Alex 2

Alex 2 is Scentleys' interpretation of Xerjoff's Alexandria II, a rich oriental built on lavender, apple and cinnamon over a rose-cedar heart and an aged-oud, sandalwood, amber and vanilla base. The dupe follows the same fruity-spicy-to-oud arc but the oud reads noticeably lighter and less resinous than Xerjoff's prized aged agarwood, and the apple-cinnamon opening is sweeter and more generic rather than the original's vibrant, juicy freshness. The rose-cedar heart and amber-vanilla base are present but simplified, losing layers of the complexity that made Alexandria II a benchmark fragrance for collectors. Performance sits at five to eight hours of moderate-to-good sillage, respectable for a dupe but well short of the original's legendary 12-plus-hour, multi-day trail. Still, this is one of the more satisfying oud-oriental dupes in the range, worth trying for cooler-weather evenings, dates and special occasions where the oud-rose-amber profile can shine.