Cologne Reviews

Y Eau Fraiche by YSL

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Y Eau Fraiche is another flanker from the Y series that YSL seems to be cranking out. Not that I’m really complaining, since I like them well enough. Eau Fraiche came out in 2020, to complement the summer season, when the EDP and EDT aren’t really going to work. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a buy?

What does Y Eau Fraiche Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, pepper, ginger, mint, juniper, lavender, geranium, and cedar

My Full Review

Y Eau Fraiche kicks off with that immediately recognizable Y blend of notes. Here, you get overlap with the EDT from lemon, ginger, and mint in particular. Gone are the sage, pineapple, and apple. Very much cleaner and brighter than the original, but with a spicier bite.

There is a black pepper note, which joins that mint, and ginger. Cold and refreshing like a lemonade on a hot day.

The second time that I wore Eau Fraiche, I was near the beach with sunscreen on my arms, and it just felt like a very natural pairing with this cologne. Really great in that environment.

Y Eau Fraiche isn’t an aquatic per se, quite aromatic, in fact. But, I do get the same summertime poolside sensation that I get with Light Blue Eau Intense (review). Citrus and juniper without the same ‘amberwood’ heavy formula as that D&G fragrance.

As it moves along in the wear, the pepper and ginger fade away from my skin, and I get more geranium and cedar. Eau Fraiche starts smelling a bit more like the EDT, with less of the cold lemony punch, that started us off.

That’s about it, in terms of development.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage with Eau Fraiche is light, but actually fairly good for this type of fragrance. A light summertime refresher, with plenty of lemon notes? It’s not too bad.

Expect it to radiate about 3-5 feet away from the skin, at its height, unless you’re going off with the sprays. From there, Y Eau Fraiche will stick close by and be fairly intimate.

While it’s not a powerhouse, the longevity was again good for this style of cologne. I can smell it on my skin hours into the wear and it seems to hit the 6-7 hour mark in total. Y Eau Fraiche at least makes the wear a worthwhile experience.

Seasonally, spring or summer, weighted heavily towards the latter. This is one you need to wear when it’s hot as hell out. Daytime, when the humidity has risen, and you have to venture around town for the day.

Eau Fraiche has a youthful energy to it, though, it could absolutely work for an older man.

Overall Impressions of Y Eau Fraiche

Overall, do I like Y Eau Fraiche? I do enjoy it. It does smell a lot like the other entries into the Y series, however. Which is good, but it doesn’t cover a lot of new ground, other than being a summer wear.

I have a full bottle of the EDP, so I probably wouldn’t get this, unless I got a heavy discount. Even then, I have other summer fragrances, that could make this the odd cologne out.

Conversely, I might use this as an alternative version of Y EDP for summer.

It’s clean and really does a great job in the heat, though. The citrus notes and cool fresh burst of notes like mint, ginger, and juniper make for a very easy wear.

Even though Eau Fraiche is much more limited in its uses, I actually like it better than EDT, even with the degree of similarity.

If you enjoy the Y series and you want a scent for those hot days, Eau Fraiche is worthy of a look.  Don’t expect it to be a jack of all trades, but it does well within its parameters.

Dior Homme Sport (2012) by Christian Dior

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Today, we’ve got a review of Dior Homme Sport by Christian Dior (2012 edition). This is a flanker fragrance of the fantastic Dior Homme line of scents that has been released over the last decade plus. How does this one rate? What does it smell like? How does it perform? Continue reading below for my full wear review of Dior Homme Sport.

What does Dior Homme Sport 2012 Smell Like?

Notes include: Sicilian Citron, iris, ginger, cedarwood

Click here to try: Christian Dior Dior Homme Sport Eau De Toilette Spray 2012 Edition for Men, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Review

Alright, from the start, I have concluded that this sample I am reviewing from is a 2012 Edition of Dior Homme Sport. There is also a 2017 version which has some differences in the composition, so make sure you know which one you’re getting, before buying…even though, they still are somewhat similar.

If buying from a discount retailer, I would suspect you’ll be getting the 2012, at this point in time and of course that can change going forward. Update: Not any more.

From the opening, I notice how much this Homme Sport edition smells like Hugo Red. They both share citrus and cedar notes of different variations, but they really do strike a familiar chord to one another.

This is great for me, as I enjoy wearing Hugo Red during the warmer months of the year, but the comparison is mostly confined to the opening 30 minutes or so.

It’s interesting because Red contains a metallic aroma and Dior Homme Sport even manages to mimic that, perhaps it’s the combination of citrus and the heavier iris note?

Dior Homme Sport has a very sharp lemon kick and an energetic freshness, which I find quite wonderful. The iris becomes more dominant as the fragrance moves along and adds the floral/green vibe with support from the cedar wood.

So, it moves from heavy citrus and Hugo Red like to something that is more woody/green with a solid presence of citrus. Dior Homme Sport is a very straightforward kind of cologne, not much changes through the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection is quite good for the first hour or two and then drops down to something more moderate and close to the skin, which is disappointing, but not terrible.

Longevity wise, it’s not great but again, not awful. I get around 5 or 6 hours of wear from Dior Homme Sport. Meh.

While I do find this scent to be attractive, it doesn’t strike me as sexy, or any type of club scent. It’s a great casual wear for the warmer months of the year. Outdoorsy, in a leisurely sport kind of way. It’s got class and a nice sense of energy behind it.

Overall Impressions of Sport 2012

Overall, would I recommend Dior Homme Sport 2012? I enjoy it. Again, there are different versions and as I recall this one is different from the original, which I really liked.

If you need a summertime wear for the day, this is a very good choice.

It’s upbeat and clean and pleasant to wear. One might go with the aforementioned Hugo Red, if wanting to save money, since the start of each scent is so similar. Yes, they do end up on different paths, but both are good smelling colognes.

Update: Yes, 2012 was one of the best editions. Much better than both 2017 and 2021 (which is my least favorite so far). If you’re wanting something along these lines, maybe you can still find Luna Rossa Eau Sport around.

Other than that, Sport 2012 is basically long gone, outside of bottles on a site like eBay. Even with those, they are very much overpriced versus what the scent used to go for. To me, it’s not really worth it. Though, this was a great summer wear.

New York Sandalwood by Bond No. 9

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The second Bond No.9 sample vial that I recently received is New York Sandalwood. It actually came in a spray vial instead of the usual Bond vial, that requires you to dab, and has a cap that’s a pain to take off…which was a welcome change.

Anyways, in this post, I’m going to cover: how it smells, what notes are included, how it performs, who this scent is for, and if it is worth a buy or not.

What does New York Sandalwood Smell Like?

Notes include: sandalwood, orris, carrot, amber, papyrus, musk, fig, cardamom, and oak moss

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 New York Sandalwood 3.3 oz Eau de Parfum Spray

My Full Wear Review

The opening of New York Sandalwood is a blast of sandalwood, amber, and oak moss. It’s a very dry warmth, something along the lines of Azzaro Pour Homme, as the mossy wood aroma quickly reminded me of.

Sandalwood, is obviously the star of this scent, and this fragrance is mostly all about how the rest of the notes fit in concert with that.

What’s unique about this fragrance, is the carrot note. What an unusual note to include and it is actually quite potent throughout. It just smells really odd to my nose, not terrible, but I don’t enjoy it at all either. It’s inclusion just sort of baffles me, as I’ve never wanted to smell like a carrot before.

Anyways, there is a level of spiciness to New York Sandalwood, with the musk and an added dryness beyond the oak moss and sandalwood.

I would attribute it to papyrus, which I have familiarity working with in paper form. It’s a subtle scent but if you know it, you’ll notice that it is there. Also, the orris root tempers everything with its powdery presence.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s fairly strong, but never struck me as overly so. Bond No. 9 did a good job with it’s performance in that regard and also with the longevity. It’ll project itself probably around 6 feet at the max. Then, it’ll draw itself closer in to the skin.

I got around 7 or closer to 8 hours of wear out of New York Sandalwood, which is definitely a plus. Not a complete marathon runner, but close to a full workday of sticking around.

This is a cold weather and casual scent. I couldn’t call this one sexy or something that would appeal to the majority of people, it really strikes me as a niche fragrance. While it’s listed as unisex, this Bond No. 9, leans much more to the masculine side of the spectrum.

Overall Impressions of New York Sandalwood

Overall, would I recommend New York Sandalwood? Maybe to a select few. I personally won’t be wearing it again, since I didn’t find it to be that enjoyable. This smell isn’t awful to me, but I’m not a huge sandalwood fan.

If you are, this would be one to consider, but there are cheaper sandalwood scents on the market that might do a better job. Again, this is a really niche fragrance, both in terms of smell and price. I’m almost completely indifferent towards it.

Just Different by Hugo Boss

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For today’s review, I am going to cover another Hugo Boss scent, the 2011 release Just Different. How does this casual fragrance from Boss stack up? How does it smell? Is it ultimately worth a purchase? Please continue reading below for my full wear review.

What does Just Different Smell Like?

Notes include: mint, freesia, basil, cashmeran, patchouli and apple

Click here to try: Hugo Boss Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, Just Different, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Review

Now, naming fragrances can be a funny business. For example, there are many ‘intense’ versions of colognes out there that are actually weak as hell. Just Different by Hugo Boss takes its name and delivers something quite familiar and ordinary.

That’s not to say that this fragrance is bad, just the name really doesn’t fit.

The opening is a really fresh blast of cool mint and along with the patchouli, reminds me of Ice Men. These two colognes are not the same but they do share some similarities.

Where they differ (and where I think Just Different is better) is the light apple note and the herbal spice provided by the basil. I also feel that this Hugo Boss scent shares some DNA with Lacoste L.12.12. White, so I’d put it as a blend between that and the aforementioned Ice Men.

Just Different has a ‘cold’ energy to it. This is a very fresh/clean type of scent and the patchouli seems to give it a bit more body, to an otherwise thin or light cologne. It’s a pretty linear fragrance and what you smell is what you get after the initial opening 5 minutes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection is quite light. It is noticeable but definitely not a heavy hitter. Maybe at the lower end of the range of what could be considered moderate, at its peak.

The performance in terms of longevity is actually pretty decent, I can get up to 6 hours of wear. Not great but not as bad a some others out there on the market.

Just Different strikes me as a casual scent for spring/summer. It’s a change of pace from the usual citrus or aquatic fragrances and takes a bit of different path with the mint note (maybe that’s what’s so ‘different’ about it).

Overall Impressions of Just Different

Overall, this is a very meh fragrance. Hugo Boss seems to have a lot of these over the years, colognes that don’t really stand out and are pretty generic in almost every way.

I mean, it smells pretty nice, but isn’t fantastic by any stretch. What’s the point of owning this? Maybe if you got a really cheap bottle. Even the somewhat close alternatives of Ice Man and Lacoste White, aren’t amazing fragrances.

Rochas Man by Rochas

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Rochas Man cologne for men has been around for well over 15 years now and during this time has served countless men well in the pursuit of the opposite sex. Simply put, Rochas Man is well-loved by the ladies.

The really good news for guys is that they can get a hold of this seductive scent for under $30 and start grabbing attention upon first wear. In this post, I want to take a closer look a Rochas Man and give my opinion on this fragrance.

Update: I am adding further thoughts to this one in 2019, to expand upon this review, and share my more recent experiences with this Rochas fragrance.

What does Rochas Man Smell Like?

Notes include: coffee and lavender, with low notes of amber and sandalwood.

Try Rochas Man from Amazon:  Rochas Man Eau de Toilette, Woody Gourmand, 3.3 fl. oz.

My Full Review

The first things one notices about Rochas is that it is a rather sweet fragrance, with hints of cocoa and vanilla. This doesn’t mean that it is a feminine scent by any means but one that has a seductive charm to it.

Rochas Man is titled that for a reason, it is a masculine fragrance but with a mysterious undercurrent that I think is the key to drawing women closer and closer.

Rochas Man opens with that coffee/cappuccino note, some fruity hints of raspberry, and a calming lavender.

Additionally, there is the familiar smell of vanilla, which comes in and grows stronger as the wear moves on. It feels warm, with only a light amber note, giving Rochas that enveloping feeling.

As it settles down, this one does become drier, to my nose. There’s a light woody base to this fragrance and only adds to the smoothness, as the lavender and vanilla notes, pull it through.

It’s got a great blend of powder and creamy vanilla lurking throughout. Ultimately, I get: coffee, lavender, vanilla, and a bit of amber.

One major selling point of this cologne is its pricing point. It is available for significantly less than most other men’s colognes but delivers as much value as most of the expensive designer brands as well.

Rochas Man is versatile enough to be worn every day at places such as work or school but can also be applied at night for evenings spent out with friends or especially on a date.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Rochas is quite good, but not too heavy. It will project itself a decent distance from the wearer, but it doesn’t choke out a room, unless you go crazy with the sprays.

It is a warm gourmand fragrance, that sort of creates an enveloping cloud around you, but not overpowering.

The longevity is also solid and seems to fall into that 6-8 hour range of wear. Not a beast, but still very useful for most occasions.

I like Rochas as a fragrance mainly in the winter and fall months, as I feel that the sweetness projects well in the colder air around this time. Also, it has that projection of warmth and confidence which contrasts well with the harsh winter landscape.

This one is light enough to be a daily wear to school or even the office. However, it can definitely pull double duty and be a nighttime wear for the coldest months. A lot of women, find this one attractive, and will draw closer when you have it on.

It’s ‘sexy’ to some extent, but just a really pleasant fragrance, that is highly enjoyable to smell.

Overall Impressions of Rochas Man

If you’re looking for an inexpensive scent with just the right amount of sweetness and spice, have a look at Rochas Man, because it’s a winner. For about 20 years now, it’s been a great option for guys who want a sweet, and well-blended cologne.

This one is attractive, performs well enough, and can usually be found at a great price point. Yes, it is more limited to the times when its cold outside, but it’s actually pretty amazing and well worth having despite its limitations.