Belgian Choco Truffle

How weird, at first it smelled like chocolates filled with cherry and liqueur and I still get this impression, and like a Midnight Fantasy plum with chocolate, but the more I test it I also smell a lemony undertone in this, mingling with the plum-chocolate that intensifies along with a vanilla-play doh effect similar to that of Mad Potion, perhaps from the almond here - In mad potion it's by the vanilla overload with the orchid. It also has a balsamic undertone from the vanilla. It is not exactly marzipan nutty play doh as much as it is vanilla-like play doh. Regardless it's the almond - vanilla playing tricks. The lemony effect accompanies the plum accord, like a deeper sour cherry scent and it must stem from the plum itself and blending with the caramel since caramel has a sour effect in most perfumes as in Vanilla Bean Noel of bbw which smells to me like Lolitaland alot, only more lactonic, alot less sour - Lolitaland gives citrusy cleaning product at first. This one is lactonic too and chocolatey as I said, but it becomes slightly powdery from the plum I suppose. This one also smells like Lolitaland in the drydown, but with chocolate and less sour of course, but they do share the sour lemony tone and the plum - vanilla notes, while the licorice of Lolitaland gives a caramel impression, so it explains their similarity. I was scared to buy it cuz plum may be the unripe peppery smoky kind, but this is the juicy fruity sour cherry-like plum which is rendered more lemony-sour from the caramel. The plum has a deeper fruity scent so it's better than cherry. I hadn't realized how sour plum notes can be, as I usually find sweet deep ripe plum notes in perfumes without prominent lemony-sour quality. No wonder they paired it with Vanilla Lemon Gelato in the hybrid version because this already has a sour lemony element from the caramel-plum. I personally find the Lemon Gelato too green-sour at first and kinda nauseating, so I prefer this one as it is smoother from the milky chocolate and the almond. Beware of the lemony caramel effect, it's giving Vanilla Lemon Gelato with chocolate at times without the green aspect of the latter and like I said it's quite like Lolitaland, but in the best way without the balsamic vanilla bean extract warm scent of VBN. Dolce Vita Dua is the citrusy vanilla that's very nauseating to me, despite loving it at first, it's giving woody attic with mice at first. Oh So Vanille by DUA is also similar to Beglian Choco Truffle. This is my review for Oh So Vanille. I smell the lemon blossom and orange while the neroli makes it slightly soapy. It is also balsamic from the vanilla and as soon as I sprayed it I thought it smelled so familiar. I went through my solos as I recall a solo by DUA as balsamic as this one and I realized that it is similar to Belgian Choco Truffle which is balsamic from the vanilla too and kinda lemony too from the caramel-plum notes there, so corresponding to the lemon blossom-orange in this. Both are also lactonic; this one from the soapy neroli blending with the vanilla perhaps, but Belgian Choco Truffle is more due to the milk chocolate. I smell no gingerbread and no patchouli, however they probably are subtle and just contribute to the darker, slightly earthy balsamic effect of this perfume and that's how it is slightly different compared to Belgian Choco Truffle, but they are sister scents for sure. The neroli adds the soapy/powdery element accentuating the tart balsamic-vanilla lemon blossom effect and so it becomes quite identical to Belgian Choco Truffle being slightly powdery-lemony too, minus the chocolate effect of the latter. It is not as lemony as Soft Vanilla which is like a lemon cake scent similar to Michel Garmain Tattoo. It is also not as sharp lemony or green as Vanilla Lemon Gelato. So the closest to Oh So Vanille is Belgian Choco Truffle to me, as they both have that balsamic vanilla lemony feel to them that is slightly lactonic.

I believe I understand why there is so much bad press over Dua Fragrances. First, there is cognitive bias: People want to believe that if it is a designer name, it must be a superior product. And if they have made a purchase for a $600 perfume, they do not want to believe that they could obtain a near or exact duplicate for only $60. Even if the evidence is clear, they will do their best to find some kind of non-existent flaw or overreact to a very slight difference. This is one of the same attitudes that causes religious schisms, too. Second, it really is difficult to get an exact duplicate of a scent, especially since olfactory senses are subjective. What is an exact clone of Killian's Back to Black to me may smell like a different cologne to you. Third, obviously this detracts some customers from buying luxury perfumes, especially on a whim, and so name-brand perfume houses are likely to be clandestinely spreading disinformation. One of the Dua Originals I bought is a beautiful scent but a bit iffy in quality, but so is the new 2023 reformulation of Lolita Lempicka Le Parfum, and it still has rabid fans even though it smells like rotten rubber: Coasting on the past reputation of a Parisian perfumer. Now to this actual scent of Belgian Choco Truffle— she is gorgeous! At first, the plum note is very dominant, but think rich and sweet concentrated plum, not fresh and tart plum. The chocolate note is obvious and bright like Ghirardelli cocoa, though the plum competes with it at first. Once it begins to dry down, the chocolate really shines and becomes the dominant note and a creamy vanilla begins to make an appearance. Once the heart notes are gone, the base is warm and sensual, and a bit sweet. Granted, this fragrance can be a bit overly sweet at times, even for me, but it's a perfect long-lasting— nearly 24 hours!— nighttime perfume for autumn and winter. Overall, I rate it about 9/10. I see White Hot Chocolate & Rum as being more versatile and crowd-pleasing overall, though, and the ratings here also reflect this. Next I'll try their dupe of Dolce Passion by Pantheon Roma, called Passionately Dolce. I anticipate that I'll prefer it to this, even though I've rated this one so highly.

Belgian Choco Truffle, after Vanilla Lemon Gelato, is the second true gourmand fragrance from the house that I purchased and now have worn, and like VLG, it does not disappoint. As expected, the chocolate forms much of the experience of the fragrance, though to me, the chocolate itself is more like a top note that begins to fade within an hour of wearing, and the plum emerges as a more dominant note, though I'm reasonably sure I can smell the plum at the opening as well. Like some early reviewers have stated, there is a fruity acord, which mainly would be from the plums, but I also get a cherryish (or simply vaguely berryish) vibe. The dry down is very balanced between the chocolate, plum, this cherryish vibe, and the vanilla/caramel/almond mix. I don't get an especially strong amount of vanilla, caramel, or almond specifically, but they contribute to a general sweetness that's secondary to the chocolate and plum. Performance is solid--very powerful projection for the first couple of hours and then a medium projection scent for hours after that. Another beast from the house, perhaps not quite as much as Sweet Tabacum or The Mobster, but quite strong nonetheless. Overall a pleasant gourmand experience that is not too sweet but still decadent in its blend. 8 out of 10

This was my first full bottle purchase from Dua. It was a blind buy but I got it for an amazing price and had wanted to try it for a while, and I have to say I was not let down in the least. Keep in mind that I'm a gourmand lover, but I do find this more wearable than most seem to. What surprises me is that nobody has mentioned what I think this stuff smells like... TOOTSIE ROLLS! I seriously think this stuff smells exactly like essence of tootsie roll. I understand the comparison to Chocolate Greedy, but they're absolutely not redundant purchases in my opinion, since Greedy smells more like Oreo cookies with a very sweet opening. Bottom line: not for everyone (what is though anyway?) but I'm very happy with it. I also own bottles of Delectable Temptation and Noble Irish Kreme, and have decants of 8 others. My only complaint is that they only come in 30ml bottles and the cost per ml is a bit high, regardless of concentration. I'd prefer slightly lower concentration for a lower cost because even with my collection I run through 1oz bottles way too fast.

Forget Chocolate Greedy. Forget Hugo Boss. This is (after a couple sprays and letting it sit for a month), a unique and chocolaty, delicious delight. It won't smell great, nor will it last at first. But, after a month, (assuming you've sprayed a couple times), it will be one of the most delicious chocolaty scents you have encountered. And, the layering possibilities....If you don't check it out, that's just on you. The thing that makes it better than CG is that is doesn't have the aspect, I don't know how to refer to it....the wheaty, cerealish aspect....it's not there. This is genuine decadent chocolate. I love it on its own, but it is an amazing addition to your layering arsenal. Can you imagine a delicious chocky note added to your daily Pistachio Yum? You should start.