Dakar

Al-Rehab Dakar is supposed to be one of many clones of Drakkar Noir. How does it stack up? Al-Rehab Dakar is essentially a concentrated version of the basenotes of vintage Drakkar Noir. Vintage Drakkar Noir has a nuanced and varied evolution through its dry down, before ultimately settling as a very green scent with a hint of soapiness. The current, reformulated Drakkar Noir doesn't have that amount of green-ness at the base and is not as smooth. Al-Rehab Dakar, from beginning to end, is that green base of vintage Drakkar Noir, but the green is a little more potent, doesn't seem to have the soapiness, or at least no the same amount, and maybe there's a leather note amplified to make it a bit edgier. But it's still the most accurate representation of vintage Drakkar Noir being produced today, at least as far as the basenotes go. Current Drakkar Noir feels like it's been updated almost. It still smells very close to the original but it leans closer to men's deodorant/shower gel. Al-Rehab Dakar feels more classic in comparison. I've tried just about every Drakkar Noir clone out there, and I consider Al-Rehab's entry to be best. COMPARISONS: The first batches/formulation of vintage Drakkar Noir is more patchouli-heavy, has the most varied dry down, of all formulations and imitators, smells more natural, and is probably the most "sophisticated" of them all. Al-Rehab Dakar doesn't have all those things, as it's like the tail end of the basenotes of vintage Drakkar Noir, highly concentrated, far more green, and the pine note a bit stronger. Side-to-side, vintage Drakkar Noir is the most interesting fragrance, yet oddly, a bit more dated. The Al-Rehab Dakar is louder and bolder. CONCLUSION If don't mind missing out on the opening and middle, Al-Rehab Dakar is better blended, longer lasting, better projecting, and smells more "old school" than current Drakkar Noir. However, I think that reformulated Drakkar Noir is sportier and more "athletic" smelling. It's great that there's two options available for purchase and I highly recommend both. But if you want to recapture the nostalgia of an ELEMENT of the vintage formulation, Al-Rehab is the way to go. 8.5/10

So I got the 50 ml edp of Al Rehab's Dakar. I also own a new formulation of Guy Laroche's Drakkar Noir. In being able to compare the two, they are indeed VERY similar in the opening. The Al Rehab seems just a tad bit greener and is much more "Camphorous " than the OG Drakkar Noir is. That said I find the spices in Drakkar Noir more well blended and "Vivid". I just LOVE the opening of the original a bit more than Al Rehab's opening. The dry-down for Drakkar Noir is more woody and more enjoyable imo. I don't get much of the wood's at all in the Al Rehab which stays much more 'green" and even like a Camphorous/eucalyptus-menthol during the mid and dry-down. With that said, Dakar is still an excellent dupe for Drakkar Noir and what I do is just layer plenty of Drakkar Noir over a bit of the Al Rehab. Now about the performance, Both open strong, but yYEPp! of course the Al Rehab performs way, WAY better than Drakkar Noir (Longevity has been eviscerated), which is why it's perfect for layering maybe a spritz or two under the OG so I can still get the intoxicating spices of opening of Drakkar Noir along with the (fast appearing) gorgeous woodyness of the dry down while still getting a bit of camphor from the Al Rehab thus extending the life of this over-all AWESOME scent dna. Now, Al Rehab's Dakar lasts about 6 to 7 hours on skin before becoming a skin-scent and till the following day on clothes. For comparison's sake, after 2 months of maceration, Drakkar Noir lasts about 2 hours on skin before its a woody skin-scent and maybe 5-6 hours (ON CLOTHES!) Anyhow, Al Rehab's Dakar was only about $12 (again for a 50ml of the edp) and is still fantastic to use on it's own wo layering. 7.5 outta 10 frag and a great buy, recommended!😉 Thanks to whomever took time to read my review on Al Rehab's Dakar! Blessings! 🙏

I will agree with the posts below... What I have ordered from Al-Rehab I like this Dakar and Silver the best. Most of the Al-Rehab scents that I have smelled are very Middle Eastern feel to them... these are what I would call more of an Western Scent or knock offs... Knocks offs are not always bad if they are done right! As for Dakar, yes it definitely smells like Drakkar Noir! With some extra Oud in the base. but not as sharp as Caesars Man. A Simple refreshing piney scent just like the 80's power house we all remember. This is a scent that I have been looking for... I remember Christmas time at my Grandmothers and the smell of Pine candles burning somewhere in the house... In the search of a pleasant pine scent that brings to me memories of my past, this hits the mark! Longevity is O.K.- for about 2 hrs like a Christmas candle then it softens slightly darker to a pleasant smell of the spices and woods coming forth that goes for about 2-3 hrs more. After the 5-6 hour point it softens so much that it is really close to the skin, to my nose... My wife can still smell it on me for a few more hours after that. I think my nose just gets use to the scent. With that said 5-7 hours for a great scent for just under $4 You do have to be careful with these Al-Rehab roll-on perfumes at first cuz they go on very heavy. Just a nickle size blob and rub it in on your pulse points. Remember a little goes a long way or you'll be trying to wash it off!

I have the halal roller ball oil of this from the market stall selling Asian perfumes -- a novel delivery method to me, but one presumably smiled upon by the prophet, and it checks out because you don't have to apply very much to get a rich scent. I have no idea what Ye Olde Drakkar Noir smelt like, but this is a very similar collection of dank, rank greenery, and this is definitely danker. It is also closer to the big drakkar-shaped ghost of copycat fragrances used in slightly old-fashioned gentlemen's grooming product, which I think the mainstream Drakkar Noir has tried to differentiate itself away from. No need because this is great and that's why everyone copied this ferniest of fougeres. From the first application, close up, this had a urinous scent that is entirely missing from my Drakkar Noir -- the sort of thing I could imagine people in the 80s had more patience for -- but of course it soon settled because if it didn't people wouldn't wear it. The other difference I noticed on this first trial is in the drydown -- towards the end of the day, a rather mysterious citronella note emerged. I do not think it unlikely that even if the prophet smiles on this perfume, the European Union may not, so the stranger richness may come from that. I am still not entirely sure what oakmoss is supposed to smell like... A different path through the D(r)akkar jungle, more to the Arab taste, whatever that might be.

This is my first review, so take it with a grain of salt. I definitely urge you to read the other reviews, since that is what I referred to before getting my own piece. Bought the roll on as a substitute for the Drakkar Noir perfume, since availability is scarce where I live. I’ve sniffed a sampling of the Drakkar formulation and found it quite mild and thought Dakar would be somewhat similar. Suffice to say, the strength and sillage of the oil threw me off and the smell itself was a LOT greener than DN. The smell starts off like a very mossy version of Drakkar Noir, and slowly becomes more and more similar to the current formulation of DN. The base of the fragrance, which quite unlike other reviews I’ve read, reminds me of mild coconut oil, even though coconut isn’t in the ingredients list. Regarding usage, I’ve found it to be great for daily wear, though I really only dab it as opposed to rolling it on, due to the strength of the oil. One could smear the oil, but that greatly reduces the longevity of the oil and completely bypasses the opening notes, which defeats the purpose of getting Dakar in the first place. So, in all, Dakar is a great scent for if you want a Drakkar Noir dupe. Or if you’re going for a blind buy (which is also fine), remember that it smells close to teenage cologne from the ‘90s-00s; fougere and borderline-barbershop scents.

#1514 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I'm pleasantly surprised by how many raters are familiar with a scent I consider an unheralded gem, Houbigant "Duc de Vervins L'Extreme." But the name "Dakar" probably cinches it that Al Rehab intended to market this scent as a dupe of Drakkar Noir. But this scent diverts from Drakkar, and some of the other scents in the "reminds me of" list, in important ways. Unlike "Drakkar Noir", Dakar is not remotely powdery. Unlike Lomani "Pour Homme", Dakar is not camphorus. Unlike "Duc de Vervins" it lacks that somewhat screechy bergamot. But most importantly, "Dakar" has no lavender. Lavender is so ubiquitous in laundry detergents, bath soaps, hand soaps, dishwashing liquids, salves, skin creams. They're even putting it in oat milk and coffee creamer. For god sake that's enough already! I am so over it!. Also, it's nice that this scent has an oud note making it a bit more woody. This is boardroom quality business wear, but you can certainly use this for casual and date wear. The oud note is not prominent, so not going to offend anyone in close quarters. Good longevity on the skin. Good projection. Ridiculously priced at under $10. Absolutely safe blind buy.

I recently ordered a handful of the Al-Rehab fragrances, having seen them repeatedly cited as exceptional values. I'm inclined to agree with that sentiment - while they are clearly dupes of more expensive and/or more well-known fragrances, most of the Al-Rehab fragrances are surprisingly good given the ridiculously modest prices. Among the half dozen I've tried, Dakar is probably the best. As the name clearly suggests, this one is a near clone of Drakkar Noir. Funny thing - Al Rehab Dakar is actually closer to the Drakkar of my youth (1980s vintage) than the current formulation of Drakkar itself. Whereas the current formulation of Drakkar Noir seems overly sharp and synthetic, the al-rehab version still retains the spicy green aura that I seem to remember in the vintage Drakkar. Perhaps my scent memory isn't entirely accurate, but I think that lovers of the vintage Drakkar Noir would really enjoy Dakar. Even for those not searching for a Drakkar Noir alternative, this fragrance is worth a look. It straddles the line between a dark aromatic fougere and a spicy green chypre. Classic and rugged all at once. At about $6-$8 a bottle, it's tough to complain!

As an attempt to copy DN, Dakar is quite mediocre. Maybe it smells a bit similar from the bottle, but when applied it is rounder, sweeter and in my opinion closer to Duc de Verviens. When settled on my skin though, I do get good whiffs of Drakkar Noir. On the other hand the product (edp spray-version) doesnt behave like DN - neither the newer versions which are sharper but a bit shallow, or the older (Cosmair etc.) with a heavier, mellower and undoubtly more natural appearance. Dakar come and go. I wouldnt call it a beast, not in terms of projection, nor in longevity. But when I think it has disappeared I do get these whiffs - of a perfume that stands very well on it's own. Inspired by DN for sure, but with a clear love to the 1980's profusion of moss-extract, that give this lingering effect. Well, Dakar is not overly sophisticated, more like Drakkar Noir. Or the happily smiling ghost of him from the eighties, packed with long abandoned aroma-chemicals. Dakar smells just as good as something from these days, trying to copy the success of the great Drakkar Noir. And with that price tag from 1985 it is a true bargain.

Al-Rehab Dakar is reminiscent of the old Drakkar Noir. To me it is similar to the original Drakkar scent with a soapy note. For $3 a roll on tube, and $5 total shipped to your house I don’t think you can beat it. This thing just keeps playing the music on and on. I prefer the oil scents to the sprays for just about all of the Al-Rehab scents. If you want to have $5-$6 worth of fun and try something that will transport your mind back in time 30 years, then have some courage and make the move. I am enjoying Dakar. I haven’t tried the spray but I’ve read the spray has a metallic top note which doesn’t surprise me because I’ve read that about several of the spray based scents from AR. I was apprehensive about trying my first AR oil based scent because I thought it was going to turn me into a piece of greasy fried chicken or something but honestly, after rubbing it in during the initial application, there is no sign of oiliness on my skin. Do not fear. Face the roll-on! All of that being said, so far Silver is the best scent I’ve tried from this house.

This is a beautiful and, from what I can tell, ridiculously underrated cheapie. This find started when I blind-bought a modern formulation of Drakkar Noir, and, at first sniff, was blown away by how fresh it smelled despite the age gap between us. The 2020 formulation really doesn’t perform however, so I sought this out at the recommendation of several reviewers. It's not exactly the same, but it doesn't disappoint. It opens with a quick layer of citrus above the other notes, and then it’s right into fresh, green, manly, oakmossy something-something. It's hard to describe the mishmash of notes here, but please trust me that it’s clean, appealing, and 100% timelessly masculine. Also, it performs and smells incredible for the price. I had the 50ml EDP shipped to me internationally, halfway across the globe, and it still came out to about 15 bucks after the international shipping. Not to mention, the atomizer is a delight and sprays a dense, fine mist. This is lovely. This bats way above average. There’s no reason not to have it.

As I understand it from some quick research, Dakar is actually closer to the original formulation of Drakkar Noir than current formulation DN, which was interesting to read. Off the bat, I would definitely say it feels less soapy than my current formulation bottle of DN. Breaking down the differences from my previous DN notes to today's wearing: DN is more of the bergamot and lavender open whereas Dakar is much more herbal with that heavier sage. Moving through the dry down, Dakar is a lot greener, less fresh and soapy...that's really the big takeaway. I find my current formulation DN more refreshing in a clean forest mountain air sort of way, but I do really like how mossy Dakar gets, which seems to get sweeter as I let it simmer on my skin. I'm definitely going to do a layer test with these two in the future because I think I could capture the open of current DN for the freshness and add that mossy sweet depth on Dakar. Easy to love this, especially for $10...ridiculous value.

Al-Rehab Dakar is an inexpensive gem with real oakmoss for those of us who appreciate a classic gentleman's fragrance; 50ml perfume spray for a Lincoln and some pocket change. Sure, it's a clone of Drakkar Noir...but it's damn nice copy of the original for a very small price, so what's not to love? While the presentation has much to be desired, the juice is seriously business. In a nutshell, Dakar smells 80% ore more similar to the original Drakkar Noir prior to oakmoss and other natural perfume ingredients being banned out of existence. Moreover, I find it to be much better than the current limp-dick reformulated version currently on the shelves. It took me a few years to warm-up to these 80s/90s era power colognes due to may having fragrance allergies during that time (bad olfactory memories) but I am so glad to this fragrance in my Scent Armory do to Drakkar Noir being such neutered, wussified, crap these days. Cheers!

Excellent fragrance with great performance. I have the 50ml spray, not the 6mp oil. It is very close to Drakkar Noire but noticeably spicier and with a sweeter citrus top note that lasts longer than that of the DN, Dakar seems more sweet orange than sharp lemon. To me this seems like a slightly more modern/fresh/spicy take on the DN dna, with the original being great but more powdery and old school smelling. Performance is also far better with Dakar. I have several bottles of Drakkar Noire (a vintage splash, a new 50ml spray, and a new 200ml spray bottle) and this Dakar lasts far longer than all of them. I get 8+ hours on skin with good projection for the first 5 hours with 4 sprays, while even with heavy application of the DN I get 6 hours at best with ok projection for 3 hours at most. For the price of $8-11 this is unbeatable. The atomizer is also really nice.

I got the spray bottle of Dakar from Amazon for next to nothing. It was so cheap I went ahead and bought two. It's a nice take on Drakkar Noir here. Definitely reminds of the older formulations of DR. Has a really wonderful green element on the dry down that takes it up a notch from the current DR. There's a real oak moss feel to this fragrance as it dries down that's a little astounding to me. I thought that stuff was banned? Kudos to whoever formulated it, they really know what they're doing. Dakar's basically a wonderful barbershop fougere that can't be beat as far as value goes. If you like fougere's, or are a barbershop fragrance fan, definitely pick some up. Can't go wrong!

Al Rehab outdid themself with the Dakar oil, for me it's better than the original. The sillage is brutal, fills a room and last you for about 2 days. The EDT of Dakar is more citrusy, smells more like Duc De Vervins or Bowling Green. But the oil is on the extreme side, the oakmoss, leather and watery notes are very loud, you will leave a scent trail with especially these notes, less citrusy, more oakmoss, green notes and leather. I tried the current formulation of Drakkar, such a shame what they did to the fallen Powerhouse, last on me about 1 -2 hours, almost no oakmoss or green notes. Totally will stock up some oil bottles of Al Rehab Dakar, a fantastic revival of Drakkar Noir.

This doesn’t smell like Drakkar Noir or Duc De Vervains to me. I have both of those. There are notes similar to those in the opening & drydown but this fragrance stands on its own. It’s floral, light, spicy, green, mildly soapy & mildly sweet. It was not what I expected. The price for this is absolutely crazy. I’ve spent WAY more on fragrances that were boring & turned instantly to skin scents. This fragrance is just amazing. I can’t stop smelling it on my hand. I’m so confused - how can such a beautiful scent be had for just under $10 (Amazon price as of 9/22/23)? This is crazy. This is also unisex so anyone can wear it. I’m super pleased with this fragrance.

I bought this last year to replace the new formulation of drakar noir, but I found I wasn't reaching for it enough as with most al rehab frags, it has a very metallic top that I don't really care for. Anyway yesterday I decided to give it another go, but this time I didn't spay my clothes,and wow,,it was much better. The metallic top disappeared within an hour and it soon started to really take on the characteristics of drakar,,really getting creamy and smooth as it dried down, with a lovely amber base.. I'm looking really forward to the fall and winter now so I can give this some wearing. Well done Mr rehab.. Remember, don't spray your clothes..

Bought this for 15 MYR (spray bottle). Old fashioned masculine green fragrance that smells like 75%ish to Drakkar Noir. Picture being in a clean, old barbershop that everyone goes to for a haircut because its cheaper than those new barbershops that charges you 50 MYR for a haircut. Wonderful cheapie that got me compliments from old chaps in my local Masjid. Blind buy safe as it costs the same as those overpriced Iced Americano. Day and night fragrance. Sillage: Moderate, perfect for daily use. Projection: 2 to 3 feet for 3 hours, intimate until the 7th hour mark. Longevity: 6-7 hours.

Boy oh boy oh boy! This takes me back to my early childhood and fondness of fragrances. Back when thos was the ultra beast mode hype train and a love it or hate it but must respect it kind of fragrance! Nowadays Drakkar is a distant reflection of itself with all of the reforms and regulations but...DAKAR from Al Rehab has it going on son! I got a 6 pack of oils that I can't wait to decant a few for a travel atomizer and keep a few to layer with my spray for an all day aroma filled fun festival! This is way better quality than it's price point. Nostalgia at its finest!

Update... loving the most recent reviews @ stevieboy & @ karlov... and so many more. I have vintage DN from 90s in the taller thinner bottles And the shorter round one. The sprayers are all temperamental,and I’ve never found the vintage to be “Powerhouse ! Ingredients In the vintage smell superb ,minty , mossy , spicy and fresh like the forefather or big brother of rice gauche . I’m digressing,... dakar Does layer so well With all formulations giving superb depth and richness as well as extra minty freshness - so much so I sold all but one of my DN