Cologne Reviews

A*Men Pure Havane Vs. Pure Malt Cologne Comparison

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Today’s installment of my ever-running series of cologne comparisons will be between two scents from the Angel Men line by Thierry Mugler, Pure Havane and Pure Malt. These are two popular and well respected fragrances, as A*Men flankers. In This post, I want to explore the openings of both, how each smells, how it performs, and which of these two colognes is a better buy overall?

Tale of the Tape: Pure Malt vs. Pure Havane

Pure Havane 

A*Men Pure Havane

Notes include: tobacco leaves, honeyed tobacco, patchouli, and bitter cocoa

Click here to try: Thierry Mugler Eau de Toilette Spray, Angel Men Pure Havane, 3.4 Ounce

Read my original review: Pure Havane Review

Pure Malt 

angel men pure malt review

Notes include: bergamot, patchouli, vanilla, cedar, amber, fruits, coffee bean, musk

Click here to try: Angel Men Pure Malt by Thierry Mugler Eau De Toilette Spray (Limited Edition) for Men, 3.40 Ounce

Read my original review: Pure Malt Cologne Review

Opening

The opening of both of these scents is really quite fantastic, in my opinion. This is going to be a tough comparison, as neither of these scents is bad or an under performer, and it will mostly come down to personal preference.

Pure Havane opens up as a brighter and sweeter fragrance than does Pure Malt. Havane is a warm and sensual tobacco note blended with sugar, honey, and a bit of vanilla.

Malt on the other hand gives you that darker and heavier malt aroma with smokey and fruity undertones. It’s a blend of the fruits, whiskey, vanilla, and some patchouli to roughen things up slightly. Later, it will get smoother and creamier with woody base notes, but up top its a delightful whiskey soaked scent.

Which is better? To be honest, I’m really digging the boozy scent of Pure Malt right now, and I’m going to give it a very slight nod. I really like the sugary tobacco of Havane, but Malt is above it. I’ve come back to wearing each, and each time, Malt seems to draw me in a bit more.

Edge: Pure Malt

Projection

I don’t really notice a difference in the projection strength between these two. They are both pretty powerful, in terms of sillage, but not obscenely so. Plenty strong starters, that moderate, as they dry down but never get weak until deep into the wear.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Both of these colognes are very solid performers, just not beast mode. However, Havane becomes more of a skin scent after 5-6 hours. I usually get an extra hour or two out of Pure Malt.

Update: with Pure Malt, it’s pretty much 7 hours of wear each time. That’s been consistent over the years.

Edge: Pure Malt

Versatility

These two are cold weather scents and work obviously well in casual situations. Havane, though, does have more of a use in romantic wear it seems. Neither is a ‘club’ scent but Pure Malt hasn’t gotten as warm of a reception from women in my experience as Havane does…it doesn’t effect me wearing it, but it’s something to consider.

Edge: Pure Havane

Overall Scent

To me, the real decision is between whether you prefer a tobacco note or a boozier type of scent. Havane is sweet in a sugary way, masculine, and rich. It really is a great cologne.

Pure Malt gets it sweetness from fruit notes, has a spicier/smoky profile, and is much more like a fine whiskey. It ends up with its malty aroma, vanilla, cedar, and tonka bean. Less boozy, towards the end, but very clean and woodsy.

I love both of these colognes and think that Mugler knocked it out of the park with them.

Pure Malt is just a bit better in terms of performance, and I really have enjoyed wearing, it over the past few days. Your results may vary, but I know which one I’m picking.

Update: A few years after this initial post, and I still will go with Pure Malt, most of the time. Pure Havane is a nice fragrance to put on, every so often, Malt has more depth and an interesting profile.

Winner: Pure Malt

Michael for Men by Michael Kors

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There are plenty of popular fragrances out there which are light and sweet in their aromas and downright unisex in their application, if not almost completely feminine. Michael for Men by Michael Kors is not one of these scents.

I recently received a sample vial of this stuff and have been testing it out over the past few days, in order to see if I like it and to get a sense of how it holds up throughout the day. In this post, I’m going to relay my findings to you and whether or not I think this cologne is worth a purchase.

What does Michael for Men by Michael Kors Smell Like?

FullSizeRender (43)

Notes include: Leather, woods, patchouli , tobacco, sandalwood, fruits, plum

Click Here to Try Michael Kors for Men

My Full Review

The opening notes of Michael for Men strike me as very warm and spicy, in the same way Opium Pour Homme does, only without the prominent vanilla note. Immediately, I thought that this was a cologne built for the colder months of the year.

However, the spicy notes don’t envelop you like a cloud, this cologne has a quite smooth and woodsy undercurrent to it, like a shot of good whiskey. I found it to be quite nice and masculine.

This Michael Kors fragrance also has a layer of sweetness to it provided by the dried fruit notes which includes, plum. To me, the fruits never develop into anything that strong but they do play a nice supporting role throughout its life cycle.

I will say, that, after about and hour or so, the spicy notes begin to take a back seat and the cologne becomes more refined with the scent of leather and woods emerging more to complement the tobacco.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

While Michael for Men starts out fairly strong, I would say that its projection is quite moderate. It doesn’t overpower, but I also got some pretty decent results with it too.

The sillage strength in the beginning, certainly isn’t a total bomb. Nonetheless, it will project itself to form a nice perimeter around you.

It also doesn’t last all day, like some colognes, but it doesn’t fade out after 30 minutes either. In terms, of its performance, I would say this cologne is moderate across the board.

Coming back to it, after a few years, it seems to stick around in the 5-7 hour range. Not spectacular, but quite useable.

Seasonally, keep it to autumn through early spring. It’s at its best in cooler temperatures, but it holds up decently in a more moderate setting. It is a versatile scent, good for an evening out, while being safe for the office.

Overall Impression of Michael for Men

Would I recommend this fragrance? Meh…I don’t hate it but I’m not exactly thrilled with it either, it’s just not really my style. I think this would be a solid option for some men during the late fall and winter months but it’s just not for me.

If you are the type that really likes the smooth, spicy, tobacco type of scents, this would be a good bet. It’s warm, inviting, and classy…I just personally have no real use for it.

I like the tobacco and the plum notes here, I think that they bolster the cologne, quite a bit. Trying this one again, a few years after my initial review, I can’t really say that my opinion has changed on this Michael Kors fragrance. Still good, but not great, with a solid balance all around.

Update: This one got discontinued. There is a Michael Kors Pour Homme fragrance, but it’s different from this older release.

Villain by Christian Audiger (Ed Hardy)

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I have some more samples on deck to review, but thought that I’d get the last men’s fragrance of the lot sorted out first. This entry is Villain by Christian Audiger, under the Ed Hardy banner. What does Villain smell like? What’s inside? How does it perform? Read below for my full take.

What does Villain Cologne Smell Like?

Notes include: cedar, amber, nutmeg, basil, bergamot, cardamom, lavender, sandalwood, musk

Click here to try: Ed Hardy Villain Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Review

I was interesting in testing out Villain, as I had heard that it was supposedly a similar fragrance to The One by D&G. Now, The One, was a scent that I really enjoyed the smell of…it just lasted all of 10 minutes on my skin (the EDT version, the EDP is better). So, the thought of being able to get a cheaper ‘clone’ scent, was intriguing.

My initial impressions from the opening are that Villain is noticeably sweeter than is The One.

Add to that, the bergamot adds this citrus aroma that is much more pronounced than anything I get from the D&G product. In The One, it’s much more blended. It feels almost too sweet to my nose at the start, pretty synthetic in how it is put together.

After about 10-15 minutes, I think that Villain becomes much cleaner and fresh smelling. The amber note begins it warm take over and there is a pepper/cedar blend, which tones down the sweetness, and brings about a slight spice.

This is the smell that I get for the rest of the time that the fragrance lasts on my skin. So, it’s synthetic smelling cardamom with bergamot citrus, which transforms into amber with lighter spice. Pretty basic, not much development, like many inexpensive fragrances.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s strong at first but then fizzles out pretty quickly. It’s not a powerhouse by any means, but I think with the right body chemistry it could potentially be  loud.

On my skin, the longevity isn’t great. Better than The One EDT, but still I could only muster 3-4 solid hours of wear from it. If it could conjure up some more time, actually sticking around, Villain would be a pretty darn good cheapie. Not great, but definitely serviceable.

I’d chalk this up as a casual scent, with a chance to be a romantic wear cologne. I personally think there are better options, but if this is your price range, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. Villain does have an appealing enough aroma to be deemed ‘attractive’.

Overall Impressions of Villain

Overall, would I recommend Villain? Maybe for younger guys, who need something cheap. I don’t think it smells as good as The One or even close enough to be a direct clone of that fragrance, but it does last longer than the EDT (I’d buy the EDP before this, however).

For what it is, I do think it’s a decent buy in the 20-ish dollar range of scents.

It would never be my go to and I’m personally not going to wear it around after this, but I don’t hate it, and can see how it could find a place in a younger guy’s rotation. It’s fresh, warm, sweet/spicy, and smells good enough.

I should really enjoy Villain, but I don’t think the cardamom note, is all that amazing. The spiced and amber are nice, but again, not anything special. Really would only suggest buying at a cheap enough level.

Mr. Burberry EDT by Burberry

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Mr. Burberry EDT isn’t a cologne that I had tried out yet, so when I got a sample of it, I was hoping that it would be among the brand’s best efforts. This scent was released in 2014, which makes it one of the newer colognes from this line. It is a woodsy based fragrance with a citrus note provided by grapefruit.

In this post, I want to give my impressions of Mr. Burberry eau de toilette after wearing, describe how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if it’s worth a purchase or not.

What does Mr. Burberry EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: tarragon, cedar, birch leaf, grapefruit, cardamom, sandalwood, vetiver

Click here to try: BURBERRY Mr Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 1.6 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Mr. Burberry is a smooth blend of the grapefruit note along with some of the woods, notably the sandalwood and cedar. I can’t say that I’m blown away by the opening but I do find it pleasant and subtle on my skin. There’s just so many pairings of grapefruit and wood out there, it feels redundant.

There is a dash of mint in there, from the start, which lends a nice bit of coolness to the composition. It has a slightly herbal tone to it that underlies the citrus and woodsy notes but again, Mr. Burberry never comes across as anything special, in my opinion.

That isn’t to say that this cologne smells bad, it definitely doesn’t. Mr. Burberry is very clean and crisp and feels like a more dressed up type of fragrance, that can also be worn casually. The mint, cardamom and tarragon, is what really drives the best aspects of this cologne.

There is a hint of spice there, that is pretty much the only thing I find interesting about it. That’s the cardamom note coming through, to my nose, it is the highlight of Mr. Burberry. It plays wonderfully off of the mint, and then later, the woodsy base notes.

Nutmeg? I suppose, but it is none too strong. It just seems really generic and uneventful otherwise, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, depending on your own personal style.

As it dries down, I think this fragrance gets somewhat better than how it started. It’s got plenty of woody goodness in there and is quite fresh. Vetiver and birch, are the main notes I pick up from that aspect, along with the ubiquitous sandalwood.

The grapefruit is still around, not as sharp as it once was, but it does provide the main thrust of this cologne. The finish of Mr. Burberry is dry, woodsy, with the herbal/spice notes still floating around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection is decent. You can get away with spraying a lot more of this stuff than some other entries. It’s stronger than a skin scent, but the sillage doesn’t carve out a path in a room. Mr. Burberry does everything smoothly.

The longevity is also pretty good, this isn’t an all day and all night affair, but it’ll probably get through most of a work day. During testing, I got in the 5-7 hour range, and that’s what it seems about capable of.

Having now used up the sample sprayer that I had, I’d say that’s the range I get each time. Mostly, closer to the five hour mark, rather than the latter.

Mr. Burberry is an elegant type of scent so it will do well in those dressier situations as well as at work or school. It really isn’t offensive and is simply something that smells good/fresh. It does enjoy some versatility too, as it seems like it could work in almost any season.

It’s not a night club beast, has a definite appeal, but not really a sexy quality. Women will enjoy it, but it’s isn’t something that truly captures attention, in my experience.

As much as it doesn’t really cultivate much excitement from me, I can honestly say that it’s versatility is perhaps its strongest point. It’s pleasant, low key, and has the ability to simply work in so many different scenarios.

Overall Impressions of Mr. Burberry

Overall, is Mr. Burberry a buy? For me, no. I actually like the way it smells and it is far better than Burberry Weekend, for example. There are just other Burberry colognes that I would rather wear.

Plus, since the performance isn’t outstanding, it loses more of my potential interest.

This cologne seems to get a lot of undue hate from a lot of folks, but it really isn’t a ‘bad’ fragrance, just not something I absolutely must have. If I could snag a really cheap bottle of this stuff, I probably would wear it on some occasions, and enjoy doing so.

It doesn’t stand out from the pack and that could be good or bad depending on your own tastes.

I do wish it was a bit more interesting and had some greater longevity. Even just the performance, could’ve made Mr. Burberry EDT worthwhile at the right price.

Beyond by David Beckham

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I have already reviewed multiple David Beckham fragrances for men on this site. For a line that hasn’t been in existence very long, it has already released quite a number of scents. Beckham colognes sell at a very attractive and inexpensive price point, which allows a greater number of people to try them out and not have to invest so much money to smell good.

Today, I wanted to review one of the newer offerings from this line, called Beyond. In this post, I want to explore a bit on how it smells, how it performs, and whether or not it is worth consideration for purchase.

What does Beyond by David Beckham Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, cardamom, leather, mojito, vanilla, black pepper

Click here to try: David Beckham Beyond Men’s Eau de Toilette Spray, 3 Ounce

My Review

One of the main draws of Beyond is its mojito note. Now, this excited me, as one of my favorite colognes to wear is Guerlain Homme which features a mojito accord as its main notes as well. If Beckham Beyond could act as a cheaper substitute for Guerlain, I would be quite pleased.

Unfortunately, the mojito feel in Beyond is completely subdued and not even close to being as good as Guerlain. You do get a sense of the mint but none of the rum or sugar. The opening is a woodsy blend with mint/leather/grapefruit providing a smooth and slightly spicy aroma.

During the drydown period, the cardamom/vanilla/black pepper becomes more noticeable and the mint become less prominent. Beyond does smell quite nice, however, it never really blows me away as a scent. It feels completely generic and uninteresting.

It’s an enjoyable cologne but don’t expect anything unique or special.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Beyond, is light to moderate. It isn’t a heavy hitter at all and feels like it’d be an everyday wear for casual situations. I’ve now tried this out a few times and it never has great sillage on my skin. For the first little bit, it is noticeable but not heavy

Longevity isn’t great either. I got 1.5-2 hours of solid performance before it became strictly a skin scent. This was just further disappointment, as it really failed to live up to my hopes of a cheap Guerlain alternative. and it offers nothing much that makes it stand out on its own.

Again, it’s pretty consistent in that range. During one test, it lasted a little more than three hours, in an air conditioned environment.

When should this be worn? Assuming it lasts on your skin, I’d say anytime except in the extreme heat or humidity. That seems to really mess with the staying power of Beyond. It’d be at its peak, on a brisk day.

It smells attractive enough, for a date or and evening out. Meanwhile, it can also totally be used for a daily wear. Again, it’s really up to what kind of performance you get from Beyond.

Overall Impression of David Beckham Beyond

Overall, can I rate Beyond a buy? Not really. I just don’t see the point of owning this Beckham cologne. It is pretty generic, though, it smells nice. It doesn’t even last long, so it doesn’t make up for its completely average scent.

It is inexpensive but there are better Beckham options available and choices from other brands.

Beyond is just a wasted effort in my opinion, if it had a little bit more intensity, it could be a serviceable cologne to wear at school or work…but it failed to even accomplish that. Upon trying it a few more times, I do appreciate aspects of the scent itself.

I like the leather and mint, but I want a stronger impact from that mojito accord. Really not a ‘bad’ smell, just held back by mediocre performance.