Cologne Reviews

Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani

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Since its release in 1997, Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani, has enjoyed an immense popularity and success in terms of praise and sales. This cologne is always at the top of the charts in terms of numbers of units sold and enjoys a near universal appeal.  For this post, I want to take a deeper look at this popular Armani fragrance and explore what exactly gives it this appeal.

Note: I have come back to this post, to revamp and really, do an all new review. I have grabbed a sample of the latest batch, that I could get, and tested it out. Reformulations do happen with fragrances over time (although this wasn’t completely different from what I remember of older bottles).

Key Takeaways on Acqua di Gio

  • An absolute classic, that’s continues to be a best seller
  • Breezy citrus aquatic with spice and jasmine highlights
  • Moderate performance with newer batches
  • Easy and approachable daily wear. Great starter fragrance.

What does Acqua di Gio Smell Like?

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Notes include: bergamot, tangerine, neroli, jasmine, rosemary, patchouli, rock rose, hyacinth, persimmon, marine notes

Click here to try: Acqua Di Gio By Giorgio Armani For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

AdG Fully Tested Review

Acqua di Gio opens up with a whole host of citrus notes blended with a slightly salty marine aroma. It’s immediately very fresh and clean, easy to see why it has become an absolute classic. It is a bright scent with a summery disposition and conjures up images of a breezy shoreline.

The citrus is a lime and lemon affair mostly, but with definite bits of tangerine floating around in there. It’s a great smell, that can actually be sour at points, but that’s not a persistent feature.

AdG has always had this undertone of floral notes, I definitely pick up on jasmine being in the opening stages, which is a nice contrast from the juicy citrus and aquatic elements. Though, when you move forward in the dry down, there is neroli and hyacinth also peaking through at times.

I have really been enjoying that opening lime and lemon, especially when it starts to transition, and more of the jasmine comes out. That phase it utterly fantastic.

If all Acqua di Gio offered was some citrus and light floral notes, it would have never been as copied by other perfume manufacturers as it has been in these past 20+ years. No, what I think it is that gives it its strength, is that woody base and the pure aquatic vibe.

These two aspects permeate every part of this cologne, its sort of a water-logged cedar soaked in the citrus juices. Then, add some light musk, and other slightly spicy ingredients to boost the freshness. It never gets bogged down or overly spiced, just super clean and upbeat.

The version that I am using in 2020 for this review, doesn’t seem to have quite the same amount of woodiness, but it is still there. This batch feels quite more marine than I remember the older ones being, but that might be a trick of memory, rather than reformulation. Overall, it is quite like how I remember.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s always had a moderate but solid sillage. It’s an aquatic after all, so it’s not going to be a complete bomb of a scent. You can certainly over-spray and choke out a room, but with normal application, it will be a narrow radius of scent around the wearer.

I get about 6 hours of wear from this sample, maybe closer to 7 during some wears. Again, not amazing but a very solid daily wear.

This is probably one area, where this fragrance has lost a step over the years. The longevity, is still good, but the other AdG scents have a much better performance. The sillage in the later hours is fairly soft, also.

Seasonally, I really like it in the warm weather, but in actuality this can be an all-purpose cologne and that’s what guys have been doing for decades. It’s also kind of become a unisex fragrance, at this point, because many women really enjoy this smell and so don it themselves.

AdG is of course a very versatile cologne that can be worn casually or more formally or out on a date. It’s been a best seller for a reason, people really love this aroma, in general.

It does skew more for younger men, but I think its flanker AdG Profumo, is better for older guys (and better overall).

Nonetheless, it still has a mass appeal and can be safely worn by anybody. There’s a reason, it became a classic.

Overall Impressions of Acqua di Gio

Overall, do I still like Acqua di Gio, all these years later? I have to say that I do. It’s not my favorite cologne, I like Profumo more, and it’s been copied countless times…but it is still a very good scent.

It really set the stage for many colognes that came out from the late-1990s on and is going to be a best seller for many more decades probably. For citrus aquatics, this is still among the best to ever do it, and bottles are certainly easy to come by.

I do enjoy most of the newer AdG offerings more than this. However, the citrus opening and the use of jasmine here is still awesome. That’s what is distinct about it versus the others and experiencing it again, is what made me tear through my samples pretty fast.

This is still a good cologne. There are just other options out there, that smell very similar to this, but are much more affordable. For me, I appreciate this scent, but don’t have much use for it anymore.

That being said, I’ve been seeing Armani put this one sale a whole lot lately. So, maybe some of that value can come into play for those looking to get a bottle. With discount codes, you can get a giant bottle for at a nice price, and I could be swayed to grab one if the mood struck.

Guilty Love Edition Pour Homme by Gucci

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Guilty is a line that is continually having new fragrances brought out under its banner. 2020 saw the release of the first Love Editions, which were followed up in 2021. For this review, I am taking a closer look at Guilty Love Edition Pour Homme (2020). I hadn’t tried it out last year and wanted to see what it was all about. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a buy?

What does Guilty Love Edition Pour Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin orange, kumquat, ginger, lavender, rosemary, geranium, pink pepper, vetiver, patchouli, benzoin

Click here to try: Gucci Guilty Love Edition by Gucci Eau De Toilette Spray 3 oz Men

My Full Review

Guilty Love Edition opens up with a fresh blast of kumquat and mandarin orange. This is sitting on top of a mix of ginger, rosemary, and pink pepper. The ginger has a short run at the top, but the rosemary will become a more dominant force.

The citrus, floral, and spiciness is pretty reminiscent of a fragrance like Acqua di Gio. That’s the style of cologne to expect here, but this Gucci isn’t really an exact match.

The citrus is bright, but not all that juicy. In fact, this comes across as a pretty dry fragrance. The mandarin does have the edge, in terms of strength over the kumquat.

Once that initial opening burns off, we enter a more floral/woodsy phase. The stars here will be: geranium, lavender, and vetiver. Rosemary sticks around and fully overtakes the pink pepper and faded ginger note.

Guilty Love now has a soapier quality to it versus that initial citrus blast. The lavender is the center point, though, it doesn’t completely overpower the other notes. Guilty Love Pour Homme has more balance.

The geranium and vetiver give it a cold and dry aroma. Then, there is the remaining herbal notes floating around. The patchouli is noticeable at this point, giving this an earthier kick to finish. It’s not too complicated of a cologne.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a light to moderate fragrance. You do have to go pretty heavy on the sprays for it to have very much ability to project. Even then, it’s not going to be for all that long. Performance is definitely the weak spot of Guilty Love.

In terms of longevity, I can get up to six hours of wear. It’s more of a range of 4-6 hours. Again, not great, but I’ve got other workhorses in my collection for it to be too much of an issue personally.

However, this wouldn’t be my go to cologne, if I were looking for one scent to be my go to.

Seasonally, it’s mostly a spring and summertime wear. I’ve been wearing Guilty Love Edition here in the autumn and it works well. So long as it’s not too cold, this is a decent option.

This Gucci flanker is mostly or casual wear. It is clean enough to be worn semi-formally and light enough that it isn’t ever going to offend. The cleanliness and freshness do allow it to have more use cases versus something completely niche.

While it’s called Love Edition, that doesn’t seem to have any real bearing on its actual presentation. It’s not a particularly sexy fragrance, even among its peers in the series.

 

Overall Impressions of Guilty Love Edition

Overall, do I like Guilty Love Edition Pour Homme? I do. I bought a full bottle in my last fragrance order, so, it definitely appeals to me.

That being said, this didn’t seem to be all that popular of a cologne in 2020. I just really enjoy the opening act and how it emanates from my skin. Mandarin and kumquat together are great. I love ginger as a note and the dry fougere base notes give it some more refinement.

I had the sample of this Guilty along with the EDP version and kept coming back to this versus that one. Both of them have spices and floral notes, but I think the pairing simply works better here.

Is it the greatest ever? Nope. The longevity is pretty mediocre also. The 2020 version of Guilty Love Edition is upbeat and enjoyable to wear. It requires lots of sprays and I’ll go through the bottle fast, but it’s worth it.

At full price? Probably going to be a pass for most guys. At a discount? Give it a shot or at least get a sample to see if it vibes with you.

Update (2024): It’s been out of production for a while now and definitely left the scene without making too much of an impact. I finished my bottle, mostly using at as a chill summertime scent or something light that I might wear to the gym.

If you can find a bottle for cheap, it can fit that sort of casual role well. I wouldn’t go out of my way to obtain a new bottle, but it’s a fragrance that I got some enjoyment out of wearing for a while.

Guilty Pour Homme EDP by Gucci

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Guilty has been a massively successful line from Gucci in the past decade. It has seemed like each successive iteration has had less to do with the original fragrance than those that preceded it. Until, they’ve become colognes that just have the same name.

So, getting ahold of Gucci Guilty Eau de Parfum, I wasn’t sure of what to expect from this. How does it smell? Is the performance amped up? Is it even worth trying?

What does Guilty Pour Homme Eau de Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, French lavender, neroli, chili pepper, orange blossom, patchouli, vinegar, salt

Click here to try: GUCCI GUILTY POUR HOMME by Gucci, EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY 3 OZ

Full Wear Review

Here’s how Gucci describes it: The celebration of freedom expressed by the statement #ForeverGuilty continues with Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Eau de Parfum, a Woody Aromatic Spicy fragrance created to provoke. A contemporary take on two iconic perfumery ingredients popular in the ’70s.

The starts of Guilty EDP is intriguing. I read the list of notes before ever trying out this fragrance and wanted to know how they were going to infuse chili pepper, vinegar, and salt into this blend…because it sounds weird.

It does open up with a balsamic aroma. It’s spicy, warm, and has a greenish finish thanks to the presence of the rose (it doesn’t strike me as a red rose, more of a pink).

There is a touch of salt in the air, but the parfum has a fresh and soapier cleanliness that lurks underneath. One that will grow, as we move forward.

Neroli and red pepper add spice and the white floral notes sit underneath the rose. It favors the rose at first. Then, the neroli and orange blossom shine. Finally, the fragrance will feature the lavender and orange blossom.

The patchouli and rose combination do provide this with a classic feeling and an overall greenish earthiness.

At some point, the spiciness rolls off and it becomes a warmer floral fragrance, with patchouli and light woods. That soapy clean aroma becomes more apparent. There still is some chili pepper, but the balsamic aspect goes away.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

I was expecting a much more powerful scent with this eau de parfum version. Actually, the sillage is softer to moderate. Sure, the early stages are pretty solid, and that lasts about an hour or two. Thereafter, Guilty EDP is quite soft.

The longevity isn’t all that great either. It’s really not much different from the EDT, from my recollection. EDP sticks around for 5-6 hours. That’s about it.

The Guilty collection is fairly hit and miss with how long each of them lasts. They all seem to top out at the 8-9 hour mark, at the high end, and around here for the rest of them.

Guilty eau de parfum does provide a versatile wear, even if the performance isn’t top notch. It might not have a clear universal appeal, but for those who enjoy it, EDP can be worn almost anywhere and not feel too out of place.

It’s low key enough to be worn to an office. Though, I’d more want to wear it casually or for certain evenings out.

It’s not amazing in the heat. I’ve worn it in cooler autumn temperatures and on more moderate days without issue. It’s really when this cologne is at its best. Not too hot or too cold.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Pour Homme EDP

Overall, do I like Guilty EDP? Sort of. The opening act is really good. The balsamic rose with red pepper spice? Very interesting and smells great. Not my favorite fragrance ever, but it wasn’t a boring experience.

After that? Meh. It’s got some of the same notes as earlier entries into the series. Lavender, orange blossom, cedar. But, it doesn’t strike me as the same as Intense or even EDT. There’s elements there, though, the aroma is different.

I currently have an mini of Guilty Intense and the resemblance comparing them side by side, just isn’t that great.

Guilty Pour Homme EDP goes from interesting to forgettable. Yet, it still never reached a high level of enjoyment for me. It’s fine in terms of the smell.

I actually opted for a bottle of Guilty Love 2020 after sampling both it and EDP. Also, I later bought Guilty Parfum when it was released. I liked that better than EDP, as well. But, it’s also not amazing, kind of got boring after a while.

Plus, the performance isn’t all that great.

I do think that Guilty EDP is worth a try. Perhaps, you will have more of a love for it than I do. It’s fine, has its moments, but not one that I personally need to own.

Burberry Brit for Men

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Despite the overwhelming popularity of my post on the top smelling Burberry fragrances for men, I had yet to do a review of Burberry Brit and thought that I would remedy that oversight today.

In this post, I want to give a general overview of Brit, my impressions of it, how well it wears, and whether or not it should merit consideration of a purchase.

Note: I have updated this review, a few years after posting the original, to give new thoughts and expand more upon Burberry Brit for Men.

What Does Burberry Brit Smell Like?

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Notes include: wild roses, tonka bean, green mandarin, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cedar

Click here to try Burberry Brit:BURBERRY Brit for Men Eau de Toilette, 1.0 fl. oz

My Full Wear Review

My immediate impulse when smelling Burberry Brit is to compare it with other Burberry fragrances, such as London. Whereas London is more of a rugged, woodsy, tobacco type of scent, Brit strikes me as something much smoother.

The opening is fresh and delightful and one is immediately drawn into the subtle spice of the nutmeg/ginger/tonka notes; and the quite powdery aroma, which balances it out.

The mandarin and bergamot citrus notes are present at the top and provide their usual brightness. This is a nice contrast from the fresh spiciness of the rest of the composition.

The opening is really dominated by this subdued citrus and fresh spice combination. There is an air of sweetness within Brit during this stage of the wear, the citrus and tonka bean, seem to be creating that effect.

Yet, the cologne overall still has this green outdoorsy cleanliness during this time, as well.

What is interesting about Brit is that it contains wild roses but that it doesn’t give off the extreme rosiness of a cologne such as Dunhill Desire.

Brit isn’t in any way a loud cologne, I think it really does a fantastic job of taking different elements and working them together in harmony instead of having one dominate feature.

With Brit, you get a warm spice, fresh green/woodsy notes, with a hint of citrus provided by the green mandarin note, and a baby powder type of finish.

The dry down is the make or break period for most guys with this fragrance, I’d say. The dark powdery rose, isn’t going to be enjoyable for some folks, but it is very well done.

Again, it isn’t a super feminine or in your face rose. It’s smoothed out by tonka bean, a cedar base, with the same spices with the ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg notes.

Longevity, Sillage, and Versatility

Longevity wise, this is a really good performer and will typically last around 8 hours give or take. It isn’t a projection beast by any means but it does a great job at presenting itself as a moderate scent.

It’s always had solid sillage on my skin, consistent, but not a scent bomb. It’s more of a strong starter, then, lighter after a few hours. For much of the wear it’s going to be an intimate kind of cologne.

Nevertheless, in all my years of having various bottles of this scent, I’ve never been disappointed by its performance. It holds up well.

 

Burberry Brit is another safe option for the autumn or winter months, just like Burberry for Men (Also see: Brit vs Burberry for Men Comparison).

However, I think Brit would be a better wintertime wear. I’ll usually wear it on colder days, but occasionally I will put some on in the evening, as something casual.

Brit for Men isn’t a summertime fragrance, though, it can be worn in the more moderate temperatures of spring. Still, much better as a colder climate scent.

Brit is an option that can be worn safely at work or even for class. It’s not going to overpower and it smells quite clean and pleasant. Teen guys can wear it, but it doesn’t have that really youthful vibe, and has enough maturity to be worn by someone much older.

Overall Impressions of Burberry Brit for Men

Overall, I really enjoy this stuff. Brit is a great choice for everyday wear in the fall or winter months of the year.

It is a solid performer for school or work and safe to use in either environment. It isn’t necessarily a ‘sexy’ type of cologne but it smells damn good and is attractive enough with the ladies. I’d definitely rate it as a buy.

This has become my third most worn Burberry cologne at this point, as I usually go with Burberry for Men or London depending on the occasion, and which bottle I have.

(Edit: I have purchased a full bottle, in the autumn, and have been wearing it more than the others. I’ve been loving Brit for Men, as of late. I think it’s become my second favorite behind London now).

Still, Brit for Men is a fairly unique guy’s cologne, and does everything quite well.

Really, there haven’t been too many great releases from this brand in a long while. The Mr. Burberry series was decent, but nothing must have. Still, well over a decade later Brit just works, and is among this designers top scents.

The Scent Absolute for Him by Hugo Boss

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This is the last of the Hugo Boss ‘The Scent’ reviews, as I’ve covered all of the releases up to this point (I may have to double check that). I thought that I might as well end with what I consider to be the best of the series, The Scent Absolute.

The aroma, the performance, and entire package is just superior to the others, in my opinion. What does it smell like? How long does it last? Continue below for my full take.

What does The Scent Absolute for Him Smell Like?

Notes include: maninka, ginger, vetiver, Mondia root

Click here to try: Hugo Boss The Scent Absolute for Him Eau De Parfum, 1.6 Fl Oz

My Full Review

The Scent Absolute is probably the most closely related to the original cologne from this Hugo Boss series. That’s a great thing, as I really enjoyed how that one smelled, but it had terrible performance.

However, The Scent Absolute corrects that, gives me a fresh and spicier profile, and isn’t the powdery chocolate of Private Accord (which is nice, but I prefer the maninka fruit). Yet, Absolute is also the more linear of the two parfums.

Absolute for Him kicks off with the fresh spiciness of ginger. It’s a bold use of the ginger note and it actually has a bit of a lemony-quality to it. Very nice. This is paired with the signature maninka fruit of the line, giving the composition a fruity warmth.

It’s a fruity and spicy opening act, with somewhat rum-like booziness in the mix. It doesn’t actually have that as an accord, but the fragrance puts out that sort of vibe (mondia roots). Absolute is masculine, attractive, and is definitely unique while retaining that The Scent DNA.

Super easy to wear.

I mentioned that this is a linear fragrance. Well, there is a change. The spice burns off and you are left with a mix of the maninka and vetiver the rest of the way. Fresh, a touch of earthiness, and smoke.

That’s about all the development I get from this fragrance. Though, I don’t think it needs to go much further.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one starts out on the upper edges of what could be considered moderate (4-7 foot projection), before moving in to a lighter moderate (3-4 feet). It’s not a complete beast, but performs very well when compared to the others.

The Scent Absolute also has good longevity. Gets around 8-9 hours of wear. Again, don’t expect a monster projection beast, but this one does hang around for a nice long while and doesn’t flake out early.

Seasonally, this has autumn and winter written all over it. Not a totally heavy or dense fragrance, but that spice would kind of be off-putting in the heat of the summer months. If you have relatively mild springs where you live, it would work then too.

Absolute is masculine. Not a teenagers fragrance, but not exactly formal either. It can venture into the nightlife and is great for casual wear. This is more of a ‘sexy’, mass appealing cologne, that leans much more into evening wear.

I don’t find it to be particularly out of place anywhere, I just don’t consider it a jack of all trades kind of cologne.

Overall Impressions of The Scent Absolute

Overall, do I like The Scent Absolute? Yes, again, it is my favorite out of all of these colognes. If I had to buy one from the series, I’d go with Absolute, without question.

It isn’t a very complicated fragrance. Though, I love the sweet maninka fruit, and ginger is among my favorite notes. Together, it is damn near brilliant. The slight rum impression is an additional bonus.

I’m not as big of a fan of the vetiver dry down, but it’s solid overall. The performance at least gives you your money’s worth, unlike some of the others.

This is a very good perfume for him. It’s just not a total must buy for me, personally. If you’re a fan of the other ‘The Scent’ fragrances, this is one that you need to check out, and give strong consideration to purchasing.

I dig it and went through the entire sample pretty easily. If this scent sounds like your kind of thing, give it a try before it disappears from the market entirely.