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

Yes, this was the last thing we needed, another Absolu Aventus clone job, but this is worth its money. This gets much closer to AA than any other inspiration, not only in scent but also in the vibe it creates. It doesn't carry that synthetic slightly stinky undertone that a lot of cheaper fragrances carry. And it's not beast-mode, and I mean that in the best of ways. It projects nicely, lasts a little longer than the original, and does not outstay its welcome (Supremacy Collector's Edition for example becomes an oakmoss bomb in the drydown and gets really tiring for me). Sure, it doesn't have the signature Creed musk, the fruit part is a little cloudy in the opening and not as pronounced, but it nails the smokiness without turning into a barbeque smell like a lot of fragrances do. And it also gets the leathery aspect right (without overdoing it like Precieux I). Maybe it should take two years to actually get close to an amazingly blended original. Maybe middle eastern brands should cut down on the quantity and raise the quality. From what I saw, Maison Asrar released 20 perfumes last year, which is still quite a lot, but definitely more ensuring about their quality than the 20 perfumes a month that are released by others. This is ten times better than any of the Hawas and 9pm slop we've been getting the past year.

From all the fragrances that resemble creed absolu aventus and owning a 2023 abolsu bottle from my experience vanguard is almost identical 1:1 after dry down and based on my skin chemistry it lasts approximately 2 hours more so than absolu. Considering I prefer to use my absolu for special occasions I been using clones for every day use such as afnan collectors and must say after vanguard I can't even smell the other clones, this is too good to pass up and ended up buying 2 more bottles as a back up and one of those bottles I opened it to start early maceration. The fact that I get both men and woman stop me to ask what I am wearing and non for absolu is upsetting to me for the price I have paid. Maison Asrar and Swiss Arabian have become my all time favorite houses, nothing but luxury and top tier quality. My suggestion is flipping vanguard upside down and spary 12-24 times to draw air in to speed up the oxidation, I gently stir the bottle every week and man the fragrance matures beautifully. For the people who actually trash talk and downplay vanguard, stop with the lies, you either have a fake or straight up hater. Anyonr who actually own absolu, you know vanguard is dangerously close to the OG and for some people outperform it absolu as well...

Review from someone that had prexiux and Collectors Edition. Take the deep blend that you get with prexiux but lighten it a tad make it more wearable and add a touch of freshness with a better pineapple note you have vanguard. Take the juicy pineapple from Collectors edition and dial it back just a tad and imagine a higher quality pineapple note not a syrupy sweet note. Dial the moss in the drydown way back and replace it with a better balance of woods moss and musk that dosent have the sourness I got from Collectors edition and leaves you with a clean masculine fresh mysterioussness. Its fantastic. Its blind buy MUST if you like the DNA. My lady prefers this to both of its competitors. Will update on performance, maturation usually helps these middle Easter fragrances especially the maisom asrars. Update on performance: Great silliage for the first hour, dies down pretty quick to a intimate scent. This is first wear out the box so take it with a grain of salt. Will update again if performance improves over time. Performance update : Very underwhelming performance after 2 hours of wear it quickly becomes a very intimate skin scent with weak silliage and no projection. Disappointed thus far.

Vanguard is my first ever perfume from maison asrar and its abit disappointing. Don't get me wrong it is good for the price the smell is very nice although I've never smelled the og , I don't have any problems with dupes because Aventus Absolu dna is such a nice dna i have 5 dupes of it but these three are the winner and they are vanguard , precieux 1 , and SCE . Vanguard is the nicest smelling among all it smells very smooth and they just did the leather right in this one it's not overly strong , and its just nice but the performance is a bit disappointing I'm getting around 5 hours of longevity with moderate projection I'm not a big fan of beast mode or nuclear fragrances but vanguard is very disappointing . Preciuex is abit heavier imo maybe because of that caramel note in the opening and the leather is way more prominent than the other two . SCE on the other hand is the strongest with a twist , I'm sure most of you guys had smell sce before to me , sce is the abit harsh but when its my most complimented fragrance out of these three maybe because its strong .

Maison Asrar Vanguard: Aventus Absolu, Perfectly Replicated Maison Asrar Vanguard is, quite simply, a 1:1 interpretation of Creed Aventus Absolu. From the first spray, it delivers that unmistakable Absolu signature with impressive accuracy, immediately standing out as a high-quality clone that feels refined rather than compromised. What really sets Vanguard apart is the dry down. As it settles, it develops the same intriguing Dior Sauvage Elixir–like vibe—that spicy, aromatic intensity that made Aventus Absolu feel bolder and more modern. To my nose, it’s as if Sauvage Elixir and Aventus had a baby, blending Elixir’s power with the polished DNA of Aventus Absolu. Let’s be realistic: no one is going to walk up to you and ask if you’re wearing a clone. In the air, Vanguard is practically indistinguishable from the original—it projects and smells like the same fragrance to anyone around you. By the full dry down, it is pure Aventus Absolu. Clean, confident, and commanding. This isn’t just close—it’s absolute perfection. Trust.

As a casual just getting into fragrances and has only ordered a handful of inexpensive colognes, save for owning a few designer fragrances throughout my life, this cologne punches well above its price range. Upon delivery, this does not need to sit unlike a few other dupe fragrances I've recently bought. The opening is a tad bit synthetic, however not enough to offput anyone but the snobbiest of snobs. After settling in, you get a the nice smoky pineapple scent. It projects well enough to garner complements of those in your vicinity but won't offend a room when you walk in. If you spray generously I'm sure you could fill a room, and I suspect it may get a bit stronger with time. Overall, this is a bit more expensive than your Lattafa-tier dupes. It's well worth it. It's a noticeable step up in quality to a few scents in the $25 (discounter) range that I've had, and once again this is to a relatively new, casual nose. You can confidently blind buy this one, it's very accurate to the notes listed.

Been wearing this for over a week now. At first I was kinda dissapointed because it smelled like the OG Creed Aventus and had a below-average performance. But after letting it sit for a few days, the scent became darker & richer and was chasing towards the Creed Aventus Absolu DNA which I prefer more than the OG Aventus DNA. The performance also improved really quick.... I got about 7+ hours of longevity on skin & 3 hours of moderate-strong projection. Despite it being a high quality fragrance at an affordable price, I don't really recommend it for the younger audience to get this as their signature fragrance unless they use it for special occasions because this can be too masculine & smoky but still smells spectacular. This is best suited for office wears & special occasions but still can be used as a signature scent for men that are in their late 20s and above. However if ur young and dont mind smelling like a masculine man, then go ahead and buy this, u wont regret it.

9/10. This is an amazing fragrance, and for the price it’s extremely well done. I bought decants of Aventus Absolu (AA) and Vanguard, and Vanguard gets very close. AA clearly has more depth and evolves more over the course of the wear, but the difference is not dramatic. On my skin, the first 30 minutes of AA open with that famous scent profile, but there’s a slight funkiness I don’t love. Vanguard avoids that completely. It delivers the same recognizable profile almost one to one, with no weirdness up top, and it stays fairly consistent throughout the wear. Both are excellent, but at this price compared to AA, if I’m spending my own money, I’m choosing Vanguard every time. Do I still want AA? Of course. It probably has better quality and I do like a scent that evolves and changes (which vanguard does not really do much at all), but Vanguard is so, so good. If you don’t have hundreds of thousands sitting in your bank account, just buy Vanguard. Trust me. You’ll love it.

I’ve reviewed this before, but I now own the original Absolu after the Costco sale. Holy fuck is this close to the original. I’ve had a few dupes now to understand what’s hype and what is actually close. This perfectly captures the complexity of the scent, hitting all the darker, spicer notes that Absolu hits. The pineapple in this inspiration is SLIGHTLY more prominent after the dry down. The opening is VERY close if not PERFECT. In the air either are going to be sexy, compliment magnets that project moderately well. They’re not known to be crazy performers. I don’t put numbers on closeness it’s subjective and simply stupid. This is an insanely close iteration of Absolu for $50. If not for the Costco discount, I’d return my Absolu. The profile is amazing but for $415 gtfo. $260 I’ll live with just to say I have the real thing... but anyone else will literally never know even the scent heads. I’d put my money on that

I essentially blind bought this after only smelling Aventus Absolu once about a year ago. I heard reviews saying it was the most accurate clone to date, beating the popular Afnan Supremacy Collector's Edition. Got it for $45 on Jomashop. This fragrance is so well balanced and blended that no particular notes stand out to me, in a good way. It opens very bright and fruity, then becomes a very masculine, fresh spicy scent. The drydown comes off more spicy, woody, and mature while still keeping the freshness of the Aventus DNA. While I haven't been able to compare this to Absolu side by side yet, I can confidentially say that this has been a successful blind buy due to its smoothness and depth. This is a great everyday signature office scent, like a man who's got his shit together. Go out and try Aventus Absolu, and if you like it, do yourself a favor and order Vanguard immediately.

First thoughts...not a full review. I recently picked up Maison Asrar Vanguard because I smelled Absolu in the store and fell in love with that bright, sweet pineapple opening. But when I got my bottle of Vanguard, I was a bit disappointed. It definitely smells like Absolu, but it skips the beautiful opening and goes straight to the drydown almost immediately. It also completely lacks that juicy pineapple. I realize now that the tester I smelled in the store was likely the newer, sweeter reformulation. Vanguard might be cloning the original release. The Aventus DNA has grown on me with time but I do feel like it's missing something juicy. I get the vibe that I have to overspray this. Honestly I do like it - I wrote this literally after my first day of getting it. I am thinking about layering Vanguard with my Club de Nuit IM Pure Parfum.

It arrived to me today, and I must Say I'm impressed. Idk much about the og, never smelt It, but I know aventus and this smells like aventus for sure. Much sweeter, to me It smells much more like caramelized pineapple, and in the drydown I find a very pleasant fizzy note that I also find in Tom Ford F fabulous. Performance wise Is the same as my CDNIM EDP, so It Is strong and very long lasting, maybe Just a tad less projecting than the CDNIM. Overall, a very beautiful fragrance, I Just know that with maturation this thing Will gain so much depht and strenght. I recommend it. PS: aaaand I was right. Now it has gained so much character, It's much smoother than before and just so beautiful, the fruity nuances are perfectly balanced with the smoky and fresh accords, just get it if you like aventus...it's a no brainer

Very impressed with this. I was surprised to find that this would be this potent right out of the box. I thought it would have to macerate for a month, but this was ready to go. I don't remember exactly how Absolu Aventus smells so I'm not going to comment on the closeness of this to that, I will focus on longevity. I have worn it three times so far and the longevity has been somewhat hit or miss depending on the pulse point. I found that when sprayed on the inner elbow, this lasts forever. I got 12 hours out of it there. Expect this to project for about 3-4 hours, but last on skin for four times that. The atomizer on the bottle is a beast. Overall, I am excited to run through this bottle by wearing this on most days.

First of all I own many dupes of Creed Aventus Absolu. I have Supremacy Collector's Ed., Club de Nuit P-1, Game of Spades High Roller, Fragrance World Venti Absolu, Fragrance World Night Club Absolute and now Maison Asrar Vanguard. Honestly I was expecting Vanguard to blow me away but it's so close to FW Night Club Absolute and FW Venti Absolu that it didn't have that wow factor for me. Don't get me wrong I love it but a lot of them do such a great job already that I feel I really didn't need it. If you don't have a dupe to Creed Av. Absolu then Yes, Vanguard is one of the top 3 for sure. Vanguard cost me around $45 from Jomashop, FW Night Club Absolute was $40 and Venti Absolu was $25.

It's amazing, to my nose it's not a 1:1 like many would hype it up to be, it's more like 80%. Great alternative to absolu aventus. This scent is a twist, the pineapple and citrus in this is more dark bright juicy and syrupy compared to absolu. Overall it's a good dumb reach daily. I give this a 8/10 Update: 1/30 This is probably the best alternative to Absolu Aventus there is, it's like 90% close to my nose, not a 1:1 but closer than I thought after smelling AA again. This grew on me over the week and is now my main alternative to absolu aventus. The pineapple and apple note is strong and lasts throughout and then the deep musk smoke woods dries it down. Rating this a 9.0/10