By Designer

Egoiste EDT by Chanel

by

Egoiste is a 1990 release from Chanel, that’s still going strong today. It followed and is basically a rebrand of 1987’s Bois Noir. I recently grabbed a new bottle, in order to review the modern formulation. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Egoiste Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, coriander, cinnamon, Damask rose, sandalwood, vanilla, ambrette seed

Click here to try: Chanel Egoiste

My Full Review

Egoiste is a fragrance that I’m revisiting and finally posting a full review of. I saw it online when I was making some other new purchases to test out and put a bottle of this in the bag, also.

It kicks off with a dry, bright, and spicy blast. That mandarin note is light and doesn’t grab the headlines, but it is a nice lighter element to the mix. Coriander and cinnamon are pretty massive here, making the opening act a very warm and spicy affair.

The mandarin fruitiness is bolstered by the presence of the Damask rose. Pinkish, sweet, and a touch fruity with how it comes across earlier. Balances out the weaker carnation, which really serves to add to the spice.

Now, the main star here for the entire duration of the wear, is the sandalwood note. The dry down is going to be very much about this ingredient, when the initial punch has faded. Very dry, very woody fragrance.

The coriander is the first to burn off for me, that little carnation too. This is more rosy during the second phase. A sweeter fragrance, with bits of vanilla and tobacco coming through. A warmer, honeyed sort of sweetness thanks to ambrette seed.

The woody accord is still about the sandalwood, but there is some mahogany and rosewood there in support. Sweetish rosy wood, dotted with cinnamon. Yet, it’s darker with the woody influence and that initial citrus brightness leaves entirely.

Finally, we get to the sandalwood dry down.  This is a very dry scent, especially at this point. Less sweet, a dense woodiness, some remaining: floral impressions, cinnamon, and tobacco. A slightly smoky and creamy ending.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one offers up a strong start, but it lighter to moderate the rest of the way. I find it to be about equal to the modern Platinum Egoiste.

The first hour and a half or so is strong, then, it will become more intimate. Even when I cannot totally pick up the scent with my own nose, other people have made comments about it (positive ones). So, this one can make you a bit nose blind when it shifts more to the sandalwood part.

Egoiste still does last. Again, you can become desensitized to it and not really notice. However, I can still pick this up 7.5 hours later. Is it a monster at this point? No, it sits very close to the skin. It is there, however.

Seasonally, I’d skip this anytime that it is too warm. It’s mostly an autumn and winter wear. If it’s temperate out, Egoiste works well too. During the summer, I wouldn’t be too enthusiastic to have it on.

This one is refined and masculine. Can work as an office fragrance, but I also love wearing it out at night. It’s got a sexiness to it and receives complements from people. While Egoiste is ‘old school’, the formula still feels very modern and not completely anachronistic.

Yes, this does skew older in its demographic. Though, I personally wore this back in my early 20s at times, and it worked fine for me. Just know if you’re younger, pretty much no one your age, is going to be wearing something like Egoiste.

Overall Impressions of Egoiste

Overall, do I like Egoiste? I love it. I’m so glad that I randomly bought a new bottle for myself, to rediscover everything wonderful about this scent. It’s just so good in the winter air and has a different feel from most everything mainstream out today.

The first time that I wore it, this time around, I thought that I had stopped liking it completely. But, that went away pretty quickly and I wanted to wear this everyday for the next week straight.

Coriander and cinnamon are great. Very bold within this very dry mix. I love the way that the spices hit, while you still get some sweetness from the rose, mandarin, and vanilla notes. Really great, balanced, and signature sort of fragrance that you can wear for decades.

Egoiste is very approachable for guys who want to try an older styled fragrance, but don’t want to start with something like, Kouros. I think Egoiste, is a better smelling scent anyway, but it’s also easier to wear for most people.

It’s a pretty safe blind buy, unless you just absolutely don’t like this style of fragrance. It’s a nice change of pace in the sea of ‘blue’ scents and still very worthwhile, all these years later.

8 Best Smelling Davidoff Colognes for Men

by

Zino Davidoff’s line of fragrances made a huge impact in the late 80s with the releases of the designer’s namesake fragrance and Cool Water which has been constantly flying off of the shelves ever since.

While there isn’t a huge line of variety in this brand, mainly Cool Water flanker scents, I wanted to select eight of what could be considered the best smelling colognes that have been released thus far.

What are the Best Davidoff Fragrances?

Most Popular Scent

Cool Water By Davidoff For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Ounces– The absolute classic men’s cologne that has been a best seller for about 30 years at this point. It’s simple, refreshing, and quite versatile.

Cool Water kicks off at its most aquatic and cool, while being held together by the early dose of tobacco and mint. It’s got a green sort of aroma, that will shift into something more floral with neroli and plenty of lavender. This is the soapy stage, which sits on top of a nice woody base.

The performance is still pretty good here, I got 6-7 hours of wear from the latest batch that I tried out. Clean and can be had at an inexpensive price point. Cool Water Full Review

Best Newer Davidoff Fragrance

Cool Water Intense by Davidoff for Men 4.2 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Other flankers from this series, actually have some things in common with the famous original. Cool Water Intense doesn’t really, but it’s actually an awesome scent at a nice price point.

Intense kicks off with a greenish kick and citrus profile  that  is  flanked by a coconut water note. Green mandarin is the top note along with the coconut. It is bright and has a sweetness, though, it’s not a fully tropical experience.

The mandarin will tone down, the coconut and amber will take the lead, giving you a smooth and clean aroma. It’s a nice balance of fruity and warm, while being great for the summertime.

Not too complex. This stuff projects extremely well. and goes for a long time. Still a casual sort of fragrance, but the best Davidoff release in a long while.

Woody Masterpiece

Zino Davidoff by Zino Davidoff for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 4.2 Ounce– Another long-time classic from Davidoff, not as big of a seller as Cool Water, but does it’s own thing with notes of sandalwood and patchouli as the main attractions.

Masculine with enough sweetness in vanilla and floral notes. Yet, it is mainly a deep woody/patchouli fragrance that sits beautifully in the colder air of late autumn and winter. Very well done. Smooth and not too heavy, but with enough performance to get through a standard work day.

Earthy with a dry woods, it comes together as clean, but definitely has an underlying dirtiness. 80s fragrance, that gives you something different from most modern colognes.

Opposite of Cool Water

Zino Davidoff Hot Water By Zino Davidoff For Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.7-Ounce / 110 Ml– Spicy as the name would indicate but Hot Water has a sweetness that prevents it from becoming too ‘hot’. It’s actually not a heavy scent at all and has a nice fresh aroma to it.

The opening act is where it really brings that spicy punch. Paprika and basil, which can sometimes come across as harsh, but just give it time to settle down and present itself fully. Personally, I don’t think the duo overpower or diminish the enjoyment.

As it moves along, it starts to have less of the pepper quality and becomes more herbal, to my nose. Basil and patchouli, with some light sweetness to round things out.

Rebirth of Cool

Cool Water Reborn– Yes, another one from the Cool Water line. Though, it is pretty different from the original despite the ‘Reborn’ moniker.

There is also a Parfum version of this, that I haven’t tried yet. However, I think that this one is good to go, and the newer edition doesn’t appear to be very different.

Rosemary freshness with greenish highlights throughout. Doesn’t have the tobacco of the original or the soapy cleanness. The ‘water’ aspect here is actually a blue-ish sort of cologne.

Think along the lines of the Y series by YSL or maybe a bit of Sauvage. Sharp and citrusy up top, with a cleaner vetiver led aroma in the latter stages.

It’s good for the warmer months of the year. Not too heavy and not a beast. A nice and easy to wear fragrance.

Energetic and Fresh

Echo By Davidoff For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces– A different direction for Davidoff but one that presents itself quite well with notes including pepper, cedar, sandalwood, musk, and suede. Fresh, light, and clean.

This one has a sharper aroma, than it is spicy, even though there is a nice dash of pepper in there. It’s like a energetic and ‘blue’ kind of fragrance, without the aquatic notes, a bit sporty.

Not my favorite that I’ve tried, but it does everything well, and actually performs for a low price. It has been discontinued, so the bottles might get more expensive.

Wild Time

Run Wild by Davidoff– I wanted to add this to the list as a newer, non-Cool Water flanker from the brand, that’s actually quite nice.

Run Wild brings ginger and cinnamon up top with a healthy dose of fir to create something that is enjoyable to wear. The opening feels sweet and fresh with a resinous undercurrent thanks to that fir note. It is much more resinous versus a woody tree scent.

The dry down comes with a cleaner, creamier sort of aroma. Lavender and tonka bean really come into their own. The lavender helps with the somewhat soapy back half of the wear.

Solid projection and longevity with it too. Not amazing, but a none too expensive option that does smell good.

The Summertime Dive

Zino Davidoff Cool Water Night Dive EDT Spray for Men, 2.5 Ounce– A very nice take off of the original with mint, berries, aquatic elements, pepper, and tobacco. It’s sweet and interesting yet still maintains an oceanic vibe but built for the nighttime as the name suggests.

It has some resemblance to the original Cool Water, but Night Dive ultimately does its own thing. It opens with noticeably less tobacco, but the mint is still there, and flanked by a fruitier aroma.

This pairing is joined by its aquatic notes, which don’t feel to powerful and not really a salt water smell, at least for me.

Much sweeter than Cool Water, more ‘blue’, less herbal/floral ‘greenish’ qualities. Performance isn’t bad, can be a nice wear for the summertime.

Eau Sauvage Parfum (2017) by Dior

by

Eau Sauvage is a fragrance that I’m familiar with, but I have to say, I never really got into the flankers. I acquired three of them recently to test out and review for the site. One of which, is today’s entry from 2017, Eau Sauvage Parfum. How does this one smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Eau Sauvage Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: citron, lavender, hedione, wild flowers, bergamot, elemi, vetiver, anise, cinnamon, labdanum

My Full Review

Wow, I really like the start to Parfum. The bergamot is the most prevalent, at this stage, but it is already being buoyed by the base notes. I get a good amount of elemi, already at this stage. Sort of reminds me of Chanel’s Allure Homme Sport Cologne, with the citrus and resinous aspects.

Also, the newer Dior Homme Sport (which I dislike) shares a lot of elements with this, except this is actually good.

The citron and bergamot really help to make this one bright and juicy, but the profile feels cold, and you do get a woodsy dryness wafting from the base.

At the start, this leans more floral with lavender, jasmine, etc. It’s somewhat earthy lavender, but greatly leans towards a cleaner lighter aroma. But, I do get a very outdoorsy lightly dirty undertone.

There’s some spiciness here, mostly vetiver providing that, but apparently there is a touch of anise or cinnamon. Not really distinct to my nose, but maybe?

As we move further along, Eau Sauvage Parfum this transitions to a vetiver floral fragrance, with citrus highlights. The earthiness pulls back somewhat, but still feels like being outdoors near a grove.

The elemi and labdanum come through for an even more resinous feel. I know the older versions of this had a stronger myrrh aroma, but I didn’t ever get around to trying it, and so can’t compare. This, resinous base is somewhat sweet, with a vanilla-like aroma.

The final dry down really goes towards the elemi’s vanilla like aroma. The vetiver is still kicking around and some of that lavender.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one doesn’t project super strong, but you get an hour or so, where it does have a nice bubble and scent trail going. After that, it’ll stick to a 3-5 foot radius for much of the wear.

It’s slightly above average, but not weak by any means.

On my skin, the longevity is better than I’d expect based on the sillage alone. It will hit the 8-8.5 hour territory for me, with regularity. For the price point, that’s about what I’d want at minimum, but it clears the hurdle.

Seasonally, I’ve worn this on a warm winter’s day (more like late spring temperature wise) and Parfum smelled great. I think a little hotter and it might start to falter. However, autumn through spring should be fine.

This version of Eau Sauvage is more approachable than the original 1966 release. It’s modern, well put together, but still has a casual vibe. It can be worn in a wide variety of situations, by any age group, and has a mass appealing style.

It’s not specifically a nightlife beast or anything, though it absolutely works in that situation.

Overall Impressions of Eau Sauvage Parfum

Overall, do I like Eau Sauvage Parfum? Absolutely. This is my favorite from the Eau Sauvage line, more so than the original, and the other two testers that I received.

It’s so well-balanced, but has a great richness, and I love the citrus aromatic blend with the elemi. It has subtle depth to it, without feeling heavy. Classy, yet relaxed, and very approachable for men of any age.

The sillage isn’t going to blow the doors off, but it’s a bit above average, with good longevity.

The bottles aren’t being produced anymore, so what’s out there now is all you’re going to have to choose from. Prices for some discontinued scents can get crazy, so, if you want to try you might have to move rather quickly.

Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent

by

Kouros is one of the most famous men’s fragrances of all-time. Released in 1981, it has been a topic of discussion, both positively and negatively ever since. It’s one that I’ve had familiarity with in the past, but never did a full review for the site. Recently, I grabbed a decant of one of the more modern batches in order to finally put something to record. How does it smell? Is it still super strong? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Kouros Smell Like?

Notes include: clove, coriander, ambergris, sage, artemisia, leather, cinnamon, jasmine, musk, moss, and more 

Click here to try: Kouros by YSL

My Full Review

Note: I am only reviewing the latest batch here. I don’t have a time machine or 40 year old bottle that’s still good handy, so, that’s what is being rated/described here.

So, Kouros was one of my earlier fragrance encounters, while trying out parts of the old YSL lineup 15+ years ago. This, Opium, and Kouros Body were among those that I tested out. The latter two, were the one’s that I ended up purchasing. I wore both for a long time.

I think to the less experienced me, Kouros came across as being too bold for me to really want to wear. However, I didn’t dislike the scent either, and it’s one that I’ve come across every few years since.

Nowadays, I doesn’t garner the same shocking reaction to it’s strength and uniqueness when compared to modern scents. I’ve gotten used to a lot of the colognes of decades pasts and the ingredients that don’t get much use any longer with the popular scents.

Plus, if it has indeed been modernized and reformulated, maybe it doesn’t pack the same punch as the 1981 version.

The opening spray of Kouros is fresh, dry, with a spicy kick. Aldehydes and musk, really come through to my nose. The aldehydes remind me quite a bit of Chanel No. 5. Same sort of cold brightness (maybe a touch of bergamot?). The musk gives this a rough fuzziness, which is enhanced by the spice notes.

I’m going to go with mostly coriander, sage, and patchouli for what I’m smelling. It’s pretty balanced and I’m not getting too much in the way of cinnamon. At this stage, it’s an earthy/musky aromatic sort of fragrance.

Maybe because they weren’t actually using civet for this newer era of batches, Kouros doesn’t really come across as being all that ‘dirty’.

Some earthiness, yes, but it’s more of the plants/leaves (geranium for a time, comes out) than the earth itself or any sort of animaliac influence. It’s a modern musk with some roughness to it.

A lot of the spice burns off pretty quickly. Whatever molecule they’re using to represent oakmoss nowadays, is what begins to come to the forefront. Kouros starts to smell cleaner, smoother, and with soapy touches.

After that spice has gone, you do get a good dose of artemisia. I smelled Luna Rossa Ocean again, a few days ago, and do pick up on their shared ingredients, including the artemisia.

The dryness remains throughout the wear, Kouros does however become sweeter and a tad more floral. Honey, carnation, and tonka bean. Still fresh with the aldehydes now combining with the moss and an emergent leather.

‘Urinal cakes’ is something that often gets used to describe what this smells like. It doesn’t. I think people have some associations with that due to the interplay of the musk, artemisia, and jasmine.  That clean fuzzy floral, probably triggers the association for some people, but it doesn’t actually ‘smell’ like a clean bathroom.

The final stages of Kouros is a slightly leather musky floral/herbal fragrance. There’s sweetness to it still, but it comes across as being very much a barbershop type of finish. Nothing too outlandish, but attractive and classic.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this still absolutely brings it, but it isn’t insane. I remember it having much more projection and ability to leave a scent trail. Nonetheless, it is still a powerful fragrance, just nothing extreme.

This modern formulation also has really good, just not totally elite staying power. 9-ish hours, on my skin, with an ability to just cross the ten hour mark at times.

Spectacular? Not really, but still better than a lot of stuff currently on the market.

Versatility wise, this one does have limitations. First of all, it can indeed be something folks either love or hate. I think the talk of it being hated, got extreme, and it’s really not going to cause poor reaction from others in most situations…if they even notice Kouros at all.

Seasonally, this YSL is awesome in the cooler weather. It’s above freezing right now in November, but walking outside brings Kouros to life and it hangs very well in the cold air. I would avoid wearing this in high heat and humidity, though.

It’s a solid business scent, casual, semi-formal, and even possibly date nights for some guys. It wouldn’t be out of place, as a romantic fragrance, as there is a certain sexiness with such a masculine fragrance.

Kouros definitely skews older, but isn’t ‘old mannish’. If you’re younger and want to try it, I’d probably not wear it to school or something like that. Just know that it’s going to be quite different from what almost any other guy is going to be wearing. Classic, but not anachronistic.

Overall Impressions of Kouros

Overall, do I like Kouros? Yes, I do still enjoy this one. It’s never been a total love for me and I don’t really understand the repulsion that others can have for it. Personally, I always liked Kouros Body more, as that was such a unique and awesome flanker.

Kouros is without a doubt a classic and an important men’s fragrance historically. Pierre Bourdon deserves plenty of credit for creating this one (his Live Jazz was also another banger, now lost to time).

The opening act is nice enough. The spices and aldehydes do their thing well, but I prefer the dry down, once you get some sweetness and leather involved. Neither ever truly overwhelms the muskiness, but I like what those notes bring to the table.

This is a cologne that still has plenty of life, solid performance, and isn’t just some museum piece that cannot be worn out. It’s not going to be for everyone, but Kouros will still get plenty of new fans, out of those willing to give it a try.

Nautica Voyage vs Voyage N-83 Cologne Comparison

by

Now, that I have completed reviews for both Nautica Voyage and its N-83 flanker fragrance, I thought that I’d do a comparison post and lay out which cologne I think is better and why. Nautica specializes in aquatic themed scents and especially one’s that are great for the warmer weather months. In this post, I want to take a look at each cologne and determine which is the better candidate for purchase for most men and how each scent performs as a daily wear.

What Smells Better Nautica Voyage or N-83?

Nautica Voyage Tale of the Tape

Notes include: apple, musk, cedar, green leaf, amber, mimosa

NAUTICA-VOYAGE

Read my original review here

Try Nautica Voyage: Nautica Voyage By Nautica For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 oz

Nautica Voyage N-83 Tale of the Tape

Notes include: cardamom, petitgrain, mint, lavender, sandalwood, nutmeg, sea notes

Read my original review here

Opening

The difference in the opening between Voyage and N-83 is a matter of the sea notes contained in N-83 and how it has less of a fruity quality. N-83 is much more oceanic/salty than Voyage, which while semi-aquatic, is highlighted by apple/citrus notes that seem rather juicy.

If you want an actual aquatic, then N-83 is a potential play. Outside of that, I’d give the opening act to the original Nautica Voyage.

It does have a greenish and refreshing quality thanks to the mint. A classic clean, with the lavender note. But, it doesn’t have anything that is all that intriguing. Nice enough, though.

Voyage is just much more noticeable and pleasant. From the start, you get that crisp and watery apple note, with added sweetness. Then, the unique addition of mimosa, cedar, and musk really set Voyage apart.

Greenish, floral, musky, but refreshing. Voyage is usually interesting, despite not being among my favorite fragrances to wear.

Really, it’s quite amazing how such an inexpensive fragrance like Voyage, has set itself apart from almost anything else on the market. Nothing smells exactly like it and even its flankers, don’t strike the same chord.

Edge: Voyage

Projection

N-83 has a tendency to be rather on the weak side, it isn’t completely a fade away in five minutes cologne but it isn’t strong either, and it has a limited range.

Voyage isn’t super powerful but it is noticeable and projects pretty well. I’ve noticed that a lot of the Nautica flankers don’t match up to even the decent sillage of Nautica Voyage. Which is a shame, because some of the better smelling ones could be nice cheapies.

N-83 isn’t one of the worst offenders, but doesn’t match what Voyage provides. It’s going to be sticking rather close to one’s skin for much of the duration.

Edge: Voyage

Longevity

Again, Voyage takes the cake. N-83 has a tendency to fade and turn completely into a skin scent. Voyage holds up and performs well on a summer day. If it’s between the two, Voyage wins.

With Voyage, I max out with 7 hours. It will usually fall into the 5-7 hour range. N-83 can be in the 3-6 hour range, on my skin. That’s what I’ve found it capable of with more testing.

Usually, it’s closer to the lower end. If it could hit that higher end with a bit more power, it could be a much more useful scent. Really, I’d expect 83 to reliably hit 4, and maybe you get an extra boost.

Edge: Voyage

Versatility

Both of these are great casual fragrances that can be worn to work, school, or wherever. I wouldn’t put either as a date night cologne really, though Voyage would get the edge.

Actually, N-83 is less intrusive, so it might actually serve as a slightly better office cologne. However, since Voyage isn’t a beast, it would be perfectly fine. As far as cheapies go, both have a good deal of use. No, neither are super high end in quality, but they can be useful.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

N-83 is a good scent don’t get me wrong, it just pretty linear and not anything all that special. It has a nice and clean scent that is oceanic/soapy/smooth, especially from the lavender note.

Voyage is an aquatic that has a great citrus aroma and has been a long time favorite and best seller. For the price, Voyage, is a great addition to anyone’s collection, while N-83 probably isn’t even one of the best Nautica colognes.

Voyage seems to be Nautica’s high water mark. It’s a fragrance that they can’t seem to outdo. Even when they use its name, the flanker never really holds up to a comparison. It’s usually outright disappointing. Honestly, both of these are cheap enough, that you could just get both for some variety. If only one, it’s gotta be Voyage.

Winner: Voyage