Wood And Cognac

This has a striking resemblance to Nasomatto Pardon after 10 min! It's woody, rounded by chestnut and cacao, yet doesn't step into the gourmand zone; I don't find it very boozy, but the cognac, together with "Western" oud, definitely aids to the depth and masculinity. Overall feels very smooth, secure, and sophisticated--somewhere between mature and youthful. Sold my Pardon and kept this!

I have seen some resembling this to Nasomatto Pardon. I haven't smelled NP, but I have Slumberhouse's Baque and Ore, and I can easily say W&C is in the same family. Different smells for sure but same family. The other day I sprayed Baque on one arm and W&C on the other, and the smell that kept wafting into my nose was amazing. I am really glad I pulled the trigger on this one.

Here is the thing. And it happens with all the DUA fragrances I have purchased. I can't argue that it does resemble Pardon or LIDGE but that is not to say they are the same. Like a fly in a soup, there is something, something harsh, astringent and cheap smelling in this that ruins the whole experience, no matter how good the other 90% is. Just one bit of unpleasantness can make your head dizzy, making you not feel like wearing it. That's how I feel about it. To sum it all up, if this costed $30 ($1/ml) it would be ok... Costly but DUAble (pun). But $60+ ($2/ml)? No way in hell.

Wood and Cognac will be my 2nd purchase from the house of DUA. My first was Anonyme X, the clone of Clive Christian X for men. I do like it, however I find I have a hard time smelling it on me after I have sprayed it. Either that or my nose goes blind after. As well, not a huge fan of the atomizer. You have to spray 5+ sprays. To the notes of Wood and Cognac. Right up my alley! Woody, boozy notes that apparently have beastly projection. Reading several reviews on W&C assures me this one will be a lot stronger. Especially when I am paying $85 CDN (currency conversion of $65 USD which sucks.) I hope this one performs! EDIT: With some careful thinking and consideration, I canceled my order of Wood & Cognac. Perhaps I may change my mind and reorder down the road, but I feel my money right now can be put to better things (fragrances aside). Very thankful that DUA understood. Right now my head is not as into my beloved hobby, and a break is foreseeable for me. When I am 100% sure I want this I will have this.

I've struggled with this one, since I bought a sample. Maybe because on me it's a close skin fragrance, with lots of base notes (woods) and a sweetness in the heart and tops trying to break through, but battling with the woods. I was expecting the cognac to "pop" more, especially as it's in the title of the fragrance, but it's lazy and sits in the background allowing the woods to take centre stage. It's by no means a bad fragrance and it's ideal if you want to wear something discreet and not inform the world you're wearing a fragrance, but for me, it would have benefited with some more florals to marry the wood and "cognac".