French Avenue Amber Empire. Clone of Clive Christian Blonde Amber.

Today it was sub 8°C, so I thought I’d use the opportunity to crack open a winter sample I’ve been wanting to try before the seasons changed. I got three Shaghafs (Oud, Oud Elixir and Oud Tonka) and went with Shaghaf Oud today. A relatively linear fragrance that starts off with warm saffron, jammy rose, decadent praline and what I assume is “oud”. Once it fully dries down, the saffron disappears and the vanilla pops up. The rest remains largely unchanged. It’s a lovely rose oud gourmand with a youthful Middle Eastern touch. It has that jammy rose vibe similar to Satin Mood that pairs well with the “oud”. The quality at this price is very surprising, almost shocking. Performance is good. People online claim 12+ hours, but that is supposedly the older batches. The one I tried projected nicely for the first 2 to 3 hours at around 1.5 to 2 feet, then slowly settled closer to the skin by hour 6. I’m expecting around 9 to 11 hours before it disappears. I also get whiffs of the fragrance every time I twist and turn, which is quite nice. I always hear good things about Swiss Arabian, but I thought it was exaggerated. I understand the hype now. Super justified love and respect for the brand. Worth gatekeeping for some. Overall, I’d give it a solid 8.5/10. A very easy to like, high quality and beginner friendly rose oud fragrance. Nothing revolutionary, but at this price it’s a no brainer. I could pick it up for £23, but I’m going to try the other two and make a decision. I’m expecting a little more complexity from this DNA, and Elixir seems to have it.

Yesterday, I stopped by an outlet mall with one mission and one mission only: pick up Gisada Ambassador Intense. Simple enough, right? Well, after visiting three different fragrance stores, I discovered not a single one carried the line… but apparently they all carried temptation. So naturally, instead of leaving empty-handed like a disciplined adult, I somehow walked out with four new fragrances. Michael Malul Jet Black Mahogany and Citizen Jack Absolute started the financial damage, Bleu Suit – Private Collection by Lomani joined the party shortly after, and Graphite by Lika Milano delivered the final knockout punch to my wallet. At this point, I’m convinced fragrance shopping has less to do with self-control and more to do with survival instincts. I went looking for one bottle and returned home like I was building a backup fragrance collection for national emergencies.

Have a couple meetings today at the office, so I’m playing it safe and sophisticated. This one lasts all day. I get about 14 hours or so on skin with a solid 8-10 hours of projection. A little goes a long way!