No 4 Apres l'Amour Elixir Clones

"### How it Smells No4 After Love opens with a bracing lemon cleaner note, a far cry from the nuanced zest promised. The orange blossom is present, but synthetic, like the artificial flavoring in a cheap hard candy. The heart attempts spices but comes across as a generic potpourri blend, a muddled cinnamon and clove aroma dominating any subtlety. Almond is barely detectable, lost in the spicy haze. The base is where this clone most significantly veers off-course. The musk is a harsh, laundry detergent musk, and the amber has a sticky, artificial sweetness. The woody notes smell like cedar closet liners, not the sophisticated dry woods you might expect. It mimics the overall structure, but the materials are of considerably lesser quality. ### Bottom Line This is a casual, everyday scent suitable for situations where you want to smell vaguely pleasant without making a statement. Think running errands or hitting the gym. The plasticky drydown makes it unsuitable for close encounters or special occasions. It is passable but lacks the finesse for anything beyond mundane wear. ### The Performance Stats Longevity is surprisingly decent, clocking in at around 6 hours, though it quickly becomes a skin scent. Projection is weak; it sits close to the skin after the initial, somewhat loud, opening calms down. Tested in an office environment, it neither offended nor garnered compliments, simply existing as a background scent."

"### Conclusion Wearing this versus the original is like choosing between a high-definition nature documentary and a pixelated screensaver. You gain boldness, a loud sugary statement. You lose the subtle nuances, the smooth transitions, and the captivating depth that made the inspiration so intriguing. L'Amour by MPF offers a simplified, louder interpretation, but at the expense of sophistication and artistry. ### Olfactory Experience L'Amour by MPF opens with a startlingly sharp lemon zest; less Amalfi Coast, more cleaning product. The bitter orange blossom fights to be heard, but gets trampled by a wave of something akin to furniture polish. In the heart, the aromatic spices are present, albeit muted, alongside a prominent marzipan note – a saccharine, dense sweetness that veers into Play-Doh territory. The base attempts redemption with a clean musk, but it's quickly overwhelmed by an artificial amber accord and woody notes that have a disconcerting resemblance to hamster bedding. It’s a shadow of its inspiration, losing the original's ethereal refinement in favor of cloying, synthetic sweetness. ### Longevity & Projection Longevity is surprisingly robust, clinging to skin for a solid 6 hours, though the drydown becomes progressively more plasticky. Projection is initially strong, reaching about an arm's length, but it quickly settles into a personal bubble, radiating a vague, sweet warmth. Wore this on a damp autumn day, and it amplified the inherent mustiness present in the perfume's base."