No4 After Love

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.