Redolessence: March 2020

TOP 10 BEST ZARA FRAGRANCES OF ALL TIME!

Hey ladies and gentlemen, Steven here from Redolessence and welcome back to another video. I hope you're all doing well. And in this video, I'm going to be going over my top 10 favorite fragrances from the company ZARA, so make sure to stay tuned.

So ZARA fragrances are a dime a dozen. It seems like every year they put out 40 new fragrances and one of the reasons for that is because a lot of their fragrances are inspirations of more popular niche or designer fragrances already on the market. One might go as far as calling them colognes and I do feel like for a lot of them it smells so close to the original with the exception that these don't perform as well.

And that seems to be a narrative with a lot of ZARA fragrances as well. There's actually only a couple in this list that I would say last a very long time on my skin, but even those are just very few. A lot of them really don't perform as well. And I think given the price tag, you're going to find yourself paying somewhere between like 12 bucks and 30 bucks.

So given the amount of liquid that you're getting and the price that you're paying, I think there are a lot of people out there that perhaps don't mind reapplying throughout the day or just carrying the bottle with them so that they can freshen up during lunchtime or something like that. And I do think that in the case of many ZARA fragrances, that is a must. Now, I also want to mention that I purchased all of these with my own money. I actually have well over a dozen fragrances from the company ZARA, but I'm going to be focusing it on just these 10 fragrances. And these are fragrances or resonate with me.

Perhaps some of the ones, the higher up in the list, meaning like eight, nine and 10, I don't particularly love, but I think they are quite functional. So I'll go ahead and describe what I think of each one as we go through the list, and also if it does remind me of any other fragrance out there, I'll make sure to tell you which fragrance it reminds me of just to sort of simplify that as well.

Okay, so let's start with the first one and some of these do have rather weird names to them, so I'm going to have to remind myself, and this one is called San Francisco 250 Post Street. And this is one that I think came out in 2015, 2016. I think 2015. It's been out for a while. And this one is their version, I think of Burberry Brit. I own Burberry Brit, and that is a rose dominant fragrance. It's a little powdery as well. It's not very sweet and it kind of has this Fougere feel to it that I really do enjoy. I think that if this really was intended to be their version of Burberry Brit, they didn't do a very good job.

However, I think the fragrance itself smells rather pleasant. I think this is the type of fragrance that I would recommend for somebody who just finished getting a haircut. You want to spray something on that is probably evocative of those typical barbershop fragrances without necessarily it being a blast of lavender and geranium, which I think a lot of barbershop fragrances are. But I think in the case of this one, that powdery effect is what kind of makes me think of barbershop fragrances whenever I smelled this one.

But I do find it to be rather functional. I think it's an efficient fragrance. I think if you're looking for something that just smells pleasant but it's not sweet or citrusy and it's not following the trend that a lot of designer fragrances are following nowadays, I think this one will give you some well-needed variety.

Now, number nine on the list is one that's also their iteration of a more popular fragrance, and this one is called Norrland. So these are fragrances that have Swedish names to them. There's Norrland Kilsbergen and Tiveden, and this is their version of Terre D' Hermes by Hermes. So that has a very bright sort of orange peel, note to it. A lot of people say it smells like bug spray. I don't personally get that. Although, I'm pretty sure it has like citronella oil in there, which is an aroma chemical, but this is their version of Terre D' Hermes, and I think they did a pretty good job with this one.

I think if you're a fan of that DNA, but you're looking for something that was a little bit lighter, I know Terre D' Hermes is available in a couple of different concentrations. There's the EDT and the EDP, the Eau De Parfum. I think this one is much lighter than both of those.

I don't know if this one is available anymore. And this is something that I can say about all of the fragrances in this list. Some of them, I'm pretty confident are still out there, but a lot of the fragrances in this list, I really don't know if they're still available. If I was able to find links for them, I'm going to make sure to include them down below. So just keep that in mind. But this one is their version of Terre D' Hermes. I do think it's quite nice, bright, citrusy. It's appealing, but if you don't like that Terre D' Hermes bright sort of zingy citrus thing that it has going on, perhaps you want to choose some of the other fragrances in this list. But this is number nine on the list for a very efficient and a very functional fragrance.

Number eight on this list is ZARA Man Blue Spirit and I think this is their take on Invictus Aqua by Paco Rabanne. Now, Invictus Aqua is a very successful DNA. It's not complex at all. It's actually quite boring, but I think that for them to take that DNA, bottle it in a very affordable perfume bottle and sell it at a really decent price, I think that this is a product that is likely to sell well. And I would imagine that this one did sell rather well.

I know they kind of utilize that Invictus Aqua or Invictus DNA in several of their offerings, but this is the one that I purchased. I smelled it in stores. It immediately brought or made Invictus Aqua pop up in my mind. And I said, "Okay, this is one that I can see myself wearing a lot to work." And I think another thing that can be said about ZARA fragrances. They're very easy to recommend to somebody who is on a budget. And so if you want to buy a fragrance but you don't necessarily want to shell out an arm and a leg, but you want to buy something that's within that 10 to $30 range, I think they're going to offer you really good value for the amount of money that you're spending. And the presentation is also pretty good. This bottle has some weight to it. Anyway, ZARA Man Blue Spirit kind of has that Invictus Aqua clean ozonic fresh feeling with that undercurrent of sweetness that I think is found in a lot of modern day designer fragrances.

The next one on this list is from the same exact collection as this one. This one is Tiveden. Now, I actually own several fragrances from Zara that smell like Santal 33 by Le Labo. And I think this is the best one. I also have scent number one or the scent number one. And I think this one lasts a little bit longer than the scent number one. Of course, that could also because I purchased this one long before I purchased the scent number one, so this one was probably sitting in here longer. It's had a chance to macerate, but I know that this fragrance will inevitably remind people of Santal 33, but it's a very strongly diluted and watered down version of Santal 33.

It doesn't have the heart. It doesn't have the oomph. It doesn't have so many of these vital components that when you smell it in the air, you're like, "Oh, somebody is wearing Le Labo, right? This one has that sandalwood papyrus thing going on in here very dry and dusty, but it's missing some facets and nuances that I think makes Santal 33 quite special. But if you are not a fan of spending, what is it? $175, $185 for a 50 ML of Santal 33, check this one out. It might actually be worth your time. You might enjoy it.

The next fragrance on this list is their version of Stronger With You by Armani and this one is called Amber Ego. I've also had an opportunity to review this one. I think I've done a review of many of the fragrances in this list. There are some that are just going off my memory. I haven't reviewed it. If there's any interest in me reviewing any that I mentioned in this list, just go ahead and leave a comment down below and let me know which ones you're interested in seeing a review of from me, but this is their version of Stronger With You.

I think that this is a more complex DNA than this one, and I think that this one is a lot better in performance than all of the ones here. And so perhaps this one is doing really well in terms of performance, but this one gives me really good performance. And I think that that's because the Giorgio Armani counterpart is a lot denser and richer and thicker and inevitably because it utilizes a lot of those same notes, I think this one is also going to be likely to do well in the performance department. So longevity on this one was actually quite decent.

I mean it's still on ZARA's level so don't expect something that's going to last 10 hours, but I did find the performance on this one to be rather decent and it utilizes that sweetness and a very nice way similar to the way that it's done in the Giorgio Armani fragrance as well.

So now we're getting into the top five and number five fragrance on this list, I actually wore a lot of, and it's their version of a fragrance that's marketed for women. I've also had the opportunity to review this one, but I love the way that it smells. It kind of has this clean musky thing going on about it. And this is Accord No. 3 Woody.

Again, I don't know if this is still available. It's been a few years since I purchased this one, but this is ZARA's interpretation of B by Balenciaga. I love that fragrance as a more contemporary designer release from the company. I like how it's unique. It's one of those identifiable smells that if I smell it on somebody in public, I'm going to know, "Okay, this person is wearing B by Balenciaga." There's only one other fragrance from the Omnia line by Bvlgari that I actually confuse this one with, but otherwise it's a very unique fragrance and I really enjoy the smell.

I remember trying it. I was actually in the women's section of the store with my wife and she was looking for something and I ended up smelling this one and I said, "You know what? I think I'm going to have to buy this for myself." But it has a very pleasant smell to it, super happy to have it in my collection.

The number four fragrance in this list is actually really high up on this list because this is their version of a fragrance that is super expensive. And so when I found out and I ended up watching another review by a fragrance reviewer here on YouTube whose name is Emitsu, he has a channel called Simply Put Scents. He actually did a review on this one and he compared it to this other fragrance which surprise, surprise, just like this one is Le Labo, but this one is their version of Another 13 and that one if I'm not mistaken, was a collect City Exclusive. And the City Exclusives are twice as much as their standard line, which includes like Vetiver 46, Rose 31, Santal 33 so on and so forth.

And given the fact that this one smelled so close to it because I actually do have experience with the original after which this one is fashioned, I said I have to buy this one. And this one is 4MBROX. Now, I know there's another one that was introduced within this collection that has a similar name but a bit extended. I don't know if it's the same fragrance or not, but this is the one that I'll be talking about today, 4MBROX, and it's in the small cubic bottle here, which actually looks pretty cool.

It has a built in sprayer with a nice distribution to it and it actually does have this sort of synthetic smell to it, but it doesn't smell chemically. So if you don't know Another 13 by Le Labo is a fragrance that is made entirely out of synthetic ingredients. And it utilizes a lot of really interesting aldehydic ingredients that I seem to enjoy, and it has a musky aroma that is really unique, yet pleasant at the same time, and this one is their take and it's a really affordable take on a niche fragrance. So for that reason I said I've got to pick this one up.

Again, it's not one that I've worn a whole lot of just because it's not as appealing on a mass level as some of the other ones in this list are like this one and this one, and even this one, but for reference's sake, I'm really happy to have it in my collection.

So number three on this video is a fragrance that I purchased recently. This one actually came out last year in 2019 and I looked it up online, the perfumers, Jerome Epinette, it was getting compared to a few other fragrances. And I said, "Okay, let me pick this up and let me spend some time with it and see what it's all about." because you know when you smell it in store, you're smelling it up against several other fragrances from the brand and it's easy to get nose fatigue and to get overwhelmed. And so I really wanted to give it its due diligence and I wanted to spend some time with them. And this one is called White Soho.

So again composed by Jerome Epinette who has done many fragrances for Byredo and also Atelier Cologne. A lot of people online were saying that this is their version of Bal d'Afrique by Byredo. It Doesn't really smell much like Bal d'Afrique to me, and that's one that I'm quite familiar with. This one on the other hand actually reminds me of a Bvlgari Pour Homme. That is a fragrance that I've also owned and it has a sort of spicy, fresh feel to it that I really enjoy. It's funny because all I'm smelling in the air now is 4MBROX because I did like four or five sprays of it, so it polluted the air around me.

But this one smells really, really nice. I would also say this is one of the better performing fragrances from the ZARA fragrances that are featured in this list. And so this is one that I'm happy I picked up and I actually enjoy it a little bit more than the other fragrances in this list.

Now, the number two fragrance in this list I like because it's unique and I know there's another fragrance which I guess people are waiting for me to mention, which is Vibrant Leather, right? So Vibrant Leather, I think it's very fresh. It warrants compliments. I think it's appealing on a mass level, but it's like they took the top of Creed Aventus, got rid of the mid, got rid of the base and it just falls apart.

I don't think it's a very good fragrance. I think if you're looking for something that is very bright and fresh and citrusy and kind of puts you in the wheelhouse or the mind of Creed Aventus. I would recommend Explorer by Montblanc. But I think if you're looking for something that kind of has a little bit of that Aventus DNA in there, but really is a unique scent and does its own thing, I really can't recommend this one enough.

This one is actually Vibrant Leather Oud. Now, my only qualm or complaint with this one is I don't get a lot of oud, and you're not going to get real oud with a fragrance that cost this much. You are going to get probably a synthetic oud counterpart. You're going to get cypriol which is used to kind of create an oud effect. It's used in a lot of oud accords, but this one kind of has this leathery dry down that I really like. And this one was also composed by Jerome Epinette and I do find it to be one of more unique fragrances that ZARA has put out.

So as opposed to these other fragrances in this list, which are just their versions of more popular designer or niche fragrances, this one is actually unique and I don't think that this one is fashioned around any other fragrance that is a more popular designer or niche fragrance. So kudos to them for putting out something super unique.

The number one fragrance on this list is one that I haven't been able to fully figure out. For me, it kind of reminds me of a Serge Lutens fragrance that I've tried in the past. I can see it being their version of like a spicy Comme des Garçons fragrance. But this one is very spicy. It's different, it's avant garde, it has a uniqueness to it and it doesn't entirely smell like the note that is listed in the name of the fragrance. It kind of has more of like this black pepper thing going on in there, which I find to be quite unique.

Now, I know what the black pepper, a lot of people might get turned off by it like why would I want to smell like black pepper? But trust me there is a wearable element to this one. And again, when I thought about which fragrances do I want to include in this list, obviously I want them to think of fragrances that were unique, fragrances that were affordable, fragrances that were easygoing, fragrances that had good longevity to them and a lot of ZARA fragrances don't, but this one I think checks all the boxes. I think there is a uniqueness element about it. I think there really is a good bang for your buck.

This is, I think a 120 ML bottles, so it's a rather large bottle. Anyways, let me just go ahead and tell you what it is. This is Sublime Cedar by ZARA. So I've actually done a review of this one if I'm not mistaken, and I know I featured it in a list. I actually think that this is one of the best designer releases for 2019. I think 2019 we've seen a lot of new fragrances.

We've seen an Alien for Men by Thierry Mugler or I think of a flanker, right? We've seen fusion. We've seen a lot of flankers in 2019 but in terms of original releases, and again, I don't know if this is fashioned out of something more popular, but I really enjoy the way that this one smells. I think it gives me really good longevity for what it's worth and I think being the fact that it is a 120 ML bottle, you get a really good bang for your buck. I think I paid around $29.90 cents for this, which is excellent. I really enjoyed this one, Sublime Cedar by ZARA and I did purchase this one with my own money, but congrats guys. I think you put out a really great product with this one and I would like to see more of this style.

Even though it's probably not going to sell as well as probably this one or your original vibrant leather and I know in 2020 they came out with a new one called Vibrant Leather Summer, which I'm looking forward to trying, but this one is actually really, really good and I'm super stoked that I purchased this one. I'll be wearing more of it, especially now while it's still cold outside.

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for tuning in. These have been my top 10 favorite fragrances from the company ZARA. I would love to know what you think. Are you a fan of fragrances from the company ZARA? Do you have any favorites? Let me know. Leave a comment down below.

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