Cologne Reviews

Artisan by John Varvatos

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There are many scents out there that can be overbearing and heavy, however, us guys (and our girls) would prefer something a bit lighter and more inviting. Artisan by John Varvatos is just such a fragrance. It was introduced in 2009 and has a unique vibe to it, that I feel is almost perfect for the summer months.

On the other hand, I am not completely sold on this fragrance and its use within my rotation of scents because it does have some issues with its performance. Read on, as I break down what makes this scent one of interest.

What does Varvatos Artisan Smell Like?

artisan

Notes include: Tangelo, Marjoram, Thyme, Murraya, Lavandin, Kephalis, Ginger Absolute, Serenolide, Belambre, Orange Blossom, Clementine, Purple Ginger, Ginger root, Mandarin Orange, Georgywood

Click here to try: John Varvatos Artisan Eau De Toilette Gift Set, 4.2 Oz.

My Full Wear Review

The first thing that I note about this cologne is how light and airy of a fragrance it is. It is warm and inviting and definitely one that has a bit of sexiness to it. This is the type of fragrance that will have women wanting to draw closer to get a whiff.

It’s pleasant citrus notes highlight a layer of complexity to the scent and give it a very fresh opening.

The citrus notes here, are tangelo and mandarin orange, much like in Artisan Acqua. However, this one is much more of a citrus fragrance than a citrus aquatic. These top notes are joined by herbal ingredients and floral notes.

I get orange blossom, neroli, and ginger, mostly. The initial citrus blast is gradually taken down a notch by the underlying floral notes, and the light spiciness.

I want to write more about the dry down and the other notes that came out of the fragrance as it wore on but I honestly didn’t get the chance. After an hour or two, it’s pretty much an orange and neroli blend, which I have to press my nose against the skin to really pick up on.

While this scent smells great, it has two distinct problems. First, while it is light and airy, it’s also pretty weak and people have to be pretty close to you in order to detect it (or you have to spray a ton of it).

Secondly, it loses whatever strength it may have had really quickly. This cologne doesn’t last long at all…which is insanely disappointing because I like it.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage at the start, is light to moderate, but at least you know it’s there. A short time later and the ability to project is non-existent. Then, it’s essentially gone from the skin. What a bummer, because I like the aroma.

Maybe 2 hours of wear on my skin. Terrible

Why is this such a common theme with Varvatos fragrances, that I’ve tried? My skin is pretty good at keeping fragrances on it, for a max time, but this brand’s colognes just evaporate it seems.

This scent has so much potential, if it only lasted longer and could project better, I would probably wear it quite often. Much like, The One by Dolce & Gabbana, it’s beauty is tarnished by performance issues.

Overall Impressions of Artisan

I want to be able to wear and recommend it, but I just simply can’t. Maybe if you can find a really cheap bottle, you might have better luck with the performance, but paying full price here? Nah.

The aroma itself is really great. I love the citrus notes and summertime vibe. Super fresh with a great ginger touch. It just falls apart completely.

Apparently, other people have had a bit more success with how long it lasts for them. For me, this one has just always completely disappeared in short order. Artisan is a cologne that smells really good, that just doesn’t save it in the end, though.

Bapteme Du Feu by Serge Lutens

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I ordered a bunch of Serge Lutens fragrances, almost two years ago, and thought that I had done write ups for all of them. Apparently, I missed posting about two of them, and need to rectify that oversight. One, is the subject of today’s entry, Bapteme du Feu. What does this one smell like? How does it perform? Is it worth a try?

What does Bapteme du Feu Smell Like (Review)?

Notes include: tangerine, wood, gingerbread, cinnamon, clove

Click here to try: Bapteme Du Feu by Serge Lutens Eau De Parfum 50 ml Spray 

My Full Wear Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Serge Lutens describes this fragrance: Imagine a village fair where the smell of gunfire from the shooting range mingles with the sweeter aroma of gingerbread, cinnamon, clove, and candied orange and you have Bapteme du Feu!

Right from the start, you know this is going to be an odd fragrance. I mean, just read the description. Once, you spray it on, its uniqueness doesn’t suddenly disappear.

Bapteme du feu opens up with a juicy and quite sugary blast of orange or tangerine. Yes, it really does have a candied aroma, and smells quite intense. Not too out of the ordinary, as many scents have a strong citrus.

However, then the gunpowder note comes in. It’s a warm spent cartridge smell. A bit smoky, somewhat powdery from mixing with the other ingredients, and hangs in the air with a metallic smell.

At first, this note gets mixed with some spiciness. Cinnamon and gingerbread, come through more, later in the wear. Near the start though, I get a lot of clove. It’s super sweet orange, clove, and gunpowder. Man, I really don’t care for these smells combined together.

Does Bapteme du Feu get better, as it moves along? Yes, once the clove dies down, I can stand it more. It continues into being more gingerbread dominant, with orange highlights, and a general hazy smoke aroma. That’s essentially what it is for the rest of its cycle.

So, expect a warm, sweet, baked goods, spicy, gunpowder smell.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

On my skin, this projects very well, but isn’t suffocating. The sillage is as strong as it needs to be and shouldn’t be an issue, unless you over spray, and have it become an annoyance.

The longevity is actually quite good. It hung around for about 9 hours or so, for me. Not a complete powerhouse, throughout, but did a fine job at not dying out early.

Is this a versatile scent? Not really, at all. It’s a cold weather wear, that’s for sure. It’s so odd, that I don’t know when you’d be able to wear it. It’s not really formal, professional, or sexy. I guess you could throw on Bapteme du Feu, as a casual wear, simply for yourself.

Overall Impression of Bapteme du Feu

Do I like this Serge Lutens perfume? Personally, no. I’ll give it points for being unique, but I really don’t like the smell.

At times, it’s like being surrounded by orange candy. Then, it reminds me of being in an arts and crafts store as a kid. There was always one aisle with candles and various other products, filled with spices like clove, and woods. I hated that smell.

Then, there is the gun smoke. I actually don’t mind that smell, in real life, but in a fragrance? Why? It has no appeal.

This is a definite niche perfume. I imagine some folks will love Bapteme du Feu, I’m not one of them. But hey, if it sounds like something for you, the performance is a strength at least.

Ispazon by Parfums De Marly

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I found a box of samples, in my closet, from which I had yet to review a dozen or more fragrances. To my surprise, I had left a couple of Parfums de Marly scents in there, and never gave a full review on either. One of these colognes is, Ispazon. How does this one smell? What’s in it? How does it perform? Please continue below for my full take.

What does Ispazon Smell Like?

Notes include: lime, amber, vanilla, cedar, lily of the valley, bay leaf, orange, lemon

My Full Review

Before I get into my personal review of Ispazon, let’s see what Parfums de Marly has to say about it: “A woody-oriental scent named after the native breed from the Netherlands renowned for its grace and beauty, opens with the freshness of lime and laurel notes to settle into an oriental base of amber and vanilla.”

When I initially received a bunch of Parfums de Marly samples and read the descriptions of each, I immediately thought that Ispazon would have been my favorite. Lime, amber, and vanilla? Sounds like something that I would enjoy.

However, after testing it out for the first time, over a year ago. I detested the scent and wanted nothing more to do with it. Obviously, I’ve circled back to retry Ispazon, and see if it would be better with more distance from my first reaction.

I think that my main issue, was with how it starts. I was expecting something smoother, creamier, and with a great citrus highlight. What I’m met with is a spicy citrus, which utilizes bay leaf and thyme. It’s sharp and herbal. Ispazon feels intense and sort of bothersome up top.

It’s less annoying than I remember, at the start, but still not something that I particularly like. After a few minutes, though, it starts to feel much more like a green scent and I get floral undertones. The citrus sharpness fades somewhat and what emerges is better.

The scent begins to turn to becoming a woodsy masculine scent. It has a fairly big dose of cedar, which gives this PdM scent, a super dry freshness. At this stage, you get mostly everything that Ispazon has to offer. A big bay leaf note, with cedar riding shotgun, thyme, with some remaining citrus, and lily of the valley.

What of the vanilla and amber? Truthfully, they aren’t very noticeable, until late into the game. Even then, there is a slight warmth and familiar sweetness. Does it change the smell of Ispazon? Yes, somewhat. It’s not a massive difference, however.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

The sillage on this one isn’t super strong, but it is quite good. It’ll project itself, in a decent radius around you, for a few hours before dialing it back in.

The longevity is also good, but not elite. I seem to hit that 7-9 hour range, on my skin. Not much more than that and perfectly satisfactory, for most everyone’s purposes. Ispazon does have very good performance overall.

Seasonally, you do get to enjoy plenty of time with this fragrance. It’s not a heavy winter scent, nor is it an aquatic summertime wear. It just really never feels out of place, maybe excluding, the absolute hottest days with high humidity. Outside of that? It’ll be good.

Ispazon has a masculine and mature vibe. Not old mannish, but not really something most younger guys would want to wear either. This scent could be worn casually, to an office, or out for an evening. It doesn’t strike me as one to have limited possibilities.

Overall Impression of Ispazon

Do I like Ispazon? More than I did, but it’s still not my style. I do have a much better appreciation for this fragrance. It’s definitely not a ‘bad’ scent, by any means.

You’re going to have to like the smell of bay leaf. That, cedar, and thyme are major players in this cologne. So, expect a herbal green, woody, fresh, and spicy scent. If that doesn’t sound appealing, move on to something else.

I’m not sure that PdM even makes this anymore. I couldn’t find a bottle on their website or on Amazon, for that matter. Perhaps, look to the discount retailers, if you’re interested.

Update: Yeah, looks like it’s discontinued.

It’s unique, versatile, and performs well. Whether or not, you personally take to its structure, will determine its worth.

Emblem by Mont Blanc

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Been posting quite a few Mont Blanc cologne reviews as of late and am going to finish up here today with one of the more popular scents, Emblem. I’ve already had experience with this one in the past, but got a hold of a sample vial, in order to refresh my memory, and get my thoughts down after wearing it around.

This fragrance was released in 2014. As usual, I’ll explore what’s inside, how it smells, performs, and whether or not it is actually worth a purchase.

What does Montblanc Emblem Smell Like?

Notes include: cinnamon, violet, tonka bean, sage, cardamom, grapefruit, wood, pepper, ambroxan

Click here to try: MONTBLANC Emblem Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3 fl. oz.

My Full Review

The opening of Emblem gives me a blast of grapefruit that is joined by a cool rush of cardamom, pepper, and violet leaf. After a few minutes, I start to pick up more cinnamon in the composition. It is interesting that I experience a warm and enveloping sensation at times.

Meanwhile, there is sort of a chill, that runs through this Mont Blanc cologne. I think the grapefruit and violet leaf, provide that cooling sensation. While cinnamon and cardamom, bring the warm feeling.

Within 20 minutes of applying, Emblem shifts away from the citrus top note opening, and I get an herbal and lightly spiced aroma. The violet leaf is familiar, as is the clary sage, which gives it that earthy sort of quality.

The cardamom stays pretty consistent throughout, to my nose. Meanwhile, there is a delicate hint of creamy tonka bean, that sits in the background during the dry down.

The sage note that comes in, stays fairly moderate during its peak, before retreating to the outer edges of the aroma. Emblem has a nice blend between being cozy and aromatic, slightly sweet and spicy. It’s fresh and not one, which screams for attention.

Further down the line, Emblem has a warm sweetness that feels like an equal part, when compared to the earlier spice.

It’s violet leaf, cinnamon, tonka bean, and cardamom at this point in the wear. The changes throughout are pretty subtle, but there is some jockeying between the ingredients, as time moves on.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Mont Blanc Emblem has a lighter to moderate sillage. It’s not a beast, but you’ll know that you have it on.

It sort of just becomes a part of your day and not something that intrudes and permeates while wearing. At the opening, it will form a solid perimeter around the wearer.

The longevity isn’t outstanding but not terrible either. At around 6 hours, it becomes a complete skin scent, and begins that slow evaporation process. It’s in the middle of the pack, in this regard.

Seasonally, I would slot this as a fall/winter wear, since this is built for the cold weather mainly. Temperate climate, would also be fine.

I couldn’t see myself ever reaching for Emblem during the summer months. The warm spice and later smoothness, just don’t fit really warm weather. Even with it’s lighter, ozonic aspects, I don’t think it’d fit well. At least where I live.

It’s more of a business casual to formal wear sort of cologne. You can wear it out at night, but it’s low key, so don’t expect some kind of club monster. Though, it is attractive enough to be appreciated, when someone else moves close enough.

Overall Impressions of Emblem

Overall, do I recommend Emblem? I like it. I think the aroma is overall very pleasant to wear. The longevity kind of leaves more to be desire, but it isn’t terrible.

It’s a seemingly simple scent, but it has some sneaky depth. Plus, it has some more unique aspects versus a lot of the other mainstream fare.

I like the cinnamon note, along with the cardamom. The contrast between the warm and cooling sensation is attractive.

The violet leaf doesn’t actually bother me in the mix. It’s for sure one of my least favorite notes, personally. Here, I think it works and doesn’t get on my nerves.

I don’t know that this would be my personal go to, as it occupies that cold weather space, that contains some of my favorite fragrances.

Also, in terms of Mont Blanc scents, I’ve actually been loving Legend Night, as of late. If you can get a good deal on Emblem, it’s a solid choice, not earth shattering but good all around. I wouldn’t pay full retail for it, though.

Dior Homme (2011) by Christian Dior

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Somehow, I’ve never gotten around to reviewing the Dior Homme line (other than Sport), up to this time on the website. Since I didn’t have a bottle of this stuff anymore and it’s been a while, I had to get myself a sample vial, and put it through its paces once again. In this post, I’ll cover what’s its notes are, how it smells, performs, and whether or not it is worth a buy.

What does Dior Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: vetiver, iris, cacao, bergamot, amber, leather, sage, and lavender

Click here to try: Dior Homme By Christian Dior For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

My Full Review

Note: Dior has updated Dior Homme with a new formula, that I have yet to try, but will smell quite different. It apparently doesn’t have the iris note. In this post, I am reviewing the last formulation, which was a sort of reformulation itself...Dior does these things. So, note that if you’re buying from the major retailers going into 2020, you’re going to be getting something different than what I’m describing here. I will do a separate review for the new release, when I get to test it out.

I am updating this review, a few years after the fact. Why? I needed to expand upon this fragrance and what it is. I purchased a bottle in the largest size, after my initial review, and it became my go-to scent outside of testing things for this site.

The opening of Dior Homme is a clean rush of iris, that has sort of a unisex quality to it.  However, there is this underlying cacao note that gives it a certain sweetness and helps to further the powdery aroma.

The cacao will get a bit stronger, later, but does make an early appearance. Dior Homme is very smooth and floral, especially once the lavender note begins its ascent.

What I think is unique about this fragrance is its use of bergamot. Obviously, lots of male scents use this notes, but here it is so damn subtle and just about perfect in how it comes across. It’s just a peak of citrus popping off of the floral/leather/cacao notes, which gives it this zesty freshness.

It is an interesting contrast, between the light juiciness of the bergamot, and the underlying dryness coming from various notes like sage and vetiver. The sage is only noticeable to me, for a brief period of time.

I’ve smelled it as a more intense note in other men’s fragrances, but it has never had that much power in this composition.

To me the cacao isn’t as noticeable as it is in Dior Homme Intense, but it does give off that sweetness, and I think it’s the leather that’s holding it back somewhat. Then, there is the vetiver, which has the woodsy sharpness that seems to tie things together.

What I’m ultimately left with is a smooth and fresh blend of mostly the iris and leather. The cacao and lavender, as a secondary pairing. Some amber, with whatever’s left of the other notes. It hits my nose with such a cooling sensation. Like, a really dry cold breath of fresh air.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d call it a softer fragrance. Not super weak but more toward the moderate end of the scale. It’s not an overwhelming beast, but does have a nice perimeter around your person.

The longevity lasts me from anywhere to 5-7 hours, depending on the circumstance, and it can hang around on the skin for longer than that…but that’s when it’s noticeable.

Update: with the full bottle and its powerful sprayer, the longevity is a bit better than 5-7 hours. Now, I’d say it’ll give me 8 hours, pretty regularly. 9 with good climate conditions.

Seasonally, I wear this mainly in autumn and winter. The springtime is great too, but I generally stay away from the heat of summer.

The high humidity can make it a bit messy. We’ve had a week of temperatures of 50-75 degrees Fahrenheit, and Dior Homme, fits in beautifully.

In terms of its versatility, Dior Homme is on the dressy casual to fully dressed up end of things. Though, I would honestly have no problem wearing this anytime, it does have that air of class, maturity, and refinement.

So, yeah, you could wear this casually or out on a date. It does have a sexy quality and women enjoy smelling it.

The reaction that you get will largely depend on how that person, deals with the iris note. Some don’t like the powdery or ‘make up bag’ sort of smell. Though, the leather and other notes, do prevent this from being a female scent…for me at least.

I’ve never once gotten a negative reaction from wearing Dior Homme, but I have gotten a ton of positive reactions. It’s not necessarily the most complemented, but it does draw them.

Overall Impression of Dior Homme

Overall, would I recommend Dior Homme? Of course. It’s probably a classic, at this point in time. It’s such a well balanced scent that has a interesting and unique aroma, that can be appreciated by anyone, and not just those who are really into niche fragrances. This is great juice.

I’m kind of sad that they’re reformulating this cologne. I still have plenty left, but I guess I may need to buy another back up bottle, unless the new version just blows me away.

Dior Homme is a modern fragrance, that is extremely well put together. It has been emulated by other colognes, over the years, but this remains my favorite use of the iris note. I love this scent, it’s basically my signature wear, if I can have one outside of my commitments to this site.