No 99 Side Effect

Side Effect is Initio's boozy, carnal signature: a cinnamon-bergamot opening giving way to an aged rum and saffron heart, resting on a black tobacco and sandalwood base designed to feel like a second skin. No 99 opens with a genuinely warm cinnamon spice and the rum accord in the heart is a fair likeness of the original's boozy sweetness. Where it comes up short is longevity and richness: Initio's tobacco-sandalwood base is dense and carnal, holding its rum-spice warmth for the better part of a day, while this dupe's spice and tobacco fade noticeably sooner, settling into a thinner sweet-woody blend rather than the designer's rich, mysterious trail. Projection is bold to start before pulling in close. It's a decent way to sample the boozy rum-tobacco direction that made Side Effect a cult favourite, though it won't carry through a full evening the way the niche original does.