OWL84

Just for fun, I put a spray of Hedonistic on my left wrist and a spray of Naxos on my right wrist. It's interesting how similar they are.

A glance at the list of ingredients also makes this impression hard to deny: Bergamot, tonka, leather, vanilla,...

Both fragrances are absolute masterpieces in my eyes! If Naxos is not fruity and sophisticated enough for you, you should definitely "rub your nose" in Hedonistic. As has often been described, the cherry is very present at the beginning, accompanied by a beautiful vanilla note.

I haven't worn this fragrance very often and unfortunately not yet in summer, but I can imagine it very well in the warm season - especially as a somewhat lighter alternative to Naxos, even if this fragrance is of course not a freshie.

Longevity is very good, although not outstanding. I am also very satisfied with the sillage. The combination of fragrance and sillage also ensures that the fragrance is present but not intrusive.

A really very noble, masculine and exclusive master fragrance, which it should be at this price.

I had my first contact with Naxos in the summer of 2023, when I ordered a small bottling from the Souk. The reviews had made me very curious.

I went all out and sprayed the fragrance on my wrists before we went for a stroll through Bielefeld (on a very hot summer's day).

What can I say, I was immediately impressed by the fragrance itself. This creamy honey scent is addictive and I was also captivated by its fine tuning. The sillage was impressive, the scent was constantly in my nose. Without it feeling like I was wearing it myself. I kept thinking: Wow, who smells so good here? Oh, that's me! ;-)

Now back to the beginning: I didn't write that about the hot summer day by accident. I have my problems with heavy fragrances, they always rob me of a bit of air to breathe. Unfortunately, I felt the same way about Naxos that day. I love the scent, but I probably wouldn't be able to stand it for a whole day. Too bad, I thought. So I put the small bottle back in the cupboard. I didn't want to give it away, it was just too beautiful!

Then in winter, this little bottle caught my eye again and I thought to myself: maybe give this fragrance another chance as a winter fragrance and lo and behold: it works!

I can wear it in winter without it overwhelming me. And that's what I do. So Naxos has become my Christmas market companion, without wanting to say that it is a Christmas fragrance. It suits many occasions, even if it would probably be a little too "loud" for me as an everyday fragrance. I'm going to take it with me into spring and see how our relationship develops. :-)

Definitely a masterpiece and in my eyes it deserves its place at the top, even if the fragrance itself is of course (like every fragrance) a matter of taste and will certainly not appeal to everyone.

I love the Imagination from LV. Why?

For me, it's the perfect all-round carefree package. A fragrance that doesn't force me to think about it and look for rough edges. It doesn't force me to try and find out what might bother me or others. Whether it might suit the current occasion or perhaps not. You can't really go wrong with this fragrance, disturb someone or be annoyed later about not having sprayed it on to suit the occasion. Always the right choice, even if you can't or don't want to decide.

It just smells damn good and is so uncomplicated. The longevity and sillage are also great for a freshie. The price, once you have a bottle and then have it refilled in the store, is perfectly fine (160€ for 100ml).

Unfortunately, it doesn't really come into its own in winter, but that gives you another reason to look forward to summer! ;-)

Creed Aventus, the big hype.
My Aventus years were the years 2011 to 2016, as far as I can remember correctly. It was still a really niche fragrance back then, but the batches were still talked about like probably no other perfume.
Aventus gave me a great time back then. But at some point, even that time let go of me and I didn't get involved with fragrances for a few years.
When I wanted to start using Aventus again not so long ago, I was shocked. The price? Bought up by a megacorporation? Watered down formula? I felt a little left behind and was also a little sad that my Aventus time would probably not come back. Creed is no longer a small family business and Aventus is no longer what it used to be. What a shame.

But in the end, I felt the same way as many others: Once you've been enchanted by the Aventus DNA, you won't want to miss it again.

In my search for an alternative, I ended up sticking with Emperor Extrait. There are countless Aventus dupes and many smell good in their own way. But only Emperor Extrait by Parfums Vintage manages to take me back in time. If you had 5 years of Aventus as your signature fragrance back then, you know that every batch smells a little different. Emperor Extrait could just be another batch from the past for me, with no compromises. The longevity and sillage also convince me. Compared to many other dupes, you can also tell that high-quality ingredients have been used here.

When you look at the prices for a genuine vintage Creed Aventus fragrance, Emperor Extrait is the best possible alternative I can imagine!

Creed Aventus was my signature fragrance for years. Back 10 years ago, when Aventus was not yet a watered-down and overpriced cash cow ;-)

For me, it's still better than all the dupes, but only in terms of fragrance. Durability and price are no longer in proportion imho.

In my search for an alternative, I stuck with two fragrances: Emperor Extrait and Club de Nuit Intense Man Limited Edition.

Club de Nuit Intense Man Limited Edition is louder and also somehow a little "coarser", but it works. The fragrance DNA is very close to Aventus, sillage and longevity are a completely different number for me. I also like to wear it where it's loud. Parties, big events, etc.
It asserts itself well without being obtrusive. Personally, I wouldn't use it as an office fragrance, I prefer the Emperor Extrait. A little quieter, a little finer but also significantly more expensive.
The fact that the CdNIM LE is a little pungent at the beginning has already been mentioned several times. For the price, however, this is an acceptable characteristic for me.