Cologne Reviews

L’Homme Ideal EDT by Guerlain

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Looking through my haul of fragrance samples, I noticed that I had two scents with the L’Homme Ideal moniker. They had two separate colored sprayers and information cards but I really didn’t know if there was a difference.

It turns out that L’Homme Ideal (the subject of this review) has a flanker fragrance called L’Homme Ideal Cologne…yes, they just added the word cologne to it.

Anyways, I grabbed the original, and decided to wear it around for purposes of this review. I’m going to cover all of the usual stuff in this post, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, etc. Please continue reading below for my full take.

What Does L’Homme Ideal Smell Like?

Notes include: almond, citrus, leather, tonka bean, bitter orange, orange blossom, vetiver, and cedar

Click here to try: Guerlain L’Homme Ideal EDT Spray for Men, 1.6 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of L’Homme Ideal is a fresh blast of almond and woody spice. Lurking in the background is a sweetness that is quite nice and flanked by the leather note. I love the nuttiness of the opening act and how it also gets paired with a blend of citrus notes.

The citrus is fresh and reminds me somewhat of the Cologne version of Ideal, but this one still stays in more of a nutty/leathery mode, in totality.

The overall sweetness never strays into the ‘girly perfume’ territory as it sits atop the leather, vetiver, and cedar notes. This gives L’Homme Ideal an excellent platform to start from.

One thing that I really enjoy about this gourmand fragrance, is the inclusion of the citrus notes. They are never overpowering or brought out as the main attraction in this cologne, but they do provide an energy, and a change of pace from the rest of the composition.

The citrus isn’t huge throughout, but this blend does hang around, giving Ideal the slightest clean boost throughout its time on my skin.

Of course, there is the smooth warmth of the tonka bean, which is one of my personal favorites. The almond is the main star in this fragrance and during the dry down period, it kind of reminds me of Man in Black by Blvgari, as it has a warm spiciness that is sort of like an alcoholic drink.

I get a smooth and creamy blend during the final stages, that is peppered with some rosemary herbal spice. Leather, tonka bean, and almond with a fresh base of cedar and cool vetiver. When L’Homme Ideal is performing well, it is a fantastic smelling cologne.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s pretty moderate. It’s not an absolute monster in this regard but it does the job pretty well. Longevity, is decent most of the time.

I’ve worn it a few times and I’ll get 4 good hours out of it and the 6-7 the next time. It’s not great, but it’s passable.

I’ve been wearing this here in June, after the official start of summer, but it’s not really built for the hot days outside. It’s fine at night when it cools off a bit, but L’Homme Ideal would excel during the colder months of the year, like a lot of fragrances seem to do.

I would try to wear this during autumn through early spring, preferably. Again, in the evening hours of the summer, it holds up pretty well on my skin. Though, I try to stay indoors, for optimal sillage and longevity.

It does have a good versatility, as it’s subtle enough to wear at work yet still quite sexy and attractive to wear on a date. The more that I went through the sample, the more it grew on me, and the more complements I received.

I think the first few hours is going to be when you’ll actually get complemented on Ideal. After that, it might have turned too light for many people to notice, outside of those who are close by.

Overall Impression of Guerlain L’Homme Ideal

Overall, I think L’Homme Ideal EDT is great. It is one of my favorites from the batch of around 40 or so samples that I recently got. The longevity could be better but aside from that, it smells fantastic, and is very well put together.

I do feel like, I already have a million options in the Fall/Winter space, like Man in Black or Armani Code Profumo. So, I’m not sure if I’ll pick up a full bottle at some point, but it is worth looking into.

Update: Coming back to this fragrance and working my way through the rest of the sample, I can say, that I truly enjoyed wearing this fragrance. The scent itself, is super attractive and great to wear. The performance could be better, and if it was an elite performer, it’d probably make my list of best colognes.

Boss Bottled Night by Hugo Boss

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I’ve done some Hugo Boss cologne reviews recently and even have few samples of this brand’s other scents on the way, so, I thought that it’d be a good idea before reviewing those to do one on Bottled Night.

I had already included this in my best Hugo Boss fragrances for guys but never got around to writing up a review of this scent.

I generally like most of the stuff that they put out (except Energise…) and have been wearing Hugo Red a lot this summer, so I’m a mood now to tackle Bottled Night. As usual, I’ll cover the scent’s smell, how it performs, when it can be worn, and whether or not it is worth a buy.

What does Boss Bottled Night Smell Like?

Notes include: African violet, birch leaves, musk, lavender, amarello wood

Click here to try: Boss Bottled Night by Hugo Boss for Men – 3.3 Ounce EDT Spray

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Boss Bottled Night is somewhat of a surprise, in that, when looking at the container and the name you’d think you would be getting something quite dark and mysterious.

However, what you find is a very clean scent powered by the lavender note and with a beautiful hint of floral provided by the African Violet. Add musk and you get an underlying warmth to go along with a masculine woodsy note.

Upon the opening, I really do pick up a lot of the violet. I must say, that violet isn’t one of my favorite floral notes, but it does work well within this composition.

The birch note is super dry, with a very slight smokiness to it, at times.

As we move forward, the lavender emerges more fully, and is joined by a light musk note. This is about as much development, as you’re going to get from Bottled Night. It’s a mix of lavender and violet, with dry woods, and some musky touches.

One of the things that I really appreciate about Bottled Night is how unique it feels. Like, it is pretty simple and straightforward in how it plays out, but it really doesn’t smell like anything else I can think of in the world of cologne. It is a soft scent yet has a very nice ability to project itself.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

As I said, the sillage is pretty good here. Again, not a heavy fragrance by any means, but people will be able to pick it up on you with in a decent radius. At least for the first few hours of wear.

Longevity wise, it is in the realm of average, which is weird since it does a good job of projecting. Six hours seems to be the demarcation point for Boss Bottled Night, after that it tends to fade.

It is a versatile fragrance, I really can’t pin it down for a season, as I could see it working for multiple weather situations. It’s a fragrance that could go from the office to a night out on the town without much problem.

Yes, it is called bottled night, but it isn’t really one that would stand out as being ‘too much’ for daytime use. Really, never has struck me as a particularly dark or nightlife exclusive cologne. It has a clean, well put together aroma, for guys with a more stylish or mature air about them.

Overall Impression of Boss Bottled Night

Overall, would I recommend it? Yes, it is definitely a very nice cologne and it unique smell only adds to its appeal. It isn’t very complex, clean/floral/musk, so you definitely know what you’re getting within a few minutes of wear.

I’m not that much into violet as a note, so this will never be my favorite. Though, I can appreciate it for what it is.

Boss Bottled Night does everything at least pretty well and is quite sexy for what it is. If you want something clean, simple, at a good price, then this should work out for you. If you don’t like violet or lavender that much, then avoid Bottled Night.

The performance is decent, in my experience, but not amazing. I think this will appeal to a certain percentage of guys, but doesn’t necessarily have that super wide universal x-factor.

Hanae Mori EDP for Men

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Hanae Mori is a Japanese designer, that really hasn’t been known as, someone with a large line of men’s fragrances. In fact, there’s only been a few releases. However, Hanae Mori EDP, has become a go to option for many guys since its release in the late 1990s because of its light price tag and great features.

But, how does it actually stack up? What does this cologne smell like? Is it even worth a try?

What does Hanae Mori Cologne Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, lemon, chocolate, cedar, lavender, tonka bean, iris, jasmine, amber, cedar, sandalwood

Click here to try: Hanae Mori By Hanae Mori For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Oz.

My Full Review

Hanae Mori EDP opens up with a strong blast of lemon and black currant. It is sharp citrus affair, the can really take you aback, but no worries because it will settle down.

Some folks don’t really like this opening 15-20 minutes, but I dig it, even if it can feel somewhat harsh. I don’t think it has the same effect, as something like Aventus’ opening act.

I believe that the reason for this, is the prominence of sweeter notes like vanilla and chocolate, even towards the start of the wear. Plus, the fact of a strong lavender ingredient, which is later joined by some other light florals.

After the initial opening, Hanae Mori EDP, becomes a bit drier and much more woody in its presentation. The citrus dies down somewhat, vanilla really comes through, and sandalwood peaks through with tonka/amber.

It still feels sweet and gourmand, but in a more refined way, as the aroma smells smoother with a creamy undertone.

This stuff is so interesting in how it develops. I get fruitiness, then a floral stage, then a forest stage, and all the while it is gourmand.

About an hour in, the was a nice powdery iris note, with what I suspect is rose, not strong but present. After that, it shifted toward having a more robust cedar/sandalwood combo.

The point is, that Hanae Mori EDP, is going to develop and really interact with your skin chemistry. This just seems like one of those scents, that gives each individual a slightly different take.

Ultimately, what I get is: a sweet citrus/woody fragrance with floral notes and a slight spice. It’s actually very appealing.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is strong at first, with that citrus opening. You think that it’s going to be complete beast mode throughout, but it actually is quite moderate. You’ll notice that you’re wearing this fragrance, but it isn’t going to overwhelm, past the first half hour.

On my skin, I can get up to 9 hours with the EDP. Usually, it’ll be in the 7 hour range, but depending on the situation, this will go an extra few hours.

This is a very versatile scent. I’d probably avoid wearing it during the hottest days of summer, but outside of that, it is fair game. It’s a good everyday wear, for men who want something inexpensive. While it can function as a date night cologne, this isn’t a club beast or anything like that.

Hanae Mori EDP is highly wearable for all ages of men, and honestly, some women could rock this without issue. It’s not a hyper-masculine sort of cologne, but one that smells attractive, and is just pleasant to be around.

Overall Thoughts on Hanae Mori EDP

Do I like Hanae Mori cologne? I do. This is such a great value buy for men, who want a do everything sort of scent.

The fragrance is both unique and attractive, while having familiar elements. It doesn’t try to do anything weird, but still manages to have its own style and aroma.

I love how this stuff develops and gives me something different, throughout the wear. It’s got an awesome smell, with really good performance, at a super affordable price point. You could do way worse with $30, but you’re not going to do much better.

Artisan Blu by John Varvatos

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Another sample that I recently picked up with my last order, was Artisan Blu by John Varvatos. I had never come across this particular flanker fragrance from the Artisan line, and was curious, as to how it would smell. This was released in 2016.

So, I’ve been wearing it recently, and gathering my impressions on both its composition and performance. Please continue below for my full thoughts on Artisan Blu.

What does Artisan Blu Smell Like?

Notes include: lavender, basil, bergamot, bitter orange, chayote, pine, geranium, orange blossom, sage, cedar, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: John Varvatos Artisan Blu Men’s Cologne Spray, 4.2 fl. Oz. EDT

My Full Wear Review

Before I get into my review, let’s see what John Varvatos says about Artisan Blu: is the ultimate embodiment of crystal blue waters under the warmth of the Mediterranean sun.

Okay, so, we know from the name and the description that we’re in for a sunny aquatic fragrance. The opening is full of citrus, from the bergamot and bitter orange notes.

The bergamot is the stronger of the two, and it does have, that beachy vibe. Sharp citrus with spicy basil and sage, really peaking through, at the top.

So, almost right away, I noticed the similarities between this and Mandarino di Amalfi. I grabbed my sample of that fragrance, put it on my other arm, and compared the two. The Tom Ford, is much more refined, and the citrus is different (lemon and grapefruit).

The main similarities come with the sage and herbal spices that flank the citrus. They’re not exactly the same, but do have some relations.

The spiciness of Artisan Blu, is what keeps it from going into pure citrus territory. Very herbal, with strong basil, some patchouli, and sage with weakens as the wear moves on.

Now, the chayote note, gives this one much of its crisp watery vibe. The water isn’t completely like salt water or anything, but it does give a slight marine-like aroma.

As it dries down, the lavender comes out, and also a very dry woody combo of pine and cedar. The further along in the wear I get, the soapier the blend becomes. Much more green than the initial tropical blue citrus impression, my mind went to.

Ultimately, I get lots of bergamot, lavender, pine, basil, chayote. Wrapped all together it is a zesty freshness with soapy qualities. The citrus is still the standout for the entire wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is honestly, not great. It’s pretty good for about an hour or so, and then, falls off of the map pretty much. Artisan Blu pretty quickly and consistently moves into skin scent territory.

That skin scent, seems to last for around 4-5 hours, before evaporating. Yeah, the performance isn’t great. That is a pretty common theme with a lot of Varvatos fragrances.

None of them have good performance, some are okay, and a whole bunch just fail completely at this price point. It’s a shame, because they are unique and often nice smelling colognes.

Seasonally, this one is late spring and summertime all the way. Very semi-casual or casual sort of scent, to wear on a warm day outdoors or to the office when it is nice out. Probably best worn by men mid-20s and up versus something that a teen guy would put on.

Overall Impressions of Artisan Blu

Overall, do I like Artisan Blu? I like the smell, it is quite pleasant. The citrus top is great and I like the later contrast with the pine note.

It is an interesting composition, which adds depth to the usual summertime citrus. The basil and sage combination isn’t something that I’m too excited about in this one. Also, I wish it was more of a citrus aquatic rather than drying down into soapy woods.

Blu is nice enough, it’s clean. Is it amazing? No. The performance leave a lot to be desired both in power and longevity. If it did better in those respects, this would be a great summer option, for day wear.

As it stands, maybe grab it, if you can buy at a heavy discount and reapply. However, I always see this at a higher retail price of around $100 or so (currently), which is way too much versus what you’re getting out of this one. With better performance? Maybe. Just not the way it actually is.

Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford

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For today’s review, I am finally getting around to doing a full write up of Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford. I am still getting through my reviews of fragrances from this designer and this is among the most highly regarded of the bunch. This one came out in 2007. But how does it actually smell? Does it have good performance? What are the ingredients?

What does Tobacco Vanille Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco, vanilla, dried fruit accords, cocoa, tonka bean, wood sap, spices

Click here to try: Tom Ford Beauty Tobacco Vanille Private Blend Spray/3.4 oz.

My Full Review

Tobacco Vanille opens up with a lot of very sweet tobacco, vanilla, cocoa, and creamy tonka bean. It is loud and really sweet, which I think puts off many people from giving this a fair shake, because it can kind of be overwhelming at the start.

The sweetness is somewhat offset by a layer of unnamed spice, but from what I can tell is mostly cinnamon. It’s a warm enveloping cloud of tobacco and familiar gourmand notes.

One thing about the sweetness is that it has a dry and powdered quality to the aroma. The cocoa note smells like cocoa powder and the dried fruit accord provides a different type of sweet scent from that of the strong vanilla and cocoa.

As it dries down, it becomes less sugary sweet, and more of a rich and dark aroma. It’s a very thick fragrance, smooth overall, but notes like the wood sap give it a resinous undertone.

As it dries down, I get more of the tobacco as a stand alone, that is less drowned out by the gourmand notes. It’s a green leafy tobacco, not a cured and toasted one. This is surrounded by sap and spices.

Plus, the sweet combo of the cocoa and vanilla, which lend it a creamy powdery disposition. It’s pretty much what I get for the rest of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Tobacco Vanille is really quite strong at first. It’ll stay that way for a few hours, but I’d put it on the upper edge of moderate for the rest of the wear. It isn’t a super bomb scent for the entire way, but it can hit hard at first.

Longevity is great. It’s an all day wear, and can hit double digit hours of wear, with only a couple of sprays. Probably in the 11-12 hour range, at its best.

This one has always stuck to my skin very well and kept going. I’m not sure everyone will experience the same, but it’s one of the best performing Tom Ford scents for me.

Seasonally, it’s a cold weather scent. Too much warmth and sweetness to be of use for me in the spring/summer, but it’s great when the temperatures drop. Very versatile, sexy enough to be worn out at night, but mature enough for office wear.

Doesn’t offend and gets positive reactions from people, as long as you’re not doing a crazy number of sprays. Also, it’s more masculine than anything, but it is still within the realm of being a unisex scent.

Overall Impressions of Tobacco Vanille

Overall, do I like Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford? Yes, it is a very good tobacco based fragrance. The dry down period is my favorite part, because it doesn’t have the same in your face sweetness, but I cannot say that I totally dislike the opening either.

It is expensive, but this is one of the Tom Ford scents that has really great performance, while being pleasing to wear. If you live in a very humid climate, it might not be the best choice. Obviously, you’ll also need to like the smell of tobacco.

For me, this is one of the Tom Ford perfumes that I can and do enjoy. Though, it isn’t my favorite or one that I personally want to wear all of the time. Especially since, the autumn and winter is when I get to break out a whole host of other scents with a dark, sweet, spicy profile.

Other Tom Ford scents like: Noir Extreme and Parfum. Different high end stuff like Oajan, Angels’ Share and Chanel’s Egoiste.

So, I do recommend giving this one a try at least. But, I already have a glut of fragrances with a similar use case, and this one gets left out of the mix for me.