FRAGRANCE | Mercedes-Benz Addictive Oriental EDT by Alberto Morillas: A safe and pleasant nice-to-have

I feel like car-branded fragrances don't get that much love despite some really good releases that are worthy of praise, like Bentley for Men Intense and a couple of others from Ferrari. Mercedes-Benz also has several noteworthy scents, including those from their 2015 Mercedes-Benz VIP Club collection, where they partnered with some celebrated perfumers who also lent their names to the uniquely curved bottles.

I got hold of a bottle of Addictive Oriental by Alberto Morillas. I admit that I was enamored by the name probably more than anything. The heavy, purple bottle doesn't hurt either. Although I didn't care that much about them at the start, later in my fragrance journey I've come to recognize a few superstar perfumers, Morillas being one of them. He single-handedly restored my faith in Gucci with his gorgeously dry and very masculine Gucci Guilty Absolute.

Addictive Oriental opens with a spritely mint accord served with a few drops of lemon on the side. It's quite refreshing that you're not assaulted with yet another sharp, citric blast as the lemon doesn't dominate, allowing the mint to shine. Several minutes later a pleasant lavender and tonka combo comes to the fore. This mix of floral and sweetness, supported by a host of different imperceptible notes, is really good, and is probably the most prolonged stage in the fragrance's wear. Even as it eventually settles into its creamy and very light woody drydown, the lavender and the sweetness are still palpable.

Addictive Oriental isn't the most unique of fragrances, let alone groundbreaking, but I don't think anyone will object to me saying that it's a very agreeable scent. It pretty much suits any setting in my opinion. However, there's much left to be desired as far as performance goes. After its generally moderate pojection, it almost hurriedly becomes a skin scent after three or four hours. The good thing, though, is that despite the Mercedes-Benz tag, it doesn't cost much, so respraying shouldn't be laden with guilt. It's not a must-have but it is nice to have.