Here’s my take on Maison Alhambra Winsome — and how it stacks up against YSL Tuxedo. Overall vibeWinsome lives in that same “dressed up, smooth, dark-sweet” lane that made Tuxedo famous: a polished patchouli with a classy sweetness and a slightly spicy edge. It comes across confident, date-night ready, and easy to wear when you want to smell expensive without being loud. The scentOpening: I get a clean burst of peppery spice with a slightly sweet, aromatic lift. It doesn’t feel harsh—more like a crisp snap that sets up the rest of the scent. Mid (heart): The core is where it shines: sweet-leaning patchouli with a smooth, lightly resinous feel. It has that tailored-jacket personality—sharp lines but soft fabric. Drydown: It settles into a warm amber-vanilla woody base with patchouli still present, but smoother and more blended. This is the part that gets the most compliments because it reads clean, rich, and put together. Scent rating: 8.3/10It’s a very wearable, mass-appealing take on the DNA—cleaner and slightly sweeter than the ultra-refined designer feel. Sillage (projection)Winsome is moderate. It projects well for the first hour or two, then stays closer to the body but leaves a pleasant trail when you move. Sillage rating: 7.5/10Not a room-filler, but definitely noticeable, especially indoors or in cooler air. LongevityOn skin it typically sits in the 6–8 hour range, with the base hanging on longer on clothes. Longevity rating: 8/10Good endurance for the price category, and it keeps a polished smell through most of the wear without collapsing into something cheap. Winsome vs. YSL Tuxedo Similarities• Same overall patchouli-amber elegance• Both give that formal, night-out, classy profile• Both are great in fall, winter, and cool evenings Differences• Tuxedo is more refined, airier, and higher-definition—the spices and patchouli feel more tailored and luxurious.• Winsome is a touch sweeter and denser, with a slightly more straightforward blend.• Tuxedo feels more balanced and smooth from start to finish, while Winsome is punchier up top and warmer in the drydown.

The fourth and final sample from the house of Hexennacht that I purchased last year. It's named after two of my favorite things in the whole world, so how could I not make this the fourth sample in the order? Scent: 6.5 It opens as buttered popcorn with a splash of honey and bourbon. It's a bit overly sweet for my taste. I might like this if it was the scent coming from a hot mug in my hand, but it's not something I would want to wear on a regular basis. The dry down kicks in after about 20 minutes, and the cloying honey sweetness calms down into a spicy clove and incense that is more to my liking. Performance: 9.5 I get a solid 14 to 16 hours on my skin. I sprayed it on last night and woke up with it still going strong the next morning. Only ATH has longer staying power in my collection. Projection: Loud I'm changing the way I rate to exclude projection. Some fragrances aren't meant to be loud, and work much better because they are intimate skin scents. Others you want to be loud, but just aren't. So do they get the same rating because they are both intimate? So I'm just going to start saying how it projects and remove it from the objective rating. Presentation: 4.0 The bottles are very generic, and its difficult to tell one from another. The label is kind of amateurish and does not look like a professional house. It has it's charm, but I think in this case it's distracting and brings down the overall feel of the bottles. Plus it's incredibly difficult to find a fragrance on their website, which could really use some work. Perceived Value: 6.0 At $60 for a 30mL Extrait, the price is reasonable. But, what's the use case for this? Where would I wear it? Maybe on a date? I don't know.. This is extremely niche. It's fun as an arthouse fragrance, but it's not really very practical. That's okay, if it's what you're going for, but you'll have to decide if the price and quantity is worth it. Overall: 6.5/10 For something named after my favorite things in life, this is a disappointment. Like Elmer Fudd realizing the love of his life is actually his greatest nemesis in a viking outfit and wig. Another lesson in not getting too pulled in by the marketing.