By Designer

L’Homme Ideal Cologne by Guerlain

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Okay, so, I have already reviewed L’Homme Ideal by Guerlain on this site. Since this initial publication, they came out with Cologne and a host of other fragrances under the Ideal banner. The subject of this review, L’Homme Ideal Cologne, always got me confused with the original EDT release because of the name and very similar original bottles. Anyway, I’ve updated the page for my review, for this fragrance I don’t even think they make anymore.

What does L’Homme Ideal EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, bergamot, orange, almond, musk, pink pepper, musk, neroli

Click here to try: Guerlain L’Homme Ideal Cologne EDT Spray for Men, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Ideal Cologne is an excellent blast of the citrus notes that makes up the composition. Mostly, it’s grapefruit and orange but I can also detect of bergamot. Really, I find it to be very attractive at the start, I love the citrus notes in this fragrance.

Now, the almond note is also there, and is the main attraction in the original L’Homme Ideal but this is an entirely different scent from that one (which is also a great fragrance).

This is more of a summery citrus based fragrance while the original is more of a sweet masculine scent for the colder months of the year.

About 15-20 minutes after spraying on my skin, the almond and vetiver notes become much more prominent. Man, it becomes such a smooth and pleasant scent to wear.

The citrus notes feel quite ‘cool’ and light, almost like a frozen drink, and then the almond and vetiver give it a bit more substance as it wears on.

Thankfully, the musk note in here isn’t overpowering and provides a nice touch. It screams freshness with that sort of zesty energy found with citrus.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Ideal Cologne isn’t a big hitter, and really doesn’t need to be. This is a light fragrance that doesn’t hit you over the head, rather, it lingers throughout the day.

None of the Ideal scents are complete beast mode, at least for long stretches of time. However, this is lighter than flankers like EDP, and is going to sit closer to the skin for much of the wear.

It’s longevity is better than the original fragrance. With this, I can hit 8 hours or more of good performance. Again, it’s not a powerful scent but it will stick around for a while. For a summer scent, it’s actually got great performance.

For me, this is spring/summer all the way. While I completely dig L’Homme Ideal, I felt that it’s performance wasn’t totally up to snuff, and I have too many other options in the colder months.

However, with Ideal Cologne, I get a very reasonable option for when it’s warm outside, nice performance, and a scent that is versatile. Update: Yeah, wearing this outdoors is a great experience during the early parts of the summer.

I could wear this casually or out on a date and feel like it would work well. It’s attractive in the sense that you want to smell it, but not necessarily a ‘sexy’ fragrance…it kind of skirts that line.

This is a good option for those who want something to wear during summer evenings. It’s clean and has a crowd pleasing aroma.

Overall Impressions of L’Homme Ideal

Overall, would I recommend L’Homme Ideal Cologne? Yes. I think it’s a really good cologne all around. Not the best thing ever, granted, but still a great wear that is still affordable.

Update: This has been discontinued for a while now. Though, it’s among my favorite from the Ideal series. Maybe, even number one, depending on the day. I doesn’t appear that you can still chase down cheap bottles. So, I don’t know if I’d pay the higher asking price. Over $100 is a bit much, unless you’re already sure that you love this one. 

This fragrance did grow on me, more and more, as I got more experience with it after initial testing. The Ideal fragrances are a bit overhyped, in my opinion, but they’re all enjoyable. 

Update 2: Guerlain basically re-released this as Ideal Platine Prive. So, try to find that if you can. That is a limited edition too, but still more bottles available versus the Cologne version.

The citrus and almond combination is awesome here. Taking these notes found in the rest of the line and giving them precedence versus the heavier leathers and smoke that can be found in other Ideal scents.

From what I’ve seen you can pick up a nice sized bottle for under $40, at most places online. I’m quite impressed by this and will probably pick up a full bottle for myself at some point. For the summer, it’s a nice pick up and it isn’t too well known.

Obsessed for Men By Calvin Klein

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Walking through a department store, I made my usual pass around the fragrance counters, and saw a Calvin Klein display with a men’s fragrance I have yet to try. Apparently, it’s a new release and called Obsessed for Men. There was a tester spray bottle, so, I hit my arms up with three sprays in order to experience it and do a one-time wear review for the site.

In this post, I’m going to cover all of the usual aspects of this cologne, and give my take on how it wears and performed during my limited interaction with it.

What does Obsessed by Calvin Klein Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, cardamom, pepper, ambroxan, leather, grapefruit, cedar

Click here to try: Calvin Klein Obsessed for Men Eau De Toilette, 1 fl. oz.

My Full Wear Review

Obsessed for Men seems like a very familiar scent even though I cannot pinpoint what specific cologne it reminds me of. I’m leaning towards it being a mix of several fragrances and just triggering my memory all at once.

The opening gives me a really fresh start with the grapefruit, pepper, and cedar stepping out in front. The vanilla note is always present and really ties the whole thing together.

Obsessed is a very clean fragrance, it is on the lighter side, and almost unisex but man, I like the super fresh energy that I get from it.

I think Obsessed is supposed to be a flanker fragrance to the original Obsession or at least a nod to it.  There does seem to be some overlap but since it’s been a few years since last wearing Obsession, I can’t really give a detailed head to head.

However, it does share the grapefruit, vanilla, and amber/ambroxan notes, so there is some similarity…but I don’t really recall the original smelling like this.

As Obsessed wears on, it becomes more vanilla/spicy/ambroxan than it’s initial grapefruit, though it doesn’t ever really become masculine. Still quite fresh and clean and upbeat.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Obsessed is okay. It’s not really a powerful scent but it isn’t as bad as some other CK releases. Not a powerhouse, but it can give you a few feet of radius off of your skin.

The longevity for my test run was about 4-5 solid hours and then maybe another hour wear it was still noticeable but weak. Again, not great but not the worst either. Maybe it’d be better in different weather or with more wear from me but that’s what I got with the one time deal.

Even if I had spent more time with this fragrance, I wouldn’t expect more than a few more hours on the high end of things. This, like a lot of other CK scents, isn’t a big time performer.

Seasonally,  you do get a lot of use from a cologne like this. It’s probably not great at the extremes of temperatures, but for spring and early summer it’s fine. Also, in the autumn months, Obsessed would be quite nice.

I’d call this a casual cologne, though, I could see myself wearing this on a date. Again, it’s not the most masculine scent but it does have a certain attractiveness/sexiness to it. The vanilla note is sweet, fairly warm, and darkened by the spice. It’s quite intriguing.

Overall Impressions of Obsessed

Overall, would I say Obsessed for men is a buy? Maybe. I actually do really like the way it smells, but I’d want some more time wearing it before making a call. It’s not a hyper unique scent but it is quite pleasant.

It’s clean, with some spice, and sweetness. The ambroxan isn’t too overpowering in the mix. Yes, it’s a leader in the composition, just nothing crazy. I liked the vanilla note here, along with that cardamom.

I have some concerns about the longevity but maybe it’d be better with more testing. This is a solid offering from Calvin Klein, it could be better, but I like it well enough. Perhaps, it is a buy at the right price.

Full price? Nah. At a discounter? You could do a lot worse than this one.

Legend Red by Montblanc

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Legend Red is the latest release from the popular Montblanc series, introduced in 2022. Based on the notes, it seems to take the line in more of a unique direction than just being another complete ‘re-imagining’ of the original EDT. How does Red Smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Legend Red Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, blood orange, sage, cedar, juniper berries, tonka bean, mahogany, cardamom

Click here to try: Legend Red by Montblanc

legend red review

My Full Review

Let’s see how Montblanc describes this: A charismatic woody fragrance that evokes the thrill of speed and makes the heart beat a little faster.

Tried this scent? Leave your rating and review in the comment section below.

The grapefruit note shares the duties about equally with the blood orange, upon first spraying. It’s a juicy and energetic citrus duo, that reminds me of The One Gold. But, I think this is a better fragrance.

There is a cardamom note early, it’s honestly pretty weak, especially compared to the one in Legend Night. Instead, you get more of the clary sage and juniper freshness.

The sage and juniper have their run at the top, but you can already pick up strongly on the woods coming from the base, even at the very start. Cedar, for sure, but the mahogany starts to really come through in the middle act, on my skin.

That aspect really brings to mind the note in Euphoria for Women, also this has an element of the men’s version, as well. Mahogany strength isn’t something you get too often in fragrances, even in this limited capacity.

So, Legend Red goes from citrus herbal to citrus woods. The only other real aspect is the tonka bean, adding a sweetish aroma to the dry down with its vanilla-like profile.

For me, the juniper actually stays around more than the sage, in the late stage.

Not too complicated of a scent.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one is pretty moderate in terms of sillage. At its peak, it’s probably a little better than average. On the whole, it is about middle of the road.

It’ll create a nice scent bubble of 3-5 feet, depending on your sprays. Then, move closer into being a skin scent.

On my skin, it can last up to about 6.5 hours. More in the 5-6.5 hour range, with multiple tests going towards the lower end of that range.

Seasonally, this is mostly for spring and summer. Though, it really works whenever the temperature is moderate to warmer. I like wearing it outdoors and catching some of it coming off of the breeze.

It’s versatile enough to be worn almost whenever during the spring or summer. Maybe not the most formal scent, but semi-formal or office wear should be fine. It’s got a nice maturity to it, but isn’t at all stuffy.

Legend Red is a likeable fragrance that should have plenty of mass appeal. It’s an easy to reach for cologne, that is fresh, and not overly complicated with more difficult notes to pull off.

More of a daytime wear, but wouldn’t be totally out of place in some nightlife situations.

Overall Impressions of Legend Red

Overall, do I like Legend Red? I do. It’s not my favorite thing ever, but I think it’s a very nice and highly wearable freshie for the spring and summer months. Legend Night and Spirit are still my favorites from the line, but this is quite good.

I like the blood orange note and the use of mahogany. That’s what helps to give this one some distinction, even while it doesn’t have too much in common with the other Montblanc Legend colognes.

This gives you a clean, appealing, and rather versatile fragrance to wear. It’s not going to offend, it should get a decent amount of complements, and covers a lot of bases.

The performance is decent enough. Not a complete beast or workhorse. Though, it should get the job done in most respects. A couple more hours of wear would be great.

Not a mind-blowing experience, but I think most people would at least find this to be okay, if not something the really enjoy.

The One Mysterious Night by D&G

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I’ve been retesting and going through the other flanker fragrances of D&G’s The One lineup, that I hadn’t tried before over the past few months. One of them, which was new to me, is The One Mysterious Night. This 2018 release is a part of there special edition ‘Night’ collection. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does The One Mysterious Night Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, saffron, rose, oud, clary sage, amber, woods, labdanum, tonka bean

Click here to try: The One Mysterious Night

My Full Review

Right off of the bat, I have to say that I’m not a fan of rose and oud scents. Individually, I can like these notes well enough, but together they become bothersome.

Not only do I not find the smell all that appealing. It’s also the fact that every designer uses the same exact formula with these two notes and then charges $400 per bottle. At least, this D&G is an affordable example.

Just putting it out there, as this doesn’t have the same effect on me as it does with others…who rank this fragrance highly.

Upon first spraying, Mysterious Night actually reminds me somewhat of 1 Million Cologne, the flanker to the more popular namesake. Grapefruit, rose, some light tonka bean. Cologne has a huge citrus blast with the rose and an aquatic note, but this gives me flashbacks.

That’ll fade, the rose and spiciness of this fragrance will come out. It’s actually got a surprising amount of powder to it. Sort of like in Burberry Brit, just without the greenish notes.

Sage really comes through for a while, like it does in Luminous Night. However, that won’t be the main focus because the saffron here has a pretty massive impact on the composition.

The dry down is better for me. I like the tonka bean, wood, and amber/labdanum. The earlier notes settle down somewhat and Mysterious Night feels more balanced and tolerable.

It’s an ambery rose with wood and tonka bean. The intensity isn’t to the same extent and I can actually somewhat enjoy this.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, you definitely get your money’s worth. Mysterious Night has a massive projection and ability to leave a scent trail…for hours on end. I can spray this one on clothes and smell it in the next room.

Not the most extreme ever, but for a designer cologne, this stuff is loud.

The longevity is also insane. Well into the double digit hours on skin. I’m getting about 12 hours on the top end of things.

On clothing, I swear this will last for weeks. Mysterious Night sticks and doesn’t ever seem to want to let go.

Seasonally, stick to late autumn and winter. This has enough heft and thickness to it, that it’s way too much for any sort of heat.

It’s an attention grabbing fragrance, whether that’s good or bad will depend on the crowd, I suppose. But, Mysterious Night lives up to its name, and is a fragrance that is basically going to be a wear for the nightlife.

It has a certain amount of depth and style, as such it’s not a casual nighttime wear. Maybe one you’d want to wear when you’re dressed up and want to exude a sense of power.

Skip the daily wear use, if you’re in close environments, though.

My Overall Impressions of The One Mysterious Night

Overall, do I like Mysterious Night? Not particularly. I wasn’t expecting to going into testing it out and it was basically just as I thought it’d be.

The oud, rose, amber, and saffron combination gets done again and again. So, there’s not much new ground being laid. But, as far as examples of this style of scent goes, this D&G gives you plenty of value for something that’s not too expensive.

The opening hour or so, is when this is a bit too much for my tastes. Then, it does improve into something, that while I still don’t enjoy it, it’s got some positive attributes.

The performance is awesome, unlike many of the others in The One lineup. Not a weak scent and it goes for a very long time. That’s the real strength of this fragrance.

If you like this style of fragrance, you know what you’re getting here. The oud isn’t too heavy in the mix versus a lot of the others, so, it can be more wearable for people.

If you’re not familiar with these notes, this isn’t a blind buy. If you really want to try, get a sample to see if it speaks to you.

It’s my least favorite of The One Night series and I’ll recommend try the much more crowd friendly, Luminous Night, if you can find a bottle.

Dior Homme Sport (2021) by Dior

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Dior has once again updated the fragrance using the name of Dior Homme Sport in 2021. This comes four years after the last change. This time, it goes in a whole different direction from the previous incarnation. How does this Sport do? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Dior Homme Sport Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, aldehydes, lemon, elemi, pink pepper, wood, amber, olibanum

My Full Review

Here’s how Dior describes it: Opens with a burst before suddenly becoming as soft as a second skin a deliciously luminous and fresh woody accord bitten by the vivacity of bergamot and the intensity of peppercorns.

The opening is a blast of the lemon and bergamot notes, that are given an extra spicy kick by the pink pepper. It is nice and a very familiar scent that you’ve seemingly encountered many times before.

This does have some similarities to Dior Homme Cologne. However, I’d say more like Chanel Allure Homme Sport Cologne, with the inclusion of the resinous elemi note. Which actually comes across a sort of waxy in this Dior. Maybe, that’s more of an effect with the olibanum note coming in as well.

But, what separates this version of Dior Sport from the rest of them is the aldehydes. It gives this one a clean freshness, like sun-dried laundry. Fresh wood and woodsy smelling resins, with that initial citrus burst is very attractive. Olibanum gives it a light smokiness, at times.

Once this citrus wears off, Dior Homme Sport starts to lose my interest. It’s basically just a clean wood with lemon wax on top of it. Sure, some freshness makes it okay, but the initial dynamic is lost and it feels like I’m just wearing laundered clothing.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is moderate. A bit of a scent trail for an hour or so. But, overall it is moderate. It’s not a skin scent until later in the wear. However, you might not always notice that you’re wearing it. Then, you’ll catch another whiff of Sport.

In terms of longevity, Sport actually matches the new Dior Homme EDT in its performance. On my skin, this one goes for 6.5-8 hours, depending on the day.

It’s not an elite performance, but it’s actually quite good for a ‘Sport’ scent. Even if, there really isn’t too much that is ‘sporty’ about this fragrance. Nonetheless, it is a cologne that doesn’t just fall apart.

Seasonally, this is probably best in warm weather. However, it can really work year round and not feel out of place at all.

Sport is highly versatile. It’s clean, inoffensive aroma can go casual, daily wear, or even more formal events. Not really a sexy nightlife beast, but outside of that, it can fit in wherever its needed.

Overall Impressions of Dior Homme Sport 2021

Do I like this fragrance? It doesn’t smell bad to me. However, outside of the opening 20-30 minutes or so, I’m just not into this. It’s my least favorite of the Dior Homme or Sport line, even the 2017 version, which was just okay.

It does have overlap with Dior Homme EDT. But, they aren’t exactly the same, and I like that one much more than this.

Performance is fine and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to wear this fragrance, if you enjoy how it smells. To me, it’s pretty boring, a bit too waxy/resinous, and almost a detergent-like quality.

I’ll pass on getting a bottle for myself. But, it’s worth a try, at least. Test it out and see if you actually enjoy it. If the performance and versatility was bad, I’d say to just stay away from this. As it is, try it if it still sounds interesting. If not, pass on it entirely.