Paradigm

I got this one as a dupe for the OG with pretty low expectations as there aren't as many reviews as there are for Vintage Radio. I paid 25 euros for this one, and the place i got it from had VR and AN for 35 euros. The reason i fell in love with Paragon was for the fresh, diffusive tea scent that has a calming effect on me. However i can't justify a price point this high for an effing freshie. Paradigm did not disappoint, it's very good, 90% similarity! The sweetness of the fruits is very subtle and well blended, with a fizzy molecular quality to it. I can't tell the plum from the apple apart here, but i feel the vibe of having them in here. What floats my boat the most, both in the og and in this one is the sage note, i looove the soft aromatic quality that it gives without making the smell too masculine(i'm a woman). The creaminess from the suede almost reminds me of liquorice without feeling it in the back of my throat or being reminiscent of vintage lipsticks. Paradigm has a very close resemblance to Paragon, a noticeable difference(that kinda makes sense given the price) being with performance. The OG sample had a longevity of 12+ hours on me, whereas this one is half. The bottle i just bought is 1 year old according to the production date, but maybe it will improve with more time(idk, wishful thinking here). I really dont mind since the price difference is crazy. The difference in the smell is in the creaminess nuance: here it's a bit herbal, in the OG it's smokier/woodier from the palo santo maybe. The only reason why i don't buy the original is because it is beyond my price bracket for pretty generic but nice smelly waters. If you love unisex, fresh, non-aggressive, woody tea scents it's safe blind buy. Don't blind buy it thinking it's a nuclear beast, it's not; even Paragon has a master zen vibe to it, even though it packs a punch performance and projection wise. This dna is very office friendly and inoffensive. 9/10 for me

I have all three clones of Paragon, this, Vintage Radio and Al Nashama, and this one is hands down the superior fragrance! It may not list Palo Santo in the breakdown, but it is much closer to Paragon than Vintage Radio. The Lattafa has a more pronounced and syrupy plum note and loses the aromatic appeal of the original, however this is the closest thing I've smelled as a 1:1 clone of any fragrance up until now!!! Fragrance World and French Avenue are really stepping up with the quality of their oils and given that fact they are hard to beat right now. I got in Royal Blend Sequoia with this one and it's also indistinguishable from Angels Share Paradiso'. Given my price bracket, I love that these brands exist. Now I will still occasionally spend several hundred dollars on a fragrance, but it's going to be something far superior to anything else on the market, such as with brands like Royal Crown or Clive Christian, and even a few MFK's like Oud Extrait and Oud Satin Mood. But for the average niche brand, houses such as Fragrance World, Afnan, Lataffa and Al Haramain have made them an unnecessary expense.

Review: This is among the finest dupe French Avenue has produced, yet it remains surprisingly underrated . Compared to Vintage Radio, I actually prefer this one, even though it lacks the palo santo note, which is a key ingredient in Initio Paragon. The scent feels more refined and well blended, without being too overpowering, making it smooth and pleasing to the nose. While Vintage Radio is closer to a 1:1 match with Paragon, this version adds its own unique twist, which makes it more versatile overall. PS: For the person saying the performance is weak, you’re right if you just received it. Fresh out of the box, it didn’t last at all. However, after letting it sit and masserati for 2–3 months, the difference is night and day. The scent became richer, longevity improved significantly, and projection is now excellent. It pushes strongly for the first 2–3 hours and lasts about 8 hours.

I blind bought this after trying Vintage Radio. Still need to try the original. This is definitely better and quite different than Vintage Radio. Paradigm is beautiful from the beginning - fresh fruity apple/plum, aromatic, soft, sweet, slightly creamy. Has a bit of licorice note, but that is prominent only if you put 2 or more sprays on the same spot. It smells high quality, no synthetic notes at any point. Vintage Radio on the other hand has way too much lavender (it screams in first hour) and when it dies down you get smoky palo santo which in my opinion isn't really necessary in this perfume. Paradigm is office safe, light, unisex (smudge of masculinity), youthful. As a perfume itself it's a 9/10 (considering price it's 11/10), but there is no sex appeal at all. It exceeded my expectations but I don't see myself wearing this much.

Yeah this will be my office scent! For me, it starts off quite sweet. It’s sweet but in the faint side of sweet. Get it? It’s like you can smell the plum and apple, but it’s warm. Not like a freshie fragrance. The fruit notes are subtle and comes off in elegant-ish way, not in a sporty way. It follows up with a balanced creamy feeling. The one that hits the spot is the dry down. I smell palo santo, its like when you burn a palo santo/smudge stick. The note is calming. After 2-3 hrs mark you can smell the earthy patchouli mixed with leather and the remaining of sweet notes. I think this one is true to its inspiration. great for daily driver in the calm afternoon and evening. Office wear friendly.