What to do with Lubab...
Lubab was a blind buy. I was looking for an amber-based men's perfume, and I decided to take a chance on something different and unknown (at least to me).
My initial thoughts: a synthetic, herbal mess. What could I expect for such a low price? 5 minutes later: "Wait, this smells a bit feminine, but also quite pleasant. It reminds me of a powerful woman's perfume from the 80s/90s."
After 10 minutes, I get a slightly spicy, lipstick-like combination (reminiscent of DH 2005). I thought, it can only be orris root.
My girlfriend liked it, which is always a positive thing. I just can't decide if and when to use it, even after trying it in various contexts. Longevity and projection are very good for its price.
My final summary is this: to me, the scent is like a colorless lip balm with a herbal twist. Which isn't necessarily bad, but it's not something that leaves us... wow!
A confusing fragrance for my nose, but at the same time, pleasant...
Dark and intense
When I spray it on my skin, I can feel the sandalwood strongly, which reminds me of the interior of a Jaguar car, exuding the class and sophistication of that atmosphere. I try to escape, but I can't stop my olfactory journey.
The powerful Oud is approaching, now I can already feel the internal parts of the heated engine of a new car: the oil, the metal and its dark nuances of the internal parts.
I feel nuances of other perfumes in the drydown, such as Dark Aoud by Montale and Oud Royal by Armani. This is because of the Oud.
Although Khashab Al Oud becomes softer as it dries, it continues to have an intense and mysterious presence on the skin, reminding me of a room with rustic furniture.
What a journey!
Vintage sweet
It's something gourmand but in a different vein than what we see today. I understand the comparison with Cedrat Boise at times, but this one doesn't have the waxed aspect, it only has its sweet side.
It has an incense-like nuance, with a mixture of labdanum and palo santo (indeed, that is what is felt most of the time). For me it is very elegant, and unlike what people say about Zara perfumes, it has good longevity/duration on the skin, and is even longer on clothes.
On my skin it lasts around nine/ten hours. It projects very elegantly for two hours but is always present. Beautiful fragrance for the price tag!
A top-notch jewel
This is a strong, beautiful scent that is quite safe and easy to wear in the fall and winter. The performance is very good, thick and very oily on the skin.
The opening and first phase of its development feels like a bold, slightly smoky scent, but that vibe ends after about 1 hour. To be honest, the opening can create a negative (wrong) idea about the perfume. Then, the magic of a wonderful smell begins. I get a luxurious, sweet and lovely note of smoky saffron with incense, soft vanilla, leather, musk and nutmeg. There is also, in the background, a light nuance of rose, slightly powdery. The perfume is completely unisex.
In simple words, this is a sweet, smoky, incense and leather saffron.
Spectacular!
Stupendous
Leather is the main protagonist here! It's good to see that Zara's perfumes have more attention, due to the visibility of their advertisements, as seen, the improvement applied to each release that has been appearing on the store's shelves!
Vibrant Leather is well constructed bringing an immediate fresh feeling! It has citrus touches and a bittersweet aroma reminiscent of tea infusion, but all well combined and in the right measure!
The Bamboo here is dry and resembles places decorated with wood, but the refreshing feeling of tea still remains, leveraging the feeling of comfort that it expresses right from the first spray on the skin!
Being a fragrance that refers to immediate freshness, it is necessary to reapply it with some frequency, as it has a relatively weak fixation and projection, something the brand needs to improve. Although we cannot demand everything, since the price is low!
Perfect for the office, family lunches, meeting friends, or even just to impress someone on a spring/summer day! I use it more frequently at higher temperatures, blending well with the climate.
