FRAGRANCE | Club de Nuit Intense Man by Armaf: A solid fragrance on its own merits

halfwhiteboy - armaf club de nuit intense man edt

My love for fragrances--or might I say, increasing obsession for fragrances--has led me to discover brands I've never even heard of before. And boy, do I enjoy these discoveries! Armaf is one of these brands, which I stumbled upon while going through an online perfume store.

This Dubai-based house intrigued me, especially with its fairly cheap price range. Convinced with reviews I've read, I took a gamble on Club de Nuit Intense Man, touted by many as a "clone" of Creed's bestselling Aventus. I haven't tried Aventus, so I'm reviewing this juice based on its own merits.

First off I was taken aback by the bottle. I find it a bit tacky with its faux diamond-encrusted cap and all. I counted and the cap alone has 10 of them, plus one more in the front. Heck, even the box has bling-bling! But I must say it's one heavy and sturdy bottle.

halfwhiteboy - armaf club de nuit intense man edt 02

Once you get past this monstrosity, however, you'll find that CDNIM has really something to offer. It opens strong with a fresh, fruity-citrusy accord with a prominent sweet pineapple note. It's all balanced, so it's not sickly sweet or cloying.

As it develops, it reveals a light, smoky note and sometimes I also get a whiff of rose in there. But that one is very short-lived, which is probably why I don't catch it often. The fragrance then settles into something woody but very light with a minty undertone. The pineapple also makes sporadic reappearances here and there.

CDNIM projects like a beast, which is validated by colleagues noticing it often. This EDT also has quite the staying power, much to my delight.

Clone or not, CDNIM is a really good fragrance based on its own merits, more so considering how inexpensive it is. It's easily a crowd-pleaser and will practically suit any occasion or weather. That said, I think it's a pretty safe blind buy.

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I also made a successful blind buy with Guerlain Heritage EDP. Check it out:
[FRAGRANCE | Guerlain Heritage EDP: A wonderfully blended juice with spectacular performance]

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