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Notes12/02/2020
Carlitos01
367 Reviews
Carlitos01
Very helpful Review
4
The poor man exquisite Oriental scent
On a sunny, cold, and dry day like today, it was necessary to use an oriental perfume, preferably hot, humid and sweet. The choice fell on yet another Arabian perfume, in this case, an Al Haramain. Urbanist is a very interesting perfume and of quality well above average. The price is inversely proportional to the quality, as this perfume can be bought for more or less 20 Euros.
The fragrance gives an impression of warmth and comfort associated with a certain lightness. The airy smoke of light oud, the warm lingering of sandalwood and hazelnut, the wrapping of moist tobacco, and the sweetness of honey and vanilla make an ideal combination for a dry winter day that pushes people into a fireplace. The global aroma is quite consensual, suitable for a wide audience, and as it is not a blunt fragrance, it does not hurt the sensitivity of oriental perfumes detractors.
I must mention that it is an excellent choice for sandalwood lovers... it is the perfume's strongest note, and it is of excellent quality.
Although it doesn't seem like an attempt to clone, Urbanist is really VERY similar to Spicebomb, although being less intrusive. Spicebomb does not have sandalwood, but its strong cinnamon notes with leather and moist tobacco project a woody accord similar to sandalwood. Urbanist does not have cinnamon, but the combination of hazelnut and sandalwood notes, moist cigar tobacco, and a touch of oud, delivers a strong impression of cinnamon. It totally mimics Spicebomb. Aromatically the two perfumes are very close. Unfortunately for Al Haramain, I prefer the Spicebomb intrusiveness, but of course, for a price.
Spicebomb is a fragrance that does not recall me of Noir Exquis. However, this Al Haramain fragrance invokes the dark ebony facet of that L'Artisan, perhaps due to the impression given by its moist tobacco notes, the strong sandalwood, and the dark hint of oud.
Although sober, the presentation is poor for those who like beautiful bottles. This bottle is close to another oriental presentation marketing disaster. It looks like an Axe bottle. Nevertheless, the perceived value for money is quite high provided you don't care about the deodorant presentation type.
The performance is sufficient, although below normal for this type of spicy and woody oriental perfume. Longevity lies between 6 and 7 hours with three sprays. The sillage is positioned at approximately 1 meter with an acceptable projection during the first hour and a half.
How can this fine "Oriental scent for the masses" be rated?
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
- Opening: 8.5 (Hazelnut and sandalwood immediate lingering)
- Dry Down: 8.0 (Nice vanilla and honey sweetness on a pair with the wood scents)
- Longevity: 7.0 (less than 7 hours)
- Sillage: 6.0 (Up to 4 feet; it projects for 1.5 hours)
- Uniqueness: 7.5 (it does resemble Spicebomb without its aggressiveness)
- Usability: 7.0 (Mainly a cold-weather fragrance)
- Versatility: 7.5 (general daily outdoor wear or to use in front of the fireplace)
- Compliments: 7.0 (Better than the average oriental Arabian woody, smoky and spicy fragrance)
- Quality: 7.5 (average quality ingredients, with a high mark for the sandalwood)
- Presentation: 6.0 (sober acceptable presentation but resembling a deodorant flask)
- Price: 9.0 (100 ml / 20 Euros with web providers)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Overall rating: 7.36 / 10.00
- between 7 and 8 = above average;
- between 8 and 9 = recommended;
- greater than 9 = do not miss;
Recommendation: An "all-around" oriental perfume with a bit of oudy smokiness and top sandalwood. If you fancy a discrete Arabian perfume, go for it.
Blind buy? Why not, bearing in mind the low price? Getting a sample may cost you more...
Music: Michael Bublé - "Winter Wonderland"
The fragrance gives an impression of warmth and comfort associated with a certain lightness. The airy smoke of light oud, the warm lingering of sandalwood and hazelnut, the wrapping of moist tobacco, and the sweetness of honey and vanilla make an ideal combination for a dry winter day that pushes people into a fireplace. The global aroma is quite consensual, suitable for a wide audience, and as it is not a blunt fragrance, it does not hurt the sensitivity of oriental perfumes detractors.
I must mention that it is an excellent choice for sandalwood lovers... it is the perfume's strongest note, and it is of excellent quality.
Although it doesn't seem like an attempt to clone, Urbanist is really VERY similar to Spicebomb, although being less intrusive. Spicebomb does not have sandalwood, but its strong cinnamon notes with leather and moist tobacco project a woody accord similar to sandalwood. Urbanist does not have cinnamon, but the combination of hazelnut and sandalwood notes, moist cigar tobacco, and a touch of oud, delivers a strong impression of cinnamon. It totally mimics Spicebomb. Aromatically the two perfumes are very close. Unfortunately for Al Haramain, I prefer the Spicebomb intrusiveness, but of course, for a price.
Spicebomb is a fragrance that does not recall me of Noir Exquis. However, this Al Haramain fragrance invokes the dark ebony facet of that L'Artisan, perhaps due to the impression given by its moist tobacco notes, the strong sandalwood, and the dark hint of oud.
Although sober, the presentation is poor for those who like beautiful bottles. This bottle is close to another oriental presentation marketing disaster. It looks like an Axe bottle. Nevertheless, the perceived value for money is quite high provided you don't care about the deodorant presentation type.
The performance is sufficient, although below normal for this type of spicy and woody oriental perfume. Longevity lies between 6 and 7 hours with three sprays. The sillage is positioned at approximately 1 meter with an acceptable projection during the first hour and a half.
How can this fine "Oriental scent for the masses" be rated?
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
- Opening: 8.5 (Hazelnut and sandalwood immediate lingering)
- Dry Down: 8.0 (Nice vanilla and honey sweetness on a pair with the wood scents)
- Longevity: 7.0 (less than 7 hours)
- Sillage: 6.0 (Up to 4 feet; it projects for 1.5 hours)
- Uniqueness: 7.5 (it does resemble Spicebomb without its aggressiveness)
- Usability: 7.0 (Mainly a cold-weather fragrance)
- Versatility: 7.5 (general daily outdoor wear or to use in front of the fireplace)
- Compliments: 7.0 (Better than the average oriental Arabian woody, smoky and spicy fragrance)
- Quality: 7.5 (average quality ingredients, with a high mark for the sandalwood)
- Presentation: 6.0 (sober acceptable presentation but resembling a deodorant flask)
- Price: 9.0 (100 ml / 20 Euros with web providers)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Overall rating: 7.36 / 10.00
- between 7 and 8 = above average;
- between 8 and 9 = recommended;
- greater than 9 = do not miss;
Recommendation: An "all-around" oriental perfume with a bit of oudy smokiness and top sandalwood. If you fancy a discrete Arabian perfume, go for it.
Blind buy? Why not, bearing in mind the low price? Getting a sample may cost you more...
Music: Michael Bublé - "Winter Wonderland"
Carlitos01
