Lys 41 is a fairly simplistic white floral scent, but it’s definitely one of the better tuberose fragrances I’ve come across. It’s focused around the pure white trio of tuberose, Lily and Jasmine which creates the most delicate and gentle scent profile. The tuberose in here isn’t thick, waxy or bubblegummy at all. It’s balanced perfectly by the airy, slightly green and vegetal nature of the lily and jasmine to avoid becoming cloying or overly sweet. There’s soft hints of gentle vanilla and soapy synthetic musks but overall the entire scent is revolved around these three flowers. I really enjoy this scent, although not enough to buy a bottle. It’s incredibly relaxing and meditative to wear, but for the price it is just too simple of a scent profile to justify it.

I’m a big fan of supposedly animalic fragrances, so I was disappointed when this didn’t come across that way. I was expecting something raw, primal and erotic but instead found something grossly synthetic, medicinal and excessively harsh. To my nose, Pheromones is dominated by this refreshing citrusy yet balsamic elemi note which I believe is main culprit of that medicinal smell. Thick and heavy cardamom, intense leathery labdanum and a dirty cypriol take this even further. The scent is definitely stinky and dirty, but in a very fake and clinical way rather than natural and animalic. This scent let me down unfortunately. It just didn’t live up to the quality and praise I’d heard online. If you’re looking for a seductive animalic scent, you won’t find it here.

Epiphany is a big no-no for me, matter of fact it gave me the instant epiphany that I don’t like this fragrance. There’s no denying this is a very unique scent profile, but there doesn’t seem to be any harmony or balance to make this wearable in any way. It’s got this extremely prominent note of a bitter and zesty lime, coupled with enough black pepper to make you sneeze about 30 times in a row. From here you start to notice a very sour and sticky liquorice contrasted by the smoky, earthy woodiness of incense, birch, cedar and patchouli. It starts to improve a bit as it dries down but to be completely honest I don’t find any enjoyment from this scent. As I said earlier it could do with being a bit softened round the edges.

Begum is one of those fragrances I seriously thought I would love from looking at the note breakdown, unfortunately I was left disappointed. Usually the fragrances from the 17/17 Stone Collection smells exceptional with fantastic quality, however this seems to smell significantly cheaper to it’s peers. It opens with a medley of citrus and fruity red berries before quickly developing a clean floral heart of jammy rose, soft orris, powdery ylang and a hint of soapy white florals. This aspect of the scent is lovely I must say but as the sandalwood starts introducing itself, the obnoxiously sweet vanilla and plasticky rosewood take over and ruin it for me. This feels like the same style of rosewood they used for Alexandria II which I can’t stand. This scent starts off really well in the opening and then just gets progressively worse until you’re left with a bit of a headache-inducing mess if I’m honest.

Durra is my first encounter with anything from Spirit of Dubai, and I must say I’m thoroughly impressed. This scent is the epitome of a summertime oud fragrance, combining both the woody and resinous aspects of Middle Eastern perfumery, with the refreshing aquatic feel of the summer. There’s obviously way too many notes in here to be able to pick them all out, but some dominate more than other. More than anything, I get an explosion of a thick and intensely earthy oud alongside smoky birch, leather, civet, castoreum and tolu balsam which provides this rich and animalic soul to the scent. To contrast, there’s a powerful mix of aquatic and ozonic aldehydes with some hints of green pine, aromatic sage and masculine lavender. Durra is incredible, a must-try if you’re seeking a complex and attention grabbing summer scent that strays away from what we’re used to in the West. The contrast of the refreshing salty spray of the sea, with the earthy animalics and oud shouldn’t work at all, and yet it does - fantastically.

Side Effect is one of the most hyped niche fragrances on the market and I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to review it, but it’s not like there was a need for any rush as this scent is pure disappointment in a bottle. The scent is revolved around what can only be described as one of the cheapest rum accords I’ve ever come across - it smells overly sweet and plasticky which could be as a result of the saffron and hedione, but shouldn’t if it was done well. The tobacco and cinnamon are supposed to add a dry spiciness to the scent but instead just make it smell even more of a mess. The quality here is abysmal, how they can charge so much money for such a poor scent is beyond me. I wouldn’t go as far to say it’s revolting, but it’s definitely unpleasant and I have no idea why there’s so much hype surrounding this.

Kingdom of Bahrain is an interesting scent, for one because it seems to have no connotations with the middle east in the slightest. Instead, it heads into aromatic fougere territory, but despite this it’s still a beautiful scent and I can see why people love it - but it’s not my favourite from the Gulf Collection. The citrus notes of lime, lemon and bergamot are present throughout the life of the scent which is mixed beautifully with green, woody and aromatic notes of sage, bay leaf, birch, pine, cypress and patchouli to give the scent a powerful and sophisticated masculinity. Alongside this, it’s got the delectable sweetness of a gentle cotton Candy accord, contrasted by the sexy saltiness of marine ambergris. Bahrain is a beautifully smooth scent combining the rugged desire of aromatic fougere, with the youthful allure of candied sweetness. Like I said it seems to have no relation to middle-eastern perfumery which is strange, but the scent is beautiful and has good longevity.

Mr Sam is a tobacco scent unlike most I have come across in the past and yet still feels quite simplistic. The scent is dominated by an incredibly smooth, well-rounded cardamom which is both warming and alluring. From here I get a strong dose of spicy cinnamon and a kick of black pepper before the real stars begin to shine. A dry, slightly ashy tobacco is complimented gorgeously by a woody, earthy base of cedar and patchouli. This is then rounded out very well with a seductively sweet vanilla. Overall this scent is very enjoyable to wear, its sweet tobacco and warm spices made with brilliant quality as always from Penhaligon’s, but clearly made with the mass-market in mind. This scent is very mass appealing, however the longevity is poor I find which is a shame.

Molecule 01 + Iris does exactly what it says on the tin, it’s a very simplistic and straightforward scent and executed very well. Obviously this fragrance is dominated by an explosion of synthetic yet incredibly smooth and sensual Iso E Super, this is where the fantastically addictive component of the scent derives. The orris root then adds two distinct contrasting scent profiles from here; firstly is the subtle powdery, creamy and almost buttery nature that we all associate with orris, and secondly is the dry, earthy and slightly grassy aspect of the orris root which we often don’t see in most fragrances. You can’t hate on this scent for its simplicity, because it achieves exactly what it sets out to to - it’s not trying to be complex. This is a perfect scent when you’re in one of those moods that you just want to smell clean and sophisticated, when you feel like taking a day off from wearing perfume (but you’re obviously not that crazy).