Denden22
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Sauvage Elixir but better (maybe)
This is a pretty obvious Dior Sauvage Elixir dupe, so let's get straight to the point without long life stories.
Sauvage Elixir is drier and contains licorice. Additionally, SE has a certain lavender/cinnamon sweetness. The spiciness is milder due to the nutmeg. SE is much more mossy (even though it's not listed in the official scent pyramid), slightly animalistic.
Asad, on the other hand, is fruitier and juicier, lacking a bit of depth in comparison. Instead of the lavender/cinnamon sweetness, there is a fruity sweetness here. I understand how some may get "Cola Cherry" - for me, it's more of a combination of pineapple with the balsamic warmth from the base note. The spiciness from the black pepper is much sharper.
Dior Sauvage appears very oriental due to its heavy reliance on base notes, while Asad omits the mossy and licorice and emphasizes the top note - hence it appears more geared towards the western audience than the original.
On the perfumery level, SE is absolutely a masterpiece, and the depth and wonderfully blended notes take you on a real scent journey (not to mention that Dior developed this scent, duplicating it requires less craftsmanship). But when it comes down to how I personally like to smell/be perceived, I prefer Asad.
The longevity of SE is better, but Asad's sillage is slightly stronger.
Price speaks for itself: 20 euros versus 160 euros for 100ml.
Sauvage Elixir is drier and contains licorice. Additionally, SE has a certain lavender/cinnamon sweetness. The spiciness is milder due to the nutmeg. SE is much more mossy (even though it's not listed in the official scent pyramid), slightly animalistic.
Asad, on the other hand, is fruitier and juicier, lacking a bit of depth in comparison. Instead of the lavender/cinnamon sweetness, there is a fruity sweetness here. I understand how some may get "Cola Cherry" - for me, it's more of a combination of pineapple with the balsamic warmth from the base note. The spiciness from the black pepper is much sharper.
Dior Sauvage appears very oriental due to its heavy reliance on base notes, while Asad omits the mossy and licorice and emphasizes the top note - hence it appears more geared towards the western audience than the original.
On the perfumery level, SE is absolutely a masterpiece, and the depth and wonderfully blended notes take you on a real scent journey (not to mention that Dior developed this scent, duplicating it requires less craftsmanship). But when it comes down to how I personally like to smell/be perceived, I prefer Asad.
The longevity of SE is better, but Asad's sillage is slightly stronger.
Price speaks for itself: 20 euros versus 160 euros for 100ml.
Wujood by Zimaya - A Real Hidden Gem
Wujood by Zimaya is a fragrance that surprises with its unique scent and impressive performance, all at a ridiculous price (€16). This makes it a true hidden gem in the world of fragrances.
Some people refer to it as a dupe of "5 - Floral, Amber, Sensual Musk | Rosendo Mateu - Olfactive Expressions" , but since I've never smelled that fragrance myself, I can't comment further on the matter. In my little world, Wujood stands as a standalone scent.
Wujood opens with a fascinating blend of spices and floral notes, accompanied by a vanillary creamy sweetness. The floral notes resemble those of lilies of the valley, while the spiciness mainly comes from a decent amount of saffron and a hint of nose-tingling pepper.
The floral notes dissipate rather quickly, leaving behind a wonderful saffron mixed in a vanilla-amber-musk pudding, while balsamic notes (resin and incense) gain prominence over time.
The fragrance has good projection in the first 2 hours; afterward, the balsamic dimension loses some strength, and the scent trail diminishes accordingly. After about 4-5 hours, only the saffron-vanilla with slightl smoky incense nuances remains, until the fragrances finally fades after a total of about 8-9 hours.
For my taste, these balsamic and vanilla notes simultaneously create a suede accord that blends beautifully with the composition giving the drydown a refined touch.
Due to its pleasant, sweet, and musky scent profile, Wujood is versatile: suitable for both men and women, best worn between early autumn and late spring (if not over-sprayed), and suitable for almost any occasion.
Some people refer to it as a dupe of "5 - Floral, Amber, Sensual Musk | Rosendo Mateu - Olfactive Expressions" , but since I've never smelled that fragrance myself, I can't comment further on the matter. In my little world, Wujood stands as a standalone scent.
Wujood opens with a fascinating blend of spices and floral notes, accompanied by a vanillary creamy sweetness. The floral notes resemble those of lilies of the valley, while the spiciness mainly comes from a decent amount of saffron and a hint of nose-tingling pepper.
The floral notes dissipate rather quickly, leaving behind a wonderful saffron mixed in a vanilla-amber-musk pudding, while balsamic notes (resin and incense) gain prominence over time.
The fragrance has good projection in the first 2 hours; afterward, the balsamic dimension loses some strength, and the scent trail diminishes accordingly. After about 4-5 hours, only the saffron-vanilla with slightl smoky incense nuances remains, until the fragrances finally fades after a total of about 8-9 hours.
For my taste, these balsamic and vanilla notes simultaneously create a suede accord that blends beautifully with the composition giving the drydown a refined touch.
Due to its pleasant, sweet, and musky scent profile, Wujood is versatile: suitable for both men and women, best worn between early autumn and late spring (if not over-sprayed), and suitable for almost any occasion.
Brave Heart - A Fragrance That Won My Heart!
Firstly, I want to clarify that I had never smelled "Cuirs Nomades - African Leather (Eau de Parfum) | Memo Paris" or 
The One Luminous Night before. Before purchasing this fragrance, I thoroughly researched through YouTubers (from the USA, Indonesia, and Bulgaria) - basically, I watched all available videos on YouTube, sometimes just using subtitles - and all of them basically said that although the bottle design might make the fragrance look like a clone of African Leather, it's actually a good clone of The One Luminous Night.
So I thought to myself: Great! I've heard a lot of hype and praise for this perfume, so let's give it a try! Now that I have ordered the fragrance myself (for an incredible 13 euros, what a deal!), I can say that I don't understand these reviews at all. Maybe the wrong juice was filled into the bottles in the first batch? Or perhaps the fragrance has already been reformulated? My batch is from 11/2023...
The fragrance is officially described as follows:
Top notes: Bergamot, Cardamom, Black Pepper
Heart notes: Leather, Clary Sage, Cedarwood
Base notes: Amber, Musk, Sandalwood, Vanilla
On the other hand, based on my own research on the internet, The One Luminous Night is heavy on the dates and incense - scent notes that I cannot detect in this fragrance.
To be honest, I don't like leather accords in my fragrances. They smell too animalistic or too much like a leather seat for my taste. But I was pleasantly surprised by this fragrance. I perceive a strong note of clary sage, which carries all other scent notes. There is a good amount of soapy-spicy cardamom and a good splash of black pepper, which pleasantly tickles the nose receptors. There is a slight bergamot freshness that persists throughout - unusual for citrus notes. I am pleasantly surprised by the leather note. It is definitely there, but it doesn't take center stage - it's more like one of the co-stars alongside the spices, clary sage, and dry-woody cedar. It doesn't come across as too animalistic or like a leather seat. It's more of a light, balanced, soothing type of leather (perhaps it's even more of a suede than leather). I also perceive a patchouli-like minty earthiness, maybe it's just not listed in the official scent notes, or it's due to a combination of some of the accords. The base note is a classic creamy sandalwood-vanilla-musk-amber base that harmonizes beautifully with the spice, leather, and earthiness.
The longevity at this price point is completely okay - about 6 hours on my skin with good projection in the first 1.5-2 hours. Also Arabian fragrances are known to improve their performance after a couple of weeks/months of maceration (I had my bottle for a week now).
The fragrance needs some temperature to unfold all of its notes in the air. Therefore, I think it works best in autumn or spring, but it could also work well in winter for indoor occasions.
In the end, this is not at all what I expected at all, but I am thrilled by this fragrance. Especially for the price at which I got it.
The One Luminous Night before. Before purchasing this fragrance, I thoroughly researched through YouTubers (from the USA, Indonesia, and Bulgaria) - basically, I watched all available videos on YouTube, sometimes just using subtitles - and all of them basically said that although the bottle design might make the fragrance look like a clone of African Leather, it's actually a good clone of The One Luminous Night.So I thought to myself: Great! I've heard a lot of hype and praise for this perfume, so let's give it a try! Now that I have ordered the fragrance myself (for an incredible 13 euros, what a deal!), I can say that I don't understand these reviews at all. Maybe the wrong juice was filled into the bottles in the first batch? Or perhaps the fragrance has already been reformulated? My batch is from 11/2023...
The fragrance is officially described as follows:
Top notes: Bergamot, Cardamom, Black Pepper
Heart notes: Leather, Clary Sage, Cedarwood
Base notes: Amber, Musk, Sandalwood, Vanilla
On the other hand, based on my own research on the internet, The One Luminous Night is heavy on the dates and incense - scent notes that I cannot detect in this fragrance.
To be honest, I don't like leather accords in my fragrances. They smell too animalistic or too much like a leather seat for my taste. But I was pleasantly surprised by this fragrance. I perceive a strong note of clary sage, which carries all other scent notes. There is a good amount of soapy-spicy cardamom and a good splash of black pepper, which pleasantly tickles the nose receptors. There is a slight bergamot freshness that persists throughout - unusual for citrus notes. I am pleasantly surprised by the leather note. It is definitely there, but it doesn't take center stage - it's more like one of the co-stars alongside the spices, clary sage, and dry-woody cedar. It doesn't come across as too animalistic or like a leather seat. It's more of a light, balanced, soothing type of leather (perhaps it's even more of a suede than leather). I also perceive a patchouli-like minty earthiness, maybe it's just not listed in the official scent notes, or it's due to a combination of some of the accords. The base note is a classic creamy sandalwood-vanilla-musk-amber base that harmonizes beautifully with the spice, leather, and earthiness.
The longevity at this price point is completely okay - about 6 hours on my skin with good projection in the first 1.5-2 hours. Also Arabian fragrances are known to improve their performance after a couple of weeks/months of maceration (I had my bottle for a week now).
The fragrance needs some temperature to unfold all of its notes in the air. Therefore, I think it works best in autumn or spring, but it could also work well in winter for indoor occasions.
In the end, this is not at all what I expected at all, but I am thrilled by this fragrance. Especially for the price at which I got it.
