Dave85

I find it smells exactly like Versace Oud Noir but with a touch of Havicat!
Oud Wood is a bit smoother and different!

The cardamom makes it smell very soapy in the drydown!
I absolutely do not like that!

Overall, it's a very nice scent, but I wouldn't wear it like this...
because the drydown just reminds me of cheap fabric softener.

By chance, I had a sample of Lataffa Dynasty lying next to it,
I wouldn't wear either fragrance on its own...
but together they complement each other and balance out the issues!

Dynasty is too feminine - with Platinum Oud it no longer feels feminine at all
Platinum Oud is too "soapy" - with Dynasty, that "soapy" note completely disappears...

If anyone has both, I can only recommend testing them together!!!

A true fragrance experience :D:D

I unfortunately can't say much about the longevity of essence de blanc yet... I've had it on my arm for 3 hours and it's only detectable from very close up.

I've tested Art of Arabia I, Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes Eau de Parfum, and "Amber Oud Aqua Dubai | Al Haramain / الحرمين"...

One thing upfront: I think aqua dubai doesn't fit this direction at all, I found it terrible, totally overhyped!!

I find essence de blanc to be a bit spicier, "stronger" than the zara or aoa in the first half hour!

In the drydown, however, I find the sillage decreases extremely... otherwise, I think all three smell 95% the same! I have the feeling that zara performs the best!

If you look at it from a financial perspective, I probably could have already bought the original!

If I had to choose between the four, I would go straight for the zara since it's simply the cheapest and the H/S isn't really different from that of aoa... I still need to test the zara intense, but it's not much more expensive either...

just a little review...

I tested these three "cheap" cool water twins...
Aspen for Men Cologne
Absolute Blue
and this one Distant Wave

I must admit I find it extremely hard to tell them apart in a blind scent test, they all smell 95% like the OLD original!
However, I noticed that Distant Wave has the longest longevity!
Aspen and Absolute Blue are only perceptible from very close after an hour...
Distant Wave even lasts 2 hours :D
On clothing, each lasts about 3-4 hours...

I find all three better than the current original Cool Water!
Since the sillage of the current original is also very poor, you can go straight for the twins and save money; moreover, the twins come closer to the original Cool Water from back in the day as they are all greener/mossier!

The old Cool Water resembled Green Irish Tweed by Creed more!

For the swimming pool, gym, sports, or beach, I find these cheap ones very good because after the water/sweat you won't smell anything anyway... then you can use something intense after showering without still smelling like Cool Water since it just doesn't stick to the skin for 12 hours...

I have tested several Green Irish Tweed clones...

this one starts just like Tres Nuit Eau de Toilette
BUT the H/S does not compare to Tres Nuit Eau de Toilette!
After half an hour, it becomes a skin scent, and even this is no longer perceptible after 1-2 hours.

Furthermore, I find that in the drydown, there is a very strong pineapple scent, which is not the case with
Green Irish Tweed. You can tell that the pineapple changes the fragrance significantly!

Parfums Vintage and Alexandria both have very, very good GIT clones - I would say they are 95% identical BUT with significantly better performance and sillage than the original GIT!
After that, I would say Tres Nuit Eau de Toilette and "Amber Oud Carbon Edition | Al Haramain / الحرمين" come in with 80% similarity, and finally, Raghba comes in at about 75% similarity...

Due to this pineapple, Raghba seems almost a bit "too sweet, oriental, and feminine" to me, as it has that typical pineapple sweetness that almost all Lataffa fragrances have...

For a tenner, it's OK... but I would rather recommend spending 15 euros directly and investing in Tres Nuit Eau de Toilette... for those seeking more power, go for Parfums Vintage!

I would say it’s a great body spray for summer.
Perfect for beach days or at the pool!
For the price, you can easily use a 5ml spray bottle in one day without feeling guilty :D

The scent lasts on my skin better than on clothing!
Unfortunately, I can’t perceive the scent on my clothes after 15 minutes at all.
However, when I was at the pool and used it as a body spray, I noticed that it lasted much longer on my skin. I could still smell it well for 1-2 hours! Even after getting out of the water, I could still faintly smell it.

That’s why I would say it’s a great refreshing spray for very hot days!

In itself, the longevity and sillage are not longer than that of an Eau de Cologne like 4711.

The scent also strongly reminds me of the original Eau de Cologne like Echt Kölnisch Wasser Eau de Cologne, but you can smell that it is more modern and has a slightly cooler touch!
I think this is probably due to the musk and Ambroxan.

I find the scent more masculine than 4711 but not too masculine!
Even women who like 4711 can use it.

I would say if you like 4711 and citrusy Eau de Cologne scents, you should definitely give this one a try! For under €50 for 100ml, you can’t go wrong!

If someone wants a bit more performance and a similar scent, they can try Dior Homme Cologne (2013). But even here, you shouldn’t expect H/S with an Eau de Cologne.