Kicking the year off with a great start, now before anyone starts shouting. yes rhis is the dreaded 2025 formulation. I checked the batch codes and this was all they had in stock. I had my nose on the edp and this one which was a touch sweeter. I could have gone for the intense, but there was no tester and at these prices I'm not taking risks on something I have. No experience with. So this is another Francis Kurkdjian effort after the eau forte and the limited €15000 Sauvage fiasco's I should have ran away. But it's actually not a bad fragrance to be fair. Ok fans of the original formulation might be pissed, I believe the old one was and Iris/leather base which I would love to try whereas the new 2025 is a warm amber based scent So there is still Iris in the opening, it's strong, powdery and clean, but alas, it fades away rather quickly. There is also an Orange note in there plays a nice support role in the opening and could easily be missed. At the heart, the Amber accord takes over the show and it dominates. This is were the sweetness and warmth come from. This is designed totally with the Amber in control, the base has Coumarin, Patchouli and some Vetiver and a Hay Cut? Which gives an overall earthy/woody foundation to anchor the sweetness of the Amber. I won't even try to make comparisons here. From what I've read this is a totally different fragrance and in all fairness should have been given it's own line name. But the money men rule the roost right. This may be a cash in, but it's a good one imo, I quite like this and it makes me want to explore at least the others, definitely want to try the intense and if I can find an old formulation of this, Iris and leather sound amazing. I've gotten a solid 6 hrs with this, it's consistent for the duration. Projection is good for the first 2hrs, before settling into a moderate, refined scent bubble. Like most of my collection I tend to be drawn towards the Autumn/Winter fragrances and this is no different. I'd say this will appeal to the masses as it's quite versatile and could work just as well in the office as on a date night. If you haven't already tried it, give it a go, just judge it on its own merits and don't make comparisons. This is a Dior Homme in name only. It could have easily been named Pour Homme or Homme Amber?

Yes I'm a sucker for leather, This is one that I actually left behind a few days ago, regretted my desicion and went back to get. It's rather intriguing, said to be a dupe for everyone's favourite, Ombre Leather. But whilst there are some similarities, Rare Carbon is different. I even get some African Leather vibes in the mix here. Overall it's an impressive release from 2020 by the UAE based house Afnan. It's built around a strong leather accord, sweetened with florals and spices, and grounded by a woody base. The opening is a powerful blast of leather, it's a little smoky, rugged, new-car-like. This is immediately smoothed by the green, slightly aqueous presence of Violet Leaf and warmed up with a touch of aromatic Cinnamon and Nutmeg spice. As the initial intensity mellows, the scent reveals a softer, more complex heart. The Violet and Rose add a powdery, floral elegance that prevents the leather from becoming too harsh or linear. Cedar Wood provides a clean, dry backbone. There is supposed to be an oud note here as well, but if it's there the cedar seems to be masking it? The dry-down is warm, earthy, and long-lasting. Vetiver introduces an earthy, smoky quality; Sandalwood adds a creamy woodiness; and Amber adds a rich, resinous warmth, securing the leather accord.Oddly this is one of the few leather fragrances that does not contain any Jasmine Sambac. I really like the construction here. For a budget friendly ME fragrance, it offers solid performance, especially for its price point: I'm getting a strong 6+ hrs. The opening is quite strong, pushing out noticeably for the first hour. It then settles into a moderate scent cloud that will still be easily detectable to those around you in your personal space for a few more hours. It continues my favouritism for cold weather scents. But it's versatile to cover day and nighttime wear. This is a good one to have on your shelf My Rating: 8/10 Scent: 2.5 Longevity: 2.5 Sillage: 2 Y/N: 1