Obsidian vs Ghost Spectre: French Avenue Woody Perfume Guide for Penang

Got a formal event coming up in Penang? A wedding dinner, a corporate function, a nice evening out somewhere fancy? If you're browsing French Avenue for something that fits occasions like these, two unisex EDPs from the brand are worth a proper look: Obsidian and Ghost Spectre. Both are Eau de Parfums, both are made for anyone to wear, and both list office and evening wear among their occasions. Here's what each one is actually like, based on what's in the bottle.

Obsidian French Avenue Eau De Parfum 100ml

Obsidian is a unisex Oriental Woody EDP in a 100ml bottle. The opening is bright and crisp, with aldehydes, grapefruit and bergamot giving it a slightly sparkling start. From there, the heart moves into myrrh, jasmine and labdanum, which brings a resinous floral warmth. And the base is where it settles in: vanilla, amber and tonka bean, for a smooth, sweet and ambery dry down.

Who's it for? Obsidian lists office, evening, special event and daily wear as its occasions, so it covers a formal dinner or an evening function without feeling out of place. If you like woody scents with a sweet, ambery side, this is the one of the two that leans that way.

Ghost Spectre by French Avenue 80ml EDP

Ghost Spectre is a Woody Aromatic fragrance, also unisex, in an 80ml EDP. It opens with a fresh spicy burst of ginger, bergamot, pink pepper and green notes, which the store describes as a lively combination that awakens the senses. The heart is where it gets interesting: cardamom, black currant and Turkish rose add depth and a touch of floral spice. The finish is a rich, warm base of vanilla, benzoin, sandalwood, cedar, ambergris, patchouli and musk.

Occasion-wise, Ghost Spectre lists daily, office and evening, so it can carry you from a work event straight into dinner. If fresh and spicy sounds more your thing than sweet and ambery, this is your lane.

Obsidian or Ghost Spectre: how to choose

Both are unisex EDPs that cover office and evening wear, so you can't really go wrong occasion-wise. The difference is the mood.

• Go for Obsidian if you want an Oriental Woody scent with a smooth, sweet and ambery dry down from vanilla, amber and tonka bean. It also has special event in its occasions, which lines up nicely with formal functions.
• Go for Ghost Spectre if you'd rather have a Woody Aromatic with a fresh spicy opening and a warm, comforting woody base. It's the fresher-feeling one at the start, thanks to ginger, bergamot and pink pepper.
• Size: Obsidian comes in 100ml, Ghost Spectre in 80ml.

One last note for us here in Penang: both of these open with bright, fresh top notes, which is never a bad thing when you're getting dressed up in our heat and humidity. If you can, try them on skin and let the dry down make the final call.