Reviews of the fragrances I own (#10) - Menworks Edition
This time it's Menworks- a brand I've been following regularly and really appreciate the business model and market approach. I love that they allow you to make your own sets (unlike certain other brands which have predetermined discovery sets), and also give you the choice to order 2 ml samples.
Just like previous reviews, I haven't tried any OGs yet so I'll be forming my opinions based on the price, and the quality that you get in that range on their own, while adding some comparisons with other similar scent profiles. So sit back, relax and read these reviews which will (hopefully) help you decide whether to get one of these or not :)
1. Pineapple Mafia (5.5/10):
They sent this free sample with the 4x15ml set in my order. I've tried Arabian Aroma's Seducation (AAS) and Qaeed Al Fursan (Qaf) before as my primary pineapple heavy scents, so I'll be comparing this to those. Really nothing too different from them. Opens with a strong pineapple note, and it stays pretty linear throughout. There’s a bit of powderiness to it which makes it a dry-ish pineapple, along with a very mild woody touch in the background. Not the most complex scent profile tbh. It kinda performs better on skin than the clothes for some reason though? You can say it sits somewhere between Qaf (juicier) and AAS (more synthetic) in terms of overall scent profile and quality.
Projection- Somewhat loud enough for 30ish mins
Longevity- Around 4-4.5 hours
2. The Bleu (6.5/10):
Kind of weird to call it Bleu without making it a clone of BDC. Could've called it "Y Not" instead. I've tried Fakhar and Arabian Aroma's Y before, and this one somewhat reminds me of AA. AA reminds me more of Aether Extr., but Bleu is more citrusy which kinda pushes down the apple note a bit. There’s a very mild ginger nuance in the opening, which sort of made it dry (idk why ginger makes me feel so). Surprisingly, it also develops a slight aquatic and fresh touch along the way, with some musk coming in during the drydown. Again, the DNA is nothing special, but definitely a dumb safe reach which is easy to wear and inoffensive. My colleague liked this one the most out of these 5.
Projection- Mild for around 40-45 mins
Longevity- Approx. 4.5-5 hours, and then goes off completely
3. Imperial Leather (5/10):
This is one of those clones which makes you understand that it just may not be loyal to the OG scent profile. Imperial Leather opens with a very mild fruity note mixed with citrus—maybe something like raspberry? It’s not very prominent though, and fades away within 5-10 mins. After that, it settles into a very leather-forward drydown. It’s quite dry, and you really have to be into leather as a note to enjoy this. The leather is the main focus here, but it's not a very strong scent overall. On my 5th or 6th wear, I found that it had developed a slightly sweet leathery vibe which made it a bit more likeable for me, and actually made me go "Oooh this might actually be really good if I was into leather". I'll probably leave it for further maceration and give it another go.
Projection- Decent in the first 15-20 mins, a bit milder for the next 15-20 mins
Longevity- 5-6 hours, kind of a letdown for a leather forward scent
4. Velvet Sin (6/10):
If you've watched Scentimental's review on this, just know that he wasn't exaggerating when he said that it was a monster. This one opens VERY loud and VERY sweet, and even a single spray can fill up the room completely. It has that sticky rose syrup kind of sweetness which is almost like sugar syrup. As it progresses, it moves towards a very mild woody vanilla drydown after about 4–5 hours, while maintaining that sugary sweetness. It also starts getting a bit ambery at that stage, which I didn’t find very pleasant up close on skin tbh, but in the air, it actually smells quite good. Feels like something that would work better in winter, especially in open air settings. It's not something you can wear daily, but definitely something that'll do an amazing job during occasions where it's MEANT to be worn.
Projection- 2 hours easy
Longevity- Easy 10-12 hours (I even got whiffs after a bath- 2 sprays on the wrist)
5. Ingenious (8.5/10):
Best of the lot for me. I've tried a few clones with the Tygar/IG DNA, and the twist that they put in this made it one of my favorites. Opens with a bright, sweet citrus along with a fizzy ginger note, which makes it very lively in the first couple of minutes. There’s also something like fennel in there (not officially mentioned, but that’s what I felt). It’s VERY loud in the first 4-5 minutes. Honestly, I didn’t notice the ginger properly the first time I sprayed it, but once it comes through, it stays quite noticeable. As it dries down, it becomes a very sweet profile with some airy vanilla, maybe some floral/musky elements too. Has that sugary, slightly syrupy kind of sweetness, with the ginger still lingering in the background. It’s sweeter than Theoreme and less paan vibes overall. A good inoffensive daily wear which works equally well during special occasions. PRO TIP: Try layering it with Al Rehab's Sultan attar
Projection- Around an hour of decent projection
Longevity- Around 6ish hours
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Sooo that's all you get for now. I'm waiting for them to release their Afternoon Swim and L'immensite clones so that I can make a set of Cuban Pride, Profondo and these 2 for my next review. I'll probably also add a few 2 ml samples of some interesting scent profiles that they have as well.
What do you want me to do next? Arabian Aroma? Alt Scents+TMC? Ababel? Let me know so I can get to trying them in a better way. Until the next post, see ya!