London by Playboy

In this review, I am going to dive into the ‘cheapy’ end of the fragrance market, with London by Playboy. Yes, the long-running men’s magazine, has had a line of colognes and perfumes for both men and women, for 10+ years or so now.

This line is currently being produced by Coty and most of the scents can be had for $10 or less. How does Playboy London rate? Please continue reading below for my full take.

Update: The ownership of Playboy has changed, since this was first published, and London is discontinued.

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What does Playboy London Smell Like?

Notes include: brandy, cinnamon, tonka bean, galbanum, cedar, and mandarin

Click here to try: Playboy London Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

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My Full Wear Review

The bottle of London features the Playboy Bunny logo colored by the British flag, which looks really cool to me as an image. The contents of the bottle start out with a blast of brandy and a somewhat muted cinnamon.

The cinnamon note isn’t all that spicy and feels more powdery due to its interaction with the tonka bean.

Playboy London is a very fresh and sweet scent punctuated by a boozy aroma that is surprisingly well done for such an inexpensive scent.

Don’t think of this as a super sugary kind of sweetness, more of a gourmand blend that is pleasant, warm, and just sort of hangs around the wearer gently.

Most of what you’re going to detect is the cognac warmth and the cinnamon with a supporting role provided by the tonka bean.

This isn’t a super complex fragrance by any means, but it does have some cedar and floral notes that are noticeable, and a bit of citrus to keep it balanced.

I will say that London is a well put together fragrance for something so low on the price spectrum.

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Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s moderate and fades within a few hours to more of a skin scent. Longevity, again, 2-3 hours of decent wear and then fades for the next 2-3 into a skin scent. In total, London lasts 4-6 hours.

It’s not disappointing for the price. I’ve encountered plenty of designer fragrances with performances at this level or worse.

Luckily, it cheap enough to spray extra with no problems. I feel like they could have made this a stronger fragrance, as it seems watered down at least somewhat. Had they done that, Playboy London, might have been a sneaky little beast.

I like this as a casual fragrance during the fall and winter months. It’s got some level of sophistication and sexiness to it, as much as can be expected, but it is legitimately a nice aroma for something so cheap.

However, I will say that this is primarily going to be a fragrance for teens or guys in their early 20s. It’s not something that most older guys are going to want to wear around. Not good enough for a formal environment or anything like that.

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Overall Impressions of London

Overall, would I recommend, Playboy London? If you’re in the market for a very very inexpensive scent, it’s worth a look. I bought my bottle for $5 and will probably use it for the gym or just randomly as a change of pace.

Update: I used it on occasion for a while, before giving it away to someone else. I had too many other better fragrances than this ultra cheapie. It’s a cheap but good cologne, not great.

Don’t expect some amazing high end designer cologne, rather, a fragrance that punches above its weight class and provides a good amount of value. I like the opening act, the booziness, and cinnamon/tonka bean.

Is it a great fragrance? No. Would this be my first option ever? Probably not. Only if I absolutely can’t afford anything else.