Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
06/24/2020
Elysium
815 Reviews
Elysium
1
Monsieur Privé The Perfect Match
Miami South Beach has been called the American Riviera and an Art Deco Playground. The sparkling emerald water and the white sand beaches are a must-see for any Miami visitor; even for locals, the beautiful beach doesn't get old. Take a stroll down Lincoln Road for the best people-watching in Miami or cozy up to a fancy bar with Haute cocktails. If I think of Miami Beach, I imagine the endless beaches with the houses facing the ocean, the fresh breeze blowing from the sea, and, therefore, all this makes me suppose that ZARA's new perfume can evoke all these feelings. It is not wrong to associate this perfume with A&F Fierce. At the first spray, the two fragrances are very similar. But the resemblance ends here because soon after, everyone goes their way. Fierce perseveres in its fougère vibe, resinous fir, aromatic rosemary, and dry mossy down, which is in its characteristic, while Miami Beach is aromatics up my nose. My first reaction to this was that it has a very familiar smell. It took a few moments before I knew it. Well, read on if you want to find out more.
The lockdown aftermath forced some perfumeries to remove the testers from the shelves. I, therefore, purchased it as a blind buy, but considering the budget price, I was pretty confident I wouldn't be disappointed. I wasn't, and something is appealing about this scent: despite it having a synthetic element, it's sensual in its coolness. That alone makes it stand out from other fougères. Miami Beach is classified as woody, amber, fruity, and as soon as it reaches my skin, it opens with a punchy smell of sour fruity accords. There is a bit of apple and a tad of green pineapple. The two of them are not dominant in this scent, meaning that we don't have here the Boss Bottled's apple nor the Creed Aventus's pineapple, so do not expect a similar vibe. The fruity aspect is seasoned with a spice clove that smoothly rises as soon as the scent warms up. I perceive a bright citrus tone, not harsh, reminiscent of citrus blossoms and leaves, In this initial stage, the cologne has many similarities with A&F Fierce, yet I would not state an exact clone of one another.
The heart eventually fades back into a more delicate, less abrasive floral accord with a pleasant touch of aqua. It's classy and refined with nice creamy lavender feel that almost sways things into barbershop territory but never fully lands there and ends up becoming cleanly and soapy. As far as lavender-centric barbershop scents go, this is hands down the greatest. It's lavender and jasmine with white freesia as well into the dry down. However, the lavender isn't overly sweet as in Azzaro pour Homme, and it isn't coupled with anise, which is the Azzaro sign. The jasmine makes the whole thing smells and feels very luscious, and with slight freesia, it retains an old-world sort of character to it.
To get anywhere close the dry down, you have to wait a while. The scent turns mild, a crisp cedar and amber take part in the final stage. What I smell here is a sweet and dry cedarwood, the sweetness coming from the presence of the roasted Tonka. There is even a graceful woody amber dryness of ambroxan, though the overall base is not a modern ambroxan-based cologne a la Dior Sauvage. A musky, metallic, and clean finishing.
Miami Beach is closer to Égoïste Platinum or the more fruity Montblanc Legend Intense, a slightly different formula in the same spirit, a little less vibrant and round, but more fougère-like and surprisingly louder. It's loud but not shrinking, it's pleasant but not dull, and it'll last 'til the end of time. Miami Beach is a clean, soap-like, aromatic that's so versatile you'd be hard-pressed to find the time when you can't wear it.
The accords resulting from Miami Beach make me prefer it during mid-seasons, both Spring and Fall days are good. Sillage and longevity are both excellent. Once again, that good ZARA quality is there, making this inoffensive, extremely versatile, well blended, and comfortable to wear. If you have smelt Égoïste Platinum by Chanel, picture this as a polished and more refined version, which makes this a great office fragrance that you don't have to worry about touching up.
If it smells the same to you as another fragrance, then don't buy it. As for me, I love it. It is clean, minimalistic, with just enough flair to be noticeable, yet without an overly dramatic character.
This review is based upon a 100 ml (3/4 fl.oz.) I own.
-Elysium
The lockdown aftermath forced some perfumeries to remove the testers from the shelves. I, therefore, purchased it as a blind buy, but considering the budget price, I was pretty confident I wouldn't be disappointed. I wasn't, and something is appealing about this scent: despite it having a synthetic element, it's sensual in its coolness. That alone makes it stand out from other fougères. Miami Beach is classified as woody, amber, fruity, and as soon as it reaches my skin, it opens with a punchy smell of sour fruity accords. There is a bit of apple and a tad of green pineapple. The two of them are not dominant in this scent, meaning that we don't have here the Boss Bottled's apple nor the Creed Aventus's pineapple, so do not expect a similar vibe. The fruity aspect is seasoned with a spice clove that smoothly rises as soon as the scent warms up. I perceive a bright citrus tone, not harsh, reminiscent of citrus blossoms and leaves, In this initial stage, the cologne has many similarities with A&F Fierce, yet I would not state an exact clone of one another.
The heart eventually fades back into a more delicate, less abrasive floral accord with a pleasant touch of aqua. It's classy and refined with nice creamy lavender feel that almost sways things into barbershop territory but never fully lands there and ends up becoming cleanly and soapy. As far as lavender-centric barbershop scents go, this is hands down the greatest. It's lavender and jasmine with white freesia as well into the dry down. However, the lavender isn't overly sweet as in Azzaro pour Homme, and it isn't coupled with anise, which is the Azzaro sign. The jasmine makes the whole thing smells and feels very luscious, and with slight freesia, it retains an old-world sort of character to it.
To get anywhere close the dry down, you have to wait a while. The scent turns mild, a crisp cedar and amber take part in the final stage. What I smell here is a sweet and dry cedarwood, the sweetness coming from the presence of the roasted Tonka. There is even a graceful woody amber dryness of ambroxan, though the overall base is not a modern ambroxan-based cologne a la Dior Sauvage. A musky, metallic, and clean finishing.
Miami Beach is closer to Égoïste Platinum or the more fruity Montblanc Legend Intense, a slightly different formula in the same spirit, a little less vibrant and round, but more fougère-like and surprisingly louder. It's loud but not shrinking, it's pleasant but not dull, and it'll last 'til the end of time. Miami Beach is a clean, soap-like, aromatic that's so versatile you'd be hard-pressed to find the time when you can't wear it.
The accords resulting from Miami Beach make me prefer it during mid-seasons, both Spring and Fall days are good. Sillage and longevity are both excellent. Once again, that good ZARA quality is there, making this inoffensive, extremely versatile, well blended, and comfortable to wear. If you have smelt Égoïste Platinum by Chanel, picture this as a polished and more refined version, which makes this a great office fragrance that you don't have to worry about touching up.
If it smells the same to you as another fragrance, then don't buy it. As for me, I love it. It is clean, minimalistic, with just enough flair to be noticeable, yet without an overly dramatic character.
This review is based upon a 100 ml (3/4 fl.oz.) I own.
-Elysium
Stolzman
Elysium
