Leather Intense

Quality composition and ingredients. Fits the price tag. Skin scent after ~4h, lasts 7h. Haven't smelled DHP 2014, but smelling this and comparing it to the OG's note pyramid, it matches.

Just as a quick disclaimer, I have never smelled the original Dior Homme Parfum (which this clone is based on), though I am familiar with Dior Homme Intense. In fact, it smells way more like Dior Homme Intense because it's lacking the leather and smoke accord completely. I am hoping this bottle gets better with some maturation, but as of right now, it feels as though the middle notes are completely missing. The opening itself is beautiful: you get that striking, powdery iris upfront, followed by a soft rose mixed with a touch of oud and an almost chocolatey undertone. I really love this opening, but it only lasts about 20 minutes before it rapidly collapses into a faint skin scent of light powder and sandalwood. It completely lacks the dark leather, resinous weight, and smoky depth that people always highlight when talking about DHP. Overall, this projects for maybe 30 minutes maximum on my skin. I am hoping some time in the dark helps the juice open up, but I am pretty surprised by the weak performance. I ruled out olfactory fatigue/nose blindness as well: I sprayed it on a shirt, placed it in a separate room for a few hours, and when I came back to test it, the scent was still barely perceptible. It is strange to have a fragrance feel like the entire mid section of the pyramid just dropped out