Amber Aoud

Roja Dove's Amber Aoud is a fruity, rose-forward oriental that trades on sheer opulence: a plush rose and fig opening giving way to jasmine and a light touch of oud, all sitting on a dense saffron-cinnamon-amber base that regularly pulls ten-hour longevity and serious room-filling sillage. Copycat's Amber Aoud goes after the same rose-oud-amber structure, and the top notes land in a believable place - the rose is soft and fruity rather than sharp, and the saffron-cinnamon spice in the base gives an honest nod to the original's warmth. Where it falls short is texture and stamina: Roja Dove's version has an almost syrupy, wax-like richness that coats the skin, while this dupe reads thinner and more transparent from the first spray, with the amber settling into something generic within a few hours rather than continuing to deepen. The oud itself is only lightly sketched in rather than the smoky, resinous facet the name promises, which will disappoint anyone expecting real oud character. Still, as an inexpensive way to sample the rose-amber-oriental genre without spending hundreds on the original, it's a fair enough starting point.