberto Cavalli Uomo by chance at TKMaxx. Occasionally, you can get lucky there and find nice fragrances. However, I had never heard of Cavalli Uomo until then, and since I didn't want to risk a blind buy despite the appealing price, I first checked the fragrance pyramid here on Parfumo. I immediately noticed "honey," which I really liked. The combination with black violet had to create a dark, mystical, and slightly sweet blend that could almost be unisex. That convinced me.

Although I had no idea what I was getting into with this scent at first, I liked it very much from the start. In fact, the fragrance can largely be classified as sweet-floral but in a rather masculine way. The black violet tends to make it an evening scent, although I also enjoy wearing it during the day.

Interestingly, while testing, I kept having associations with Tom Ford's Black Orchid. There are those dark-floral notes, which, however, are much more complex in Tom Ford's version. However, I find Black Orchid to be more feminine compared to Cavalli Uomo.

What is noticeable is that Cavalli Uomo has a really nice sillage. Even if you apply a few too many sprays and essentially wrap yourself in the fragrance, it is not aggressive. You can still be perceived from a distance. The floral character gradually transforms into a pleasant sweetness, so the honey is a constant companion. However, the honey here is quite synthetic, but I wouldn't deduct any points for that.

Overall, a pleasant men's fragrance that I believe is somewhat underrated. If you're looking for something elegant for cool autumn or winter evenings, you can definitely find it here.

...to get straight to the point, Paco Rabanne's 1 Million Privé is the most pleasant shisha for me personally that exists ;-) Normally, when I walk past shisha bars, I almost have to hold my nose to avoid the childish-sweet clouds of smoke that smell like everything and nothing. So, I would have never thought that 1 Million Privé is supposed to have "shisha tobacco" in the heart note, especially which direction? Exotic Mix? Hubbly-Bubbly-Gum? Virginia-Honey? The latter would actually fit quite well with this fragrance - Virginia Honey is said to combine the scent of tobacco and honey, according to a brief search...
In any case, Privé opens with sweet cinnamon, almost a cinnamon-sugar mix and not necessarily with the typically sharp taste of cinnamon. It also comes across as slightly citrusy and is by far more subtle than the original Eau de Toilette (whose bad reputation I cannot share at all). Privé feels more mature and smoother from the very beginning. It doesn't scream for so much attention; the one wearing it has upgraded from the youthful EDT to the fancier EDP. After about 10 minutes, sweet tobacco joins in, but whether that is shisha tobacco, I cannot judge. I also keep picking up a hint of apple.
Overall, 1 Million Privé remains linear in its scent progression for a long time. It is not particularly complex, but immediately easy to understand. It retains the light playfulness of the EDT, but is far less intrusive. It remains consistently sweet, but not sickly-sweet like cotton candy. The sillage is not as strong anymore but still noticeable, so one should be careful not to overspray. For me, it fits best in the autumn, also as an everyday scent. Certainly good for evenings, possibly on a date. Longevity is a good 6 hours on my skin.
My bottle is now almost empty, and I have never been disappointed by the scent.

I tested Prada Amber pour Homme about a year ago at the airport in Helsinki and was quite impressed with the scent DNA. Warm, slightly woody, clean, elegant, and even surprisingly good longevity. A few months later, I decided to make the purchase. Still, this beautiful floral-powdery heart note that accompanies you for a long time, along with a hint of Penhaligon's Sartorial. Plus, spicy cardamom. I hardly perceive any citrus in the top note. Overall, it has a slight barbershop touch.

What unfortunately disappointed me with my bottle was the longevity. I had actually remembered it quite well, but somehow my Amber pour Homme doesn't last as long as it should... I have to reapply a bit after 3-4 hours. However, I do find it nice that this fragrance is not loud; the sillage is pleasantly subtle, so I have chosen this perfume as an optimal companion in the office for any season. Warm, elegant, crowd-pleasing, an all-rounder. Comparatively linear scent development on my skin.

Would I buy it again? I'm still struggling with that. If it lasted a bit longer, then Amber pour Homme would certainly be a regular in my collection. However, anyone looking to purchase it blind will not be disappointed.