Battle of the best PDM Greenley clones: Scentedelic Bazinga vs French Avenue Aether Extrait
Comparison of Aether vs Bazinga (on Skin, tester strips and on clothes)
Greenley by Parfums De Marly is one of the best spring/summer fresh fragrances out there, with a truly unique, happiness-inducing, crisp, refreshing, energetic, and bright DNA. This fragrance radiates positive vibes, and its uniqueness is what makes it stand out. It features fresh, fruity, green notes—not vetiver or earthy green, but a fresh citric green—along with woody and musky undertones. Some people say it smells like a green apple body wash or shampoo, but in a good way! While there aren’t many inspirations for this fragrance, the few that exist are absolute gems.
The only widely known close clone of this fragrance is Aether Extrait by French Avenue (Fragrance World). I’ve also tried other so-called inspirations from local perfume houses, like Muzna etc., but I’ll exclude those for obvious reasons. I want to compare only the best two options, which are undoubtedly Aether Extrait by FA and Scentedelic Bazinga. I’ll also exclude Midori because why not? (Midori smells cheap and fades away too quickly.)
Now, let’s dive into the reviews:
### Scentedelic Bazinga
If you go for the full presentation, Scentedelic provides one of their signature engineered wood modular boxes with the fragrance name engraved on it—amazingly cool for repurposing! The bottle looks great, and the sprayer is one of the best, comparable to the pressurized atomizers used by Dior.
Scentedelic presentation box with engraved fragrance name
Scent profile: Bazinga opens with bright, fresh aromatic accords, where green apple and bergamot are prominent (citrus + fruity). It instantly induces a smile on your face. In the dry down, the citruses soften while cedarwood steps forward, along with musky undertones. The citrus notes remain dominant, and green apple stays present as well. The dry down is a blend of green citruses from the opening (major), woody accords (mainly cedarwood and oakmoss) (minor), and a slight musky coating. It’s an excellent clone of PDM Greenley (one of the best) and offers great value for money.
### French Avenue Aether Extrait (Fragrance World)
Presentation-wise, Aether Extrait comes in a well-designed box with a stunning cut-glass bottle in a greenish-light bluish hue. The atomizer is standard, non-pressurized, delivering good sprays with a wide distribution (similar to Afnan SNOI), so it’s better to spray closer to the body.
Scent profile: The fragrance opens with rich, smooth citrus (an orange-bergamot combo) and fruity/green aromatic notes (green apple, typical Greenley) with musky undertones right from the start. As it develops, the citrus and fruity opening transitions to a woody, musky dry down, dominated by cedarwood, oakmoss, and musk, while the fruity citrus remains in the background. It’s an excellent creation and a great alternative to the original Greenley, probably the closest. In the dry down, it balances the fresh green opening with high-quality woody and musky notes.
### Head-to-Head Comparison
Some messy moments during testing phases
Honestly, these two fragrances smell very similar—95-98% alike. Comparing them is nitpicking, splitting hairs to see which one excels.
- Opening: Bazinga has a louder, brighter opening, while Aether’s is smoother and better blended. Bazinga leans more toward citrus, with bergamot and green apple taking the lead. Aether, on the other hand, balances citrus and fruity/green accords (orange, bergamot, green apple) with a lingering musk from the start, which Bazinga lacks in the opening. Both have great openings, and it’s subjective which you prefer. Personally, I’m torn between the two, as both are superb. While Aether might be a tad better in terms of blend and smell, Bazinga makes up for it with its brighter, more projecting introduction.
Opening Blend: Aether
Opening performance: Bazinga
- Dry Down (Middle and Base): In the middle phase, both fragrances see the citruses and green apple fade, but Aether undergoes more transitions, with a prominent cedarwood note coming forward while the opening notes linger in the background. Bazinga also has cedarwood, but the green apple and citrus notes remain more dominant throughout the dry down. I prefer Aether’s dry down due to its richer-smelling woods and more pronounced note transitions.
### Overall:
Scent Profile: Both are excellent, top-tier choices. If I had to choose, I’d go with Aether, mainly due to the reasons mentioned earlier and the superior quality of the woods in the dry down.
Performance: Both are spring/summer fresh fragrances, so don’t expect winter-level heavy fragrances' performance. For a fresh scent profile, Bazinga slightly edges out in terms of longevity, projection, and sillage. Aether performs decently, lasting around 5 hours, while Bazinga can push an extra hour or two.
### Final Verdict:
Both are incredible value for money—choose whichever is cheaper! If you love citrus and prioritize performance, go with Bazinga. If you prefer a richer, balanced scent profile with better transitions and quality woody notes in the dry down, opt for Aether. You can’t go wrong with either. Also, maceration for at least 4 weeks (preferably 8) is recommended for both, especially for the Scentedelic one.
Note: Scentedelic has launched Bazinga Absolu, which enhances the scent profile and performance with added fruity, musky nuances and a higher oil concentration. I have a 50ml bottle currently maturing and will post a review soon.
