Kismet Magic

Someone dunked a slice of cinnamon apple pie into a shot of warm cognac and let it soak, that's how they created Kismet Magic. It hits you booze-first, then the initial accords combine with spiced pastry, evoking a calming bakery vibe. Among the more interesting things, I personally detect at the start a coconutty dessert of the higher-end variety. As it settles, the booziness weakens and we're approached by rich caramelly vanilla and dark chocolate notes (or maybe just tonka bean), adding creamy sweetness and weight. It's much less sophisticated than the opening — one that could be sold alone for much more — and the drydown ventures into general sweet Middle Eastern territory with just a wisp of woody smoke. Longevity is extensive, typical for such fragrances, but sillage is only decent at best. This isn't the kind of scent to be smelled from the other end of your house; eventually the projection drops off into only a cozy bubble — you'll need to lean in for a proper sniff. It's a unisex, male-leaning, cold-weather champion; women can wear it too if they want that cognac vibe to kick things off. One thing I don't understand is that this is literally Kismet Angel under a different name, but Fragrantica employees decided to assign a whole new pyramid of notes and accords (the original one seems more fitting though). I own both versions, and they're 1:1. It seems like a branding trick by Lattafa to dodge a cease-and-desist from By Kilian. Out of all the Khamrah interpretations and inspirations of Angels' Share, this is the best one quality-wise, and it has many interesting notes, unlike the flatter other scents in my fairly large collection of such. Top-notch, exceptional price/quality — nearly full used bottles can be found for around €12. A must-have in any collection if you enjoy these types of notes. Fully recommended. Who's this magic for? If you live for winter gourmands and date-night mood lighting, this is your go-to. It won't turn you into a pastry chef, but someone might ask if fresh-baked pie is on the menu (and eventually give you that one well-earned compliment). Opening note: 9+ Sillage/Projection: 7 Drydown: 8+ Longevity: 9- Blend/Composition: 8+ Versatility: 7 Uniqueness: 8 Value for money: 9+ Bottle design/Aesthetics: 8+ Overall experience: 8+ Blind-buy rating: 8

Since I really appreciate the profile of Angels Share, I've tested several of the affordable alternatives. Here are my findings, if you're interested: Royal Blend and Kismet Magic are very close to Angels Share. If I want to get into the finer details, I could say that Angels Share falls somewhere in between: Kismet Magic is very slightly more woody, and Royal Blend is very slightly more fruity, but that's only noticeable when you smell them side by side and one after the other. In the air, I challenge anyone to be able to distinguish them. Royal Blend and Kismet Magic are much closer to the original than Khamrah and Sharaf Blend. The latter two are much sweeter and spicier (cinnamon), and much less woody/boozy than the original. On my skin, Royal Blend, Kismet Magic, and Angels Share have very similar sillage and longevity: moderate, perhaps very slightly above average. Khamrah and Sharaf Blend have stronger sillage, but they can also be cloying because they are much sweeter. The comparisons were made on the skin and on a tester strip. I have a decant of Angel Share, purchased at the end of 2024. I used to own Khamrah and Sharaf Blend, which I sold, but I kept some decants of each (I didn't appreciate the profile, finding it too sweet and lacking the cognac note). I've had Kismet Magic for a year now and I really like it (I should mention that it improved over the first few months). Finally, I ordered a decant of Royal Blend a few weeks ago because I wanted to see if I might prefer it to Kismet Magic. Ultimately, I enjoyed Royal Blend as much as Kismet Magic (or Angel Share), and since I already own Kismet Magic, I don't see any reason to buy Royal Blend. If you have to choose between the two, Kismet Magic is possibly a better choice because it's generally less expensive, but it needs a few months of maturation to reach its best. Since the Royal Blend I tested came from a decant, I can't say whether it also requires maturation time. In conclusion, quite honestly, although I have several niche fragrances in my collection, I see no reason to pay a premium for the original when such good and very affordable options are available.

Kilian - Angel's share (99%) for £20. I'm blown away, and very happy I only bought a decant of AS, as this is most of that fragrance for a fraction of the price. I have tried them side-by-side, and my girlfriend cannot tell the difference. Smooth apple pie, cognac, cinnamon swirl and a bakery-esque gourmand-sweetness. This is everything I want in a fragrance. I'll do my best to make an objective analysis below / The initial spray is sharper than AS, getting more booze and a clove-like spice with the sharpness you begin to expect from these clone fragrances, most likely due to cheaper resources and perhaps a different alcohol blend for vaporising (don't quote me, this is fragrance bro-science). During this time, it can be slightly off-putting, smelling much cheaper than the fragrance it is replicating, as AS doesn't have such a quality. After 10 minutes, this blends into a smooth concoction of vanilla-gourmand, spiced desert (apple pie heavy), caramelised and a beautifully dense creaminess with cognac/brandy notes of dark chocolate and FAINT apple. The transformation from sharpness to smooth gourmand is note-worthy. These notes slowly combine as it continues to dry down and disperse, notes becoming less discernible as time goes on, instead blending into a general sense of bakery-gourmand with light boozy under-notes. To me, this signifies maturity in a fragrance and blending beyond it's price. It's exquisite, and my new favourite fragrance. 9.5/10 to Angel's share's 10/10. Blind buy safe for lovers of gourmand, after all, it's worth less than a 5ml decant of AS!!!

Kismet Magic – The Best Angel’s Share Dupe? No Contest. After testing Royal Blend (RB) and Kismet Angel (KA) alongside Kismet Magic (KM), I can confidently say that KM is hands down the closest match to Killian’s Angel’s Share (AS)—and it’s not even close. Scent Profile & Accuracy Where RB leans darker, more powdery, and slightly more masculine, thinner and less refined. KM captures the rich, boozy warmth of AS effortlessly. It has that delectable praline/candied almond note that’s signature to AS, along with the smooth cinnamon-infused vanilla and deep, almost caramelized woods. It’s decadent, cozy, and indulgent—the way AS lovers would expect. Performance & Projection One of the biggest letdowns with RB is its lack of projection and longevity. It wears much lighter, requiring more sprays to get noticed. KA, while somewhat closer to AS than RB, is a bit spicier, less sweet and also falls short in performance. KM, on the other hand, projects beautifully and lasts for hours. It has a warm, enveloping presence that lingers, much like AS itself. While no clone will ever be 100% identical to AS, KM comes the closest in both scent and performance. Who Should Choose What? If you prefer a powdery, darker, and more masculine take on AS, RB might work for you. If you want a spicier, softer, but less complex version of AS, KA is an option. But if you want the truest, richest, and most satisfying AS clone, Kismet Magic is the clear winner. Final Verdict: If you're looking for the best dupe for Angel’s Share, Kismet Magic is the way to go. No contest.

I've never tried Killian Angels' Share, but the hype and high ratings got to me despite not being a sweet gourmand type of guy. So I thought I'd find the cheapest, yet fairly accurate dupe out there. Kismet Magic is very well regarded for it's accuracy, and for 30 bucks shipped it's cheaper than a small decant of the real deal. This stuff is incredible. I understand the hype. The first time I tried it though, the cognac, chocolate, and especially the cinnamon were quite strong. The cinnamon almost crossed over to strong clove. Bordering on tobacco even. Liked it but still wasn't sold. My bottle was also leaking when I opened it so I cleaned it up with a tissue and set it aside. The next day I'm smelling caramel apple pie. It was that tissue. Smelled fantastic! I didn't throw it out, but let it sit on the end table for days, and that fragrance just kept going strong. Tonight I thought I'd give it a go again. Instead of that initial scent, it was that warm caramel apple pie. Just the right amount of booziness. The caramel/cocoa combo give that praline note. Hints of wood and vanilla. I do get that cooked apple note though not listed. On my skin it leans masculine, but on a woman it would be delicious. I get the hype. Still wouldn't buy the real thing. Too much money for something I wouldn't wear often. This scratches the itch, though Royal Blend has me intrigued as well. Highly recommend this though for those who want that itch scratched as well.