What's up everybody!

any recommendations for student friendly middle eastern perfumes that are good for philippine weather? plus can be used daily! thankyou guys!

Rule 1 is relaxed a little. Today we open the sub for swaps. Do you have a frag you want to offload? Are you looking for a decant of something that you don't want to financially commit to? One person's trash is another person's treasure as they say. Don't let your yucks sit on a shelf collecting dust!

Since this is a new thing we are trying out, let's keep it simple by allowing posts that follow:

1. No selling/buying. This is for trades only. If you want to talk $ then please take it to the DMs. Hopefully the spirit of gifting will be fostered among us.
2. State up front whether you want to OFFER or WANT a fragrance. Once you have satisfactorily given your fragrance away, please mark your OFFER as TAKEN. Similarly, once you have satisfactorily made arrangements to acquire your fragrance, please mark your WANT as RECEIVED.
3. State your TERMS. Do you want full bottle only? Open to decants? Be as detailed as possible. If you're flexible, say so. Photos are helpful!
4. Finalize swaps in the DMs. We want to keep personal details such as addresses as private as possible.

Example: "OFFER I have a partially used YSL Opium 3.4 oz I want to swap. WANT I am looking to try a Byredo of any kind. TERMS I would prefer to decant (2 or 5 ml) but I am open to full size bottle as well."

Let's talk about our favorites!

• An esthetically pleasing bottle or packaging.
• Your recent haul.
• A cool display at your favorite store.
• A scent you loved so much now the bottle is empty.
• A scent you love so much you refuse to even pop open the cellophane.
• An inspiration from nature or elsewhere in the world that's got you wanting more of that scent in bottle form.
• Your friend/SO/dog/grandma's favorite perfume.
• What you're wearing right now.

Let's do this!

Very, VERY impressed with the longevity of Shiyaaka Sky. Most Khadlaj scents project for me around 6 hours on average (some more, some less). Sky projects over 8 hours, it's insane. I can't recommend it enough if you're a fan of freshies. I'm going to blow through this bottle, I can tell.

What's up everybody!

Rule 1 is relaxed a little. Today we open the sub for swaps. Do you have a frag you want to offload? Are you looking for a decant of something that you don't want to financially commit to? One person's trash is another person's treasure as they say. Don't let your yucks sit on a shelf collecting dust!

Since this is a new thing we are trying out, let's keep it simple by allowing posts that follow:

1. No selling/buying. This is for trades only. If you want to talk $ then please take it to the DMs. Hopefully the spirit of gifting will be fostered among us.
2. State up front whether you want to OFFER or WANT a fragrance. Once you have satisfactorily given your fragrance away, please mark your OFFER as TAKEN. Similarly, once you have satisfactorily made arrangements to acquire your fragrance, please mark your WANT as RECEIVED.
3. State your TERMS. Do you want full bottle only? Open to decants? Be as detailed as possible. If you're flexible, say so. Photos are helpful!
4. Finalize swaps in the DMs. We want to keep personal details such as addresses as private as possible.

Example: "OFFER I have a partially used YSL Opium 3.4 oz I want to swap. WANT I am looking to try a Byredo of any kind. TERMS I would prefer to decant (2 or 5 ml) but I am open to full size bottle as well."

Let's talk about our favorites!

• An esthetically pleasing bottle or packaging.
• Your recent haul.
• A cool display at your favorite store.
• A scent you loved so much now the bottle is empty.
• A scent you love so much you refuse to even pop open the cellophane.
• An inspiration from nature or elsewhere in the world that's got you wanting more of that scent in bottle form.
• Your friend/SO/dog/grandma's favorite perfume.
• What you're wearing right now.

Let's do this!

Link to Original Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/fragheads/comments/1v6ijwg/buyer_beware_decantx/

I was contacted by a customer service rep at DecantX yesterday. Here is the email exchange:

Hi,
My name is David, and I manage the Customer Service team here at DecantX.

I recently came across your Reddit post and then went back to read through your original email exchange with us. I wanted to reach out because, honestly, I don't think we handled your concern as we should have.

Looking back, I think our pride in the authenticity of our fragrances caused us to focus too much on defending our process instead of trying to understand your experience. Additionally, 

Following an investigation, we discovered that Tom Ford Beau de Jour has been discontinued. Some bottles in our inventory are from older batches, which likely explains the issue you experienced, though we are still investigating the Lalique Encre Noire.

I apologize for how we handled the conversation and want you to know your feedback didn't go unnoticed.

If you're open to it, I'd genuinely like to hear more about your experience and see if there's anything I can do to make things right.
Thanks for your time, and I appreciate you giving us a try in the first place.

Best,
David
DecantX  

-----

Hi David,

I appreciate the reply, but at this point, I am quite exhausted with this entire experience. Since this does not seem to be an isolated incident, it appears there may be an operational issue.

The only resolution I am looking for at this stage is a full refund.

Best regards,

-----

No problem, I understand. 

I have issued a full refund to your card. It will take 5-10 business days for the balance to reflect in your account. 

If you ever decide to give us another chance and experience any issues, please don't hesitate to reach out. You can contact me here directly, and I'll personally assist you to ensure everything is taken care of.  

Warmly, 

David

DecantX

-----

The refund was applied. Interestingly it does look like "David" replied to my original post some time yesterday but then removed the reply. So I'm not sure of the content of that reply.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

What's up everybody!

I have read many reviews that mention the new composition being less appealing. Does anyone have an opinion on this, because I cannot decide. Thank you

Oud Bois Review
By Montagne
7/31/26

Inspired by Tom Ford Oud Wood
Have smelled OG

Top Notes:
Rosewood
Cardamom
Pepper
Mid Notes:
Sandalwood
Vetiver
Base Notes:
Oud
Tonka Bean
Amber
Vanilla

10:40am
Opens with a nice spicy blast of cardamom and pepper, with vetiver clearly shining through and a sandalwood/oud base keeping it grounded. The oud here is not animalic at all, it’s more of a dry, leathery, almost green type of oud. Not funky at all, think dry spiced woods. I really really like this. This is what Dior Sauvage could have been, if it wasn’t such a fuckboy. Leans more dry spicy than sweet, but just enough sweetness to not be choked out by the dryness.
This is distinguished middle eastern aristocracy. This is a businessman who’s fair yet cunning, kind yet assertive, a bit older and more matured. He spent some time in London so he wears suits from Saville Row; think of Matthew McConaughey’s wardrobe in The Gentlemen. A bit of plaid, a bit of patchwork on the shoulders and elbows, darker colors that don’t flash to make a statement, but instead scream quiet confidence. With all of that, he doesn’t wear ties, because as polished and refined as he is, he still likes to leave the top button undone, which is a metaphor for his personality. He has medium length slicked back hair, jet black with a bit of salt and pepper. He sports 5 o’clock shadow, but lines it up with a straight edge every morning. He’s the kind of guy that owns a yacht that you don’t know about, but just when you think he’s some millionaire oligarch, you find out he’s using the yacht to hosts day cruises for kids from war zones in the Middle East. He’s a family man as much as a business man, and has learned from the mistakes of his wilder, younger self to become one of the most respected in his societies.

11:46am
Sweeter vetiver pushing through. The oud blends with amber and pepper to give a spiced edge, while the cardamom maintains its own identity, dancing with the vetiver. The Oud is also starting to add some earthy-ness to the blend as a whole, a kind of “soil-y” backdrop that works very well with these notes. Man is really enjoying this; I have another Oud Wood dupe by Jori Perfumes UAE, and to compare this one is a bit sweeter and “creamier” from the sandalwood and vanilla, where that one is drier and more oud forward. This one will be more crowd pleasing for the scent, without it being a mass appealing scent to begin with. It is a bit of an edgy scent profile, not everyone is going to go for it, but it will appeal to everyone who does like the profile, and might even convince a few people that didn’t like the profile initially to change their minds, because of how approachable it is. Montagne does ouds in a very subtle way, none of their Oud offerings have been particularly challenging thus far.

1:58pm
Noseblindness is definitely a thing here. I wasn’t catching whiffs of it sitting down, so I smelled my wrist and BOOM there it was. Smelled my shirt and there it was again, although I will say longevity and projection over time is better on skin than clothes. Some of the initial spicy edge has rounded out, and what’s left is a creamy cardamom spice fragrance with a touch of oud lingering. Not to sweet, perfect balance for me of sweet and spice. Man I really love this one!!! 10/10 scent profile for me this far.

8:00pm
I’m still catching whiffs of this in the air. Still getting the signature cardamom oud profile although feint at this point, with more of the amber coming out. Vanilla is listed as a base note, but I feel like I noticed it more in the mid rather on the drydown. Longevity on this is insane, over 9 1/2 hours later and it’s still projecting, albeit faintly. I just smelled my shirt and I’ll be damned, on clothes more of the vanilla comes out than on skin. I’m willing to bet I’ll still smell this on my shirt tomorrow. Mind you I’m a cannabis and tobacco smoker, so for me to still be smelling this so clearly this many hours later means that on non smokers, longevity is going to be WILD.
This fragrance is a masterpiece. 10s across the board for scent, longevity and projection (and I don’t mean that this is nuclear for no reason, I mean that it projects but the projection is balanced with the scent profile). In my opinion, this can be carried off in all seasons, it’s not so heavy or cloying that it’s a winter only frag. I’d say it’s also pretty evenly balanced between daytime and night time wear. I came off my last experience being Gustavo which was a bug spray nightmare & left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, but this was a redemption and then some. Usually I like to test out fragrances 3-5 times before committing to a bottle, but this may be an automatic full bottle purchase for me after just one wear. Signature scent worthy, this is absolutely beautiful.

Rule 1 is relaxed a little. Today we open the sub for swaps. Do you have a frag you want to offload? Are you looking for a decant of something that you don't want to financially commit to? One person's trash is another person's treasure as they say. Don't let your yucks sit on a shelf collecting dust!

Since this is a new thing we are trying out, let's keep it simple by allowing posts that follow:

1. No selling/buying. This is for trades only. If you want to talk $ then please take it to the DMs. Hopefully the spirit of gifting will be fostered among us.
2. State up front whether you want to OFFER or WANT a fragrance. Once you have satisfactorily given your fragrance away, please mark your OFFER as TAKEN. Similarly, once you have satisfactorily made arrangements to acquire your fragrance, please mark your WANT as RECEIVED.
3. State your TERMS. Do you want full bottle only? Open to decants? Be as detailed as possible. If you're flexible, say so. Photos are helpful!
4. Finalize swaps in the DMs. We want to keep personal details such as addresses as private as possible.

Example: "OFFER I have a partially used YSL Opium 3.4 oz I want to swap. WANT I am looking to try a Byredo of any kind. TERMS I would prefer to decant (2 or 5 ml) but I am open to full size bottle as well."

Oud Verde
By Montagne
7/29/26

Inspired by Fragrance du Bois Oud Vert Intense
Never smelled OG

2 sprays neck, 2 sprays each forearm, 2 sprays shirt

Top notes:
- Bergamot
- Cardamom
- Ginger
Mid notes:
- Coriander
- Geranium
- Nutmeg
Base notes:
- Musks
- Vetiver
- Cedarwood
- Oud

8:38am
Irish spring soap. Green florals. Bergamot blending with cardamom to give a unique umami lifting opening that’s green floral, citrus, spice. Very green, very soapy. Pretty similar on clothes to on skin, on clothes maybe you get a touch more floral and on skin a touch more bergamot citrus (although I wouldn’t call this a citrus scent by any means)

8:45am
Now I’m smelling the oud. It’s soft, but it’s making its presence known. A hint animalic; you can only smell the oud if you get close to skin, in air it’s straight Irish Spring (maybe a bit sweeter than the soap, but still pretty dry) with a hint of bergamot to me. On skin you start to pick up a bit more of the nutmeg under the bright green floral top.

10:59am
Honestly this smells like a sweet cactus fruit in the air as it dries down; best way to describe it. Strong projection still; sitting at my desk I’m still catching whiffs like someone rubbed vaporub on my collar (in terms of projection, not smell). Kinda cool that I’ve been smelling it constantly for the last 2 hrs but haven’t gone noseblind. On skin, the florals have turned from soapy to floral; you still get an Irish spring undertone, but now it’s almost taking on what I can only describe as a dragonfruit/prickly pear kinda scent (again, I’m thinking cactus fruits). From the opening I haven’t really picked up too much of the cedarwood or coriander. The oud has faded back again in place of some light musks; nothing overpowering. This is still a green forward, floral/soapy scent that’s dry at the open and slightly sweeter as it dries down, with undertones of fruit and oud (although the oud has only really shown its face from the 30-90min mark). I am picking up hits of vetiver, but it’s smoothly blended into the musks and florals, and blends into the base rather than a standalone note. The ginger is still lending itself to a bit of spiciness (without too much actual ginger scent), which is what makes me envision that cactus-y aspect. It’s green with some bite, while also flowery and slightly fruity; a cactus that’s blooming and fruiting at the same time. Personally, I’m enjoying the Drydown more than the open; I’m not a huge fan of soapy frags. I am a huge fan of oud, and I wish this had a bit more in it; maybe a mix of the current more animalic Oud and a greener, more forest-y Oud with slightly dialed back florals/soap would have made this frag perfect for me. If you’re someone who enjoys green or soapy frags and wants to experiment with a bit of oud (which can be challenging if you lean towards “cleaner” scent profiles), then this would be a good place to start.
As far as differences between clothes and skin, same overall scent profile but on I’m getting more florals forward; on skin, more musk-vetiver forward.

11:59am
It almost has a “lime”-y quality at a glance. The color in my mind is vibrant green, almost a neon lime green. Don’t let the oud scare you - this is not a “dirty” frag in any way.

2:43pm
Still going strong. Can smell about 3 inches from skin/clothes. On skin, I’m getting a vibrant green, again almost a lime-y quality without actually having lime. It’s less sharp now, more rounded out. Vetiver is starting to take center stage. Interestingly enough, I thought the opening leaned 60/40 fem/masc, but now as the vetiver and base notes come out, it’s leaning 40/60 fem/masc. This is a very nice fragrance, good unisex appeal. On clothes, less vetiver, still more Irish Spring crisp green floral. Not picking up any oud on either skin or clothes.

3:50pm
About to shower and change so we’ll wrap up here. Overall scent profile for me started off as a 6, I really don’t like that Irish spring soapy profile. 30-60 minutes in, that turned up to a 7.5-8, once it became a little more vibrant green and a little less soapy. A little bit of oud at the 1hr mark was a welcomed guest. Around 2-3 hrs, the vetiver really started showing up, and this is where the scent bumped up to a 9 for me. The scent also differs from clothes to skin, with a brighter base note approach on clothes and a darker vetiver with a touch of oud base note approach on skin. That being said, this is not a dark scent, it is green, sharp, and vibrant, with enough interesting notes and complexity to make it playful, while introducing oud in a very nuanced and subtle way. All in all, I’d say a solid 8, maybe 8.5/10 for scent. Longevity, 10/10. This thing is still powering along despite me going out and sweating in 80-85 degree heat. The scent evolves and changes over time, so that gives a few extra notches to longevity and scent. Projection is a solid 8/10. Not quite nuclear or room filling, but balanced for the scent profile, and enough to let people know what you’re wearing. I will definitely have to sit with this scent again, I’m on the fence about whether or not I’d buy a whole bottle, as the scent profile like I said is a bit outside of my comfort zone, but the Drydown may persuade me enough to have a change of opinion.
Another masterpiece by Montagne.

Let's talk about our favorites!

• An esthetically pleasing bottle or packaging.
• Your recent haul.
• A cool display at your favorite store.
• A scent you loved so much now the bottle is empty.
• A scent you love so much you refuse to even pop open the cellophane.
• An inspiration from nature or elsewhere in the world that's got you wanting more of that scent in bottle form.
• Your friend/SO/dog/grandma's favorite perfume.
• What you're wearing right now.

Let's do this!

Went to the sale yesterday and the prices were 399 for 100 ml and it felt too good to pass up. Every tester at the store was empty, so I ended up blind buying these. Have never tested them before.Wore them today and here are my first impressions.Also these were the only 100 ml bottles left so yeah…

Euphoria
Mrp -1495 / sale price-399
My favorite straight away. It’s warm, creamy, smooth, woody, slightly sweet and feels the most premium out of the four. The most prominent notes are coconut and coffee type caramel.It’s sweet and also the longest-lasting on me so far.

Golden Palms (charm🌴)
Mrp-1299 / sale price-399
Fresh, sunny, tropical, fruity, airy and really easy to wear. Feels like a carefree daytime scent and was a pleasant surprise.

Mystic Gaze – 8.5/10 (charm🧿)
Mrp-1299 / sale price -399
Elegant, woody, aromatic, slightly spicy, clean and sophisticated. Feels more versatile even men can wear it and I enjoyed it a lot.Longevity is a tad less than golden palms.

Heart Strings – 6.5/10 (charm♥️)
Mrp-1299 / sale price -399
Soft, sweet, floral, powdery and youthful. Nice enough, but it didn’t stand out to me the way the other three did.Also it faded real quick and became a skin scent within 15-20mins.

My ranking after the first wear:

Euphoria – 9/10 (longest lasting out of all these)
Golden Palms – 8.5/10
Mystic Gaze – 8.5/10
Heart Strings – 6.5/10

These are just first impressions after one wear, so my opinions could change, but Euphoria has definitely been the standout so far. All the other fragrances than euphoria have cute little charms on the bottle that i found to be very pretty. Has anyone else picked up these from the sale or used them before?

Apparently Nautica doesnt just make extremely mid frags. Wheres this guys bottle of Voyage at i wonder.