Excellent Men

Oh my oh my. The trouble I have with doing a review is my ability to actually convey what I am smelling. A lot of the names that appear in notes I'm not familiar with so I'm on a great learning journey. Often I can't pinpoint what something is and have to rely on the powers of reduction to pinpoint a glorious (or unpleasant) aroma. This is exactly what's happened with Al Haramain Excellent. I only have a small sample to work with, so carefully popped the top. First smell and it's hard to say what came through. Aromatic warmth, slightly leathery and astringent? Applied a little behind the ears and on the neck. After about 5 minutes it hit me. The most wonderful scent ever - as far as colognes go. I'm getting floral, woodsy, something I can't put my finger on, but that reminds me of warm mediterranean evenings. Reading the reviews I saw the words nagarmotha / cypriol - this could be it. A hybrid between cedar, vetiver, and patchouli. This combined with the warm hibiscus and rose gives that glorious dreamlike scent. I'd better not get too excited and class this as a 10/10 just in case (when) I discover the next fragrance to blow my socks off - but I really do rate it that highly. Longevity and sillage are only moderate (to be expected from an EDT I suppose)so after 6 hours I'm needing another little top up. I've just dicovered how cheap this is as well (about £10 for 100ml) so the plus points keep mounting. Please, if you haven't tried this, do so.

Blindly bought this based on very good reviews. Rose, rose, rose... and some discreet oud. I can't share the enthusiasm of some who reviewed so favorable this perfume. Maybe it's just me. I hate rose dominant perfumes and not because i don't like roses, on the contrary, I love them. But the rose note in these arabians is so pungent and, unfortunately, so dominant. Al Haramain Excellent is a strong perfume, at least in opening. The opening really burns nostrils. For me it's a linear perfume, with an omnipresent rose note. Only in late drydown rose note diminished and a musk-amber faint combination can be revealed. For lovers of rose note I reccomend Mukhallat Oud Al Mubakhar: it's even stronger than this. Absolutely nothing in common with Lapidus PH. Lapidus is heavenly. EDIT: for compliance I'll not modify my original review, but I'll supplement it. I wore the perfume some days and I accommodate myself with it. Its stridency diminished and I could smell also under the harsh note of rose. Now I conclude that the perfume is not so bad, but still isn't between my favourites. It has good performances/price ratio and it could be a good choice for rose based perfumes lovers. EDIT no. 2: this perfume is definitely a gem.

Outstanding - if you over spray this, it will last 12 hours plus, it will fill a room too. Should be called icy rose water or something, the oud gives it a bit of body. Can be unisex, suitable for mostly 25 plus but some may say 20 plus. A very evocative scent, really sentimental and some may even say emotional. A beautiful, light rose that might at times get dusty as it evolved with the oud taking things forward. The fruitiness is both light and aged, a bit dry. Marine notes help carry this into an all seasons performer but mostly enjoyed on warmer days rather than cold harsh winters. I would love this in a warm summer's night. Amazing price, this is a hidden gem and one of Al Haramain's finest cheappies - would be in the hundreds of it has that tosser, Tom Fords name on it. It's an old style fragrance with a modern take. Feels like a thinking man's fragrance that would attract attention from others that have depth. Edit: on my skin, this is a warm weather gourmand - rose ice cream baklava, a Persian dessert sensation. My most recent love in perfumery.

¿aquatic rose? I think, Pleasures for men by Estee Lauder would be similar ...some one compared Excellent by Al Haramain with this one? 2nd part: Finally I bought it, and... I love this scent, for me it is a good mixture. First spray it was quite hard for me, very spicy, but only 2 min after it set down to a aquatic warmy rose. (Estee Lauder its not so warm). For me, the main character its a melony rose with an oudy base. I say melony because the mixture of acquatic notes with frutal reminds me to a melon fruit. And i love it, I think it ́s very original, and well blended. Projection is above average, Lasts about 5-6h "in air", then stays only on skin. Recomiendo a quienes les guste el aroma a rosa que la prueben, por su precio me ha parecido muy buena.

I don’t know how Al Haramain can create this quiet masterpiece for the price. It reeks of big money but it is the cheapest fragrance in my collection: £10.80 on my Amazon Prime ‘repeat’ (every 3 months) prescription. At first sniff I admit to being slightly startled by the pungent rose/geranium outburst. Surely not unisex? But oh yes, it is! On dry-down all kinds of musky oriental wafts come out of the woodwork. A well-behaved ritzy miasma lingers around me for around 5/6 hours, not bad for an edt. Moderate sillage. Understated classy bottle. I slap it on fairly freely. At this price, why not?

I'm not generally a huge Oud fan but this is something else.At first spray I wasn't so sure but it grew on me quickly. I put one spray on my left wrist and believe me when I say it lasted well over 12 hours and when I waved my wrist lightly I could smell the sillage.I got about 15 hours from one spray and a skin scent the next day. It is on the sweet side probably the saffron and the rose is there with a sweet dry oud,got compliments right away.Nice bottle too.I got mine from E-bay for about $34 CDN funds. Well worth it !

Fás, meleg fűszeres jegyek és rózsa. Ezekkel jellemezhetném a legjobban az illatot, amit a bőrömön érzek. Nagyon tartós illat, ruhán napok múltán is erősen érződik, bőrön pedig 8-10 órát is kibír, nem túl meleg időben. Keleti illatokat kedvelőknek ajánlanám, és korosabb 40+ férfikorosztálynak, de fiatalabbak is kipróbálhatják. Az árát tekintve nem igazán lehet melléfogni vele, az ár/érték arány szerintem kiváló. Nekem az olcsó kategória egyik nagy kedvence az Al Haramain háztól. Ajánlott.

This is such a well blended juice! A jammy rose woody aquatic freshie. So unique and balanced. It's a rose middle eastern/oriental scent, so only go for it if you like that stuff. This fragrance manages to have a lot potentially pungent notes, yet somehow presents you with a soft scent that works even in hot summers. I love the hibiscus note here, it adds a lot to the scent. So much freshness here, like fresh roses on ice, or a rose n berry flavored popsicle. An inexpensive hidden gem!

Top Notes Rose, Geranium, Tagetes, Hibiscus, Spicy notes, Blackcurrant, Passion fruit Heart Notes Marine notes, Rose, Saffron, Coriander, Ginger, White pepper, Cardamom, Cypriol, Oud, Patchouli Base Notes Amber, Spicy notes, Mahogany, Sandalwood, Ebony, Gaiac wood, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Musk An oud base with an aquatic rose !! Very surprised by the quality for such a cheap price.... sillage 8/10 longevity 8/10

It's an excellent fragrance (literally) in my opinion, some people think it's just good but most agree with me. Last 8-10h cant really tell but definitely very long, projection is just past arms length. Smells like a really spicy marshmallow on a woody flower blossoming a tad of fruit. A hidden gem. Cheapest thing ever, costs a fish and chips but actually lasts.

Such a beautiful floral and refreshing aroma at this pricepoint.Yeah it is aquatic floral scent. Would be love at first sniff for a vast majority of both niche and designer fragrance lovers. 4 to 5 sprays and you will definitely be heard for the whole day. Ideal for Summer and for me it is literally heaven in a beautiful flacon.

I love this! It was one of the first scents I fell in love with. It's this sweet musky smell with some spice. It is very sweet so it may be off putting for some people but I think it's very refreshing and pleasant. I also think it's very strong and that whenever I used it it lasted quite long. Very affordable too imo

Lovely unique blend semi-oriental with niche character, use it since 15 years!!!, for this price tag probably the best fragrance! rose, spicy, ambery, woody, oud, somehow fresh and aquatic. My dream would be a more concentrated EXCELLENT version in a more luxurious bottle. This blend is really underrated!

I just got the bottle and I don't get any spicy or woodsy notes. It is sweet from top to bottom. It has rose, no doubt but it is toooo sweet. It reminds me of Lattafa Hayaati gold, but smoother and less heavy. Will update after a few days about performance and scent profile. It's worth every penny.......

Top notes: Rose, Geranium, Marigold, Hibiscus flowers, Spices, Blackcurrant, Passion fruit Middle notes: Marine notes, Rose, Saffron, Coriander, Ginger, White Pepper, Cardamon, Nagarmota, Agar wood, Patchouli Base notes: Amber, Spices, Mahon, Sandalwood, Ebony, Guaiac Wood, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Mosc

A mildly-sweet & floral, musky woody smell. A unique & beautiful smell! I still recognize it when I smell it on someone that I don't know in public places despite I only owned Excellent once in 2007! A very good performance, too! Excellent is a textbook example of a cheapie gem!

From the first spray, Al Haramain's Excellent Men immediately transported me to moments of childhood, invoking the heartwarming memory of leisurely walks with my grandparents through allotment gardens. The initial burst is a delightful, albeit slightly overripe, fruit punch, awakening a deep-rooted nostalgia. It embodies the sensation of discovering random, unnamed flowers, their aromas blending harmoniously with the crisp air to create a fragrance that is both familiar and refreshing. As you delve deeper, the fragrance unfolds to reveal a watery and light dimension, like a gentle breeze drifting through an open window. Its distinctive character is carved out through a nuanced blend of saffron and marine notes, creating a heart that is both unique and uplifting, offering a fresh, one-of-a-kind aromatic experience. The transition to the dry down is smooth, unveiling a clean, woody undertone of oud that becomes more noticeable as time passes. Contrary to other reviews, for me the rose element seems to be in the background, giving way to a well-balanced and refreshing profile that holds its own without being overpowering. Despite the complexity of its notes, which makes it challenging to identify each one, it is evident that this perfume does not come off as cheap. It maintains a moderate sillage that respects personal space while presenting a unique aroma that doesn't resemble any other, promising to be a favorite for those who encounter it. Moreover, the fragrance offers remarkable value; a real bang for the buck at a price point of less than €10, which I was fortunate to pay. The bottle design echoes the early 2000s trend, adding a nostalgic touch to an already memory-evoking fragrance. In conclusion, Al Haramain's Excellent Men caters to those who appreciate a perfume that not only smells refreshing but also carries the power to evoke cherished memories, offering a unique and personal scent experience that stands out in a crowded market. EDIT: The female version is almost identical, practically a 1:1 match. Opening note: 8 Sillage/Projection: 5 Drydown: 6 Longevity: 7 Blend/Composition: 9 Versatility: 7 Uniqueness: 8 Value for money: 9 Bottle design/Aesthetics: 4 Overall experience: 7+ Blind-buy rating: 6

Floral/Spicy/Wood heaven! This is what Aramis Calligraphy Saffron should have been. This is one of the very few if only type of these scents that can be worn year round without being offensive. It is not an aggresive or passive scent. Sillage and projection is perfect. Kudos to the 2 members below for listing the official notes as this has a bunch of notes that are detectable but thank God that oud is not heavy. It's more of a rose/saffron/gaiac wood scent with undertones of darkness. For the price it's a no brainer.

Starts with watery rose but soon turns into a woody scent. There's some floral sweetness, sort of like hyacinth or freesia. Base smells like sandalwood and I think there's some oudy nuances too and perhaps even ambroxan. Light, airy, fresh, warm, woody. Somehow this extra affordable bottle smells even royal! Longevity is - you guessed it: excellent. And overall the name couldn't be more fitting: Al Haramain Excellent is excellent!

A wonderful,rich and niche perfumery oriental wood fragrance, just a lower perfume is MONTALE in a different bottle, the smell of an autumn forest in which to feel, the bark of trees, leaves, saffron, roses ... beautiful unisex with very good durability and projection. The bottle is very cool, classic, and the fragrance is an elixir persevering! I would recommend! Goodman Dubai. I'm delighted!

Wow! Good scent,rich smell I smell flowers and saffron, very long hold and I believe that it is oriental fragrance. I would recommend! great price and smell worth knowing. I have compliments, I think that the whole year.

No spicy, nor woody by any means!!! Sweet flowers is what this is! And for the money, great buy if you are into this kind of stuff... Not me :D

I just smell a sweet rose-like perfume when I apply this fragrance. It feels unisex to me, as I could imagine it equally well worn by a woman or a man, and so is probably towards the feminine end of what I would wear for myself. My problem is that after about 45 minutes, I can't detect the scent on me at all, which is odd because I saw it reviewed on one of the YouTube fragrance channels and it was claimed to have 'beast mode' performance of 12 hours or more. This could be just that I have quite a poor sense of smell....some things I can barely smell at all, which is why when a beautiful fragrance lasts on my skin....and I can actually smell it....then I tend to fall in love with it. I really wanted to love Excellent, but for me it is just 'meh', and probably will reach for it very infrequently. I have so far only tried it on me in winter; it is possible that I might have a different experience with it during warmer weather. As for the price, I think I bought it for £10....it is unbelievably good value. If you find that it lasts longer on your skin, you can't go wrong with this choice.

This my first review. Reading these comments I had very high expectations and I was expecting something groundbreaking. I couldn't not have been more underwhelmed. It is sweet and floral, nothing more nothing less. Sillage is medium to weak. Propably the first fragrance that I bought and that I have no relationship with. Fortunately it isn't too expensive. Edit: Am I the only one who can’t recognize any of the listed fragrance notes in this perfume? The opening is very sweet and fruity. I don’t get any oud, amber, or anything woody—only fruity and floral sweetness. Strongly reminiscent of Joop EDT fragrances.

Medicinic oud with lots of roses and some wood and spices. Fresh and a bit harsh. A bit feminin because of the roses. Not for me, but could have been worse.

TLDR. I don't like this. "Too much water"-but damp water. I initially wondered if I had a bad batch as it was the last bottle available and the notes don't match what I'm smelling, but re-reading the comments, I have what other people have (so I think it's the notes that are wrong). Maybe I'm not used to this style of oud, though I do have other oud forward fragrances. To me its very rose/melon/cucurbit/damp pear/oud. I get no "warm spicy" at all, as a matter of fact, to me, it reads as very cold and damp to my nose, but not fresh, like mildew in an abandoned house, or a cave in a forest. It's a little bit like an unbalanced version of Moschino Toy Boy, with the pear/rose but with no warmth or spice to balance it out. I wonder if it's the type of oud, as it smells like wilting flowers and soggy watery fruits. I might leave it for a bit and/or layer it with something with a warm dry cinnamon or cardamom note, but could equally sell this on or gift it, but id worry id accidentally insult them with this unless I knew they liked it. Also one of the least effort designed bottles, even at this price point, it looks like something cheaper. I'm not sure who could pull this off, perhaps a very active person or if you live somewhere very hot and dry and this could balance you own body heat and sweat, but here in the North Wales Coast, I read damp garden and we already have enough of that already :)

I really had great expectations reading this reviews but I'm afraid this is my first wrong blind buy. I respect the people who love this perfume because it could bring back memories for them, but I ́m afraid this perfume is not a favorite for me. I really looked forward having my first eastern/oriental perfume to join my collection but I'm a bit disappointed. I smell the Rose but the Saffron makes it so harsh that I'm afraid I can't even use it for layering. Maybe I was born on the wrong continent to wear this... But again: I respect the people who like this perfume... UPDATE: I was wrong about the layering. If you mix this with other (more citrusy?) stuff the rose component remains very strong, and after a while it ́s more likeable...

I get a rose, melon-ish, oriental vibe on my skin. Wanted to like like it but eastern/oriental and fresh do not mix well on my skin. I will stick to Milestone.

I don't really understand the positive comments, to me it smells exactly like cough syrup + alcohol. Dries down into bubble gum + cough syrup...

Very cheap blind buy that doesn't work stand alone, unfinished, but good fun for layering! The rose note is masculine but very prominent.

Smells like toilet cleaner. Horrible stuff that leaves you feeling nauseous after application.

REVIEW | 100 ml EDP purchased via eBay I bought this mainly on the strength of ChristoColognes review below (Cheers!) as I was intrigued as to the results he/she? got when layering it. On it's own Excellent Men is a fresh, sweet floral rose, wood, and dry oud scent - it's very light and summery and IMO leans slightly feminine, but just a tad. It actually reminds me a great deal of MFK's Oud Satin Mood - on smelling it blind, my best bud thought it was a stronger version of Oud Satin Mood which says a lot for it. On first application it's stronger on both the rose and the oud notes, but on the drydown they are very similar. For £10.00 I'd have to class it as excellent value for money! I tried layering it with both Oud Touch by Franck Olivier, and Armaf Shades Wood but (to my nose) I couldn't pick up a resemblance to Halfeti (I own Halfeti) Not to worry though - Excellent Men is great when used on it's own. It punches way above it's cost for the quality you get.

A saffron and flower explosion.. Possibly the strongest saffron centric scent I have ever smelled. It is interesting on its own, but I think it lis far more feminine than masculine. However I layer it with Armaf Shades Wood, and the result is a near dead ringer for Penhaligons Halfeti, a scent which costs 5-7 times as much. The Shades Wood provides the rose note, and the Excellent the saffron and flowers.. Did I mention the saffron note.... Result- Halfeti, and this blend lasts for hours on my skin... It is so inexpensive, and worth it to have in the collection, if for nothing else than to layer.

Its a unique scent and make you standout from the crowd in a good way. It has a very natural fresh and pleasing vibe. You can wear it to admire the subtle floral feel you get out of it. It is definitely an oudh based rose+ musky+acquatic scent. Extremely versatile especially if you are living in Middle East and Sub continent. The projection and sillage is equally good though its an eau de toilette. i think anyone can safely wear this perfume.

Tried this after a YouTube reviewer recommended this and I would caution you all about this sneaky fragrance. DO NOT TRY ON PAPER. This does start of with very good top notes that make it seem like a fresh summer fragrance but as soon as it settles on your skin all you get is wood and spices with some smokiness. If you like spicy woody notes then go for it but if you want a pleasant summer fragrance then this is not it.

To hell with the notes. This is a sweet floral aquatic scent with african marigold or tagetes with hibiscus and spicy rose, lots of ambroxan and a hint of ginger oud. No skank. Feels like a high class summer freshies. Very potent. 2 to 3 sprays max to the chest. Avoid the neck region. Very humid watery melony scent. Great one at the price. It costs pennies and gives a high quality entry level niche linear pleasure.

I bought this scent from Al haramain store at first floor Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre Abudhabi UAE. I have smelled thousands of different fragrances and for me this one take no.1 spot. I know many people wont agree with me but some how I am in love with this fragrance. It will easily stay for upto 8 hours. It has a very unique cool sweet flavor. Not spicy at all. Best suited for muscular men.

Great Fragrance. Someone in Fragrantica please - do correct the notes!!! Opening: Rose, Geranium, Marigold, Hibiscus flowers, Spices, Blackcurrant, Passion fruit Heart notes: Sea notes, Rose, Saffron, Coriander, Ginger, White Pepper, Cardamon, Nagarmota, Oud, Patchouli Base notes: Amber, Spices, Mahon, Sandalwood, Ebony, Guaiac Wood, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Musk

It is cheap indeed, I only paid £ 13 but it doesn’t smell cheap or synthetic. I worn it couple of times but there’s something I dislike at this fragrance: it’s too sweet, I think it’s more suitable for a woman.. It projects pretty well for its price and its longevity, on my skin its about 6 hours.

Its top note reminds me about cheapy Montal Aoud perfumes but after 2 minutes it's more pleasant. A bit sweet floral (Rose - i guess)with synthetic clean & fresh oud note. When dry down it has more sweet & slightly aquatic. For the price, it's quite acceptable.

The real notes from Al haramain UK website Top: Rose, Geranium, Marigold, Hibiscus blossom, spicy, Cassis, Passion Fruit Mid: Agar wood, Patchouli Base: Amber, Spicy, Mahogany, Sandalwood, Ebony, Guaiac wood, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Musk Hope this helps

Hello, from South Africa.... I don't know the notes but all I know is that I spray 2sprays in the morning, head to work, at 18:00 ppl say I smell good as if I just sprayed.. This is good stuff. I think the notes here are wrong..

Really great perfume I like it more than a high priced perfume . This perfume is little bit heavy but after 15 or 30 mins smells better. Two or three sprays are enough for whole day. I recommend you should've try this

Bought it after watching review by nikhil frags . Its ok good scent . I have used this from indian season from august to oct. I liked it much . Plus the longetivity is also decent . Overall a value for money scent .

Sweet aquatic floral ROSE dominant fragrance. There's some oud in the mix. Unisex. Better than average longevity, heavy projection in first hours.

The AI written reviews on this site are becoming almost laughable.