Rare Carbon

"How Much Can You REALLY KNOW About 'Rare Carbon' By Reading Its Reviews??" I've read ALL of the Rare Carbon reviews here so you don't have to. Several express that it's a close clone of Ombre Leather. Many sincerely say not really. Some think it's closer to Tuscan Leather.....Or a combination of respected leather fragrances. While still others feel it quite deservedly stands on its own. It's all fairly confusing especially for anyone ultimately attempting to make a potential purchase decision.....But in this very particular case the good news is NONE of that really matters! Because based on its lowly average of (115) 'votes' per year since being released in 2020, one thing is obvious: RC is presently one of THE MOST under-rated, overlooked and truly exceptional hidden gems on ALL of Fragrantica! Bar none. No question. (With upcoming proof revealed here). I've been seriously into men's fragrance for 35+ years. And regardless of how one might personally think this compares 'in scent' to Ombre Leather, Tuscan Leather, Godolphin, or the rest of the extremely high-profile leathers that reviewers are comparing it to, ultimately what "actually" matters is that Rare Carbon is simply an OUTSTANDING men's leather fragrance for its $29/100ml. online price---or even if its price were $95! One of the TOP long-time men's fragrance reviewers on YouTube, Ashton of "Gents Scents", just recently released a video entitled "12 CLONES THAT ARE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINALS" where he states that RC is the very best clone of OL, and then follows that up revealing that he believes it is the #1 "lower-priced men's leather fragrance" on the entire international market today! For added perspective, I essentially "dreamed up" this composition shortly after decant-sampling Ombre Leather (2018) in 2019---Of course never really thinking anything would come of it, I imagined/ hoped for an 'ombre leather-type' fragrance, having even more of its attractively light sweetness, revealing a marginally lighter-shade of leather, possessing some equally beautiful florals, while still very masculine; all to specifically be more wearable down to dressy-casual if you will (since at the time I had recently transitioned from a job regularly wearing business suits to one which was less dressy; being totally taken with the aura of OL edp)..... And RC delivers on each of those particular attributes---with an INCREDIBLY impressive OL-based fragrance---sharing aspects of BOTH Ombre Leather edp (2018) and Ombre Leather parfum (2021)!! (ie. generally reflective of the sweetness and density of the edp, combined with the freshness, woodiness and floral direction of the parfum). An added 'raspberry' note lends a truly inviting nature, while the quality, composition and blend are nothing short of exceptional for a low-priced clone fragrance. Based on various related comments on this post, the following is well worth mentioning (and remembering): The 100% KEY to RC's "overall experience" lies in its initial application: Spray too little and you might not get the full effect of the delightful berry essence throughout, over-spray and the leather, violet leaf and ozonic notes can become unbalanced or too strong. So definitely experiment with how much you apply and be sure to spray it a fair distance AWAY from your skin (for the mistiest and most balanced scent dispersion), using "a smooth and enjoyable 30-minute open" as your target goal.....and the rest will most beautifully take care of itself. RC provides solid overall performance with most here "averaging" about 8 hours longevity based on its performance results above. And great versatility from dressy-casual apparel to business suits, for daytime or nighttime. It's simply a sensational 3-season fragrance! Indeed, lifetime I've never loved a leather fragrance more. The light powdery-smooth sweetness gives it a notable touch of charm, while the fragrance itself is both compositionally and captivatingly divine!! .....along with being a surprisingly comfortable wearing leather scent. So if you're a mature 27 or older and enjoy quality men's LEATHER fragrances, do yourself a HUGE favor and don't miss this easy-on-the-budget beauty! 10/10 overall (for the price).

(3) Things to Know About Rare Carbon BEFORE Buying It: 1. Rare Carbon is generally "assumed" to be the #1 clone of Tom Ford's very popular Ombre Leather 2018 (edp). This is NOT EXACTLY TRUE......instead, being a truly outstanding composition combining the OL edp AND some of the fresher, woodier and more floral elements of Ombre Leather Parfum. (as noted by Fragrantica voters in the "This perfume reminds me of....." section above, and also recognized by the more experienced YouTube men's fragrance reviewers). Still, considered the most exceptional alternative (or clone) of OL on the market today. Additionally, RC's composition has a bit more prominent smell of leather, exhibits a slightly "lighter shade" of leather, and is also sweeter than OL edp. Lastly, and per the voting above, this fragrance also has a raspberry note "similar to" that in La Yuqawam by Rasasi. 2. Leather fragrances---and the appreciation of them---are usually an "acquired taste", smell somewhat unique, and are not for everyone....RC is no exception, and generally for a mature 27+ year-old audience. Sample/test first if you're not typically a leather fragrance wearer. 3. Like many low-cost middle eastern fragrances, "maceration" of RC after the initial purchase will garner BEST results (ie. spray out 4-6 sprays and then store for at least 3-4 months before use). What you will end up with is a truly superb leather fragrance notably in the vein of OL. (Without enough maceration, this fragrance may lack scent, depth and/or performance) P.S. I've worn this fragrance for years and it's my very favorite leather fragrance in 30 years. I wrote this post specifically because I truly believe RC would be rated even higher than it already is here, if buyers were aware of these points BEFORE buying Rare Carbon. (Rather than being disappointed by "what they anticipated but didn't get" in RC).

Recommendations: FOR PURCHASING Rare Carbon (Having worn 2 bottles and read various responses): 1) DO NOT "Blind Buy" this fragrance if you are new to men's fragrances, mainly prefer "mainstream" designer fragrances, are under the age of about 27, or if you aren't familiar with LEATHER fragrances. Decant/sample test first. (Leather fragrances are an "acquired taste"--much like niche fragrances--and are not for everyone). That said, this is the most exceptional men's leather fragrance I've ever owned in 30+ years in men's fragrance, and I actually prefer it to Tom Ford's Ombre Leather because it's even more versatile due to its sweetness and being composed of a somewhat lighter-shade of leather. 2) For BEST RESULTS you should "macerate" this fragrance first. (ie. when brand new, spray out about 5-6 sprays, leave the cap off and store in a cool dry dark place for about 1-2 months before wearing. Otherwise, the leather scent can seem sharp and the composition not properly balanced, relative to what it actually should smell like--which is an absolutely AMAZING leather fragrance! For decades I've never needed to macerate my fragrances, but it's recently coming out that more than a few highly regarded inexpensive/ clone fragrances indeed require macerating to dramatically improve the overall impression of the composition/ fragrance, while sometimes also improving the performance. (If you happen to be interested in a detailed and top-rated full review of Rare Carbon, mine is posted here on 3/17/24).

FOOD FOR THOUGHT--- Rare Carbon. Out of the 343 fragrances in Fragrantica's historical database specifically classified as "Men's Leather" fragrances (by their respective designers), Afnan's Rare Carbon is presently ranked 19th best for its scent/composition--- That's truly impressive considering MOST of the other men's leather fragrances ahead of RC have from 1,000 to over 7,000 'votes', while it currently has just 534 !! Translation? Little ol' Afnan is quietly "nailing it" with RC, an amazing HIDDEN GEM sitting at the TOP 5% of all men's leather fragrances EVER created---yet having taken almost FIVE YEARS to get there!! Why that long? EVERY fragrance brand ranked above it is either designer or niche. So just imagine where RC would rank if it were marketed and sold by a major fragrance house!! .....The "benefit" of it's slow and low trajectory of success? RC has plenty of room to grow in popularity for years to come as word gets out about how amazing a leather fragrance it is. Of course the comments here nit-picking or critically intended to deter one from purchasing RC obviously don't help. They're akin to "the tail 'attempting' to wag the dog", when the fact is nearly 90% of regular wearers either Like or MOSTLY Love RC based on its ratings above. Again, remarkably distinguished numbers for a leather fragrance! (If you're interested in knowing exactly "what makes this fragrance exceptional", check out my extensive top-rated review posted here on 3/17/24).

Agree w @chocovanillemark23 re this being a safe blind buy if you like TFTL and/or OL. I own both OL EDP and OL Parfum. I have twice worn samples of TL and have the Alexandria clone of TL. I enjoy OL much more than TL. I feel that Rare Carbon does sit between TL and OL EDP, actually leaning a bit more toward TL at times, esp during drydown, and OL early and mid. It is similar, but not the same. I think it's quite good for its own reasons. The greenness at open is sort of similar to TL, but it is not nearly as raspberry-centric. I feel RC has a more herbaceous quality than TL. But also present, and separating this from OL and TL are the "ozonic toasty" spices. Someone said it smells like popcorn. I understand what they mean but I don't think it smells like popcorn. It's a unique fresh toasty spice to my nose. If I smelled this blind, I would know instantly that it's not OL or TL, but I would also say it reminds me of them. I feel it's actually even more unique than either. The leather is less pronounced than the round slightly sweet one in OL EDP and definitely not as pronounced as the much dryer leather in OL Parfum. Also, the very deep drydown (6+ hrs after application) of OL Parfum is essentially white musk, there is significantly less of it in RC. Imo this cannot replace OL EDP or Parfum or TL, but it certainly lives in the same apartment building. I also feel this can be worn on warmer (not hot) days because of how the violet lifts it. Peace 2u.