Snow Gem

Snow Gem opens with the luminous, sparkling soapy aldehydes that define Armani Prive's Blanc Kogane - a bright, almost ceramic freshness. Indian jasmine quickly unfolds beneath, multi-faceted and white-floral, though here it reads cleaner and softer than the original's sometimes intensely indolic, animalic jasmine. The heart settles into a clean white musk and a soft lily, giving the composition its purity and a subtle sweetness, before a quiet patchouli and vetiver ground the dry-down. As a dupe it tracks the source's clean-fresh-powdery-musky character closely, with the PP version smoothing out the controversial indolic edge - the trade being a flatter, less three-dimensional jasmine and a touch less of the niche original's polish. Longevity is good for a budget floral-aldehyde, holding the musk well, with friendly projection. A clean, elegant white-floral-musk that wears year-round - office, formal and dressed-up alike - and captures a pricey Armani Prive at a budget price.