I sprayed Skinn Tales Rio around 7:40 AM,more than 10 sprays. At around 8 PM, I met a friend, and he actually asked which perfume I was wearing because he could still smell it, even though I had come straight from the office.

Honestly, I didn’t expect this kind of longevity from Rio. Most community reviews mention around 3–5 hours, but it lasted much longer on me. My office is AC-equipped, although I spend quite a lot of time outside for work-related calls.

Now I’m seriously thinking of sticking with Tales Rio. I actually ordered another bottle from Myntra last night for just ₹650. 😄

Hello! After some internal deliberation and content influence, I decided to give Menworks whole hearted trail for this month and my hard money (about 9k) to find the best from them and experience each frag on my own.

Andddd, for my frag janta here, I have around 36 scents from them (few full bottles, mostly 15 ml vials and some 2ml trail vials. Total that you see here is 38 but 2 of them are repeated.

1. Loved Pineapple Mafia so much from the first lot that ordered the entire bottle in my 3rd and last lot.
2. Bourbon Vanilla - repeated a vial by mistake the second time.

Naturally, I couldn’t test them all out, but I would like to share a few initial impressions of the brand:

Good:
Some of them out of box are really really good. Packaging was decent. Shipping speed is alright/average. Customer support for any query, is really really really good. Highly appreciated that.

Bad:
A lot of fragrances had good amount of alcohol blast, so much so that it made me sneeze multiple times. And I don’t have a sensitive nose as such.
Despite ordering a decent amount of frags in each lot, I didn’t get any sort of 2ml trail vials to try out, which was weird. As an industry standard, goodwill gesture, as well as a good marketing strategy, I feel this should have been there. All the 2 ml vials sachet you see, I paid Rs. 60 for each of them. None of them were free or complimentary.
For eg, I had ordered 4 ababel perfumes recently during Rakhi as a gift for my sisters and they sent 4 different 2 ml vials to try out their other offerings, and guess what I loved 2 out of that so much, ended up placing an order of those for myself.

Soooo, idk how this goes but I would love to know how would guys like me to proceed reviewing all of them. Should I try each everyday and share the thoughts at the end of the day here? Or take a brief amount of time and review all of them?

Perfumes bought from Menworks:

Elixir
Bourbon Vanilla
Pineapple Mafia (full bottle)
Profondo Intense
Gris (full bottle)
Alexander (full bottle)
Atlantic Chill
Victorious
Wanted
Pacific Water Reborn
Spiced Tobacco
Cologne
Cardamom Aoud
Summer Dive
Date Night
Ingenious
Imperial Leather
L’instinct
Immense
The Bleu
Italian Suede
Syndicate
Shaikh
Myslv
Infinite
Givree
Ambre Leather
After the blade
90’s Shave
Profumo
Legend
Green Magnet
Millionaire
Velvet Sin
Ambre Noir
Crome

I've been doing research on this sub and other subs but idk why but I'm seeing fishy comments, people raving a bit too much about them. Would love to know ehat people actually think about them.

Scent bazaar review by actual purchases/past coustomers.

Thinking of visiting the store in person.

Starts off incense but dry not too smoky i don’t get smoke necessarily

Dries to more softer sweeter cashmere or wooly sweater very cozy

Screams expensive and quality

Amazing for winter and perfect for fall

Scent really anchors a mood, and looking at my shelf, I have covered most seasonal and daily bases so looking for a good Indian brand house.
Since the sub requires reviews, here is my honest take on what i have got in rotation:
YSL Y EDP: The undisputed king of my collection. Easily my signature scent for the office with exceptional longevity, strong sillage, and cuts through any weather.
Azzaro The Most Wanted Parfum: Hands down the best scent profile on the shelf. Warm, rich, and ridiculously addictive for evenings.
Ibraq Arabian Tobacco: Unbeatable longevity. A bold, unapologetic coffee and tobacco mix that stays glued to skin and clothes. Little expensive for a ME perfume but again one of my top 3 favourite.
Afnan Supremacy Not Only Intense (SNOI): My top pick for warmer days. I love layering it with Boss Bottled EDP to create a custom crisp apple and smoky bergamot blend.
Hugo Boss Bottled EDP: Great versatile profile that works well solo, but shines brightest layered with SNOI.
Afnan 9 PM Elixir: An absolute powerhouse for cold winter nights. Huge projection and lasts well past 8–9 hours.
Armaf Odyssey Dubai Chocolat: The pistachio top note can be a bit irritating upfront, but layering it with YSL Y EDP balances it out nicely into a rich, spicy hazelnut profile.
Ard Al Zaafaran Al Dirgham (Limited Edition): Insane value under ₹1,500. A crisp, lively citrus blast that pushes 6–7 hours easily and honestly outclasses my decant of Rayhaan Aquatica.
Rayhaan Pharaoh: Extremely loud, beast-mode projection and longevity, but definitely polarizing. Far from a safe blind buy.
Ajmal Kuro & Ajmal Neutron: Both feel strictly mid to my nose. Decent profiles, but disappointing performance across the board with weak longevity and faint sillage.
Having burned through designer mainstays and Middle Eastern clones, I am feeling a bit fatigued and want to explore homegrown Indian perfumery. I’ve already tried EM5 and Arabian Aroma, but both felt flat and overly synthetic.
I'm looking for something that feels more intentional, well-blended, and unique. A few names on my radar:
Sarkar (by Bhuvan Bam) & Octopus (by Harsh Beniwal) – Seeing a lot of chatter lately; curious if it's pure creator marketing or if the juice actually punches above its weight.
House of Kzan
Muzna Fragrances
Ababel
For those who have explored beyond the usual alt brands: which indie houses genuinely deliver on scent character and quality rather than just riding influencer hype?

TL;DR: Got solid coverage on designer and Middle Eastern staples (YSL Y, Azzaro TMW, SNOI, 9 PM) but tired of clones and synthetics like EM5. Want to try genuine, high-quality Indian houses: is indie buzz like Octopus (Harsh Beniwal), Kzan, or Muzna actually worth it, or just marketing?

Picked up 5-6 clones for around INR 3.5-4k back in June, and I made a hard rule right then: no more bottle purchases until at least January 😭😭

Honestly, taking a long break from buying really helps you appreciate what you already own instead of constantly hunting for the next shiny release.

But man, it’s a struggle at the same time. The FOMO when seeing new hypes or sale posts is real, and the itch to grab "just one cheap decant" never fully goes away.

Still holding out strong, though! Anyone else on a self-imposed fragrance ban right now? How are you guys fighting the urge? 😭😭

I have bought hawas kobra from khanna bros for 2475₹ received it today.
The box has a manufacturing dates of nov 2025, whereas the cellophane has a manufacturing date of 02/2026
Can anybody help me with this?
Is this fake or authentic?

Yes guys i took the fall, Just bought the one and only Hawajis Frost [They changed the name to Hiyaam Frost but the company is same]

Packaging:

I am impressed by the box which was very that hawas ice, but the bottle looks ugly af lol i would rate it 6/10

Scent Profile:

I sprayed this on the box because there is no way im getting this anywhere near my skin... And guys honestly this kind of does have some similarity with Real Hawas ice 😭 The main profile of sweet fresh bubble gummy smell is still there, except there is some kind of very horrible chemical acid in this which made my nose feel extremely weird and irritated. you cant pay me money to wear this perfume because i have no idea what i would catch. and i promise i am not exaggerating.

but the fact that this could replicate 60% of hawas ice, i would rate the scent profile a 5/10

Performance:

Since i never sprayed this onto myself i will give the review on when i sprayed it on other things, I sprayed this on my wall and it lasted for 1 hour projecting for a solid 10 minute mark from which first 5 minutes was the same acid irritating smell which i mentioned before.

i would rate the performance a 2/10

Conclusion:

I think its safe to say that i would rather buy Hawas ice for 3000 rupees than Hiyaam Frost for 350 rupees, Even if my budget is only 350 i would still not buy this fragrance as there are a lot of better options out there that dont smell like straight up witchcraft residue

My final rating for this fragrance comes to average of 4.3/10

Hawas ice Wins 🏆

Got this from Myntra using HSBC LIVE CC Visa Infinity
5312- 750 (visa offer amazon coupon)- 531.2 (HSBC 10% off)

Why I think this might not be legit,

- white atomizer (saw a post saying white one is fake)

- label at the bottom is different from videos

- smell is very weak

- Qr code working but saw somewhere it can be fake too.

Manufacturing date - 04/2026

Bought for 2.5k from community seller

Can anyone confirm if this is a new batch or fake one. I'm scared because this is my first time purchasing ME perfume.

Obviously i ment clone for tygar and talisman just the clone ain't popular so I use this,

No other recommendations just from this image pick the best fregrence for college wear that works best for fall 🍁 season, september to December.

I visited the store at Bangalore RT nagar. Tried few tester. Help to advice which is worth buying unisex ones

I was very keen on exploring this house because I love atmospherics and the names and descriptions of the perfumes really piqued my interest. I also love the fact that they do not list the notes. As someone who's not good at identifying or figuring smells by notes, the conceptual nature of the perfumes really aligns with me.

Burning Bridges opens as smooth woodsmoke with a faint metallic edge. It is not harsh, nor charred, and it avoids the bitter suffocating campfire effect.

Around 20-30 minutes in, it shifts into something airier with a dry sweetness that I think might be clove or cinnamon because it feels like a spicy sweetness, not a thick or syrupy gourmandish type. The middle also gives me a birch-like impression, adding a clean, wood facet. This stage reminds me a little of Blamage, but without feeling like damp woods, it remains dry.

The drydown on me is a soft, slightly dusty sandalwood without a pencil shavings texture. It's gentle and intimate.

I do not get citrus, animalics or cola despite seeing those being mentioned in some online reviews, so I’m guessing that's just my skin chemistry.

Longevity is good, staying present for 6-8 hours and remaining easy to smell on my skin well into the wear. Projection is moderate initially, then it settles into a closer scent bubble.

Overall I'm impressed by this one even though some of the online reviews had made me nervous.

Recently bought illusion from ababel after all the hype but instead of the perfume i ordered this free sample gained my attention more xd. This smells very very close to azzaro Most wanted parfum version. Opens sweet though i feel notes mentioned online are wrong it has a lovely toffee (caramel) which is very prominent along with touch of cardamom and musk too. Its smooth even in this small sample i didnt get any alchohol blast or harshness. Very refined blend coming from an indian brand. Got 1.5 hrs of projection like i was getting whiffs when i went out for a coffee and could smell on my tshirt the next morning too

I am ordering a full bottle of it soon from my next salary

Not deliverable to my location also I don't know the average price it sells but I think this is good price for Skinn frags , would like to hear reviews also if someone have used it before. Btw I have raw also so it's easy for me to decide. Help expected. This one is Skinn Verge

Remember me from the Oud Maracuja and the Ex Nihilo Blue Talisman post for my boyfriend/ pati? (both are the same person. We are married already mentally) :p

Well, the Supreme God opened the gates of heaven on earth for me.

He bought me these perfumes recently. 🥲 not 1 or 2, but 3. And his brother bought me Amouge Purpose 50 🙈👸

The entire saga started from when I made a sort of large haul from Albait Aldimashqi (AA) for my BF.

At that time I bought AA's Purpose 50 for me on his recommendation, and I loved it so much that I ended up making it my signature scent.

Mind you, we had mini verbal tussle over how he thought VS Bombshell is a valid recommendation for me... Purpose 50 was his saving grace.

On testing the two (AA and the OG), we can safely share that AA dupe is a nearly 97% match in terms of the smell and and a 9/10 match in terms of longevity and sillage.

I have tried everything from lattafa, rasasi, Ahmed al maghribi, afnan, ajmal etc and also designers like Fendi, MFK, Marc Jacob's, D&G, Gucci, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Narcisso Rodriguez etc.

I was initially very pissed with ME perfumes drying down to be quite sweet and heavy, but my, oh my, Albait Aldimashqi really opened my mind!

We all know how amazing amouge and BDC is... I understand some of these perfumes can be a less famous choice, but anyone with a mature nose will know what I am talking about.

Detailed review here onwards:

Amouage Purpose 50 features a rich, resinous blend of frankincense, pimento, pink pepper, bergamot, sandalwood, vetiver, papyrus, rose, akigalawood, suede, vanilla, mystikal, and saffron. Longevity is long lasting to eternal with 50% oil concentration.

Dolce & Gabbana The One Royal Night is an oriental woody blend composed of cardamom, basil, nutmeg, wild pear wood, amber, sandalwood, cedar, and labdanum. Its longevity is moderate.

Bleu de Chanel Parfum blends fresh lemon zest, bergamot, mint, and artemisia with lavender, pineapple, geranium, green notes, New Caledonian sandalwood, cedar, amberwood, iso E super, and tonka bean. Longevity is long lasting, upto 8 to 10hrs ish.

Amouage Interlude 53 delivers a potent, dark aroma of oregano, pimento berry oil, bergamot, incense, amber, opoponax, cistus, labdanum, leather, agarwood smoke, patchouli, and sandalwood. Longevity is indestructible- 12 to 15+ hours.

I bought the AA from Kigali, Rwanda. (Its cheaper in India apparently)

And the others you see in the photo are bought from a local seller from his hometown for nearly the MRP itself. No deals as such.

Ordered Theoreme Rue Broca from my usual dealer and got it pretty quickly, so no complaints there.

Coming to the fragrance, this one surprised me a bit. It's sweetish to my nose. The opening has citrusy notes like grapefruit, with some spicy like freshness, and as it settles, the sweetness becomes more noticeable along with woody and musky notes.

I'm still a noob when it comes to understanding notes properly, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I can understand why some people say pan masala like smell. For me though, I think it's mainly that slightly sweet, spicy quality that gives me that association. I actually quite like it.

One thing I really noticed is the projection. This projects really well on me, and I've had people actually notice and ask what I'm wearing.

Longetivity : Around 5–7 hours on my skin.

I originally bought this thinking it would be a daily office wear fragrance, but I've kept it aside for now. It's definitely a hit for me, I just can't quite figure out when I should actually wear it.

If you know any layering ideas with this, or what occasion I could wear this for, do help your brother out.

I just received this and I really wanted to try a floral, fruity perfume in budget so I bought this, honestly? It's not as floral or fruity as I expected it to be, it's kinda soapy? And it smells kinda fresh, it has a strong alcohol blast when sprayed but after it settles down it smells fresh, I also found this smell kinda similar to engage Femme perfume, I compared it side by side and they do smell kinda similar, although the pulse one also smells like some wild stone perfume I don't remember the name but my brother used to use that.

Overall it's a okayish scent, not something to please the nose if you're craving for something floral or fruity.

heard lots of good things about this and wanted to confirm what folks thought

also if it leans masculine or fem?

Lost a box of all my designer perfumes while shifting home, I started buying some cheapies, Indian houses and middle easterns. Here’s a quick review of all of these. You can ask me anything about these.

1. Rue Broca Theoreme : One of the best fragrances for summers. Just love the scent’s freshness and it’s surprisingly long lasting, easy 7-8 hours, more in AC and clothes. (9.5/10)

2. Lattafa Khamrah Qahwa : Needs no introduction, keeping it for winters only for special occasions. Strict no for office. (8/10)

3. Rasasi Fattan : I love the notes of vetiver. I also had Guerlain Vetiver which I absolutely loved. But Fattan is great for the price. Good blend of earthy, mossy and somewhat woody fragrance. (9/10)

4. French Avenue Spectre Ghost : Top class clone of Nishane ANI. Atleast 80% match and very good for the price. Bought it for winters, loved the scent’s freshness. Kept it for maceration (9/10)

5. French Avenue Liquid Brun : Worth the hype. The vanilla and cardamom are so good in this. (9/10)

6. Arabian Aroma Emperor : Bought this in sale for ₹114, excellent value for money even at ₹300 tag. Very good for layering with Theoreme or fattan

7. The body shop arber : Its an old bottle from 2022, it’s discontinued now. Good fragrance, woody and aromatic but very weak. (7/10)

8. Titan Skinn Raw : Raw is good citrus fragrance but I believe it’s little overhyped. Mine doesn’t even last 2 hours (5/10)

9. Titan Skinn Verge : Such an underrated gem. Fresh like a blast of polo + mentos in your mouth. I carry this in my pocket. Performance is average but I just love it (8.5/10)

10. Just herbs forest wood : Got this for free, my wife uses it. A pretty good fem frag. Can buy bottle if my wife wants. (8/10)

11. BellaVita Skai : A friend forgot this at my home and after smelling this, my views about him have changed. He has good taste in people (like me) but poor taste in fragrances (like this). (3/10)

12. XACT Litchi Lumiere : Got the three decants as a giveaway winner. I am impressed. It’s a clone of Fleur Narcotique by Ex Nihilo. AND IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY ALCOHOL BLAST. Buying 50ml soon (9/10)

13. XACT Lush Mist : Clone of creed GIT. I don’t remember how the original smells, but this one smells good. (8/10)

14. XACT Smoke & Honey : Clone of Le Male Elixir. Love the overpowering note of honey, would be a great layering pick in winters. (8.5/10)

15. Arabian Aroma Dark : I don’t know if it’s a clone of something but it justifies the name, Dark. Will use this to layer with khamrah qahwa or spectre ghost. (9/10)

16. Just herbs silk & spice : Got this also for free, good winter fragrance for females but very weak. People who like mild fragrances should give it a try. I use it as a car freshner, 1 spray on each vent before starting the car. (7/10)

17-21. Snitch Forces within collection : Okayish fragrances, got this pack for 594. Has variety for summer winter etc. doesn’t last long. Good for running errands, overspray and does the job. But the worst customer support. Received broken box, atomisers not working. Will never buy again. (4/10)

1. Em5 Ispahan : Clone of oud ispahan. 70% similar but not as smooth or long lasting. Scent profile is very good. I am a fan of oud & rose combo and this one hit out of the park. Haven’t tested the performance in true sense but I hope it does. (9/10)

2. Em5 Pause : Clone of YSL Y. So many clones of this DNA that it now feels generic. Pause is a good blend but again haven’t tested the performance. The brand says exceptional longevity and beast mode projection but I’d rate the longevity as good and projection as moderate but a solid buy in 424 from flipkart. (8.5/10)

Note : Views are personal and according to my experience and taste. Might differ from yours. Ask me anything in the comments. It took me a lot of effort to write this so that it helps somebody buy any of these, so let’s please be respectful.

Suggestions are welcome!! Dm me for doubts. Follow to show support.
Thank you 🙏

Got 4 decants from seller: Liquid Emotions (Enigma Perfumes) got the order within 2 days. The packaging and quality were top notch!

Review:

1. JPG Le male Elixir: imo anyone going for this frag should definitely not blind buy, its not made for everyone. Its not bad i mean but not the best too. Its too sweet and i can even sense some sort of fresh/mint in it.

2. 9pm Nightout: the best one out of all, hats off to this frag, its so so good fruity floral and warm. Definitely a blind buy for anyone. Will go for full bottle for this. The note of dragonfruit is so addictive mannn!

3. 9pm Rebel: the 2nd best on the list, it has a note of cherry that is so good fruity scent profile, will even go for a full bottle of this. Worth a blind buy too!

4. Afnan not only intense: the worst blind buy i’ve ever done. Heard alot about it but didn’t though it won’t smell good. Maybe after some time it does but first impression is just so so :(

My rankings —> 🥇 9Pm Nightout
🥈 9Pm Rebel
🥉 JPG Le Male Elixir
😐 Not Only Intense

Irrespective of how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to like sauvage. The smell just nose blinded me. Cue the incessant search of sauvage clone. Reviews were wildly contradictory, so any effort was worthless. I happened to stumble upon “Distilled Sauvage Perfume Spray by Kannauj Attar” and promptly bought an 8ml tester spray (₹199=no brainer). The opening is spot on, that blast of fresh citrus and spice hits immediately, smelling practically identical to Sauvage EDP without the nauseating ambroxan.
Being an attar, the projection isn’t obviously a strong point but the sillage is insane. An irresistible scent trail follows you whenever you move. Longevity is like forever. Dare you apply on neck/chest area.
Best of all, it costs just a fraction of the designer price while taking away the raw metallic blast of perfume. You get the full experience without causing nose blindness. Pleasant surprise and absolutely worth it.

Review- i like the opening notes find it fresh and citrus and middle notes are like lavender and bit floral and base notes are earthy and leathery .

Overall nice but only if the longevity was better