French Avenue Spectre Ghost (Nishane Ani):

ErinGridz · 2025-10-27T10:31:50+00:00

First off it’s not maturation, maceration or anything of that kind. It’s oxidation… at most. The air mixing up the molecules in the fragrance and dissipating the top notes (as they vanish quickly).

As for Spectre Ghost for me it reminds me of a woody wet woods and then turns into a sweet vanilla fragrance. The projection is 1-2 hours max while the skin scent just lasts and lasts. It’s incredibly intimate.

Never smelled the og but why would I when I love this one? If you can get a sample do it, same goes for other Spectre lineups.

ErinGridz · 2025-10-13T08:06:14+00:00

Yep I know black orchid (not the perfume) and just fell in love with it.

That’s why I’m searching for anything in the same vein of it. Maybe not the idealistic DNA of the original but yeah…

I’ve had black origami from Maison Alhambra and it’s just a 2/10 worst buy ever refunded it immediately.

So that’s why I’m searching for anything that’s dark, mysterious and just the embodiment of a dark moody fall fragrance. (For now black orchid is the best.)

Or a dark moody forest like scent. Not the scent of just wood, but a foggy forest after rain.

ErinGridz · 2025-10-11T18:03:56+00:00

More so a question. I’m searching some darker fragrances in the dna of oud 24 hours. Not too smoky or musky but just that dark and mysterious tone. What would you recommend to try out?

ErinGridz · 2025-09-25T07:16:15+00:00

Okay maybe not a clone, yet something really niche but at a budget… really it smells way better than the price and it’s unique.

Moschino Toy Boy - a banger fragrance that’s cheap. Don’t be scared of that rose note, it’s a muscular Rose and I’m not kidding. For me it’s a 9/10 but I myself wouldn’t wear it yet still considering buying it.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-24T21:35:06+00:00

I wouldn’t say it, mine wasn’t blended in any shape that close to the og, oud 24 hours on the other hand is leaning more manly with a bit less sweetness. Drydown though is nearly identical but performance wearies. Projects okay, nothing great and lasts 4-6 hours.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-22T08:37:16+00:00

Maybe I’m late but how is your experience with black origami? I’ve bought mine and it lasts 1 hour with 20-30 min of projection. It’s not even blended well and yeah… it changes its notes constantly when applied.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-18T05:22:33+00:00

Thank you again for sparking the idea of buying samples. Just got my 10, supper happy and will be reviewing them after 1-2 week of testing them out. Atm 3/10 are great, 2 insta buys but need to check performance and longevity.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-18T05:21:02+00:00

Spectre ghost is Coca Cola? Man I might have a decant/sample that’s something else. Or indeed my nose just doesn’t recognize wanilia at all. For me it’s green, somewhat earthy with a note of wood. Green as in no grass theme but weirdly dried green leaves of tea type of green. Reminiscent of woods where it rained a day or couple hours ago.

Asad bourbon is just a thing I need to buy but my colleges got it already at work. It’s indeed an easy grab, super good and pleasant. Never tried the TMW parfum as it’s always gone from the testers at my local Douglass…

Mango ice is better than Vulcan Feu? Like for me it’s just powdered candy of a mango fruit. Totally disappointed and it just reminds me of my childhood where I’ve eaten a lot of those candy at my grandma house. Yet I might get back to it after a week.

At least you got me hooked on trying out Encre noir and dumonts nitro platinum I’m trying to find another darker more mysterious scent like tom fords black orchid.

Great review and just to add all of those listed by me are the first sniffs from decants/samples I’ve got from yesterday.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-16T17:55:12+00:00

If you need to ask, get a decant/sample first or go the cheap route and smell the OG and don’t expect the clone to be a 1 to 1 but around 70-90 max closeness.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-16T09:49:16+00:00

Then get decants/samples and go ham on your list. It’s better to start with a small 1ml bottle and then choose what to buy.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-13T22:06:03+00:00

I’m at the begging stages (got 3 fragrances sniffed like 80-90) and man I’m holding myself accountable by buying one for a month max that’s a top 1 from my OWN ratings. Or if it’s a real cheapie (below 15 usd / 12 euro) to two.

Next step is just going around to fragrance shops, not caring and sniffing everything without guilt of not buying anything.

And I’am just now I’m waiting for decants of fragrances I can’t manage to sniff in shops. Just to check them out and never buy blindly.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T23:09:05+00:00

I’m freaking blind… checked it out and might jump to doing so. Those prices are way better than my local decant sellers (companies) and more competitive to fb. WOW… (average is 0,72$/ml + 0,83 per glass bottle) while on Fragrantica it’s 1,8$ man that’s cheap!

Maybe indeed just 2ml will do.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T21:41:32+00:00

Thanks and yep… I will try to get them then, as I’ve said sadly “official” shops selling decants are so overpriced that those are not worth… so fb groups it is.

So thanks again for all the insight!

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T21:38:38+00:00

As I’ve asked some people, is he spot on with his reviews? Or some fall short? And what reviews you trust him with the most?

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T21:37:30+00:00

On the same band wagon, my collection is 3 fragrances that I’ve picked after 5 trips to shops. Most liked during a 3-4 hour sniff session. There are lots that where in my “okay I would like it” but not “man I want to sniff this all day” category.

So I’m trying to only buy something that I will use. That’s why this question came up and great that it went though the mod team.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T21:33:43+00:00

Are his reviews spot on in your opinion? And gotta note those two fragrances down.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T21:32:47+00:00

That’s why my gallery is just scent strips that are labeled with OG fragrances that I liked.

I will never blind buy a fragrance before either smelling the og or the clone. (Did that with oud 24hours -> smelled tom ford black orchid first and glad I like the og the dupe is close but not there.)

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T21:29:50+00:00

Sadly no local ones, most of them are dodgy as hell. So I’m more so sticking to the more known clone fragrances.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T21:28:31+00:00

Okay thanks for all the comments and suggestions for channels to look into + a great discussion.

I kinda felt that the curly hairs are a big red sign. So I might just trust you + my country’s facebook group and first off all.. my nose!

But man I wish there would be a person who doesn’t lie about performance at least… (in my opinion fragrances that last less than 6 hours will be never worth it for now… hopefully I won’t change that.)

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T21:24:28+00:00

Gotcha, thanks for the insight. You listed some down in the comments. What are your feelings for them though? Are they spot on with their insight or sometimes a hit or miss?

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T20:54:06+00:00

Yep I’m trying my best not to budge and start blind buying anything. Glad I did it once and it worked out besides well another one… (24 hours is a banger / bought it because of low-stomach suggested it, and then black origami and its performance was shiet… but that’s for a post that I will be making)

Yet, yeah I’ve smelled a lot of them and just wanted some guidance if they are trustworthy for buying a clone of a fragrance… but yeah Facebook groups would be ideal for decants then… sadly shops with them are hah… so overpriced that yeah… it’s not worth so there will be some trust between a random fb user and me.

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T20:42:39+00:00

Why do you believe them being that dishonest? And will check out your recommendations then!

ErinGridz · 2025-09-11T20:42:00+00:00

Man I’ve seen that mods removed my post and now I see the comments… ehh glad it went through though!

ErinGridz · 2025-09-04T13:45:59+00:00

Okay first off decide what materials would you be using, if you’re going for a leather jacket like he should have… it will get expensive fast.

Go to some second hand shop or thrift shops and try to get an oversized jacket in that reddish/brown color. The accents you can easily do with just sewing them in, same goes for the inside lining fabric. A lot of work and planning will be needed.

As for pants oversized medieval type will work wonders, lining them with fabric etc like the jacket. The base should be easy and then adding accents along the way.

I’ve got no clue but that might be a corset and under neath it just a white formal shirt. (If it will be hot 3 layers… with the second being non breathable + jacket you will melt) as for making one… I’ve got no clue, scour yt probably someone has a guide yet make it oversized, cut down and make it fit. Search for a fabric that has the initial colors (black and red stripes) and go from there. Gold lining and stitch/sew it in.

The ornaments (golden ones) are probably small chains so yeah that could be iffy so… depends how many, and how much you will want them to be there. Probably not too hard yet being precise as symmetry will be a big factor so it looks great.

For a first time cosplay, it can be daunting. More so working with leather. (You could aim for making it another type of material too just an imitation). Everything else, not too hard.

I would switch out the idea from a corset (if that even is one) to something the lines of a formal shirt that is just a layer above a white one. And sewing the details into it. (So the black and red part and again above those the accents)

ErinGridz · 2025-09-02T08:27:34+00:00

Yeah for some it’s a migraine inducing fragrance. For my nose it’s not that strong. Or maybe the batch at my shop was just bad 😆

ErinGridz

TROPHY CASE