GokuSan

Prada Luna Rossa Carbon is a very masculine and clean fragrance that is always wearable and brings many compliments. It is clearly the better Dior Sauvage EDT because it is much more refined and rounded. A metallic note can be recognized, as well as lavender, pepper, ambroxan and bergamot. The longevity is quite good, but not outstanding. For me, the pleasure lasts about 7-8 hours with a perceptible but not too strong projection. An everlasting fragrance that has found a permanent place in the collection. That was in 2020/2021.

Now I have bought another bottle in 2025, production date August 2024. The bottle is thinner, there is only a sticker on the bottom, nothing more printed. The lid is smaller, it is refillable. Price around 100€ bought the 150 ml fragrance. Of course, I did a direct comparison with my 2020/2021 version and found that this newer version was significantly watered down. Don't get me wrong, the carbon is not as pungent as the earlier Sauvage EDT, but in a Prada comparison, the 2020/2021 version is much more pungent and present than the late 2024 version. And that's what makes the fragrance special, which I've only just noticed in a direct comparison. I wouldn't buy the new PLR Carbon again because it's watered down, weaker and has lost its character. That's a shame. However, I generally notice with Prada that this brand deteriorates or discontinues its fragrances over time. In the Luna Rossa range, there was once the Extreme version (in my opinion a masterpiece that has not been cloned or copied to this day), which was discontinued. The Sport, which was reformed and changed. The L'Homme range was also changed. They are such great fragrances, but some of them have become a shadow of their former selves compared to 4.5 years ago.

Conclusion, the rating concerns the older version. Super fragrance. Unfortunately, the reformulation has also lost the enthusiasm for PLR Carbon.

A note at the beginning, the Tony Iommi by Xerjoff is one of my all-time top 5 fragrances. I already had several bottles of the OG, including the DUA Rockstar. And now, by chance, I came across this fragrance from Paris Corner. As far as I know, there are hardly any duplicates of Tony Iommi. Ok, the DUA is supposed to be one, but in my opinion it's not a 1:1 dupe. Another story, this is about the Mysterium. The fragrance profile has a lot in common with the original, the fragrance DNA is undoubtedly very similar. In a direct comparison, with Xerjoff on the back of one hand and Mysterium on the other, there are noticeable differences. Mysterium is fresher, has a stronger passion fruit note, but less rum and sweetness. This perfume is not as heavy, not quite as complex, but still does its job very well. I would say the more everyday Tony Iommi Monkey Special. The longevity is very good on my skin, but also on clothes, a tick weaker than the OG, but still easily 10, 11 hours, longer on clothes. The sillage is also good, you definitely notice it. And the only thing I can think of regarding the price is that this fragrance profile doesn't have to cost almost 400 euros/100ml. Mysterium is not a 1:1 dupe, but it is a very good, fresher alternative if you don't want to pay the high price for the original. I like to wear this one during the day and the slightly more potent and "deeper" Tony Iommi in the evening. Recommendation definitely goes out.

Rasasi Hawas Black is a magnificent fragrance, the best of its kind.

A few years ago, a fragrance called Creed Aventus experienced such hype that many fragrance alternatives came onto the market in the years that followed. I own a few of them: Armaf Club de Nuit Intense, Afnan Supremacy Not Only Intense, Afnan Supremacy Collectors Edition, Creed Aventus Cologne, Montblanc Explorer, etc. All of the fragrances just mentioned are in a similar vein. Why not, this is well received by most people, the fragrances are actually always wearable, for work, for a date, for going out in the evening. I knew from some YouTube videos and also Parfumo reviews that Hawas Black is in a similar vein, and also has something of Nishane Hacivat and Creed Aventus Absolu. Admittedly, I have not yet tested the latter two fragrances.

Hawas Black surprised me very positively, it is citrusy, spicy and much more earthy than all the perfumes listed. There is something dark about it, very masculine. It doesn't smell synthetic to me, everything is perfectly balanced. The fragrance is independent, but still belongs to the Aventus family. I can smell a very slight note of the overall Guerlain L'Instant Homme EDP in the undertone. As crazy as it sounds, because the fragrances couldn't be more different. I would describe it like this: Afnan Supremacy Not Only Intense - some smoky aroma + more green notes + more earthy notes + a hint of L'Instant de Guerlain. The longevity is great, you can easily get through the day/night. The sillage is strong. 5-6 sprays and you can be sure you are probably the strongest smelling person around (of course there are exceptions and even stronger fragrances). Priced at around €50, which is really good for this fragrance profile and performance.

Personally, this is the best fragrance of this perfume DNA. I would swap all the others for Rasasi Hawas Black.

I don't want to go into the person behind the fragrance in the following text. You can like it or not, this is just about the fragrance.

First of all, I have to talk about the outer packaging. It is very cheap, as is the bottle, let alone the lid. Savings were definitely made here. The sprayer, on the other hand, is top, almost Dior level. The fragrance itself opens citrusy and is woody with lots of ambroxan, very synthetic. It is nothing new, a hybrid of many fresh, well-known fragrances, which is not a bad thing per se. When can you wear the fragrance? I would say always. No matter where, no matter when, no matter what the occasion. It goes down well and I don't know anyone close to me who has said otherwise. It also brings compliments. My batch is over three years old and has extremely good longevity for a fresh fragrance and also a brute sillage. It is one of the strongest fresh fragrances in my collection. I was able to get a good deal on the price at the time, €65 each for Office for Men and Date for Men in a bundle. Which was a good price. But when I look at the standard prices, I would say it's far too expensive. The fragrance is not unique enough for that, a great presentation is completely missing. In the end, everyone has to decide for themselves how much they want to spend on a perfume, anything over €100 for Office for Men would be too much for me personally. There are numerous alternatives that smell similar and are the same type of perfume.

In summary, it is a good fragrance with convincing durability and sillage. Fresh, citrusy, woody, lots of ambroxan and wearable everywhere.

The first time I smelled Mancera's Black Vanilla was in a department store near Stuttgart, where they have almost all the varieties of this brand. I must have tested 15 Manceras, but one kept poking me in the nose. I kept smelling the back of my hand. It started off slightly peachy with a vanilla-coconut cream note. There's something special about it that I can't quite identify. The development of the fragrance towards a rich vanilla with the other notes in the background takes quite a long time, the longevity on my skin is out of this world. The sillage too, you definitely stand out - in a positive way. Mancera Black Vanilla is the fragrance that has earned me the most compliments by far. I remember at my employer's Christmas party, I was asked more than 10 times that evening whether I smelled so good. Another moment that is etched in my memory was when I was on a weekend trip with my friends in Prague. Two of my colleagues ordered this fragrance straight away after the first evening. They didn't let up until I told them the name of the perfume. The next day, we explored Prague's nightlife and ended up at Carbaret. Very beautiful women were dancing "lightly" clothed and we watched the show with interest. It was a Thursday, the place doesn't get really full until the weekend, we were sitting in the front line and during the break in the show two of these lovely ladies came up to me and my buddy. And it had to come as it must, we got talking and the lady asked me what kind of perfume I was wearing. And she also ordered it online on her cell phone, which she had conjured up from somewhere. I've never experienced anything like that before, but it was definitely funny. Situations like that burn themselves into your memory. And I have to say, I always get compliments when I apply the fragrance. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful Mancera perfumes and one with the most beautiful vanilla note. Flies completely under the radar. Try it out, you won't regret it.