Cologne Reviews

Nisean by Parfums De Marly

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After this review of Nisean, I think that I have only two more write ups to do of my Parfums de Marly sample collection. This is a sample that I had to spend some more time with in order to really appreciate and see how the cologne developed before jotting down my thoughts about Nisean below. As usual, I am going to cover how it smells, performs, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Nisean by PdM Smell Like?

Notes include: patchouli, incense, cedar, rose, saffron, labdanum, lime, grapefruit, and more

Click here to try: PARFUMS DE MARLY NISEAN 125ML EDP SPRAY

My Full Review

Nisean is not one of the more well known or appreciated fragrances from Parfums de Marly. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because it’s name looks like a Japanese car manufacturer.

Anyhow, here is how the cologne sample card describes it: “A beautiful dark wood, hyper textured (majestic patchouli) illuminated by a distinguishable incense note, having the effect of a sacred nectar warming both the heart and the body.”

Sure, ok. I definitely pick up on the dark wood, which I’m guessing is the cedar. Nisean is dry and warm with the amber and the familiar smokiness of the incense note. The saffron is there but it isn’t as intense to my nose, as it was in Godolphin (which I prefer to Nisean).

However, I think that the saffron still plays very nicely off of the patchouli.

During the dry down, there is an element of sweetness (not candy-like) that emerges from within Nisean. Like a dried fruit sweetness, from the grapefruit/lime citrus combination, and a floral sweetness provided by rose.

It stays very warm and woody but there is that citric quality that just feels like it is soaking into the cedar wood. From there, I get a bit of a pepper spice and a warm/sticky amber note.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Nisean is toward the upper moderate end of the spectrum. Not a monster, but it is solid, and you’ll know that it is there. On the other hand, the longevity is awesome.

Like almost every other Parfums de Marly cologne, this one is hitting the double digit hour mark, without trouble. I tend to lose track of these workhorses, but I’d say somewhere in the 12-13 hour range, on my skin.

Wear wise, I’d put this in the fall and winter seasonal category. It’s a mature scent, not ‘old man’, but a guy in his late 20s and up who has his stuff together.

Nisean can be worn semi-casual to dressed up and is best in that space or as an office scent. It’s not something for the night club scene by any stretch.

Overall Impressions of Nisean

Overall, do I like Nisean? Yes, I like it. I feel like it’s probably the sixth or seventh best of this company’s line of colognes. That’s saying something about the depth of options here, as this is by no means an average fragrance.

It’s a very dry woody fragrance with patchouli, incense, and amber warmth as its base.

From there, you’ll get some bit players such as the citrus notes chipping in. It smells good but it isn’t amazing, in my opinion. Though, it is a great performer. It’s a very solid fragrance and could earn a spot in a man’s rotation, but it wouldn’t be my number one option.

Guess Suede by Guess

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Today’s review is of 2007’s release Guess Suede by as luck would have it, Guess. I wanted to see how the suede note worked in this fragrance, as I think it is a nice change of pace from the usual leather note that is so prevalent in men’s colognes.

As usual, I’m going to cover what’s in this cologne, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if it’s even worth considering a purchase of a full bottle.

What does Guess Suede Smell Like?

Notes include: suede, bergamot, pineapple, vetiver, mahogany, sandalwood, nutmeg, lavender 

Click here to try: Guess Suede By Guess For Men Edt Spray 2.5 Oz

My Full Review

My initial impression of Guess Suede was a positive one. The opening of course, gives you that smooth and familiar suede note that is paired with a slightly spicy nutmeg and a sweet citrus which plays the background quite well.

After a few minutes, the wood notes really begin to take form, and the aroma becomes much fuller in my nose.

The thing of it is, Guess Suede strikes me mostly as a one note fragrance. Obviously, with a name like Suede, that note is going to dominate the composition but the supporting cast of wood and citrus stays pretty much the same after the initial few minutes.

I wish that I could write more about how it develops, but it doesn’t seem to do so at all. Suede stays warm and smooth with a slightly sweet spice to it.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Guess Suede starts out with a pretty solid kick before it starts to tone down, into something that is essentially moderate but closer to the weak end of the spectrum. Longevity, is not very good at all.

Within 2-3 hours, it’s completely gone from my skin. This was my problem with Guess Seductive Homme Blue, it also smells good but doesn’t last. This brand seems to come out with some pretty good smelling fragrance but the longevity on most of them stinks.

I suppose I’d classify this as a casual cologne that could be worn mostly during the Fall to Spring months…however, since it doesn’t last very long, it’s hard to say exactly.

You could wear it around town, maybe out for an evening, if it happens to last more than a couple of hours on your skin.

Overall Impressions of Guess Suede

Overall, is Guess Suede a buy? Nope. I actually really liked how it smelled, though, less so the second time I wore it. The problem of course is, what’s really the point of getting a full bottle, if it doesn’t last?

Guess Seductive Homme is a legit option from this house, that actually has passable longevity, and is at a good price point. Unless you really love suede and can reapply every few hours, I’d turn this one down.

It was a cheap fragrance, but even that fact couldn’t save this cologne for me.

Update: I’m updating this review from 4-5 years ago, here in 2023. Suede is no longer produced and pretty much came and went without much fanfare.

Lippizan by Parfums De Marly

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Here is another entry from my review of fragrances by Parfums de Marly. This one, is entitled Lippizan, and says it is inspired by the ‘daring horse race that charmed France during King Louis XV’s era’. It was released back in 2009.

What a horse race smells like? We shall see. So, please continue below for my full take on Lippizan.

What does Lippizan Smell Like?

Notes include: cedar, leather, rose, patchouli, bergamot, cardamom, sage, thyme, oak moss, vetiver

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Lippizan EDT Spray for Men, 4.2 oz.

lippizan review

My Full Review

The opening of Lippizan is a blend of oak moss, bergamot, and cardamom. It’s a very warm and earthy fragrance with some herbal spice thrown in. I have to say that Lippizan is a strong and classic sort of masculine cologne and it feels transported from the late 1970s.

The start of Lippizan is a real powerhouse when taken all in. It packs a punch with those herbal notes and actually feels kind of dirty. It is blended well but I can still detect the individual notes well enough, at least.

I can distinctly pick out the oak moss, vetiver, cardamom, sage, rose, and bergamot about 20 minutes into the wear. Quite sharp and loud.

When I get a bit deeper into the wear with the Parfums de Marly creation, it cleans up so to speak.

It’s less of that ‘dirty’ earthy quality and has more green floral elements, introduced by the iris and rose notes. If it doesn’t accomplish anything else, Lippizan, certainly does achieve a pretty interesting life cycle.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it is loud at the start. I mean, a few sprays will really hit you hard. However, it does settle down into something more moderate, but still toward the heavier end.

I think you get plenty of bang for your buck, in terms of how it hangs around in the air, but it’s not overwhelming in comparison to some insane performers.

Longevity wise, I get about 7 hours of solid wear from it. It’s sort of a disappointment, after that big opening act. Especially at this price point, I figured I would get 2-3 more hours than I did, but nope.

It’s certainly not terrible. Though, it could be better with its staying power.

It is also a complete cold weather scent. I tried wearing this outside during the hot summer day and really didn’t enjoy the results. Update: I still had a few sprays left in the sample, when it was colder. Yep, works much better in a cooler environment.

Lippizan strikes me as an everyday wear, as long as its applied lightly, it should be pretty versatile in terms of what situations it could be worn in.

That being said, understand that with its old school style, it might not vibe well with younger men who are used to modern takes on perfumery. You can of course still try Lippizan out, but just know what you’re getting into before doing so.

Overall Impressions of Lippizan

Overall, do I recommend Lippizan? I’m not going to wear it, but there are going to be guys who love it. This is an old school masculine scent.

You’ll need to love sharp, earthy, and spicy scents. If that’s not your type, you’ll probably hate this cologne.

It’s not my style and I’m not in love with the aroma at all. But, I get that there’s a niche market for this one. It’s a pretty nice example of this sort of scent, just nothing amazing going on here.

Add to that, the price tag, and this Parfums de Marly becomes way less appealing to me. It’s pretty solid across the board, just not something that I really need.

Shagya by Parfums De Marly

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Sill working my way through all of my Parfums de Marly samples and today’s review entry is: Shagya. It is described by the brand as, “the oud lime scent, named after the majestic Arabian horse breed…its fragrance starts with a delicate lime note and develops into woody tones of vetiver and guiac wood.”

Shagya was released in 2009. Is this scent worth it? Does it actually perform? Continue below for my full take on Shagya.

What does Shagya Smell Like?

Notes include: agarwood, cedar, vetiver, guiac wood, lime, pink pepper, and musk

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Shagya Men’s Edp Spray, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Review

For starters, Shagya is an absolute sillage bomb. Before I even tried it on my skin, I sprayed some on an old t-shirt, and could catch whiffs of this cologne from the next room.

The opening notes is the pink pepper and citrus combo but it is heavily flanked by the wood notes which are enormous.

This is a oud fragrance, but I honestly get a lot of cedar and vetiver, more so than many other traditional ‘oud’ colognes out there. When the scent dries down more, the lime essence subsides, and the wood becomes even more prominent.

It does have a slight spice to it with the pepper note but Shagya strikes me as surprisingly crisp and cool, as if there’s a cold metallic note lurking in the mix.

From there this Parfums de Marly scent is pretty linear. It also lightens up as the wear goes along and doesn’t have that same overwhelming aroma cloud that I experienced.

I will also add that there is a bit of sourness to this fragrance, much akin to a sour mix used for cocktails.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, as I wrote above, it’s a monster at first and then is simply strong. I can’t imagine doing more than two sprays with this one.

Again, past that opening act it is more tolerable, but still a loud and somewhat heavy perfume to wear around. Nice, if you dig the scent.

I also got good longevity, of around 8 hours on my skin. I was honestly expecting more after how loud it started, but 8 hours is long enough for most purposes.

Though, somewhat of a disappointment for the price point.

Seasonally, I think this is a year round kind of scent. I think that it’d perform best in cooler to moderate weather, but I wore it here in the heat of August, and it held up nicely.

I wouldn’t call this one for romantic wear. It’s a niche sort of fragrance, so, one you would wear casually or at work. It’s not really ‘sexy’ at all, just a well-blended, and masculine cologne.

Overall Impressions of Shagya

Overall, do I recommend Shagya? For a very specific set of guys, yes. I appreciate the composition of the fragrance, but wouldn’t want to wear it personally.

I’m not a huge fan of oud scents as it is and this one can be particularly in your face. It’s a pretty decent rendition, but there are better fragrances out there highlighted by that note.

This isn’t one that would enjoy a mass popularity but for guys who like heavily woody fragrances, Shagya, is a very interesting option within that space.

The performance is fine, but it’s not an amazing fragrance, especially compared to the rest of the Parfums de Marly lineup. If it sounds interesting, try to get a sample if you can, rather than blind buy.

Angel Men (A*Men) Pure Tonka by Mugler

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This will be the second of my one time wear, cologne reviews, of scents I’ve tried out while traveling. Today, is a Thierry Mugler cologne, that I sampled while walking around the airport in Ibiza…Angel Men Pure Tonka. Now, I’ve smelled this before and love tonka, so I was excited to give it a full wear and my impressions on this scent. As usual, I’m going to cover what’s in it, how it smells, performs, and whether or not I think that it is worth a buy.

What does Pure Tonka by Thierry Mugler Smell Like?

Notes include: tonka bean, lavender, coffee, rosemary, patchouli, vanilla

Click here to try: AMen Pure Tonka Eau De Toilette 100ml

My Full Review

Admittedly, this may not have been the best time to test out, Pure Tonka. This is a fall/winter cologne and I was testing it in late spring, in Ibiza, so it was pretty warm. Not too awful but around 75 degrees F, which is probably the max I would wear this one around in.

Tonka bean is probably one of my favorite ingredients in men’s fragrances, as it is really smooth and creamy, when done right.

The opening of Pure Tonka doesn’t disappoint, there is a noticeable burnt roast aroma provided by the coffee note that pairs quite beautifully with the tonka bean.

There seems to be at least some resemblance, in my mind, to Pure Havane. The latter is much heavier with tobacco and honey, but I do get a bit of the same sweetness for some period of time.

During the initial stages, there is a minty coolness which peaks through, as well.

Upon my second testing of this, a few years after the initial review, I get way more coffee than I remember. It’s dark, roasted, with that cocoa finish.

Very well done and I really adore its pairing with tonka bean. I think that the sweet notes, don’t smell refined like in a sugary sense, closer to the raw and unrefined ingredients.

Pure Tonka is of course very sweet but not in a girlish way. It retains it sense of masculinity, with a darker, warm, and almost brooding appeal.

The lavender note is there and seems to give Pure Tonka some grounding and prevents it from becoming an overly sweet mess.

This is a very gourmand fragrance, the trio of tonka, coffee, and vanilla create a chocolate-like aroma that is very rich and as if you were walking into a bakery.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on Pure Tonka, like the other A*Men flankers, is fantastic. You really only need a few sprays and the job will be done. No weakness here.

Longevity wise, it is also a beast, I’ve gotten over 8 hours on a warm day, so I figure it should be 10+ during winter wear.

Update: Coming back to this one, in cooler temperatures, and it did go above 9 hours.

Pure Tonka has the appeal of being able to be worn casually, while pulling double duty for romantic wear. Again, you don’t need to spray very much, but this is a great winter scent to get closer to someone.

It’s fairly unisex in its presentation, more masculine, but it could be worn by anyone without much trouble. It’s wearable in most any situation, just avoid the high heat, and stick to the autumn and winter months.

Overall Impression of Pure Tonka

Overall, is Pure Tonka worth a buy? Yes, provided you know what you’re getting. To me, it almost seemed like too much of a good thing, at times. I really do enjoy it but it began to drag on my nerves a bit.

Maybe that was only due to me traveling and not being in a great mood, but I thought that I would point that out. I actually think, that I might like it better than Pure Havane, but I don’t know if I like it more than Pure Malt…but I’d have to do more testing.

The A*Men series of scents are pretty much great across the board and Pure Tonka is no exception.

Update: Coming back to Pure Tonka for another time, it is about on par with my enjoyment of Pure Havane and not as good as Pure Malt. It has a lot of elements that I really enjoy, but I have to be in the mood for a gourmand scent.

This will have some mass appeal, but it is going to one for either tonka bean fans or those who like sweeter scents. It’s really good overall.

Update Again: This has been discontinued, as far as I can tell. That’s unfortunate, as this was a fun one.