JF9 Black by JAFRA

Very spicy; the blend of grapefruit and tamarind gives it a distinct character that doesn’t go unnoticed. To be honest, it didn’t quite convince me. It gives off a vibe similar to Moschino’s Toyboy.

They don’t declare citronela here, but it’s in there. It’s very synthetic; it even started to smell like plastic, nothing youthful. I’d say it’s for people over 35. At first it reminds me of Club de Nuit Intense Man, but once it dries down, that’s when it smells most like artificial plastic. When I applied it, it didn’t last even an hour. Terrible.

Although it’s not listed, it does contain citronella. It’s a very synthetic fragrance, to the point where it smells like plastic. Nothing youthful; I’d say it’s more for over 35s. At first, it reminds me a bit of Club de Nuit Intense Man, but once it dries down, that’s when the artificial plastic scent becomes most apparent. Plus, it didn’t last even an hour. What a shame.

I love the scent. It is spicy and rich. There are many snobs hating it just to feel knowledgeable. It’s a unique aroma, with vanilla at the base, lots of spices and a citrus opening. It feels entirely nocturnal. It brings back memories of when my mother sold Jafra and I wanted to be an adult enough to wear it. It’s always in my collection. The only downside is that it doesn’t last. I wish there was an Arabic alternative with a similar scent and better longevity.

Personally, and without being disrespectful, I think it’s a terrible fragrance; the smell is one of those that makes me feel physically ill.

A fragrance with an exquisite scent and decent performance for the price, which ranges between 300 and 600 pesos (roughly £17 to £35). The smell is delicious, very aromatic, slightly synthetic at first, but dries down to a lovely, more noble scent. It opens with a fresh, slightly synthetic citrus accord that fades within 15 minutes to reveal spicy, aromatic notes and a light vanilla that gains strength. From the fourth or fifth hour, vanilla, woody notes, and a subtle spicy touch dominate. It lasts between five and six hours on my skin; on blotting paper, the performance seemed good. For the first two hours, it projects well for a cologne, then stays close to the skin without becoming skin-scented. I’d say it’s noticeable if worn in the right climate: autumn or winter during the day (I received compliments waiting for the tube after four hours) or on a cool spring evening. In summer or extreme heat, it can be overwhelming. In summary: an affordable, rich, sexy, and elegant fragrance with decent performance, discreet yet noticeable projection, some versatility, and even for special occasions if it doesn’t last more than five or six hours.

This was my perfume for years. It opens citrusy, then vanilla and finally wood. For me, the vanilla dominates throughout. It doesn’t last long, only about two to five hours, and stays very close to the skin, although some say it’s detectable at a distance. It’s excellent because it’s so cheap. I’ve seen it priced between 200 and 300 pesos, and the bottle is of poor quality. It smells very synthetic, but given the price and the fact that it’s a cologne, the performance is acceptable.

The scent seemed formidable for the price. I’d describe it as predominantly vanilla with aromatic and woody undertones… The bottle is of quite poor quality if one is snobbish about packaging, but perfumes from more prestigious houses that cost four times as much also have deficient containers.

A very majestic and elegant scent; the vanilla is felt at the end once the fragrance has settled, with a small spark of lavender. It has a smoky, medicinal, oriental balm nuance. Resinous, spicy, with a touch of mysterious sensuality. It’s cheap and smells like a very expensive perfume, but it has a flaw: sadly, it’s very weak, and for this richness to last, it must be sprayed directly onto clothing. I tried it on my skin and then on a shirt. It has an air of Polo Black and Armani Code, very much in that style with a woody, autumnal forest touch. Nevertheless, I’ll get another bottle. It’s soft, but I’d prefer it to be one of those fragrances that projects with bestial force and settles deep into the nasal cavity to embed itself in the centre of the skull. As for what I love in perfumes: the strident, violent, scandalous ones.