SmellyMan1

Zenith Deep really isn't bad. For me, it's a really good take on the BDC DNA and definitely a fragrance I've worn quite a lot. I'm nearly halfway through the bottle by now.

A little heads-up:
You absolutely need to let this fragrance macerate.

At first, it smelled extremely citrusy to me, almost like toilet cleaner. Honestly, I was pretty disappointed at first. But after maceration, the whole thing changed significantly. Suddenly, that typical complexity of the BDC DNA comes through much more strongly, and the fragrance develops exactly in the direction I was hoping for.

What does it smell like?
Citrusy freshness, grapefruit, and a very subtle smoky-woody note in the background. Everything blends together really well and feels pleasantly balanced. I think pretty much everyone knows the BDC DNA by now, so I don't need to say too much about it.

To me, Zenith Deep definitely leans more toward BDC EDP than BDC Parfum, though I'd place it somewhere in between. Basically, you get a kind of blend of the two... and it works surprisingly well.

All in all: a really great fragrance.

Unfortunately, there's one pretty big problem:
Longevity.
The fragrance is marketed as an Extrait de Parfum, but it performs surprisingly poorly on my skin. I have EDTs that are noticeable for just as long. Especially for a fragrance that smells this good, that's obviously pretty disappointing.

All in all, it's a fragrance I really enjoy wearing and that I like a lot after maceration. The DNA works, the fragrance is fun to wear but unfortunately, the performance doesn't do it justice at all.

So, what can I say about Italia? The scent comes pretty close to the original. I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect clone, though. All in all, you get an interesting DNA here, with honey, tobacco, and lemon.

The big problem? This isn’t Beast Mode, it’s Godzilla Mode. Unfortunately, I can’t wear it at all because even just two sprays are way too strong for me. In my entire life, I’ve never gotten headaches from a fragrance as often as I have from this one. The projection and longevity are simply brutal.

Unfortunately, this sweet, tobacco-heavy DNA is very likely to give me a headache. And even though the scent definitely stands out because of it, that’s not necessarily a good thing. My family also finds it simply too strong, even when I only spray a little.

My conclusion: The scent is really interesting and a good take on Naxos. However, there’s a good chance your body won’t get along with this fragrance DNA. That’s why I’d definitely recommend sampling it first and not just giving it a quick test once. Really wear it for a whole day before deciding to buy it.

The first sniff can be pretty misleading. It’s absolutely not a bad-smelling perfume... on the contrary, it smells really good. But in my opinion, you can only really judge whether this scent is for you after wearing it actively for several hours.

The 9AM Dive is in no way a bad fragrance. The problem for me is more that it is extremely basic. A certain degree of simplicity is of course intentional in a blue office fragrance, but with the 9AM Dive, the whole thing already feels almost uninspired.

To be honest, I would rather recommend that you go for Turathi Blue, Missoni Wave, Odyssey Mega, or an Imagination clone. In my opinion, you would be much better off with any of them.

But what does the 9AM Dive actually smell like?

To me, mainly like shower gel, salty marine notes, and a slightly synthetic note. Unfortunately, not much more happens. The performance is also rather average, not bad but not overwhelming either.

You probably will not bother anyone with this fragrance and will presumably not stand out negatively either. It is clean, fresh, and uncomplicated.

But that is also its biggest problem: It does not do much.

If you are looking for an uncomplicated blue fragrance for the office, it can work. If, however, you want something with more character and recognizability, there are, in my opinion, much better alternatives.

I am finally writing my review of 9PM.

By now, I know the fragrance very well and have already completely emptied a 100-ml bottle. My current bottle also has a considerable dent in it already.

What still impresses me about 9PM to this day is its performance and projection. For a fragrance with such a fresh DNA, that is genuinely impressive.

Above all, the compliments have stuck with me. By far, 9PM is the fragrance that has earned me the most compliments in a single night. At a birthday party, I received no fewer than 6 compliments, and at one point women even came up to me just to smell me. Honestly, I thought I had suddenly ended up in a movie.

I now own around 20 perfumes, but none of them has triggered a comparable reaction so far.

Nevertheless, I no longer reach for 9PM particularly often these days. Not because the fragrance has become bad quite the opposite. It is still an absolute beast. But my nose has simply developed further over the years.

9PM was my introduction to the perfume game back then, and for that reason it will always remain a very special part of my collection. At the same time, after almost one and a half bottles, I also have to say that I have grown somewhat tired of smelling it by now. The fragrance is definitely not revolutionary.

Even so, I would still recommend 9PM to anyone today. Even in 2026, it is still an all-time top pick for me. A fragrance that may not change the world, but simply works damn well.

Both Marwa and Inception are absolute blind-buy recommendations.

However, the two differ in a few aspects.

Inception is an extrait, and you can tell. When applying it, it leaves an intense trail of oil on the skin and lasts almost twice as long as Marwa in a side-by-side test. Honestly, that shocked me. I thought Marwa was already not bad at all in terms of longevity, but when I tested both fragrances on one arm each, Marwa definitely had to concede this point.

Now to the opening. Inception definitely has the better opening. You can already tell just from the note pyramid. Bergamot, orange, ginger and lemon, while Marwa only has bergamot and ginger. You notice that immediately. A much tastier opening from Inception.
However, let’s now come to the decisive point.

My Marwa has now been maturing for over half a year. At first, I have to say that it definitely could have used a slightly stronger tea accord, but that has changed extremely during the time I have had it. After maturing, Marwa is an absolute tea monster. Unfortunately, Inception really has to give up the crown here.

I have seen many people online saying that the tea in Inception is stronger and sweeter. But I have to say that, honestly, I am still finding it difficult to perceive any tea there at all. My bottle of Inception, or rather the batch, is only a month old, so that could still change. However, so far I can essentially smell the opening throughout the entire development and I miss the tea accord in the background.

I find the tea extremely important in an Imagination dupe, and unfortunately, that is exactly what I am really missing in Inception. Since Marwa has changed so dramatically after maturing, I will provide another update on this in a few months.

Another thing that gets on my nerves about Inception is a strange metallic note that can be perceived very vaguely.

So who is the winner?

Anyone who values much stronger longevity, sillage and a more awesome, longer-lasting opening should go for Inception.

Anyone who considers the tea more important and prefers a slightly more awesome DNA in the drydown should go for Marwa.

There is nothing to choose between the bottles. Both have a pressurized atomizer. I think the Inception bottle looks better, especially because it also has a magnetic cap. However, there is no difference between the two when it comes to the sprayer.