Valcore

As I explored the fragrance worlds of Louis Vuitton, I fell in love at first sniff with Cactus Garden. Such an amazing indescribably good scent. Unfortunately, it had 2 significant drawbacks. 1. The price and 2. the longevity. Both were absolutely not in proportion. Through a fragrance sample, I then stumbled upon California Dream by LV. Also a very fine, wonderful scent with strong mandarin in the opening. Ideal for hot days. But again, the price-performance ratio was absolutely terrible. That's why these 2 beautiful summer fragrances never found their way into my collection. When LV then announced that Cactus Garden would be discontinued, I was a bit downcast, after all, I had not smelled a comparable fragrance before, and now the chance to perhaps indulge in it one day was gone.

Through some research on the internet, I tried to find an alternative and ended up at Dua Fragrances. Allegedly, they replicate almost every brand/niche fragrance very well and at a fair price (about $45 for 30 ML).

I thought to myself, come on, give it a try and ordered the dupes of Cactus Garden and California Dream.

Unfortunately, shipping takes a bit longer since the bottles are flown in from LA and have to go through customs. When the dupe of California Dream arrived, I was absolutely surprised at how close Dua comes to the original.

Fresh mandarin in the opening, with a slight hint of neroli.

Admittedly, if you spray both fragrances, California Dream and Cali Life, on a scent strip and smell them directly, you can already tell which one is the original. It just smells a bit "finer" "more premium." BUT...and here comes the BUT...if you let both scent strips sit for half an hour and then compare again, there is absolutely no difference recognizable. The fragrances from Dua seem to deviate only slightly from the original in the top note, which is not meant to be a 1 to 1 copy, and as soon as it comes to the heart note, the dupe is about 95% close to the original.

What surprised me the most was that the dupes from Dua last and last and last, while the original LV completely disappears from the scent strip after a maximum of 1-2 hours. At a price of €240, that's quite steep if you have to constantly reapply.
The dupe of Cactus Garden behaves the same way. There is a noticeable difference in the top note, but after that, it's at most very minimal. The longevity of the dupe, however, is outstanding.

This is probably also because all Dua fragrances are Extrait de Parfum, meaning they come with a high concentration of fragrance materials.

In principle, I am also in favor of always preferring the original. But in this case, the price, longevity, and partly also the lack of availability are so far apart that I can, with a clear conscience, reach for the dupe. After all, I have my beloved Cactus Garden back.

So, if you want to try an expensive niche fragrance without investing a lot of money, I can wholeheartedly recommend the dupes from Dua. Longevity, quality, and price are absolutely right here. The only thing is that the bottle design is more a matter of taste :D

I have worn the dupes many times and have been asked if I was wearing the LV scent ;) and that from people who know the originals well. So it seems to be really difficult to recognize the difference after the top notes fade.

I hope I was able to give you a little insight; for me, this was definitely not the last Dua fragrance that finds its way into my collection.

I received the LV Nuit de Feu as a fragrance sample in an LV store. Since I have already come across some great scents from this house, I thought this one would surely impress as well. I personally enjoy leathery notes and oud. But what can I say about Nuit de Feu? I believe I have never experienced such a biting smell in my nose with any other perfume. Not only does the scent completely overwhelm you with its intensity, but it also has a truly unpleasant, piercing note. I would personally associate it with ammonia. Or with iodine-soaked old bandages. Somehow medical, smoky, and aggressive. And smoke can certainly be a beautiful fragrance note. But here you feel like you are standing next to a campfire where old bandages are being burned. Even on the skin and after some waiting time, the scent does not improve. My hope was that it might develop into something pleasant after a few hours. But I asked 4 people about the scent, and they all had the same opinion. They have never smelled such an unpleasant fragrance before.

There may certainly be people who enjoy such extraordinary and strong scents, but I wouldn't wear this fragrance even if it were given to me for free.
I believe I have not written a review that is so critical of a fragrance before. After all, every scent is a work of art in its own way and deserves some recognition. But in this case, I really struggle with it.

In this sense, I still have an almost full sample of Nuit de Feu to give away.

To everyone who likes this scent: I'm sorry for my harsh opinion, but tastes are indeed different :)

When I think that Cactus Garden was discontinued and Nuit de Feu continues to be sold, I can hardly comprehend the world anymore.

Thank you for reading, and wishing everyone a fragrant rest of the week :)

Hello dear fragrance friends.
Today I want to talk about a very special scent. Halloween Man X. Admittedly, the name is a bit unusual and you don't really know what to expect from it. But Halloween Man X is the only fragrance I have ever bought blind. At a price of around €25 for 50ml, you can't go too wrong. The bottle of the fragrance is kept simple yet is nicely designed. I particularly like the dark blue gradient of the glass.
Now, let's get to the scent itself.
Halloween opens fruity fresh. For me, lemon and cardamom are clearly noticeable. Lavender I can only perceive subtly in the background. After a few minutes, the lavender then moves more to the forefront. And after about 15 minutes, what appeared to be the decisive factor for why I bought this perfume blind comes to the surface. An accord of whisky, coffee, and leather. I love these three scents, and a combination of them sounded so incredibly good to me that I absolutely HAD to test the fragrance.
And what can I say? I was not disappointed. The so-called Black Jack accord is simply fabulous. A fine whisky note mingles with subtle leather and a generous portion of roasted coffee. I don't know if it's because coffee isn't often perceived in perfumes or if it's due to the combination. But I just love this scent. Even after a long time, the Black Jack accord remains dominant. The base notes of amber, tonka bean, and incense I can only perceive minimally at best. I must also admit that my nose is not particularly well-trained when it comes to identifying individual fragrance notes.

I would describe the sillage of Halloween Man X as average. The scent doesn't overwhelm a room you just entered, but it's also not so light that you have to get close to notice it.

Longevity is very good. I would roughly say around 6 hours. However, the scent lingers on textiles easily until the next day and is still noticeably present.

I recommended Halloween Man X to my buddy. He then also bought it blind and is equally enthusiastic about the scent. For him, it's a fragrance for the colder days. In my opinion, Halloween Man X can also be worn well on warmer days, precisely because it is not so powerful and overwhelming.

Conclusion: For me, Halloween Man X is the perfect everyday fragrance. It doesn't cost much, can therefore be used generously, and it fits both in the office as well as for everyday activities or special occasions. The fragrance note is extraordinary, and for me, there is no perfume with a better price-performance ratio. I can warmly recommend this scent to you. If you have any questions or would like another review of a perfume from my collection, feel free to let me know. In this sense, thank you for reading and stay healthy :)

Update:
Dear fragrance friends. Unfortunately, I received the news today that Cactus Garden and Sun Song by LV have been discontinued and are no longer available in the online shop or in the LV store. I cannot understand this decision for the life of me, as Cactus Garden was the best and most extraordinary fragrance from LV for me.

Now begins my search for an alternative. I would appreciate any recommendations.
Best regards
Your Valcore



I recently had the pleasure of stepping into a Louis Vuitton store for the first time in my life. With great enthusiasm, I dove into the displayed perfumes and had an employee spray the individual scents onto test strips. I had already heard about Cactus Garden in advance and was very curious about the fragrance. And my expectations were not disappointed.

Cactus Garden surprised me with a scent note that was unknown to me until then. A blend of tea, mate, and green notes, paired with cactus and a splash of lemon and bergamot. Unfortunately, I lacked the necessary funds. 225€ is quite steep for 100ml.

At least I left the store with some fragrance samples in my bag, including a sample of Cactus Garden. And yes, what can I say? The more I used the fragrance, the more I loved it. Especially on hot, sunny days, Cactus Garden truly unfolds and exudes an exceptionally wonderful aroma.

However, the big downside came for me after a short time. Because if there is one thing that the perfume from Louis Vuitton lacks, it is longevity. Even when sprayed on clothing, Cactus Garden lasts a maximum of 2-3 hours. After that, you can barely perceive it unless you get your nose very close.

The sillage is similarly modest. Okay, I have to admit, longevity is usually a problem with fresh summer scents. But I think at 225€, you simply expect more for your money. Really very unfortunate. Louis Vuitton has created an exceptionally wonderful unique fragrance here. If this were priced in the range of 60€ - 100€, I would still buy it, even if the longevity is miserable. But with just under 2 hours of longevity, the price of 225€ for 100ml is simply an extremely poor price-performance ratio.

Unfortunately, there are never discounts at Louis Vuitton. Therefore, my recommendation: Only buy this fragrance if you really don’t have to worry about money. Otherwise, you might be able to snag a sample of Cactus Garden somewhere.
Because this fragrance is definitely wonderful, and I also find the bottle exceptionally beautifully designed.