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I finally dared to test Bois Imperial with a sample. Many hype the scent. However, there are also some less than honest voices against it. It seems to polarize. I have now experienced this firsthand. Never has a fragrance split me in two like this one. A scent with a split personality, as I see it. Just like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. But more on that shortly.

Not much can be said about the bottle, especially since I only know it from pictures. It seems very simple at first glance. Almost boring. Like a square test tube from the lab.

And I've already mentioned a key word - lab. Often associated with chemical, synthetic, almost repulsively artificial. In fact, the fragrance starts off synthetic-fresh and woody at the same time. Quite strong and initially not unpleasant at all. Typically masculine, as one knows from many men's fragrances. What then breaks through after a short time is a strong herbal note, here obviously the Thai basil, which is lightly underscored by a citrusy bitterness (grapefruit). This duo contributes a wonderfully attractive aura to the synthetic top note for me. However, it is soon spoiled by the pepper. The pepper is so penetrating here that the pleasant woods are almost overshadowed. Only the basil and the earthy notes bravely resist and prevent the beautiful part of the DNA from dying out. That is such a shame. Up until the pepper, it is a truly masculine synthetic-woody fragrance. With the onset of the pepper, it becomes an overly peppery soup that is almost repulsive. Bois Imperial is peculiar. You really don’t often smell something like this. If I may dare a comparison, I can say that I see parallels to Equus (EdP) by Lalique. This one has a similarly herbal-woody-spicy phase. However, it should not be seen as a dupe.

The described split in the DNA is what leads me to refrain from wearing the fragrance. If the pepper had been lightly dosed or only present briefly in the top note, I could live with it. If only, would, could. It is what it is and has its fan base. I can only partially understand the hype. It sounds chaotic, but that’s my opinion.

The performance here is really good. On my skin, the fragrance lasted a solid 8 hours. Price-wise, it is rather average; I wouldn’t classify it as a cheapie. Perhaps it was cheaper at one time. In any case, I would advise against a blind buy!

Yes, that's one way to express the scent in keywords. But more on that later. So, another Arabic freshie on my list, from which I acquired a sample. The comments here have inspired me greatly. Moreover, I do enjoy fresh scents, especially now that spring is gradually making its appearance.

The bottle of Maahir has an artistic quality with its silver chrome look and horse head, resembling a handcrafted chess piece. Unfortunately, I haven't had it in my hands yet, as I tested a sample. Some users find the rather asymmetrical body to be somewhat unwieldy. Additionally, some are bothered by the fact that the flacon magically attracts fingerprints. Well, it does look good in the home perfume display.

The eyes are satisfied, but what does the nose say? The first sprays bring a smile to my nose (sorry for the confusing metaphor). A fresh minty-citrusy and simultaneously fruity accord provides a wonderful, slightly fizzy cooling effect in the opening. I find the Sprite lemonade to be an apt comparison. If you like Sprite, you’re already well served here. The fresh splash is immediately supported by the pepper and the slightly floral-sweet components in the heart note. I do not perceive any incense or a smoky note at all. That's good, as I don't particularly enjoy the scent of incense in fragrances. After half an hour, Maahir Legacy reaches its base, which is primarily dominated by Ambrox. This is enveloped by the other components in a herbaceous-sweet manner. At this stage, the Sprite freshness is only perceptible in the background. The base rounds things off very well here. So, it doesn’t remain continuously fresh. However, this should not be seen as a drawback. The Legacy has its own and quite pleasing development.

Overall, a great spring and early summer scent for everyday wear, which in my opinion suits men better. Highly recommended for the office and sports. The longevity is solid for a freshie, while the sillage could be better. However, given the price, you can confidently reapply.

PS: one more anecdote about Sedley from PDM. I don't know it and therefore haven't mentioned it here. My predecessor, whose review I read with great respect, has said much more about the dupe comparison.

I've been into fresh scents from the Orient lately. I must admit, many brands from the Arab world deliver really good light fragrances that can definitely be considered dupes of well-known designer scents. I don't find that problematic at all. This way, you often get affordable versions of the significantly more expensive originals without sacrificing quality. On the contrary, the quality is even better with some Orientals. With Fakhar Men, Lataffa has created a very similar scent to Y by YSL. I've smelled Ypsilon several times in perfumeries. The Lattafa comes very, very close. I would even say it practically smells the same. A user has written down the fragrance pyramid in their review. At first glance, you can see that the Lattafa fundamentally uses the same fragrance components.

But first, let's talk about the bottle. I often praise the beautiful outer packaging in which the bottles are housed. Here too, Lattaffa delivers Fakhar in a nice box with Arabic inscriptions. The bottle looks very good in the home display. You can see it in the picture itself. The silver-colored embellishments look very elegant. The cap doesn't close magnetically, but it fits well. This shouldn't detract from the beautiful bottle. Externally, it's a piece of luxury.

There's not much to say about the scent itself. If you know the original, you know Fakhar. Apple and ginger dominate the top note, which radiates a feeling of freshness right away. Here it is also quite synthetic, but you can live with that. After all, that's what the original thrives on. The infamous shower gel freshness quickly reveals itself here and lasts quite a while over the slightly sweet-fruity heart note with lavender and juniper berry. In the dry down towards the base note, it becomes primarily sweet-woody. However, I also detect a very slight oriental note here that the Y didn't have. It doesn't deviate grandly from the main DNA. There's not much more to say about the scent itself. Fresh-synthetic shower gel at the beginning, sweet-woody at the end.

An absolute mainstreamer. It doesn't offend, but it's also nothing extraordinary. Quite practical and pleasant for everyday office wear. After all, you smell nicely "showered." Some users have complained about a much too weak longevity. I can't confirm that. It's not a monster, but 6-7 hours are definitely achievable. The sillage is nothing that overwhelms you. For me, it's well dosed. So, if you like Y (or fresh synthetics in general), you can definitely grab this for about €20 and have something nice in your collection.

Normally, fragrances from the Orient are known for their heavy (oud) compositions and are also quite popular. Fresh and light scents are usually just an accessory or always presented as an attempt to copy a designer. However, the Arab houses have also mastered this quite well, as shown in various fragrances like Hawas by Rasasi, Hayaati and Fakhar by Lattafa. The Signature Blue by Al Haramain must also be mentioned here as a BdC clone. Recently, I got my hands on Turathi by Afnan. Inspired by various YouTubers and the community here, I ordered it.

Since I also place a certain value on the appearance of fragrances, I want to start with the packaging. And what can I say: very elegant! Even though it’s just a nicer cardboard box that opens up, the arrangement alone is a great sight. Inside lies the also elegantly designed bottle with a nicely chrome-plated cap (not magnetic). I really like the shape and color. Most of the Arab houses create very beautiful bottles, like Fakhar and Signature Blue. But even the one from Eternal Oud (also Lattafa) is a great decoration for the home perfume display.

If the scent delivers as much as the packaging, then I am completely satisfied. As often read in the descriptions, the fragrance starts off very citrusy-fresh. Not synthetic, but a decent splash of mandarin and bergamot. As a citrus fan, I am already very pleased at the beginning. Let summer come. I also perceive a hint of aquatic alongside the citrus notes. Maybe that’s just my imagination. A quarter of an hour later, the amber in the heart note enhances the citrus fruits, without going overboard. The woods contribute a subtle woody note that suits the amber very well. By now, any (and perhaps imagined) aquatic aspect is gone. The fragrance remains citrusy-fresh but shifts towards a cool-woody direction through the heart note. Very peculiar and at the same time very pleasing. In the base, a spicy, very slightly earthy note also comes into play. However, the spiciness is kept in check by the musk note. And yes, the citrus top note remains in the background. Thus, it is perceptible from start to finish in Turathi. One can certainly say that the top note dominates throughout, but is influenced by the heart and base notes in the described directions. I hope I was able to convey the DNA of this very pleasing and positively peculiar summer fragrance well.

For lovers of fresh and light scents, I can definitely recommend Turathi. What is offered here for around €22 is excellent. If it were branded with Chanel, Dior, or Prada, it would easily cost 7 to 8 times more. The longevity for me is around 8 hours, which is good to very good. The sillage is, at this point in my perception, above average. Although I have described it as a summer fragrance, I might not wear Turathi at temperatures above 30 degrees. It’s just not fresh enough, especially in the base. It’s not a pure aquatic. But I forgive it that.

... for the summer. Definitely. Basically, I am a fan of fresh-citrusy aquatics. I had the Wave on my radar for the last two years. A few days ago, I was finally able to try it out here.

The bottle is designed simply, transparent in azure blue with a patterned silver cap that closes magnetically. I must say, I am a fan of magnetic caps. The 100 ml flanker feels a bit bulky in the hand, but it fits well. The blue color practically screams at you where the olfactory journey is headed.

The ride on the blue wave starts in the opening with a synthetic mandarin that bathes beautifully fresh in seawater. Quite intense, but still within limits. However, at no point does it smell chemical or overpowering. The powerful opening calms down after a few minutes without becoming weak. Now the mandarin is pleasantly fresh, and soon floral notes join in the drydown. Here too, the freshness does not fade but is harmoniously complemented by the flowers. So, diving into the sea bath with the flowers, where the mandarin is already swimming leisurely. At this point, you can already distinctly smell the AHS DNA from Chanel. However, in the base, the first differences to the AHS appear. While the Chanel delivers a slightly creamy sweet finish with musk and tonka bean (which rounds off the fragrance very nicely), the Missoni Wave employs herbal-earthy components. Therefore, the Missoni lacks this extravagant sweet cream - instead, it fades out slightly green-herbaceous-balsamic. In my opinion, this ending fits very well with the overall picture of this fresh fragrance DNA.

I think it never wanted to be a twin of the AHS, but rather to go its own way. And "the wave" does that damn well for what it is supposed to cost. A refreshing feel-good scent that one should definitely consider. I can well imagine that the Missoni works excellently at 30 degrees Celsius and above. The longevity is surprisingly good (on my skin), while the sillage could be a bit better. Here, you can also take an extra spray or two.