XVI

A few months ago, I came across a video where someone claimed that if you enjoy Sospiro’s Vibrato, chances are you’ll also like XVI by Pana Dora. I absolutely love Vibrato and have been wearing it for the past two years without ever getting tired of it. Naturally, my curiosity led me to start looking for XVI, even though it’s quite expensive. As it usually happens, I could find testers of every other fragrance from the house except this one. That is, until last week, when I finally spotted an open tester bottle available for customers. I carefully approached it, removed the horn-shaped cap, and took a discreet sniff just to get an idea. It seemed nice, but since I was already wearing Eau Rihla (which I adore), I didn’t want to spray it on myself. Instead, I gave two sprays on a blotter and continued my walk. For six whole days, that blotter stayed on my desk, and I could easily detect its scent filling the space around it. The first few days, it practically scented the entire room. Incredible. So, a week later, I went back to the store, and luckily the tester was still there. Nearly empty, of course but enough left for a “proper” test. And where should I even begin? That it smells far better on skin than on paper? That it lingered on me for about twelve hours before truly fading? That it feels both classic and modern at the same time? That it surrounded me with its aura for hours? That the opening notes don’t vanish quickly, unlike so many modern perfumes? Or that it’s remarkably solid and stable overall? What can I say I only found three drawbacks: • On skin, up close, it doesn’t smell as beautiful as the aura it projects around you. • It’s not groundbreaking in originality. • At the moment, it’s very expensive €280 for 100 ml. In my personal opinion (as reviews always are), if it were priced around €200, it would be an extremely tempting purchase maybe even a must-buy for me. We’ll see... One last note: it works best in cooler weather, and definitely not in the heat.

This fragrance do I dare say is better than Roja Dove’s Sweetie Aoud? XVI is exquisite!! 🫐🍓🪵🥐 🇫🇷 Pana Dora XVI en tant que parfum a une odeur très délicieuse et est très sous-estimée. L'essence gourmande de ce parfum me donne l'impression d'être dans une pâtisserie. This masterful blend is in the realm of Roja Dove’s Sweetie Aoud however they are not a 1-1 alike. Don’t let the notes deceive you! I think the perfumer is hiding some notes out but that is my opinion because it does give off delicious gourmand accords that I feel is not listed in the note breakdown. Panda Dora XVI: is a comforting semi gourmand scent that isn’t sickly sweet. This fragrance can be easily be worn in the fall or even springtime or even fancy events or night out of town. Scent profile: I can definitely pickup the patisserie accord from the opening in which has this silky buttery texture then as it dries down it envelops into this woody vibe with a bit of this chocolaty concoction from the patchouli. I also pickup fruits in this fragrance specifically berries think of visiting a pastry shop in Paris this fragrance to me smells like a warm buttery croissant with berry filling dusted with powdered sugar that’s exactly how I feel whenever I wear this fragrance it’s to die for and it’s comforting with the balance of woods and resins.

Stunning fragrance, the complexity of this juice is phenomenal, beautifully & artfully blended containing high quality components including artemesia, patchouli, olibanum & juniper to name just a few, slightly sweet, herbal, a rich chypre styled fragrance of monumental proportions, powerful dry down & silage lasting many hours with no need to re-apply on a night out, lasts forever on skin and fabric. After hours of wear I detect a warm, rich white chocolate note that ventures into niche, gourmand territory, not a blind buy but a definite try for lovers of this type of fragrance, touted as fit for purpose by Swedish nobility & royalty of past ages, as stated PANADORA XVI is a real Stunner... proud to have this in my collection edit: after much consideration I would describe this luscious fragrance akin to a rich, decadent gourmand egg custard infused with a spicy liqueur plus a melange of exotic aromatics and rare middle eastern spices, think cardamom, caraway & sandalwood as the thick milky wood note, I am totally blown away by this fragrance, seriously GOOD!!! Mr. Ibrahim Al Zoabi is a veritable genius of sophisticated, niche perfumery IMHO...

Let me start by addressing the elephant in the room: Does Pana Dora XVI smells like Roja Dove’s Sweetie Aoud? Yes and No. Are they clones? No. Are they in the similar category? Yes. To my nose, Sweetie Aoud is more bright and the oud is more pronounced. While XVI is more dense gourmand in a more nougat type of way. Both are stunning scents and are love for me. If you want the more gourmand and cheeper version, then go for XVI. If you like the oud smell then go for Sweetie Aoud. Both perform about the same on me: I apply on both skin and clothes and the performance is about the same for both. Sweetie Aoud is much more expansive and more recognizable / popular of the two and I would say probably easier to find. XVI is much cheaper, but is harder to get your hands on. So the bottom line: if you can get your hands on Pana Dora XVI in the hopes of getting something similar to Sweetie Aoud minus the hefty price tag, then I don’t think you will be disappointed.

I like this a lot! Actually liked this more than I thought I would and it grows on you. I get a lot of leather in the opening but it quickly becomes woody and spicy. It has that unique factor since it's fresh and spicy but still very sweet and kind of gourmand. You don't find that in a lot of perfumes. Very similar to Sweetie Aoud by Roja, but I think XVI is more worth the money and it's also more my type of fragrance. Good longevity and performance as well. Perfect pick-up if you need a fragrance for special occasions like date-nights, weddings, going out etc.

A very sexy and seductive juice. Unfortunately way to feminine for me...therefore won't be wearing it another time. However, the scent is very addictive and slightly sweet. It is the type of fragrance when going out all dressed up to a expensive location. Definitely for the winter/fall and not suitable for anyone under 30 years of age. Give it a try if you can pull of feminine-leaning fragrances. Perfomance and sillage is great like every Pana Dora fragrance i've come across so far. In three words: "Sexy, Addictive, Posh"

another absolute banger. Very sappy almost ever so slightly tart smelling and damn its blended beautifully, i get a slight amount of fresheness from this fragrance but im just amazed by the blend. Lots of the fragrances from pana dora have similar notes yet each are so unique and beautiful its crazy. I get quite a beautiful sweetness from this fragrance but im not sure what its from. very very nice fragrance. Id say its what would happen if opuluxe and orchestra had a baby 9/10

This is such a classy fragrance but still feels modern. The opening is a fresh blast of bergamot and artemisia that settles down to the green notes. There are some nuances in the dry down with the caraway, cyperus, esculentus, olibanum, lanbandum, guaiac wood, patchouli, and juniper but these are not so overpowering and dominant. But Pana Dora does have a strong silage and long lasting longevity and is a unisex scent and can be worn in all seasons. It's a beauty!

this is very nice!! Iwould have it as one of the top 3 pana dora perfumes. masculine, gourmand, it has a very pleasant scent that follows immediately upon first spray. perfect winter scent, and perfect for those who want to stand out. reminds a little of sweetie aoud but I would say that this is much nicer and well balanced 10/10

The magic is in the drydown. It's nuclear in lasting power and sillage too. At first it comes across as not so original sweet oud spicy oriental fragrance but it really makes.me want to sniff my wrists again and again once it settles down. Very grand, very classy and opulent.

One of the most original woody ambers out there. The bergamot and artemisia give this a sort of berry-like accord, all over an aromatic, pseudo-fresh woody base. Heavily slept on fragrance. I prefer this to sweetie aoud which is definitely similar but this performs better.

This is pretty much 90% Sweetie Aoud...which is one of my favorite fragrances. A very warm and enticing fragrance and not hard to wear at all. Slightly gourmand and projects and performs better than Sweetie Aoud.

@Christinakoko, where do u find bottles of Pana Doras for that price??? I love the Brand but they usually cost between $240 - $380 per bottle. (Not including their Limited for $460)

Very Unique, addicting and absolutely fantastic. Royal smelling, soo beautiful & you will stand out. Sums up one simple word: Wow! 9.2 / 10

@shawn u should see the guy with the pana dora tattoo

XVI by Pana Dora Sweden! A classic fougere with a modern touch! However, before we dive into the fragrance lets adres the elephant in the room... the cap. Ive had several people commenting on my earlier review on another fragrance by Pana Dora (Swedish Wood), how the cap was ripoff of Penhaligon's Lord George. Ofcourse I noticed the similarities, but to be honest, it did not bother me at all. No one ever mentioned the similarities of the crown caps between Clive Christian and Fort and Manle... no one ever mentioned the square caps with jewels by Roja and Fragrance Du Bois... or even the same coloured bottles when Navitus came out right after the Parfum Cologne collection by Roja... My opinion is that you should not be annoyed by it. Many musical masterpieces were inspired by other songs/styles (what the hell, they even use samples). Many paintings or sculptures are based on other works. Here Pana Dora was probably inspired by Lord George and saw the connection with the Swedish dear and used it for all of his perfumes, whereas Penhaligon's used different animals for all their perfumes from the Portraits collection (why not be bothered by The Zoologist, who also uses animals als inspirations?). Enough said about that... I almost have no words left to do the review. . The fragrance! XVI starts of with a fresh blast. Without reading the notes I noted something fruity sweet in it, orange like. After consulting Fragranctica, I saw that there werent any fruits listed (except for some juniper berries). The freshness is from bergamot and other cold spices. It contains some medicinal nuances but fortunately never overwhelming or dominant. After this fresh opening it goes on into a woody fougere fragrance. It feels mature classic, like how fougere fragrances were made in the 80's and 90's. Eventhough not listed, I do get a tobacco and smoky notes after two hours or so. XVI has some similarities to Swedish Wood, both of them have this lumberjack confidence aura around them! Great perfume!

Pronounced dusty bitterness thanks to artemisia and caraway (caraway brandy) I guess, labdanum here goes more to amber than leather (even though it's on the edge) khaki coloured woody-green feeling. Slightly on the sweeter side (hint of candied apricots), round spicy woody-earthy scent with a bit of peanuts. Sharper amber structure feels very elegant and expensive. Uncommon. Definitely worth a try. 220 Euro for 100ml is not a cheap, but it is nice scent with proper strong sillage and good longevity.

Artemisia and hint of bergamot on guaiak wood, labdanum and sweet patchouli. Like sweeter floral/fruity envelop on something much deeper and bold. Hard to describe. Unique and interesting. Drydown is the part I enjoy it a lot. Not a blind buy, nor for unexperienced.

I'm really disappointed in the performance. Reading reviews, it was an above average performer however on my skin I find it very average. The scent profile is beautiful however it just does not last on my skin. Soft, warm dry down into the sunset. Overall, a little disappointed.

Not a good scent profile in my opinion. Nasty and astringent. Not pleasant in any way, shape or form. This is NOTHING like Roja Sweetie Oud. Smells like some kind of chemical you'd find in an old aluminum can in the back of a barn. First try from this brand, and not motivated to go any further. 'Nuff said.

I love almost all fragrances from this house but this, i cant stand it. It is a strong winter fragrance that is bright, green and kinda sharp. The least blind buy safe of them all.

Smells like kitty litter on my skin for some reason, really disappointed as i usually like pana dora fragrances.

I'm not reading any other reviews of this or looking at the ratings because I don't want this bliss I'm living in to be ruined by the haters. I wore this fragrance for the first time tonight and I am in love. Wow, what a gorgeous scent profile. Linear and drop dead gorgeous. Similar vibes to Nightclubbing from Celine but woody'er and more delicious. My buddy stared at me for a moment too long tonight and just said "Now that's a good one." This is my new signature scent. My new go to. I'm going to wear this all the time. I'm amped up!!! Damn, this is soooooo good!!!

One spray and you can tell that XVI wanders deep into exclusive niche territory. It smells really expensive. The juicy and sparkly opening is rich with fruity nuances, carried forth by a "jammy" and opulent mid. The base is packed with balsamic, dark woody, smoky and resinous accords. XVI has a antique and very majestic aura about it, whispering of swedish kings and nobles of the past. This is a fragrance to be enjoyed like you would a glass of fine wine or expensive whiskey. This one is for the true fragrance connossieurs.

Pana Dora is such a great house! This juice is so well blended and the price point is killer. This is a very complex formula and is well-suited for formal and special events. This punches well above its weight class with outstanding silage and longevity. This is not for the faint of heart due to its mature vibe (30+ for sure) but is more than worthy of any serious collector. 4.5 stars out of 5. Love, love, love this offering.

I got 8 fragrances from this house all around 120$ to 135$ this is my favorite in the beginning when I saw the notes I was pretty sure I am not gonna even like it but also saw that it has similarity with Sweetie Aoud which I own and adore it. I agree i got the similarity from the first sniff but still different enough to own both long lasting and it projects very well

I wanna know if this is really anything like sweetie aoud. Please vote for yes and hands down for no. Notes don’t show cardamom or rose and therefore can’t see how this would be anything like it as those are quite important notes in SA.

I don’t know the other fragrances it’s compared to. To me, it doesn’t smell like the notes published at all. It’s pretty much like a hard candy, like cherry Halls

anyone know where i can get a sample of this in the US? edit: 4/23 panadora ships their sampler set to the usa now

dude below me is a paid actor i swear to god