Mirsaal With Love

The sillage of this perfume is intoxicating. It definitely smells better in the air than on the area of application. Very fecal smelling when first applied but it becomes better after a few minutes. Long lasting with good projection. Very unisex. Doesn't smell like BR540 but someone close to me said I did so I don't know! You will definitely be noticed when wearing this perfume so not for someone that doesn't want to stand out. Not a safe blind buy for people that don't like oud.

At first I didn't love this so much. I'm just not a fan of pure sugar and I'm not a big gourmet lover either. And this one is both. Sugary gourmet. Skanky Oud here is very beautiful. Not pungent, very open. Despite that oudh and oakmoss, to my nose this is not dirty, muddy, or even wet wood, but polished aromatic; yes. It gives this (I think) "boring sugar", very nice character. After opening, this is a perfectly acceptable scent, I think. Just lovely.

What a rich, middle eastern delight. Off the bat, you will smell two things- oud (heavy as it announces its presence right from the opening in a trail of incense and saffron) and oakmoss (one of my favourite notes that somehow works with the oud). There is also a very present sweetness that is more sugary than caramel. I love this scent, the subtle trail of sweet incense makes it mysterious, plus it smells anything but 'cheap', however, I cannot figure out how I'll wear it or with what, so I'll hold off on buying a full bottle. In addition, this is most definitely a unisex fragrance, however, I'd prefer to smell it on a woman. Update: I purchased this fragrance 5 months later and immediately regretted it. I tested this perfume whilst on holiday in a country with tropical, humid climate. There, all the wonderful, beautiful things about this perfume stood out. Here in the cold Shire, all those wonderful things I remembered about this perfume are nowhere to be smelt. The oud is faecal and strong, there is barely any sugar, the oakmoss note reminds me of Cabochard. Dismay! The dry down on clothing truly is something beautiful after the faecal oud note fades, lasts for days. Update: Re-purchased this fragrance in 11/2024 and it has been watered down sadly. It is no longer a powerhouse projector and the faecal oud note has been removed in favour of a woody accord. Soulless!

Nose Note #1078 I've tried to gather the most interesting dupes of BR540. This is not that close to the OG, it has similar traits with one of my least favourite dupe - Ana Abiyedh Rouge by Lattafa. The iconic medicinal saffron of BR540 is different and not as medicinal. It has a subtle red berry touch that's foreign to the DNA. The cotton candy accord has little presence. It's not a very faithful dupe, but it's OK. I'll probably add something more as I give it more time. Unisex. Performance is better than moderate, better than Lattafa. 7/10

This is heavy stuff. Massive projection and longevity. It has the BR540 vibe going on for sure but it's like exaggerated oriental version of it. Honestly I couldn't stand it, it gives me the impression of something dirty, sweaty and waaay too heavy on the moss and balsamic notes. There are very few perfumes that I can't stand and this is one of them. Too bad, as the quality of it is impeccable and the presentation is above and beyond, considering the price. Not a safe blind buy!