French Avenue Comparison Guide: Obsidian or Liquid Brun? (Hot Weather in Johor Bahru)

If you're in Johor Bahru and the main thing on your mind is Malaysia's heat, this comparison is for you. French Avenue has two 100ml Eau de Parfums that shoppers often get stuck between — Obsidian and Liquid Brun — and they're actually quite different once you look at what's inside the bottle. Here's how they break down, so you can pick the one that fits how you live here.

Obsidian

Obsidian is a unisex Oriental Woody fragrance, so anyone can wear it — it's not labelled for men or for women. It's an EDP in a 100ml bottle.

The opening is aldehydes, grapefruit and bergamot, which the store describes as bright, crisp and slightly sparkling. In the heart you get myrrh, jasmine and labdanum, giving the scent a resinous floral warmth. The base is vanilla, amber and tonka bean for a smooth, sweet and ambery dry down.

Why does this matter for Johor Bahru? The store lists occasions like office, daily wear, evening and special events, and its season list covers hot weather — which is basically our weather all year. So if you want one bottle that works for the commute, the office and a night out, Obsidian fits that brief. That citrus-and-bergamot opening feels right the moment the sun is blasting.

Liquid Brun

Liquid Brun is an Eau de Parfum for men, also 100ml, and it sits in the Oriental family with a warm, spicy-sweet profile.

It opens with cinnamon, bergamot, cardamom and orange blossom — warm spice together with fresh citrus and soft florals. The heart blends bourbon vanilla and elemi for a creamy, resinous sweetness. In the dry down you get musk, praline, ambroxan and guaiac wood, which the store describes as a smooth, sweet and woody finish with plenty of depth.

Because it leans warm and spicy, this is the one for later in the day. The store's occasion list is evening, date night, special event and dinner — think air-conditioned restaurants, dinner plans, or stepping out at night when the temperature has dropped a little. It's less of a midday-under-the-sun scent and more of a going-out scent.

So which one should you pick?

Both are 100ml EDPs from French Avenue, so size and concentration are the same. The difference is the mood and the timing.

• Pick Obsidian if you want a unisex bottle for daily life — office, errands, evening events — and you like a bright grapefruit and bergamot opening that handles the heat.
• Pick Liquid Brun if you're buying for a man and your main use is night-time: dinners, dates and special occasions where a warm spicy-sweet scent makes sense.

One practical way to decide: think about when you'll actually spray it. If your answer is "morning, before work, every day", Obsidian's occasion list matches that directly. If your answer is "nights out and dinner", Liquid Brun is built exactly for that list. And if you and a partner want to share one bottle, Obsidian is the unisex option, while Liquid Brun is listed for men only.

Whichever you go for, the notes above come straight from the store's own descriptions — so match the scent to your week in Johor Bahru before you decide.