Nuke

First Impressions & Dry Down

Nuke ignites with a candied cherry facade, closer to cough syrup than freshly picked. The pink pepper injects a fleeting fizz, quickly subdued by a dominant saffron note – acrid and medicinal, lacking the original's nuanced warmth. The heart amplifies the cinnamon to a baking spice intensity, bordering on cloying. A prickling red pepper attempts to cut through, but it's ultimately overwhelmed. The drydown leans heavily into a raw, untamed tobacco leaf, rough around the edges. The benzoin struggles to provide smoothness, resulting in a plasticky amber that lingers uncomfortably.

The Verdict

This fragrance is best suited for cold weather occasions. The intense sweetness is overpowering. Only recommended for those who enjoy loud, unabashedly synthetic scents, best worn casually outdoors and away from confined spaces.

Performance Reality Check

Nuke boasts an impressive initial projection, filling a room within the first hour. It quickly settles into a moderate arm's length for the next three hours, before gradually fading. After six hours, it remains a faint skin scent. Tested during an evening out, the initial sweetness became grating, leading to a headache by the end of the night.