Alphaora 30

I'm new to fragrance and went through a ton of mainstream samples then ended up at a niche shop. I tried a bunch that I wasn't into and then was given a whiff of Alphaora, which immediately stood out. It was so effervescent and bright. Without knowing the notes it's sweet and soft, has this dry element of hay that is mild but really gives the fragrance a nice complexity. Top note of blood orange definitely hits at first with a little pine, and then burnt sugar comes through with that late-summer prairie harvest scent of hay. I have no idea what silk tree blossom or hinoki smell like but those were my impressions: blood orange and burnt sugar with hints of pine and hay. I love this scent for the niche that it sits in - no sandalwood, no rose, no leather, no dominant white floral. Maybe that's the same appeal as BR560 has for people. It's a delicious woody gourmand. My favourite fragrance yet.

The search for the perfect ambergris is over. This is a beautiful recreation of a sweet ambergris of the finest, pure white variety. Ambergris comes in different qualities, the freshest, and cheapest, are brown-black soft lumps, intensely fecal smelling. The most costly are grey and white ambergris, that have floated the ocean for many years, bleached by the sun. This variety has lost all fecal smell. It may still have a slight whiff of bad breath, but the most beautiful white turn to a sweet (not salty), tobacco-hay, sunwarmed skin and driftwood scent. I have many bottles of tinctures of different qualities, and Alphapora 30 is almost a dead ringer for the pure white ambergris tinctures. Lovers of ambergris, don't miss this. It shares notes with BR540, but this is more multi-dimensional and interesting.

Oh my! Now THIS is an enchanting, multifaceted and simmering beauty, here! The opening caught me off guard and I thought it was going to be another BR540 dupe! Nope, that resemblance only wafts in and out again. I get light fruitiness, quickly followed by unfamiliar, but lovely florals. The alernating woody and dry mossiness? Fresh hay-like, for sure. The ambergris swirls gently in the background, enhancing the entire composition. Alphaora is an intimate fragrance. Perfect for cuddling. More than a skin scent, but certainly not beast mode, either. She smells deep, mysterious and expensive; yet warm and approachable.

Smells sophisticated and interesting. In a way it is sweet, but then again it's also fresh in a slightly metallic or cooling way. I haven't tried BR so can't say how much resemblance there is but this one definitely has some unique notes. Hanoki wood and silk blossom, I don't really even know what they smell like so this was a blind buy with all capital letters :D A very good blind buy though, very happy!

Another fragrance clearly inspired by BR540. To me this the step right between the regular BR540 and the extrait. The dry down is really mossy and depending on how you perceive oakmoss it will feel earthy. I got this over the regular BR540 since I like oakmoss and got the extrait that is still waay sweeter more “almondy”. I don’t think you NEED both this and BR540 edp i. Your collection

Agree with @w_nmbo — this is really lovely. The comparisons with Baccarat Rouge are valid, but I like this better—it’s balanced, slightly woodier and juicier rather than full-on sugary. It’s sweet, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t find it cloying or one-note at all. It has staying power, but isn’t quite as heavy and bold as BR (and I prefer it that way.) I bought a full bottle!

This is an intriguing and massively evocative scent. It's very well executed and blended. To my nose, it's burnt brown sugar, with some wood note, a hint of orange and rum. I think this is a great fragrance. The sillage is very good. Because I don't care for the orange note, it's not for me. I'm surprised this isn't more popular. Regarding the comparisons to BR540, BR540 has much more of a tang - - almost a piercing tang. This one is much more mature and mellow. I'm trying to think of who would wear this... A mature female who does things on her own terms and leaves questions unanswered.

A more masculine version of BR540, where BR540 is candy sweet and medicinal Alphaora goes less sweet and mossy, its very enjoyable, i will finish my sample in winter, which i find is the best time for chypre. You can safely add it to your collection even if you already have Bacarrat, Alphaora develops differently, they are similar in the opening only.

A warm and cocooning scent, more for winter, spring and fall to my opinion. 100% unisex, similar to Baccarat Rouge 540, event if the notes are completely different. The longevity is excellent! It is a bold scent. 8/10

I must have way different sense of smell or body chemistry! To me, this is a very feminine, slightly more floral version of Oriana. I don't get BR whatsoever.

I don't think of myself as someone who loves cotton candy, but if I'm at a fair or a little carnival or something and I smell that really distinct smell of a cotton candy machine... I remember how much I actually really enjoy some fresh cotton candy, all hot and dry and weird melting into my mouth. on my skin, this smelled like that moment of realization. the thing is, I don't really want to smell like cotton candy, so I washed it off. I'm still kind of craving it though. it's been two weeks...

It is a perfectly nice BR540 inspired, but weaker, fragrance. For the person who has to tone it down a bit for the office or something.

Yes, very similar to Baccarat Rouge 540.

From official website: 'Blood Orange, Albizia Blossom & Hinoki Sap, Assam Moss.' There must be a chemical similarity between Hinoki and Fir, because all that comes to mind is Baccarat Rouge (like so many have mentioned on here). Like BR there is an overdose of this particular note, and as a result it is all I can smell. I do not find it a pleasant note (the same way that I do not find BR pleasant), so it's a no from me. From what I understand, perfumers used to use oakmoss in order to give a certain sharpness to their compositions. Sharpness is not the same as sourness (or pungent). Combining the woody hinoki note with a moss accord just makes this really sour, which is truly unpleasant (for me).

I'm sad about this. Years ago I fell in love with Long Courrier from Mr. Guillaume and although it was a bit too faint for me, it was so delicious that I was convinced I would love more of his scents. Well, I've continued to try a lot--and this was the latest, but it is a loss. The opening I enjoy, but in the drydown there is a sourness that I don't like and a food-like quality that just turns me off. This doesn't quite make sense but it quite reminds me of the marine tendencies of both Ariane Grande Cloud and also Fantasia Mermaid. They all have a weird tang that I find interesting but not enjoyable to wear for more than a few tries as a curiosity.

Given the notes in the pyramid listed, I wouldn't think Baccarat Rouge yet once again Fragrantica reviews are correct. The opening is very similar and even better than BR. 'Better' meaning the scent has more structure and you can detect soft sweet florals, that classic creaminess indicative of hinoki wood, that effusive warm musky quality usually you get with a real ambergris but none of the dirty salt parts. This is really nice. This is what a luxury, department store perfume should smell like, resembling natural scents with aroma chemicals yet doesn't scream AMBROXAN!!! like a Sauvage. I tend to prefer real ambergris in my perfumes lately so won't be buying it but would recommend this to anyone who is tired of the overdose of headache inducing, scratchy ambermax, ambroxan, cetalox perfumes.

I'll go as far as saying even if I'd NEVER smelt BR540, I would still not be a fan of this... It's hinoki, alright. Unfortunately, hinoki *can* smell like this when rendered through particular types of florals. It an unfortunate aspect of the woodsiness facets of an otherwise pleasant sturdy wood, however, it comes across smelling rubbery, fake and too much...

I was SO excited about the notes listed and didn’t check reviews before sampling- alas for me it is a headache-inducing Baccarat Rouge-ish perfume and thus it is a big no for me.

What a find. Masculine Baccarat Rouge 540 for £140 per 100ml, what not to like. If the performance from my sample is any good I will be buying a bottle.

This reeks like Cloud. What can I spray over this? It's terrible. Smells like 40 year old outdated perfume. Not a fan.

The only fragrance close to BR that I like. Sweeter and kind of animalic.

Nondescript sugar whisper a la Baccarat Rouge. Pass.