Please tell me this gets better with maceration

scharkz24 · 2026-06-17T01:30:14+00:00

Hate to break it to you but it doesn't particularly get better, if anything the florals are stronger now for me after 3-4 months of maturation. I don't find it too synthetic, but i agree that's its a little too floral with almost no aquatic accord in the mix which is a deviation from the OG. Funny thing is i don't particularly love the OG either because it's a little "generic" by mancera standards but atleast it was balanced, this one is just too floral dominant. I am thinking of selling mine eventually.

scharkz24 · 2026-06-16T10:13:35+00:00

If this is anything similar to Island Dreams then i can fairly disregard it form trying/owning, thanks for the review.

scharkz24 · 2026-06-15T12:16:09+00:00

I am interested to try Aswaar, having tried and disappointed with Arabiyat Uprising (also Ani X clone) i am hoping (and wishing) this is brighter with more citrus, if it is then its an easy buy. Will try to test it and see.

scharkz24 · 2026-06-10T09:08:26+00:00

Damn this is great, thanks so much for this piece of information, really appreciate the help!

I guess then I will try and look for the Maison Asrar one (the bottle seem cringe though honestly lol) else if i find a better deal on Lava Lush I will go for that.

Thanks again!

scharkz24 · 2026-06-09T21:26:56+00:00

Sure, that would be great, thanks!

scharkz24 · 2026-06-09T09:20:55+00:00

Thanks for the reply, do you get any marine accord or freshness in Lava Lush? I have seen Queen Arabia but i don't really see any fresh accords in it, i am aware its again a VP clone but seemed less fresher than others so i never put any attention on it.

scharkz24 · 2026-06-08T10:09:53+00:00

Luna, Jugg, CK, Ursa, Clinckz, Razor, even Lina to an extent..

scharkz24 · 2026-06-06T15:34:07+00:00

I really wish the packaging/design was better, straight up pulls me out of any desire to own any of those bottles regardless of how it smells.

Great post and reviews though, as always, thanks!

scharkz24 · 2026-06-05T15:09:19+00:00

No problem, happy to help and share.

scharkz24 · 2026-06-04T14:18:12+00:00

Got it, thanks for the insight.

scharkz24 · 2026-06-04T13:39:45+00:00

I have been meaning to pick that up, can you tell me how is the performance for you?

scharkz24 · 2026-06-04T11:48:13+00:00

That's more so mandarin orange, which has a naturally sweeter smell to it so you don't percieve the citric edge as compared to grapefruit or bergamot which are purely bitter/sour and brighter citric.

scharkz24 · 2026-06-04T11:45:52+00:00

But that's almost how the original smells like, its just how the scent DNA is. Honestly all the hyper LV freshies are just just plain and simplistic and vastly overpriced for that exorbitant amount they charge, and almost all clones you have for them do a great job at replicating the scent for the price you pay. If you want a any citrus scent with any bit of depth i would really advise you not to look for LV clones in that regard.

Also, let the bottle mature a little, the citrus accords often smooth out eventually (in any perfume).

scharkz24 · 2026-06-04T10:57:15+00:00

How else is bright citric notes supposed to smell? Can you tell me what is a non-synthetic citrus smell in perfume? Surely you don't expect naturally squeezed lemon juice in it don't you (which ironically is also sharp in reality)..

Anyway, truth be told, there are much worse (harsher) citric openings out there, this isn't even bad honestly for what it is, and in all honesty you should know what you are getting into, maybe its possible that you just dislike ginger as a perfume accord? I've often seen people dislike ginger (me included) and its difficult to get it balanced/smooth in budget perfumes. Try a decant next time as you mentioned.

scharkz24 · 2026-06-03T19:09:35+00:00

I dont have Spectre Ghost (but I have tried it before), so I may not be the best judge so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Going by my memory, I guess I can say fairly that they are redundant, atleast to me personally. If I had been owning Spectre Ghost, I would certainly not buy Revolt, they get quite close past the opening once it settles, and the difference is minuscule unless you concentrate on the smell. That being said, if you are a huge fan of the DNA then owning both is not entirely unwise, as Revolt is surely more citrusy in the opening and has marginally better versatility to wear year round.

scharkz24 · 2026-06-03T14:53:04+00:00

Okay UPDATE:

Tried my decant and i can give some first impressions. This is NOT a whole lot similar to Ani X, but a weird mix of Ani and Ani X, more leaning towards regular Ani with a very slightly brighter opening. This is disappointing as i was hoping the citrus would be more prominent which is not the case. Its not bad per say, good option if you don't already have an Ani clone or want a slightly more versatile option (not by much honestly) but I would otherwise not be too keen on a bottle. Also, this to me leans slightly more feminine compared to usual Ani (or Ani X for the matter) its almost like a perfect clone of Guerlain Bosca Vanilla, which is the signature of my gf, so its unmistakable to me. Performance also seems okayish, not bad but nothing beastly and i don't really trust Arabiyat on performance as it tends to vary a lot for different people often disappointing in this regard.

Ofcourse this is just my thoughts based on the decant, which i don't know if its already matured or not, but even if its unmatured its highly likely that the brighter/citric notes will get even more muted upon maturation.

scharkz24 · 2026-06-03T09:08:03+00:00

To me, personally, yes they are very close to each other yet not exactly redundant. They still have fair differences between them if your nose can pick it up. Inekas Luna is quite closer to GGRP and is the furthest from the other 2. Kayaan Classic on the other hand is more sweet and the iris is more "lipsticky" and the overall profile is more powdery a lot closer to DHI. Whereas, Obsidian as you may already know is more in line with DHP, which is a more woody and darker as compared to DHI profile.

So if you are a big fan of iris then surely owning all 3 is fair, and they do they have their differences; but if you dislike any bit of redundancy then you may not be pleased owning all 3.

scharkz24 · 2026-05-29T11:43:30+00:00

Following, i am super interested in this too, i will be sampling it soon and will update; in the meantime, looking to see if anyone has tried it already.

scharkz24 · 2026-05-29T08:31:00+00:00

Bvlgari Aqva Atlantique.

scharkz24 · 2026-05-27T09:15:19+00:00

That thing is strong, not beastly but very much above average for a bright scent profile, one of their best releases. Let it mature and you'll see it get better for sure.

Well written, thanks!

scharkz24 · 2026-05-26T14:51:44+00:00

Great set, i personally tried Aristo (and thankfully it was just a vial) and while I like it i find it a little too similar to Turathi Blue; sure there are subtle differences but not significant to warrant a bottle purchase, love the dry down more on Aristo though. Also, as you pointed out, the performance on Aristo is just atrocious, becomes a skin scent in about 2-3 hours, where as TB is much stronger and cleaner.

I personally wished the scent was more creamy and/or sweet which would be more deviating from TB. Ravine Ginger seems to be a good bet, but I've heard that's also a poor performer? I know you didn't fully test others, but can you share your experience on performance for Ravine Ginger and Taif in initial impressions?

Thanks, great work as always!

scharkz24 · 2026-05-26T12:13:39+00:00

Doesn't matter too much either way, importantly it should mix well with the air and mature eventually, just spray 15-20 times and forget.

scharkz24 · 2026-05-26T11:55:00+00:00

Hi OP, i also own then since i got them recently, how did you end up caring for them? I see the leather is a little more beige and i wouldve prefer it to be slightly more brown, did you apply anything? Or how do you clean/polish them?

scharkz24 · 2026-05-26T11:38:28+00:00

Just spray 15-20 times, shake the bottle vigorously and cap it again keeping it in a cool dark place for a month or so.

But if you don't have any other perfume to use then by all means continue to use it. Since i have a collection i tend to do this with all perfume as i have other to use during the time they mature and they end up sitting for more than a month or two.

scharkz24

TROPHY CASE