Man Gold by Zara

Smells great: starts with sour lemon, then cinnamon and praline, and dries down to cardamomo on the skin. My skin is very alkaline and it doesn’t last long; the projection is weak, lasting about half an hour at most and 4 hours on the skin up close. The bottle is versatile, perfect for tossing in your backpack for work or uni and reapplying throughout the day. Worth it for everyone up to age 50. I use it daily, perfect for fall and spring, but in summer it might be a bit much since it’s not invasive. In winter, it just fades away.

Totally warm and sensual feeling. The touch of cinnamon with rosewood gives it a truly attractive and charming body, but the longevity is very poor in my case. It’s a very heavy scent for summer. My friends love it only when they smell it from the bottle; when I wear it, I think it evaporates before anyone notices. For the price, you could put a bit in a rollerball and maybe get more out of it.

Definitely for winter or fall, for the nights. I found it very heavy because I sprayed one on the left, one on the right, in front and back, plus both forearms, and I almost got dizzy; it’s quite strong. It lasted all night. I’d recommend using two sprays in front and one on each forearm, and testing the durability based on each person. They say it’s similar to Paco Rabanne’s Black XS, but I haven’t had the chance to try it to confirm.

Edited because I just found a Black XS L’Exces to compare less than 12 hours ago. The truth is, it’s very similar in the sweet parts, but they differ because the Paco Rabanne is fresher, especially in that addictive opening that smells like pineapple, and then you get a herbal note that balances everything, whereas this Zara Man Gold is pretty much the same throughout and the sweetness gets tiring because I associate it with a more edible praline scent, which is the most identifiable note, like a caramelized candy. The Zara Man Gold isn’t bad with its performance, especially if it comes in a combo with the Silver, but this Black XS I tried was a beast in durability before and now it didn’t last anything; it could be because it was old, the weather, my skin, or I just had it too idealized. The Zara Man Gold (for night or cold days) seems excellent for the price if it comes in a combo with the Silver.

This perfume smells like sweet smoked pineapple at first; in the dry down, you get the citrus notes, and it doesn’t seem to evolve much beyond that. It projects well, it’s very tasty, nothing cloying, very much in the Bogoss style but more citrusy and smoky. It has projection, what it lacks is longevity, but without issues it passes the 4-hour mark. I see this as the gentlemanly version, and Bogoss as the youthful one. I wear it in warm weather.

It’s a clone of Paco Rabanne’s Black XS. The scent is rich, but the downside is it fades incredibly fast. I’m not sure if I’d recommend it for that reason.

Respecting others, this is the most accurate clone of the old Black XS (pre-reformulation) you’ll find anywhere. I don’t get why people are freaking out that longevity and projection are worse; we’re talking about an 80ml clone for 10 euros. For average noses that can’t detect 76 notes per second, there’s no difference even after an hour; it’s identical. I had a bit left in an old bottle, tested both, and with three sprays, it’s hard to tell them apart. It was always my night fragrance; I stopped using it when they changed it because finding a pre-2018 original for under 80-90 euros is impossible now, and the price is outrageous. This one performs very well, filling the room just like the original, sweet and creamy, with a lemon opening, a touch of praline, and spiced Moroccan tea. It’s the fragrance with the most compliments; there’s no night where someone doesn’t say, ‘I love it, what is it?’ Works with both the clone and the original. Perfect for 20-30-year-olds, cold weather, and nights. Scent: 19/10, Longevity: 6/10, Projection: 7/10, Sillage: 7/10, Value: 10/10, Blind Buy: 10/10.

Zara Man Gold. Regarding the notes, Fragrantica lists some, but Zara claims many more. I don’t perceive all of them, neither the ones listed nor Fragrantica’s. I’m saying this for those who want to know the maximum. It’s quite linear: at first, it smells strongly of lemon sweetened by praline. Both are accompanied by an androgynous floral base that gives freshness and depth. The only notable change is that the praline comes up more, accentuating the sweet lemon and replacing the floral base with a creamy woody base. They say it smells a lot like Black XS, but I haven’t tried it, so I can’t comment. The scent seems good, simple but well-executed, and for the price, it’s a great option for everyday wear. It lasts about 5 hours, projects for about 2 hours, and the sillage is normal, leaning towards weak. I don’t think it will clash in any season. I’d use it in intermediate seasons, during the day and at night. Wear it whenever you feel like it, except for working out (there are better options) or very formal occasions (I don’t see it fitting there either)… Ideally, it’s for casual wear. It’s more masculine according to current trends, but it wouldn’t clash on a woman at all. If you want to see more content, check out my YouTube channel: Perfúmate Con JL.

Addressing what most people care about: 1) Does it resemble Black XS? Yes, it’s identical. 2) Does it last the same? Absolutely not, it’s very Zara: basically a trinket that evaporates in 60 minutes and leaves no trace when dry. 3) Is it worth it? Go to Zara, find a tester (like I did), and test the longevity and sillage (go with a friend). And check if you’re lucky: in my case, a disastrous performance. A thousand times better, the Black XS 2018 (which isn’t that expensive either; you can get it at a good price now). P.S.: I’m amazed by people talking about 6 to 8 hours of longevity. I’m going to steal their skin, lol.

For €3, I got the 30ml version of this more than decent Black XS clone. When you wear it, no one will say ‘you’re wearing something similar to Black XS’; they’ll say ‘you’re wearing Black XS today’. It’s remarkably identical.

If you like the Black XS line, this perfume is a must-have. It smells a bit less sophisticated than Paco Rabanne’s; but as I said, you must have it. Edit: I found a very similar perfume, it’s Yanbal’s ‘Di que sí’. I know it’s a ‘feminine’ fragrance, but it’s nothing like it. It’s totally unisex. Try it combined with Zara Man Gold, you won’t regret it. Ratio 1/1.

Smells amazing and projects for real. You can really tell the praline mixed with citrus and cardamomo. It lasts about 4 to 5 hours. At first it doesn’t seem strong, but it is: yesterday morning, with the cool weather and after a motorcycle ride, 4 sprays completely flooded my 4×12 meter workspace.

I’ll start by saying I’m not sure if it’s a clone of XS Black since I don’t own one to compare, but my experience with Zara is that it smells exquisite. A bit citrusy, very deep, sweet without being cloying, velvety, and aromatic. On my skin it lasts 5 or 6 hours, projects more than a meter, and has a moderate trail. I highly recommend it. Scent 10/10, longevity 8/10, projection 8/10, price 10/10. Final rating 9.5: EXCELLENT PERFUME!

As the reviews say, the first thing you think when you apply it is that it smells just like Black XS. The praline note is delicious and has good longevity on my skin, from 5 to 6 hours, plus it lingers on clothes. I bought it along with Zara Silver, which I’ve read is a clone of Gucci Guilty. Overall I give this an 8 out of 10 and the Silver a 7 because it doesn’t last as long…

Zara Man Gold starts with bergamot and praline. The citrus fades in 15 minutes to make way for the praline, which is an almond paste with cream or hazelnut. To me, it reminds me of almond oil and that’s its main note. With black cardamom and patchouli, it’s not totally sweet, avoiding the gourmand vibe and giving it a masculine touch. It’s easy to wear and versatile; the name ‘Gold’ fits perfectly because it conveys opulence and refined luxury without being flashy. It works for work, school, casual outings, and daily use, but it’s not the best for the gym or clubs where you need more projection. It’s one of the few Zara scents that has lasted for years, which is rare since they discontinue so much. This one and others from the Night Collection like Silver, Uomo, and Blue Spirit have stayed around. YezusPerfumo.