Cologne Reviews

Hugo Energise by Hugo Boss

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My latest review will be Energise by Hugo Boss, which I recently received a sample vial of and hadn’t yet given it much of a try. I have already reviewed Boss Bottled No. 6 and Hugo Red, which I recommend trying out and wanted to see if this one could find a place in my rotation.

How did Energise perform? What does it smell like? Is it worth a purchase? Please continue below for my full impression of this cologne.

What does Hugo Boss Energise Smell Like?

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Notes include: mandarin, cocoa beans, freesia, pink pepper, kumquat, coriander, and more

Click here to try: Hugo Boss Energise Eau de toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Fluid Ounce

My Full Wear Review

I have a pretty solid amount of respect for Hugo Boss fragrances, so when I got a hold of a sample of this cologne, I was excited to try it. With a name like Energise, I figured it’d be a youthful and you know, energetic scent.

Upon opening, I get a citrusy type of smell mixed with pink pepper which adds a hint of spiciness. Also, the cocoa beans are faint, but I’m pretty sure I’m detecting them for an added layer of smoothness.

The mint that is present, gives this a coolness to go with the fresh warmth of the pink pepper. However, it just doesn’t seem to have a really crisp edge. It feels pretty flat. Clean, yes, but that’s about all.

Honestly, the opening is just so bland to me. It’s not a bad smell but it does seem really flat and uninspiring. I have no idea where they were trying to take this one.

On the one hand, it is a rather unique type of scent just based on the ingredients…BUT there’s nothing really there to make it pop. Just a semi-sweet blend of citrus and pink pepper.

There wasn’t too much of a drydown period with Energise either, as it doesn’t hold for very long. Some leather, the remaining citrus, and pink pepper. That’s about all that I get from this.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage isn’t huge, probably call it a lighter moderate cologne. It’s somewhat noticeable, but isn’t going to really assert itself.

While the projection is moderate, it only seems to last a few hours. Seriously, after a few tries with this scent, I got it to last 3 hours at its maximum. Somewhere in that range, is about what one can expect from Energise.

I suppose that this was meant to be a casual scent, since it certainly isn’t romantic, energizing, or seductive in any way. I would say that this would be more geared toward younger guys, but not completely a teenager’s fragrance. It has enough maturity to go higher in age range.

Overall Impressions of Energise

Overall, I’m just confused by this cologne. What’s its purpose? Performance is subpar and it is totally average while it does work. I can’t recommend Energise when there are so many others out there that are much better, including from Hugo Boss.

I don’t think that it smells bad at all. It’s just, meh. If it had better performance, I could maybe give it a thumbs up, at a cheap enough price point. But even for cheap, Energise doesn’t strike me as being worth it.

Doesn’t seem to be all that cheap, but the good news is (if you’re interested in Energise) is Boss still makes this, as of now. So, test is out for yourself.

Viking by Creed

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So, being in Las Vegas, I had to remember to make another stop at the Creed Boutique that is on the Strip. There were a few things that I wanted to smell while in there, including the new release, Viking.

Naturally, I sprayed it on myself multiple times, in order to give my one-time wear review. How does this Creed cologne stack up? What does it smell like? Is it worth a purchase?

Update: I am revising this post, a few years after the fact, and after using Viking some more.

What does Creed Viking Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, pink pepper, bergamot, peppermint, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli

Click here to try: Viking Eau de Parfum Spray for Men by Creed

My Full Viking Review

My initial impressions of Viking are specifically related to just how fresh and green of a scent this is. The peppermint is crisp and biting. This note is then met by a wooden note, sandalwood (sandalwood), which I believe was suppose to lend to the aroma of being like a Viking ship.

Having never been on a ship in the 9th century, I have no real idea, if that’s the case or not.

It opens up with a bit of citrus, pink pepper spice, and the really nice peppermint. The more that I’ve tested this over the years, the more I have come to really enjoy this opening. Fresh, cool, warm, and super crisp. It has such a great hook.

Viking has a certain warmth to it, that goes along with the colder peppermint. It reminds me of Original Santal in that regard (especially with sandalwood), warm/masculine, but Viking opts for a spicier pink pepper instead of a sweeter scent. Yet, there is a hint of sweetness in the opening act.

Viking is extremely well-blended and nothing seems out of place. Even the rose note, isn’t remarkably noticeable to my nose, just adds a dash or floral sweetness the the mint/pepper freshness.

As I’ve spent more time with Viking, the rose does have its moments, just not a huge factor overall.

I don’t really get all that much citrus from it Viking, somewhat at the start, but it quickly fades. It is a minty/spicy/wood with green vibes and a slight smokiness to the wood like the sort of smell you’d get from a dying campfire.

When it fully dries down, I pick up more patchouli and maybe another floral note, that I can’t identify.

Most of what you’re going to get is an old school sort of fragrance that’s got a cleanliness to it, through the interplay of the peppermint and pink pepper notes.

Pink pepper, mint, and drier woody notes. Vetiver, patchouli and sandalwood come through big time on my skin. The end of the wear, really shifts into a classic clean sort of masculine scent. Mature and polished.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it was solid. Not super strong stuff but with two sprays on my forearm, I knew it was there while wearing. It’s also got pretty good longevity, somewhere in the 6-8 hour range, it seems.

I had gone all around the Vegas Strip and the cologne hadn’t faded away at all. I have no real complaints about the longevity.

Update: So, the first time I reviewed this fragrance, part of the time was spent in the Las Vegas heat. It held up pretty well in that circumstance. Now, in more moderate temperatures, it will go more in the 9 hour range pretty consistently.

It’s still not a powerful scent, but it is noticeable, and projects well for a majority of the wear. Just don’t expect a completely ‘in your face’ fragrance, that’s not what Viking is.

Viking is much more of a casual (like business casual) kind of cologne. You could wear it to work, as it’s not offensive, and not super dressy.

It’s an attractive fragrance, like being fresh out of the shower and well groomed, but it doesn’t strike me as something particularly sexy or attention grabbing.

Again, the more time I spent with this cologne, the more it hits me as a classic sort of wear. The opening act, has a great modern take, but it settles down into something highly familiar while retaining its own unique identity.

Overall Impression of Creed Viking

Overall, do I like Viking? Yes, I like it. I wasn’t really impressed with it, either. It’s a good scent but it smells familiar and it’s not reminding me of any kind of remarkable cologne. I think it might be one that would grow on me much like Original Santal did.

Even then, it would never be my go to scent, and at that price..why bother? I think that the bottle looks really cool, though, it’d be a nice decoration.

I think there’s been a lot of people who have been pretty harsh on this scent, but I think that it’s above average, and enjoyable. Just maybe not, $350, enjoyable.

Update: I have come to enjoy Viking, a bit more than originally. I find it to be much more striking, than my initial impressions of it. The pricing concern, isn’t as relevant nowadays, as it has come down somewhat.

You can find bottles discounted. Is it worth the reach? Maybe. I still don’t think that I’d go out of my way to get a bottle, but I do think that it’s a very good fragrance.

Seductive Homme Blue by Guess

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I have a bottle of Guess Seductive, which I still use from time to time, when I want to wear something casual. For the price, Seductive is a great little cologne to have, as it smells really good and gives a good performance.

I had however, yet to try other Guess offerings, and decided that I would like to test out the flanker of Seductive, Guess Seductive Homme Blue.

In this post, I want to review Blue and give my thoughts on how it smells and performs as a fragrance.

What does Guess Seductive Homme Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: citrus, moss, caviar, black pepper, cashmere wood, cardamom

Click here to try Guess Seductive Homme Blue: Guess Seductive Homme Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, Blue, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Blue, really struck a note with me. Immediately, I liked this aroma better than the original Guess Seductive (which I really like).  Though, it feels a bit synthetic, it was such a unique and different scent that I was completely drawn in.

I couldn’t even identify any notes and had to look them up just to know what I was smelling. It’s a soft scent with a refreshing and slightly powdery/spicy smell yet has an aquatic/woody heart to it.

The cardamom note is dominate in this one and when paired with a vague hint of citrus, it takes on a La Nuit by YSL kind of scent. I’m not saying it smells just like the YSL cologne, however, those two notes make these colognes seem like distant cousins. Also see: Guess Seductive vs Guess Seductive Blue

Blue is really fresh and the aquatic pairing with a powdery spiciness is just great. One of the notes is caviar for God’s sake…it doesn’t really get more oceanic than that but when added to other hints of the sea and you’ve got something really different than other scents in this cheaper price range.

It isn’t a super masculine scent either, it could honestly be unisex. It gets drier as it wears on, as the smooth cashmere wood kicks in with a little bit of a mossy element. Plus, a small peppery kick.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Seductive Homme Blue is on the softer side of moderate. This isn’t one that will completely take over a room but it is just about right for casual wear.

The longevity of this cologne, sucks though, at least with light spraying. One spray will last somewhere between 20-30 minutes before you have to press your nose to the skin in order to smell anything.

Upon further tries with Blue, if you double up the sprays you can get decent longevity out of it. 4-6 hours, depending on the day. However, it is always a very light fragrance, pretty darn airy.

The good news is that, this is offered at such an affordable price, that you can spray a ton without much concern about having to buy a new bottle.

The original Seductive Homme, has pretty good longevity and better than Blue head to head. So, the fact that this one has problems was a major disappointment.

In terms of who should wear this, it will be best for teenagers and guys in their early 20s. At that age, you can wear it pretty much on any occasion.

Not really a formal scent, but otherwise, you’re good.  Seasonally, it can hold up in all conditions…in terms of the aroma, the longevity still might be mediocre.

Overall Impressions of Seductive Blue

Overall, is Blue worth it? I actually like how it smells better than the original Guess Seductive. However, this one has bad longevity. You could definitely spray more than usual to get it to last longer or reapply it throughout the day.

This could be an absolute steal for the price if it performed better or you don’t really care about having to spray a lot. So, I’d say pick up a bottle for cheap and see how it fares on your skin or find something else within this price range that lasts.

Eau de Lacoste L.12.12. Red

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I picked up a few samples from Lacoste’s L.12.12. line of fragrances, Blanc and Rouge (White and Red), and have been wearing them around for the past few days in order to get a full take on these colognes.

Today, I want to do my review of the Red scent from this collection, which was released in 2012. As usual, I am going to give my thoughts on how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a purchase or not.

What does L.12.12 Rouge Smell Like?

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Notes include: ginger, mango, black pepper, mandarin liqueur, cardamom, red roiboos tea

Click here to try: Lacoste Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Rouge Eau de Toilette for Men, 3.3 fl. oz.

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Eau de Lacoste Red really highlights this fragrance’s uniqueness in the men’s cologne space. It definitely has it’s own feel, which I appreciate, while feeling somewhat familiar and not too far out there.

The mango note which is one of the main stars from the start, really reminds me of something like Polo Black. Although, the mandarin liqueur and tea notes take it in a different direction all together.

Red is really a nice summery scent, which would be great as a casual wear along with one of the brand’s signature polo shirts.

This rouge bottled cologne is quite a bright yet layered experience with the second wave of notes really coming through about 10-15 minutes into the wear.

Ginger and black pepper give Eau de Lacoste Red a nice earthy and spicy kick which provide a great richness to what should just be a basic summer/casual fragrance.

During this stage, the mango and mandarin notes, fall back somewhat and the spices become more pronounced. There is also a cardamom note, which begins to take up a significant portion of the dry down.

This entry in the L.12.12. collection is crisp and warm through the use of spice which sets it apart from a lot of summery colognes which go the ‘cold’ citrus route. It honestly is a pretty unique fragrance, which I’ve got to give Lacoste credit for.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on Red is pretty good, at least at first. I applied it before heading out to run errands and was loving getting whiffs of it off of my skin. I thought that I’d found a nice summer wear with decent sillage.

However, the longevity of this one, seems to be pretty weak. I actually love the dry down of this scent which is an outdoorsy sort of blend of spice, wood, and fruit…but it is short-lived.

Lacoste Red becomes a skin scent within a couple of hours, in my experience thus far. Sure, if you really load up on it, you’ll get better longevity but it will be really heavy to have to wear at first.

Update: Even after several tests with this fragrance, I’ve gotten the same results. Probably around 5-6 hours max.

L.12.12. Rouge is best as a summer casual cologne. I feel like I could wear this to a work event, school, or out and about during the daytime.

I can’t classify this as a sexy or nightlife kind of fragrance and I would also put it towards the more youthful side of the spectrum.

Overall Impressions of Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Rouge

Overall, is this one worth a buy? Eh…I like it and think that it smells pretty unique BUT the longevity kind of sucks. If you can grab a bottle for cheap, it might be worth a shot. Maybe, it’s just bad performance due to my skin, and it’d work better on someone else.

I appreciate what Lacoste was going for here but you might be better served by picking up a bottle of Polo Black, which at least has some similarities with L.12.12. Red.

Rouge had a lot of potential to be a nice wear for the summer months. I really do like the scent , the blend of mango and spices works well with each other.

It’s just not enough to warrant paying full price, in my opinion.

Noir Anthracite by Tom Ford

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I haven’t posted anything on the site for over a week now,as I took a trip to Las Vegas and then got stuck there for a number of days more due to all of the weather-related travel cancellations. I did however, get a chance to sample some new fragrances, during my time there to write up some one-time wear reviews.

One of these scents is the new tom Ford launch, Noir Anthracite, which is a flanker fragrance to the original Tom Ford Noir. So, I’m going to delve into my initial impressions after wearing a few sprays around for the day.

I would’ve liked to spend some more time with it, to truly get a full picture of this scent, but this will have to suffice. Note: I have updated the post, after more testing.

What Does Noir Anthracite Smell Like?

Notes include: Sichuan pepper, bergamot, tuberose, ginger, cedarwood, santal, and galbanum

Click here to try: TOM FORD NOIR ANTHRACITE EAU DE PARFUM 3.4 OZ/100 ML SEALED (3.4)

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Noir Anthracite starts out with a bang. It’s spicy, intense, and the bergamot was most prevalent to my nose at this point in time.

Some of it seemed vaguely familiar, which now that I’m home, I realize it’s the Sichuan pepper note that is also found in my sample sprayer of Amouage Journey.

There is a definite overlap between these two scents, though Journey Man is smokier in my opinion. However, Noir Anthracite does kind of seem like it could have been an Amouage release, as it fits right in with that line.

I cannot think of the other cologne that Noir Anthracite sets off memories of but it does feel like deja vu.

The cedarwood and santal gives Anthractie its woodsy/smoky aroma which complements the spiciness provided by the Sichuan pepper and ginger notes. It’s actually quite a masculine scent but doesn’t overdo it in my opinion.

What’s interesting about this cologne is that it doesn’t take the route of so many others and use its spiciness to create an enveloping cloud of warmth around the wearer…maybe it’s supposed to be ‘warm’ but it never seemed like it.

Perhaps, it was due to wearing it in a desert climate. It’s a pretty strong scent but it doesn’t feel all that heavy to me, more like a dark, rich, and deep aroma.

Noir Anthracite also eschews sweetness of any kind, which is a nice change of pace versus other popular scents of this era. Yes, there is a bergamot note, but it was mostly confined to the very start of the scent’s life cycle.

After that, it’s spicy/woodsy with a smokiness that is fairly mesquite. When you get right down to it, this cologne isn’t all that complicated and stays along the same line, for the rest of the wear.

Sillage, How Long it Lasts, and Versatility

Projection on Noir Anthracite is pretty darn good. It’s strong, but not overly powerful, to the point of annoyance. The sillage also sustains itself fairly well, over the life of the wear. It doesn’t just quit a few hours after spraying.

The longevity during my wear was around 7 hours. I also spent some time outside in the heat, so that probably effected it somewhat. I’d say this is best for fall/winter and I’d need another few rounds with it to properly gauge its longevity.

Update: Yeah, it’s about 7-8 hours of wear, in the colder weather too. It’s nicer when the air is crisp, but still didn’t wow me.

It strikes me as a versatile scent, that could be worn in a business or business casual situation but also work well for nightlife at a restaurant or lounge-type of atmosphere.

It is a mature masculine kind of cologne, so I’d say skip it, if you’re still in school…at least while in the classroom.

I know a lot of Tom Ford scents are pretty unisex but this is one that leans heavily toward the more traditional masculine kind of cologne.

Again, fall/winter seems like the perfect time to wear and I’d lean more towards saving it for the nighttime. It’s not really a sexy fragrance and I don’t know how most women would react to it.

Noir Anthracite seems to be stuck somewhere between niche fragrance and mass appeal. Dark, spicy, woody, and warmth has its appeal…just not one everybody would go crazy for.

Overall Impressions of Noir Anthracite

Overall, would I rate Noir Anthracite a buy? I sort of like it, but I’m not crazy about it. It doesn’t quite fit my personal style or tastes but I know a lot of men would really enjoy it. If you’re into spicy woods fragrances, you should check this one out.

If you like sweetness or aquatic types, then, this one probably isn’t for you. There is a lot that this scent does well and I honestly can’t say anything about it is ‘bad’, it all comes down to whether or not the composition fits your lifestyle.

Ultimately, there’s a lot of peppery spice, wood, and some smoky aromas. For most people, I don’t think that it’ll blow them away, and some might hate it entirely. There’s a whole lot of Tom Ford scents, that I’d rather wear, but this one is decent.