Zara Seoul 532-8 Sinsa Dong Gangnam-Gu

This is not Invictus.. not. It's quite unique, I think - & the longevity is not similar to a much fragrance, but this is good & the frag snobs should eat their words & get over them. The name how're is ridiculous. As somebody who works in both S Korea & Europe, & knows a little about Korean culture, (& Koreans,) the name is completely ridiculous, but nevermind - obviously the rest of the world is beginning to realise that everything Korean is becoming the next big thing - & so we hv these dodgy names, but S Korea is not just "the latest trend" & certainly not a flash in the pan - & anybody who underestimates the country & the ppl will be surprised (pleasantly I think.) This is youthful, with some freshness & has a lot to offer, (much like the origin of it's name,) & I bought this for my fiance because I think it's pretty good - but ofc, he has a huge collection bc we both love fragrance collecting - he wouldn't wear this if it wasn't extremely decent quality & scent - he likes this for lazy Sunday mornings or mid week lunches - he has a lot of niche but neither of us will overlook something good because its Zara or whatever, so it won't be wasted. Zara hv Jo Malone on board, & other good noses - these "special" collections seem to regularly hv a few great options, & I wait for the new collections to be announced; & I actually like this v much. (In comparison, Invictus is ok, but I wasn't fussed about it.) The only criticism is it's maybe a little bit linear; it's not the most complicated fragrance but that's part of it's charm - it's simple, but chic - & the price makes it a bargain. (The bottle could be more like the Zara/Jo Loves WLTD type bottles for a better aesthetic; the plainer the better - this looks like the usual style bottle, from before those Jo Loves collabs.) I will say though, on here, some ppl with v little understanding of fragrances & chemistry say "ohhhh it's so synthetic - whenever they review something "cheaper" than Creed or MFK - & they really embarrass themselves; yes Creed (espc,) & MFK do use, some natural essences - but the majority of most fragrances are synthetic "these days" - even those, however s ome synthetics smell "cheaper" than others, that's all. I could write a detailed explanation of why - but won't since those ppl who say such things are not paying me to do so (& let's face it, my hourly rate would be far too expensive for those jokers!)

I have to say, this cologne smells absolutely amazing. In terms of scent alone, it may be one of the best colognes I have ever owned. Unfortunately, it has one of the weakest performances of anything in my collection, projecting for about an hour (if that), then becoming an intimate scent for the next 4-5 before fading. If you enjoy a discrete cologne, say for an office, or the gym, etc., any summer Zara scent is an amazing choice. However, if you prefer something that's going to announce your presence, you need to overspray, and I truly mean OVER-SPRAY. This thing needs a solid 10+ when you're trying to project for more than an hour or two. To match the performance of your average Lattafa or JPG, you're looking at upwards of 20 sprays, and I hate to admit but I have worn more than that (I may have underestimated how much was left in the bottle). For the price though, this is pretty damn good. I got it and 2 other Zara fragrances in a bundle (50ml each) for about $40 CAD (or $30 USD), so in my books its a pretty good purchase. If you are looking for something better performances wise, either Invictus by Paco Rabanne (the original fragrance this one is based off) or Rasasi Hawas (Never tried it myself but is arguably one of the most highly rated dupes for Invictus and male colognes in general; with an affordable price tag at discounters) should be stellar options. Overall, if you want a cheap, intimate and wonderful smelling fragrance, or if you are just starting out a collection, you really can't go wrong with this one. Definitely give it a try if you can!

As some people have noted here, there's a strong similarity to Invictus. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a clone, however. The open isn't as cloyingly sweet as Invictus, and there's no florals or woods in the drydown. If you like Invictus, you might like this as it's similar. If you don't like Invictus (like me), you'll like this because it's not exactly the same. The open is a lovely mix of citrus and aquatics, with just a hint of lavender. I don't get much nutmeg, but that may just be me. This settles into a lovely warm amber accord that sustains into the drydown. Nothing that's going to knock your socks off, but a nice well-balanced fragrance that I feel is much superior to Invictus. Also, cheap as chips! I paid under USD 20 for a 100 ml bottle, at that price it's very good value. Performance is average, I get around 4 hours on my skin with moderate sillage.

It's my favourite fragrance from Zara, the tangerine and marine notes are the most noticeable, it's very fresh and has the right amount of sweetness. It's let down by pretty bad performance, I haven't been able to get more than 3 hours out of this and it doesn't take more than an hour to lose almost all it's projection. It's a real shame because otherwise it would be my favourite summer fragrance, it has a slightly classy but young charm to it that makes it very versatile, you could wear it to work or to a casual hang out with friends and it would work great. I see the similarities to Invictus, but it's far from a dupe, this one is much fresher and sweeter. Still, if we are talking about scent alone I prefer this one.

Most of Zara perfumes never lasts on me but this one is difference. If you are living in a hot weather area and want something that refreshes everyone around you without breaking your bank - this is the one. Here is my personal scores. Scent : 7.5 / 10 - Good but nothing unique or special Longevity : 8 / 10 - Can lasts for more than 8 hours on my skin Sillage : 7 / 10 - Excellent projection for the first hour, good projection for the next 3 hours before come to skin scent. Price : 10 / 10 - Worth more than itself price. Safe Blind Buy : 8 / 10 - You won't regret this even you may not like it much. Compliments : 9 / 10 - Most women I encountered do like this one.