Defy is a cologne release from Calvin Klein that the brand put out back in 2021. It was good to see them taking a bit of a break from just putting out Eternity flankers all of the time and starting a new line. I got a sample of this recently to finally do a proper review and see if it’s worthwhile to actually purchase.
Upon first spraying Defy, I’m immediately reminded of Y EDT from YSL. Very similar style with the blue-ish aroma, bergamot, and heavy use of ambroxan. Not one to one exactly the same, but the style is very much related.
The initial citrus here is juicy and has a nice freshness. It kind of fades quickly from prominence in favor of the lavender note.
For a while, there is more of a balance between the bergamot, ambroxan, and lavender. But, the lavender will consolidate more control, as we progress. Funny enough, the ambroxan does back off and there is another round in which the bergamot comes through more on my skin.
Defy doesn’t really develop all that much though. It’s like a generic ‘blue-ish’ cologne smell mixed with that lavender. There is some vetiver in the dry down, but even that isn’t too heavy or involved.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
Sillage wise, this is light to moderate. Defy isn’t a fragrance that is going to leave a massive cloud in one’s wake or dare to take over a room. It’s just kind of middle of the road, extending out maybe to 5 feet, at its peak.
The longevity is also meh. I get about 5, maybe 5.5 hours on skin. So, if you do end up going for this one, you’ll probably have to bring the bottle with you for re-application later in the day.
Seasonally, it is good for the spring and summer. I don’t know that I’d wear it on the hottest days, though. It’s seems like a better play on moderate to warm days. I wore it out on a day where it was 65 degrees Fahrenheit and that seemed like a good spot for Defy to work in.
This cologne does lean more towards younger guys. It’s not a formal or refined kind of fragrance. Casual or a daily wear for something like school. It has enough mass appeal to grab some complements, but it’s a very basic and entry level cologne.
Not particularly going to stand out as unique, but younger guys could do a lot worse than this, as far as scent goes.
Overall Impressions of Defy EDT
Overall, do I like Defy? It’s okay. I think that it can be pleasant at times, but isn’t ever something that’s remarkable. Sure, it’s close to the original Y EDT in terms of smell and style, but that’s till better than this CK release. And, I’m not even a big fan of that one.
I don’t hate this either. If you can get it for cheap and are in your teens or twenties, this could be a very serviceable cologne for you. It smells nice enough and doesn’t have any repulsive qualities about it.
The opening is probably the highlight for me. I do like that bergamot note, when it is at its strongest. The dry down is fine, just not dynamic.
The performance isn’t great, which makes it even less appealing, even if you enjoy the smell. Five-ish or so hours, isn’t going to cut it for most guys. Especially, if this is selling a retail. I would only shop at discounters and see if they ever have this one sale. Outside of that, I probably wouldn’t even bother.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
I just posted my write up of the original Light Blue Pour Homme, and of course, I had to grab a decant of Light Blue Eau Intense to try out as well. This one was released back in 2017, after years of the original being a best seller and a staple of warm weather wear. How does this one stack up? Does is actually deliver intensity? Does it still smell good? Is it worth a purchase?
The opening of Eau Intense starts off quite similar to the original, in many ways, but also as a standalone fragrance. The grapefruit and mandarin are still there, this time without the bergamot note, but the grapefruit is in a ‘frozen’ state.
It is chilled, bright, and sharp. Also, while the original had a peppery note, it is absent here and in the opening I pick up more of the juniper note instead.
One big difference, is the aquatic accord that is present in Eau Intense. It is slightly salty, but much less like an oceanic note, and more of like sitting by a pool with a slight chlorination.
Not to say that it smells strongly like pool water, but there is a familiar hint of that on a summer’s day. This version is chilled and refreshing and I really enjoy that aspect of the cologne.
Update:Coming back to this one, I now recognize the aquatic note to be the same one found in Living Stromboli. That one goes spicy and dry to pair with the aquatic accord, which ultimately isn’t as good as Eau Intense.
I think that it’s the way the juniper berries super fresh aroma, is interacting with the aquatic accord. It becomes heightened, and when paired with the citrus notes, creates a clean and refreshing scent.
Update:New batches seem to be the same. No degraded quality. This part of the wear smells really balanced between that grapefruit, juniper, and the aquatic notes.
There is a feeling of slight spiciness, but not the same sharp pepper, as found in Light Blue Pour Homme. More of a blend of juniper and the emerging musk, stemming from the base of the composition.
As it dries down, more amberwood and musk, come out more and solidify the base of Eau Intense. However, the grapefruit, juniper, and aquatic notes dominate the composition throughout.
It’s a fairly linear and simplistic scent, which is to be expected for a summery aquatic such as this. Nonetheless, the citrus does tamper down a bit towards the end, and the marine notes are able to smell much more oceanic.
To me, the strength of the juniper and the woody notes really help to separate this version from the original. Everything is geared toward being super fresh, intense, while still being usable for when it gets hot.
Yes, the aquatic accord creates distinction, but the juniper really stands out to my nose. I like the grapefruit and mandarin, in the start, and they feel well blended.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
Projection wise, Eau Intense lives up to the name. The sillage is strong for this type of fragrance, it’s not insane or anything, but it’ll be noticeable in the 4-6 feet range around you.
The longevity is also very good, I get about 9 hours of solid wear with it on my skin, but on an old t-shirt it kept right on going along.
For me, the sillage quiets down after an hour or two. It’s not a skin scent, at that point, but feels much lighter and airy. Still, I really dig how this fragrance performs on my skin.
It’s better than all of the other Light Blue Pour Homme fragrances, in terms of performance. It not only outlasts them all, it has more consistent sillage, in the process.
Seasonally, once again it is mainly for spring/summer, but like the original it can be worn year round without any issue. It’s got that same versatility. It can be worn casually or at the office or out on a date. It’s not really limited and is a good all around cologne.
Now, I probably wouldn’t make it a go to for more formal occasions or be a daily office wear. Plus, there are better options for romantic wear, but it can cover plenty of bases otherwise.
Though, in it’s most basic form, it is best used on a warmer day. It’s refreshing, and one that I have been loving to wear casually, during this summer.
So, while it has versatility, I’m going to stick to daily wearing it during spring/summer. It’s been occupying the same role that Eternity Aqua has, for me.
Overall Scent
Overall, do I like Light Blue Eau Intense? I actually like it a lot for a summer scent. It is really great while being utterly simple and easy to love.
I am digging it more than the original Light Blue, as D&G took what was working with that, and then made it better. I like how cold and smooth this one feels versus the spicier original.
The aquatic accord and juniper really add a fresher summer vibe. Not the same spiciness and woods as the original Light Blue has.
Update:To me, this is still the best of the Light Blue Pour Homme line. The more recent releases have given it a run for the top spot, but Eau Intense just does everything better in aggregate.
It also has better strength and staying power. I can recommend and it is a good inoffensive scent for guys who want a fragrance to cover many bases with one bottle.
The dry down, can be fairly musky and has a dose of amberwood, which some might not like. That’s probably the main drawback with this one. It can be pretty synthetic smelling, at times.
However, most people seem to have positive feelings toward Eau Intense. It’s a very good aquatic, that delivers a pleasant smell, and does a fine job at not quitting early.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
Hero is the latest Burberry line of fragrances, following the long-running Mr. Burberry series. Hero EDT was the first release, brought out back in 2021, and has enjoyed plenty of success ever since. I’ve wanted to give this one a deeper review for a while now and finally bought myself a travel size decant of it. How does Hero EDT smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?
What does Burberry Hero EDT Smell Like?
Notes include: cedar, bergamot, juniper, black pepper
Hero EDT kicks off with its citrusy and lightly spiced aroma taking hold. The bergamot here isn’t actually massive in the composition, to where it crowds out everything else, but it does have a large role here.
The black pepper gives you that spice, but the freshness really comes from the cedar accord that is going to be the mainstay of the tail end of this cologne.
But, early, the cedar and juniper will pretty much split duties. Aromatic, but a touch sweet and quite fresh. Black pepper isn’t too highly concentrated in the blend. However, I do think that it is a great addition to the citrus and woods.
As we move along, the citrus will start to drop off, as with the pepper note. So, you get that juniper and cedar blend really working the aromatic freshness angle.
This isn’t a super complicated scent. It’s has its moments of sweetness that come through, but the deeper that you get into the wear, the drier and more of a pure woods cologne it becomes.
The very end stages is all about the cedar blend. It almost smells like there is a vetiver here, but it’s probably just how everything blends in the mix. Woody and still quite appealing, albeit much lighter.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
Like the EDP, this version of Hero starts off at the higher end of moderate, in terms of how it projects off of the skin and the scent trail that it leaves behind.
It also, rather quickly becomes a lighter fragrance. Still very detectable, but it is going to be sticking closer to your person versus hitting people across the room. An hour or so of that stronger projection. It’s actually about the same as EDP in this regard. At least, I don’t notice a difference.
While EDT has about the same ability to project as does the EDP version, the longevity is a slight step back. With this Hero, I get 7-8 hours of wear, depending on the conditions of the environment that I’m in.
Honestly, it’s got pretty good staying power for a mainstream designer EDT concentration. Amazing? No, but as a daily wear, I really wouldn’t complain too much about it.
Seasonally, Hero can work in almost any climate. I would tend to keep away from the extremes (particularly heat). Though, it does have the ability to go further into deep spring and early summer than does Hero EDP.
It’s probably at its best as an autumn and early spring sort of cologne.
It’s very versatile, in terms of its use case. Probably not the most formal cologne in the world, but it can absolutely fit in as a daily wear. Younger or older guys could wear this. Plus, Hero EDT is one that has a ton of mass appeal, and probably isn’t going to offend anyone.
Overall Impressions of Hero EDT
Overall, do I like Hero? I do. I think it’s one of the better entry level designer fragrances to come out in the past few years. It’s not completely amazing, but it’s extremely wearable and versatile, for those who want something simple and/or keep only a few fragrance options in their collection.
The EDT is better than the EDP. It does have some similarities in terms of style to the newer version of Dior Homme, that was released in 2020. The Dior is slightly better, but really not by much. Burberry did well with this one.
The opening act has become very appealing to me. I wore this one out, the other night, and really loved that first 60-90 minutes of intensity. Good balance, different from the army of ‘blue’ colognes out there, and a woody scent that doesn’t smell like a pine air freshener.
Hero EDT is for sure worth checking out. Some people will love this juice, but I can’t imagine too many people hating it. It does everything well enough, without hitting an elite level
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
Light Blue Pour Homme is a series that is still going on, over a decade after the release of the original. The list is now up to a dozen scents, but which one is actually the best smelling? How do these Dolce & Gabbana colognes rank versus one another? This is my list after extensively testing them.
What are the Best D&G Light Blue Colognes (Ranked)?
Note:The list doesn’t include, an older release, Beauty of Capri. I haven’t tried it to this point, didn’t want to spend money on a full bottle, in order to do so. By most accounts, it was middle of the pack, at best. It’s been discontinued for a long time and is getting difficult to find, anyway.
This list starts at my least favorite and concludes in order with what I consider to be the top Light Blue.
A Volcanic Island
Discover Vulcano– At the bottom of the list, is the unique, but ultimately not very good Light Blue Discover Vulcano.
I do give credit to D&G for trying something a bit different, but its appeal is pretty limited for most people.
Vulcano came out in 2014 and is led by a massive use of cypress and an initial burst of lemon. It can be somewhat sour, dry, and it doesn’t really develop all that much.
Lavender, cedar, vetiver round things out with some ginger spice thrown in for good measure. It’s not completely terrible to me, but the combination of notes and trying to capture the spirit of this island, just never worked to my nose. Vulcano Full Review
Citrus Explosion
Italian Zest– Italian Zest could be ranked a place or two higher on the list. For me though, this is the spot to put it. I did easily like it more than Vulcano, but slightly below the next entry on the list.
Zest opens up with a mass of citrus. It’s tart, sour, and even bitter. Lemon is the lead early, with further contributions from the grapefruit and bergamot notes.
There are the drier and spicier elements. Some incense smokiness, Sichuan pepper, and a musky finish. It’s got plenty of overlap with the original Light Blue Pour Homme, just in a much less likeable form.
As I wrote in my review, “The progression of this scent is: citrus, citrus/spice, citrus/musk/spice, citrus/musk/woods.” It’s all okay, the opening is kind of annoying, but Zest is just a forgettable cologne. Italian Zest review
Ice Cream Blend
Light Blue Love is Love– Love is Love is another Light Blue flanker that went for something a bit different, yet familiar, and ultimately kind of misses out on being a great scent.
This fragrance seems to try to bridge between the Pour Femme and Pour Homme lines of Light Blue. It’s like a mix of the original Pour Homme and Femme Intense. Taking elements of each and adding a vanilla ice cream note in the mix.
It’s sweeter and creamier, with the same apple note that the women’s fragrance uses. It does remain fresh and aromatic without becoming too much of a one-sided scent.
It all sounded better on paper than when I’m actually wearing Love is Love. The smell is pretty good, performance is okay, and it never truly delivers anything all that memorable. Love is Love Full Review
Taking a Dip
Swimming in Lipari– So, this one and the next are essentially tied. I don’t have a particular preference for one versus the other, but I did have to buy a full bottle of the next entry.
Swimming in Lipari is a saltier and marine version of the Light Blue DNA. It shares a lot of similarities with something like Light Blue Sun, in the initial stages.
Grapefruit, rosemary is basically the same as the original. Then, you add a lot of amber and a salty marine accord. Now, you’re swimming. It’s all pretty nice, nothing great, but I did like the oceanic vibe that this one puts off. Swimming in Lipari Review
Living
Light Blue Living Stromboli– I had slightly higher hopes for this one. I got my full bottle and wanted to try it out, as it had an aquatic calone accord. Not a salty oceanic note, but more of a synthetic fresh aquatic aroma.
Well, the pink pepper note really dominates things early. Not bad, but pink pepper isn’t my favorite note. Living Stromboli is a refreshing spice, with an underlying dryness to the entire fragrance.
Patchouli, vetiver, and some very light citrus round things out. The citrus here might be the lightest in the entire series. The watery accord is good, it comes out strong in the back half of the wear along with amber. Living Stromboli Review
Shine On
Light Blue Sun Pour Homme– Grapefruit, bergamot, and coconut give this one its fruity essence. It’s a lighter and ozonic cologne when compared to the original Light Blue Pour Homme.
Ginger is the main spice here, giving it a much less intense kick than the rosemary of the original. Though, that is also still somewhat present.
I like the breeziness here. It doesn’t have the aquatic focus of the previous two entries, but is kind of like standing on the shore, with a nice amount of coconut sweetness blowing around. The grapefruit and the woods, in the base, really finish things off here. Light Blue Sun Review
New Vibes
Light Blue Summer Vibes– Summer Vibes is the new Light Blue flanker release for 2023. To me, it’s in the upper half of the best releases from this line, just doesn’t quite ever reach the top.
It starts off with a lemon note, perhaps with the usual grapefruit, as well. With that, you get the return of the cypress note that is found in Vulcano. This is much better than Vulcano, but it is interesting that these are the only two Light Blue colognes that feature it.
Less of a juicy citrus, more of a light aquatic feeling. Amberwood is also prominent here and Summer Vibes has a nice sweetness throughout. Mostly, you’re going to get cypress and amberwood, with some other potential unlisted woody notes. Fresh woods for the summer months. Summer Vibes Review
Hyper Grapefruit
Light Blue Forever– Forever takes the grapefruit note of the series and makes it photorealistic. Not the same synthetic smelling grapefruit of other releases, this one goes for smelling like the fruit itself, and it for sure accomplishes that.
That grapefruit is joined early on, by another breezy/watery blend, and a dose of violet leaf. That last note, is the reason that Forever occupies this spot on the list and not a place higher up like its successor.
To me, this comes across as being too green and a touch bitter. I still like it, but it the one that they put out the next year, is a better version of Forever. Cool bottle, though. Light Blue Forever Review
The Original
Light Blue Pour Homme– Light Blue edges Forever on the list, basically because Italian Love exists. I feel that Forever is pretty much superfluous, so it gets knocked down a spot in favor of the first release.
The citrus, pepper, and rosemary. It’s so familiar now and you can detect the presence of this formula in most of the flankers that were released pre-2020. Crisp, citrusy, herbal, spicy, with a nice rosewood in the base.
Is it still good? Yes, I think Light Blue still holds up. It’d be one of the first ones that I’d try in the series, before moving onto the flankers. If you’re not feeling this, you probably won’t like most of them. Light Blue Review
Forever Love
Light Blue Italian Love– Italian Love is basically a remixed Light Blue Forever. But, the violet leaf in this one is much more tolerable to me. You also get a bergamot note up top with the grapefruit. It’s a tart and sour mix.
The ozonic breeziness is stronger with this one, less green, and it does indeed give you more of a blue-ish impression, like the bottle shows.
Italian Love is everything that was great about Forever, just enhanced. For that reason, it grabs the number two spot on the list. Italian Love Review
The grapefruit has now gotten a ‘frozen’ element added to it, making this cologne feel colder and sharper than the others. I also like that it’s very aquatic, but not too salty marine. To me, it was always like being by the pool on a hot summer’s day.
Juniper, amberwood, musk keep this one fresh and interesting. Not as spicy as the original, but Eau Intense does indeed still have some of that peppery influence.
D&G has still yet to top this one and it is still selling strong, all of these years later. Eau Intense Review
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
Hero is a newer series from Burberry, coming on the heels of their Mr. Burberry line. It has been a pretty popular scent thus far, already producing an eau de parfum version following the initial EDT. The question is, how do these two colognes compare? What does each smell like? Which lasts longer? Which is actually the better scent?
Tale of the Tape: Hero vs. Hero EDP
Burberry Hero EDP
Notes include: pine needles, cedar, incense, benzoin, amber, olibanum
Hero EDT starts things off with a lightly spiced, citrusy aromatic tone. The citrus note isn’t overwhelming, but it does have a major role in the start. Along with, the ever-present cedar accord, which will really dominate the latter parts of the wear.
But, early, the cedar and juniper will pretty much split duties. Aromatic, but a touch sweet and quite fresh. Black pepper isn’t highly concentrated in the blend. However, I do think that it is a great addition to the citrus and woods.
The opening of Hero EDP is fresh, smokier, and surprisingly still has a sweetness to it. It stems from the olibanum, in this addition, which can give off a level of fruitiness to the aroma. Apparently, the grapefruit has been stripped out of it.
EDP has plenty of resinous amber influences here. The early stages are more of a fuzzy impression and resinous, with the olibanum and benzoin notes. Then, it becomes a cleaner, warmer, and more straightforward amber.
Which is better? The opening of EDT is better to me. It’s fresh and mass appealing. Not overly complicated, but attractive. EDP’s opening act, is probably its weakest link, in my opinion.
Edge: Hero EDT
Projection
On me at least, I really don’t notice a difference between the higher EDP concentration and the EDT. After all, the are somewhat different formulas. Maybe the EDP has a better ability to project and leave a scent trail.
I don’t notice it at all, after testing out both of these colognes. If it is, pretty negligible, and both scents are above average but moderate.
Edge: Push
Longevity
Now, with the longevity, I can get between 8-9.5 of wear with the eau de parfum. Sort of a wide range, but it is certainly capable of hitting that upper limit.
Hero EDT, is also a pretty good performer, just with a lower ceiling. I get 7-8 hours of wear, on skin. With it being quite noticeable for most of that timeframe.
Not a huge blow out win, but EDP definitely lasted longer.
Edge: EDP
Versatility
Seasonally, EDP is an autumn and winter release. It can be somewhat cloying and isn’t all that great in the heat. When it is cold out, Hero EDP is at its best.
With EDT, I feel a lot more comfortable extending it use case into the warmer days. It is one of those colognes which can work year round pretty much. I wouldn’t go with it on the hottest or coldest days, but outside of that EDT is better at fitting in.
Hero EDP skews towards being more of a nightlife or casual type of scent. Both of these scents probably skew towards younger guys. But, can be worn by anyone. I actually think EDT is the more versatile. Not a formal or super serious cologne. Very much a modern mainstream release, that can do almost anything else.
Edge: EDT
Overall Scent
Overall, which of these fragrances do I prefer? From the first time that I tried them both, I was already slightly leaning towards the original EDT.
After testing each out further? I’m still going EDT, except that margin only grew wider. I without a doubt prefer it to the EDP. The EDP is fine, it gets better in the dry down. Cedar, amber, dark, and smoky. The pine needles are an interesting touch, but it doesn’t do enough for me.
EDT. I think that opening act is just more captivating. The cedar, juniper, and citrus notes just work all together to produce something that is wholly enjoyable. It’s not a mind-blowing experience, but I’ve found myself wanting to wear Hero EDT consistently. I can’t say the same for EDP.
The performance of Burberry Hero EDT is good enough, that it doesn’t have an effect on my call between these two. I like them both, EDP does have that darker resinous woods going for it. I enjoy it to an extent, not as much as I might have thought.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
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