Marek171519

"Ladies and gentlemaaaaaan...."

The famous words before the fight.
I imagine Michael Buffer, dressed in oak moss tuxedo (an unintentional, smoky pun), standing in the center of the ring.
In the left corner, a juicy, slightly synthetic pineapple...
In the right corner, a young, fresh ginger...
Both eager to win the contested vanilla trophy for themselves.

Where a regular boxing match ends after 12 rounds, the pineapple and ginger continue to fight spiritedly, each occasionally landing a half-glove on the vanilla trophy, which sits on a high pedestal next to the ring, visible to all.

In fact, I can't definitively determine who ultimately wins the fight.
Michael Buffer is also undecided but stays close to the ring throughout the match to not miss anything.

In my opinion, a super pleasant hybrid of two already great fragrances.
Thank you, Dua, for allowing me not to choose between them, but to get "the best of both worlds."
For the sake of completeness:
Longevity and sillage are, as usual with Dua, beyond any doubt.
The bottle is... well, after all, it's about the inner values.

How did I come to "Royal Chariot Attar | The Dua Brand / Dua Fragrances"?

Completely new to the perfume world, with a bit of prior experience with the most common designers, I look at the Parfumo top charts. At the very top, among others, is Layton.

So off to the souk and I immediately ordered a sample.
The liquid gold arrives and I am overjoyed with a fragrance composition that I have never sniffed before.
I practically crawl into my arm and delight in it.

Unfortunately, half an hour to an hour later, the disillusionment sets in...
Sure, I can still smell the fragrance, but is this thing already skin-close??? A beautiful evolution, but *sorry*, at this price, I expect a lasting explosion in my living room.

The Parfumo forum illuminates the darkness in my brain: pay attention to the batch. I ask the friendly souk partner about the purchase date, and indeed, the Layton was acquired relatively recently.
The generally immense price is further trampled upon in my research for older batches.
What now?

In the course of my inquiry with the friendly souk partner, he tells me about the "Layton on steroids".
He is kind enough to send me a small leftover sample.

I am as curious as a cat, quickly unpack the envelope I received, and confidently spray a good amount on my forearm without thinking anything bad......

Holy moly, what’s going on now?
If my Layton sample has a H/S of 2, then the "Royal Chariot Attar | The Dua Brand / Dua Fragrances" has a 20.
The fragrance itself is also, like its predecessor, meeeeeeega beautiful.

The biggest difference is the menthol note that swims along at the beginning and a rather linear fragrance progression.
If you have the right pocket money for a deeper fragrance journey, you might be well served with the Layton.
In my personal opinion, however, the menthol note at the beginning fits perfectly, and the H/S is on par with an (okay, the comparison might not fit in terms of fragrance direction) Arabians Tonka.

I immediately ordered the "Royal Chariot Attar | The Dua Brand / Dua Fragrances" from England (the US apparently stopped shipping). In my opinion, the price/performance ratio is great; I still have no idea how I will use up the 30ml without fogging up a big city.

After I wanted to honor my wife's (spoiler alert!) until now-signature scent Hypnotic Poison Eau de Toilette in my first review here, I have since gifted her the Black Orchid Eau de Parfum....and I must say, the throne of the queen has been shaken.

Why am I writing this review now?
Yes, it may be that I am being overly generous with the top rating of these fragrances, but damn it, I love the Black Orchid Eau de Parfum.

To me, BO smells like a bouquet of overripe, fleshy, dark, and floral fruits that have been dipped in makeup.
Since I lack the olfactory talent to specifically name the fruits and flowers, I will refrain from an unworthy attempt.
Longevity and sillage are top-notch, even the next morning, BO is still more than perceptible on the skin. In my perception, all the Black Opiums and Candys absolutely cannot compete, which may also be due to the uniqueness (in my scent library) of this fragrance.

As I am new to the "perfume business" and lack foresight - especially with niche fragrances - I must admit that I am quite envious of my wife:
How I wish I had a scent for myself that I enjoy smelling on me as much as I enjoy BO on her.

she asks me. It's loud in the club. Many people, all slightly intoxicated.
It's cold outside, but not so cold that you need a jacket.
I wrap my arms around her and smell what I could already sense inside.
How can someone smell so seductive?
We don't light a cigarette, standing outside for a long time, tightly embraced.

I associate the best decision of my life with this scent.
A scent that, 14 years and three wonderful children later, is still absolutely amazing on her.