Serpentarius

I'm going to say it...Megatron is superior to Megamare in my experience. I've had the opportunity to wear both and Megatron doesn't contain any of the polarizing elements of Megamare. What I get is mainly a powdery/fresh/aquatic long-lasting scent. 2-3 sprays is plenty. Some people detect citrus notes in the opening but I don't. It has developed more in the month and a half since I bought it, which is supposed to be par for the course for Alexandria fragrances.

I have no idea when to wear this. In that sense, both fragrances share an enigmatic quality. It's usually more appreciated by others at a distance rather than up close. Rainy days, trips to the beach, the gym, whenever you want...the only time I would probably not wear it is date night. This is a mood fragrance...just like the sea! Some days I love it, some days I want to give it away or sell it.

Perhaps others will be fascinated by the mysterious nature of Megatron but I wouldn't bet on it being 'sexy' or a compliment monster. The reviews on the site say otherwise and to be fair, I haven't worn it out very much. I do know that when I wear it, I feel powerful. This is strong enough to wear in any climate but the profile feels warmer weather. It will disappear and reappear like a phantom tide, so I would again advise to not over apply especially if its hot out.

10/10 and I don't know why. That's Megatron!

I first smelled the Extrait, which I loved. I was also sent a sample of the EdP. I haven't noticed a huge difference between the two, though I favor the Extrait. There's something addictive about this!

Scent memory unlocked: the bar when you're one of the first people to show up. The bartender could've been wearing this but the frequency makes me think it may be a cleaning agent. I know that may ruffle some feathers but I'm certainly not saying BR540 smells like the cleaning agent but the intended effect of such products...clean! But I saw the words sterile and dentist office and I can't unsmell that lol. I do like the smell of the dentist's office. I'm referring to the room with the chair where metal tools will be used in your mouth.

This is inoffensive, a bit sweet, very clean and very genderless. It has few notes and they are executed to perfection. MFK's blends are amazing! You can easily layer this with other fragrances but it has an understated confidence on its own. It's very comforting. Would be a great signature scent/dumb reach if the price wasn't so high. Still, I think its worth splurging on a bottle one time.

This fragrance is a menace but if you learn about it, it will teach you a lot about the fragrance industry and community. I enjoy the scent, the bottle design, the juicy atomizer, the compliments, and versatility. On the flip side, the price is ridiculous and unjustifiable yet I don't regret splurging the $300+ from a discounter for the experience. There's an explicit story I won't share here but let's just say it was easy money. Now it's time to respectfully air my grievances!!

Elitism - this exists in the world and considering the history of fragrance, it's no surprise to find it in the community. Elitism is relational...a person can't simply enjoy what they enjoy, they feel a need to assert superiority over others in some way. Creed has a false prestige bolstered by its 'velvet rope' pricing. You may see men swoop into discussions about clones just to assert they are for broke people.

Clones - there are clones of Aventus everywhere. I had a few before I bought the real thing: CDNIM, Insurrection II, some oil from Amazon. I bought one afterwards: Emperor Extrait. I want to say that you're better off getting a sample of the real thing, but who knows if you'll be able to get the same batch?

Batch hell - Aventus hasn't been the same since 2013! Aventus hasn't been the same since 2016! Everything after 2019 is awful! Even some of the clone vendors do specific batches. You can live whatever life you want, but I'm not about it. I bought my Aventus in 2020, no idea which particular batch...I mean, I could look it up but I will take no part in fueling this madness. Reformulations seem a consistent devil for any fragrance that's been out longer than 5 years, usually affecting performance. But Satan himself likely has a projector screen and a spicy batch of popcorn, laughing maniacally at people combing batch numbers for the 'smokier' one, the more 'balanced' one, the 'pineapplier' one.

I like Aventus, its a great fragrance...but I'm not so fascinated with it I'm willing to concede it as the 'king' of men's fragrance.

A very safe oud fragrance. Starts off with sweetness and rose, transitioning to a woodsy and smoky base after about an hour. It doesn't particularly wow me but it's solid enough to keep around for now. I may be more in the mood for this come colder weather.

Sprayer on the bottle is good. Solid spritz. Good tight-fitting cap too. Not sure on the compliment factor but it shouldn't offend anyone unless you douse yourself. The YouTuber that put me on to this apparently lives that over spray life. 3-4 seems plenty to me.

Shipped really fast but the box was busted up (it was way bigger than the actual bottle box) and the bottle was almost hot to the touch. Not sure if that affects anything.

Overall, I give this an 8/10.

This is a poor clone, in terms of longevity. I get around 2 hours. Aside from a harsher opening, it's pretty close to the Aventus I bought from a discounter in 2020. But this is supposed to be similar to the glory batches of 2016. So...either I bought a 2016 bottle, which I doubt, since they go for a lot. Or...the 2016 version isn't that different and all the batch stuff is neuroses . Or, this spectacularly fails to emulate what it specifically claims to emulate. I guess all of that could be true. And/or I got a bad batch. Either way, I'm evaluating what's here. And I paid $200 for a 100ml off hype, so shame on me.