Cologne Reviews

Guilty Elixir de Parfum Pour Homme by Gucci

by

Guilty Elixir Pour Homme was released by the brand in 2023. I picked up samples of it late last year to test it out and see if it lived up to its early hype. It sort of took the line in a new direction versus what you get with others in the series.

How does Elixir smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Guilty Elixir Pour Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, orange blossom, nutmeg, ambrofix, pimento seeds, orris butter, benzoin, patchouli, osmanthus

Click here to try: Guilty Elixir

My Full Review

The opening of this Guilty fragrance is spicy, warm, balsamic, with the iris and vanilla notes already making themselves known. Interestingly, on my skin at least, the benzoin note really comes up from the base at this stage.

I’m actually reminded a bit of Body Kouros by YSL in the undertones of Elixir, at this early stage.

The spices here are nutmeg, and for me, the more prominent pimento. Same sort of spice found in K by D&G and Xeryus Rouge.

After this initial burst, it does become more floral. I was expecting to get more of the orange blossom note before the iris came fully into play.

Actually, the osmanthus comes through more for me. It’s much less of the fruity smelling type, actually it gives a suede/leather scent to Guilty Elixir.

The spice tones down, this Gucci cologne is fully in its floral, powdery, vanilla phase. Less warm, smooth, fresh, with a touch of fuzziness. Here’s where I do pick up some more of the orange blossom, since the nutmeg and pimento have toned down.

Guilty Elixir isn’t fully a ‘baby powder’ type of fragrance. Orris butter, vanilla, and orange blossom do lend a creaminess here and this cologne does have more of a sweetness to it for a good portion of the wear.

The dry down is pretty simple. Orris, vanilla, the ‘Ambrofix’ amber note, some leftover benzoin and patchouli. Mainly, it’s the vanilla and ambrofix.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This isn’t a heavy fragrance, it’s substantial, while having a definite light feeling to it. Guilty Elixir, does however, project quite far and creates a great scent bubble around you.

Not a massive reach, but well above average with just how far it will jump off of the skin. With a normal amount of spraying, I don’t think this Gucci disappoints.

Elixir performs well in terms of its longevity. I get somewhere in the 8-9.5 hour range, each time that I’ve sprayed in on.

It might be capable of more than that for some people, but it’s not elite status. Still better than others in the series, though.

Seasonally, I’d say this one can go autumn to pretty deep into springtime (depending on where you live). It’s not a scent for the hot weather, but Elixir can hold up on a reasonably warm day. Though, I’d mostly wear it when it’s chilly to moderate outside.

It’s very versatile outside of that. Not really a nightclub beast or necessarily one for romantic wear and not completely formal. But, as a daily wear and just about any other situation Guilty Elixir Pour Homme can fit in.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Elixir

Overall, do I like it? Sure, it’s different from the rest of the Guilty Pour Homme series, but it also doesn’t strike me as incredible. Likeable, for me. Other people might love this, especially if you are a fan of scents like Reflection.

I came back to this one after having the sample for a few months and forgetting about it. I’m a bit more positive on it than the first time, but I still don’t think it’s incredible. The opening act is my favorite part and the rest of it isn’t too exciting to my nose.

There’s no inherent weaknesses with Elixir. Performance is good across the board, its pleasant, and one that you can get plenty of use out of.

Since this is a higher price point than others in the Guilty series, I would try to test it out, to see if this one actually appeals to you.

The softer floral, powdery, vanilla scent isn’t going to be for everyone. This one is actually pretty unisex and if you want something more masculine, look elsewhere.

Absolu Aventus by Creed

by

Absolu Aventus is a limited edition of the best selling name by Creed, which was released in 2023. As of now, the brand really limited the number of bottles that came out, and I’m not sure what the status will be for the future.

I did however, purchase a sample for quite a bit of money, in order to test it out and see how it actually smells, performs, and if it’s worth trying to get a hold of.

What does Absolu Aventus Smell Like?

Notes include: citron, bergamot, blackcurrant, vetiver, grapefruit, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, pink pepper, patchouli

Click here to try: Absolu Aventus

My Full Review

The differences between Absolu and the original Aventus will be quite apparent in the opening act. The pineapple and birch are noticeably missing.

Absolu Aventus is a smoother blend in comparison with bergamot still in the lead spot, but flanked with citron, grapefruit, and the same blackcurrant. It does still have a somewhat sharp bite to it, but it doesn’t hit in the same way.

This to me, is a welcome change of pace, as the opening has always been my least favorite aspect of Aventus.

The spices here are mainly the cinnamon and cardamom notes. Ginger is present, but never becomes a major factor in the mix for me.

Vetiver was the biggest shock to me early. I wasn’t expecting it to come through as much as it did. I actually get more of it than I ever do from the ginger. Between this and the patchouli, you’re going to get some earthiness wafting up from the base.

Nothing crazy, but enough freshness and woodsy/grassy aroma to make up for some of what is missing from the original. Somewhat smoky, but really not to the same extent at all.

Basically, this one is citrus, spice (cinnamon and an emergent pink pepper), and the vetiver/patchouli mix in the base. Clean and pleasant. Unique enough from the original Aventus, but doesn’t stray too far away.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

During my initial wear, I was quite pleased with this because it had the same bold opening as Aventus. Plenty of projection and it definitely had scent trail potential, albeit in with a less heavy feeling than its predecessor.

But, after only a few hours into it, Absolu Aventus became a skin scent. I tried it multiple times with the same result. Disappointing.

For me, this Creed lasts the same length of time as Aventus. I get 8-9 hours out of it. Again, not to the same strength, and 4-5 of those hours, Absolu is going to be hovering just off of the skin. Nothing much more than that.

Seasonally, I think that Absolu is at its best in the autumn through spring. With the deeper use of citrus, I thought it might be summer coming into testing. Nope. This fragrance is surprisingly great when it’s cool and crisp outside.

As far as when you can where it, just think any time that you wear the original. It retains that super versatile and signature scent aspect.

Overall Impressions of Absolu Aventus

Overall, do I like Absolu Aventus? Yes, it’s very much like the original Aventus, only with some changes at the edges to make this fragrance somewhat distinct.

I do enjoy those additions. The cinnamon might be my favorite part of this newer formula. The citron in this citrus heavy mix is also pleasant. In terms of how it smells, Absolu is a nice release.

My main issues with it are the performance and the price tag for what it is. Over $500 per bottle. I can explain away the latter as it being as limited edition or something for collectors.

Fine. I’m not in the market for an Aventus fragrance, so, it doesn’t really concern me. Definitely feels like a cash grab, though.

The nosedive that it seems to do after a few hours, with how it projects is my main gripe. It feels like it’s going to be an equal to the original and then it just turns into a skin scent for me.

With all of that in mind, I don’t think this is going to be worth tracking down for most people. If you love Aventus, sure you might want a different take on it. For the rest of you, you might want to go with a different Creed cologne or just pick up one of the other Aventus scents.

There’s nothing here that’s way different, just a bit of an alternative take on the popular smell of Creed Aventus.

Dior Homme Intense (2011) by Christian Dior

by

Seeing as I just reviewed Dior Homme, I of course had to do one for its flanker fragrance, Dior Homme Intense. Don’t worry, I’ll do a comparison post of these two in the near future. Until then, I want to focus singularly on Intense as a stand alone scent.

How does it smell? How does it perform? When should it be worn? Is it worth a buy? Update: I am revising and updating this post, as I’ve gotten more experience with it, and the original Dior Homme.

What does Dior Homme Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: pear, iris, vetiver, ambrette, lavender, cedar

Click here to try: Christian Dior Dior Men Intense Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Dior Homme Intense hits with a blast of lavender, cedar, and vetiver. It’s a smooth woody affair that pairs with the ambrette to create a warm woods feeling. The iris emerges for me, after about a minute of wear and gives off that familiar powdery floral aroma.

The lavender is in many ways the leader, but what I guess is the ambrette, gives this fragrance its warmth and adds to the cacao sort of aroma. Cedar and vetiver solidify the base. The latter two notes, will have a greater impact later on, but I can detect them from the start.

Honestly, I think that my favorite part is the opening 10-15 minutes with this fragrance. It’s just so layered and wonderful. To me, the opening beats out Dior Homme. That’s saying something, considering Dior Homme has become a staple in my rotation.

I’ve noted in subsequent comparisons between the two, that I enjoy Dior Homme more, overall. That being said, I will combine this two, and it’s essentially a 1A vs 1B scenario.

One of the main differences with Intense, is the lack of the leather note, when compared to the original. This is woodier, with a sweeter warmth.

The iris is still dominant, later on, but tempered when compared with Dior Homme. The lavender here, plays a pretty big role in how the iris gets to develop.

As it settles down, it draws more toward the powdery end of things, and there is definitely the cacao note that is found in the original Dior Homme lurking in this mixture.

It actually dries down into a rich, chocolate (somewhat vanilla) powder, gourmand and that’s how Intense separates itself from Dior Homme.

I get a fresh and semi-sweet fragrance, once it’s fully developed. This is all sitting on a dry base of cedar and vetiver. Powdery, clean, classy, and surprisingly seductive.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on Dior Homme Intense is quite good. It’s not nearly as loud as something like 1 Million but it definitely earns the intense moniker.

The longevity is excellent. Dior Homme Intense is an all day wear and then some. That’s one thing, that I really appreciate about this cologne.

On my skin, I can hit that 9-11 hour range of solid wear. Yes, towards the end of that set, it is much more of a skin scent. However, the performance is very good overall.

For wear, it’s a late fall and winter wear in my book. It has a really warm, sweet gourmand fragrance and just sits perfectly in the colder air.

I stay away from the two Dior Homme’s in summertime. Maybe, if I’m going to be indoors, during the evening. But, it has to be air conditioned, and low humidity.

In terms of versatility, it is another classy and dressed up kind of scent. Hell, I’ll wear it with t-shirt and jeans, but it exudes sophistication and is best represented when dressed to the nines.

I like Dior Homme Intense best for evening wear and romantic wear. It does a great job at filling that role.

It is a masculine fragrance, but not in a rough, or overbearing sort of way. This is a man who is well put together, not weak, but not boorish either.

I have gotten plenty of complements, wearing Dior Homme Intense. Several drivers, when I’ve headed out to the bars, have commented on how much they like it. Also, women, once I arrive in whatever nightlife venue respond really positively toward this scent.

Now, I do wear Dior Homme, over this usually. But, I do often combine the two, for greater effect. Maybe two sprays of Dior Homme for one spray of Intense. It brings out enough strength, blends well, while giving you some highlights of each of the colognes.

Overall Impression of Dior Homme Intense

Overall, would I recommend Dior Homme Intense? Yes, indeed I would. I enjoy wearing it and like it’s different take on the original Dior Homme.

You can totally have both of them, as they are different enough, to create their own experiences and have a slightly different personality, so to speak.

I absolutely love the opening act of this fragrance. It’s about as perfect, as I can imagine a scent to be, or that I have come across in all the hundreds of tests that I’ve done. It’s fantastic.

The performance overall is outstanding and there’s no overwhelming negative, that I can tell from, all of my time spent with this cologne. Dior Intense has achieved classic status, in my book.

Update: Intense is now the remaining Dior Homme with this formulation (outside of the scarce Dior Homme Parfum). The brand revamped the Dior Homme lineup, producing: Dior Homme 2020 review and the Sport variant. As such, DHI would be my number one pick from this line.

Anyway by Juliette Has a Gun

by

As a part of my last batch of samples, I included a scent that I had never heard of at the time. This always interests me, since it can be quite a change of pace, and I can hopefully find a hidden gem. That fragrance is: Anyway by Juliette Has a Gun. Yeah, great name…In this post, I am going to go over what it contains, how it smells, performs, and whether or not this unisex fragrance is worth a purchase.

What does Anyway by Juliette Has a Gun Smell Like?

Notes include: neroli, lime, ambroxan, and musk

Click here to try: Juliette Has A Gun Anyway Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.3 fl. oz.

My Full Wear Review

Anyway starts out with the top notes of neroli and lime. It’s a nice citrus aroma that doesn’t have quite the same intense lime as something like, Set Sail St. Barts. It’s downplayed and actually quite lovely in its presentation. I have to say the opening is my favorite part of Anyway, it is fresh and smells great.

I love lime in a summer fragrance, but there are so few that can truly hold on for long periods of time.

That’s about as good as it gets. The initial top notes fade after about ten minutes and what you’re left with is a musky mix or floral notes and ambroxan.

It’s warm but almost completely without any personality, in my opinion. There is only a hint of that nice lime left and it all just smells very blasé. Anyway becomes as indifferent, as I become to wearing it.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s starts off moderate and quickly turns into a skin scent. Not really even an interesting skin scent. It’s sort of there but never wows you.

The sillage on this stuff comes out okay, but then just fades out almost entirely. That seems to happen with lots of these citrus based scents, just no staying power.

The longevity is poor and this fragrance only last for a few hours, tops. Lame. Seriously, I tested it out multiple times, with heavy spraying and still not much of anything here.

I guess this was designed to be a casual spring/summer scent. Though, it doesn’t perform well enough to really assign it a category. Other than, being unisex for the short time it does anything.

If it lasted on your skin, I guess it would have pretty good versatility in the warmer months of the year. I’d keep it to daytime wear, semi-formal, casual, or work.

Overall Impressions of Anyway

Overall, I’m obviously not going to recommend this scent. I mean, I like the lime note, but it is too short lived. Secondly, it’s extremely boring for the rest of the time it hangs around on your skin. I don’t think it ever smells bad, it’s just not interesting past 10 minutes.

If it had better longevity, it could be an okay choice for the summer months. But that’s also assuming that you could get it at a cheap price. I don’t see the point of owning this fragrance at all.

Original Vetiver by Creed

by

Another day, another review. This time, I’ve been trying out a sample vial of Original Vetiver by Creed. Creed has some nice fragrances for guys, but I’ve also been disappointed or underwhelmed by some of their releases, that I thought were really bland. Sure, I can still appreciated the quality craftsmanship of each scent, but at that price if it doesn’t smell good…what the hell is the point? Does Original Vetiver fall into the same trap?

What does Original Vetiver Smell Like?

Notes include: vetiver, ginger, bergamot, sandalwood, musk, iris, ambergris, mandarin

Click here to try: Creed Creed Original Vetiver Men Millesime Spray, 4 Ounce

My Full Review of Original Vetiver

Obviously, the main attraction here is the vetiver note. However, upon the initial opening the citrus pair of bergamot and mandarin are very prevalent and work well with the soft spicy undertones of the ginger.

While I do enjoy vetiver in many different colognes, I was unsure about how I would feel about it being a dominant force in a fragrance, but I have to say that Creed did a great job at making it work.

Original Vetiver has a ‘green’ quality to it, that is almost reminiscent of a mint note. While there is not actual mint in this scent to my knowledge, Vetiver, does create that illusion at times when I’m smelling it on my skin.

Ultimately, the citrus and the minty illusion fall by the wayside and the vetiver takes center stage and never releases its grip. It’s such an utterly clean and invigorating scent, that seems to give you a slight energy boost when inhaled.

It’s quite a classic composition in this sense, once it’s settled, Original Vetiver is a fairly linear scent. That’s fine by me, as the soapiness of the fragrance, is crisp and masculine.

I enjoy how it subtly lingers throughout the day but I will say that it strikes me as an ‘old time’ fragrance, like something that was worn by men decades ago, which may limit its appeal with some guys.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s not overly strong but I never felt it to be weak, either. You’ll know that Original Vetiver is there, though, it isn’t going to overwhelm. It’s on the upper end of moderate, in my mind.

This fragrance has very good longevity and I get a full day’s wear out of it. Most all, Creed scents will give you this type of performance, as they are typically so well crafted. At least 8 hours, is pretty standard with this one, and can go over 10.

Seasonally, I would wear this at any time except for the height of summer. It doesn’t strike me as having a summery vibe and I’m not particularly convinced that it would perform well with heat and high humidity.

Original Vetiver is also a business or business casual kind of fragrance. Not something that would be worn out to a club or perhaps not even a date (but it won’t totally be out of place in that instance).

Overall Impressions of Original Vetiver

Overall, would I recommend Original Vetiver? Yes, provided you’re a fan of vetiver, want a ‘classic’ clean/soapy fragrance, and prefer subtlety over extreme power.

Original Vetiver is very attractive on the whole with a green and masculine aroma that could find a place as a daily wear for a lot of guys.

The performance here is good and this is an example of a great vetiver cologne. Yes, it is on the expensive side of things, but it is worth it for those who want a classic kind of cologne.

Personally, it’s not something that I’d want to wear all of the time. But, as far as vetiver focused scents go, this has been among my favorites for a while now. I will say, the price has been getting pretty crazy for what you get in return. So, Original Vetiver is probably a try out before you buy fragrance nowadays.