Cologne Reviews

L’Immensité by Louis Vuitton

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I’ve been gradually making my way through the Louis Vuitton line for review purposes, with most of them that have been released in the books. L’Immensité is one that I’ve already tried before, but I grabbed a sample of more recently, do give it a full testing. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does L’Immensité Smell Like?

Notes include: ginger, bergamot, grapefruit, sage, rosemary, geranium, watery notes, amber, labdanum

My Full Review

Here’s how Louis Vuitton describes it: A whisper of fresh ginger speaks of an infinite inner journey. To open your arms so wide it’s as if they were wings deployed to take flight. Like a response to a vast, beckoning sea that nourishes fantasies of total freedom. Sometimes, finding yourself before a limitless horizon that stretches to the sky is all it takes to make your heart beat faster.

L’Immensité opens up with its potent ginger note being joined by the bergamot and grapefruit. Initially, that sharp and juicy bergamot is stronger on my skin than is the grapefruit, but that will flip as it moves along.

Underneath all of that is an aquatic accord, which helps adds to that summertime vibe, but this one never completely veers oceanic. A bit salty, that’s about it.

The ginger is the star of the spiciness within this mix. Sage and rosemary might make up around 30% of the rest, at their peak. Sage sticks around for a while, though, neither is too big of a player.

Most of this one is about the amber note coming in. The ginger and grapefruit sit on top of all of that amber, which gives it a warmer vibe. The style is similar to Bleu de Chanel EDP, but ultimately fairly different fragrances.

The drydown is a fresh and slightly citrus amber. Very little of that aquatic accord is still present.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage is actually pretty strong for this type of fragrance, for the first few hours. It gets softer, thereafter, but that amber note really sticks out to me when wearing it during those late stages.

It does have a nice 6-7 foot projection or so, at its peak. It will leave a scent trail for like an hour to and hour and a half. After that, this one moves in much closer to the wearer, but isn’t as soft as you might think. Seems like it has a tendency to sort of make you nose blind to it, at times.

On my skin, I can get up to 8 hours from this Louis Vuitton scent. It actually fluctuates between 6.5 and that 8 hour mark, so, expect about 7 a good portion of the time.

Seasonally, it’s mainly going to be a spring and summer play. But really, any time the climate is pretty moderate, it’d be fine too. Great in the warmer temperatures, but probably not my go to in the wintertime.

L’Immensité isn’t an offensive or super loud fragrance. It’s well put together, so it has enough style to fit into a pretty wide variety of situations. The versatility of this cologne, is probably its greatest strength.

Overall Impressions of L’Immensité

Overall, do I like L’Immensité? I do like it, but there are better options from Louis Vuitton or just in general with this sort of fragrance. It was formerly a part of my best LV men’s fragrance list, but just barely, and got pushed aside by Imagination.

That’s got some similarities to this one, but Imagination is ultimately better.

The opening act is where this one shines. That fresh citrus, ginger, other spices, and the aquatic-like feel of it…is all something that I enjoy.

Later, the amber and citrus just kind of gets on my nerves. It’s fine, nothing too exciting, but it does get old for me while wearing it.

The performance is good. Not amazing, but not terrible either, on my skin. Still, I do want a bit more from the fragrance, if I’m paying Louis Vuitton prices.

L’Immensité is worth trying out. You may indeed like it and want a full bottle. Personally, the brand has better options to sort through during the warmer months of the year.

Fahrenheit Parfum by Dior

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Fahrenheit was a late 1980s hit for Dior and has been a part of their lineup ever since. Naturally, they have come out with waves of flankers and special editions. In 2014, the design house released, Fahrenheit Parfum. I got a hold of a decant of this fragrance a while ago and have been testing it out, taking notes. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Fahrenheit Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: violet leaf, rum, suede, vanilla, cumin, orange, licorice, and more

My Full Review

Parfum opens up sweet, smooth, and fresh. It’s strange how you get the booziness of the rum, but the spice doesn’t hit you like it does in something like Bvlgari’s Man in Black.

Instead, you get a light orange and licorice sweetness combining with the warmth of the rum note. Yet, it isn’t at all cloying. Suede and violet leaf keep things light and with a leather like refinement.

The violet leaf compared to the original Fahrenheit is toned down. You do still get some greenish qualities early, no gasoline smell, but a light aquatic feel to Fahrenheit Parfum.

This is a fairly big departure from the original Dior release, so, don’t expect to smell something similar in this flanker. There is some overlap, but a lot of that will be in the background.

On me, that sweetness subsides in about 10 minutes. The top citrus note does have a bit of a sparkle to it. The style of this fragrance actually reminds me of Armani Code Absolu, just not nearly as thick, and with a fresher aroma.

The next phase is a rummy vanilla scent with the suede and violet leaf sitting underneath that. I do get some licorice and very light spice, but a lot of the top is basically gone. At this stage, it also seems to acquire a bit of a fizziness.

The final dry down is a dark vanilla suede and violet leaf blend. Those are the notes that I can still pick up. It’s very smooth, not really all that sweet, and well-balanced.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is above average, on the whole, and starts off fairly strong. Though, Fahrenheit Parfum doesn’t project all that hugely, especially after the first wave begins to wear off.

The opening act? Sure, it’ll give you 5-7 feet worth of projection or thereabouts. But, it moves in much closer.

On my skin, it lasts somewhere in the 8.5-9.5 hour range. Kind of depended, when I was testing it out. Not really something that hits double digits for me, but came as close as you can get.

Still, the performance really isn’t disappointing and quite good, if you’re into how this one smells.

Seasonally, obviously with the notes, this is best in autumn and winter. The thing is, Parfum isn’t all that heavy or super cloying. It can venture into the springtime (early part), since it does have the freshness from the violet leaf and citrus.

I wouldn’t go too hot with the temperatures while wearing this, but it’d be fine for a good chunk of the year.

This is a well put together scent that has a maturity about it, is attractive, and is very wearable. I like it more for nighttime engagements, but it wouldn’t be out of place to wear during the day. Maybe go easy at work or something like that, since it does have a rum note prominently featured.

Overall Impressions of Fahrenheit Parfum

Overall, do I like Fahrenheit Parfum? I do. It’s more enjoyable for me, than is the original Fahrenheit.

However, it’s still not a complete love for me. I almost blind bought a full bottle, but I’m kind of glad I didn’t and got a decant first. I like it, while not being super enthusiastic about wearing it.

The opening is interesting and that’s when I feel Parfum is at its peak. The blend of rum, citrus, suede, spice, and violet leaf is very well done. It’s such a great mix of different notes and is stitched together beautifully.

After that? Fahrenheit Parfum smells good, it’s just not all that exciting. It feels much flatter than how it started out and I’m not too into any longer. I said that I was reminded of Code Absolu and I’d rather have a bottle of that versus Fahrenheit Parfum.

The performance and everything is solid. No worries there. Fahrenheit Parfum is a scent that is well worth a try from Dior, but with the price and limited availability, may not be worth a blind buy.

Very good, but doesn’t cross the great barrier.

Bvlgari Man Glacial Essence

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Bvlgari’s Essence line had a fairly extensive release over the past few years, but already looks like it’s going away. I’ve been testing them out over the past few months to see what they’re all about. Today’s entry is Glacial Essence, the icy fragrance of the line. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Bvgari Man Glacial Essence Smell Like?

Notes include: juniper, ginger, geranium, cedar, musk, wood, orris root, sandalwood, artemisia

Click here to try: Glacial Essence

glacial essence review

My Full Review

Here’s how Bvlgari describes it: BVLGARI MAN GLACIAL ESSENCE enriches the Bvlgari Man collection dedicated to the power of natural elements. After fire and wood, Bvlgari Man explores air. The BVLGARI MAN GLACIAL ESSENCE fragrance captures the unbridled magnitude of the frozen mountains and the unstoppable masculinity of a man on a constant quest for greatness.

So, the opening is indeed quite cold and fresh. The freshness comes across more like a blue-ish detergent sort of aroma, but not as harsh and thick.

This does get the frosty mountain air feeling down pretty well…not naturalistic, more like the deodorant sort of interpretation. It’s likeable, just not great.

Juniper is huge within the mix. Geranium pairs up with it early to give it a further cold and somewhat minty aroma. Along with the spicy pop of the ginger note up top.

A few minutes in the bitterness of the artemisia really comes through on my skin. It’s not very long lasting, but for like a 15 minute stretch it felt like it was the second or third strongest note, behind juniper.

After that passes, this one becomes quite musky and woody. Clear and cedar wood. Fresh blue aroma with wood and musk. That’s about it. Most of the top notes have burned away and there is some sandalwood involved, but not a ton.

A mix of fresh notes, coldness, that dries down into a woodsy musk. Glacial Essence is pretty simple.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This has a solid bit of power after the first spray. The top fresh notes really can project decently off of the skin and has a short-lived scent trail.

After that? Glacial Essence will be more of a scent bubble type of fragrance. Within 3 or so feet from the skin. It’s all a bit better than average, just not by much, and not for the entirety.

In terms of longevity, I get about 6.5 hours, on my skin. Again, the entire time isn’t super powerful, but Glacial Essence does hang around in that lighter state.

Seasonally, this is a spring and summer wear. I have to say, the highlight of testing came when I wore this outside in the heat. When the juniper, ginger, and geranium really were at their peak; this one had some pleasant moments.

More of a daily wear or casual fragrance. Not nightlife or something that’d be considered sexy.

Just a simple one to spray on to freshen up. Not particularly formal or serious, just clean and cold. It’d be fine for younger guys who want to wear something that’s pretty low key.

Overall Impressions of Glacial Essence

Overall, do I like Glacial Essence? Not really. It’s almost certainly my least favorite cologne from the Essence series. It’s not terrible to me, but I also don’t really enjoy wearing it that much.

The opening does really give you a icy blast that simulates the mountain air. But, it also feels like a synthetic detergent type of smell too. I mean, it’s better than the laundry stuff, but still not all that appealing.

That freshness can be quite nice. Ginger and geranium are highlights, but don’t hang around for the duration. I wish those notes had more prominence.

The rest of the way is kind of simple. The performance isn’t amazing. It’s all kind of boring. Which is disappointing, as I would’ve thought that this would be one of my favorite Essence colognes, but it’s last on the list in reality.

While this Bvlgari surely wouldn’t offend anyone, I don’t think most people would be too thrilled if they bought it without testing. Sure, some will be fans of this, but it really doesn’t have that universal appeal.

With a discount? Maybe take a shot. Retail price? I’d pass.

Bleu de Chanel EDT by Chanel

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Bleu de Chanel is a fragrance lineup that has been super popular for well over a decade now. The original EDT version kicked things off back in 2010, launching another mega successful product for Chanel. Fast forward to today and I’ve gotten a few samples of the latest Bleu batches and realized that I’d never done a proper review of this original formula.

A scent that I’ve long been familiar with. Time to correct that oversight. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it still worth a buy?

What does Bleu de Chanel Smell Like?

Notes include: mint, pink pepper, lemon, grapefruit, nutmeg, jasmine, ginger, incense, vetiver, musk, sandalwood, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Bleu de Chanel EDT from Chanel

bleu de chanel review

My Full Review

Here’s how Chanel describes it: A fragrance for the man who defies convention. A provocative blend of citrus and woody notes that liberates the senses. Fresh, clean and profoundly sensual.

Bleu de Chanel opens up with its extremely nice citrus blend. Grapefruit is the leader, but the opening gives you an added dose of the lemon. It’s pretty balanced overall, but that grapefruit will take a greater share of the attention as you move along.

With that, is the spice blend of mint, pink pepper, and ginger. It’s funny, many times that ginger note will stick out on my skin, but others the mint will really pop early on.

Colder and fresh spice. Though, the pink pepper and the labdanum from the base do have a slight warmth and resinous quality. Just not a huge amber influence in this EDT version.

The initial spice will begin to subside and the smokiness of incense will come to take over some of that space. No worries, the smoke isn’t overbearing at all.

That, along with vetiver plus some cedar and sandalwood, will give it a fresh woodsy influence instead of just the spices.

Yet, this isn’t a hugely woody cologne. The cedar and sandalwood are very light. I get a lot of vetiver, sitting underneath the citrus/incense with the mint and ginger.

Bleu EDT isn’t super complicated. The grapefruit will stick around, along with the vetiver, incense and generic woodiness. Towards the second hour or so, this even has a slight muskiness to it. But, the other notes are much more prominent.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here has always been moderate. Actually, I don’t even notice a difference in projection off of the skin, between this and the Parfum version.

Bleu de Chanel is certainly noticeable and will venture pretty far, upon first spraying. Yet, on the whole, it is mostly going to create a scent bubble that sticks in that 3-5 foot range from the wearer.

In terms of how long it lasts, I’ve always gotten between 5-7 hours with Bleu EDT. It’s not a super long lasting fragrance, but that 7 hour mark is certainly doable with a good amount of spraying.

If I go lighter, it will fall more towards that five hour mark. You might have to do some testing, to see how much you’d personally need to apply. I’ve read other people say that they get this one to last over 9 hours, but it’s never been my own experience.

Seasonally, Bleu EDT can really be worn whenever. I prefer the spring and early summer with it. But, it’d work in winter as well. Though, there are a ton of more winter specific fragrances that I’d personally wear before this. On the other hand, if this is your only cologne, it’d be just fine.

Bleu is refined and classic, but isn’t a stuffy or serious scent. As such, younger men and older guys could wear this without any issue.

It’s safe for work, can go casual, or even be something worn on a date. Again, it’s not specifically built for nightlife or romantic wear, it’s just capable of filling that role if need be. It’s less of a sexy cologne though and more of an elegant scent.

Overall Impressions of Bleu de Chanel

Overall, do I like Bleu EDT? Yes, I really do still like the way that this one smells. But, it’s also my third favorite of the line, as the flanker fragrances surpassed the original.

Although, you may still decide to go with this version, if you want a fresh citrus without as much amber or woods.

But, this one is still a cologne that you can wear pretty much any time and is well-liked by the mass of people. It’s versatility is certainly one of its absolute strengths. Even if, the performance on the whole is just okay.

I have always enjoyed the bright citrus of lemon and grapefruit, being paired with the cool fresh notes like mint and vetiver. Plus, giving it a smoky incense to help liven things up, really was a masterstroke in perfumery.

The whole thing is balanced and delivers a great experience. Some find that to be boring, which I guess it can be, but not every fragrance needs to be some exotic aroma.

Is this my favorite scent ever? No, but it’s one that I always enjoy wearing. It’s a fragrance that can and does serve as the foundation for many men’s own collection. Whether it’s their only bottle or they have hundreds of others.

This is a completely safe blind buy. It might not completely wow everyone, but it is pretty hard not to like Bleu de Chanel on some level.

Noir Extreme Parfum by Tom Ford

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Noir Extreme is one of my personal favorite fragrances to wear. So, when I saw that the Parfum version was being released in 2022, I had to order a bottle for myself upon release. I was excited for a bolder and spicier remix of the original. Does it deliver? How long does it last? Is it actually worth a buy?

What does Noir Extreme Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: Shimoga ginger, cardamom, amber, tonka bean, guaiac wood, leather

Click here to try: Noir Extreme Parfum at Sephora

noir extreme parfum review

My Full Review

Here’s how Tom Ford describes it: A bold intensification of the original scent, Noir Extreme Parfum merges amber, spices, and woods, evoking the private, daring aspects of the Noir man.

Note: As of now, these are my initial thoughts of Extreme Parfum. Since it’s brand new, I’m going to be updating the page over the next week(s), as I get more time spent wearing it.

The opening of Noir Extreme Parfum has a lot going on. You get the same light citrus and neroli notes, as the original. What I do notice, is that the floral accord in this one does not have the same strength.

Those white floral notes do not play a major role in Parfum. Not that they’re massive in the original, but they are always present in that one. However, the citrus notes do have more of a role, adding a sparkling quality to the spice, and are playing off that initial ginger.

One of the main changes here, comes with the spices. The ginger note replaces the nutmeg of the original Extreme and is paired with that same cardamom note. The opening sprays are spicier, warmer, less sweet, and smoky.

The guaiac wood is also a new addition, hello smokiness. This a very rough, dry, and somewhat animalic version of the note, not a sweeter one. It’s funny that this base note, is so noticeable in the opening, but really tones down as it dries down.

So, the kulfi note is still present with the vanilla note. The vanilla is weaker in Parfum, splitting its strength with a tonka bean. This actually gives that kulfi accord a bit of a boost within the composition. A very similar effect overall, just slightly different.

The kulfi is sweet, creamy, with a pistachio finish.

Once the spices and guaiac wood has settled down, the leather note really comes out fully. That’s the biggest change with Parfum. Smooth, yes, but the smokiness and warmth doesn’t allow it to pop in the same way it does in something like Ombre Leather.

The final dry down is a leathery and spicier/warmer version of the original. It’s really a split between the remaining kulfi/tonka/vanilla notes and the leather. The amber note is noticeably weaker in the Parfum version’s dry down.

As a single note, the leather has the greatest weighting at this point.

noir extreme parfum

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The performance on the whole, is roughly the same as Extreme EDP. However, I don’t think that Parfum has the same sillage and projection as that one.

Not a huge difference, but it is a slight step back. You get that initial power from the ginger and cardamom, then, it settles into that same kind of moderate projection. Not a huge deal, but I thought that this would be a beast mode with the higher concentration.

Coming back to it again and again. It really doesn’t seem to be stronger than the original for me. I’ve tested on shirts to see how far away I can detect it and there’s almost no difference, other than EDP feels a bit more powerful.

With the EDP, I get 6-8 hours of wear from it usually. Though, with the way that I spray (heavy), it hits that 8 hour mark more often.

Parfum seems to be able to go up to 9 hours, during this initial testing. It’s a slight step back in terms of its strength, but its staying power is also slightly better on me. Again, about the same overall, but this is what I’ve gathered about it thus far.

Seasonally, Parfum is still a colder weather fragrance. It’s summer now, so, I’ve had to test it out in the air conditioning. Not ideal, but it’s fine in the temperate climate. In the heat, it gets messy like the original.

I can’t wait to give it a go in autumn and winter. That leather addition should be great.

Noir Extreme often felt like more of a unisex wear than being strictly something men would want to wear, since it’s based off the original Noir. This one, falls more so in the masculine camp, still wearable by anyone just heading toward one side of the spectrum.

Overall Impressions of Noir Extreme Parfum

Overall, do I like Noir Extreme Parfum? Yes, I do. Is it better than Noir Extreme? First impressions…not really.

These Tom Ford fragrances are really similar to each other, just with the differences that I mentioned above. I am a massive fan of the original, it’s one of my favorites ever, and it’s going to be tough to top.

I like the changes here, but there’s nothing about it that truly surpasses Extreme EDP.

Now, that’s my first impression. In a week or two, it might have flipped completely. As of this moment, Extreme Parfum is a few points below its predecessor.

Update: Parfum has grown on me more. It’s almost a tie at this point between these two fragrances for me. I will often spray both of them on at the same time. Like, two sprays of EDP for every spray of Parfum. Still, I think I still enjoy EDP more, personally.

That being said, you may prefer the added spice, smoke, and dirtiness that Parfum brings to the table. Though, if you also already have a bottle of Extreme EDP, the differences may not be enough to justify a bottle of this.

I’ve seen some people say already that these smell exactly the same. They don’t. There are distinct differences, but this also isn’t a complete re-imagining of the formula. Just expect less of that amber and white floral notes, also.

Is it worth a buy? Yes, it’s a great fragrance. If you already own one, you don’t ‘need’ the other. If you’re undecided, I might wait to be able to test this one and see if you dig the new changes versus the EDP version.