SeoulBrough

Do not expect a warm weather tropical fragrance. That’s the mistake I made. Lately I’ve been on a fig kick and when I came across Royal Blue, I quickly bought a sample.

The notes are very deceptive. Royal Blue is geranium/rose dominant with a mild westernized oud and generic aquatic notes. I do not pick up any fig or coconut milk. It must be buried beneath everything else.

To my nose, this is a combination of Sahara and L for Men. Borrowing the rose from Sahara and the light-handed oud from L for men. The drydown takes me to Acqua di Giò pour Homme Eau de Toilette but I haven’t put my nose on that in over twenty years so I could be mistaken.

This is a limited run, but sample before blind buying. No need to rush. I’m starting to see this at discounters.

I’m speaking of the OG formulation, not the 2025 version.

Sunshine Man is a sweet, almost overly sweet semi-boozy fragrance. This can easily be a gourmand and nobody would argue your point. The combination of lavender, orange liqueur, and vanilla creates a strange aroma….There's also a chalky or powder-like nuance that I can't stand. Maybe the everlasting flower…never encountered this note so I’m not sure what it smells like.

Hearing “sunshine” one would think this is a warm weather fragrance, but due to the sweetness and density, this is easily a cooler weather fragrance. Wearing this in the heat probably would be cloying.

Do I like it? Not really. I have to be in the mood for sweet fragrances and I don’t ever see myself reaching for this when there are tons of better options in that category.

Is it blind buy safe? No. Definitely test before blind buying.

*March 9, 2025*
So I received my 50ml bottle of Alhambra Oud and upon the first few sprays made me realize how people are getting a raspberry vibe. Also, my daughter tested and she agreed that it smells like raspberries to her. Now I’m starting to believe this….maybe like a raspberry-apple blend.

It’s worth mentioning that this may be the poor man’s version of The Moon, which is one of my signature scents. Comparing them side by side, you will notice the vast difference in complexity, ingredients, strength and performance, but also notice the slight similarities IF you peel back some of the layers from The Moon. I know it’s a stretch, but Alhambra Oud is like the first few notes to build The Moon and decided to stop there and add apple plus cypriol from Promise Parfum.

Alhambra Oud is nowhere close to being multifaceted as The Moon, but if you are looking for a simplistic fruit/oud version of The Moon and a less medicinal version of Promise, this may be worthwhile.
————————————————————-Alhambra Oud | Ramón Monegal" has some similarities to Promise Parfum. Both have green apple and cypriol, but the difference lie within the amount of cypriol involved and Assam oud.

Promise Parfum has no oud and the cypriol is turned up to ten. I find it too medicinal.

Alhambra Oud has a gorgeous oud that mingles very well with the apple accord while the cypriol is at a level two. It isn’t nose piercing or sharp like the former.

Definitely will be a wearing this as much as I can.

Years ago when I tested Interlude Man and Interlude Black Iris, I did not enjoy either. Matter of fact, I never went back to re-test because of how much I disliked them. I found both unrefined and the oregano felt out of sync with the rest of the fragrance.

Well, a couple weeks ago I saw a display of Interlude 53 and said, let’s give this one a try. Right? No harm in trying…As soon as I sprayed it on my wrist, my first thought wasn’t how gorgeous it smelled…my first thought was Clive Christian duped Amouage!

X Oudh is one of my all-time favorite fragrances and now that I know Interlude 53 is almost identical, I will be wearing the heck out of both!

Well what do they smell like? This is tough to explain, but it’s slightly sweet, a tad herbal, some resins, a hint of smoke and no oud. I know oud is mentioned, but I do not smell any. Maybe it’s just my nose. I do not remember Interlude Man smelling this awesome, but now I must back track to find out.

This is a wonderful scent for a man over 40 or a professional. High quality artwork with excellent projection, sillage and scent profile. 10/10 and I recommend if you want something different and missed the boat on X Oudh.

Make sure you shop around because I found a new bottle on a deep discount.

I like it but I definitely don’t love it.

This resembles a bit of Gris Charnel Eau de Parfum in combination with Santal 33 Eau de Parfum.

The opening is a nice galbanum with a hint of ginger. I don’t know if it’s because the weather is 99° F where I live but the green goodness from the galbanum literally disappear within a few minutes.

The drydown comes rather fast. A creamy sandalwood and zesty ginger will sit close for awhile.

On my skin I do not get the “dill” scent as some mentioned, but for whatever reason, I get a fresh scent as if I was sitting on my porch. Is it the solar notes? Possibly.


If this was a little more on the original side, I would purchase it, but it reminds me of other fragrances and that’s what I try and avoid.

Sample it because you might like it. Who knows, if I find a secondhand bottle for a great price, I might pick it up.