Cologne Reviews

London by Tom Ford

by

I’ve had a sample vial of Tom Ford’s London, for the past six months or so, and just never got around to writing up my review of it. I’ve worn it a few times, in the intermediate time, and so have gathered my thoughts on this cent. As usual, I will cover what in this perfume, what it smells like, how it performs, and whether or not it’s actually worth a purchase.

What does London by Tom Ford Smell Like?

Notes include: black pepper, tobacco, oud, saffron, coriander, jasmine, cedar, birch, cardamom, coffee, cumin, and more

Click here to try: Tom Ford London Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7 Ounce

My Full London Review

London opens up with a lot of warm spice and some oud, which will grow in strength later. The spice aren’t really sharp, but there’s just a wide variety of them. Particularly, I get black pepper, coriander, and cumin. It’s sort of like a spice rack, you’d find in your kitchen joined with some indistinct warmth, and wood notes.

A few minutes into the wear, I get a smokey incense note, surrounding plenty of the cumin and coriander. At this point, I’m not sure what to make of this fragrance. It’s not really pleasant, but I don’t totally hate it either. Pretty much, indifferent to London, completely.

It all comes together as very dark, warm, and spicy. Then, as it dries down, I get more of the oud with some of the tobacco. It does have some similarities as Tobacco Oud, but I think that Tom Ford is the better scent overall.

The final part of the wear is heavy with the oud, smokey incense, musk, jasmine, and the cedar note. It’s probably at its best, during this stage. Less spicy, less sillage, and just more of a subtle fragrance with a masculine edge.

I’m still not completely on board with this perfume, but it’s much less annoying to my nose, at this point.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is solidly strong at first, but not monstrous. Then, it comes down into a much more moderate scent. You won’t bomb out a room, but it’ll get noticed.

The performance is good overall, from the sillage to the longevity, which lasts somewhere in the 8-10 hour range.

After testing the sample out a few times, it doesn’t go beyond 10 hours on my skin. Not the best of the best, but great.

When paying Tom Ford prices, this is much more important to me, than it otherwise might be. However, it’s up to snuff with how it performs.

 

Seasonally, I could only see wearing London during the autumn and winter months. It’s a cold weather scent, all the way. The heat would take this warm oud and spice mix and make it unbearable to wear. So, if you’re in a tropical climate, this isn’t for you.

London is a fragrance that you could wear to the office or out for an evening or formally. I wouldn’t call it sexy, it’s more of a masculine scent. More niche, than crowd pleasing.

Overall Impressions of London by Tom Ford

Overall do I like London by Tom Ford? Ehhh, it’s okay, but I don’t really enjoy it. I’ll never understand these high end designers, complete obsession with oud. It’s in like every damn scent they make.

Here it’s quite strong and when combine with coriander and pepper, it can kind of take on a body odor smell, at times. Not the whole way through, but there are definitely spots, where it’s not great to wear.

Again, this one is going to have a very limited appeal. Oud fans, who like lots of cumin and coriander? I guess, but for most of the rest of folks out there, London won’t be worth the price of admission.

Emblem Intense by Mont Blanc

by

So, here is another review of a scent from the Mont Blanc lineup. This one is the flanker to the original Emblem for men, entitled, Emblem Intense. How does this cologne stack up. How does it smell? Perform? Is it even worth a purchase? Continue below for my full take after wearing this fragrance around.

What does Emblem Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: tonka bean, cinnamon, rose, sage, nutmeg, cardamom, suede, violet, apple, woods, and grapefruit

Click here to try: Montblanc Emblem Intense cologne for Men Eau De Toilette 2.0 fl.oz

My Full Wear Emblem Intense Review

The opening of Emblem Intense is familiar. It has that same sort of bubblegum aroma as 1 Million and has a fairly close resemblance to 212 VIP, if you took out the vodka note from that fragrance.

Whereas, 1 Million has a sort of grape bubblegum/leather/spice aroma at first, Emblem Intense has a original flavor Bazooka Joe scent for the first 10 minutes or so. That’s the exact memory that this one brought up for me, chewing Bazooka Joe as a kid.

After that, I get a lot of cinnamon and rose, that sits on top a layer of smooth suede. There is also a citrus/apple blend giving the cologne a somewhat muted sharpness in the background. It is a fresh/sweet/warm spicy cologne with fruity notes which give the composition a bit more life.

As it dries down, the violet, tonka bean, and herbal spices emerge. The result is a hyper-fresh and ‘green’ earthy sort of smell, that has some pretty synthetic elements in there too.

It retains plenty of the vibe of the original with a mix of 1 Million and 212 VIP…just without any of the power or intensity. The aroma is actually quite nice, just doesn’t really stand out on its own.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Emblem Intense, isn’t all that intense. It’s pretty moderate and seems to be on par with other Mont Blanc scents, such as Legend and Legend Night.

In fact, the sillage seems to be weaker at times, than either of those. It’s still a moderate but not a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination.

The longevity is just okay, somewhere in the 4-6 hour range, from my wearing of it. Meh. So many fragrances from this brand, all have this same type of performance. Sure, there are some good ones, but they consistently miss the mark.

I’d call this a year round casual wear. It is attractive enough to garner complements but it’s not super sexy or anything. It’s just generic and not a star performer.

So, yes, it is a versatile fragrance in terms of seasonality and the ability to be worn casually or in a semi-formal context.

Overall Impressions of Emblem Intense

Overall, would I recommend Emblem Intense? Maybe if you got it from the bargain bin. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like how it smells. There are enough appealing elements here and the entire thing is tied together well.

The performance could be a lot better and it really doesn’t set itself apart from other fragrances in any meaningful way. It’s fresh and has elements of other popular colognes, but it is priced higher than it should be.

If it’s going to smell like Emblem, 212 VIP, or 1 Million it could at least have some power. More importantly, it should be at least a 7-8 hour wear. This was one that had the right idea, but failed to really make the cut.

As of this 2021 update, I do believe that Emblem Intense has been discontinued. Just as well, I suppose.

Jeux De Peau by Serge Lutens

by

Working my way through boxes of fragrance samples, I have multiple Serge Lutens perfumes to do write ups on. Today’s review is going to be taking a look at a rather strange fragrance, Jeux de Peau.

What’s the deal with it? How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a purchase? Please continue below for my full take after wearing it around.

What does Jeux de Peau Smell Like?

Notes include: wheat, milk, amber, sandalwood, coconut, licorice, apricot, osmanthus, and more

Click here to try: Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau eau de parfum unisex 50 ml

My Full Wear Review

First of all, what an oddly constituted scent this is from Serge Lutens. Just take a look at the notes, wheat? Milk? Licorice? The very first few minutes smells to me like pretzels or maybe like a wheat based cereal, since there is that milk note.

A definite strong wheat note paired with sandalwood and some fruity sweetness from apricot/coconut. I don’t hate it at this point and I’m not in love with it…but it’s just so unusual.

Jeux de Peau is such a dry and toasty fragrance, since it is dominated by wheat and sandalwood. However, the sugary/gourmand elements add another dimension to the composition.

Licorice is here, which I almost always hate in fragrances, but just seems to fit in. It never gives me the same sort of headache that I got while wearing Lolita Lempicka au Masculine.

Then, I start to get amber, which only add to the warm envelopment of this fragrance. It’s super food-like and a total niche scent, but it really smells delicious. There’s something in here that creates a buttery scent sitting on top of it all.

I get less of the toasted wheat note, as Jeux de Peau dries down and more milky coconut. Still, very dry and less juicy fruit smells, but still a good sweetness with undertones of spice.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of this Serge Lutens fragrance isn’t all that strong. It’s more of a moderate perfume, which happens to last for a long time, on my skin.

I get around 8 or 9 hours of wear out of this Lutens scent. The whole thing is quite comforting and wearing it conjures up so many mental images. Again, not a huge or overpowering scent but it does provide solid performance.

Jeux de Peau is a unisex fragrance, but I think that it leans much more towards ladies. It’s already a niche scent, but I don’t know too many men who’d want to smell like wheat, licorice, and the like.

This is one for autumn and winter, when the temperatures will allow for a fragrance such as this to actually flourish. It’d be pretty much a mess in the heat and humidity. In the cooler temperatures, it hangs around the skin well, and is rather appealing.

When to wear it? Casually. Possibly at the office. It isn’t a heavy scent, so there shouldn’t be too many problems when wearing it.

However, it isn’t sexy or a club beast or anything like that. It’s a comforting gourmand perfume, that is going to appeal to a select audience, but it’s never going to be a scent that enjoys a daily wear status for the masses.

Overall Impressions of Jeux de Peau

Overall, do I like Jeux de Peau? I actually kind of do. Now, I can’t see myself wearing this, but the smell itself is really nice. It’s so unique and has an unbelievable food like quality, I would never think to put wheat or milk into a fragrance, but it pretty much works here.

Not for everyone, but for those who are looking for something unique, this is worth checking out. Serge Lutens does create some different sorts of fragrances and they generally perform very well.

Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Noir

by

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten a Lacoste fragrance to review for this site, so I was looking forward to trying out today’s entry from the Eau de Lacoste L.12.12. line: Noir. Yep, this is the one in the black bottle for all of my non-French speakers. How does this one stack up? What are the ingredients? Does it perform well?

What does L.12.12 Noir Smell Like?

Notes include: watermelon, dark chocolate, lavender, basil, cashmeran, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: LACOSTE L.12.12 Noir Pour Lui Eau de Toilette

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Noir has that familiar Lacoste light/watery/alcohol smell that so many others on this line also share. It’s like they refuse to make anything intense and while this is an EDT, there are plenty of other examples of these sort of scents that have much more body to them, so to speak.

Anyway, Noir opens with some lavender and basil sitting on top of a juicy and non-candy like watermelon. It’s more of a ripe watermelon aroma than something such as a Jolly Rancher.

It has a slight sweetness, which is added to by the dark chocolate note. Noir is fresh and light, almost aquatic, but with any sort of sea notes not being present at all.

I find the cashmere note to be quite interesting while I can detect it. It provides a woody warmth that pairs well with the bit of herbal spice provided by the basil note, as well as the smooth calming influence of lavender.

Ultimately, the notes all seem to blend together and I can mostly detect the watermelon during the dry down. It feels like it has some personality of its own, but it gets mixed to something that has trouble distinguishing itself.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise L.12.12 Noir, is a lighter kind of fragrance. Seriously, the sample vial isn’t a sprayer, and it can be a pain to open the applicator from the glass.

The first time I opened it, I spilled nearly half of the cologne in my living room.

With just about any other fragrance it would have smelled on my carpet for days. With Noir? I didn’t even notice it beyond the first two hours and no one else said anything…that’s some light fragrance.

Is it weak? Sort of. It’s longevity isn’t anything to write home about, I got about 5 hours on my skin with a heavy application. It wasn’t loud or going to choke the room but it did vanish, right around that five hour mark.

Climate wise, it’s a good year round fragrance, in terms of its smell. It won’t be out of place at anytime and can stand up to the heat…at least for 5 hours, after that you’re on your own.

I would say that this is a casual scent, maybe for a low key office cologne, but not romantic wear. Although, it is a pleasant fragrance. Noir is geared more toward younger men. Probably teens to mid-twenties.

Overall Impressions of Noir

Overall, do I recommend Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Noir? Meh, not really. It smells decent, but it doesn’t perform well. Plus, I like both Blanc and Rouge from Lacoste better than this one. It doesn’t really stand out to me in the slightest.

It’s nice and has positive qualities, but also pretty unremarkable in how it smells. It has a unique composition, but it ends up smelling quite familiar. Though, I cannot really compare it to anything directly. So, I’ll give it a boost in score for being rather unique.

I, however, can’t give this high praise. It is a designer fragrance, thus pretty expensive, while not at all living up to that price point. I listed some better Lacoste options and there’s plenty else out there on the market, that outcompetes Noir.

Dirty English by Juicy Couture

by

I am updating this original review from five plus years ago, as I’ve spent much more time with this Juicy Couture fragrance, and want to expand upon things.

Dirty English has begun to enjoy a popularity of sorts nowadays, because the price has come down so much, that it can be a nice buy for not a lot.

Some guys may be reluctant to try a cologne from a brand that the word ‘juicy’ stretched across many overweight women’s sweat pants but I assure you that this is a really nice scent for guys to try out.

Though, it is not for everyone, Dirty English has a deep and masculine scent which will work for many men who don’t enjoy the fruitier or more aquatic scented colognes.

What does Dirty English Smell Like?

english

Dirty English Notes: Blue Cypress, Mandarin, Bergamot, Black Leather, Sandalwood, Amber, Musk, Atlas Cedar, Vetiver, Wood, Black Moss Absolute, oud, cardamom

Click here to try: Dírty Englísh Cologne 3.4 oz Eau De Toilette Spray MEN

My Full Wear Review

Dirty English opens up with a blast of oud, which is flanked by black leather, and very light citrus from mandarin orange and bergamot. The citrus adds just a bit of bright juiciness to the fragrance, that is overall pretty dry.

That dryness is a factor of all of the wood notes that are present in this Juicy Couture cologne as there is also a distinct cypress from the beginning, and runs through the heart of things.

Things begin to get smoother, as it wears on further. The oud is still very noticeable, however, the leather and other variety of woods get heavier to balance the composition out.

You also do get elements of moss and vetiver coming through, this has a definite outdoorsy aroma, but doesn’t stray too far into that space thanks to the lovely leather note and spice. The spice in this one isn’t heavy and is mostly provided by cardamom.

What I ultimately get from Dirty English is a leathery oud with plenty of dry warmth and a slight boozy aroma, that I don’t really know what’s causing that effect.

You do get whiff of mandarin orange throughout the wear, which is a good change of pace. Oh and lots of smooth fresh woods.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this stuff is strong. Not insanely heavy, but I don’t need much of it. Now, I will say that my bottle is from 2015, and I’ve heard about possible reformulations of this. I don’t know, but its performance was always very good.

Here’s what I had to say in the original review from 5 years back: Dirty English is definitely not a light fragrance, it has a certain strength and heaviness to it, so overdoing it will probably produce bad results for those wearing it. One spray on the neck and another rubbed between my wrists and forearms is all that I have been using. 

The longevity gives me 8+ hours on my skin, with that bottle that I have. It will keep going and never quits early on me.

Seasonally, this is a cold weather fragrance, all the way.  I have thus far only received positive reactions while wearing this cologne. As fall is just now kicking off, this is another great one to pair with the crisp weather. it could be termed a ‘sexy’ cologne, just not a sweet one.

Definitely skip wearing Dirty English when it gets warmer outside. It turns messy in the heat.

This fragrance is fresh and manly, which is what one would suspect with notes of leather, woodsy elements, and that dirty oud note. Don’t think I’d wear this one to the office or school, but outside of that, I will.

Overall Impressions of Dirty English

Overall, do I like Dirty English? Yes, I think that it is a nice cheapie, as the price from its original release has come down so much. It has a very masculine and unique vibe, which I like, and the performance has always been great for me.

It’s one that I reach for when I want to wear a dry woody scent and the leather is always something that I’ve enjoyed about it.

Update: I had a full bottle of this stuff for a while. It’s nice enough, I liked it more the first time around than when I got this newer bottle. I wore it less and less often, until I got rid of it. For the price? Still worth a try, if it sound interesting to you. But, again, not one with super mass appeal.