Y Collection

Notes & Nuances

Zara's Y Collection opens with a fleeting, somewhat acrid neroli – imagine slightly sour orange blossoms next to black pepper, not freshly cracked, but pre-ground from a supermarket shaker. The cardamom is faint, overshadowed by a strangely bitter, green accord. The heart attempts the iris of Prada L'Homme, but it ends up a powdery, almost chalky imitation, mingling with a pedestrian geranium note. The mate is a dusty afterthought. The drydown is where this fragrance falters most significantly. Cedarwood presents itself as generic pencil shavings, the patchouli is thin and papery, while the amber smells suspiciously like a sweet, plastic doll head. It mimics the original's clean musk, but lands like a chemical cloud.

Conclusion

If Zara’s Y Collection were a movie character, it'd be a background extra trying to impersonate the lead. They resemble each other at a distance, but up close, the cracks are visible.

Longevity & Projection

Longevity is poor, clocking in at a mere 3 hours, with projection limited to skin scent after the first 30 minutes. Tested in an office environment; it vanished before lunchtime. I also tried it while running errands, and it was undetectable by the time I got home.