Azza Silver by Swiss Arabian

I don’t even know where to start. This is a dense, opulent, and utterly captivating perfume—infinitely round in its oriental profile, sweet, balsamic, and packed with exotic woods. It’s an exquisite fragrance with absolutely stunning longevity. After ‘Ambre Fétiche’, this is the best incense-based oriental I’ve smelled in a long time; it’s truly addictive. From the very first spray, the oud and frankincense are undeniable. The opening oud is balsamic and smoky, with a strong spicy presence; it doesn’t smell medicinal at all, but rather warm and peppery, like exotic wood. Paired with the frankincense, it’s spectacular. Gradually, the spices (saffron and caraway) give way to a more resinous scent, backed by an incredibly elegant leather note. The result is an incense-drenched oud bathed in sweet resins over a bed of refined leather. Magnificent! ‘Azza Silver’ doesn’t have a complex evolution, but it doesn’t need to—it more than delivers, maintaining that gothic, dark, and mysterious vibe full of nuances. It’s a pure delight for lovers of these scents. It has some resemblance to ‘Nawaf’ from the same house, though ‘Azza Silver’ is more resinous and sweet. So far, it’s the attar with the best longevity I’ve tested, easily lasting over 12 hours even with a shower in between—insane! The sillage is moderate, but with any breeze, it’s very noticeable and persistent; it depends heavily on body heat, sweat, and pulse points. When I wore it, it was hot, and people couldn’t stop commenting, but I’ll stick with ‘moderate’ since so many factors come into play. It’s a nighttime fragrance for cold climates, but since I’m so in love with it, I’ll be wearing it all the time. Totally recommended for incense and wood lovers, with that sweet oriental 90s touch at an incredible price that makes you wonder about the markups on some designer perfumes. P.S.: Review of the original with the bottle as pictured. The roll-on is a reformulation with a slightly different scent; for more info, check my posts on the forum.