Shiyaaka Sky

A quick first impression after receiving it in the mail and giving it a few test sprays. Right off the bat, you’re greeted with a clean musk paired with a prominent green floral accord. The orange and mandarin sit nicely in the background, adding just enough brightness without stealing the show. As it dries down, the sandalwood becomes more noticeable, giving the fragrance a soft, smooth finish. Overall, it has that fresh laundry detergent vibe that’s incredibly easy to wear and hard to dislike. It’s a very safe blind buy with broad appeal. Projection is moderate, and performance is about average, but that’s perfectly in line with the style of fragrance it’s aiming to be. This will be an easy grab throughout the rest of the summer, though I think it truly shines as a spring fragrance. It should perform just as well on warm summer days, making it a versatile, clean, and effortless wear. I rate this an 8 out of 10.

First impressions from first wearing (poolside lounging in 85 degree Summer weather)... Smells very good. Not much of a performer straightaway. My only experience with the OG was from a large decant used up a long time ago. I’d like to say how close it is, but I’d only be doing that from memory and not side-by-side. I will say, that it definitely brought me back to that DNA immediately. Hopefully this will strengthen as I use it, as of now it isn’t really all that powerful. For the 35 or 40 bucks I got this for it is decent Edit: Recent Guerlain Forte purchase included a new sample of HT (ironically). Passed some time doing a side-by-side with both of them, and they are definitely similar. Not 1-to-1, but close. If I really loved this scent profile, I'd absolutely spring for the Herbes Troublantes. But I don't really think the DNA deserves such a high cost, regardless of materials and blending...

Okay, so is this a good clone of HT? Sure. It hits the mark in the general scent profile. To me, Sky is lighter, and doesn't project as much as HT. It smells good, but the green notes don't feel as dense. This seems more airy, perhaps the name, Sky? Also, this does not last all that long (although neither does the original either). I maybe got about 4-5 hrs. with normal use. However, with heavy sprays and then a reapplication an hour later with a few more, longevity seemed to increase to about 6-7 hours. Don't get me wrong, this does smell good and gets compliments, but those hoping for something as good or better than the original will be disappointed. I'd give it a solid 8.3/10 for the smell alone. If performance were amped up and the notes were stronger/deeper I'd say this could have been in the 9s.

Bought this as I had a Herbes Troublantes sample and loved it. I decided to I was going to buy Herbes Troublantes but wanted to test this before I splashed that much cash on Herbes. The opening is a bit different, more citrusy and quite louder than the OG. However the dry down, which is favorite part of Herbes, on my skin smells almost identical. I would say it’s definitely worth it if you can’t justify spending close to $500 on the OG. Will be picking up a second bottle soon as I can see myself running thru the first one pretty quickly. While it is a fresh summer fragrance, I will def be wearing it year round as the Herbes DNA is very versatile for all occasions.

Such an easy reach. Do not let the color of the bottle fool you, this scent is pure green. It is incredibly fresh, bright, and vivid as if you just stepped out of a shower and wrapped yourself in a warm infused spa towel. The atomizer is really great, too. However, if you want a fragrance that projects, this is not for you. The projection is moderate at best. It also doesn't last very long, but I have compensated by overspraying it a bunch since it's cheap enough to buy another once my first bottle runs out (which I think it will). One of the rare instances where buying into the hype is worth it IMO.