Cologne Reviews

Acqua Di Bergamotto by Zegna

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Marching right through my sample vial cologne reviews, I have one today from Zegna, called Acqua di Bergamotto. It sort of fits right into some of the more recent fragrances I’ve posted about, mainly from Acqua di Parma, as it features the same bergamot and citrus-laden profile that those other Italian scents do. How does Acqua di Bergamotto smell? How does it perform? Is it even worth trying out?

What does Acqua di Bergamotto Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, vetiver, neroli, other citrus notes, aquatic notes

Click here to try: Ermenegildo Zegna Acqua Di Bergamotto Edt Spray 1.7 Oz

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Acqua di Bergamotto is of course highlighted by the titular bergamot note. However, it doesn’t have that same sharp lime-intensity of another bergamot fragrance I’ve recently reviewed here, Bergamotto di Calabria.

This Zegna scent has a more subdued and floral/herbal layer to it. The cologne is clean with an aroma like fine lemon soap.

This cologne is very simple and straightforward in its presentation. It does also have a hint of an aquatic/oceanic note to it, sort of a sea salt, but it’s not all that noticeable.

What you are going to get, is that upbeat and quite pleasant bergamot smell with some floral undertones. The start is fresh with a bit of sweetness, then, it becomes soapy floral with some aquatics aspects. Sort of like the style of Cool Water, not the same smell, but that structure.

Acqua di Bergamotto isn’t all that complex and the development is quite subtle. Sometimes, you might not even notice the changes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Acqua di Bergamotto is fairly soft. This is one you could basically goes nuts with the sprays on your skin and it wouldn’t make too much of a difference. It’s that soft. It’s kind of a bummer with many of these citrus scents, just how weak they end up being.

Some people have longevity issues with this cologne, but I found that two sprays lasted 5+ hours on my skin. It’s not ever going to be great, but it was passable in my testing of it.

I would call this an office/casual type of scent. It is clean and won’t offend anyone, but it doesn’t completely strike me as something ‘sexy’ or one for the nightlife. I also really like it as a warm weather scent, it fits in nicely with the mood, and the natural surroundings of the spring/summer.

Not bold enough for the club scene. You could wear it to work or something else along those lines, as it’s not going to blow out a room.

Overall Impressions of Acqua di Bergamotto

Overall, would I recommend Acqua di Bergamotto? Yes, if you’re in the market for a clean, everyday wear, citrus fragrance. This is a nice and simple scent that is beautiful and won’t overpower a room.

It has that classic soapy quality to its profile and is refreshing to wear. Now, it doesn’t have the best longevity, but for the right price that shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Which, it usually does sell for pretty cheap.

If you’re looking for something darker or bolder, I would skip over this one because subtlety is its hallmark. Know what to expect, going in, and this can be a good cologne to pick up.

Update: From what I can tell, this one has been discontinued for a long while now. 

James Bond 007 Cologne Review

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This is going to be my third scent review from the James Bond line of fragrances for men. Eon Productions used the famed name of the fictional spy character to create an array of affordable colognes under the James Bond banner. Is 007 a good fragrance? What does it smell like? Is it worth a purchase?

What does 007 Cologne Smells Like?

Notes include: apple. bergamot, rose, sandalwood, lavender, cardamom, coumarin

Click here to try: James Bond 007 Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 1 Fluid Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of 007 features an apple note but it doesn’t strike me as the usual crisp affair. Instead, it is partnered up with a bergamot note, to create a bright citrus-laden mixture.

What I notice beyond that, mostly consists of lavender. 007 has this calming fresh air about it and is joined by a smooth and light dash of sandalwood.

As it moves along, you are mostly going to get an increase in the lavender and sandalwood, at the expense of the fruit notes. It’s a bit woody but still mostly that watery sweetness presented by the apple and bergamot. Overall, it is fresh and pleasant to wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The problem with this James Bond 007 cologne lies in its performance. While the fact that it is a soft projecting scent, isn’t a problem, the longevity was an issue for me. If it was just light and long lasting, this would be a steal.

I got maybe 2 hours of use from it, while applying a good deal of it. There wasn’t seemingly enough time for it to fully develop and present all of the notes within. I mean, I don’t really expect fragrances at this price range to last long, but this is pretty darn poor.

Wear wise, this is a casual everyday type of scent. You know, assuming it lasts on your skin. It doesn’t strike me as specific to any one season or weather condition.

Overall Impressions of Bond 007 Fragrance

Would I recommend James Bond 007 cologne? I really do like the smell. It’s not amazing but for the price it was really nice. Simple and linear but nice. The good news is that it is cheap, so, the performance issues aren’t too much of a burden. For $10 a bottle? Not the worst deal out there.

Add a layer of unscented lotion to your skin and then spraying the cologne on top of that, will probably give it some added life.

I like the initial start and I would like that to last longer, it really could have made the fragrance. Sandalwood and lavender is nice, but I like that apple and bergamot, it had some great energy to it.

Sublime Vanille by Creed

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So, among multiple Creed samples, I received a few from their Royal Exclusives line of scents. These are even more high end (read: expensive) scents than their usual already high-priced fair. Sublime Vanille is a fragrance that is built for those who love vanilla, but is it any good?

In this review, I’m going to cover what’s in this unisex fragrance, how it smells, performs, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Sublime Vanille Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, musk, tonka bean, bergamot, lemon

Click here to try:  Sublime Vanille

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Sublime Vanille is a mix of citrus and the fantastic vanilla note. In fact, it smells like an orange Creamsicle to me, except changing the orange for a lemon note.

The first ten minutes or so it stays like this until the vanilla note becomes dominant along with the creaminess of the tonka bean. Honestly, this is one of the best vanilla notes that I’ve smelled in any fragrance, it’s really good.

The whole thing feels warm, almost like the vanilla is baked in, and it has a syrup sweet quality to it. The citrus note still hangs around but it plays the background exclusively after the beginning. While this is a unisex scent, Sublime Vanille does seem to lean more toward the feminine end of the spectrum.

One thing that I enjoy, is how the musk note is subtle and doesn’t overpower the composition. This scent is pretty straightforward, it doesn’t change all that much from the start, and is consistent from then on.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Sublime Vanille is decent but not amazing. It’s a fairly soft fragrance but you’ll know that it is there during wear. Longevity, is disappointing but not terrible I can usually steal 4-5 hours with this beauty before it fades away.

With many vanilla and tonka bean scents, you are limited to the colder months of the year but with the citrus notes in this, you can get away with wearing it in the summer. In fact, it’s pretty great when its warm outside, with that typical Creed bergamot note.

I would call it a casual scent, but it smells good enough to be a romantic wear. I guess you can call it a dressed up casual fragrance. It is not however, a night club scent.

Overall Impressions of Sublime Vanille

Overall, is Sublime Vanille a buy? OK, I’m going to assume that anyone who is researching a bottle of Creed, can actually afford to pay for it without selling a kidney.

I do think that this is a really nice vanilla fragrance, but I do have some reservations about the longevity. The aroma itself? It’s beautiful and one of the best vanilla notes that I’ve ever experienced. Top notch.

I feel that if you’re going to spend $500-1000 a bottle, you should get something that lasts throughout the day, and this doesn’t. Personally, I’d rather spend that money on several fragrances instead of just one, but if you’re a well to do vanilla lover…I say, go for it.

A*Men Pure Shot by Thierry Mugler

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I’m a pretty big fan of a lot of men’s colognes from Thierry Mugler, so I’m always looking to try scents from this designer that I have yet to experience. I received a sample sprayer of one such fragrance, A*Men Pure Shot, which is from the Angel Men line.

In this post, I’m going to go over my experiences of wearing this scent, what in it, how it performs, what I like and don’t like, and if I think that this one is worth a buy.

What does A*Men Pure Shot Smell Like?

Notes include: mint, patchouli, juniper, pepper, and sequoia

Click here to try: Thierry Mugler Angel Men Pure Shot Eau de Toilette Spray for Men (Limited Edition), 3.4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Pure Shot is a party of mint and patchouli with some juniper throw in for good measure. Immediately, I am reminded of Ice Men, also by Mugler which also a mint and patchouli heavy cologne.

These two are almost the exact same scent, which makes me wonder why one of the two was even necessary to produce in the first place.

The separation of the two comes from the juniper berry note, which in my opinion isn’t really distinct enough to set them apart. The spice in Pure Shot is pepper, while in Ice Men it is nutmeg, but the effect is basically the same for your nose.

I do think that Pure Shot develops a bit more than its counterpart, which is pretty linear throughout wear. It has a noticeable sequoia wood note as it moves along and the juniper does allow for distinction.

I do like the mint and juniper combination, it does indeed create that fresh, crisp, and very cool aroma. It’s not amazing, but I do enjoy it.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Pure Shot is decent. It can actually be pretty heavy at first spray, but that fades rather quickly. After that initial start, I was expecting a really bold and long lasting scent, but that wasn’t meant to be.

Longevity isn’t that great either, probably around 4-6 hours, depending on the circumstance. At this price point, it should be a lot better than this. I think that it has been discontinued, as of me updating this post, so it’s become even pricier.

This could be a nice casual scent for someone. I think it provides a nice contrast with the warmer weather and a good change of pace from the usual summer scents.

It’s cooled mint, juniper, and patchouli mix gives off a nice bite of icy spice. Not really a formal wear or something for the nightlife either. Just something to spray on during the spring and summertime, when you’re just hanging out.

Overall Impressions of Pure Shot

Overall, do I think Pure Shot is worth it? Not for me. It is slightly better than Ice Men, but almost completely identical aside from the juniper. It’s not a great performer and doesn’t live up to the other gems of the A*Men line of fragrances.

I don’t think it smells horrible by any means and if you like mint and patchouli, you’d probably enjoy this one, assuming you can get a cheap bottle. It’s a fairly average scent with nothing really special about it.

Wildblue by Banana Republic

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Among the recent batch of samples that I recently acquired, was an entry from Banana Republic, that I had never heard of. This fragrance is named Wildblue and the information of the notes on the sample card, appeared to be rather vague, with ingredients such as ‘desert air accord’. Ok, then. Anyway, I gave it a try and as always a full review of my thoughts are below.

What does Wildblue Cologne Smell Like?

Notes include: sage, musk, driftwood, tea, cedar, vetiver, desert air accord

Click here to try: Banana Republic Wild Blue for Men 1.7 oz Eau de Toilette Spray

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Wildblue is a very aquatic mix of some kind of citrus note (lime?) and a musky wood. Right away, I am comparing this scent to Adidas Moves. Even though the notes composition isn’t the same, they have a very similar aroma, in my mind.

It’s as if they took the concept of Adidas Moves and added some kind of body wash fragrance from something such as Old Spice. It really is a familiar scent.

As it dries down some, that’s when the woodiness emerges for me. The driftwood and cedar notes are definitely noticeable to me, as well as the herbal quality of the sage and tea.

I don’t get the vetiver at all and I’m not entirely sure what desert air is supposed to smell like, but I’ll take Banana Republic’s word that it’s in there.

After the wood develops, Wildblue is basically a linear scent without any noticeable change. It’s aquatic wood mixed with herbs, citrus, and musk. Overall, it’s a simple and straightforward type of cologne.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I actually think that Wildblue gives a good performance. It leans toward the stronger side of things but isn’t cloying. The sillage is noticeable enough, will probably hit that 4-6 foot area surrounding the wearer.

Longevity is where it separates from its close Adidas relative, as I got a solid 7-8 hours from Wildblue, and I found this impressive. With a lot of these kinds of scents, the performance seems to be lacking, but Banana Republic got it right.

Seasonally, this is a warm weather scent all the way. I would also call it casual, as it doesn’t strike me as serious or romantic in the least. However, I would say that it is more mature than Adidas Moves, and is acceptable to wear for older guys.

Overall Impressions of Wildblue

Overall, do I recommend Wildblue? Eh, I’m on the fence about it. If you can get it for a good price, I won’t call it a terrible buy. It’s pleasant, light, but ultimately generic. Though, I did get great performance out of this fragrance.

For the right price and for guys who like this kind of scent, it could be a solid deal. It’s not groundbreaking but Wildblue is decent. The smell is nice enough, but not really something that I’d look forward to wearing.