818 Fucking Fabulous

818 opens with clary sage and lavender, a herbal, slightly boozy start that matches the tone of Fucking Fabulous's famous opening. Bitter almond, leather, orris and vanilla build the heart, and the almond-leather pairing is where the dupe is most convincing, capturing the original's distinctive gourmand-leather twist. Tonka bean, more leather, cashmere wood, amber and generic wood finish the base with a warm, comforting sweetness. What's missing is the sheer confidence of the real thing: Tom Ford's original is loud, boozy and a little confrontational in the best way, while this oil version keeps everything closer to the skin and noticeably gentler, more of a soft echo than a bold statement. Still, the almond-tonka-leather combination is genuinely pleasant and recognisable, making 818 an easy, low-risk way to sample that particular gourmand-leather direction.