Evolution

#1186 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Before getting started I should say that I rarely wear the Amouage Interlude anymore. I much prefer the Black Iris, as do the women in my life. But I like Interlude enough that I haven't given it away. So I did a side-by-side of this Zimaya scent with Amouage Interlude. There's not enough of a difference between this and Interlude to matter to anyone. I pick up a slight difference in the quality, particularly the leather and olibanum, but it's not bad, just different through the dry down. Maybe that's the origin of the "Evolution" name? Lasts 6 hours, not 7 or 8. Who actually cares when you save $150? For $20 you will not be disappointed! I also have Ard Al Zafaran "Midnight Oud" and to me me it's not even close. Pimento totally ruined it for me. I literally haven't sprayed a single spritz from that bottle since the day it arrived, and it just cannot stand in for Interlude. This Zimaya stuff can. I certainly won't buy another bottle of Interlude when mine is gone. Perfectly happy to substitute this stuff. And why would anyone hesitate to blind buy a Zimaya clone at $20? These guys have proven multiple times they know how to do this. Car pool, elevator and small office safe used in moderation. Just like Interlude you can go overboard easily. I suggest you apply it on an off-work day the first time to see how it evolves on your skin. Keep it for cooler weather. In heat it will get cloying. Good luck and good hunting!

Perfect analog of Amouage Interlude man

Ritualistic kind of scent, not for everyday use, not versatile at all but i like this DNA because it makes you remember every occasion you wear it so i guess it's magical in a sense. Great intro to middle eastern oud without being ultra challenging, this is still a tough wear tho, not for beginner noses. DO NOT BLIND BUY THIS even if it's super cheap. Also, insane quality for the price. 10 hour fragrance, after the 3-4th hour you're left with just sweet oud and chocolatey patchouli, you can layer that base with another fragrance and it smells heavenly. I use this during the day and then use the oud base to put on another fragrance to give it an oudy edge, just fantastic.

7.5/10 I blind-bought Evolution looking for a challenge. Evolution said "hold my beer" then slapped me in the face and handed me a dueling pistol. I couldn't wait to give it a full wear because, off the tester strip, I couldn't imagine liking this but I also couldn't stop smelling it. There's a strong black licorice/anise element to the opening that I attribute to the leather/spice accord, joined by a blazing streak of synthetic, earthy acridity. Dries down to a shallow, oudy, dark incense that's long lasting. It's kind of like Encre Noir on steroids.

Interlude Man is my favourite fragrance, and I don't recommend anyone blind buy it — similarly, I don't recommend blind buying Evolution by Zimaya. Having said that, if you know that you like the interlude DNA, then this is a fantastic buy, and honestly, it is priced low enough that you could just take the chance if you want to. Compared to my other Interlude dupe, this is by far the best one, but similarly to the other dupe I have, this is not a replacement for the original. Having said that, as some other comments have said, who cares if it is not a 1:1 match, given the price difference.