Cologne Reviews

Luna Rossa Black by Prada

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I am a pretty big fan of Prada’s men’s fragrances. In particular, I like the Luna Rossa line, as I find them to all be at least solid. Not one of them is a bad cologne. As such, I wanted to give Luna Rossa Black a try, and see if it held up the name’s tradition. How does it smell? When should it be worn? How does it perform? Please continue below, for my full take on this scent.

What Does Luna Rossa Black Smell Like?

Notes include: patchouli, amber, angelica, tonka bean, musk, bergamot

Click here to try: Prada Luna Rossa Black for Men Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

My initial impression of Luna Rossa Black, wasn’t all that positive. It wasn’t a bad scent, I just wasn’t that taken, with how it started out. This is going to be another single wear review, as I tried this in the store, but it was a surprisingly long encounter with this scent. Oh and it got much better, as it moved along.

The opening consists of a light bergamot note, some patchouli, amber, and angelica. I’m not sure what has me feeling so lukewarm, about Black in the beginning, but I think its just the patchouli mixing weird with one of the other notes.

It’s got a warm, semi-powdery aroma, that has a burnt sort of aroma. To my nose, it’s just not great.

Nonetheless, I kept this Prada cologne on my skin, and gradually came around to it. I actually really enjoy the dry down, on this one. The amber and tonka bean, really begin to ramp up. It’s got a sweet, smooth, and still retains that powdery scent. That Prada amber note, is fantastic, as usual with this brand.

Black does have a ‘dark’ sort of smell to it. The musk note comes in, and the patchouli falls back, to a much better role. It gives it that underlying earthy aroma, but doesn’t interfere with the great amber/tonka bean show up top. It becomes super smooth, a bit sweet, with a not too heavy feeling scent.

How’s the Sillage? How Long Does it Last?

I really wasn’t sure how long to expect this fragrance to go. To be honest, I sort of just sprayed myself with it three times at the store, and kind of forgot about it. However, this one projects itself quite well. It’s not a monster, but the sillage is very solid.

What really shocked me, was how long this one went for. Keep in mind, it is summer, I went outside multiple times with this on. 9-10 hours later, I could still smell it.

Update: Coming back to this one years later, in the wintertime, and this one works so much better with how it smells and it still hits that double digit hour mark fairly easily. So, I’ve bumped up the score a bit below.

I had to take a shower, but it could have kept going. My skin is pretty good at not eating up colognes, but the longevity was on point with Black.

Versatility

While I do think that Luna Rossa Black is more appropriate for the colder weather. It honestly, held up pretty well in the heat. It wasn’t perfect, as some of the notes did degrade a bit, but still did a good job.

I’d say it’s much more of an option during the autumn through early spring. It has a professional and refined sort of smell, but has a sexy edge, that can take it into nighttime wear.

Overall Scent

I wasn’t too thrilled with Luna Rossa Black at first, but it won me over. It is a great addition to the Luna Rossa line, still not my favorite, though I did enjoy wearing it.

To me, after the first hour, is when this one is at its absolute best. I love tonka bean and amber, so this was a really nice experience. That first hour, is mid-tier.

Am I blown away by it? No, though, I give it fairly high marks across the board. It’s nothing groundbreaking, it just lasts a long time, and has an attractive scent. That’s most of what we require from our fragrances and Black delivers.

It’s one of the better editions. I like the original Luna Rossa and Sport a bit more than this. Yet, this also seems to be a favorite of a lot of people. Try this one out, it’s a designer scent that does everything well.

Eau Sauvage Cologne by Dior

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Eau Sauvage Cologne is a flanker of the 1966 classic Dior fragrance, which was released back in 2015. I bought three of the Eau Sauvage scents to test out and finally do full reviews on and Cologne is the last one on the list. How does it smell? Is it long lasting? Is Eau Sauvage Cologne worth a try?

What does Eau Sauvage Cologne Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, mandarin orange, bergamot, galbanum, hedione, petitgrain, pink pepper, and vetiver

My Full Review

Right away, one thing that is noticeable is the resemblance of Eau Sauvage Cologne with Dior Homme Cologne. Now, this one is more complex than that fragrance, but the bergamot and grapefruit are the shared commonalities.

However, the differences are also very noticeable. Eau Sauvage Cologne is spicier, greener, and has a good amount of orange in the mix. Galbanum and petitgrain really give this one a green and somewhat bitter smell early, while the pink pepper kicks in the spice.

A bit further in the galbanum and pink pepper will subside a lot. It’s still more green than spicy underneath the influence of the citrus. The hedione gives it a light floral feel, with an additional stem-like smell, and the bergamot and grapefruit take charge in the citrus accord.

The rest of the way, this gets drier and fresh, rather than herbal green. I mean, the petitgrain stays for the duration, but everything else has pretty much burned off save the bergamot, grapefruit, and increasingly strong vetiver. That’s essentially the dry down.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one doesn’t come across as huge or having some long trail sort of sillage. It is though, one that creates a nice and somewhat far reaching aroma for that first hour to hour and a half.

There after it is a lighter moderate, but I don’t find it to be weak at all. Of course in the latter stages, it will sit closer to the skin. That’s not a problem because it does hold up better than similar colognes.

On my skin, this one lasts somewhere in the 6.5-7 hour range at its best. For this sort of summer scent, that’s not bad. I wasn’t expecting some long-lasting powerhouse, but I did get enough power and time to spend with Cologne that I was pleasantly surprised.

Seasonally, again, this is spring and summer all the way. It’s suited for that environment and is actually very nice in the warmer weather. I’ve had some days like that to test it out in during this winter. Eau Sauvage Cologne is awesome with a light breeze going.

This is more of a casual daytime scent or a fresh garden party sort of wear. You can also wear it during business you may have during the summer. It has a clean and fresh appeal, while still holding a level of maturity.

Overall Impressions of Eau Sauvage Cologne

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I do. It might have a slight edge over Dior Homme Cologne, due to its depth and slightly better performance, though it isn’t crushing its compatriot in terms of enjoyment.

The herbal green element here gives a nice change of pace and you still get the great citrus notes found in the other Eau Sauvage scents. It’s a very nice pickup for the spring and summer months, when you want something well put together but isn’t going to fall apart in the heat.

The citrus notes are great, I like the orange, but I actually prefer once it has settled and I get more of the grapefruit and bergamot. It might have to do with the galbanum taking a back seat, as well.

This is worth getting, if you’re in need of a summer cologne. Fresh, cold, and clean. Really one of the better designer warm weather citrus fragrances. Better than Allure Homme Sport Cologne, also, which shares plenty of overlap too.

Eau Sauvage Extreme Intense (2010) by Dior

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Eau Sauvage Extreme Intense is one from Dior that I have not tried. It actually first came out back in the 80s and was updated for release back in 2010. Going through the list of Eau Sauvage fragrances, this was one that I was excited to try out. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a buy?

What does Eau Sauvage Extreme Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, cedar, lavender, elemi, mint, basil, jasmine, patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver

Click here to try: Eau Sauvage Extreme Intense

My Full Review

Cold, bright, and fresh. There is the usual Eau Sauvage citrus notes, this time however, they are sitting underneath a blend of basil and mint up top. I actually get a bit more of the basil on my skin, then I do the mint note. Herbal, sort of a menthol kind of effect, when put together.

I like it. The fresh spiciness doesn’t overwhelm and still has balance within the composition. It’s held in check by the lavender note and the resinous elemi, which was also a big factor in Eau Sauvage Parfum. Here, it has less of a long-term influence.

After a while, the basil and mint will calm down and the citrus starts to come through more clearly. Lavender, elemi, cedar start to follow in gaining strength. Less green than the opening act, but the basil and mint do stick around at a lower level.

Patchouli breaks through a bit after this. It’s not heavy, but it does dirty up the scent somewhat, for at least a little while. Nothing too intrusive, but it plays well with the general green and woody aspects of Extreme Intense.

For me, the rest of the way is a cedar, lavender, elemi, and citrus affair. Very little spice and patchouli left. More of a clean and somewhat fresh aroma. Some moss thrown in for good measure.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

After having both this and Parfum at the same time, the performances are essentially identical for me. Fairly strong sillage when initially sprayed, then, staying more inside a 3-5 foot radius of the skin.

Again, like Parfum, Extreme Intense hits the 8-8.5 hour territory. Those last hours aren’t super powerful, but it does indeed stick around. With the name Extreme Intense, you might expect something with a lot more kick, but it’s not bad overall.

Seasonally, I really like the versatility of Eau Sauvage Extreme. It’s great in the slightly warmer weather, but doesn’t feel completely out of place in the cold either.

Autumn and spring are probably the best time to wear it. It might be too fresh initially for the dead of winter, but outside of that, it’s not really a problem.

Day or night wear. It’s attractive, somewhat sexy, but one that’s easily enjoyed without having to completely stand out. Could absolutely be a daily wear for some guys. Very versatile, not overly formula but can cover a lot of bases.

Overall Impressions of Extreme Intense

Overall, do I like Eau Sauvage Extreme Intense? I like it well enough, but I prefer Eau Sauvage Parfum from this series as a regular wear, and the Cologne version as a summer specific fragrance.

That opening with the basil and mint is nice. Those two combined with the underlying citrus (bergamot) is one of the highlights for me. It resembles some of the Eau Sauvage scents thereafter, but I just like those others more than this.

Not to say that this is bad, it’s not at all. I like it. This one might suit you better, particularly if you want a greener and woodsier take on this Eau Sauvage DNA.  The performance is good enough and it is wearable in plenty of scenarios.

I like it. If you can try before you buy, I would do so. That’s harder to do, since I’m not even sure that this is still in production. Extreme is at least worth trying out and may be a great addition to your collection.

Y EDP Intense by YSL

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Y EDP Intense is the latest offering in the series from YSL, after being released here in 2023. I purchased some samples in order to test it out and see whether it holds up to the rest of the line. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is Intense actually worth a try?

What does Y EDP Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: sage, patchouli, ginger, geranium, lavender, cedar, juniper berries

Click here to try: Y EDP Intense

y edp intense review

My Full Wear Review

Here’s how YSL describes it: This clean scent amplifies the iconic blend to the extreme by spicing it up with juniper berries and rich, woody patchouli. A deep blue sexy and fresh scent, with all-day-long intensity in a spray

The opening of Y EDP Intense is pretty familiar, in terms of what you get with the rest of the series. The same blue-ish aroma is there early, along with the powerful sage note from Y Eau de parfum (review).

Intense, doesn’t have the apple note, so, people who weren’t a fan of its sweetness may be pleased. It is replaced by a much shorter-lived juniper berry. I like its pairing here with the sage and other ingredients.

Early on you get a light bergamot, to go along with the cooler fresh spiciness. Geranium, ginger, and that sage note are all present creating a nice aromatic aroma.

I personally get around 20-30 minutes of this phase of the fragrance, before it begins to shift quite a bit. Things get earthier, warmer, less spicy.

The patchouli note is actually a large influence in the composition. This next phase is basically that, lavender, and geranium. Sage and juniper essentially fall off of the map.

This lasts for another hour or so, before it hits what you’re essentially going to get the rest of the way. However, during the shift the vetiver note, increases in strength until it eventually overtakes the patchouli.

The dry down is dry, woody, somewhat earthy, with some lavender hanging around still. Vetiver and patchouli are the main attractions, flanked by cedar, geranium, and lavender.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

So, that opening hour or so has pretty strong sillage. I might call it above average, just nothing insane. Especially, that first 30 minutes or so. It projects well and will leave a trail in your wake.

After that, it is a pretty intimate cologne after the first hour. By the third or so, it’s a skin scent. Really, I haven’t been getting great performance with this one.

The longevity is around 6.5 hours, on my skin. It’s strange, as I can get well into the double digit hours with Y EDP, much of the time. I have a full bottle of that and comparing these head to head, it’s really no contest.

Intense doesn’t have the Y EDP sillage or longevity.

Seasonally, EDP Intense actually has great versatility. Outside of the height of summer, this one could probably be worn without issue. I’ve worn it out on an extremely warm winter’s day and it did well. Also, have sprayed in the cold, and it fit in fine.

Stripped of its apple note, this has a slightly more mature profile than the original EDP. It’s not too intrusive, has a pleasantness about it, but I really wouldn’t call this one ‘sexy’ in any meaningful sense.

Casual to semi-formal, can go nightlife if need be. The fragrance’s versatility is where it can actually score higher marks.

Overall Impressions of Y EDP Intense

Overall, do I like Y EDP Intense? Eh, it’s okay. The opening is intriguing, but it doesn’t really do anything for me thereafter. I have to say, it’s my least favorite Y scent, as of now. Even Eau Fraiche, was more enjoyable, even with its limited use case.

Once past that opening, it’s pretty bland. Lots of patchouli, then more of a vetiver-led dry down. Which isn’t bad, but if you want a woody aromatic or fougere, there are better options out there than this.

Y EDP Intense isn’t even great with the performance. The sillage and longevity of the original EDP are way better than this. Sure, that apple note with the sage bothers some people. But, it lasts long and projects like a beast. This, not so much.

Personally, I don’t have much use case for this. It isn’t terrible. However, at that price point, I’d rather buy a lot of other scents. In this series, I’d rather wear pretty much any of them before coming to this one. A pretty mid-range release all around from YSL.

If you’re a fan of the Y line, but didn’t really like the apple, maybe this would work. I’d test it out for sure, before committing though.

Egoiste EDT by Chanel

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Egoiste is a 1990 release from Chanel, that’s still going strong today. It followed and is basically a rebrand of 1987’s Bois Noir. I recently grabbed a new bottle, in order to review the modern formulation. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Egoiste Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, coriander, cinnamon, Damask rose, sandalwood, vanilla, ambrette seed

Click here to try: Chanel Egoiste

My Full Review

Egoiste is a fragrance that I’m revisiting and finally posting a full review of. I saw it online when I was making some other new purchases to test out and put a bottle of this in the bag, also.

It kicks off with a dry, bright, and spicy blast. That mandarin note is light and doesn’t grab the headlines, but it is a nice lighter element to the mix. Coriander and cinnamon are pretty massive here, making the opening act a very warm and spicy affair.

The mandarin fruitiness is bolstered by the presence of the Damask rose. Pinkish, sweet, and a touch fruity with how it comes across earlier. Balances out the weaker carnation, which really serves to add to the spice.

Now, the main star here for the entire duration of the wear, is the sandalwood note. The dry down is going to be very much about this ingredient, when the initial punch has faded. Very dry, very woody fragrance.

The coriander is the first to burn off for me, that little carnation too. This is more rosy during the second phase. A sweeter fragrance, with bits of vanilla and tobacco coming through. A warmer, honeyed sort of sweetness thanks to ambrette seed.

The woody accord is still about the sandalwood, but there is some mahogany and rosewood there in support. Sweetish rosy wood, dotted with cinnamon. Yet, it’s darker with the woody influence and that initial citrus brightness leaves entirely.

Finally, we get to the sandalwood dry down.  This is a very dry scent, especially at this point. Less sweet, a dense woodiness, some remaining: floral impressions, cinnamon, and tobacco. A slightly smoky and creamy ending.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one offers up a strong start, but it lighter to moderate the rest of the way. I find it to be about equal to the modern Platinum Egoiste.

The first hour and a half or so is strong, then, it will become more intimate. Even when I cannot totally pick up the scent with my own nose, other people have made comments about it (positive ones). So, this one can make you a bit nose blind when it shifts more to the sandalwood part.

Egoiste still does last. Again, you can become desensitized to it and not really notice. However, I can still pick this up 7.5 hours later. Is it a monster at this point? No, it sits very close to the skin. It is there, however.

Seasonally, I’d skip this anytime that it is too warm. It’s mostly an autumn and winter wear. If it’s temperate out, Egoiste works well too. During the summer, I wouldn’t be too enthusiastic to have it on.

This one is refined and masculine. Can work as an office fragrance, but I also love wearing it out at night. It’s got a sexiness to it and receives complements from people. While Egoiste is ‘old school’, the formula still feels very modern and not completely anachronistic.

Yes, this does skew older in its demographic. Though, I personally wore this back in my early 20s at times, and it worked fine for me. Just know if you’re younger, pretty much no one your age, is going to be wearing something like Egoiste.

Overall Impressions of Egoiste

Overall, do I like Egoiste? I love it. I’m so glad that I randomly bought a new bottle for myself, to rediscover everything wonderful about this scent. It’s just so good in the winter air and has a different feel from most everything mainstream out today.

The first time that I wore it, this time around, I thought that I had stopped liking it completely. But, that went away pretty quickly and I wanted to wear this everyday for the next week straight.

Coriander and cinnamon are great. Very bold within this very dry mix. I love the way that the spices hit, while you still get some sweetness from the rose, mandarin, and vanilla notes. Really great, balanced, and signature sort of fragrance that you can wear for decades.

Egoiste is very approachable for guys who want to try an older styled fragrance, but don’t want to start with something like, Kouros. I think Egoiste, is a better smelling scent anyway, but it’s also easier to wear for most people.

It’s a pretty safe blind buy, unless you just absolutely don’t like this style of fragrance. It’s a nice change of pace in the sea of ‘blue’ scents and still very worthwhile, all these years later.