Cologne Reviews

A*Men Ultra Zest by Thierry Mugler

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In this review, I am going to take a closer look at another Thierry Mugler men’s fragrance, this one from the Angel Men lineup: A*Men Ultra Zest. How does this cologne smell? What are its notes? WHen should it be worn? Is it even worth giving a try?

What does A* Men Ultra Zest Smell Like?

Notes include: tangerine, red orange, cinnamon, tonka bean, patchouli, vanilla, coffee, ginger, mint, black pepper

Click here to try: Thierry Mugler A Men Ultra Zest Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Ultra Zest Review

Ultra Zest opens up with a great juicy citrus blend of the orange and tangerine notes. I can also detect a very light patchouli note and coffee in the background.

When I first read the notes and saw that it contained both citrus and coffee, I figured that it might be close to Polo Red Extreme, but that’s not the case as the coffee isn’t heavy enough and the citrus is much more intense here.

After a few minutes, the orange is still very strong but I start to detect the emergence of vanilla, mint, and tonka bean. It is a cool and creamy sensation, which I think works very well with the orange and tangerine.

Honestly, if you can’t stand those two notes, you’re more than likely not going to enjoy Ultra Zest but I am totally digging a pure men’s scent with those two juicy notes.

Further along in the wear, Ultra Zest becomes a warmer fragrance. It does still have a bit of a minty cool air about it, but the patchouli, cinnamon, and coffee really start to properly surround the orange and tangerine. It’s a smooth and light spice, not overbearing at all.

What it dries down to is citrus, patchouli, coffee, and the tonka bean/vanilla combination. There is still a very light spice, but again, it’s nothing too powerful. It all blends together extremely well and is definitely a balanced fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d say that Zest has moderate sillage. It will be noticeable throughout the wear and can project itself well for the first few hours, before pulling back closer to the skin. I wish it stayed powerful throughout, because I really enjoy this scent.

The longevity is pretty good though, I can get 7 hours out of the wear. Not the best of the best, but it’s decent enough for most purposes.

Seasonally, it’s another one that is good for year round. Unlike many of the other Mugler colognes, this one can venture into summertime and thrive there.

Meanwhile, it is also good in the cold. The citrus, mint, and ginger let it go into summer while the rest of the notes beef it up a bit for winter wear.

It is a versatile fragrance, not too powerful to not be able to wear it at work or school, but also attractive enough to wear it during the nightlife. It’s sweet and creamy disposition seems enjoyable for women, and it is for sure something that I loved to smell on me during the day.

Overall Impressions of Ultra Zest

Overall, do I like A*Men Ultra Zest? Yes, I like this a lot. I know that it has been discontinued, but that’s a shame, because it is a very good cologne. Yes, I wish it had slightly better performance, because that would take it into greatness territory.

You can of course, still find bottles online, and if you love orange but want to take them into another direction from most men’s fragrances, Ultra Zest is what you should be looking for.

Update: You can get a fragrance from the Dua Brand, that is inspired by this, called simply, Zest. I had a hybrid version of this blended with their version of Pure Havane.

The tangerine and orange notes here are awesome. They have the right juiciness and refreshing quality that the name calls for. Beyond that the supporting notes like: vanilla, tonka bean, coffee, and patchouli help to give this one even more substance and depth that is really pleasant.

Ultra Zest flew a little too under the radar the be continued beyond its limited run. It really is a nice cologne and checks all of the marks of an fantastic citrus-based scent.

Mambo for Men by Liz Claiborne

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I have already completed my list of the best Liz Claiborne fragrances for guys and on that list was the scent, Mambo. As such, I thought that it’d only be appropriate to do a review on this cologne and post it along side of the list. This is the last review of the most recent batch of samples that I received, so I will have to get another order in and keep on posting more fragrance ratings. Mambo has been one of the more popular inexpensive options from Liz Claiborne, but is it actually worth a try?

What does Mambo by Liz Claiborne Smell Like?

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Notes include: lime, bergamot, thyme, cedar, cinnamon leaf, sandalwood, sage, lavender, patchouli

Click here to try: Mambo by Liz Claiborne for Men, Cologne Spray, 3.4-Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Mambo is another inexpensive selection from Liz Claiborne and it is among the best from that brand’s line of scents. I like Mambo better than Bora Bora, but in my opinion it isn’t as good as the staple, Curve.

Mambo has a certain exotic energy to it that makes it a pleasant wear, especially at such a cheap price point. It is sweet and has a soapy quality that gives it a clean and expressive scent.

The opening of Mambo, is where you are going to find most of the citrus expressing itself. However, it never really takes on a juicy fruity smell. It is mixed with some light spice, but especially lavender in the beginning.

I tend to notice the smooth sweetness of the sandalwood and lavender as it blends with the lime and bergamot notes, which give it a non-sour citrus kick.

It’s kind of a floral cologne that is supported by citrus notes and made more masculine by the woodsy notes such as cedar. Mambo is a very warm type of scent, that has a noticeable Latin influence, with its exotic spice.

The exotic-smelling spice, is really just a mix of cinnamon, sage, musk, and patchouli. It is really difficult to distinguish between all of those notes, but the cinnamon and musk, are most noticeable. It’s fresh and not an overpoweringly heavy spiciness. Definitely tempered, by the citrus and floral notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Longevity wise, Mambo does a really good job at making it through the day. Usually, I have gotten over 6 hours of wear without any problem and often 8-9. So, it really brings the value, in that regard.

Also, it is a well-projecting cologne and not overwhelming at all. I’d say that it is slightly above average for most of the wear. A good ‘pop’ at the start and then slowly declining. The performance is a highlight with Mambo and probably a big factor in its long-term sales success.

It can be worn in casual settings, but also during a night out. That’s mainly what I would use it, if I were to keep it around. As a daily wear? Sure, it’s not too intrusive or anything, Mambo isn’t particularly formal though.

I’m not sure that it has a particular season of wear, I don’t think it feels right in the winter but I don’t know that it would hold up during a really hot summer day either. Maybe, best on a more moderate day.

Overall Impressions of Mambo

Overall, I would say Mambo is worth a try for guys on a budget. It’s not an earth-shattering scent but it performs well and is an attractive cologne.

For the price, one could try it out and use it as a daily wear or on certain occasions when you didn’t want to use your more expensive stuff.

Mambo is by no means one of my favorites, but I think that it has its place in some guys’ rotation. And for that, it is a solid inexpensive wear for men. I had a mini for a long time and never felt much like wearing it. I don’t hate it, but it didn’t have too much appeal to me.

It’s pretty middle of the road, across the board. That’s really what makes it a value play, Mambo just doesn’t do anything great.

The citrus can be nice early on. Sandalwood, lavender, and cinnamon provide a clean and fresh base for the other notes to operate off of. There are times here, where the scent is fairly enjoyable, but most of the time I’m indifferent to it.

Uomo EDT by Valentino

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In this review, I’m going to be taking a closer look at a fragrance, that I’ve been meaning to try out for a long while but never really got around to doing so: 2014 release, Uomo EDT by Valentino. As usual, I am going to be going over the notes, how it smells, when it should be worn, and ultimately if it is worth a buy or not. Note: I originally reviewed this years ago and have updated since.

What does Uomo by Valentino Smell Like?

Notes include: myrtle, bergamot, leather, coffee, cedar, gianduja cream

Click here to try: Valentino Uomo FOR MEN by Valentino – 3.4 oz EDT Spray

My Full Uomo Review

The opening of Uomo by Valentino is awesome. Now, Dior Homme Intense, has long held my top spot for best opening act, but I think it’s got some real competition with this one. It starts off with a juicy and slightly sour bergamot that is paired with gianduja cream (smells like hazelnut), along with some myrtle.

This trio is utter heaven and I wouldn’t have ever thought to pair such things.

Further along, I begin to get a lot more similarities with the original Dior Homme, which explains why I’m digging this Valentino so much (because I wear Dior Homme often). Mostly this is from the cedar note, floral note (myrtle instead of iris) and the warm sweetness, which here is a mix of the gianduja and roasted coffee.

However, even with their similarities, those two fragrances are still quite distinct from one another. It’s mostly a similar vibe shared. There is also a similarity with 1 Million Lucky, due to the hazelnut, albeit this is much more mature, and less tart sans plum.

So, as the scent dries down, I get less of the bergamot (which is great) and more leather and the coffee note. It all comes together a very smooth and sort of has a chocolaty aroma to it, which is another Dior similarity.

Very delicious gourmand cologne, that blends sweet, warmth, smooth, and fresh together wonderfully.

Ultimately, what I get from Uomo is the hazelnut aroma, leather, bergamot, and the smell of roasted coffee. It’s sweet and inviting, while staying completely classy.

Fairly late into the wear, the citrus seems to make a comeback in the composition, and it’s like a different variation of the opening. It’s a good blend with the hint of coffee that is still hanging around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Uomo starts off pretty strong, but it quickly moves to be a moderate within an hour. The sillage isn’t going to hit across the room, but people will be able to smell it around you. Above average, just not extreme or super bold.

The longevity is somewhere around 7 hours, maybe an hour more or less, depending on the climate. Not really great, but definitely serviceable. A few more hours with decent sillage and this Valentino would be an absolute gem…though, it’s still awesome.

Seasonally, mostly for autumn and winter, but like the Dior’s this one can be perfectly fine in the springtime. It’s not a really heavy scent that can only come out for two months of the year, but not really a summer wear, in the slightest.

Yes, it is safe to wear at work or casually. Even if it’s not a club beast, I still want to wear it out at night, because it strikes me as so attractive and sexy in a refined way. Very attractive and one that can grab complements, especially in those early stages.

Overall Impressions of Uomo

Overall, do I like Uomo by Valentino? Obviously, yes. I think that it is a fantastic cologne and I am really tempted to get a full bottle, even if I don’t have the need for any other scents right now.

Update: Years later, in 2022, I finally did pick up a full bottle of this that I saw in a department store. This and Oajan, became two of the colognes that I wore a lot over the following autumn and winter. I still enjoy wearing this fairly often, even if I’m not quite as enthusiastic as I initially was. Still very worth checking out.

The opening of bergamot, myrtle, and the gianduja cream is one of the best that I’ve ever come across. I do, however, really like this style personally. I cannot guarantee, everyone else will agree.

Beyond that, it has a great roasted coffee note and cedar at its base. The whole thing is well blended and a joy for me to wear. Yes, it has a lot of similarities with Dior Homme, but it is still quite distinct from anything else.

My only real gripe is that the performance isn’t superb, but still above average. This is wonderful overall, though.

The score gets docked due to the longevity and how much it has resemblance to plenty of other fragrances, mainly the old Dior Homme series. On smell alone? It’s great.

Invictus Victory Elixir by Paco Rabanne

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Invictus Victory Elixir is a 2023 release, coming off of the heels of the popular Invictus Victory. I received a small sample of this along with my order of 1 Million Royal. I was curious to try this one out, as I did enjoy Victory. How does Elixir smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Invictus Victory Elixir Smell Like?

Notes include: cardamom, black pepper, bergamot oil, lavender, incense, patchouli, vanilla, amber, and tonka bean

My Full Review

Here’s how Paco Rabanne describes it: Discover Invictus Victory Elixir, the pinnacle of intensity from Invictus, the new powerful fragrance for men by Paco Rabanne. A potent elixir made to push victory beyond limits. the time has come to embrace your moment of immortality. A rich, powerful, long-lasting nectar blending spicy woods and biting freshness, for the epic achiever. It’s the ultimate expression of victory. never stop winning.

So, right away this strikes me as being a much more concentrated version of Invictus Victory. That scent had a lot in common with the Pure XS colognes from Paco Rabanne, but Elixir sort of strips that away to a more focused point.

Victory had the pink pepper and lemon notes up top. Elixir kicks off with a warm, resinous, and vanilla blend. Black pepper is exchanged for the pink variety, but it only lasted a few minutes tops.

The amber accord provides some spice along with the resinous qualities, but it doesn’t hit you in the face with it. There is a light cardamom, but not too much of it.

The incense note, is also in Victory. However, I will say that I can’t detect much of it at all in Elixir. It was very present on my skin with Victory.

Very smooth with how warm it is and the creaminess of the vanilla note. I’m glad the vanilla is heavier in the weighting versus the tonka bean, as I think that it has a more enjoyable scent this way.

A few minutes in, this one starts to feel much sweeter. The way everything combines, it has almost a coconut finish to it. Nothing crazy or overwhelming, but it is there. More like dry coconut flakes than a watery fruit juice.

The dry down lightens up on that sweet/coconut aroma. I get more tonka bean, an increase in the amber, and a lavender note becoming fairly distinct. It was always in the mix, I think, but really wasn’t clear on its own until the middle of the wear. It sort of sits underneath everything else, until fading in the tail end.

That tail end? Pretty much a vanilla, tonka bean, amber, and general freshness. Warm, sort of sweet, but not a complete sweet and creamy mess. It’s nice, pretty basic, at this point.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is nice and powerful. Definitely one to leave a scent trail in your wake. The projection off of the skin is great and could be nuclear with a full bottle. I did only have that tiny sample sprayer, but even with that, I can tell this one is going to be a beast.

The longevity also just keeps going. 9 hours at least. Maybe up to 11 or so, on my skin. I did eventually shower, but it was still very noticeably immediately prior to that. I’d have to test Elixir again to see exactly how long it lasts.

Nonetheless, expect a strong and long lasting performance out of this Invictus flanker.

Seasonally, this would be best in autumn and winter. Not strictly cold weather, but it’s probably best to avoid the heat. Kind of too thick and loud, to not be cloying in the middle of summer. Go with something else, then.

This is more of a casual or nightlife wear for younger guys. Not just teenagers, but it does have a youthful vibe, while still being one of the more well put together Invictus colognes.

Elixir is probably going to be pretty popular and has that very mass appealing sort of style. I can see this one being worn at bars and nightclubs around the world, in the next few years. Not super sexy, but it has its appeal.

Overall Impressions of Invictus Victory Elixir

Overall, do I like Victory Elixir? I do. Based on this one try, I’m not sure that I prefer it to the original Victory, however. Currently, I rate the smell as being equally enjoyable. I’ll see as I update this, if that changes or not.

Victory Elixir is for sure the better performer between them.

Like some of the other Paco Rabanne scents, this can have a bit of an annoying synthetic quality to it. Not too much of a problem here, but at times I can get tired of a fragrance like this. 1 Million Lucky and the original Invictus a bigger culprits, in this regard.

The aroma is pretty similar to Le Beau Le Parfum from JPG. However, this is better. It has the illusion of coconut, the amber, and tonka bean as the overlap between them. Elixir is a more pleasant and well done experience, in my opinion.

All in all, if you’re a fan of this series, you’ll almost certainly like this one. It’s among the best of them to me, even after this one try. It’s definitely worth trying out, at the very least.

1 Million Royal by Paco Rabanne

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1 Million Royal is the latest flanker fragrance of the highly popular line by Paco Rabanne. It was released in 2023 and slowly seems to be getting more attention. It took me a while just to get a hold of the bottle, since it was only recently released in the US a week or so before writing this. How does Royal smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

What does 1 Million Royal Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin orange, bergamot, cardamom, lavender, violet leaf, cedar, sage, benzoin, patchouli

Buy from Sephora: Royal

million royal review

My Full Review

Here’s how Paco Rabanne describes it: Powered by your inner confidence, enter the 1 Million Royal kingdom with the ultimate fragrance of defiant self-expression, made for you by Paco Rabanne. Unconstrained by convention, find the freedom to live by your own rules with 1 Million Royal: a flamboyant fresh woody blend that collides with a distinctive sensuality to unleash what makes you uniquely you. Claim the stage; you’re the king. It’s time to rise.

1 Million Royal opens up with a blend of notes vying for your attention. The mandarin orange and bergamot citrus are sitting on top of the mix, giving this an initial lightness and brightness.

Underneath, the warm spiciness of the cardamom and benzoin notes are already coming through. Royal will have more of a cardamom spice versus other notes here, but early I get a decent amount of sage and a touch of patchouli. The latter, is only noticeably if I really focus and basically press my nose up against where I sprayed.

In comparison to 1 Million Elixir, this also has a sweetness and amber-like heart thanks to that benzoin. However, Elixir is much sweeter, floral, and vanilla based. Royal seems to have something giving it a light vanilla effect, but the note isn’t actually listed (probably benzoin, creating that vanilla effect).

Royal also shares plenty of similarities with Le Male Airlines by JPG. I have a full bottle of that fragrance and they definitely overlap.

Notably, they share notes of: cardamom, lavender, citrus, and cedar. But, they aren’t exactly the same in terms of smell. Airlines is sweeter and much more cardamom dominant. The cardamom itself seems to be a different type in Royal, spicier with less of the citrusy facets.

I like Royal more than Airlines thus far.

As we move along, the spiciness will tone down. I start to get a greater ratio of the lavender versus the cardamom and the benzoin will also begin to claim the top spot.

That’s mostly what the dry down is all about. A sort of fuzzy vanilla amber aroma of the benzoin, lavender, the remaining cardamom, and a generic fresh woody cedar note.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Royal isn’t a heavy fragrance. Though, it has a lot more power than you think that it does. It’s kind of diffuse and the cloud that it creates around you is much more like a mist for most of the wear.

3-4 hours into the wear I can still smell it on me and I’ve had one other person comment positively on it during my first initial test. This was hours after I had sprayed it on my arm, not even on the usual pulse points.

I’d say at its peak, Royal is probably a 5-8 foot radius cologne, in terms of its projection. After that, it’s going to spend a ton of time in that 3-4 foot range. Not bearing down on you, but I’ve noticed it hanging around without having to press my nose to my skin.

On me, this lasts somewhere in the 8-8.5 hour range. Good enough for most uses, but not incredible either.  Royal is actually a parfum concentration and the performance basically reflects that higher level of perfume.

It does fall slightly short of what I got with Elixir. Almost the same sillage, but Elixir lasts up to 10 hours on me.

Seasonally, probably going to be more of an autumn and winter wear. It’s actually nice in moderate temperatures, so, spring will be fine in most places. That’s especially true in the evenings.

It’s about to officially be summer here in a few days, which has limited a lot of my testing to indoors, as it’s not a fragrance that is built for the heat. It’s actually not terrible, since Royal isn’t overly thick and heavy, just not ideal.

1 Million Royal does skew more towards being a nightlife fragrance, but it isn’t completely out of place in a variety of other situations. It’s just not really a formal type of cologne.

It can really be worn by a man of any age, since it doesn’t have the same level of candy-like sweetness that some other fragrances in the 1 Million series can. It’s very much like 1 Million Prive, in that regard.

As I wrote earlier, I’ve already gotten a complement on Royal and this one indeed feels like it’s going to have mass appeal. I think that I’ll use my bottle mostly for casual and nightlife wear.

Overall Impressions of 1 Million Royal

Overall, do I like 1 Million Royal? Yes, to me it’s on par with Elixir. I do notice the similarities, but these are ultimately different fragrances. Royal is warmer, spicier, and doesn’t have that Elixir sweetness.

I wasn’t sure that I was going to like this and was worried that I’d have a full bottle of the stuff just languishing on my shelf. Royal turned out to be better than I expected and I will get plenty of use out of it.

It’s actually much closer to Le Male Airlines than the other 1 Million scents. It’s like they fused that Gaultier cologne’s DNA with some of the 1 Million fragrances’ and then added more benzoin. All resulting in 1 Million Royal.

I think that the opening is really great. The citrus gives it a nice energy and the balance of the spiciness, benzoin, and lavender is near perfection at that point. Enough sweetness to not be overwhelmed in either the spicy or sweet direction.

Performance is solid. Not a monster projector, but Royal does have a nice ability to project and leave a scent trail. Longevity is about what you’d need in most scenarios.

I recommend giving this one a try, if you’re a fan of the 1 Million series. It’s different of course, but that same sort of vibe and style is present here. I’m glad that I bought it.