Yesterday before work I hit the pharmacy for a prescription. While waiting, I browsed the perfume section to test something new. (I only pick 2 frags at a time to test.) I chose Acqua di Giò Profondo and Dior Homme Eau Man. At the opening I slightly preferred the Dior, but as the night went on I fell absolutely in love with it — it became a "must have" buy. So I go to look up the price online... and discover it's been discontinued for years. Today I went back to the pharmacy to investigate. The clerk (I'm a regular, we know each other) insisted the EDT they carry is the Eau Man. I told her to open the box — if it matched, I'd buy it on the spot. She opened it with total confidence I was wrong... and then her jaw dropped when the juice was obviously a different color. I tried to buy the tester bottle right there, but she didn't have the authority and the manager wasn't in. She suggested that if I bought a travel atomizer, she'd fill it for free — and mentioned they usually give away old testers for a $5 charity donation (didn't catch which charity, something women's-related 🤣). Perfect. Bought the atomizer, got 5ml free, made my $5 donation. Now the tester is locked away with my name and number on it, flagged as donated, just waiting on manager approval. If it goes through, I'm looking at roughly 50ml for $5 — on top of the $20 atomizer fill!! Pray to the perfume gods for me, brothers 🙏 I'm already thrilled with 5ml for $20 — but if that tester comes through, it'll be the best perfume score of my life!

Picked this up somewhat at random as part of a sample pack. I agree with many reviews that its very similar to Aventus in terms of overall style - with that combination of top citrus and underlying woody notes. I personally didn't find the opening overly harsh (I've seen some commentary around this), rather I found it fresh, and quite well balanced, the longevity and projection are somewhat average. However, its a pleasant alternative to Aventus, at a much more accessible price point. If I were considering an Aventus alternative, I think I'd likely opt for something like Afnan's Supremacy Not Only - which has a bit more potency, decent quality, and can be picked up for under £50.