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| Photograph by Muschio Di Quercia |
I've reached the point with Arabian perfumery where I'm not sure I should even bother to look into what the fragrances are clones of anymore. There's so much cloning, copying, and stealing going on that I've lost interest in tracing the comparisons and commenting on them. Armaf is notorious for cloning designer fragrances, and Club de Nuit Intense for Women is supposedly a clone of Tom Ford's Noir de Noir, so they went right for the top tier of designer here. It doesn't matter, because CdNI for Women smells pricy, comfortable, and very Arabian, with or without its internet-driven Tom Ford association.
It opens with a bright rose and hyacinth accord, very floral, but it rapidly darkens from pink, to red, to purple, the petals of a deeply woody and dark rose. Flanking the blossoms are patchouli, cedar, oud, and the patchouli drives the resinous embellishments. This Armaf is initially loud, but it softens in the first hour and wears close thereafter. I'm impressed with the floral element, and I enjoy how it seems to melt into the earthier components of the heart, but what really wins me is how everything gauzes into a discreet vanilla in the base. The notes all harmonize with its radiance, with a rosy sweetness to the end. It's quite civilized for a rose/oud combo, and draws you into its friendly glow.
CdNI for Women is touted as being a feminine Armaf that men can wear, and I agree. However, it comes in two concentrations, eau de parfum and cologne (as a body spray), and the latter might be more feasible for guys. So if the blast of florals and patchouli feels a little too loud and girly in EDP form, it might be of interest to try the cologne version and see if that wears easier. I find the quality of CdNI for Women to be great for the money, and the sort of Arabian composition that has gone full-circle from Dubai to New York Fashion Week, back to Dubai again. It just feels very modern and Middle Eastern to me.