HugeBalls

This is like a dressed-up version of the fresh & fruity "blue" scents. Almost like a fruit-flavored gum -- it seems squarely aimed at young men in their early to mid-twenties. Think Rasasi Hawas with a (too big) suit on. It's a pleasant scent that's overtly synthetic. I see people talking about pear notes, but I don't smell anything remotely like natural pears. Rather, it's a generic fruit accord. Projection is good, and longevity slightly above average.

This is a very green scent and has a note in it that I can't place -- possibly the hemlock or coriander? It's a slightly-musty, vegetal, almost bitter herbal scent. This one note perturbs me enough to not want to wear this, which is unfortunate because it has that lovely uplifiting "air'y" feeling that are so common in Ormonde Jayne's fragrances that I love. Even so, if I'm reaching for a fresh scent from an Ormonde Jayne bottle, it's going to be Nawab of Oudh Intensivo or any of the Montabaco lineup.

Al-Mendoos was one of three Agar Aura samples that I picked randomly. Having dabbed it on my wrists and below my ears, the oud quality was obvious -- this is expertly distilled and absolutely top notch stuff. It's pungent wood heaven without being fetid or fecal. Then you kind get hit with this sweet floral scent. It reminded me of picking honeysuckle through the chain-link fence and tasting the flowers in elementary school. So I looked up Taha Syed's notes and apparently it's jam packed with natural osmanthus extract. So then I did some research and osmanthus is widely used in East Asia as a flavorant in teas, desserts, and other drinks -- to the point where PepsiCo makes an osmanthus flavored soda for Chinese markets. Anyway, the rich oud with the light yellow floral buttery sweetness of osmanthus makes for an enthralling scent. Well done.

I get "cola-like" sweetness and spices from this. Like the specialty sodas & root beers that actually use vanilla extract, coriander, nutmeg, birch, etc. Frankly, I don't smell musk at all. It has none of the aromatic fizziness or tang of actual musks. It's not effervescent but rather syrupy and powdery at the same time. If I were to associate this fragrance with colors, it'd be very dark purple with brown inclusions.

The sandalwood is definitely there -- and I liken the woody sweetness of the dry down to that of Gentleman Givenchy (Eau de Parfum Boisée).

Longevity and sillage are excellent. It absolutely sticks to the skin and clothes and is noticeable to anybody around you. Not exactly a gourmand fragrance, a category of perfumes I universally hate, but it veers close and luckily never quite arrives there.

The raspberry/fruit notes are a bit much. Too piquant. Too unnatural. I can feel it on my tongue and it burns the throat. But the underlying (real) oud and smoky frankincense are phenomenal. I wish the fruit notes had been removed almost entirely and replaced with something herbaceous, green, and light florals. Even more oud. Maybe a touch of musk. Then it would've really sang. Still, there's a richness and artistry here that's undeniable. Of the Desert Gems collection, I like Promise more.