Cologne Reviews

Smoking Hot by Kilian

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Smoking Hot is a 2023 release from Kilian, under the banner of their ‘Smokes’ collection of fragrances. I had tried and enjoyed this one before, but saw a travel sprayer during the Black Friday sales, and decided to give it a more thorough testing.

It is a perfume that has started to gain some more attention as of late, but how does it actually smell? Is it a long-lasting fragrance? Is it even worth a try at all?

Kilian Smoking Hot Overview

Notes include: apple hookah flavor, cinnamon bark, moss, Bourbon vanilla, tobacco absolute, Orcanox

Click here to try: Smoking Hot from Bloomingdale’s

My Full Review

Here’s how Kilian describes it: At night, there are no rules but one: just be Smoking Hot! KILIAN PARIS newest smoky fragrance is a truly caramelized delight. Evoking everything from European clubs to Eastern hookah lounges, Smoking Hot redefines what a smokey scent is today, going almost where it’s too hot to handle

Smoking Hot begins with an apple and cinnamon blend being quite prominent.  It smells  to me, like Apple Brandy on the rocks, just swapping out that brandy note for a smoky shisha.

Which is good, because the brandy is a note that becomes too bothersome to my nose, after a while. So, I really like what I get here with Smoking Hot instead.

It’s fruity, sweet, smoky, a tad spicy, and fresh. The cinnamon note isn’t as powerful in Smoking Hot, as it is in Angels’ Share, for example.

I was wearing this one again, recently, and kept getting this sweetish/spicy smell in the mix that I couldn’t immediately identify. I had to look up the notes again, to see that it was licorice. Not too much, but it’s fairly prominent underneath during the start of this one.

Plus, you do get some moss and a faint clary sage note, adding a lighter and somewhat greenish dimension to this scent. This is a good change up that adds a lighter fresher clean to it, along with that crisp apple note.

The smokiness does tone down, as will the apple note. The transition is still utilizing that mossy accord, the cinnamon, and the purer tobacco note comes through as more of a standalone.

Vanilla, will come on and stick around for the rest of the way. It is joined by Orcanox, which is another synthetic amber or ambergris note. Those two are with the tobacco and some touches of light spice.

Not a super complex perfume, but it’s still delightful in the fairly linear development.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one isn’t too heavy of a fragrance that bogs down on you. However, it is powerful with its projection, initially. This Kilian perfume is one that will absolutely be noticeable for most of the wear and gives you a long reach up front.

Though, I think it moderates nicely, as the fragrance transitions into the second act.

As far as how long it lasts, Smoking Hot will go 10-13 hours, on my skin. Very good performance, even if it isn’t the farthest reaching perfume out there.

No real complaints about this aspect of the scent. Sure, it’s an expensive fragrance, but it actually delivers what you’d want when dropping that much money.

Seasonally, this one is autumn through early spring. Maybe a bit deeper into springtime, depending on your local climate. That moss and apple freshness give this one enough lightness to work well even a past room temperature. Just skip the summer.

The versatility here, is obviously a weakness. It’s a fruity and spicy hookah aroma, not exactly what you might want to smell like on every occasion.

Nights out seems like the best bet. I’ve been using my travel sprayer a lot for that. Also, just around the house, for my personal enjoyment. I’ve still worn it out during the daytime.

I’ve gotten positive comments about this one and it’s pretty easy to like. Probably not best to wear it to the office, however.

On the plus, side it is a unisex fragrance, so the potential audience for this is wide, even if the use cases are pretty limited.

Overall Impressions of Smoking Hot

Overall, do I like this fragrance? Yes, it’s one of my favorite perfumes from Kilian. Not perfect, but a very enjoyable one to wear.

I like the smoky hookah accord here versus what you usually get with more of a straightforward tobacco note. The fruity sweetness of the apple, the spice, and the warmer dry down are all great.

Early on, it has more freshness and the moss note is apparent in the transition. But, it will become a warm tobacco with less smoke, vanilla, and some spice.

The cinnamon and apple combination isn’t like what you get with Oajan, Angels’ Share, or even the old 1 Million Prive. Again, it’s closest comp to me is Apple Brandy on the Rocks and that’s still a way’s away.

They share apple, vanilla, ambroxan, and moss. I guess you could say the rum note, has a cinnamon spice to it as well, in that fragrance. Swap out the booze for hookah and it’s closer.

Now, is this one worth a buy? Possibly. It is expensive and might not have much opportunity to be worn, depending on your lifestyle.

It’s a great perfume. It’s also a perfume that you’d probably want to test out with a sample of it, before buying. Not that it’s a challenging scent to wear, but hookah smoke, isn’t a formal type of smell.

Le Beau Paradise Garden by JPG

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Gaultier’s Le Beau series seems like it’s going to be marching on well into the future. I recently bought the 2025 release, Flower Edition, and picked up a bottle of 2024’s Paradise Garden at the same time.

I’d encountered this one before, but wanted to finally give it an in-depth review after plenty of testing. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

Paradise Garden Overview

Notes include: mint, ginger, fig, coconut water, salt, tonka bean, sandalwood

Click here to try: Paradise Garden

My Full Review

Before I begin, here’s how Gaultier describes it: A sumptuous paradise of exotic creatures, like a lush Eden… it is here that Le Beau Paradise Garden can be found. Burning with passion, the original man displays a true sense of style with his embellished sculpted torso. Inspired by the 2010-2011 Fall/Winter ready-to-wear collection. The enticing tropical-green bottle and woody, heavenly fragrance are particularly noteworthy. Let yourself be carried away on this euphoric odyssey… simply irresistible.

Before trying this one out, I wasn’t sure whether or not I’d actually like this formula. Too much coconut, can get on my nerves. Le Beau Le Parfum, while a nice fragrance was too heavy with it to make me personally want to wear it more often.

On the other hand, I am a fan of ginger, mint, and fig. Luckily, the coconut here is a lighter coconut water, and isn’t overwhelming at all.

The opening is a mix sweetness, freshness, a cooling spice, and an aquatic tinge to it all. It’s got a greenish aroma from the fig, that pairs well with that coconut, and I personally get a substantial dose of the ginger note.

The fig is more of the fruit rather than the leaf, but it seems like you get a blend of both parts. Sweet and green.

Salt? Not too much that I can pick up.

While the coconut is a more watery type, there is still some creaminess to the mix. Some nice support from sandalwood, fig, and tonka bean, see to that. I get more of the sandalwood in the dry down period.

In this early stage, the cologne does live up to the ‘Paradise Garden’ moniker. Quite lush and it hits with a layered aroma.

The scent will simplify as we move forward. It’s still got a fruity and watery aroma, but this takes on a grassier and woodier finish, on my skin. It’s a mix of the fig, coconut, and sandalwood the rest of the way.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one isn’t a heavy fragrance, but it does have good projection for what this is. It’s a lighter cologne for spring and summertime. So, when you compare it to others in that style, Paradise Garden really shines.

However, I don’t find it to be a complete beast with its reach. I can spray Le Male Elixir or Ultra Male also by Gaultier and they’ll be detectable easily in another room. This doesn’t have that reach, nor should it. Overall very solid projection with a lighter moderate sillage.

The longevity here is really good. I’ll call it over 8 hours, maybe it reaches 9. A step ahead of the newer Le Beau Flower Edition, but not quite the same level as Le Beau Le Parfum.

I’m not sure why I’d need this type of scent to extend into the double digit hour range on skin, if it were capable. For me, no real complaints with the performance aspect of this cologne.

Seasonally, again, this is a spring and summertime wear. It’s been warm for February thus far, so, I’ve gotten to wear Paradise Garden outside a few times. It hangs in the air around you beautifully, with enough power to enjoy without getting overpowered.

I don’t think this would be terrible at all in milder temperatures either. Just seems like it’s at its peak when things heat up.

This is more of a youthful fragrance, so, don’t expect something that’s buttoned up or a formal sort of wear. If you’re younger, you can wear it to school. If you’re older, this isn’t a daily wear office scent.

Personally, I’m going to be wearing it casually on warmer days, trips to the coast, things like that. Sometimes, I’ll probably break it out at night. For most people, this isn’t going to serve as a main signature scent.

Overall Impressions of Le Beau Paradise Garden

Overall, do I like Paradise Garden? Yes, to me, it is currently the best of the Le Beau lineup. This extended testing with it won me over.

I’ve enjoyed wearing Flower Edition also, but this one is the better fragrance across the board. Plus, it’s one that’s actually currently available in multiple sizes.

I bought the 2.5 ounce (75mL) bottle and I feel like that’ll be more than enough to last a good long while. Not sure that I’ll ever finish Flower Edition in the 4.2 ounce size.

As a warm weather wear, this checks a lot of boxes. Good balance between the notes, better performance than a lot of fragrances, a laid back tropical vibe, and is just has a great smell overall.

I’m glad that I have another pleasant cologne to wear during the summer and isn’t just a citrus bomb. A good tropical coconut fragrance, that’s better than the old Eternity Now by CK.

This isn’t going to be worthwhile for everyone though. It’s a scent that will have more of a mass appeal, but doesn’t quite fit in enough places for people to justify a purchase of Paradise Green.

Le Beau Flower Edition by Gaultier

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Le Beau has become another popular line from JPG outside of the Le Male series of fragrances. 2025 sees the release of Le Beau Flower Edition from the designer, but how does this Gaultier cologne stack up?

I purchased a bottle to test it out to see how it performs. What does it smell like? How long does it last?

Le Beau Flower Edition Overview

Notes include: kumquat, lemon, violet leaf, tonka bean, cashmeran, patchouli

My Full Review

Here’s how Gaultier describes it: Enthralled by surrealistic nature, he lets his waking senses guide him and succumbs to the call of flowers. It’s the perfect symbiotic relationship! His sculpted body leaves no sensuality behind, the flower on his shoulder an irresistibly delectable invitation. In the presence of his intoxicating scent, a woody atmosphere shrouded in mystery begins to stir. Violet leaf, beguiling cashmeran, and mischievous tonka bean come together in a provocative, enticing trail.

Le Beau Flower Edition starts off being sweet, fruity, green, and fresh. I was hesitant about this one when I saw that it had a violet or violet leaf note. It’s really not my favorite floral note. But, I bought it anyway.

Though, it’s not what I was expecting. Here, it is a violet much more along the lines of what is in Boss Bottled Night versus a Dior Fahrenheit violet leaf. Not nearly as prominent or heavy by any means, but the scent is really sparking memories of that Hugo Boss cologne.

Maybe this is violet and violet leaf, with the former getting a heavier weighting than the latter.

This, along with the kumquat and slight lemon pairing up top is surprisingly good. It is in place of the coconut note, found in other Le Beau releases. 

Kumquat is a note that’s not used to often, but I don’t think either this or the violet takes over completely in this early stage.

It’s got a good balance going on between them, especially compared to another Kumquat freshie like the old, Gucci Guilty Love 2020 (which I liked, but this Gaultier is much better). 

I did think that this one might be a lot fresher than it is. It’s there for sure, but once the kumquat starts to fade, there is a somewhat musky/greenish transition, before it settles into a violet led ending. 

This is really the only time I notice any patchouli coming through, but more cashmeran to my nose.

The violet is paired with tonka bean and some of the remaining cashmeran. This dry down isn’t very fruity at all, still a bit sweet, with more of a powdery finish. It’s a really light perfume here, but I’m still catching whiffs of it.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is lighter. It opens up with a nice ability to project itself, but this isn’t a heavy feeling fragrance at all. That opening is pretty short lived and this will live its life fairly close to the skin.

It’s not a complete skin scent, you will notice it hanging around well in the air, but it just never punches you in the face with it.

While it’s not a super powerful fragrance, Flower Edition does stick around quite well on my skin. Not going to be elite, but I get just over 7 hours of wear from it.

Seasonally, this is spring and summertime all the way. The violet, tonka bean, and cashmeran dominate the late stages but they’re not heavy enough to sway Flower Edition into being one to spray on during the colder months. 

It’s February as I’m writing this initial review, so, I don’t expect that I’ll use this one too much over the next few months.

It doesn’t have extreme versatility, going to be more of a casual daytime wear for that part of the year. It’ll actually work well for a wide age range, however. Doesn’t feel too youthful to me, but it does lean more unisex.

This isn’t a hypermasculine floral scent, by any means. Not drifting close to Fahrenheit at all. 

Overall Impressions of Le Beau Flower Edition

Overall, do I like Flower Edition? Yes, I do like how it smells. The opening act is my favorite part, but I like the powdery, somewhat sweet, and slight musky feeling dry down too. 

This Le Beau isn’t a fragrance that develops all that much, but it is a perfume that is solid all around. Maybe, you’d want it to be somewhat stronger, but I think that it’ll be a nice one to spray on once it gets hotter out.

The big plastic flower on the bottle feels like it’s in the way sometimes, doesn’t look great, but I’m not so bothered with it.

The downside is that it costs over $140, at release. Plus, it was only available in the 4.2 ounce (125 mL) size on the designer’s website. Not sure if this is going to change at some point or if this is just a very limited run by Gaultier. Currently says it’s an online exclusive.

As such, we’ll see if it ends up at the discounters. For the bottle size, the price isn’t egregious, but it would’ve been nice to have a few options.

Is this a must have? No. So, don’t stress if you don’t ever find a cheaper bottle of Flower Edition. Very solid release from Gaultier, though.

I got this and a bottle of Paradise Garden. I slightly prefer that one to Flower Edition. For me, it’s a lot closer race between them than I think it will be for other people. 

Y Elixir by YSL

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Y Elixir is the 2024 release in the now long-running Y series of men’s fragrances from Saint Laurent. I was interested in trying this one out, and so, I got a hold of some samples in order to give the cologne a full test.

How does L’Elixir smell? How long does it last? Is this edition, even worth a try?

Y Elixir Overview

Notes include: lavender, geranium, oud, incense

Click here to try: Y Elixir

My Full Review

Here’s how YSL describes it: Y Elixir is a sexy, deep, woody-spicy cologne for men in an extreme concentration.

Upon first spraying I recognize this immediately as being apart of the Y line. The geranium here is the one that is found in both EDP and Intense. But, a much more prominent role.

Now, sometimes geranium can have a slight apple like smell to it, but I’m sure they just added a touch of the EDP mix to create a small hint of Y EDP’s opening act. Nonetheless, that blue-ish tone is very much muted.

Lavender and geranium are the stars here, particularly the latter. The lavender gives this one a clean and soapy kind of aroma. But, that is more than offset by the spicy, earthy, crisp, woodsy freshness of the geranium.

Very cold and fresh in these early stages. Not as blue or bold as EDP for example. Though, this one has some depth and I enjoy how tame and easy to wear it is.

Oud adds to the base and the woodiness. However, it just isn’t all that massive of a note here in the early stages. Also, an incense note provides a smokiness which also isn’t too pervasive. Both are really nice in the support of the other two notes.

Elixir isn’t too complicated of a fragrance. The back half is going to be a lavender led affair, still clean and with a soapiness to it. More of a woody feeling to it, than the earlier stages of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This fragrance does start off strong with its ability to project, while not ever being too heavy of a cologne. It doesn’t create some thick cloud of scent around you, but does hang in the air quite nicely.

That first hour or so is strong. Then, it moves into being something a bit above average, though nothing that is overpowering. Sticks around before it becomes basically a skin scent.

Y L’Elixir lasts for about 9 hours, on my skin. During testing, it seems to at least go for 7.5 hours, but doesn’t get past that 9 hour mark.

It’s a very solid performer, just not one that cracks elite status.

Seasonally, Elixir is best in the autumn through springtime. I don’t particularly like it in the extreme temperatures, either hot or cold. Outside of that, it’s a fragrance which works great.

It’s a versatile fragrance that fits in pretty much anywhere. It’s not a massive attention grabber, if you wanted something for the nightlife or romantic wear. Office, casual, as a daily wear…L’Elixir does the job very well.

Overall Impressions of Y Elixir

Overall, do I like Y Elixir? Yes, I actually think that it’s one of the better smelling Y fragrances. I certainly don’t like the price of this (companies are getting wild with these ‘Elixir’ releases and what they’re charging), but for what it is I enjoy how Y Elixir smells.

This, however, won’t be a fragrance that everyone will enjoy. Probably not a great idea to blind buy it, but you should try it in store or get a sample of Y Elixir, to see how you react to this scent.

It’s not offensive smelling, by any means, some just might think that Elixir is kind of simplistic and boring. I don’t. That’s just what I’ve seen some of the negative reviews of this one say.

Personally, I really like the more subdued use of these notes. The geranium and lavender are given plenty of time to shine and this can be an option for those who want a Y cologne that fits in well at the office.

Y EDP and Le Parfum are still better than this one, in my opinion. However, I think it might be my third favorite from the line. If the eau de parfum was too much for you, this can be a better alternative formula.

Again, what’s that worth? Not the price they’re charging, but I do like this one and wouldn’t be opposed to having a bottle.

The more time I spent with Elixir, the more I liked it. So, maybe it still has room to climb the rankings of the Y fragrances.

Gentleman Society Extreme by Givenchy

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Gentleman Society Extreme is the follow up to the fairly popular, Gentleman Society. Extreme was released in 2024.

This flanker has gotten some attention already for being a worthy second act in the line. But, does it actually live up to the hype? How long does it last? Is Society Extreme even worth a try?

Gentleman Society Extreme Overview

Notes include: sage, peppermint, nutmeg, iced coffee, narcissus, iris, vetiver, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla

Click here to try: Gentleman Society Extreme

My Full Review

I grew to like the original Gentleman Society a bit more after I initially tried it. However, it never became something that I ever got too excited about wearing. So, I really wasn’t expecting much coming into testing Extreme.

I must say, this version is simply better to my nose. Yes, they are quite similar but the differences are enough to really make a difference, for me at least.

The opening here really sets the tone. It’s like an iced coffee drink smell with nutmeg and peppermint. A mix of freshness and later warmth. Not to mention the clary sage from the original is still around. Though, in a reduced role.

The addition of the coffee note is fantastic. I’ve seen a few reviews saying that they don’t get much coffee, but it really sticks out on me, thankfully. That’s one of the notes that appealed to me before trying this version.

The iris here is a richer orris root. It’s certainly a powdery fragrance, but that’s not the sole focus at all. The iris isn’t to the degree of something like L’Homme L’eau by Prada.

Coffee, fresh spiciness, powder, and the emergent vanilla note are what I get in the first phase of the wear.

Later, we will start to move into it’s woodier aspects. But first, the iris and narcissus shine alongside the coffee note.

To me, this has less of the narcissus than the original, at least to my memory. The original had the cardamom and narcissus pairing with the vanilla, whereas this goes coffee, iris, vanilla, and mint.

Either way more weighting on my skin toward the orris root. There is a slightly green or earthy quality here. Faint at times, but between the floral notes, swath of vetiver, cedar, and sandalwood this one starts to get woodier as we dry down.

The tail end is going to be the iris, vanilla, coffee, vetiver, and cedar. It depends on the time, as to which note is leading the way at which point, but they all seem to get some shine. Actually, this is when Extreme seems to smell the most similar to the original Society.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The original Society was a pretty strong fragrance at its start and was above average for the duration.

Extreme, is even more powerful with its projection early on, and does a better job at maintaining throughout.

Now, it’s not an absolute monster. However, it’s got plenty of reach, particularly during the first few hours.

It’s not super heavy either. Substantial for sure, but this perfume doesn’t bog down or ever feel cloying on me. The sage, cedar, etc. do a nice job at giving this enough aromatic freshness to keep it pleasant.

On my skin, I get 10-11 hours of wear with this one. Not a complete projection bomb, but one that will stick around and be noticeable for a long time. A good value, especially if you can get a bottle on sale.

Seasonally, I’d stick to autumn through early springtime with this Givenchy. I wore this on a warmer day before and it wasn’t too great in that environment. Though, in the colder weather it hangs beautifully in some crisp air.

The additional notes give this one a greater balance and a more refined style than the original. It’s more acceptable for all age ranges, to where Society felt geared more toward men in their 20s.

Nonetheless, this retains the ability to work during days or nights. It’s a great fragrance to wear out in a variety of scenarios from a party to a date and in between. Yet, it’s not so loud or anything that it can’t fit in at the office as well.

Overall Impressions of Society Extreme

Overall, do I like Society Extreme? Yes, it’s one of my favorite designer releases of 2024. Not that it was too difficult of a field in a slow year, but it actually is a very nice perfume that I enjoy wearing.

The coffee note and peppermint combination really makes this one for me. That opening is distinct from the original and the overall composition has a better balance with everything.

Less of the sage sticking out and the freshness is incorporate well with the sweeter notes. Plus, the Givenchy iris is still great.

Society Extreme does live up to the name, giving you very good performance for a designer wear, while also checking the box of being a daily wear scent.

After trying the sample, I bought a full bottle on Black Friday for $100. I’d say it’s worth retail price, if you can’t find a discount, but I’m sure it’ll available for around what I paid for it again sometime soon.

This is well worth a try and I think that it will continue to grow in popularity. It’s an easy going floral cologne that isn’t going to alienate the average guy by straying too far into the ‘flowery’ territory.