Vanguard

Okay so I have been wearing this blind buy for like almost a month now and it’s denting quickly like it’s already close to half. Its just insanely versatile goes with anything any day. Between Afnan SCE and Vanguard, I like vanguard more. Can’t speak for others but to my nose, this starts very citrusy fruity, very much like the other Aventus dupes. But when it dries down, it gets more floral and woody and there’s just a hint of smokiness in the background, it doesn’t stay pineapple dominant like SCE. Also, this lacks the moss note, which is good for me because I am not a fan of that note. Performance is not great but the quality is really nice the blending is smooth I get no harshness from it. I get about 4 hours of projection, starys strong and keeps getting more subtle overtime and after or during the four hour mark, i feel like this becomes a skin scent on my skin. If you are not afraid to carry a small decant and reapply throughout the day, you’re good to go. Besides, it is an affordable perfume. I live in an awfully hot and humid climate, and I feel like this doesn’t bother me much in such a climate where I would usually pick a true freshie. As long as you don’t drench yourself in this, I don’t think it can get cloying. Even on the days where I oversprayed, this still did not get cloying to me. I haven’t used much of my other summer perfumes since I got this, really a fan of this thing. But still, try not to blind buy, try to get a decant first. Overall, it’s a solid 8.5/10. Not a perfect 10/10 because of the performance, although sometimes I really enjoy its subtleness, and because it’s a rather simple and common dna. Still is mass appealing, gets all the jobs done, goes with anything anywhere. I personally am very satisfied with this blind buy

First impressions right out of the box: This is incredibly refined, and far better than any other Aventus Absolu inspirations I’ve put my nose on. Having lived with Montagne’s Pineapple Absolu and Afnan's Supremacy CE, I can safely say they are miles behind this one. Montagne's version smells like the candied, vague background of Vanguard, lacking any real top or mid notes; to my nose, it was very linear and heady. Supremacy Collector’s Edition, on the other hand, is totally synthetic by comparison. Its batches are so inconsistent that one bottle will be incredibly fruity and juicy, another smells like spicy Lattafa Asad mixed with shower gel, and a third is just a messy blend of both. To me, Supremacy is famous for the marketing behind it and nothing else. It’s loud, synthetic, brash, and lacks any artistic direction. It’s almost rude. Vanguard didn’t last very long on my first spray, but I’m completely okay with that. We all know these fragrances need some time to macerate, and shipping shock never helps a first impression. "Beast mode" fragrances usually just give me a headache and get boring quickly, especially when they are linear. The sweet spot for a scent is 5 to 7 hours, and I’m confident this will deliver that based on feedback from friends. As for the scent profile itself, it’s masculine, but a respectful masculine. It doesn’t need to shout to command attention. It brings a beautiful balance of fruity smoke, spice, and a subtle sweetness, with just enough projection to let itself be known. To me, that is exactly what a masculine fragrance should be. This one absolutely deserves the hype.

A month ago I bought a 100ml bottle of Creed Aventus Absolu, then I heard about vanguard and something stopped me opening my absolu. So I waited a few weeks and for my hands on vanguard. I’ve been sampling the original for a long time and love the DNA. My only concern is I won’t feel comfortable running through a bottle that’s cost me £323 (on sale!). Anyway vanguard did not disappoint. It’s the closest thing to the original I’ve ever tried. I had them side by side on my arms all day and it’s close. The original is better. It’s softer. Smoother. Higher quality. Not as loud and aggressively projecting. If money were no object I would be wearing the original. BUT Vanguard is amazing. I returned my bottle of absolu and kept vanguard. On my skin it lasts all day and it doesn’t have that horrible clone Middle Eastern dry down either. I’ve actually had multiple compliments or comments while at work, all positive except maybe a group of people yesterday I walked past who were trying to find the source of a smell, one of them i heard point at me and say “it’s his aftershave he stinks” lol . This was from a scent trail after I had walked past them and about 8 hours after I applied 5 sprays of this stuff. Maybe I will apply less in future, or maybe that old woman is just a bit sensitive. Either way I love vanguard and I can only recommend it. Will I ever buy the original? Maybe. I do enjoy a more subtle fragrance . I don’t really want to fill rooms. Vanguard is 100 perfect capable of filling a room.

What is this? Instead of making an inspired one, they copied it in the hard face! When you know this perfume, have common sense, I ended up buying it because I tested the Absolu Aventus at Bstories and I was fascinated, wanting something close to that. Collectors Edition is very sweet and has white flowers, Precieux I is very expensive for what it offers, following the hype from abroad I found this guy. This one doesn't open as explosive as Creed, minutes later it starts to give you the memory of the reference, but in the middle it slightly gets lost. He only meets again when he reaches the base. Oh yes, there is the magic, the pineapple is not forgotten at any time, how much quality! There is no 1:1 Arabic, but this one was cloned in the hard face, but I must highlight some details. The cider note is here, along with the ginger through the dry down, there is no cinnamon, It causes rausness instead of warm the fragrance, but there is something that refers a lot to it. In the whole work, it is a juicy pineapple and a little sour (spiced), all perfectly balanced. I received mine today, the performance is approaching its seventh hour, projection from moderate to low for now. Your base has notes that with maturation will make it very strong. I bought it without knowing the smell, only the olfactory path and it is obvious that the reference (Creed AA), what a wonderful surprise. It's not a summer perfume, but with the right sprays it can be a perfect signature.

I decided to order this fragrance just for testing, since I’m very familiar with the Aventus DNA. In my collection I already have OG Aventus, Club de Nuit Intense Man, Nishane Hacivat, and Mancera Cedrat Boise. The only one missing is Afnan Supremacy, but honestly, I don’t feel like I’m missing much. I tested the original Creed Aventus (not Absolu) to compare them side by side. And this is where Maison Asrar Vanguard really surprised me. The first couple of sprays felt slightly alcoholic, but that quickly disappeared. Once that settled, I compared it directly to the OG Aventus — and to be honest, I couldn’t tell them apart. The scent is almost 1:1: the same juicy pineapple, bright citrus, and fruity freshness. I was genuinely impressed by how close it is. What I really appreciate is the absence of that typical “Middle Eastern” note that most of the times appears in Arabic fragrances. After letting it sit and fully develop, the drydown surprised me even more. Creed Aventus has that familiar smoky, mossy, leathery and slightly strict character. Maison Asrar Vanguard delivers the same profile, but smoother, softer, and a bit more fruity. Personally, I actually prefer this interpretation. Overall, this is an easy recommendation. It smells expensive, well-blended, and high quality — you’d never guess it costs around $45. Rating: 10/10