Marwa

Jumpin' Jesus, this one is SUPER close to the OG. Can't recommend picking this one up enough, there are samples available if you are skeptical. Let me start by saying I am a nurse who works bedside in a hospital. I can't really wear most of my collection there as it has to be subtle and NOT offensive for the sake of being professional. I've literally gotten reprimanded from HR for wearing Bleu de Chanel. Like really?!?!?! Imagination is the perfect DNA as it just smells like you have a great hygiene regimen and know how to take care of yourself; like you just lathered yourself in luxury bath soap. Like an expensive hotel lobby. Very soothing, clean, musky, charismatic, watery and alluring. However, I do not want to spend that much on a fragrance. The hunt for a suitable replacement at a reasonable price ensues. So, I have owned or tested a few of the Imagination clones, particularly Game of Spades Full House. While I really liked that one and just finished the bottle this month, it is not as close as I once thought. It is sweeter and doesn't get the tea aspect nearly as well. It did make me smell clean though which I appreciated. The life of the fragrance did not last as long as I hoped (4-6 hours) but I usually carry around a decant and tend to lightly refresh throughout the day so that wasn't really a problem. Aqua Dubai was also great, but also did not have the tea note and leaned way more towards the soapy side as if it was a room spray or clean linen. Not a bad thing, just a slightly different vibe. I still really like that twist though with impressive longevity about 8-10 hours. Could be great for layering or just as a dumb reach out the shower. *** Onto Marwa: For $48.69 total, this arrived May 20th from Aromatix's TikTok shop as I had heard about how close it was supposed to be but thought it was the usual hype machine pumping up the algorithm to maximize sales commissions, I took it with a grain of salt especially considering how new this fragrance is. I was about to purchase Aqua Dubai after a small sample, but something told me to try this instead. "Maybe it will knock my socks off...". And it did! The hype is real...for once. I can see this fragrance gaining some steam, similar to how Aqua Dubai became one of the darling frags in the clone sphere (along with Liquid Brun, Turathi Blue, Lattafa Asad/Khamrah). But MAN! If you are searching for a 1:1 around the same price as the others I mentioned, LOOK NO FURTHER! And I have only owned it for 3 full days! No maceration needed on a December 2024 batch, at least for me. Then again that's already 6 months sitting in the box so that could be why. The juice inside is hands down the closest interpretation to Louis Vuitton's Imagination that I have ever smelled, even side by side with the 2 mL sample I procured from the LV store, I can't smell a noticeable difference. Perhaps the LV has more sparkly pop, more watery tea-musk on the opening towards the mid but for several hundred dollars more, that difference is minimal. The ultimate definition of diminishing return in my book. Just save your coin and buy this. Closeness to the OG - Opening: 9/10. It is not blended as well but that is only compared directly side by side. Otherwise it smells highly expensive and absolutely CAPTURES attention. Fresh out the shower with luxury bar of soap. They won't be thinking "What cologne do you wear?" but rather "you smell good, what soap and lotion do you use?" - Mid to Dry Down: 10/10. The tea note is stunning. I can't believe this is $50. It does stay fairly linear from the heart notes on, being more tea/soap dominant, whereas the OG gets slightly more creamy as if from a high quality lotion despite becoming more of a skin scent. I can tell this one still pushes out well past that 6-8 hour mark as I catch whiffs myself when moving around, telling me that I am still actively projecting and have not gone nose-blind. - Sillage: It creates the most alluring scent trail. I walked past the nurse's station into the medical supply room, which is a small room and I had my coworker follow me from the station into that the room to ask "Is that you that's smelling that good? We all turned our heads wondering who it was". I normally don't get a ton of compliments, because most people just think it in their heads but don't say anything. There's a kind of resistance to getting compliments in a way, sometimes it is awkward for them to say it. The fact that this one got a verbal response on the FIRST day tells you all you might need to know. I did not gatekeep and explained its a dupe of an expensive LV fragrance but they could smell like me for $50. It blew their minds. - Longevity: Lasts a good while straight out of the box, no maceration needed necessarily. I'd say about 6-8 hours easily with a skin scent of about 10-12 hours. Still actively testing over the last 4 days. Again, Aqua Dubai lasts longer but this one is closer so I don't mind reapplying. - Projection/Strength: 9/10. Certainly more powerful than the OG and about on-par with Aqua Dubai (which is known for its outward push like most Al-Haramain frags). You will be noticed with this one. - Versatility: 10/10. the DNA is super versatile, year round since it just smells clean. if you are familiar with imagination, you will know it could be used year round with no problem. A true daily driver. Nothing much to say here. However, - Price Value: 10/10. $50 instead of $400. Enough said! I might have to buy a backup, especially if I see it less than what I paid for it. I wonder if the hype train will catch this one because the price might jump up. Then again, it was relatively hard to find as I got lucky buying before it sold out on TikTok because there were non-reputable sites that were selling it but that's taking a chance. - Bottle Design: This sleek silver bottle comes in an equally eye-catching box that is cut as if a samurai sculpted it with a sword. Looks sharp, literally! The cap is heavy and takes a light tug to remove it so you can hold it by the cap briefly. It is also see through if you shine a light so you can monitor your dent over time. Now, there are handfuls of clones that I have not tried but am I itching and clamoring to try them? Nope. Not really. Maybe at some point I'd try the takes from Alexandra, Dua, Montagne or Yom & Layl but since those brands are likely $80-100 for a 50 mL, I'd honestly rather buy a backup bottle of this instead for half the price and double the juice. Like I mentioned, diminishing returns. They might be incrementally closer, but for the price I won't justify it. I understand that frags get glazed and the community can be really toxic & misleading towards compliments/consumerism but I must say this one deserves it. The hype is real. If you are not a fan of the Imagination DNA, move right along because this is a 1:1 attempt. Then again, I don't know why you'd be reading this if you weren't. Just buy it, internet friend. You won't be disappointed.

Maison Alhambra Marwa opens with a structure very close to Louis Vuitton Imagination, though immediately denser and more ambroxan-forward. Early on there is a noticeable ambroxan funk similar to other interpretations of this DNA, along with a warmer cinnamon-like spice that separates it slightly from the OG. The citrus plays more of a background role and the tea presence is less defined, giving the fragrance a slightly more compact and material-heavy feel compared to Imagination’s airy transparency. By the first hour, the similarities between the two become extremely close. The scent profiles are nearly indistinguishable outside of texture and definition. Imagination maintains a more transparent and refined structure, while Marwa feels slightly denser and blurrier around the edges. The fruit aspects in Marwa also come across a little more generically fruity rather than clearly citrus-focused. Still, the overall DNA is replicated extremely well and the differences become subtle enough that it largely comes down to refinement and texture rather than smell profile. As the wear continues, the biggest differences become performance and development depth. Imagination continues projecting strongly and carrying its citrus-tea mid structure forward, while Marwa begins pulling back significantly earlier. By Hour 3 onward, Marwa becomes more soapy and ambroxan-forward with a slight smoky undertone, while Imagination continues maintaining more top and mid complexity. The clone never completely falls apart structurally, but it reaches the simplified ambroxan-soap drydown phase much faster than the OG. Overall, this and Montagne Imaginary are the closest clones of Imagination that I have tried so far. What no clone has been able to fully replicate is the texture of Imagination itself. After wearing multiple clones side by side with the OG, it becomes clear that the airy transparent luxury texture is the hardest thing to duplicate. Still, Marwa is a very high quality clone and probably the closest overall interpretation I have found to this point. The main downside is the weaker longevity and projection compared to Imagination. But if the goal is getting as close to the OG smell profile as possible, this is one of the best options I’ve tested. 8.5/10

Marwa: L’eleganza del pulito d’élite che sfida i giganti ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Marwa di Arabiyat Prestige è, senza mezzi termini, spettacolare. Chi cerca il DNA di Imagination di Louis Vuitton troverà qui una delle interpretazioni più fedeli e rifinite attualmente sul mercato. È una fragranza che trasmette un'idea di lusso discreto e pulizia impeccabile. Apertura: Il viaggio inizia con un’esplosione agrumata di rara qualità. Il bergamotto di Calabria e l’arancia di Sicilia offrono una freschezza frizzante e naturale, lontana dai sentori sintetici di molti "dupe" economici. È una partenza luminosa che mette subito il buon umore. Cuore: Dopo circa venti minuti, emerge il carattere speziato. Lo zenzero nigeriano aggiunge una vibrazione pungente ma pulita, mentre la cannella di Ceylon conferisce una leggera rotondità calda. Il neroli tunisino fa da collante, mantenendo la composizione su binari floreali-freschi estremamente eleganti. Drydown: Nel fondo, la fragranza si assesta su una base di Ambroxan e tè nero, che richiama perfettamente quella sensazione di "tè agrumato" di classe. Il legno di guaiaco e l'olibano danno struttura senza mai appesantire, garantendo una persistenza su pelle notevole. Performance: La scia non è volutamente esagerata; rimane una "skin scent" potenziata che crea una bolla di benessere attorno a chi la indossa. La durata su pelle è eccellente, superando le 6-7 ore. Consiglio tecnico: Come spesso accade con gli orientali, consiglio di spruzzarne un po' e lasciar maturare il flacone al buio per qualche settimana: la fragranza diventerà ancora più armoniosa e profonda. Voto: 9/10

I agree with what most other reviews state. This opens differently than Imagination. I noticed the difference and my wife noticed the difference, and it is a negative to our nose. But after just a few minutes, it becomes very similar to our noses. That appears to be the case for most. There will always be outliers. Imagination to my nose projects strongly. If I spray some on my hand or arm, even if I'm outside with the wind blowing, I will detect it as I move around. Marwa does not project as strongly to my nose, but it still projects well. I find Marwa and Imagination to be a very pleasant scent profile that smells ozonic and clean. It reminds me at times of the smell of chlorine from an indoor pool. It sometimes reminds me of the smell of clean skin under intense sun -- not sweaty or body odor from bacteria, but the smell of clean skin. I'm sensitive to certain woody notes in fragrances (but never in nature) that most are not where I find them acrid and unpleasant. Both Marwa and Imagination have no unpleasant dry down notes to my nose. As for longevity, I sprayed my arms lightly with Marwa before noon, then was outdoors most of the day on a warm and breezy spring day, and I could still detect it as a skin scent the following morning. Marwa is a winner for me.

Marwa – Arabiyat Prestige ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) !!️Opinions vary—your nose tells the truth. Always smell it yourself.!!️ This one right here is a straight banger — and yeah, the hype is real. Off the top, you get a fresh citrus burst mixed with a spicy kick of ginger notes that immediately grabs attention. It’s bright, clean, and aromatic, with a smooth woody-musky base that gives it that masculine backbone. There’s a nice balance between fresh, spicy, and slightly warm, making it super versatile. I can see exactly why this one is so popular. It gives off that luxury designer vibe and honestly comes very close to that OG LV style DNA. It smells expensive, clean, and confident — the type of scent that gets noticed. And trust me... this one pulls compliments left and right. Performance is solid. You’re looking at around 6–8 hours, especially depending on the heat. It might need a little time to macerate/mature to really unlock its full potential, but even fresh out the box it still performs well. Final thoughts: * Fresh, spicy, citrusy with a woody-musky base * Mass appealing but still feels premium * Great everyday or signature scent option * Compliment magnet 🔥 Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was my signature scent for a long time...I personally love it. It has mixed reviews on here however this has been my findings- To me this is like smelling like a Luxury hotel, fresh, clean and soapy. It smells way more expensive than the price tag. Now I have never smelled imagination however since purchasing this I have bought multiple bottles of it and don’t feel the need to smell imagination. To me this is perfect. Projection and longevity wise has not been an issue for me, it last all day and if you get it on your clothes it will help with performance. This is the type of scent that I’m into...clean, classy and makes you smell like luxury. You can wear this anytime, it’s a safe pick up for any occasion (there are better options in cold weather). If you’re a man, your woman will enjoy smelling this on you. This is probably my most worn fragrance and is easily currently in my top 3 favourites. Due to it being an inspired by fragrance from the Middle East you probably won’t see this often but I would genuinely rate this a 10/10. I think it’s fantastic and a 100% safe blind buy.

Bought this scent a while back and since then it has become by far my most complimented fragrance. When I first bought this, all I could smell was lemon, however after about a week of consistent use it matured into this quality soap scent. Lasts about 6 hours with 4 hours of projection for me. Around hour 2 is when the scent is peak I would say, so if you're planning on going somewhere plan for that! Anyone saying this smells bad needs to get a new nose, this scent DNA is clearly very mass appealing. Don't have Imagination so I can't comment on how similar it is to that fragrance. You also get random whiffs of the scent as you go about your day which is really nice, I don't believe this fragrance is one of those fragrances you grow anosmic to. This will probably be my signature scent for a while, love this scent. So versatile it can be used in any scenario or season. Atomizer is very nice as well. Aside from the uglyish bottle imo this fragrance is an amazing purchase and I highly recommend. Safe blind buy (if you can wait for that heavenly dry down).

A nice, inoffensive fragrance overall. However, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it because of its longevity. I purchased it from Jomashop, and it has been about three months since the purchase. It has had plenty of time to “macerate,” but the performance is still quite weak. I find myself reapplying it three to four times a day. It could be nose blindness, but even others around me can’t seem to smell it on me after a short time. The atomizer is nicely pressurized, and if you apply 6–8 full sprays, you’ll get some projection for about the first 30 minutes. After that, it becomes very faint. The most pleasant part of the fragrance is the black tea note in the dry down, and I wish that were stronger. At $40, you can definitely find a fresh, clean-smelling designer fragrance that performs better. It’s one of the better dupes I’ve purchased, but experiences like this are why I’ll probably stick with niche and designer fragrances going forward.

This is my best purchase in at least the past year. I had been burned a few times lately by falling for the hype-train of influencers, but this fragrance is really good. This is easily in my top 5 favorite warm weather fragrances. The scent is in the same wheelhouse as Dior Homme Cologne, but more soapy. The brightness of Marwa comes from the ginger with a some citrus, rather than all citrus like Dior. If you like Creed Original Vetiver or Mugler Cologne, you will also like this. I get about 4 hours of decent projection, and another 2 hours of light projection. Six hours for a fresh fragrance is better than most. This works year round, but really shines in warm weather. It’s office safe. The atomizer is pressurized so you can control the amount it sprays. I got it for $36 - which is an absolute steal. Any reviews that say this is “cheap” and “rancid” have lost their minds. It’s a safe blind buy. 10/10

I have tried Imagination multiple times and got a 5ml bottle to test the similarity of these two fragrances. At first Marwa to me felt weird and not that close to Imagination. But after a few weeks and wears the scent appears to have changed and now I think they smell quite similar. The opening of Imagination seems more citrusy then Marwa, who's opening smells a little "sterile" and synthetic. But the drydown is like 90-95% similar, at least to me. I've been wearing Marwa a lot this summer in 30+ C and some days I can smell it on my skin even after 9+ hours, but everyone's skin is different. Also it is worth mentioning that I got quite a few compliments while wearing this fragrance. I haven't smelled other dupes of Imagination but this one is worth the hype (at least to me), especially for 45€ or less. If you want a fresh, clean, citrus-tea, long lasting fragrance for cheap give Marwa a try!

Marwa has renewed my hope for clones. I recently sold ALL of my clone fragrances, over 30 of them except for CDNIM LE. Most clones are over hyped trash. I don't care how cheap they are if they smell harsh or cheap, they aren't worth it. But for some reason I decided to try Marwa. I'm so glad I did. The quality and overall all scent is amazing and so is the projection and longevity. 3 spays filled the house. The opening smells like a luxury hotel soap, at about 20min the black tea starts to take over. I could smell it on me for at least 8 hours. By far the best clone or middle eastern fragrance I've ever smelled. 10/10. Update: Still rockin Marwa and enjoying it. But I'm once again done with clone/middle eastern houses. I blind bought 5 more clones, including 2 more from Arabiyat Prestige, hoping the quality would be on the same level as Marwa. Nope, they're all trash. Marwa is a unicorn 🦄

Probably the best value fragrance you will ever buy. Smells expensive, clean, and projects great for only around $60 AUD. Nothing to dislike about this. I am not too sure about performance: it is either the scent dying after 4 hours, or I become nose-blind from all the ambroxan, but I don't think this is a problem when you can just reapply and not have to feel guilty since it's so cheap. Just note that this is a very ginger and cinnamon heavy opening, and steps away from the citrus in the OG. So some people see it as more masculine, which I agree to an extent, but the scent is pleasant for anyone to wear. This change to the opening I actually prefer, because the original Imagination has such a balanced blend of notes that it is almost impossible to know what you are smelling. This one is more straightforward at the start, then becomes very similar to Imagination in the mids and dry down.

I just got this about a week ago, knowing it was suppose to be a clone or inspiration of Imagination. I have a decant of the OG so I’ve been comparing them. I would say Marwa is about 85% 90% close. Imagination is much smoother all around and drys down to a gorgoues scent. Marwa on the other hand starts off a little harsh but dries down pretty good and gets close to the real thing. Marwa keeps the opening of imagination through the whole wear and doesn’t have that creamy dry down the OG has which can make it more unisex imo. Performance is meh maybe 3 or 4 hours if that? I will let it sit and mature for a couple weeks and get back to it. But for $50 bucks you can’t beat it tbh. I really like it and keep reaching for it these past couple days. Imagination is great but for $350 not soo much. Marwa is a good alternative. A masculine take on the DNA.

So i live in iraq and i will do a small comparison from my point of view: Aqua dubai 100 ml here costs 50-55$ Marwa 100ml cost 25$ Smell wise there both really good and identical to LV Price to value its easy Marwa for me but if you live somewhere where the prices are same definitely get Aqua Dubai it last longer and is a little better especially after the opening. Aqua dubai is Extrait and Marwa is eau de parfum. If you test them together you will see at the beginning that Marwa is stronger but after a bit Aqua dubai will shine. 12 hours on skin is crazy for a freshie. Marwa does 8 hours which is still a-lot. Great perfumes both but i go with Marwa purely because of the price and i don't need the 12 hours on skin anyway. 10/10 perfume Blind buy safe And a must have!!

I’ve been wearing this fragrance for about two months – at the gym, in the office, and sometimes casually with friends. I’ve smelled the original at an LV store – absolutely phenomenal, but way too expensive. I was always looking for a good clone, so after doing some research, I decided to try Marwa. When I first sprayed it on my hand, it had a slightly sharp opening with a hint of dominant ginger, but it settles within a few minutes. Then that fresh, tea-like, soapy note comes through. As for performance on my skin – it’s definitely long-lasting, and my partner constantly compliments me on it. Even after 8-10 hours, she says I still smell amazing. For the price, this is a must-have in any collection, especially if you love fresh summer fragrances. 9/10.

Got this today. Right out of the box, sprayed it first on my dad’s wrist and then my brother’s arm. Went out for a few minutes, came back and the entire house smelled absolutely amazing. You have to smell this in the air. It’s gorgeous. I tried it on myself, very smooth. It’s been 6 hours and I still get the whiff when I move around. Went to my brother’s room and it still projects from his arm (half spray bdw). So performance is not an issue, I don’t know why people complain about the performance. Smells amazing. I’ll still let it macerate and see if it gets beast mode performance. Absolutely worth every penny. P.S. always buy from a trusted source. Lots of fakes out there. Stay safe, stay blessed and also amazing presentation and bottle design imo.

I am incredibly impressed by this fragrance! It is remarkably close to Imagination having smelled them side by side. Initially I didn’t think this DNA was for me but it has been growing on me more and more. People aren’t lying when they say it smells soapy. It smells like the luxury soaps high end resorts stock their rooms with. The longevity on this fragrance is fantastic, even 10 hours after applying I can still detect this on my skin. The only downside for me honestly is the atomizer. It is far too pressurized and is a bit cumbersome to use compared to other atomizers. I got this as a tester for $30 and it’s a steal. I don’t know if I could ever justify the price for Imagination so this works just fine for me!

Really nice fragrance but not soapy. This fragrance to me really smells like nice clean ginger and citrus. Longevity is insane! About 14 hours on my clothes. I got this in a fragrance so I can’t say how I feel about the price but I feel pretty good about the trade. Really high quality cap, pressurized atomizer, and a beautiful box. I highly recommend this dupe of imagination. The opening is pretty synthetic but the dry down is super similar to imagination though. Really hyped up and it somewhat deserves the glaze overall it definitely deserves to be considered if you want to buy a fresh Middle Eastern scent. Btw you guys should clown the person below me Cule for his stupid ai pfp. 8.5735/10

It's a highly rated LV Imagination clone and like my test review of Hawas Kobra, it is more tea focused. I wasn't in love with the original LV Imagination, but this and Hawas Kobra I love. Why? In the open Marwa leans heavier into sharp citrus, spicy ginger, an aggressive cinnamon, and woodier notes like guaiac wood...which just makes it come off as more defined and masculine to my nose. Where Imagination dries down into a softer creamy tea, Marwa ditches some of the creaminess and holds on to that initial spiciness for a stronger spicy black tea that feels more addictive (Kobra's twist was more honey-in-tea, which I also highly preferred over Imagination). It's a love for me.

An extremely easy-to-wear fragrance that exudes class and masculinity. Reminds me of Mont Blanc Starwalker and Armani’s Thé Yulong. My particular bottle gets a huge blast of ginger in the opening that lasts about 3-4 hours before you can start to pick up more of the woody and black tea notes. I personally cannot smell any of the alleged citrus and ambroxan in the notes breakdown. Longevity could be better. Alas, a wonderful scent that I reach for very often. Edit: After 3 months of maturation, this is starting to become a lot more balanced. It has become a lot less spicy, and slightly sweeter. It also lasts a couple of hours longer and I find it to be more easy to wear now.