By Designer

Guerlain Homme EDT

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In my recent haul of samples, I got a hold of a sample spray vial of Guerlain Homme eau de toilette. I have been wearing this scent around for the past couple of days to see what it’s all about and how it holds up to my lifestyle. I have to say, I am definitely impressed with this cologne. Continue reading below for my full break down of this wonderful scent. Also check out: Best Guerlain Colognes

What does Guerlain Homme Smell Like?

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Notes include:  lime, rum, mint, cedar, vetiver, rhubarb, green tea bergamot, sugar, geranium

Click here to try: Guerlain Homme Eau de Toilette Spray, 1 Ounce

Guerlain Homme Written Review

Let me start off this review by saying, I love this cologne. Honestly, I think it is fantastic and will have a spot in my rotation for a long time. The highlight of this fragrance, is the mojito accord consisting of lime, rum, sugar, and mint notes.

Yes, the main accord is based on an alcoholic drink but when blended with these other notes, it really makes Guerlain stand out.

Guerlain Homme opens up with the juicy citrus notes of lime and bergamot. These two are paired with rum for an instantaneous boozy beginning. If you don’t like alcoholic notes in your fragrances, this is one you should avoid, but going with the mojito aroma was a very interesting choice in my mind.

Plenty of other colognes have used rum to a much darker and spicier effect (Bvlgari Man in Black), but going the tropical route is pretty cool.

The top of the fragrance is quite sweet, due to the sugar note, but is balanced by the mint, which provides a fresh upbeat spice that really shines when contrasted with the lime juice cleanliness. Still, gives off that summery vibe throughout the wear.

The sweet notes do not dominate this scent completely, however. It is anchored by the woodsy and green floral notes which add a masculine aura to this cologne.

Cedar is at the base and vetiver is also highly present during the dry down period. It becomes less citrus/sweet and more fresh/dry, though, the citrus notes are still the main attraction.

Guerlain has a definite fresh energy to it that dries down into a crisp, almost powdery fragrance, which will leave a man smelling clean throughout the day.

Longevity and Sillage

It’s longevity is good to very good in my experience with it. I could still smell it later in the day but it becomes a more subtle fragrance than the opening might suggest. Update: I have a full bottle I bought after testing this scent back in 2015, and it can definitely pull 7-8 hours, on my skin.

It, to me at least, has almost the perfect amount of projection throughout its stay on my skin. Guerlain doesn’t overpower but you won’t have to go completely overboard with the sprays either.

The notes are very good in the summertime, however, I believe that this is versatile enough to work in the winter time also. Update: I actually don’t like it much as a daytime summer wear (night sure). Actually, wore this quite a bit in the autumn months when I had a bottle. The green notes in this gives it a certain layered complexity which I feel will be greater during the colder months.

I actually enjoy wearing this casually at night, while socializing. It works well in the humidity of a summer night. Not always what I grab, during this time, but one I like to break out in order to change the pace.

Overall Impressions of Guerlain Homme

Would I recommend this scent? Absolutely. It’s a really great performer all around and a very seductive and clean scent, that is quite manly and attention grabbing.

Again, it isn’t going to be for everyone, seeing as not everybody will enjoy a mojito smell. However, it’s not a pure mojito all the way through, and there is plenty of woodsy freshness to admire as well.

This is one that I wear, once in a while, but really enjoy it when I’m in the mood. I like the minty smell, the booziness, the fresh woods. It’s a unique fragrance and is underappreciated.

Update: I no longer have a bottle and this one has been discontinued as well. It’s still worth trying, if you can find an inexpensive bottle. It once was one of my favorites to wear, but that changed as my collection grew with this site. Still, this was a very good effort from Guerlain.

Little Italy by Bond No. 9

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With my latest batch of samples, I grabbed a few more scents from the Bond No. 9 collection of fragrances. Today, I am going to be reviewing the unisex scent, Little Italy from this design house. As usual, I am going to cover how it smells, performs, what I like about it, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Little Italy by Bond No.9 Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, grapefruit, neroli, clementine, and musk

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Little Italy by Bond No. 9 For Men And Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.3-Ounces

My Full Wear Review

So, Little Italy, starts out with a heavy dose of citrus provided by the mandarin orange. I really like the orange note in this fragrance, as many others have such a flat and uninspiring orange note in their scents, but this one is highly realistic and juicy.

Maybe it’s the addition of the clementine, giving it some extra support. Either way I find it enjoyable.

Right away, if you don’t like citrus, stay away from Bond No. 9’s Little Italy, because that is essentially what this consists of. It is a fairly linear scent, as after about 20-30 minutes the juiciness fades a bit, and their is a hint of neroli and musk.

Honestly, the floral and musk, isn’t that noticeable. I had to focus myself quite a lot, just to be able to detect it. Pretty much, what you smell initially, is what you’re going to get out of this.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s decent. Thankfully, it’s not a monster in that regard, because I doubt anyone would want that intense of a fruit juice scent. It has all of the sillage that it needs to have.

It stays moderate for the first couple of hours before drawing down to its final close. Overall, not terrible.

The longevity is okay, I got maybe 4-5 hours out of the wear. Nothing special but certainly not incredibly awful. At this price point, it’s not great, however. I would definitely want more from Little Italy before grabbing a full bottle.

This is a casual scent for the warmer months. Not a date night scent or anything of the sort. I don’t think you would even wear it at work. So, it becomes pretty limited with its use case. Understand that going in. Spring and summertime, while just hanging about town.

Even though, it is a unisex fragrance, I don’t anyone of either sex would find this one to be ‘sexy’. It’s bright, upbeat, and quite pleasant in my opinion but not sexy.

That being said, this one does lean much more traditionally feminine. There are plenty of citrus and neroli scents out there with more balance, but this goes more toward a ladies’ perfume.

Overall Impressions of Little Italy

Overall, is Little Italy worth a buy? Not unless you really love orange and clementine. I do like this scent on some level and I think the orange note is very well done. However, it’s also quite expensive, and really simplistic.

The performance is just okay. The sillage isn’t bad, but the longevity is below average. I don’t hate it but it doesn’t strike me as something to run out and buy either.

Mandarin isn’t my favorite citrus note, it’s fine here. I do like the clementine which gives it somewhat of a unique vibe versus some others in this space. Not one of the best from Bond No. 9 and ultimately not particularly worth it.

Very Irresistible for Men by Givenchy

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Givenchy has a wide range of colognes for men that are stylish and memorable. I recently received a sample of one of their more popular fragrances, Very Irresistible.  I have worn this cologne a bit lately and would like to use this post in order to share my thoughts and give my opinion on this fairly unique scent.

What does Very Irresistible for Men Smell Like?

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Notes include: Hazelnut, coffee, mint, grapefruit, sesame, and cedar

My Full Wear Review

The first thing that strikes me about this fragrance is how rich and enveloping it is. To me, it’s a pretty heavy scent but not in a way that will choke those around you, though, I wouldn’t put a ton of it on.

What I detect most is the hazelnut and coffee notes, which is of course reminiscent of a hot cup of coffee in the morning. However, the mint note makes this take on a chocolatey/mocha scent that makes it fall into the gourmand category.

It is definitely a sweet cologne, yet, still retains a completely masculine vibe…probably aided by the woodsy cedar note. That rich and warm quality which I wrote about above really reminds me of Versace Eros. The two fragrances do not smell alike at all but I get that same kind of enveloping feeling with both of them.

The most interesting aspect of the notes to me is the emergence of the grapefruit and mint. I am a fan of mint notes in cologne, see: Guerlain (love it!) and Le Male. The mint in Very Irresistible is wholly different from those two fragrances, as it takes on a much more woodsy/green quality…but it makes this Givenchy scent really pop.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The opening does give you that bold and far reaching heaviness, that I wrote about. It tones down quite a lot after maybe 20 minutes of wear and is actually somewhat moderate once you get to that stage.

But, that opening is large enough to pull it firmly in the above average sillage camp.

The longevity was in the 6-7.5 hour range. Not bad, just never really hit a high level of performance. It’s about what you’d expect from this sort of designer cologne.

It’s such a dark and engaging fragrance that I believe it demands to be worn in the late fall and early wintertime. The sweetness, the greenness, and the gourmand aroma would really do well in that type of cooler environment.

It’s attractive enough for the nightlife and dates. I’d wear this out or more in casual situations versus trying to have it on in a professional setting.

My Overall Impressions 

With all that being said, would I recommend, Very Irresistible? I’d say that I would. However, I don’t think it is the right scent for everyone. I don’t feel that it is the right scent for me, I found it quite nice at first but after a while, I just couldn’t enjoy it anymore.

It’s just way too rich for my tastes. If you are a fan of the gourmand type of fragrance and love a sweet/green type of scent, I would say this is a very good bet. I love a lot of gourmand scents, but this one is just pretty good.

Updating this page years later, this Givenchy has been long discontinued. You can still track down bottles if you want to try it out. Which, it’d still need to be the right price, as anything above a certain point (maybe $50-60) would be overpaying for most guys.

Gentlemen Only Intense by Givenchy

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I have already reviewed many scents this week, including Gentlemen Only. Since I’ve also got a mini size of Gentlemen Only Intense, I thought that I’d go ahead and do a review post on it.

This is another cologne from Givenchy and one which is masculine and suited toward the cooler months of the year. How does it stack up? Is it better than the original? Please read below for my full take on this scent.

What Does Gentlemen Only Intense Smell Like?

gentlemen only intense

Notes include: tonka bean, birch wood, mandarin, patchouli, leather, amber, and cedar

Click Here to Try:Givenchy Gentlemen Only Intense Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

OK, so after trying the original Gentlemen Only and enjoying it, (only to later be disappointed by its longevity), I was looking forward to trying the Intense version of this cologne. As it turns out, I actually like this one much better.

Let me state beforehand that I love sweet/spicy/leathery fragrances in the fall or winter months. I am a fan of tonka bean (Versace Eros), leather even in something like Dirty English, and the sweet/spicy incense of something like Body Kouros. As such, I was drawn to this fragrance right off the bat.

The opening is a sweet blend of tonka bean, amber, and the leather note. This is an interesting departure from the original which featured more of the birch wood, mandarin, and vetiver, which are downplayed a great deal in Intense.

The opening has a bit more fresh spiciness, than this one will later feature. You get some of the mandarin, mint, and pink pepper.

The composition is pretty inverted from the original. As such, you are hit with a different sensibility and less of the dry sweetness than Gentlemen Only.

Intense presents itself as much more of a sweet/incense take on the original, that at times seems somewhat gourmand without going overboard (like in Very Irresistible by Givenchy)  but keeping an underlying smokiness.

Again, this one might not be for everyone but if you enjoy that kind of sweet/leathery/masculine type of scent this could be a good look. The dry down becomes a woody, sweet, leathery, creamy/amber-laden affair.

It has that Gentlemen Only dryness, spice, and smokiness but those are relegated to bit players. It all comes together, as being super smooth. I really enjoy the way that it smells, even if the development isn’t too complex.

Sillage and Longevity

Projection wise, it is pretty good. It’s not a beast but it is better than Gentlemen Only, though, I believe Intense is a misnomer…it’s not intense but quite moderate. Even with that spiciness. It’ll project itself 4-6 feet from the skin for a while, before settling back down, closer to the skin.

Longevity was the drawback of the original and honestly, Intense isn’t much better in this regard. 4-5 hours of life at most. The only saving grace is that I feel that this is a nighttime fragrance and so that longevity might be enough in that situation.

However, it really should be better than that and I’m disappointed that it isn’t. Shouldn’t an ‘intense’ fragrance, have a strong sillage, and staying power?

I think others have gotten a slightly better result with this one. For me, it refuses to stick around for very long on my skin, which is usually fine with not ‘eating up’ colognes.

When Should Gentlemen Only Intense be Worn?

Again, to me, this is a nighttime fragrance. The original was more of the office type of daily wear, while this one is a sexier evening wear option. On a cold evening, Intense is actually really awesome, and will get complemented.

Well, at least for those first few hours. It is a mature fragrance and will generally be a better fit for those in their late 20s and up.

Overall Impressions

Overall, is it worth a buy? Maybe. It smells really good, in my opinion, but the longevity questions remain. The fragrance itself is an awesome blend of sweetness, woods, leather, and spice. On that end of things, Gentlemen Only Intense is pretty brilliant.

It’s not an all-time great or anything, but this had the potential of being a under the radar favorite. The tonka bean and leather combination is so good here.

It’s one that I could definitely find a place for on occasion, but, at the price I could get something else that is a much better performer. It’s not a bad fragrance, actually quite good, but it could be magnificent.

Updating this post, a few years after the initial review, I think that it’s been discontinued.

I still have a mini bottle of this, wear it occasionally, and still cannot believe what a missed opportunity this was for greatness. You might be able to pick up a cheap bottle, at the discount sites now, and it would be worth a shot.

Newer Update: I just saw it going for around $100 when I looked it up, which is a bit of a stretch in my opinion. So, you’ve probably missed out on getting this one for anything reasonable.

Weekend for Men by Burberry

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Burberry is a line which usually sports very good and universally appealing fragrances at a moderate price point. I have already gone over the best Burberry colognes here, and I left Weekend for Men, off of that list.

I don’t remember being impressed by it, however, when I received a mini bottle of this cologne, I thought that I would give it another shot and post a review. Did it change my mind, this time around? Read below for more.

What Does Burberry Weekend Smell Like?

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Notes include: tangerine, citrus, musk, rose, iris, sandalwood, oakmoss, ivy, honey

Click here to try: BURBERRY Weekend Eau De Toilette for Men, 1.7 Fl. oz.

My Full Wear Review

Burberry Weekend, opens with a lot of citrus, and it sticks around for the duration of the wear. I get a ton of lemon, in this one, and some bergamot underneath. The other fruits, just seem to blend together, with one another and create a generic cloud.

After like 15-20 minutes some of the oakmoss and sandalwood type of notes, do start to emerge. This gives Weekend, a bit of an earthy/woody body, but this is mostly a citrusy affair. Ivy is fairly noticeable, which provides a grassy sort of smell, it’s not super powerful but you can pick up on it.

To me, Burberry Weekend really doesn’t ever get anymore complex than that, just a blend of citrus and some woodsy notes in the background. On my skin, it is mostly lemon with some ivy, sandalwood, and a bit of dry oakmoss. It’s extremely linear on me.

I suppose there is some honeyed sweetness, in there, but not very much. If you’re not into the smell within 10-15 minutes, you probably won’t ever be.

How Long does it Last? What’s the Sillage Like?

It’s projection and longevity are both moderate. It’s not a beast with its sillage, but it at least, isn’t completely weak. It’s projection is a few feet from the skin, for most of the wear, so don’t expect folks to be able to smell you from across the room or anything.

The longevity clocks in at about six hours or so. Again, not impressive, but passable at the right price.

Versatility

This is a casual wear for the spring/summer months, all the way. It would seem out of place, during the rest of the year. It’s not a nighttime beast, nor a formal type of fragrance.

Weekend for Men is a scent you can throw on, when the temperature goes up, and smell fresh and citrusy.

A cologne to feel clean and somewhat refreshed, not a scent that’s going to bet getting massive complements or be seen as ‘sexy’.

Overall Scent

This is a very short review because quite frankly, Weekend isn’t all that impressive. If you’re a big fan of citrus, then maybe it’s worth getting a hold of.

Otherwise, I really don’t get who this is aimed at. I think that it smells okay but the citrus is just too prevalent and the other notes never seem to fully wrestle control away from it.

As a result, it can take on too much of a bathroom cleaner type of scent…it’s not totally chemical but you can definitely detect a resemblance. Is it an awful cologne? No, but it isn’t a very good one.

Even for this type of summer-centric release, it’s not very good. Below the D&G Light Blue flankers and other designer efforts in the same space.

There are much better options, from the line of Burberry scents (see: London and Burberry for Men), and other ones that are much better choices for summer weather (Burberry Summer line, usually smell better at least, with poor performance). I’ll probably pass on wearing the rest of this mini bottle.

Update: Yeah, I never finished it before getting rid of this mini. This still floats around for cheap, so, it might be worth spending $20-30 on. I still wouldn’t personally, but if you wanted an easy to wear summer citrus, this is passable.