East

I agree with both sides. 2/10 for creativity because it does smell like Ombré Nomad from LV and there is no denying that. I also think that they took the same idea and improved it slightly or twisted it and made it more wearable, and affordable. I would add a slight rose and a chocolate feel to the note breakdown. The oud is done perfectly as well as the ambroxian. Not too much but just enough to hold up the composition and give it a backbone. No skank or egg smell. I wouldn’t call this a leather-forward scent which is a win to me. Performance is on par with OM. Not a projection beast but it's respectable and the sillage/trail is outstanding. I have a 10ml decent amount to burn but off the bat, I love this one. If it hits discounters this it's a no-brainer as a niche alternative to OM. If you’re looking for an updated twist on this DNA 🧬 it's great stuff and sample-worthy. The only time I’d hesitate to wear is a hot summer day. On a breezy summer night, going to a nice dinner would be fair game. Edit: Going to change from a love to a like. After several wears the raspberry took a back seat to what seemed to be a rose note. I'm currently not a rose fan and was specifically looking for a darker fruity oud as opposed to a rose oud. On the other hand, I love the noticeable chocolate nuance in the dry down. I will say the performance is great. The ambroxian may make you go nose blind while projecting to others around you. I still believe this is very well-done, high-quality, and worth the money. Just be aware you may share my experience with the note pyramid.

First proper sampling of East, the second most recent release from Akro, in 2023, a bit of a big swing toward an oud-rich mix, quite different from most of the house’s catalogue to date. The principal notes are oud assafi, raspberry, leather, and ambrox, and while rose is not listed formally, there is a bit of a rose/oud vibe via the raspberry/oud mix, I dare say. The mix of sweetness tempers the oud but itself is not overwhelming. The blend seems balanced, smooth, elegant, while also being rich and high-performing. I do not detect too much leather (or spice, generally), which makes it seem a bit more of a straightforward oud/raspberry blend, albeit with the suggestion of rose. It’s very easy to love for someone familiar oud but generally not prefer the more intense, animalic, or medicinal versions of it. As with the house’s most recent release, Glow, East is in extrait concentration and priced at $250/100 for 100/30ml to the usual $180 for 100ml in EDP. As with the rest of the line, it is sold via the US house website and great boutiques like Perfumology, which just celebrated its launch of the house at its shop. Overall, I’m really pleased with this release and consider it among the house’s best few. 8 out of 10

This is a new discovery of mine and I am absolutely in love with the composition. The raspberry remains present throughout the longevity of the fragrance. In the opening it is fruity raspberry on oud, quite prominent oud. After the second hour the oud remains as a backbone and the leather goes forward. In the next 12 hours you have the sexiest masculine combination of raspberry and leather. The only negative thing - it is linear, doesn’t change drastically and the DNA may feel familiar. The positives - it is unique as quality of the blend, I promise you have not smelled something so well and sexy blended. It is sex in a bottle if you imagine a very tall, dark-haired guy who is going to smack you on the bed. Just an amazing fragrance, worth every penny!

One of my all time favorite cool weather fragrances. Strong projection without being suffocating and projects all day. As a lover of Ombre Nomade, this is not a dupe and likely not even inspired by. If anything, it’s more like Nouveau Monde with the smooth suede/cacao vibes but nowhere near as animalic or complex. I’ve never tried Oud Bouquet but I have Shaghaf Oud and East pretty similar to that but with no rose and much better quality. Also some G&B Purple Suede vibes without the lavender.

I was eating something the other day while wearing this perfume. It wafted into my nose and meshed with the food to create the best thing I've ever tasted, but I fear I'll never experience it again because I forgot what I was eating. This perfume just makes me happy. It's very sweet and makes me wish that wood were more palatable.