dua brand

Blackberry Brandy by Dua Brand

by

Blackberry Brandy was one of the Dua originals that I wanted to try out, when I came across it on the website. So, I bought one of the travel size vials for testing and full review. I wanted to see how the boozy perfume actually smelled and if it was actually worthwhile. Below is my experience with this scent.

What does Blackberry Brandy smell like?

Notes include: blackberry, berries, black cherry liqueur, cedar, amber, brandy, labdanum, vanilla

Click here to try: Blackberry Brandy

My Full Review

Blackberry Brandy starts off with the fruity end of its personality taking the lead. Yes, the blackberry will be here throughout, but the cherry liqueur note will be very prominent at the start.

There are some further berry notes here, but mostly get overshadowed by the blackberry itself.

Brandy is obvious too, from the very beginning. The note doesn’t take time to develop and it too sticks around the entire time.

After 10 or so minutes, I’ll pick up some warmer amber and labdanum notes. There’s some spice, still mostly sweet, and the boozy effect of the brandy note.

The initial fruits will fade, sands the blackberry. At this point, the blackberry is in charge, with the brandy playing second fiddle. Vanilla really comes through here, playing sort of a balancing role with the amber base.

To me, the only real change during the final dry down is that this perfume becomes more brandy dominant with blackberry falling back some. Less fruity, more boozy.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Blackberry Brandy does have a thicker and warmer kind of feeling while wearing it. Not super heavy or a massive projector. more like a cozy cloud of perfume. A bit above average with its reach, just not going to blow the doors off.

The fragrance lasts right about 7 hours, on my skin. It’s fine, nothing extreme, but slightly above average versus many other scents on the market. On the whole, the performance is pretty good, just not amazing.

Seasonally, this is autumn and winter all the way. Within that time frame, you’ll most likely want to wear this casually during the day or as more of a nighttime fragrance. Probably not the best idea to show up to the office smelling like brandy, so, it’s probably a bit more limited than other perfumes in that sense.

In the cold, however, this one really shines. It just hangs beautifully in the air around you and is quite comforting.

Overall Impressions of Blackberry Brandy

Overall, do I like Blackberry Brandy? Yes, but not completely in love with it. I’ve been trying to like the smell of brandy more than I actually do, it seems. I prefer rum, cognac, and whiskey fragrances when I want some booziness.

However, if you’re a big fan of brandy, this is for sure one to check out. It does everything well, the warmth, the blackberry note, the cherry liqueur, and that brandy note itself.

It’s not super complicated, but I like the depth of the aroma that the vanilla, amber, and labdanum notes add to this one. That cherry liqueur really stands out to me early and I like it a lot.

Performance is good, not incredible, but probably enough for what most people would use this fragrance for. It’s worth a shot or maybe try out one of their other brandy perfumes, if you’re not super into the smell of blackberry.

Greatness by The Dua Brand

by

Versace Eros has been a top seller in the fragrance space, since its release back in 2012. Being that it is such a popular scent, it is only natural that The Dua Brand came out with their own ‘inspired creation’ of the 2012 original Eros EDT formula. I purchased a bottle, a few months ago to test out. Does it actually perform?

What does Greatness by Dua Smell Like?

Notes include: mint, vanilla, tonka bean, green apple, lemon, ambroxan, geranium, cedar, vetiver, oakmoss

Click here to try: Greatness

My Full Review

Well, one of the things about Dua’s fragrances is that they can take time to macerate. Basically, the aroma will change over a period of time. As such, what you get initially, isn’t going to be the same after a few months as it improves into the aroma that you’re looking for.

Now, most of the time this is minimal, in my experience with other fragrances from this brand. Sure, there’s some change, just nothing too major.

With my bottle of Greatness, it was a pretty pronounced change over the two months since I’ve purchased it. Which, makes my glad that I held off my review to this point.

The initial trial run, had way too much off the ambroxan coming out for this to be enjoyable. Now, it has settled.

Anyway, this Dua fragrance is inspired by the 2012 formulation of Eros EDT, a cologne that I am quite familiar with, as I had bottles of it during this era. My main complaint with the modern Eros, is how much the lemon overwhelms and throws off its former balance.

Greatness does correct this. In fact, the lemon is pretty subdued in the mix.

Early on this one is fresh and cold. Mint dominates the composition (with a touch of geranium), which is closer to how the 2012 era was like. Underneath that, is the crispness of the green apple note, the citrus, and a vanilla.

Is it the same as I remember? No, but it’s close. Maybe it’s a function of me misremembering the scent, but I did have a ton of time wearing the original Eros.

What’s different? The apple and lemon are too quiet. The lemon, I’m fine with, but the green apple doesn’t have the same sweetness. Secondly, the vanilla and mint felt richer and creamier as a pairing in the original.

Don’t get me wrong, much better than what I’ve gotten from the modern Versace release, just a bit off.

After that, the mint will still be heavy in the blend, but the vanilla and tonka bean really ramp up.

That’s another aspect of Greatness, it doesn’t have all that much development. More vanilla, tonka bean, ambroxan. Less mint and the fruits.  It’s more of a minty tonka bean and ambroxan for a lot of the wear. Then, some light woods.

So, a fairly close rendition of 2012 Eros, just without the same depth. I like it, though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does match that initial intensity and projection of Eros. However, I think that it shifts into more of a moderate scent quicker than does the Versace. On my skin, anyway. The performance is good though.

The longevity is somewhere in the 8-8.5 hour territory. Again, didn’t hit the same level as old Eros, which basically hit 10+ hours every time. It does match the modern batches, which are still quite good.

No change when to wear. Skews younger, colder weather is better, more in the nightlife mold…but can be worn daytime.

Overall Impressions of Greatness

Overall, do I like Greatness? Yes, it’s a very good rendition of older bottles of Eros, just not exact. Once it had time to sit on my shelf for a while, the experience was much better. Still a notch below the old Versace batches, but a better scent than the newer one’s.

Plus, it’s a better price. Everything else about it, is basically in line with the Eros that is available nowadays. The sillage initially, is about the same, but slightly less staying power with the projection.

I do like the minty freshness of this blend. Wish it were a tad creamier with the vanilla and a stronger apple note, but it’s still nice. I don’t mind the lack of development, as I loved the opening act of the old Eros the most anyway.

This is worth trying, if you’re interested in Eros EDT or just want to replace your bottle at a lower price. I’ll wear this more, as it gets colder in the autumn.

Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters by Dua Brand

by

Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters was a Dua Brand scent that I was really excited to get a hold of. I bought it earlier in the year and wore it during the summer, completely forgetting to do a full review for the site. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters Smell Like?

Notes include: Bergamot, Lime, Mandarin Orange, Coconut, Sugar Cane, Ambergris, White Rum, and Sicilian Orange

Click here to try: Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters

My Full Review

Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters is a blend of Dua’s inspired versions of Louis Vuitton’s Afternoon Swim and Virgin Island Water by Creed. So, how good this one will be really came down to how the did the blend exactly.

The opening here is a citrus explosion with a very tropical vibe. Orange, lime, and coconut truly stand out. Early on, this leans heavily towards the Louis Vuitton scent, much of what you get from the Creed is restricted to the rum, coconut, and ambergris.

It’s got that pina colada vibe, sugary highlights, but I love that they favored Afternoon Swim in use of its fruits. I’m not a huge fan of VIW, but Dua captured the best of that fragrance, and added it to the Louis scent (which I really liked).

As we dry down, the fruit notes get less pronounced. Some of them are still around for the duration, but it becomes more about the coconut and amber here. Fresh, boozy, and has somewhat of a lotion vibe…just not overwhelmingly so.

This is a pretty simple fragrance, not too much development.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters starts off strong. Especially for a summertime casual scent, this one really jumps off of my skin. For the first hour or two, you will get really good sillage, leaving a trail behind you.

Then, it is much more moderate, but still highly noticeable.

The longevity here is great. For me, it easily sticks around for 10 hours, even during the height of summer. Now, it obviously doesn’t have the same sillage throughout, but it does keep chugging along. I can even get it above 12 hours.

Seasonally, obviously summertime. Spring, if it is warm out. This stuff shines in the hot weather and is great to wear along the beach or wherever.

This is a true unisex fragrance. A lot of tropical fruit scents can get way too girly, but this is true to its inspirations and holds that line perfectly. Anyone can wear this, no problem.

But, it’s not the most versatile wear. This is a casual scent. Limited to the warmer parts of the year. Favors the daytime, but I could easily wear this to a beachside bar at night, while on vacation. Really, that’s what this perfume is, a lovely vacation fragrance.

Or, if you happen to live in a tropical region, and like to be outside a lot.

Overall Impressions of Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters

Overall, do I like this fragrance? Absolutely. This is a fantastic blend, that I wore throughout the summertime, and will continue to make my way through the entire bottle.

It is an accurate representation of the great fruity blend of Afternoon Swim and the boozy coconut found in VIW. I’ve never been a massive fan of the Creed scent, but when paired with a clone of the Louis Vuitton fragrance, it becomes great.

But, beyond just being a great inspiration of each of those scents, the performance is way better and at a steep discount to either of the originals which inspired it.

If you like either of those fragrances, this is one to try. Or if you want a tropical beach fragrance, that is safe for men or women, this is totally one to try out.

Popped Cherry by Dua Brand

by

Going through Lost Cherry comparable fragrances, I had to grab a bottle of Dua Brand’s Popped Cherry version, for myself. I really liked the Tom Ford fragrance, in terms of smell, but the performance wasn’t great for the high-end price point. So, how does Popped stack up against Lost Cherry? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Popped Cherry by Dua Smell Like?

Notes include: Black Cherry, Bitter Almond, Cherry Liqueur, Griotte Syrup, Jasmine Sambac, Turkish Rose, Peru Balsam, Haitian Vetiver, Cedarwood, Roasted Tonka, and Sandalwood

Click here to try: Popped Cherry by Dua

My Full Review

Popped Cherry opens with that familiar warmth and sweet cherry liqueur aroma. With the original Tom Ford version, I get a mix of more naturalistic cherry and the liqueur, but this one is much more the latter.

Popped is syrupy and sweeter than Lost ever seems to get. There is the powdery element here as well, but it is much more toned down than in what they’re trying to go for here.

To me, the original Lost Cherry had sort of a Dr. Pepper Cherry-like aroma at times, that this one really doesn’t.

So, the main differences are: this is sweeter, less powdery, smokier/balsamic, and less of a natural cherry touch.

The dry down has a nice use of the almond note, tonka bean, sandalwood, and the balsam. All of which combine and compliment the cherry main event.

Dark and boozy, with syrup-soaked woody base.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is a bit stronger at its peak and lasts longer at its moderate state than does the Tom Ford. Still, it doesn’t have a huge projection off of the skin, moderate for a few hours and then lighter for the rest of the way.

The longevity is also better than what you get with Lost Cherry. Popped will last like 8-10 hours for me, most occasions. Sometimes, it will last on the skin for a few hours longer than that.

That being said, the projection is skin level on that point, and you’re not going to have a huge amount that late into the wear.

Seasonally, I’d stick to autumn and winter. It will be great in colder weather, probably up to something more temperate. Anything hotter, I’m not wearing it.

It is a unisex fragrance, but has more of a feminine quality. I mean, one of its strongest comparable scents is a Guerlain perfume for women.

Popped, like the Tom Ford does have a certain sexiness to it. It does grab attention when initially sprayed and is very appealing up close, when it settles. Great for nightlife and casual situations, but not too out of place for something like the workplace.

Overall Impressions of Popped Cherry

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I do. It captures most of what you’re going to get with Lost Cherry for a fraction of the price. Which is kind of what we’re going for.

Is it 100 percent the same? No, but it captures the vast majority of it, and has better performance than the Tom Ford perfume.

I’ve enjoyed wearing it, when it hasn’t been too warm outside or during the evening. I like that it has pretty much the same almond and I actually like the extra smokiness to it. I do wish, there was the same variety of cherry notes to the same level as in the Ford scent.

Also, the powdery aroma from the original is missed, to some extent. However, I’m really not going to complain about saving a few hundred dollars, and getting to have a delicious cherry perfume to wear.