Sultane 1001 Nights

Doing a wrist-to-wrist showdown as we speak. . . And the verdict is . . . 1. I LOVE Jeanne Arthes Sultane 1001 Nights 2. The bottle is less horrible than I expected, and even cute with the glitter swirling around in there. 3. Christian Dior Midnight Poison has been removed from my "want" list! It's true. 4. They are not identical. 5. I might like 1001 Nights BETTER than MP! I am not particularly partial to patch, and while 1001 Nights keeps it's crisp, spicy, warm, fresh (no, not contrary descriptions) through the development (so far), MP in contrast dies down to a relatively dirty patch. It's no longer fresh and crisp with that spicy, warm edge. Instead, I lose the freshness in light of 1001 Nights. Now don't get me wrong. MP is gorgeous. If I could come across a bottle for a reasonable price, I would certainly consider it, but in all honesty, one could probably layer 1001 Nights over a bit of Jessica Simpson Fancy Nights and have a REALLY close dupe! So the rundown: MP is darker MP is dirtier MP has lighter silage 1001 is better projection 1001 is "brighter" 1001 is spicier (could be a deal breaker for some) 1001 gives a jasmine pop after a bit. It's subtitle but there. BOTH are gorgeous 1001 costs about 3% what MP does.

As someone who loves very very strong spicy oriental fragrances like the original version of Yves St Laurent Opium, this Sultane 1001 Nights comes as a very plesant suprise. It is not thick and dense like Opium or Estee Lauder's Youth Dew, yet it has the similar strength of spices. Sultane is refreshing, ozonic, as if it were fresh air breezes filled with spices. It is rich, yet airy and refreshing. The spices are more noticeable than the delicate florals. Compared to Cafe by Cafe, for example, this Sultane 1001 Nights is less sweet, less flowery, and seems more spicy than Cafe. Sultane is a clean, refreshing, lightly floral, heavily spiced breath of fresh air that lasts 10 to 12 hours. Definitely a keeper !

I've been looking for a fragrance like this since I first stared here. The description of Jessica Simpson Fancy nights and the ad campaign made me think that it was it, but no, that one turned out to have a vintage vibe instead of a spicy fresh vibe. Sultane is spicy, mysterious and evokes images of Dior Midnight Poisons image, a beautiful yet dark belle of the ball, a modernized Cinderella scent with an underlying middle eastern vibe. Oh and the bottle is made cheaply; the plastic cap AND the silver plastic collar have cracked and fell off so I guess be careful when lifting it by the cap.

1001 Nights is a nice enough perfume, but it wont blow your socks off. I bought it after reading reviews, saying it was very similar to Midnight Poison, my ultimate favourite perfume. Yes it IS quite similar, but I wouldn't call it a dupe or replica, just a distant vibe is all I really get. I get 8-10 hours from 1001 Nights, which is not too shabby. EDITED TO ADD---6 MONTHS LATER I was hoping that 1001 nights would eventually replace my beloved Midnight Poison, but sadly it does not. I ended up swapping it for another perfume. I tried to convince myself that it WAS like Midnight Poison, but really there was only a distant vibe I got from it that reminded me of how magnificent Midnight Poison truly is, and 1001 Nights didn't come close to that. I find it linear, although a pretty frsaagrance, I prefer my perfumes to develop on my skin, and 1001 Nights does not do that on me, it stays as-is. So if you love the initial spray, you're in luck because that's all you're gonna get. I actually missed this perfume going through the phases that most perfumes do, I waited, and waited, then waited some more.....but nothing changed. I have YSL Elle, which to me is closer in comparison and quality to replace MP for the time being, Elle is a beautiful perfume in its own right, that lasts me 10-12 hours.

I can see why people reference Midnight Poison when they review this scent and if you love MP you will (probably) love this. It is however, not the same scent but rather has the same 'vibe' as MP in my opinion. There is no patchouli in this so it is missing the slightly dirty vibe that MP has and Sultane is certainly fresher (maybe the bergamot), a little more peppery and spicey with some Jasmine but not overwhelming jasmine, it's more in the background. Sultane has better sillage and longevity on me. I can see that this could be seen as unisex and it is masculine in the same way as MP can be seen as masculine but I would say that it is a scent meant for women. I think it can be worn day or night (but then I wore MP in the day if I wanted to!) I think this is a fabulous alternative to MP for a fraction of the cost. I'm in the UK and got if from Amazon for 15 quid. I love it in it's own right. A fanstastic scent that is a little out of the box.