05 Domino Essence

You know that little plastic goop you used to buy as a kid that came in a small paste tube that you squeeze onto one end of a straw, then you blow into it and make plastic bubbles and play with it like putty? That's what the first 10 seconds of spraying this smells like. I LOVE IT. I'm actually sad it goes away. ANYWAY, once that initial scent disappears, this becomes a GORGEOUS vanilla on a woody foundation. This isn't gourmand or overly sweet from the listed fruit notes in any way (only just a little bit), but more of a dry vanilla. It's very smooth and doesn't smell overpowering at all. I've smelled Rifaaqat and didn't like it enough to buy it. This one was a blind buy because I like RM5 and it's damn close enough for me! Might even be a little sweeter? I don't have RM5 next to me to try side by side, but from memory, I find this to be airier than RM5. That's not a bad thing IMO, because I find the way 05 is hitting to be incredibly comforting. I can also see myself wearing this to bed. UPDATE: This has had some time to sit, and its performance seems to have improved A LOT. I sprayed the same amount as I did when I first wore it out, and this time it felt like way too much! I will now start spraying much less of it going forward. Just wanted to warn anyone who hasn't put this on in a while. It’s a beast now. Its already gotten me a couple unexpected compliments from men thinking it was the woman next to me wearing it. Yall shouldve seen the look of disappointment on their faces.

Oh gosh, this is so freaking beautiful....I’m not getting any burnt rubber notes at all. It’s definitely strong and long-lasting, but I don’t get the feeling that it’s cloying at all. I’m able to wear this on summer nights. To my nose, this is a "your skin but soooo much better" scent. It’s amazing alone, but for layering, it does wonders. Like, how is this even possible???? It layers so well with so many fragrances from my collection and just makes them like 10x better. I have a few suggestions that I’ve tried and that blew me away: - Domino Essence 05 + Khair Felicity: Felicity, to me, is an angelic perfume. This makes Felicity sexy and the contrast between the sweet and innocent notes from Felicity and the sensuality from Domino Essence makes this sooo good for summer night out. - Domino Essence 05 + Alluring Fig: I adore Alluring Fig, but the vanilla in the dry down is a bit simple. This adds depth and sexiness to Alluring Fig and turns it from a day to a night scent. - Domino Essence 05 + any Lost Cherry dupe I have a feeling it would be amazing with anything rose-centered - will test it out! 🌹

Finally is on Fragrantica. First things first. 05 Domino Essence is closer to Rosendo Mateu No.5 (RM5) than Ishq Al Shuyukh Gold by Lattafa is. The fragrance is very close to RM5 with minor differences. RM5 transitions better that 05, but only if you wear both at the same time. I own RM5 and it’s a fragrance that has this watery sweet vanilla that some perceive as rubbery/plastiky. 05 has the same sweetness effect of RM5. The woods are light and creamy. I detect the vanilla from the beginning, and as develops, pushes up more. The amber valances off the sweetness of the vanilla. They copied RM5 bottle design to the T. The box/presentation, very similar. The scent is sweet but never gets cloying. It’s unisex. The “rubbery” smell is just for 5-10 minutes. It’s not offensive but different. It may caught you off guard, but after a few wears, you barely notice it. The flowers, I think I can be biased by the notes but they are barely noticeable. It’s not a difficult scent. Very simple but fantastic. I like both of them. I only own 3 clones in my collection.... This is one of them. Enough said. Cheers

This smells to me exactly like David Beckham Exquisite Leather. The wierd part is I feel 05 is more unisex - it is weird because i'm smelling both at the same time and they smell identically to me, but at the same time somehow my mind is saying it is more unisex, go figure. (I wouldn't say feminine btw, just unisex. Beckham is definitely unisex leaning masculine, slightly but without a doubt.). Now both give me the feeling it's By The Fireplace but take the smoke out of it, really. Also I believe Exq.L. is variation of Rifaqaat based on opinions, so 05 would be as well, but maybe closer because it gives more Unisex vibe? Don't know rifaqaat myself. Btw exq leather stains cloths like shit. 05 is lighter in colour but the paper looked like it might be staining as well - haven't tested yet though.

Well well well, I didn't have any high expectations but this one really had me at first sniff. It is actually the best dupe of any fragrance I've ever tried. They are 99,5% identical. I'm wearing RM no5 on one hand and domino on the other and I really have to concentrate to find the slightest difference. Domino however turns into an intimite scent after 2 hours on my skin while RM5 keeps projecting. On fabrics they both last days though. I love this scent profile, it's sophisticated and dangerous. However, the gasoline or burnt rubber note is prominent in both the OG and in domino. I can see why some people would find this off putting but to me this is addictive. I wouldn't say this is a safe blind buy but I still think most people would like this.