Crude

Zara Crude is the first full bottle if Zara I have picked up. I finally got to go to Scottsdale Fashion Square and looked at a few. Admittedly I wanted Dark Intense Exclusive, but that was out... Crude was a nice pleasant scent that my sister-in-law liked so I got it. Scentwise, Crude is misnamed. It don't smell crude. It is rather clean. It has some leaning to say Sun Java White minus the metallic tangerine open but it also has an Invictus/Legend Spirit without any overt seas notes. As mentioned, notes for this is weird. I get some sort of pleasant citrus accord up top and a light faint water accord but unlike Invictus it isn't the sea accord. Could be the orange blossom, but it don't smell as bitter as in other orange blossom scents (Hawas and Joop! Homme anyone). However it smells like there is a slight Jasmine in the scent or a very light lavender too. As it dries down it seems like a slight wood enters it. The sage and veitver notes are hardly even there to my nose. This scent really is pretty good performer. This don't scream like Invictus, instead it is just there. I wore this a few times and can tell you that you can easily get wiffs of it for six hours if you get the wind blowing good. You will hardly notice after a while but is there. Crude is a spring summer scent and it is casual but can work for dates as well. Just know you may get a few "you smell like..." comments. If you don't like those comments (which I know people do), I'd stay away because it will be common. Crude as I said has some Invictus qualities and also Silver qualities. If you don't mind that or realize most scents smell like another in some way, this might be good for you. Now for my rating, I know I like it, but it isn't a titan in its genre. Sun Java White does great at being a cheap Silver scent and there are tons of Invictus clones out there (Zara even does quite a few), many are getting cheap like Cuba Winner which has entered your Ross and Burlington style stores. This however is something special but not super unique since it is a Silver with some Invictus. I guess I'll rate Zara Crude a 6.8 out of 10. The name don't fit, I find it a little bit too safe and it isn't that unique, but the scent smells good and I would gladly buy more Zara if I can get to Fashion Square or Vegas.

Ok for Sun Java white but a big no for the Invictus Acqua 2016 similarity. It's Dark Crude that it is very similar to Invictus Acqua 2016 and to Zara Teahupoo. 1) Teahupoo has Bergamot, Grapefruit, Marine notes and Sandalwood as notes. So if your nose is fooling you just compare the notes with Crude and Dark Crude. 2) By the way the notes of Invictus Acqua 2016 are Yuzu zest, Grapefruit zest, Pink pepper, Marine notes, Violet leaf, Gaiac wood, Ambergris and Ambery wood. It's impossible that Crude may be similar to Invictus Acqua 2016 with the notes of Sage Orange Blossom and Vetiver. 3) Ultimate test - smell Dark Crude, Crude and Invictus Acqua side by side.

@Carlos when I skin tested Dark Crude I didn't smell something like Montblanc Legend Spirit mixed with Sun Java White Men (like I did with Crude) I got a VERY pungent mint (spiramint?) vibe from it and it did somewhat resemble Eros. That said before it could develop, I had to scrub it off...

This is Zara Teahupoo re-bottled and put out in stock and shelves for the Fall season. If you haven't smelled Teahupoo then this is comparable to Invictus Aqua 2016. Check out my review on my Youtube Channel: The Scentrovert

Smells great for hot weather, a mixture of a light Invictus with Azzaro Chrome. Really nice.