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80% dupe of PDM Oriana, but smells cheaper, rougher, and lacks the bright citrus opening
As much as I really wanted to love this scent as a cheaper alternative to Oriana, I have to agree with a lot of other reviewers here—Velvet Shadow just smells noticeably cheaper. It was hard to pick up in-store, but in a side-by-side comparison between the two scents, there is a certain synthetic almost-plasticky scent in Velvet Shadow which isn't present in Oriana. Obviously, the difference in price will get you better quality, but with so many other Oriana dupes on the market, it just isn't worth it to pick Velvet Shadow in 2024.
While Oriana has a sweet, fluffy, marshmallowy base with bright citruses in the opening, Velvet Shadow loses its citruses within the first 5 minutes and dries down into a very sweet orange blossom perfume. While the quality and scent of Velvet Shadow isn't bad by any means, I'm having a hard time believing this is the best deal for the money with so many middle eastern brands putting out other dupes (Ansaam Gold, Destino, and Reyna being a few). The lack of complexity in Velvet Shadow unfortunately turns this candied floral scent into something bordering on cloying while the fresh citruses in the real Oriana help brighten up a very indolic and sweet base.
In my opinion, just choose a better dupe from a middle eastern house. It might cost you a couple months of maceration, but it will be worth the wait and will give you better quality for your money. The linear scent profile and lack of complexity in Velvet Shadow unfortunately turns this fragrance from a "love" to a "like" at best.
While Oriana has a sweet, fluffy, marshmallowy base with bright citruses in the opening, Velvet Shadow loses its citruses within the first 5 minutes and dries down into a very sweet orange blossom perfume. While the quality and scent of Velvet Shadow isn't bad by any means, I'm having a hard time believing this is the best deal for the money with so many middle eastern brands putting out other dupes (Ansaam Gold, Destino, and Reyna being a few). The lack of complexity in Velvet Shadow unfortunately turns this candied floral scent into something bordering on cloying while the fresh citruses in the real Oriana help brighten up a very indolic and sweet base.
In my opinion, just choose a better dupe from a middle eastern house. It might cost you a couple months of maceration, but it will be worth the wait and will give you better quality for your money. The linear scent profile and lack of complexity in Velvet Shadow unfortunately turns this fragrance from a "love" to a "like" at best.
EmberFloofs
