South Slope

Upon first application, South Slope introduces a fresh and uplifting opening, reminiscent of a clean, fruity body wash—ideal for warm days when you want to feel invigorated. Within 3 to 5 minutes, the initial citrus notes start to fade, revealing sweet, woody undertones. As the fragrance develops, a classic masculine lavender emerges, seamlessly blending with the woodiness. This mid-stage lasts for about an hour before transitioning into the drydown, which remains quite similar to the middle notes, but with a slightly richer and creamier texture. In terms of performance, South Slope delivers a solid projection for the first 45 minutes, after which it settles closer to the skin. You can expect to catch whiffs of it for up to four hours, making it perfect for those who enjoy fresh fragrances without overwhelming performance. Comparing it to YSL's Y line, particularly the Y Eau de Parfum, South Slope shares a familiar DNA but leans towards a fresher, less sweet profile. Interestingly, when I had my wife compare the two, she preferred South Slope for its more subdued sweetness, finding the original Y a bit intense when over-applied. Overall, if you’re seeking a versatile fragrance that you can wear on any occasion—even in high heat—I highly recommend trying out Michael Malul’s South Slope.

I've worn South Slope several times, so I thought I knew this fragrance. Apparently, I was wrong. Yes, South Slope opens with a bright citrus combination of citron and Italian mandarin that makes me feel like I can pretend adulting doesn't suck. As it settles, the woods begin to come forward, the leather quietly makes itself known, and everything stays balanced from start to finish. What surprised me wasn't the citrus. It wasn't the woods. It was the sweetness. How in the world did I wear this fragrance before and somehow miss that? It wasn't loud. It wasn't cloying. It would drift in, disappear, then sneak right back in on the next breath. Before I knew it, I kept searching for it with every breath, wondering how I'd completely overlooked it. That's not something I expected, especially from a fragrance I thought I already had figured out. South Slope still gives me that clean, crisp, fresh feeling that makes me feel like I've got my life together, whether I actually do or not. But now there's another layer to it that I can't ignore. That balanced sweetness changes the entire experience without changing the character of the fragrance. Sometimes a fragrance doesn't need to change. Sometimes you just finally start paying attention.

I have to say this is a solid pick up. No it's not super unique or mind blowing but it's just really good . At first this is citrus fruity soapy clean. It starts to mellow out and picks up a slight creamy shower vibe. It reminds me of a less shower gel and less musky version of Narcisso Rodriguez Blue Noir EDP. As it continues to dry down the YSL Y EDP similarities comes up. It ends up settling in a Y EDP soapy slight citrus and light creamy dry down. What I really like about this fragrance is that it holds on to that airy clean citrus fruity creaminess all the way through . It doesn't fade away and just become something different. This can be worn year round. Very safe, great for work , date or just a daily. Not a projection beast , I'd say the first 45 min to an hours it pushes out but after that its a little scent bubble . The sillage is pretty good. 6 to 7 hours with 6 sprays . If you like fragrances like YSL Y , Azzaro Chrome, Narcisso Blue Noir, Invictus Aqua and airy soapy scents definitely give this a try. Solid atomizer and for what it's worth a nice box and decent presentation 7/10

This is a super handsome citrus-forward masculine fresh scent. It opens with a prominent mandarin note that's bright and zingy, but there's also a good bit of sweetness from the blackcurrant and some woodiness which give it a warmth and bit of depth. As it dries down and the top notes settle, the lavender comes forward to add some floral freshness and a touch of a soapy finish. The base notes keep it from fading away quickly, but the leather never becomes dominant enough to steer this into heavy territory. The overall accord is kind of traditional gentlemanly masculine but with a modern bent from the sweetness, and this is a really fantastic warm weather scent. The performance is average, about what you'd expect from a freshie like this one. I don't get much projection, but it hangs around as a skin scent for maybe 6 hours. Like many, I got it at Marshall's for $30 (be persistent, it took 4 or 5 trip there before I found it). and it's a no-brainer at that price.

Found this today at a discounter. Fantastic pick-up. Fruity blast to get your attention, fruit doesn't die in the opening, hangs around on skin at least three hours, though it does soften a good amount, letting the softness of the sandalwood come through making it smell almost fluffy and sweet in the mid, not marshmallow, but reminiscent of a marshmallow in terms of the sweetness and fluffiness. Meanwhile the ozonics are steady and strong, making the fragrance simultaneously smell fresh and clean. As it dries down the leather, wood and minty patchouli take over giving a sort of classic male fragrance. I'm not unhappy with this purchase and for the price I found it (30-40usd), if you're looking for a fruity, sweet, pillowy ozonic fragrance with nice development over the wear, grab it.