Daarej pour Homme

VALENTINO V HAS AN HEIR ("daarej" means "slang" or "vulgar") I refuse to pay €200~€250 for one of the remaining Valentino V for Men bottles still on sale on Amazon or eBay. In 2019, I blind-bought Rasasi's Daarej. I trusted Rasasi's to make decent perfumes, and, based on some reviews and the notes list, I was hoping it to be a nice above-average sweet fragrance and maybe - just maybe - have a vibe that would make me remember Valentino V. It's really similar to V and an excellent projection and longevity. I am not at ease to comment about 99% similarity, but I can say at least that it satisfied my nose totally. I even think that Rasasi Daarej is a bit smoother, and I like it that way. The 100 ml flask cost me 20 Euros with a local net fragrance reseller. I already used half of the flask juice, and I am going to buy a backup bottle in my next order. Daarej is surely the best Western taste fragrance of Rasasi along with Fattan Pour Homme (my humble nose opinion). The journey starts with a strong but distinguished cumin and a cardamom blast, plus a touch of artemisia. After this promising fresh spicy start, the dominant cumin/cardamom accord slowly unveils some rose and Iris with a bit of smoke similar to the one found in other Arabic perfumes (my guess is a non-listed orris root note). A couple of minutes later you start to notice some fougére and woods, and a second dominant accord that leans towards the sweet, An astonishing musky combo of vanilla, tonka and enveloping amber marks the signature of this fragrance. The seductive animalistic musky notes blend very well with the earthy and smoky patchouli. The vanilla/tonka dry down it's a real head-turner and it does last for more than 8 hours. Sillage up to 6 feet is slightly above average, and it projects for two hours or so. Let's check the math for Rasasi Daarej: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Scent Opening: 9.0 (my judgement; divine cardamom/cumin combo) Scent Dry Down: 10.0 (my judgement; you pray for the velvety vanilla/tonka heavenly scent never to go away) Longevity: 8.5 (3 good sprays may last 8+ hours, usually close to 10 hours) Sillage: 8.0 (up to 6 feet at its peak with 3 sprays; it projects for 2.0 hours) Uniqueness: 7.5 (As Valentino V was released before Daarej, I discount 2.5 points. With the discontinuation of V, Daarej has become virtually unique in the market) Wearability: 8.5 (A three seasons scent for both outdoor or indoor, day or night; just avoid the summer hot days) Versatility: 8.5 (An "all around" versatile fragrance that will make feel like a very well-dressed Italian man walking in downtown Milan) Compliments: 8.5 (This fragrance is very close to a compliment magnet; it's an above-average alluring pleaser) Quality: 9.0 (Above average quality, quality ingredients, Ok flask, nice sprayer) Presentation: 7.0 (no faults, acceptable flask made of strong glass and a metal cap. Tacky box.) Price: 9.0 (100 ml non-tester for € 20.00) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Overall rating: 8.50/10.00 - between 8 and 9 = recommended; Advice: This gem is highly recommended. If you are looking for a spicy, semi-sweet, versatile and inexpensive perfume, you will find one with Daarej. With a Lalique-made flask, Morillas or Polge as perfumers and the name of Tom Ford, Hermés or YSL on the label, Daarej wouldn't be an inexpensive hidden gem any longer. It would be a well-known expensive gem. I also do recommend this fragrance for another 2 reasons: 1) All people longing for the Valentino V scent, don't need to look any further. 2) All the people not knowing Valentino V but possible customers of a fantastic Oriental Spicy fragrance should try and buy Daarej. In summary, you should just blindly buy Rasasi Daarej (for 20 Euros or so) because it is an amazing oriental spicy sweet fragrance independently of being similar to Valentino V or not. Music: 24KGoldn - "Valentino"

Rasasi Daarej Pour Homme unfurls its olfactory tale with an enchanting, herbal blend of cumin and cardamom, seamlessly transitioning into a middle note dominated by an array of floral scents. The base note is a harmonious sweet amalgamation of vanilla and tonka, underlined by other balanced elements that gently resonate in the background. This smooth transition is noteworthy and further enriches the overall experience. There's an intriguing paradox at play here: the fragrance's extreme sweetness lingers just beneath the threshold of being overwhelming, avoiding any cloying or unpleasantly intense sensation. It strikes a balance between sharp and smooth qualities, with a unique characteristic that momentarily evokes lemon ice cream, attributed to its powdery nature. This combination of sharp and smooth is both striking and pleasing. The scent does not evoke any traditional Middle Eastern essence; instead, it presents as clean and masculine, even amidst the presence of floral notes. It bears a resemblance to some popular fragrances found in beauty stores, possibly reminiscent of Le Male but with an oriental twist. The fragrance comes with only about 10-15% of its character leaning in a feminine direction. It is well-suited for cool weather and versatile enough to be embraced by all, regardless of age or gender. I describe this scent as having a celestial cosmic quality, embodying a certain enchanting trait. Despite its noticeably synthetic and somewhat toxic nature, it doesn’t deter my appreciation for it. At times, the fragrance exudes a natural essence, particularly during its watery or green phases. While true fragrance connoisseurs, purists, and elitists might exclusively appreciate natural scents such as raw beaver glands, I find an undeniable charm in this fragrance’s artificiality, a reminder of the beauty in man-made perfection. Finally, I speculate that this scent might have been worn by at least one actor from 'The Bold and the Beautiful'. It evokes memories of the show, which I never really watched myself, but became familiar with thanks to my grandmother. Opening note: 8 Sillage/Projection: 8 Dry down: 9- Longevity: 8+ Blend/Composition: 8- Versatility: 9- Uniqueness: 7 Value for money: 10- Bottle design/Aesthetics: 7+ Overall experience: 8 Blind-buy rating: 8-

Spicy, sweet, yet masculine scent. I purchased this last year from Amazon after seeing several fragrance YouTubers hyping this one up. I've never smelled Valentino V, so I can't comment on similarities there. However, this scent did initially remind me of a better blended, rose tinged version of Ferragamo F Black, minus the baby wipes-esque note. But after more time with the scent I honestly feel it does it's own thing. This is much, much better smelling than F Black. The rose mid note here is not feminine. It blends beautifully with the vanilla in the base and the cardamom in the top while giving off a masculine appeal. As for the cumin note, which can be off putting for some, it is very muted in my batch or on my particular skin (which is dry fwiw) so I don't get the B.O. vibe some complain about with that note. Some have labeled this a sexy scent and I can definitely see that here. Very much a night out scent. Not necessarily a clubbing scent, but certainly a scent to wear when its dark outside and you are dressed sleek and want to show off your attractiveness. This is certainly a compliment getter. The scent is not overly complex. With this one you are getting the sexy vibe linearly from beginning to end. In my batch (June 2021 version) the longevity is moderate (6-8 hours). Sillage is decent. Projects strongest within the first 2 hours, then settles into a closer to the skin scent where you will pick up wafts of it for the rest of it's duration. Some YouTubers have mentioned that older batches (think 2019 and prior) had monstrous longevity and projection. My 2021 batch gave me the impression of a solid mid-ranger. Not too strong, not too weak with moderate sprays. Best seasons for this are going to be Spring and Fall, although it is strong enough to work in the Winter. One could also pulls this off during the Summer, but with limited, small sprays as this is a sweet scent. As for the quality, it is synthetic designer, so don't expect niche Roja or Mancera level quality. However, I would put this somewhere in the upper middle tier of synthetic designer. Comparable to a higher end Versace or D&G scent. Despite being cheap, this does not smell cheap. This was a blind buy for me and I was not disappointed. It has become a favorite of mine and I definitely recommend it.

Smells AMAZING, especially when it dries down so I dont understand why its getting so much negativity here on Fragrantica? As for the performance, its moderate as for right now, but Im sure my bottle will "maturate" nicely bc Even Rasasi's Shurah didn't impress me with its longevity when I first grabbed bottle a couple months ago, but ALL THAT CHANGED when I tried it again last week. It lived up to the "Beast Mode" hype, and I hope Daarej will too in time 🙏. Anyhow, dont listen to the negativity about Daarej, it smells really good! The vanilla is NOT a gourmand vanilla, but it does offer a touch of sweet/creaminess which is awesome when paired with the spices and the rose note, is masculine and DEVINE! I also LOVE the freshness which pairs super well with the creamy/semi sweet aspect. I have NOT tried the Valentino, and so the only other scent I can compare this dna to would be Montblanc's Presence bc of the peppery-ness and florals, but Daarej is sweeter, has more Character and offers better performance imo. Its got a 90's vibe, but more modern and its just super pleasant! An 8 outta 10 scent for me and Im REALLY diggin' it. Its just PERFECT as a signature scent bc its not "Too much" and is not a super distinctive or recognizable dna which makes it a bit more "mysterious" imo. Thanks to whomever took time to read my thoughts on Daarej. ------------‐---------edit------------------ Yeah, the performance/sillage has certainly increased since ive allowed air into the bottle and its "maturated" after only a couple of weeks, and now stays on skin for most of they day into the evening. Daarej is just a stunning, 90's inspired, spicey, semi-sweet, masculine GEM which is criminally underrated, and yeah, I suppose it's initially "synthetic" but that's ONLY in the opening and so the "Synthetic vibe" subsides very quickly after application. I mean, look at BR540! Do ya'll really think thats a "Natural dna?" Its Synthetic as they come, yet sells and gets cloned to the point of OVER-SATURATION and at Nauseum, so lets stop bashing great fragrances simply bc they're "Synthetic". Dareej deserves it's flowers point-blanc!

So much hate on this fragrance. I really don't know why. I did a blind buy on this one based on the notes listed. My first encounter with this fragrance was a delightful one. The opening isn't the best - but it's not horrible. A bit synthetic. However, it dries down rather quickly and what is left is just lovely. The bass notes are prevalent throughout. The cumin is present and not too much IMO. There is some rose that accompanies it and its just right. Not too much or too little. What I smell consistently is a lighter vanilla scent coupled with the tonka bean. I detect very little patchouli but I do smell a hearty amount of amber and following up with a bit of musk. After allowing it to settle and do what it does, I'm very pleased with its scent and sillage. It smells rich and much more expensive than it is. I'm saying this is an AWESOME fragrance at an great price!! This fragrance does punch well above its weight class. If it were sold by a bigger name company you could expect to pay easily over $100 a bottle. Take some time with this one. Let the bottle sit for a month or two. Don't give up on it. I am pleasantly surprised and am happy with my blind buy purchase. Worth every cent I paid! Easily becoming a favorite for me. It's not too heavy but does have a decent sillage of about 4-5 feet and the longevity for me was over 8 hours - especially on clothing. It seems there is some variation from earlier batches until now. Mine is 2020's and its great. I've worn this in cooler and warmer temps and it worked well for me. I've gotten favorable comments and smiles from the ladies when I wear it. The reviews say this is more suited for Fall/Winter, but I decided to try it on an 80 degree day with 3 sprays and it was a good choice. Worked just fine in the heat. It wasn't overpowering or cloying. I am surprised how well this worked in warmer weather. Ignore the haters. Try this for yourself. If you like the notes listed, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. The best part is you wont be out much money if you find you don't like it. But, I think you will like it. A lot.