Cologne Reviews

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.

Mercedes-Benz Intense for Men

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Mercedes-Benz Intense is a release under the car-manufacturer’s label from 2013. So, it’s one of the early ones in the series. I’ve been testing it out for review to see how it smells and performs. Is Intense worth a try?

What does Mercedes-Benz Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, violet leaf, lemon, mandarin, amber, pepper, nutmeg, patchouli, vetiver, cedar

Click here to try: Benz Intense

My Full Review

Here’s how Mercedes describes it: More powerful than the original fragrance, this Woody Ambery Fresh fragrance evokes the sensuality of a seductive urban male, a charmer, sure of his strength, sure of himself, sure of his power to go further.

Benz Intense opens up with its citrus accord out in full swing. The mandarin orange, is the strongest to my nose, with bergamot and lemon splitting the rest of the space.

Early on, I get the comparisons to a few of the Fahrenheit by Dior Flankers. Citrus, with the violet leaf and violet notes. It’s pretty easy to pick up that same vibe.

The violet leaf adds a greenish and watery aspect to the juiciness of the citrus. Yet, it’s got a spicy presence from the pepper note and maybe a very slight nutmeg. Though, that’s not playing a decisive role in this one.

Intense comes across as being bright and fresh at this stage. The mandarin sticks around, the rest of the citrus will weaken more so. This opens the door for a drier aroma, with a further freshness brought in by vetiver and some cedar.

So, less citrus more woods. More of a violet flower, less greenish watery/ozonic leaf. The spiciness also recedes into the background.

That’s pretty much the state of things, the rest of the way. Vetiver, violet flower/leaf, just a general fresh feeling.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does have some good projection and scent trail abilities, that are well above average, but not a complete bomb. It’s very noticeable for a majority of the wear and has about two hours, in which it is pretty fantastic off of the skin.

As far as how long Intense lasts, I get around 7.5, maybe 8 hours max. It’s solid, not a total marathon performer, just one that works for most purposes. Nothing about this scent seems average.

Seasonally, I’d could probably wear this anytime. Maybe skip the dead of winter (or daytime outdoors in the summer), as it might feel too sharp in the cold air. Spring is when this one would be at its best. One would get plenty of opportunity to wear this during the year, though.

Benz Intense isn’t super formal or super sexy, pretty wearable, in many different scenarios. It has some mass appeal and enough style to go day or night for most occasions. Again, I don’t really want to wear it completely dressed up, but semi-formal would be fine.

Overall Impressions of Mercedes Intense

Overall, do I like Mercedes-Benz Intense? I like it. Since it pretty closely resembles the Fahrenheit line, I’m not too into it. That’s not a favorite of mine from Dior. But, I like what they did here on the whole.

The citrus opening is enjoyable. Plus, I like the woodier dry down. Violet leaf is one of my least favorite notes, personally. That being said, I don’t completely mind it here, but it does cap my total enjoyment of this one.

The performance is good and Mercedes Intense doesn’t have any particular weak spots. If you like this style of fragrance, it is one to check out, and probably a pretty safe blind buy for most people.

It’s not amazing to me, it is quite good across the board, and one of the better releases from Mercedes-Benz.

Eau Sauvage Parfum (2017) by Dior

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Eau Sauvage is a fragrance that I’m familiar with, but I have to say, I never really got into the flankers. I acquired three of them recently to test out and review for the site. One of which, is today’s entry from 2017, Eau Sauvage Parfum. How does this one smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Eau Sauvage Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: citron, lavender, hedione, wild flowers, bergamot, elemi, vetiver, anise, cinnamon, labdanum

My Full Review

Wow, I really like the start to Parfum. The bergamot is the most prevalent, at this stage, but it is already being buoyed by the base notes. I get a good amount of elemi, already at this stage. Sort of reminds me of Chanel’s Allure Homme Sport Cologne, with the citrus and resinous aspects.

Also, the newer Dior Homme Sport (which I dislike) shares a lot of elements with this, except this is actually good.

The citron and bergamot really help to make this one bright and juicy, but the profile feels cold, and you do get a woodsy dryness wafting from the base.

At the start, this leans more floral with lavender, jasmine, etc. It’s somewhat earthy lavender, but greatly leans towards a cleaner lighter aroma. But, I do get a very outdoorsy lightly dirty undertone.

There’s some spiciness here, mostly vetiver providing that, but apparently there is a touch of anise or cinnamon. Not really distinct to my nose, but maybe?

As we move further along, Eau Sauvage Parfum this transitions to a vetiver floral fragrance, with citrus highlights. The earthiness pulls back somewhat, but still feels like being outdoors near a grove.

The elemi and labdanum come through for an even more resinous feel. I know the older versions of this had a stronger myrrh aroma, but I didn’t ever get around to trying it, and so can’t compare. This, resinous base is somewhat sweet, with a vanilla-like aroma.

The final dry down really goes towards the elemi’s vanilla like aroma. The vetiver is still kicking around and some of that lavender.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one doesn’t project super strong, but you get an hour or so, where it does have a nice bubble and scent trail going. After that, it’ll stick to a 3-5 foot radius for much of the wear.

It’s slightly above average, but not weak by any means.

On my skin, the longevity is better than I’d expect based on the sillage alone. It will hit the 8-8.5 hour territory for me, with regularity. For the price point, that’s about what I’d want at minimum, but it clears the hurdle.

Seasonally, I’ve worn this on a warm winter’s day (more like late spring temperature wise) and Parfum smelled great. I think a little hotter and it might start to falter. However, autumn through spring should be fine.

This version of Eau Sauvage is more approachable than the original 1966 release. It’s modern, well put together, but still has a casual vibe. It can be worn in a wide variety of situations, by any age group, and has a mass appealing style.

It’s not specifically a nightlife beast or anything, though it absolutely works in that situation.

Overall Impressions of Eau Sauvage Parfum

Overall, do I like Eau Sauvage Parfum? Absolutely. This is my favorite from the Eau Sauvage line, more so than the original, and the other two testers that I received.

It’s so well-balanced, but has a great richness, and I love the citrus aromatic blend with the elemi. It has subtle depth to it, without feeling heavy. Classy, yet relaxed, and very approachable for men of any age.

The sillage isn’t going to blow the doors off, but it’s a bit above average, with good longevity.

The bottles aren’t being produced anymore, so what’s out there now is all you’re going to have to choose from. Prices for some discontinued scents can get crazy, so, if you want to try you might have to move rather quickly.

Boss Bottled EDP by Hugo Boss

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Boss Bottled EDP is a more recent edition to the brand’s long-running Bottled line of fragrances. I’ve had a sample of this for a long while, tested it out, but always forgot to post the review. So here’s to correcting that. How does EDP smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Boss Bottled EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: apple, bergamot, black pepper, cardamom, sage, olive wood, vetiver, cinnamon

Click here to try: Boss Bottled Eau de Parfum

My Full Review

Here’s how Boss describes it: Created for driven, ambitious men ready to take on every challenge that comes their way, this noble composition brings a new intensity to the warmth and vibrancy of the timeless BOSS BOTTLED signature.

The opening of Bottled EDP is a sweet-tart, blue-ish blend of notes, laced with spice. It reminds me a bit of Y EDP and Wanted by Azzaro, in different ways.  The apple and cardamom notes are pretty massive, with how they hit up top.

The bergamot citrus adds a further brightness and sharpness to the mix, along with that sage note, which gives me reminders of the YSL cologne.

Now, on my card for this sample it says there is sage as a note, but other stores online say it’s cinnamon, and don’t mention sage. The actual ingredients do mention the chemicals they use for cinnamon, but this comes off like sage and not a cinnamon spice.

Perhaps both are a part of the composition, but where this cinnamon is, I’m not exactly sure. I know the original had that apple cinnamon vibe going for it, but this is pretty different.

The bergamot will wear off and I start to get more of the sage and cardamom mix. A nice, fresh spiciness, with some further citrus-like hints from the cardamom.

As we move along to the dry down, it’s an apple note with vetiver freshness, woodiness (olive wood, I’m presuming?),  perhaps some musk, and the remainder of the spices. It’s clean and pretty intense, for this stage in the game, but not a huge projection off of the skin.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does start off with some power and ability to jump off of the skin. That will change fairly quickly and Boss Bottled EDP will be more moderate and close to where you sprayed. Anywhere from 1-4 feet for much of the duration.

The performance here isn’t terrible, but it is by no means amazing. On my skin, I get 7 hours max, but more along the lines of six many time. It’s fine, just nothing crazy.

Seasonally, it’s probably at it’s best in the more moderate temperatures of autumn and springtime. It can venture a bit outside of that in either direction. Yet, I’d avoid using this one in the extreme heat or cold. For an average day, it’s good.

This is an easy to wear scent, that skews more towards a younger crowd. It’s a daily wear that can go casual to semi-formal, depending on the situation. Very pleasant and probably not going to offend anyone, unless you go crazy with the sprays (particularly the opening act).

Overall Impressions of Boss Bottled EDP

Overall, do I like Boss Bottled EDP? It’s pretty good, but not something that I feel like I have to run out and get a bottle of. It’s a clean and blue-ish scent with a tart and sweet aroma, lots of apple, wood, and a general fresh feeling.

The performance is a bit above average, but not by much. However, it’s one that can get plenty of use as a day to day scent. As such, if it sounds like something you’d like, it’s worth a try. I don’t think it’ll be hated by most anyone, just not completely outstanding.

It seems like Hugo Boss is going to keep right on releasing variations of this in the upcoming years. It’s a more modern take on that 90s formula, but nothing that does anything all that interesting.