Westgrance

The fragrance from Swiss Arabian is undoubtedly one of the best scents you can buy for €30. However, reducing it to its unbeatable price hardly does Shaghaf Oud justice.

It smells expensive. More like €300 than €30. This is probably due to the DNA: Oud-rose fragrances are almost exclusively offered in the luxury segment, likely due to the high price level of the ingredients. It is all the more astonishing how well Swiss Arabian has harmonized these notes with sweet praline and a hint of smoke and vanilla.

What sets it apart from many fragrances is not (only) the price, but the DNA itself: For we have a scent here that lasts effortlessly for 24 hours on the skin. A sillage that may be too strong for many. On the other hand, the fragrance never overwhelms, even though the DNA practically invites it. Unlike its longevity, the fragrance development is not nearly as overpowering at the beginning as many oud fragrances in the luxury sector.

Swiss Arabian has thus created a gentle yet deep and complex oud fragrance that works for both women and men, with an otherworldly longevity - and all for €30. One of those Arabic fragrances that deserves a tip of the hat.

With great expectations, Sharaf Blend arrived with me. There is not a single negative voice online - everyone likes it. It must be amazing, right?

However, after the first spray, the euphoria quickly faded as my nose primarily detected a concentrated blast of cinnamon. Is this really it? It didn't smell bad, but it had little to do with Angels Share, which starts more like an apple pie.

But in the next half hour, the cinnamon slowly faded, and what came through catapulted the euphoria back. It actually smelled like Angels Share. Or at least like I remember it.

However, one must say something about this: every nose is different, just like every memory. Is it now a dupe? Perhaps the best dupe? Or does it smell completely different? There is no consensus on this, and I don't want to get involved, as I have only tested Angels Share once. In any case, the fragrance creates a similar "boozyness" with cognac and vanilla as it develops. The vibe is very similar. In summary, I would see it as a quite similar fragrance that does without the apple pie opening and takes a more linear path.

Whether it is a dupe or not: unlike many Arabic clones, it is not a synthetic bomb that merely imitates the scent in the air. This fragrance could stand in Alsterhaus, cost €400, and no one would question it. Hardly anyone could probably categorize the scents directly into expensive and cheap here if they don't know the original and test AS alongside Sharaf Blend - and that is the absolute exception with such "clones." We don't need to talk about the price of €23: gigantic and a revelation compared to some €300 fragrances.

By chance, I saw that Prada has expanded the Ocean line with another flanker. Since I am not a fan of the rather inconsequential line with the confusing name, I hadn't followed it at all. But what the heck. It was worth a test.

And lo and behold: completely different than expected. And as indicated in the fragrance pyramid, which leads one quite astray. Lemon? Saffron? No idea where they are hiding.

Right from the opening, Le Parfum greets you with a sweet-spicy cherry that reminds one of Cherry Coke. After a few moments, tobacco joins in, and the fragrance in its heart note bears a strong resemblance to Mancera's Red Tobacco. There, the tobacco dominates more than in the Prada, which rather puts the cherry in the spotlight. Interestingly, both fragrances list saffron and woods in the pyramid, but the dominant cherry does not (or is it just me smelling that? Both flankers are also not accidentally colored red).

Through spice and a slight aquatic note, it is also associated with shower gel here. These notes become somewhat more dominant as the fragrance develops, making it differ from Red Tobacco and come across as fresher. However, in the base, the shower gel impression fades again behind the tobacco. On the skin, I also imagine a vanilla note alongside the tobacco.

Is it a Mancera dupe? Absolutely not. Because Red Tobacco is characterized by its strong tobacco note, which here serves more as a background for depth. However, it seems to me that a little inspiration was taken from the niche house. Anyone who enjoys the tobacco-cherry combination from Mancera or finds Red Tobacco simply too intense should definitely give this fragrance a test strip.

The only downside is the (still) high price. Because Mancera's power is available for almost the same money, which it probably does not fully justify.

Years ago, I stumbled upon the Replica line at Sephora. While with most other designers or niche fragrances you can get confused about which of the 21 similarly looking flankers you have already smelled, Margiela takes a completely different approach here: a theme, a scene, a scent. It clearly states what to expect. The scenes are detached from perfume and everyday life like "the Office" or "Date Night." They are moments under a lemon tree or by a campfire. Or in a jazz club. Right from the top note, you are greeted with rustic wood and a whole lot of smoke, as if you were stepping into an old-fashioned cigar bar with rum glasses on the table. Wow. As the smoke slowly dissipates, sweet tobacco joins the wood and rum, and later a vanilla note comes into play.

But where do you wear it? Where do I want to smell like cigars and alcohol? Interestingly, everywhere. Because unlike what its description might suggest, it is far from mainstream "I smell hygienic" scents in its composition. However, it does not neglect its everyday wearability. After half an hour, it becomes not only very soft and unobtrusive but also very universal. Smoky but not disturbing, sweet but not overpowering, vanillic but not heavy. I wear it year-round and for any occasion when I feel like it. Because above all, it smells special, high-quality, and expensive. That is an art for a fragrance that is cheaper than some run-of-the-mill designers.