Cologne Reviews

Creed Aventus vs Imperial Millesime Comparison

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Deciding which fragrance to buy can be tricky sometimes, as there are a multitude of factors from which to consider. This can become especially true when the colognes that you are considering cost in the triple digits to buy.

It is one thing to purchase a crummy scent that was $20 for the bottle versus one which was $175+. Creed is a luxury boutique brand known for its high quality ingredients and beautifully crafted scents.

In this post, I want to do a bit of a comparison between two options from Creed, Aventus vs Imperial Millesime and break down which will be the better option for most people and highlight the pros and cons of each.

Tale of the Tape: Aventus vs. Imperial Millesime

 

Creed Aventus 

creed aventus

Notes of Creed Aventus: 

Top: Blackcurrant,Italian bergamot, French apples and pineapple

Middle: Rose, dry birch, Moroccan jasmine, and patchouli

Base Notes: musk, oak moss, ambergris, and vanilla.

Click here to read my original Aventus Review

Click here to get Aventus: Aventus by Creed

Creed Imperial Millesime

Notes include: Lemon, Iris, Green Bergamot, Mandarin

My original review of Imperial

Click here to try Imperial Millesime: Creed Imperial

Opening 

The opening of Aventus can be a pretty harsh citrus to deal with. I don’t really like the opening of Aventus and if all I’d have to go by was the first 15 minutes or so, I’d think that this fragrance wasn’t worth wearing. The pineapple, blackcurrant, and the dryness of birch can be a bit much at first.

However, the fragrance settles down into something much more enjoyable and fresh. The next wave has less of the pineapple, more birch/oak moss, and some sweetness provided by a light vanilla and French apple. 

Meanwhile, the opening of Imperial is much smoother, with a wonderful melon type of scent that blends with sea salt to create something quite pleasant.

The melon-like smell is like a blend of a standard melon and a bit of watermelon. This is paired with a salty aquatic note, which is why I suppose it comes across smelling that way. It’s actually lemon and mandarin orange, as the notes, and not any watermelon. 

Anyway, Imperial Millesime is juicy, musky, and very bright in the opening stages. Which scent is better? To me, I greatly prefer the start to Imperial, more than I ever have Aventus. 

Edge: Imperial Millesime

Projection

Neither one of these fragrances is slipping in quality when it comes to projection. Aventus never really requires more than two sprays while Imperial is no slouch either. Aventus is the stronger of the two and I’d say it projects more than Imperial does.

So, both start strong, but Aventus reaches the higher heights of sillage and keeps at it for longer. 

Edge: Aventus

Longevity

Wearing both of these colognes, I haven’t noticed a difference in terms of how long they last. I usually get 7-10 hours of solid performance out of each. Mostly, Aventus will go 8 or 9 hours on my skin, a bit less when it’s hot out.

Imperial is usually around 7 or 8 hours, but can last better in the heat than can Aventus. It can also reach that 10 hour mark, on occasion, like Aventus. No clear winner, in my experience. 

Edge: Push

Versatility

Creed Aventus is best worn in the spring and autumn, in my opinion. I don’t think that it holds up well in the heat, but early summer isn’t bad. On the other hand, Imperial Millesime is great for summertime wear as well as the warmer months of spring.

However, Aventus can be pulled off rather well in the winter months, to whereas Imperial would seem out of place in the cold weather.

As far as, on what occasion each of these scents could be worn, I’d say that they could arguably be worn anywhere for any event. I wouldn’t really call Imperial a date night type of cologne though and even if I’d wear other scents besides Aventus on a night out, it could be done well. 

I much prefer Imperial, as a daytime wear, in more casual situations. Overall, I’d say Aventus has the greater versatility. 

Edge: Aventus

 

 

Overall Scent

Aventus develops into something that is woodsy/masculine/leathery and the citrus notes become undertones as the fragrances wears on. Meanwhile, Imperial has that unique fruity quality blended with salt notes that just reminds me of the summer and the ocean.

I actually like Imperial better in terms of its smell, BUT I think that most men would be better served by Aventus out of the two.

I say this simply because of its greater versatility of being worn. Imperial Millesime is a great signature type of scent, but I feel that it does have its limitations.

Aventus fits in better, during more situations and climates. Imperial is rather straightforward, but has a really delightful salty melon aroma. Aventus is deeper with greater nuance.

These two are pretty neck and neck, in my book, but most would go with Aventus.  I have grown sort of tired of the formula, as there have been endless Creed Aventus ‘dupes’ coming to market over the years.

Winner: Aventus (for most guys)

Azzaro Pour Homme by Azzaro

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In my continuing series of men’s fragrance reviews, I am going to take a closer look today at Azzaro Pour Homme. I have already reviewed Chrome by Azzaro , which is quite a different fragrance then this one.

This cologne is a long-time seller, and some would say, classic scent. Does is live up to that status? What notes make up Azzaro? What does it smell like? How does it perform? Is it worth a purchase? Please continue below for my full write up.

What does Azzaro Pour Homme Smell Like?

IMG_0768

Notes include: oakmoss, amber, musk, cedar, juniper berries, lavender, lemon, anise, and more

Click here to try Azzaro Pour Homme: Azzaro By Azzaro For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 6.8 oz

My Full Review

Azzaro Pour Homme has been around for a long time, and has basically achieved classic status, in the fragrance world. That being said, it definitely is not a scent for everybody, and won’t vibe well with some people’s style. Especially, if you’re into more ‘modern’ releases.

The opening of Azzaro is a fresh and woodsy blast. The oakmoss, cedar, and anise really stand out to me. Lemon is there, but it is a light touch, to my nose. There seems to be a refreshing spice that lingers quite well, but it’s a cool spice (sort of the same way mint projects itself), and it is all tied together by the smoothness of lavender.

Cold, spicy, and woodsy. Still, Pour Homme is clean at the top, with a very smooth leather and slight herbal quality to its aroma.

Azzaro is quite an interesting scent. It gives off a refined and masculine vibe that is wholly unique, especially compared to more modern fragrances for men.

It is so layered at times that is can be difficult to pick out some of the notes but the lavender and oakmoss are the most prominent, which gives it this crisp and soapy/cream sort of aroma.

The cycle of Azzaro starts off with the fresh spicy aroma, which then moves into the sort of classic barbershop soapiness. The oak moss and lavender, are particularly noticeable in the latter stages of the wear.

Sillage, Versatility, and How Long does it Last?

Projection wise, Azzaro does it’s job. It isn’t a heavy cologne but you really don’t have to use much of it either. I find that 2-3 sprays, is about the max, that I’ll put on.

Even with that, I still don’t think it’s an absolute beast with its sillage either. It will reach rather far away from the skin, for 30-45 minutes or so, and then become moderate to semi-powerful for the remainder of the wear.

It is also one, that doesn’t quit on you after a few hours, and will keep going along for the remainder of the day. Testing it a few more times recently, it was clocking 7-9 hours, on my skin. That’s not an insanely long time, but a full work day is plenty, for most guys.

This would honestly be worn best in the months of autumn, as its woodsy aroma would fit in quite well during that time of year. However, it’ll work well in anything besides extreme heat and humidity.

If you live in a tropical climate, I’d probably avoid Azzaro Pour Homme for anything besides wear in an air conditioned building.

Also, it does seem to be a versatile scent that can be worn everyday, but it isn’t too casual of a scent. Azzaro Pour Homme is an anytime wear really, within the confines of its climate boundaries.

For older guys, it could be a daily wear or something for the evenings. Most younger guys, probably won’t be that enthralled with Azzaro, but it could find a place within a rotation.

Overall Impressions of Azzaro Pour Homme

Overall, is Azzaro a buy? It is an (usually) inexpensive performer. If you enjoy dry, fresh, woodsy, classic types of scents, Azzaro would be right up your alley. However, if you like really sweet or aquatic type of colognes, you may want to look elsewhere.

Azzaro can be a good change up to wear, every once in a while, just to add some variety to your style. I like it to some extent, but it really doesn’t fit with my personal taste. The classic woodsy/barbershop cologne isn’t one that I gravitate towards.

That being said, Azzaro Pour Homme is an example of this style, done right. Amazing? No, but one that does everything well enough.

High Line by Bond No.9 New York

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So, I have a ton of fragrance reviews that are coming out over the next month or so, and I figured that I’d kick things off with another entry from Bond No.9. I’ve completed a good chunk of the entire line of scents from them at this point, which is cool, but there’s so many more fragrances to explore.

High Line has been around as a scent for about 10 years now and has developed into a well known Bond scent. Is it worth it? I have tried it, tested, and am reporting back. So, please continue below form my complete review of High Line.

High Line by Bond No. 9 Overview

Notes include: bergamot, grass, rhubarb, rose, hyacinth, tulip, and oak 

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 High Line Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

Right from the jump, while this is classified as a unisex fragrance, High Line lean much more toward the feminine end of things. It’s a green floral/outdoorsy scent, so if that’s not your type of fragrance, this will probably be a complete miss for you.  That being said, High Line is a light, bright, and upbeat perfume.

I do get a mix of bergamot, grass, and tulip at the opening. Now, the grass note isn’t like a freshly mown lawn or anything like that. It’s fresh, green, and feels like a well-manicured garden.

To me the bergamot and oak notes serve as bookends, to keep the fragrance from going completely into the floral space. I like that aspect, because there are other Bond No.9 scents that take things to a full bouquet of flowers, and it kind of gives me a headache.

The floral notes really take over at about 10 minutes in and it takes on a floral/citrus tone, that has a soapy quality. High Line’s notes don’t have that overwhelming or cloying personality to them.

The hyacinth and tulip are very noticeable, I get some rhubarb, but it gets blended away on my skin. It is a pretty dang strong aroma but it’s crisp and not a heavy cloud of perfume.

In the end, it is a grassy floral with citrus hints. Powerful, with a clean, and soapy-like aroma. Hyacinth, grass, citrus, with some remaining tulip.

Sillage, How Long does High Line Last, Versatility

Projection wise, this is as I wrote above, a strong scent. A few sprays is all you will need and anything beyond that is simply too much, in my opinion. At least you can say, that you get your money’s worth, with this loud of a sillage.

The projection power can indeed fill up a room. During testing, I could spray a shirt and pick up the scent easily, from 12-15 feet away.

However, with that sort of projection power, High Line is absolutely an all day wear, just off of those two sprays. It really hung around me for a long time during my testing. You’ll get to the double digit hours in wear, without any real problem.

Seasonally, this has spring/summer written all over it. It would seem out of place during the colder months of the year. It has the vibe of a bright sunny day, not a gloomy, overcast, and frigid one.

I’d call this casual, not really a business scent or a sexy one either. This is the type of perfume you’d wear outdoors, where it really has a chance to blend with the environment. Probably too heavy for the office, not appealing enough for nightlife. A perfume for a spring day, walking about the city.

Overall Impression of High Line

Overall, would I recommend High Line? For some, yes. I’m not a huge floral fan and for guys, this is distinctively feminine. BUT for the floral lovers of either gender, this is a very nice example of a fragrance that is well-blended and gives good performance.

High Line isn’t a scent that I could wear, as it is too powerful, floral, and feminine for my tastes. Nonetheless, it is a good entry from Bond No. 9. Maybe more niche, than some of their more popular offerings, but one that has an audience of fans.

The Dreamer by Versace

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I can’t believe that I haven’t done a review of The Dreamer by Versace, up to this point in time. It has long been a go to fragrance on occasions, when I want to wear something different from the usual fair.

I found a mini bottle mixed in with a box of sample fragrances recently and I had to check the site, to see if I actually had written about this Versace cologne before. Nope.

So, in this post, I want to take a closer look at the 1996 release from this designer and give my thoughts on how it smells and performs.

What does Versace The Dreamer Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco, tonka bean, lavender, sage, rose, cedar, geranium, and more

Click here to try: Dreamer By Gianni Versace For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

My Full Review

The opening of Dreamer can be somewhat intense, compared to the rest of the wear. From the start, the tobacco note is present, it is more of an uncured tobacco than one which has been toasted.

I think that the intensity of the start stems from the sage, fir, and rose notes interacting with the tobacco. It is quite green with a sharp herbal spice and lavender poking through at times. That rose note with the tobacco, certainly lends a green-ish sensibility.

Now, Dreamer does settle down pretty quickly into something that is much better, than you initially get. As it dries, down Dreamer becomes sweeter and more floral. Yes, tobacco still is the top dog here, and will be throughout the entirety.

However, rose, carnation, and geranium show up to flank the tobacco for a really fresh heart. At times, this one reminds me of Burberry Brit. They don’t smell the same, but they share plenty of common notes, and can have a similar vibe. Just Brit, is more of a powdery cologne.

The rose really settles from a greener sort of smell, to the floral note, that we’re all pretty much familiar with. Nice mix of herbal, woody, and floral. Dreamer is such a unique fragrance, especially for a mainstream designer.

The base of this Versace fragrance, is a drier, woody one. There is a solid cedar note, fir, and vetiver. Ultimately, Dreamer is tobacco with a big does of lavender (and tonka bean) with floral/herbal notes supporting those two and a green woody base.

It’s really gets smooth and has a slightly spicy freshness during the dry down. Really great deep tobacco aroma.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on this one starts out moderate, but turns lighter in short order. It’s never been weak for me, but this isn’t a super heavy fragrance. It doesn’t hang close to the skin but rather floats around in the immediate air around your body.

The longevity on this one usually runs 6+ hours, depending on the climate. It can go 8 hours for me, on colder days. Yet, here in this warmer southern climate, I usually will get that 6-ish hours from Dreamer.

Seasonally, this is an autumn through early spring wear. Dreamer isn’t very good at all, in hotter weather, so try to avoid that. It can be worn casually, at work, or even out for an evening.

It is a really versatile and attractive cologne, that women usually enjoy. Not necessarily ‘sexy’, but a complement getter. I’ve worn this as a teenager and as an adult, it does have a more mature air, but is fine for a younger guy.

Now, from what I understand, Dreamer may have been reformulated and perhaps the ingredients were changed up in new bottles. I can’t confirm that, but this mini bottle that I have from a couple of years ago, is the same smell that I remember from vintage bottles.

Overall Impressions of Dreamer

Overall, is the Dreamer worth a buy? Yes, it is. Again, not sure if the newer bottles have been screwed with or not, but the price for a full bottle has been really inexpensive for a long while now.

Update: Also, the newer bottles I think have changed at least some of the notes too. At least from what I’ve read, I haven’t checked out a new bottle as of yet. So, this is a review of the original formulation.

Lots of great fragrances from the 1990s are really affordable, at the moment, and are an awesome way to get both quality and value. This isn’t for everyone, but Dreamer gives you a great green tobacco with floral sweetness and a bit of fresh spice. It’s always worked for me.

It’s not my favorite fragrance ever, but there aren’t too many cologne options like this. As such, when the mood strikes, Dreamer is a great daytime wear for me to have around.

Dylan Blue Pour Homme by Versace

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This is my third entry of my one time wear reviews while traveling in Europe. Today, I am going to give my impressions of Versace Pour Homme’s, Dylan Blue. This has become a very popular fragrance.

In this post, I’m going to discuss how it smells, performs, my impressions, and whether or not I think that it is worth a buy.

Note: I have updated this post a few years after my initial impressions, after spending more time wearing this scent, and having a better feel for it.

What Does Dylan Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: black pepper, violet leaf, grapefruit, bergamot, tonka bean, ambrox, fig leaf

Click here to try: VERSACE Pour Homme Sealed Dylan Blue Eau de Toilette, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

Upon first sniff of this fragrance, I immediately want to place in the same realm as a fragrance such as Acqua Di Gio Profumo. It’s different mind you, but, it seems to belong to that same class of citrus/aquatics.

Between the two, Dylan Blue is a more youthful and lighter cologne, but as it dries down the similarities between Profumo fade and the ambroxan of Dior’s Sauvage begin to emerge.

Dylan Blue really is kind of an amalgamation scent of the aforementioned colognes, mixed with maybe one or two others, that I cannot think of at the moment.

Dylan Blue is aquatic at first, with the grapefruit and bergamot notes, sitting on top of that watery base. Plus, there is the ambroxan note, which is nice and warm but gets stronger as it moves along.

The fig note and citrus pairing at the top is actually quite good. I think it might be my favorite aspect of this Versace release. While the citrus and ambroxan, bring to mind Sauvage, this one isn’t nearly as spicy as the Dior. Plus, the fig and aquatic notes set it apart.

The initial burst is fairly short lived, less than an hour, and the Sauvage-esque spirit takes over. At that point, it seems much weaker than it had been, but the longevity isn’t terrible.

Not as bad as another grapefruit citrusy cologne I just reviewed, Lacoste Jaune. My biggest complaint with Versace scents is how chemical they can smell.

I liked the original Versace Pour Homme well enough but that has the same kind of faux-citrus smell.  There is also a woody-fig note that gives it another layer but it isn’t all that complex of a scent.

As it dries down, I start to pick up more of the ambroxan, some black pepper, and even a little bit of violet leaf. The citrus has settled somewhat and Dylan Blue becomes more wholeheartedly ambroxan based.

I should also mention the slight smokiness from the included incense note, during its latter stages. It’s a great little touch, that I picked up on the more I wore around the contents of my mini bottle of this cologne.

Sillage, How Long Blue Lasts, and Versatility

Projection is good at first and then dies out a bit. It’s pretty average overall. Though, the sillage can seem heavy at first.

The longevity of Dylan Blue has been consistently 6-7 hours on my skin. Seemingly no more, no less. It’s actually kind of weird, how quickly it goes from a nice amount of power to just completely gone.

At least, it consistently hits that mark, and I know what to expect from it beforehand. That’s not a short amount of time, but it’s not a monster, in that regard.

I think that where Dylan Blue shines is in its versatility. I think it’d be appropriate for almost any summer or warm weather occasion. It would also be more appropriate for young men, sub-25 years of age, and is sexy enough for date night/club wear.

This is one that will get positive attention out of it. It’s not an offensive scent and is generally crowd pleasing. Dylan Blue is popular and so it’s going to have plenty of fans, in public spaces.

It’s a really nice scent for younger guys, who want something stylish, and that can fit in a wide variety of situations. The performance isn’t top notch, but it is good enough for most purposes.

Overall Impressions of Dylan Blue

Overall, is Dylan Blue worth a buy? Not for me, BUT I could see how it could work for some guys. If you need a summer scent that is pretty basic and will draw complements, I don’t think you would go wrong here.

For me, it doesn’t really offer anything different from scents that I already own or have samples of…so it’s kind of pointless. I certainly don’t hate it, in fact, I have come to like it a good deal more than I had initially.

Mostly, I like the opening hour or so. Thereafter, Dylan Blue just seems kind of basic to me. Not particularly interesting or all that attractive. Decent.

I just with I got more time to enjoy the fig note and the initial citrus blend, that’s actually one great aspect of this cologne.

However, at it’s price point and with it’s versatility, it would be a solid pick up for someone who wants a simple no-brainer. I like the aroma for the most part, not my favorite, but it does smell good.