Cologne Reviews

Nautica Voyage N-83 by Nautica

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So far on this site, I have reviewed a few colognes from Nautica, including Voyage and Nautica Blue. Today, though, I want to tackle a flanker fragrance of Voyage; N-83 from 2013. Like other Nautica scents, this is another inexpensive option in the aquatic realm of men’s colognes.

How does N-83 stack up against other options in this price range and is it worth it over something like the original Voyage or Blue? In this post, I want to give an overview of its contents, how it performs, and if it’s ultimately worth a buy.

What does Voyage N-83 Smell Like?

Notes include: cardamom, petitgrain, mint, lavender, sandalwood, nutmeg, sea notes

Click here to try: Nautica N-83

My Full Wear Review

N-83 opens with a noticeable blast from the ‘sea notes’, giving it a defined oceanic scent. To me it is less akin to the original Voyage and more along the lines of Tommy Bahama Set Sail St. Martinique, not exactly the same, but the salty sea notes are comparable.

Both of these scents have a stronger aquatic aroma that is blended with at least some musk, though, the Tommy Bahama scent is muskier. N-83 has a much sharper edge, while Martinique is rather smooth.

The original Voyage has citrus fruit notes including orange, however, N-83 is a departure from that and instead opts to go with something that is fresh and clean with undertones of musk and smooth lavender.

From the top, you get a cool and spicy mint with a hint of petitgrain. Neither of which, is all that pronounced in the composition, but you will get their scent for a while. It comes across as fairly herbal with lighter musk at first, with that marine note permeating everything.

The opening of this actually seems like a mix of St. Martinique and the newer release, Voyage Heritage. That Voyage is a stronger mint/lavender pairing.

What you really get with Voyage N-83 is a semi-soapy aquatic, with some freshly clean spice, and calming lavender. It doesn’t hit you with any citrus notes or other fruity inclusions, like most other aquatics.

You do get a nice bit of salty ‘sea air’ smell, which is a cool touch to the composition. Which, I guess can be a good or bad thing, depending on your personal tastes.

N-83 is a pretty simple and straightforward fragrance, that’s not a bad thing, it’s not meant to be some rich complex formula…just an inexpensive scent that smells good. I think it delivers on that end. I think that this scent is a bit more masculine than Voyage with less fruit and seemingly more understated.

Sillage, Longevity, and Projection

Projection wise, N-83 is completely moderate. This isn’t one that will fill up a room unless you went completely overboard with it. You do get a solid 30-60 minute, opening act with some power.

However, that will change and it will be a lighter moderate scent. Not terrible with the projection and scent trail. Just not a massive cologne.

Longevity isn’t that great either. I think that is one area where it fails to live up to the original. 4-6 hours and it fades into a skin scent. The first 3 hours, is where it’ll actually be really noticeable, with that aforementioned first hour delivering the goods.

It is good for casual wear or at the office (not a formal workplace, however), especially in the summer months, which is the case with pretty much any Nautica fragrance. I’d definitely lean towards casual wear or some outdoors activities like the beach.

This is much more of a starter cologne for guys, so, it can be a good option for younger men. If you’re older, its going to be of a fairly limited use, and you should consider going up-market for something better.

Still, N-83 is very serviceable in a pinch or when you just want a ‘dumb’ grab.

Overall Impressions of Voyage N-83

Overall, is N-83 worth a buy? You could definitely do a lot worse and for the price, it really is a solid pick. However, I think that Nautica has a few better options in this price range, that will deliver the same if not much better results depending on your personal taste.

It’s a nice, clean, soapy, type of scent but nothing special and there are better bets from the same brand. Though, this one is still one of their better releases. Especially, with some of the boring stuff Nautica has put out as of late.

That opening freshness and musk is pleasant with the highlights of petitgrain, cardamom, and mint. Nothing too dramatic, just something that has a great vibe.

When compared to designer scents at a higher price point, it doesn’t really compare at all. You can easily do better higher up the price chain and even lower points than this. Still, N-83 has always been likeable and an easy grab.

Gentlemen Only Casual Chic by Givenchy

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With my recent sample haul, I received my third fragrance from Givenchy’s Gentlemen Only line, Casual Chic. This was released in 2015. My favorite of the previous two was Gentlemen Only Intense, but Casual Chic seemed to be more of an imitation of the original than that particular flanker cologne.

In this review, I’m going to cover what it’s made of, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if I think that it is worth a purchase or not.

What does Gentlemen Only Casual Chic Smell Like?

Notes include: cedar, ambroxan, birch leaf, sandalwood, cardamom, ginger, juniper

Click here to try: Givenchy Gentlemen Only Casual Chic Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: A seductive fragrance for the easygoing gentleman. Fresh and relaxed for a casual chic allure.

The initial spray of Casual Chic seems to have an element of orange for the first 30 seconds or so before the spicy and woody aroma emerges. It has an outdoorsy vibe that is topped by the ginger and juniper notes which creates quite an interesting combination.

Casual Chic is energetic and fresh with an old school feel that never strays into the unisex category like some other scents.

The ginger note provides that characteristic spice throughout the life of the scent and Casual Chic is one of the better uses of this note, that I’ve experienced recently.

I find it to be quite ‘green’ and woodsy, like a walk in the forest on a late spring or summer day, but it doesn’t go full woods as compared to another scent like Azzaro.

The ambroxan note, keeps it warm and smooth without getting overpowered by the cedar.

When compared to the original Gentlemen Only, I do find some similarities in the composition, but the original is much smokier and actually does have that orange not that Casual Chic briefly mimics.

Sillage, Longevity, and When to Wear

It’s projection is pretty moderate but it is better than its predecessor in this regard. It’s not an overwhelming fragrance, but it is noticeable.

It’ not a heavy fragrance, lighter to moderate in terms of sillage. However, it does project rather well. So, you do get some value out of this spring and summer wear.

It does have good longevity on my skin, probably 7 hours of wear. This is when the original fell flat by hour 3…so that’s a good improvement.

Not an elite scent, I’m just glad it outshines the original at least. Surprising, considering what its based on, but Casual Chic worked pretty well for me.

I’d rate this as a casual scent, as the name implies. Good for work, school, or a day spent around town.

It’s a outdoorsy kind of cologne but it seems to be best for warmer weather, when so many other similar scents get stuck in the winter category. This is a nice change of pace from the norm.

It could probably be worn to work or semi-formally. Not really a club scent or something super formal. But, the freshness and easy going nature gives it the ability to be worn fairly extensively in the spring and summer.

Overall Impressions of Casual Chic

Overall, is Casual Chic worth a buy? I enjoy it but it doesn’t really fit me and my style. That said, it is better than the original Gentlemen Only.

So, if you like that or if this composition seems to fit your personal style, it could be a good purchase at the right price. It’s solid all around but it doesn’t particularly blow me away ever, for what it does, it does it well enough.

The juniper and ginger are the highlights for me. Not too big on the ambroxan and birch, but the other woods give it a nice freshness. Nothing about Casual Chic is bad, more of an above average cologne that some guys will really like, while others will mildly enjoy.

Update: While there are still bottles around online, Givenchy discontinued this one some time ago. The one’s I have seen are mostly on eBay and are selling for around $100. Not going to be worth the reach for most people. Unless you’ve already tried it and loved it, you can pass on Casual Chic.

Only the Brave Wild by Diesel

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Another sample that I received recently is from the Only the Brave line by Diesel, named, Wild. Flanker fragrances to original scents that have enjoyed popularity can be hit and miss. Sometimes, you get an improvement over the original, and many other times you get a complete dud. How does Only the Brave Wild stack up? Please continue reading below for my full take.

What does Only the Brave Wild Smell Like?

Notes include: citronella, lavender, nutmeg, black pepper, coconut wood, cedar

Click here to try: Diesel Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, Only The Brave Wild, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Only the Brave Wild, is a mix of woodsy green notes and spice provided by the black pepper and nutmeg notes. It took me a few minutes to figure out what the nutmeg note was reminding me of and I finally placed it to Polo’s Double Black.

No, these two scents aren’t clones of one another, it was just that singular note which was drawing my attention. But with the citronella note in this one instead of the mango in Double Black, there is a vague resemblance lurking between the two scents.

Anyways, there is a fresh spiciness and warmth to this cologne from the outset. The grapefruit-like aroma (citronella) gives Only the Brave Wild an understated citrus aroma that blends rather nicely but ultimately weakens after about a half an hour.

There is also coconut wood as a note and not the coconut itself, which is interesting because it isn’t an intense coconut smell like found in Virgin Island Water.

However, you do pick up on that sort of tropical vibe underneath the wood and spice. As it moves along, I get more of the black pepper and nutmeg combo paired with the wood, and much less of the citrus/coconut combo.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this Diesel cologne, is kind of weak, but not a complete disaster. You might add an extra spray while wearing it to get a full effect. Still, not going to overwhelm.

It hangs in the air rather lightly but it does have a pretty good radius of projection for a time. The overall effect is pretty limited.

The longevity is also not so great, I’d say around 4 hours per wear, maybe 5 on occasion. The sillage is a bit better than how long it actually lasts, which isn’t saying much.

For a mainstream designer fragrance, that’s just flat out embarrassing. I tested it a few times and that’s what I got out of Wild. With a super cheap cologne, I might expect performance like this, but not for Diesel.

This strikes me as a fall through springtime scent. I wouldn’t like this in the summer and it would probably perform even worse in the heat. Even though it isn’t a heavy fragrance, has some citrus and tropical notes, I’d still pass when it’s hot out.

In cold weather, it could be fairly decent, as a casual or maybe office kind of cologne to wear. There are certainly more formal and better options, however. I wouldn’t wear this for a night on the town, a date, or anything else of the sort.

It’s not a very versatile fragrance outside of the range of climate that it can be worn in.

Overall Impressions of Only the Brave Wild

Overall would I recommend Only the Brave Wild? Not really. I don’t see it as useful in any meaningful way. It doesn’t smell terrible, but it’s just okay, and very forgettable.

The performance isn’t good enough for it to be a sneaky good fragrance, and I’m pretty unenthusiastic about wearing it any further. It is fairly unique, it just doesn’t do much of anything with that uniqueness.

Like, the performance is bad, even if you happen to personally like the smell. Coming back to this scent, I’m wavering on even that aspect of it. I still think that Only the Brave Wild is mid in smell and pretty lousy in almost every other aspect.

There are a ton of better options at this price point and below, so Only the Brave Wild is the odd man out.

Eternity Air for Men by Calvin Klein

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Eternity Air was one of the seemingly endless line of CK Eternity fragrances, that I had yet to properly try and review on the site. This one came out back in 2018 and I wasn’t too familiar with it.  So, I bought a travel sprayer’s worth of it to test out and share my thoughts on. How does it smell? How long does Air last? Is it worth a try?

What does Eternity Air Smell Like?

Notes include: lavender, mandarin, sea notes, juniper, violet leaf, seaweed, patchouli, amber, apple

Click here to try: Eternity Air

My Full Wear Review

The opening spray of Eternity Air does bring an airy sort of aroma. Not that it’s weak, but more like a gust of wind carrying it’s notes on top of it.

Initially, the lavender is most noticeable, along with the freshness of the juniper. A light mandarin and seaweed/saltwater combination, that is sort of like Bvlgari Aqva. However, this one reminds me a lot of Maritime Journey by Tommy Bahama blended with Light Blue Eau Intense.

I like the concept itself. The air accord and the sea/aquatic accord being the two dominate themes in this one. So, once I saw the listed notes, I had pretty high expectations for Air.

There is definitely an accord of ingredients in this one, that produces an Light Blue Eau Intense aroma. It’s like a current underneath the main attraction of Eternity Air. Amber, sea notes, mandarin, and especially the juniper all overlap with these two fragrances. Air isn’t nearly as strong, nor as citrusy.

From here, I pick up some of the violet leaf. What Eternity Air ultimately becomes is about the amber, lavender, juniper, and seaweed. The other notes mostly evaporate away from my skin and this starts to feel rather plain and familiar.

So, the oceanic feeling is gone, except for the seaweed. Then, the ‘air’ fresh breeziness doesn’t hold up throughout either. Again, the two main attractions are all but neutered by the end.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it’s pretty moderate. On the lower end of the middle of the pack. For me, it actually holds up decently, but never feels like a powerhouse or anything.

Again, this is an airy aquatic. As such, Eternity Air isn’t going to be a heavy sillage bomb. Some scent trail and projection, but it’s going to be lighter with how it hangs in the air.

Longevity is okay, but not amazing. 5-6.5 hours with a few sprays, on the skin. On an old t-shirt, I got some more hours out of it. So, if you don’t mind damaging some clothing item, it’ll go further for you.

This one suffers the same fate as many other recent releases from this brand, it’s middling in the performance. Even if you like the smell of the fragrance itself, it kind of disappoints anyway.

Eternity Air is a spring/summer wear. Though, I’ve worn it in January, and it really wasn’t bad at all. It’s not a super citrus scent and the airy freshness didn’t feel too out of place.

Mostly, I would wear this as a casual scent. It’s not particularly offensive, so the office wouldn’t be a problem either. Not a club beast. It’s somewhat attractive, but nothing to call sexy.

You can at least wear Eternity Air in a variety of situations, which I guess is its strength. It’s just not very formal or anything that is well put together, even if it is something that one can get use out of.

Overall Impressions of Eternity Air

Do I like this fragrance? It’s okay. There’s nothing all that unique about it, nor anything attention grabbing. It smells like plenty of others out there, doesn’t have insane performance, but it isn’t revolting.

I thought that I would really like this one going into it. I do like fresh aquatics and with that added ‘air’ accord, this cologne sounded like something that’d be an under the radar gem. However, it doesn’t ever turn into anything special.

From the Eternity series, Air, is one of my least favorites. Eternity Now and Aqua are both better warm weather colognes. As such, what’s the point of getting this one?

The opening act is probably it’s most attractive point, but that’s short-lived. Everything else about it is completely middle of the road. Kind of a forgettable experience. Again, Eternity Air isn’t a bad fragrance, I just can’t see myself wanting to or needing to wear it.

Akaster by Parfums de Marly

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Still moving my way through this box full of sample fragrances and also have a handful of Parfums de Marly scents to do write-ups on. Today’s entry is a review of Akaster, another cologne from the horse named French line, this one released in 2015. What does Akaster smell like? What are the notes? How does it perform? Is it worth a purchase? Continue below for my full take on this Parfums de Marly fragrance.

What does Akaster Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, Bulgarian Rose, agarwood, sandalwood, cypress, and more

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Akaster, 4.2 Fl Oz 

My Full Review

While there is a lemon top note to Akaster, it is very subtle and just a hint of citrus to what is otherwise a very woody and rose-laden fragrance. There is a crisp forest element and a bit of spice, just to change things up somewhat.

However, the two main attractions here are the rose and the oud notes.

I’m usually pretty hesitant with rose colognes, because it’s not my favorite note, and it can be absolutely too much. However, I think that Parfums de Marly really did a great job of blending this cologne.

The oud isn’t too powerful and the rose isn’t too overbearing, there is a firm balance between the two, and it makes this fragrance better than it otherwise would’ve been.

Akaster is a very straightforward, linear, cologne. You are going to get a oud base that is flanked by a fresh and crisp array of other tree notes. Other than the oud, I get a good deal of the cypress. Very green.

This is all surrounded by an air of roses growing in a garden and a squeeze of lemon. Simple, but actually quite effective.

Sillage, Longevity, When to Wear

Projection wise, Akaster is pretty strong. One spray was plenty detectable and any more than 2-3 would be overdoing it. Spraying this on clothes, it leaped across the room, with its projection and the trail on skin was also awesome. Great sillage. Well, at least for a time.

Akaster is one of the fragrances that I’ve come across, that has a massive projection, but the sustained performance just isn’t there. Burns twice as bright, but quiets down rather quickly.

The longevity is ok/good but not great, it seemed to not want to last more than six hours, both times I wore it around. Actually, it’s kind of disappointing, at this price point.

Seriously, after that massive start, I was thinking it’d be around for double digit hours like other PdM fragrances. Akaster just dies out, on my skin. Maybe other people get this one for a long time, but it’s pretty mid on me.

Seasonally, Akaster is one for the colder months. Think a crisp fall day and into the winter time. It has an airy freshness to it, but isn’t really all that ‘warm’ and enveloping. It is somewhat versatile, but not an every occasion sort of scent.

I like it in a dressy casual to dressed up scenario. Not a night club fragrance, but could probably be worn at the office. Pleasant, but not particularly sexy. More one to enjoy as a niche perfume, than a mass crowd pleaser.

Overall Impressions of Akaster

Overall, do I like Akaster? Yes, much more than I though that I would when reading the notes. It’s a simple fragrance from Parfums de Marly, but so well put together that it just works.

It does have some limitations in terms of its longevity and versatility, but it also smells quite nice. Almost a reverse of what I expected with it. I thought that the performance would be amazing and that I wouldn’t really like the smell.

Rose and oud have a great balance in this blend and I like the additional woody notes, like cypress. Not very complex, but still fairly enjoyable.

Is that good enough for the associated price tag? I guess that depends on your budget. I wouldn’t personally drop hundreds of dollars for it, but I enjoy wearing it well enough. It’s an well above average scent, but I wouldn’t put it among the best from this design house.