Courageous

Courageous opens on a bright, zesty burst of lemon and mandarin lifted by a green coriander, that wake-up-the-senses freshness Only The Brave is built around. The heart turns drier and a little powdery, a soft violet leaf and aromatic rosemary playing against a resinous labdanum that bridges the citrus into warmth. The drydown is the contrast everyone remembers: a warm, rich amber wrapped in smooth leather, cedar and benzoin, giving the fresh opening a cosy, slightly sweet base. Against Diesel's Only The Brave, this clone keeps the fresh-citrus-to-warm-leather arc intact but renders the amber-leather base thinner and the transitions less smooth, so it reads a touch more linear and synthetic. Only The Brave is a solid designer performer; the dupe steps it down to moderate projection and a few hours of bright-then-warm wear before settling skin-close. As an affordable, versatile daily masculine that works from the office to evenings, it captures the bold spirit well.