Cologne Reviews

The Scent Private Accord by Hugo Boss

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The Scent from Hugo Boss spun off a ton of flankers in a pretty short amount of time. Overall, the lineup was good, with some that were even better. Private Accord was brought out in 2018, to give a new interpretation of the maninka fruit-based The Scent DNA. What does this entry smell like? How long does it last? Is it even worth a try?

What does The Scent Private Accord Smell Like?

Notes include: ginger, maninka fruit, mocha, cocoa absolute, pepper, bergamot, patchouli, woods

Click here to try: BOSS The Scent Private Accord for Him, 3.3 Fl Oz 

My Full Review

Private Accord kicks things off with an immediate impact from the cacao note. It is very strong from the start and joined by the fresh spice of ginger. Ginger is one of my favorite spicy notes, so, I think the opening here is sort of awesome.

Underneath that is a further spiciness supplied by a dash of pepper. Along with, the usual fruitiness of this series, maninka fruit. However, in this one, you get some pineapple to go along with it.

I will say, that the maninka and fruitiness as a whole, is toned down in The Scent Private Accord when compared to the others.

Once it has settled somewhat, the spiciness subsides. Cacao will at first be joined by a coffee note. Think more 75% cacao, 25% coffee. Then, the coffee will mostly be replace by vanilla, with the gourmand aroma being held together by a nice patchouli note.

 The dry down is probably my least favorite part of this fragrance. It becomes much drier with a powdery cacao smell. It’s a sweet and dry cologne, pretty distant from that early great freshness of spices and fruits.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Private Accord has good sillage. It will project itself around 6-8 feet from the wearer, at it’s peak. Strong, but ultimately hits the upper end of moderate for much of its wear. From then on, it will still have a nice scent bubble, but not permeate the room.

I get just over 8 hours of wear with Private Accord. It isn’t an elite scent, in this regard, but much better than some of the others in this series from Hugo Boss. I really had no issue with the performance from this one. 

So, if you like the smell, you’ll at least get your money’s worth out of it.

Seasonally, stick to the autumn and winter. This is very much a colder weather wear and would kind of get gross in the heat. That sweet, spicy, warmth isn’t exactly built for the summer.

This one also skews toward younger guys. The chocolate and vanilla combination dominates, once the initial ginger spice burns off. Not strictly a teenager’s scent or anything, but Private Accord isn’t something formal.

It’s good casually or for the nightlife. Would for sure, want to wear this Hugo Boss out for an evening on the town versus whatever during the daytime. 

 

 

Overall Impression of Private Accord

Overall, do I like this Hugo Boss scent? I think it’s a nice smelling fragrance overall. It does get a little too heavy on the cacao and vanilla, in the latter stages. That part isn’t bad, but it’s a noticeable step down.

The early stages with the ginger, pepper, and maninka fruit are worthwhile and ranks among the best in the series. There isn’t too much development, but the sweet powdery quality isn’t amazing to me.

I prefer The Scent Absolute from this series. Actually, I liked the original better also, it just had terrible performance. Private Accord at least has solid performance going for it, with a nice smell.

That being said, Private Accord is an above average to very good cologne. It might not be for everyone, as you’re going to have to really be into dry chocolatey gourmands. Not super sugary, but more of a warm powder.

Update: Here in 2024, it appears that Private Accord got discontinued at some point. Not surprising, since this fragrance came out in 2018, and Boss is still releasing other flankers in ‘The Scent’ line.

As of now, it looks like you can still purchase bottles at a reasonable price from third party sites. Still wouldn’t be my first pick in the series, but you could do a lot worse for $60 than picking up a bottle of Private Accord.

Acqua di Gio Profondo Lights by Armani

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Acqua di Gio flankers have become routine, especially as of late. Armani quickly followed up the release of 2020’s popular Profondo, with this year’s Profondo Lights. Being a fan of the series, I was excited to give this one a go and see if it was a worthwhile cologne to own. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is AdG Profondo Lights worth a buy?

What does Profondo Lights Smell Like?

Profondo Lights

Notes include: cardamom, mandarin, patchouli, cedar, marine accord, vetiver, lavender, cypress, rosemary

My Full Review

I’ve said that Acqua di Gio Profondo was a green-ish blue scent. Well, Profondo Lights is much more toward the green end of the spectrum, with a touch of marine notes for its ‘blue’ aroma.

Cypress, cardamom, mandarin, and the marine notes open things up. I’m not a fan of the initial act of Profondo Lights, it’s bright, and reminds me of a smoother apple cider vinegar. Not nearly, as harsh and it fades away, but I really don’t like that smell.

Note: coming back to this review two months after the fact, the messy opening still doesn’t appeal to me. I gave it a chance to grow on me, but that never did.

I understand that they’re going to use the citrus note, but I think that the mandarin distracts too much here. Once it’s burned off some, you start to get the woodsy/herbal/aquatic blend and that’s when Profondo Lights shines as a standalone fragrance.

Rosemary, cypress, cardamom, and lavender to smooth things out. It’s woody, but not overly so. The herbal notes and the lavender really clamp down on making this overly fresh. At this stage, I really start to enjoy what Lights has to offer versus Profondo.

The cardamom is great on its own, separated from that initial mandarin burst. I would’ve liked it to have more of the focus, it would’ve been a smoother and more enjoyable experience.

This middle act lasts for an hour or two and what your left with, is a lighter version of Profondo. Really, the dry down is near identical, on my skin just a different intensity. Which is fine, as I like wearing Profondo.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty moderate for much of the wear. Then, it’s closer to a skin scent. The projection never seems to go beyond 4-5 feet, even at its peak. Not terrible performance, it’s okay, and worse than Profondo.

Update: Yep, that’s what it seems capable of. I’ve sprayed in on t-shirts across the room and on my skin…and it’s consistent in that range.

Profondo Lights lasts for 5-6 hours on me. That’s the extent of what it seems capable of. Both Profondo and AdG Profumo outdo it here. Really, kind of disappointing for the price you’re probably going to pay for a full bottle.

Update: Going through a few samples of Profondo Lights, the longevity really isn’t that great. Sometimes, I’ll get around 4-4.5 hours and occasionally it stretches to the full six. The part that really sucks, is the latter stages are the most enjoyable part, and it often doesn’t get the time to shine completely.

Seasonally, like Profondo, Lights is a spring and summer fragrance. Casual to semi-formal wear, mostly during the daytime. It’s really not any different from its predecessor in this regard.

It’s really going to have a limited use case for 4-6 months out of the year, for most folks. It’s not particularly sexy, but some people will find it to be attractive enough, and it obviously has some level of mass appeal with the AdG DNA.

Overall Impressions of Profondo Lights

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I like it, but I don’t love it. I do appreciate a greener take on the formula, but I hate the opening act, and it doesn’t add the much of a different vibe to be worth it…at it’s higher price at least.

The best part of the wear it the second wave, once the cardamom gets more of a chance to shine on its own. I like the pairing with the cypress and rosemary. Fresh, green, herbal, with an undercurrent of marine impressions.

It does end up favoring Profondo significantly, but it doesn’t surpass that one, in my opinion. Also, the performance is okay, but really not up to the same level. I’ve compared them head to head, multiple times, and it’s the same results.

This might be worth your time, if you like aspects of Profondo but want a woodier/green version of the scent. Maybe, if it makes it to the discounters at a more reasonable price, other guys could go for it.

As it stands? It’s fine, but nothing incredible. I tested this one thoroughly over two months and the needle never moved from my initial impressions of Lights. It’s pretty good, fairly expensive for what it is, and probably won’t be a must own for very many guys.

Light Blue Forever Pour Homme by Dolce & Gabbana

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Light Blue is a perpetual best seller for Dolce & Gabbana, in both its men and women’s incarnations. The brand puts out tons of flankers and limited editions, that can be pretty hit or miss in terms of their attractiveness.

In 2021, D&G put out Light Blue Forever, in a pour homme and pour femme version. I grabbed a sample of the men’s Forever cologne recently, to test it out and review it for the site.

How does it smell? How long does ‘Forever’ actually last? Is it worth buying this limited edition Light Blue fragrance?

Light Blue Forever Pour Homme Overview

Notes include: grapefruit, violet leaf, white musk, vetiver, ozonic accord

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Forever for Men by Dolce & Gabbana Eau De Parfum,3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review

From D&G: A bold new expression of freshness, Light Blue Forever Pour Homme blends intensity and delicateness to create a scent that is both generous and addictive.

All that I’ve been hearing about Forever, is just how realistic the grapefruit note is in this fragrance. People aren’t exaggerating, it really does smell like a freshly cut grapefruit.

Now, if you don’t particularly enjoy that scent, this is one that you should avoid. I like the smell of grapefruit (hate the taste), but it’s not something that I absolutely love.

So, the very opening is going to be a blast of the big juicy citrus, with a breezy/watery ozonic accord, and violet leaf. Light Blue Forever is more of a ‘blue-ish green’ cologne, in the early stages, when compared to the others in this series. In the dry down, it leans much more green than anything aquatic.

While the grapefruit dominates the composition, you will also pick up some cleanliness from the white musk and woodsy freshness from the Indonesian vetiver. Light Blue Forever is extremely bright and uplifting, one to reach for if you love clean scents.

Once the grapefruit calms down, the violet leaf and vetiver have a much stronger influence and the cologne seems to be split between these three notes (and the general ozonic accord) fairly equally. The citrus dominance comes to an end.

That’s about all of the development that I get with Forever Pour Homme. It’s a fairly simple wear from Dolce & Gabbana.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty moderate, as a whole. The early stages do give you a strong blast, but it dries down into a much lighter fragrance. It projects in that 4-6 foot range, initially, with a normal amount of application.

Not amazing, by any means. Though, with this sort of citrus based cologne, that’s pretty much to be expected.

As a weaker skin scent, it’ll hang around for just over 7 hours, on my skin. That being said, most of what you’re going to pick up will be in the first couple of hours. It is still there, I just don’t notice it all that often. The performance is a weakness here, though, it’s isn’t terrible.

Seasonally, this is a summertime wear. If you live in a warmer climate, you should be able to break this out in the spring and early autumn as well. Generally speaking, most folks will be using it for the summer.

It’s well put together and appropriate for men of all age groups. Light Blue Forever has a mass appealing scent and should be able to draw plenty of complements from passersby. Casual, daily wear, and maybe nightlife (if you don’t want to wear a beast).

Overall Impressions of Light Blue Forever

Overall, do I like Light Blue Forever? I do enjoy it quite a bit. Though, this isn’t a love for me. Again, I’m not a massive grapefruit fan and violet leaf isn’t a note that I particularly care for either.

That being said, even with those two caveats, I did like this cologne. The grapefruit opening is super juicy, fresh, and hyper-realistic. That first hour especially, is really great stuff.

Forever Pour Homme will change things up, however. On my skin, I get more of the violet leaf note. For others, the vetiver woodsy freshness might pop out more. Either way, that’s what you should expect a lot of the dry down to be about. With the remaining citrus, it can come across as somewhat sour.

Update: Since this came out in 2021, it has been discontinued. Most of the Light Blue series are one year releases. Italian Love was the follow up, very similar but better in my opinion. You can obviously still find bottles of each around.

Scoop them up, if you want to try these two grapefruit heavy editions out. Summer Vibes went in a different direction as the 2023 release.

The performance isn’t spectacular, but it’s good enough for one of these sorts of summer fragrances. I wouldn’t really complain about it, if I purchased a full bottle. This isn’t a super expensive one. It’s weaker than Eau Intense, but about right in line with Light Blue Sun.

I do wish that grapefruit opening would stick around for a longer while. I mean, I pick up grapefruit for most of the wear, but I liked that initial weighting much more than the middle and ending.

This is a summer fragrance that is at least worth a try. If you love grapefruit, I’d say it’s a must own. For others, you probably won’t hate it, and it’s a pretty safe blind buy.

Sauvage Elixir by Dior

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I didn’t know that Dior was coming out with another Sauvage flanker here in 2021, but I naturally bought samples of the fragrance immediately upon learning of it.

I was looking forward to trying it out to see what this concentrated version of the popular men’s fragrance would be like.

So, here are my thoughts after testing. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it really worth a try?

What does Sauvage Elixir Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, wood, lavender, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, patchouli, vetiver

Click here to try: Sauvage Elixir at Macy’s

My Full Review

Before I get into my review of Elixir, let’s see how Dior describes it:  The quintessence of Sauvage. An extraordinarily concentrated fragrance, like a fine liqueur made of exceptional ingredients. The emblematic freshness of Sauvage with an intoxicating heart of spices and a lavender essence tailor-made for Dior. A blend of rich woods forms the signature of its powerful, lavish, and captivating trail.

Right off the bat, Sauvage Elixir is a different animal from the rest of the series. The overlap of actual notes is the ubiquitous lavender note, patchouli and vetiver from EDT, and the nutmeg from Sauvage EDP.

Outside of that, the structure is going to be the same, just with different notes. So, grapefruit for the citrus. A blend of other spices and wood.

What Elixir actually reminded me of, is a much better version of Alien Man by Mugler. The spices, lavender, and fresh woods is pretty similar at times. Alien Man just had that weird opening act with a dill note and never got close to being as good as this.

However, the two are in the same vein, in terms of style.

Elixir opens up with it’s spice blend shining, grapefruit, and the ever present lavender. The grapefruit is pretty light on my skin. Mostly, I pick up cinnamon and nutmeg, with just a bit of cardamom to round it out.

It is a bold and intense mix of spices. I’m so glad they dumped that Sichuan pepper note from the original and gave us this instead. The spices are so much better in Elixir. 

After the wave of spices calm down somewhat, you get into the middle act. This is where the lavender takes over. You also get a licorice note that adds some sweetness, amber, and more of an indication of the woods.

The nutmeg and cinnamon are still very present for the duration of the wear. They play off of the lavender and amber beautifully and really helped to sell this one for me.

Finally, the dry down is lavender, with some sweetness, and fresh woods. The spices are lingering, but no longer packing that same punch. Elixir at this stage, is much softer and aromatic. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Elixir is a powerhouse. Seriously, it’s up there with some of the strongest fragrances that I’ve come across, at its peak. Not the absolute biggest beast, just very close to it. Even a few sprays, really filled up the surrounding area from my skin.

Elixir does back off somewhat, but remains very strong for much of the wear. I absolutely adore how this one projects and hangs around throughout the day.

Add to that, spraying it on a t-shirt, I could detect it from like 10 feet away, while I wasn’t wearing any cologne. Dior wasn’t lying when they said that this one was super concentrated.

 

The longevity is perfection. Sauvage Elixir just keeps going. I’m not sure what the final tally ends up being but it’s easily above 12 hours, at a still very solid strength. Yes, this one is expensive in comparison to the other Sauvage offerings, but you get the performance to back it up.

Update: Testing it out a few more times, Elixir seems to hit the 13-15 hour range for me, at its max. Really depends on what I’m doing, while wearing it. 

Seasonally, I’d like this best in the autumn. Winter and spring will also work, just avoid the summertime heat. Which, yeah, I had to test this during the summer months. Indoors, it’s just great. Outdoors, that humidity kind of wrecks its charm.

I do think that Elixir has a more mature profile than the other Sauvage’s, especially the original EDT. That worked well for guys in their teens and twenties, but Elixir might not be for those in the high school age range.

Sure, for some it will be an option, but this one might not have the same appeal for those in that demographic.

Elixir isn’t completely a formal fragrance. It doesn’t feel out of place, wearing it while dressed up though. It may be too bold for certain functions, but it has plenty of versatility.

This Sauvage can be worn in the nightlife or while out on a date. It does have a sexiness and enough of a mass appeal to get complements from those around you.

Overall Impressions of Sauvage Elixir

Overall, do I like Sauvage Elixir? Yes, I do. Actually, as of now it is my favorite from the series. I give it a slight edge over the EDP, though, that may change as I spend more time with it.

Elixir brings some familiarity, while going in a different direction. The freshness and the spice blend are great here. It doesn’t have a sharp citrus and Sichuan pepper blend up top. The cinnamon and nutmeg are brilliant as replacements.

Lavender is allowed to shine and honestly comes across much better here than in the others. Just a touch of sweetness from licorice, really helps to round out Elixir. I was worried going in, as a too heavy licorice note gives me headaches, but it’s not an issue.

If you liked the Sauvage releases up to this point, you’ll want to give this a try at least. It’s definitely different, though, in an awesome way.

If you didn’t like the other Sauvage fragrances, this one could change your mind. I’m not much of a fan of the EDT original, but really enjoyed the others. This one gets rid of the weakest parts and comes up with something new.

The price may be a deciding factor. It’s currently $155 for a 2 ounce bottle. That is steep for a lot of folks. As such, it may not be one to blind buy.

L’eau Super Majeure D’Issey by Issey Miyake

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Issey Miyake has a long list of fragrances that the designer’s brand has put out over the years. Flankers upon flankers. Many times, of colognes that you probably haven’t heard of before. L’eau Super Majeure d’Issey is an EDT Intense release from the brand, from a few years back. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a shot?

L’eau Super Majeure d’Issey Overview

Notes include: citrus, sage, amber, sea notes, wood, black salt, cashmeran, tonka bean, vanilla, patchouli, rosemary

Click here to try: Issey Miyake L’eau Super Majeure D’issey Pour Homme Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

Let’s see how Issey Miyake describes this scent: A men’s fragrance inspired by the might of the sea, L’EAU MAJEURE D’ISSEY reinvented Issey Miyake’s pioneering aquatic note for the 21st century. This autumn, L’EAU SUPER MAJEURE D’ISSEY unleashes the power of water, with a new, exhilarating blend.

Super Majeure is not a fragrance that I sought out. It just happened to be in a lot of other samples that I purchased months ago, that I needed for review purposes. So, really I had zero expectations for this Issey Miyake scent.

While I do enjoy the original L’eau d’Issey, the rest of the brand’s fragrances can be hit or miss, and often just disappear from the market without much fanfare. Case in point, Super was released in 2018 and is no longer listed on their website. 

So, I’m probably writing this review for 10 people…

Anyway, this one opens up pretty strange. Looking at the notes, I would expect closer to an Acqua di Gio Profumo, but it really isn’t that at all.

Up top, is a burst of rosemary and sage. Very herbal with a nice intensity. However, this is paired with tonka bean, vanilla, amberwood, salty sea notes, and a touch of citrus. It’s pretty strange, in the early stages.

Honestly, the opening stages almost put me off of this one completely. But, I do think that it improves upon what it started out with. The rosemary is stronger to my nose, but the partnership with the sage is nice here.

I usually enjoy sweet aromas, but I prefer when the tonka and vanilla calm down within this composition. The rosemary, sage, sea notes, woods and amber are the highlights of the composition.

As it dries down, rosemary and wood are the two strongest components. The saltiness of the sea notes has mostly gone away and those two notes are sitting on top of that synthetic smelling amber (much the same as in Light Blue Eau Intense). 

Sitting on top of all that, is just a touch of remaining sweetness, which is just about the right strength for what this cologne is. This is a ‘blue’ scent, but a really dark blue hue, that’s nearly black.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this does have a bit of power to it. It opens pretty strong with a nice intensity, but settles down into something moderate. You’ll know it’s there and so will others, without much effort on your part.

The longevity is pretty good 7-7.5 hours of wear, on my skin. Not an absolute marathon runner, but it’ll provide you plenty of time to enjoy it.

Seasonally, spring and summer is when it’s best. But, if the temperature is at least moderate, Super Majeure wouldn’t feel out of place.

This is more of a casual to semi-formal (for summer) fragrance. This isn’t really a romantic wear or club beast. Maybe it could be a daily wear for the warmer months out of the year, for some guys. Not super versatile, but has its place.

Overall Impressions of L’eau Super Majeure D’Issey

Do I like this fragrance? It’s okay. I hated it the first time that I wore it.

Second and third tries, it seemed better. Though, I still don’t see myself wanting any more. I do also hate having to type this long name that they decided to go with for this cologne.

The herbal blend, with salty seas, wood and a slight sweetness. That’s what you should expect with Super. If that sounds like your type of fragrance, this is a pretty unique and well performing example. Bottles are still cheap, so for a percentage of guys, this will be a steal.

For most men? Probably not. It has a nice aroma, but nothing spectacular or very mass appealing. But, if you’re a fan of rosemary and sage, this is certainly an interesting one to try.

It at least didn’t just mimic Acqua di Gio, points for some originality.