Cologne Reviews

Cologne Intense by Houbigant

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Drawing nearly to a close with my men’s fragrance reviews from the last order of samples, I come upon my second Houbigant cologne to take a closer look at. Today, it is the simply named, Cologne Intense.

This scent was released in 2015 under the Houbigant name and has a citrus and herbal character. In this review, I want to take a closer look at how it smells, how it performs, when it can be worn, and whether or not I think that it is worth a purchase.

What does Houbigant Cologne Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: petitgrain, bergamot, neroli, lemon, lavender, pink pepper, tarragon, mate tea

Click here to try: Houbigant Cologne Intense Eau de Parfum Spray, 100 ml

My Full Review

The opening of Cologne Intense is like a citrus based soap with a mix of green and herbal aromas. The mate tea not gives it that herbal feeling and kind of levels out the citrus notes and doesn’t allow them to become too acidic.

The petitgrain is pretty strong at first and definitely give this Houbigant cologne, it’s green sort of element.

After a few minutes, the tarragon note starts to emerge as one of the most dominant notes in this fragrance. It adds a bit of spiciness to the scent to go along with the citrus/soapy/herbal feel that has already been established.

The spiciness never feels all that ‘intense’ to me (nor does the cologne in general) and I think it gets tempered a bit by the lavender.

It does have a dryness to its scent, especially in the latter stages. Dry, greenish, spice, with like a post-shower soapy clean scent on skin, versus a rich lather.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I think this is pretty moderate, and not really intense. However, while it’s not a heavy scent, it is noticeable for most of the wear. It’s just going to be limited to that 2-4 foot range, from wherever that you sprayed Cologne Intense.

It does have fairly good longevity in the 6-8 hour range. So, it isn’t a crappy performer and will get the job done.

But, for the high-end price, it is rather disappointing to only get close to a full workday, while still possibly falling short of even that.

It seems more like a casual scent and geared more towards guys 30+ years in age. So, casual up to semi-formal wear in the warmer weather. It’s clean, fresh, with a soapy quality to it.

Cologne Intense isn’t going to be a club beast or even one that you’d probably reach for before going on a date.

Spring and summertime would be best with this Houbigant. Though, it would be pretty good in most of the year, outside of the extremes of the thermometer.

Overall Impressions of Cologne Intense

Overall, is Cologne Intense worth a buy? To me, no. I don’t think that it really smells that great. It seems so much like a hand soap or some sort of cleaner.

I don’t find it enjoyable and don’t think it is as good as Fougere Royale by Houbigant (which was good, but not my style).

Cologne Intense lacks intensity, which I think is a good thing, since I don’t enjoy the fragrance. It’s fresh and clean but has way too much of an herbal spice for me to want to wear it. It doesn’t smell atrocious, just not great either. Meh.

Also, coming back to this fragrance years after the initial review, the price is crazy high. Over $200 a bottle for Houbigant Cologne Intense, which moves this one into a complete ‘no’ for me.

Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens

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I’ve been meaning to get around to writing this review for months, but just never buckled down and did it, for some reason. Well, here we are, and I am going to be taking a closer look at Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens.

This is a fragrance that came out back in the 1990s and has had fans ever since. As usual, I will cover: what the notes are, how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is even worth a purchase.

What does Ambre Sultan Smell Like?

Notes include: amber, resin, benzoin, sandalwood, bay leaf, coriander, patchouli, vanilla, oregano

Click here to try: Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 50 Ml

My Full Review

Ambre Sultan opens up with the amber note, that is joined by quite a resinous aroma, and a healthy dose of spice. Coriander, bay leaf, and some herbal spices are fairly heavy at the start of this fragrance.

I was expecting it to be a warmer and sweeter fragrance than it is, but I instead get, a lot of sandalwood and the aforementioned spice notes. It does get somewhat sweeter, as it wears on, but it’s nothing super dramatic.

Ambre Sultan actually has a oriental smokiness to it (incense) and the distinct smell of myrrh. I pick this up, at about 10 minutes after spraying, and it reminds me a lot of other scents that I know I’ve review on this site but cannot recall the name of.

Anyway, as it dries down, it actually does become drier and a hint of vanilla peaks through to make things feel creamier with that sandalwood.

After this first hour or two of wear, you pretty much know what you’re going to get from this Serge Lutens fragrance, as it is pretty linear from here on. It is a dry and smokey resinous smell from the base notes, with some sweet vanilla, a sandalwood, and spice led by a dominant bay leaf note.

Seriously, the bay leaf is much stronger than I figured it’d be in this composition, so be aware of that before you buy.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage isn’t huge but it’s solid. Ambre Sultan is strong enough to get noticed, by people close by, but not across the room.

The longevity is also quite good, clocking in at around 7-8 hours, on my skin. No performance issues with this scent.

Seasonally, this is cold weather all the way. Not necessarily dead of winter, but at least a brisk fall day.

Wearing Ambre Sultan outdoors in such conditions, was a great experience. It has enough power to hang in the air around you, not getting completely blown out by the surrounding smells of the environment.

It has a refined and classy aroma, one that is appropriate for business, semi-formal, or formal occasions. This is a unisex scent and has a certain appeal to it, but I wouldn’t really call it sexy.

It is cozy enough to throw on, if you’re just lounging around the house and are in the mood. Especially, when you get to the dry down phase of the wear.

Overall Impressions of Ambre Sultan

Overall, do I like Ambre Sultan. I do. It’s a really good amber based fragrance and one that is quite different from the norm, in this category. I think it is much more substantial than something like Grand Soir by MFK.

Is it for everyone? No, it’s not a mass market crowd pleaser, but isn’t so niche that everyone around you will hate it.

The bay leaf was a surprise with how much it popped, on my skin. Not anything crazy, but I enjoyed that along with the resinous and smokier aspects of this Serge Lutens perfume.

That opening spice, herbal quality and resin are an interesting start that will transition into a smoother and calmer finish. Plenty of depth and different facets to enjoy here.

It’s just a very well put together scent, for those who want an amber scent with some spice and ‘dirtiness’, but not to the extreme.

Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Jaune (Yellow)

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One of the few things that I actually like about being in airports ,is the proliferation of duty free shops and luxury retailers, from which I can test out a few sprays of new colognes.

Today, while at El Prat in Barcelona, I got to sample Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Jaune and thought that I’d post a one-time wear review of this fragrance. Update: I’m coming back to this one years later, with more on Jaune.

Now for those of you who don’t know French, this is the yellow bottle of the series, and was released back in 2015.  As usual, I’m going to give my thoughts on how it smells, performs, and whether or not I think that it is worth a purchase.

What does Lacoste Yellow (Jaune) Men’s Perfume Smell Like?

Notes Include: grapefruit, pink pepper, cyprus, tonic, golden delicious apples

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

My Full Review

Upon first spraying Jaune, I immediately identified the first note as grapefruit. There is a slight spice to it, which when combined with the citrus overtones, creates an energetic and lively fragrance.

The opening is rather bold and instantly reminds one of a summer day with a hint of woodiness provided by the cyprus note, gives Jaune a somewhat unique feeling for this type of citrus fragrance.

There is a tonic note which gives this Yellow cologne, that slightly fizzy and upbeat kind of aroma. It’s like a cold drink paired with a peppery bite, with a fresh woodsy overtone consisting of cypress/vetiver.

One thing that I noticed about Jaune, is that, it doesn’t particularly develop beyond its initial scent. It’s very simplistic and straightforward. That initial burst is really quite good but this cologne lacks any real character, other than what it first shows you.

That in itself, wouldn’t be a problem. However, it becomes much more noticeable, when its other weakness is put front and center. Coming back to this perfume, multiple times, I still never really get any development so to speak of on my skin.

Jaune is sweet and citrusy, with a pleasant freshness that permeates the wear.

Sillage. How Long does it Last? Versatility.

The longevity of this one, like the other Eau de Lacoste scents I have reviewed, leaves much to be desired. Again, it starts off bold and seems like it’ll be a welcome addition to your cologne collection, but then fades relatively fast and is relegated to a skin scent.

It does project very well for the first 30-45 minutes of wear…which just ain’t enough. I also sprayed Polo Red Extreme, on my other arm at the same time, and that Ralph Lauren fragrance is still going strong. The difference is very noticeable in terms of performance.

As a weaker fragrance, it will stick around for maybe 4-6 hours, depending on the day. Not great for the retail price, but at a discount it could be a nice pick up, for those warmer days.

Update: Yep, right in that 4-6 hour range, is about what to expect from this one. This whole series from Lacoste, had pretty mediocre performance.

I don’t know that I like the scent of the Yellow bottle of Eau de Lacoste better than the White, but it might have the edge (or be tied) with Red.

Jaune is a bit different than the others, it’s a casual spring/summer scent, but I’d categorize it more towards the sporty end of the spectrum.

Again, it’s a simple scent. I’d say that it’s more geared toward younger guys, up through their 20s. It’s light enough to wear professionally. Smells nice, but isn’t sexy, nor does it have the power of a club beast.

Overall Impression of Lacoste Jaune

Overall, is it worth a buy? Maybe. If you can get a hold of a cheap bottle of Jaune, then, I would consider having a bottle. The scent is a really nice and energetic citrus, if that’s your thing, than this Eau de Lacoste edition is worth a look.

Again, I wish Lacoste would’ve beefed up the longevity of these scents because they are good casual colognes for the warmer months. Good smell, not so great performance.

I enjoy the grapefruit and the tonic, there are other summer colognes which do more of the straight lemonade vibe, so this was a slightly different take. An intense version would’ve been great, but that’ll probably never happen.

Update: This is still around on discounter sites, as of now, even if Lacoste discontinued it. I’m pretty sure they did, anyway. Jaune was one of the better editions of the L.12.12. lineup, in terms of smell.

The performance while not great, was also better than some of the others. Very pleasant, fresh, fizzy, and sweet. I just saw it for under $60 and somewhat cheaper with a promo code. In that $40-50 range, it might be worthwhile for some, while the stock of Jaune dwindles.

Polo Double Black by Ralph Lauren

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Another of my recent sample colognes that I received is Polo Double Black. I certainly enjoy my fair share of Ralph Lauren produced fragrances and have a certain familiarity with them.

Having said that, I had yet to experience Double Black and was excited to see how it stood up to the rest of the Polo lineup and indeed if it would become a part of my regular rotation of scents. This one was released in 2006.

Please read on to see my full opinion on this scent and if it’s worth a buy. Note: I have updated this page, years after the initial review.

Also check out: Best Polo Scents for Men, Polo Red Review, Polo Blue Review

What does Double Black Smell Like?

Polo Double Black

Notes include: coffee, mango, juniper berry, nutmeg, cardamom, pepper, woods

Click here to try: Polo Double Black on Amazon

Double Black Full Review

Polo Double Black is certainly a ‘dark’ and masculine fragrance.  While you will notice that it contains mango and juniper berry notes, it is not a fruity scent, really at all.

The opening is noticeably spicy, with the pepper note taking the lead and you definitely get the emergence of this cologne’s overall warmth with the blend of coffee and woods. Also, this warm spicy feeling is solidified by the nutmeg, which peaks through at times.

Double Black opens up with the warm spice, which is a different look from the fruitier Polo Black. The same frozen mango exists at the top, along with the aforementioned juniper berry, but each has been subdued to the coffee, pepper, and nutmeg notes.

As it settles, you do start to get the sweetness to come out but I really don’t get much of a mango note here, but maybe that’s just my nose not picking it up. I can see this being a pretty decent choice during the winter months, as the warm spiciness should work well.

It does have almost a chocolate scent to it at some point, I guess I would call it mocha, with the coffee and maybe the sweetness is the mango note at work to create this aroma.

The more times that I wore the sample, the more that I appreciated this unique smell. It takes elements of the original Polo Black and then adds smooth spices to the mix. Double Black really began to charm me.

Longevity, Sillage, and Versatility

Which brings me to the performance issues. Polo Double Black, isn’t a scent which will go all day long, and into the night. In fact, it might not even go half the day. I got 4-5 hours of solid performance and maybe another hour in which I could somewhat detect it.

Sometimes, it was even worse than that. I might go 3 hours, not even bothering to stick around as a skin scent.

The projection is moderate in my opinion and not overwhelming at all. This is a huge problem, because the aroma itself it really quite captivating, but it just won’t last very long and has pretty bad sillage.

The projection will be in the 2-3 foot range, max, past the first hour or so. It has a good initial burst, but Double Black falls apart thereafter.

It does have good versatility, I could definitely wear this during work or out on the town, as it is quite attractive and warm. It seems more like a ‘dressy’ casual type of scent.

If it actually lasts on your skin and people can smell it, I’m almost certain that Double Black would be a draw for complements.

Double Black is better in the colder seasons. I wouldn’t wear this in the hot and humid weather, but during autumn and winter, it really comes out smelling great.

 

Overall Impressions of Polo Double Black

Overall, I don’t hate this fragrance. Actually, I’ve had to come back here and edit my original thoughts somewhat because I started to really like it more and more.

My main problem with it is the longevity, like Polo Red (which I also like a lot), Double Black has some longevity issues. Yet, Polo Red EDT can definitely outdo Double.

If this were an all-day trooper, I’d probably pick up a small bottle at least, for my collection.

There just seems to be much better bets out there for the price. The sweet/spicy coffee aroma is highly appealing, however. It’s also not as good as the original Polo Black.

It is an interesting take on the formula, just doesn’t have the execution to make it worthwhile. The aroma is nice, just no performance to back it up.

Update: I’m pretty sure that this is discontinued. Though, I still see bottles floating around for sale, at times. However, those bottles are usually pretty richly priced. While this is a likeable fragrance with how it smells, Polo Double Black isn’t worth paying nearly $100 for. 

Skulls & Roses by Ed Hardy

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I was shopping in Target the other day and made my usual stop to the fragrance aisle. I’m pretty sure that I had tried every one of those colognes with the exception of this weird looking one in a black skull bottle. I kept seeing this bottle all the time but never bothered to smell it.

Well, I bit the bullet and tried it out and thought that I’d share my thoughts on this Christian Audigier fragrance for men, Skulls & Roses…under the Ed Hardy banner. In this post, I want to explore a bit on how it smells, performs, when it could be worn, and if I think it’s worth it to purchase a full bottle of this juice.

What does Skulls and Roses for Men Smell Like?

Notes included: lavender, bergamot, oakmoss, musk, cardamom

Click here to try: Skulls and Roses ED Hardy Colognes for Men, 2.5 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

From the bottle design and the name, I was expecting this scent to be something dark, sort of loud, and with a possible rose note lurking somewhere in there. Instead, what I got from this cologne was something clean, pleasant, and surprisingly very nice for the price point this sells at.

The opening is a blend of the lavender, bergamot, and a semi-spicy musk/cardamom mix. Totally not the winter beast I predicted it’d be. It’s a very light and familiar smell, sort of reminiscent of Mont Blanc, though a tad different in my opinion.

I sprayed it twice on my forearm and went about my day. It was fairly strong at first but definitely not overpowering and I kept bringing it up to my nose to smell some more. That’s always a good sign.

I really think that they got the musk note just right with this one. The note doesn’t feel like it dominates, but it does accentuate the clean aroma, brought on my the lavender and bergamot.

Skulls and Roses isn’t a very complex type of cologne that goes through multiple phases, in fact, it’s almost completely linear. That really isn’t a bad thing, as they got the opening done correctly, and didn’t need to stray too far from its roots in order to make a good smelling fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise it’s fairly moderate for the first hour or so and then really became a light scent on my skin after that.  That initial burst is good. It will create a decent radius around you, before moving into a range that is more intimate.

However, the longevity as a close to skin scent was pretty decent, at about six hours. This is the type of cologne that performs but will mostly only be noticeable in situations in which someone pulls closer…again, not a bad thing.

Update: Trying this a few more times over the years and it is indeed a steady 6-6.5 hours on my skin. Basically, no matter the circumstance, that’s what I’ll get.

I’d say its also a pretty good bet, for a date night scenario with its fresh sort of soapy vibe. There’s just enough bergamot and spice to keep it interesting. It’s not the sexiest fragrance on the planet or anything like that, but it’s attractive enough, especially at this price point.

Mostly though, I’d view this as a casual daily wear, for younger guys. Something that you can throw on before school or at your job or just hanging out around town.

If you need something cheap and clean, this one would serve well. Skulls isn’t a wintertime scent like I expected, I wore it on a mild day and it seemed very well suited for that and I’d venture a guess that it’d be fine in the summer also.

Overall Impressions of Skulls and Roses

Is Skulls and Roses worth a buy? I actually dug this cologne quite a bit. It’s not top tier, but you can do a lot worse, and it exceeds my expectations for something of this caliber.

It’s very simple and while not the best performer, it gets the job done. Plus, it’s inexpensive enough that one could just apply a bit more than usual to get the full effect.

It’s under $30 a bottle and often much cheaper than that. Skulls and Roses is a solid casual cologne that could also double as a date night go to. It isn’t a projection monster, so not great for the club scene. Very nice and I even kind of like the bottle design now, too.

I don’t think that this fragrance is going to blow any one away, but it is a great value play when compared to many others in its general price range.