By Designer

Gucci Guilty EDT Pour Homme

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Today, we have an entry from Gucci, the original of the Guilty line up: Guilty Pour Homme EDT. This has been a very popular men’s fragrance, over this past decade, but how does it actually stack up? In this post, I’m going to break down my experience with it, let you know how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a try or not.

What does Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, orange blossom, lavender, patchouli, cedar, pink pepper, neroli

Click here to try: Guilty By Gucci EDT spray for Men, 3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Gucci Guilty eau de toilette hits with a nice clean citrus note of lemon, warm slightly spicy pink pepper, and a calming lavender. Actually, the lemon/pink pepper combo, remind me a bit of Guess Seductive Homme which has the pink pepper paired with orange.

Different colognes for sure, but it’s just what comes to mind.

Nonetheless, that cologne has a bit more spice, than does Guilty Pour Homme. What’s interesting, is that this opening, is a high percentage of what you’re going to get from this cologne. Just one of the scent, that you’ll know fairly quickly, whether or not you enjoy it.

The fragrance is light and warm with a smooth cedar base note and patchouli giving the composition more substantial aroma, than it otherwise would have. Still, Guilty is a pretty minimalist fragrance, in a lot of ways.

The orange blossom/neroli pairing of course bring a floral touch, but their citrus fragrances, tend to blend in with the lemon note. Plus, the lavender is the dominant floral, and it doesn’t give up much room to the others.

I remember I used to wear Gucci Guilty Black, years ago, and that is a close approximation of what I smell here; just without the lemon/pink pepper. So, it’s a less spicy version of Black, with those two notes added to the top. Also, the notes in this one are more distinct, as they could be difficult to distinguish between in Black.

There is a sweetness within Guilty, that may be vanilla, or just the floral notes interacting with the pink pepper and lemon. Either way, there is an undercurrent of that kind of vibe, that becomes more noticeable after an hour or so of wear.

Gucci Guilty Pour Homme is actually a pretty linear fragrance, there isn’t a lot of depth here, and what you get from the start is very close to how it dries down. Yet, it does have some substance at times, which I appreciate.

Finally, we get to the last bit of this cologne, where you do get a cedar aroma underneath the lavender and citrus combination. Ultimately, it is a lavender and citrus combination, with some light spice, floral notes, and a cedar base.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s moderate for a couple of hours, and then it is quite light and airy. The sillage isn’t much beyond the immediate area around you, so, don’t expect some beast that will hit someone’s nose from across the room.

Longevity, is about 5-6 hours, on my skin. That’s not too great, but passable in a lot of situations. I do wish that it could go longer, especially at this price point. To me, that’s the biggest weakness of this fragrance.

Over the years, I’ve tested Guilty Pour Homme out again and again, with the same results.

Guilty Black and Intense, both stepped it up from here, giving you more time to spend with those colognes. Giving the two a further edge over the original.

Seasonally, it can go year round, but it mostly strikes me as a wear for spring or early summer. It’s not the usual aquatic colognes of that time frame, but it has an upbeat energy, and is light enough not to be cloying.

Guilty Pour Homme is kind of an all-purpose fragrance, as it can be worn casually, is safe enough for work, and attractive enough for a date.

Honestly, if a guy just wants something simple and one that can pull complements, Gucci Guilty can do the job. Performance is ehhh, but the versatility is darn good.

For a younger guy, this can be an easy starter cologne. It can cover most of your bases, as far as use goes, and is already wildly popular.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Pour Homme

Overall, do I like Gucci Guilty EDT? It’s nice, but nothing all that spectacular, to me. It has a very pleasant and clean smell, it has good potential for those who just want something easy to wear and low key.

This version doesn’t have the greatest performance, but it isn’t completely useless.

This has been a best seller for Gucci and has spawned so many flankers, many of which, have nothing in common with the original. I’m not sure why this one gets as much love as it does, but I like it fairly well.

Lemon, lavender, and pink pepper are the main stars here…so, that’s what you should expect from most of the wear. It’s cool, just not outstanding. I personally prefer the Intense version or Black, but the former is discontinued, so you will have to find bottles online.

Creed Viking vs Aventus Cologne Comparison

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So, here I am, back with another head to head cologne comparison. Today, I am following up my review of Creed Viking by comparing it with the most popular Creed fragrance, Aventus. How does the newest addition to the family stack up against, its highly rated counterpart? Continue below for my full take on Viking versus Aventus.

Tale of the Tape: Aventus vs. Viking

Creed Aventus

Notes of Creed Aventus: 

Top: Blackcurrant,Italian bergamot, French apples and pineapple

Middle: Rose, dry birch, Moroccan jasmine, and patchouli

Base Notes: musk, oak moss, ambergris, and vanilla.

Click here to try Aventus: Aventus For Men 4.0 oz EDP Spray By Creed

Click here to read my original Aventus Review

Creed Viking

Notes include: rose, pink pepper, bergamot, peppermint, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli

Click here to try: Viking Eau de Parfum Spray for Men by Creed

Read my original Viking Review

Opening

Off the bat, as I’ve written many times on this site, I’m not a fan of the opening of Aventus. To me, it’s really too sharp, but it does get better.

Aventus kicks off with pineapple and black currant out in full force. That black currant is the main culprit for sharpness, especially when paired with pineapple.

Underneath that, is an apple note adding an additional watery fruitiness up top. Birch and oak moss come through also, early on. These two notes add a very dry freshness to the mix.

Viking on the other hand, is extremely fresh and crisp. The peppermint note really grabbed my attention and I like how it plays off of the sandalwood and pink pepper notes.

I don’t think Viking is the most amazing opening ever, but I did enjoy it a good deal, and I think that it takes this category.

It’s pretty simple, but it has an appealing coldness with it’s fresher warmer pink pepper. I like it.

Edge: Viking

Projection

Viking is solid but not super strong or bold. Aventus is strong but not insanely so. However, Aventus does have the more intense and noticeable scent of these two fragrances.

I always feel aware that I have Aventus on, while it wasn’t the same experience with Viking. Viking is just a softer fragrance overall.

Edge: Aventus

Longevity

With Aventus I’ve generally gotten 7-8 hours, maybe 9. During my wear with Viking, I got about the same. I’d probably have to wear Viking around more to see if any differences emerged, but for now, I’m rating them the same.

Viking just doesn’t have the same sillage. Since it is a lighter scent, it doesn’t seem like it hangs around as long, but it actually does.

Update: It might be a slight edge to Aventus. I do occasionally get that extra hour out of it, which doesn’t happen when I’ve tried Viking.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Both of these scents work casually and as an office worker kind of cologne. I do think what separates them, is that, Aventus has more sex appeal than Viking. Viking is really fresh and clean and kind of an old school sort of fragrance.

Meanwhile, Aventus, is a proven winner that can work very well in a number of situations. That’s not to say that you couldn’t wear Viking on a date, it’s just not something that strikes you as ‘sexy’, to the same extent.

Other than that, both really cover a lot of bases as to when they can be worn.

Edge: Aventus

Overall Scent

Viking is a nice scent in my opinion. I enjoy the contrast of cold peppermint and the warmth that begins to emerge as the fragrance wears on. It’s a green fragrance with notes that provide a crisp and invigorating spice.

That being said, I wasn’t blown away by it. If it was cheaper, I might consider purchasing a full bottle, but for the price…it’s not all that impressive.

Update: The more that I’ve tried it, the past few years, the more I liked it. Still, never was crazy about wearing it. Nice, but not a must have for me.

Aventus is still better. It has pretty much become classic in under a decade, which is remarkable. I think that it’s overall the better fragrance. I’ve always hated the opening few minutes, but it develops a great profile as the scent dries down.

While Aventus gets the nod as the better cologne, if I had to choose wearing between wearing these two right now, I’d pick Viking.

I’m actually completely sick of smelling Aventus and no longer keep any around. Basically because everything tries to be a Creed Aventus ‘clone’.

Just the ‘new’ factor of Viking and the fact that it is somewhat enjoyable in the same way Creed’s Original Santal is, would get me to favor it.

Maybe I’ll come back to Aventus at some point, but not for a long while. Between these two, most people will absolutely favor Aventus, and it takes the win here.

Winner: Aventus

Gentlemen Only by Givenchy

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I’ve been trying out more and more colognes over the past few weeks and I recently got a hold of a couple scent by Givenchy. Gentlemen Only and Gentlemen Only Intense. In this post, I want to take a closer look at the former, and give my opinion and rate how this fragrance measures up.

What is it composed of? What is the opening like? How does it smell? How long does it last? Please continue reading below for my full review of Gentlemen Only.

What Does Gentlemen Only Smell Like?

FullSizeRender (5)

Notes include: Birch wood, patchouli, vetiver, cedar, pink pepper, mandarin

Click here to try: Givenchy Gentlemen Only Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 100ml, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

My first impressions of Gentlemen Only is that it is a dry and slightly sweet woodsy scented fragrance. It is simple and refined. I was really digging this scent when I first applied it, and enjoyed the interplay between the vetiver and birch/cedar notes, that I could pick out.

This Givenchy fragrance is one in which I could completely imagine myself applying while wearing a suit and even though I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, I definitely felt quite fresh with it on.

Also, the opening has a citrus aroma provided by the mandarin note, that fades away during the dry down period. This mandarin and pink pepper give it the sweet/spicy undertones which helped to make Gentlemen Only quite appealing to my tastes.

As the citrus fades, it takes on more of a smoky type of aroma (think less of tobacco or a whiskey cask and more towards incense). Birch really becomes prominent on my skin, at this point.

The top is a citrus mix of that mandarin and bergamot, the latter being quite light. Pink pepper joins in to add some warm spice, to the very dry composition. It’s nice to have that juiciness on top of what is ultimately going to be a fresh woody fragrance.

As it moves further along, the smoky wood aromas, really start pouring out of this. Vetiver starts to take over the composition, with the lingering mandarin still hanging around. Under that, is the birch wood and some cedar.

Ultimately, Gentlemen Only is a somewhat spicy and smoky woods-based fragrance, with enough sweetness to change things up. Very nice and refined.

Sillage and Longevity

Projection wise, Gentlemen Only starts out pretty good in that regard. For the first few hours, I could notice it on myself and liked it a whole lot. In many regards, I though that I had found a new potential casual fragrance for me to wear.

It’s not going to leave a huge scent trail. It will be noticed for a little while, but isn’t going to take over a room. Then, it’s not going to even do that.

However, the longevity on this one is really disappointing.  After three hours or so I could no longer even detect it on my skin, I had sprayed some on my forearms, and got absolutely nothing from it. It’s so hard to find a good long lasting cologne sometimes.

This Givenchy isn’t one of them.

When Should it Be Worn?

Surprisingly, this isn’t too heavy of  a scent. Smoky and dry woods, sounds more like a winter thing, but here it isn’t really. I would say that Gentlemen Only works best in moderate temperatures. It’s not terrible in winter, but I wouldn’t wear it in the summertime.

It can be a daily wear at the office, or something you put on for semi-formal to formal occasions. It is attractive enough for the nightlife, but again, the performance isn’t great. It’s actually got a pretty wide use case.

Overall Impressions

Overall, is this Givenchy product worth a try? I definitely like the scent, although, I seem to enjoy the Intense version more… BUT Gentlemen Only just does not last. Plus, the Intense version isn’t really ‘intense’ and is quite a different fragrance all together.

If you want a woodsy/smoky/spicy cologne in this price range, consider: Burberry London or perhaps, YSL L’Homme Libre, both of which have much better longevity.

Gentlemen Only might not be a bad buy, if you can get it at a discount on the secondary market. Perhaps, it will last longer on your skin, versus my own. The scent itself, is worth it. The question is, how much performance can you wring out of this cologne?

It is interesting and has its moments, but ultimately probably not worthwhile for many guys.

TH Bold by Tommy Hilfiger

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Today, I want to review a scent from Tommy Hilfiger’s line of men’s colognes, TH Bold. This fragrance was released in 2015 and as a semi-new entrant to the market, I hadn’t given it a try yet. Well, now that I have, I would like to share my thoughts on this casual summer scent and whether or not I think it’s worth a buy. How does it smell, perform, when should it be worn, and does it separate itself from the pack?

What does TH Bold Smell Like?

Notes include: tangerine, lavender, grapefruit, sandalwood, cedar, bergamot, jasmine, mandarin blossom

Click here to try: TH BOLD by Tommy Hilfiger 3.4 oz / 100 ml NEW, SEALED

My Full TH Bold Review

The opening of TH Bold is a strong burst of citrus. It gives off a very nice summery vibe, sort of how the original Tommy Hilfiger cologne did, but this is quite a different fragrance. Bold’s main note is the tangerine, at first, in combination with the grapefruit playing a supporting role.

I do love a good citrus and the opening here has that going for it. A very attractive start.

Underlying that is a soapy sort of vibe with the floral notes such as lavender and jasmine, giving it a clean freshness. The cologne is called Bold and at first, the tangerine is pretty bold, but after some time it falls back into something that is much less intense.

There is a light cardamom spice, within the composition, but this isn’t much of a spicy citrus at all.

After 20-30 minutes, the overwhelming citrus scent, fades into a more floral and woodsy aroma. In my opinion, it really doesn’t stand out as a fragrance, and seems really generic and like a body wash.

A soapy white floral fragrance that is borderline unisex with how it comes across.

There is cedar and some sandalwood, which does create some nice depth to a plain tangerine heavy citrus, but it isn’t enough to make TH Bold all that interesting.

What I ultimately get is: a juicy/fresh citrus heavy top, with lavender and jasmine cleanliness in the middle, with a light citrus dry down blended with the other notes.

Sillage, Longevity, When to Wear

Projection wise, it starts out pretty strong and like I said, fades into something that is much more moderate. It actually tends to be a pretty light cologne.

Hardly lives up to the Bold name, in terms of its sillage, or really the ingredients used. That strength will descend quickly into the lighter side of things. Not much staying power.

The longevity is borderline ok, but definitely isn’t amazing. I get probably 4-5 hours with a few sprays but doubling up can stretch that time frame out a bit more. Again, I did have greater expectations from this one than was actually delivered.

Especially since, much of those hours are completely weak.

This is a casual and very safe scent for work or school. It’s probably best worn by those in their 20s and 30s. I wouldn’t call this a date night cologne or something that will stand out at the club.

I’d say it is a summer or other warm weather fragrance but probably will feel out of place in other seasons. It’s real versatility lies in the fact that, it is light enough and non-offensive. Anywhere from casual to semi-formal environments. Beyond that, it’s fairly limited.

It’s attractive enough, clean, and just very wearable without totally grabbing attention.

Overall Impressions of TH Bold

Overall, TH Bold is decent but doesn’t stand out to me. I like the opening with the tangerine note and it doesn’t smell bad at all, though it isn’t great. The boldness is short lived, which is disappointing for those looking for an absolute beast performer.

I’d say that it’s a slightly above average scent in terms of how it smells and just average (to mediocre) in how it performs.

The white floral/woodsy/soapy dry down is just okay. If it had some better power during that part, I might enjoy it more. But, it just comes across a pretty boring and average.

It might be a decent pickup if you can grab it at a really good price, though, I wouldn’t go out of my way to own a bottle. Really, this Tommy Hilfiger cologne feels like a missed opportunity. I like the general idea of this fragrance, but feel the actual execution, was quite mishandled.

With a steep discount?  Fine. Full price? Pass.

Brit Rhythm for Men by Burberry

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I am a fan of Burberry fragrances for everyday wear, especially for the younger crowd, as this design firm makes affordable choices which smell very good and perform well for many different occasions. Today, I want to focus on Burberry Brit Rhythm for Men.

This is another addition to the great run of scents produced by Burberry, albeit one that might not enjoy very much esteem from niche fragrance collectors. In this post, I want to take a bit of a close look at Burberry Brit Rhythm and review its pros and cons.

Also check out: Best Smelling Burberry Fragrances for Men

What does Brit Rhythm for Men Smell Like?

burberry rhythm

Notes include: basil, verbena, cardamom, juniper berries, leather, tonka bean, incense

Click here to try: BURBERRY Brit Rhythm Men Eau De Toilette

My Full Wear Review

Brit Rhythm is a nice change of pace from many colognes that are geared more towards younger men. A lot of those types of scents are extremely sweet or fruity, which isn’t bad, but isn’t always what we want as guys to smell like.

This isn’t to say that Burberry Brit Rhythm is wholly unique, but it does deliver a beautiful scent best suited for autumn and the early spring months.

While I’m on the topic of its uniqueness, it does have similar qualities to fragrances such as Chanel Allure Homme Sport, Gucci Guilty, and Armani Code.

Again, those are all great scents but Rhythm is available for a much cheaper price in most cases. This is a cologne which screams value. Plus, it doesn’t completely mimic any one of them. Just shared characteristics.

It opens for me with the lead leather note, juniper berries, tonka, and verbena. It starts out sweet, but again, it never comes across as that sweet to my nose. The scent itself is masculine, with its leathery notes, but has an underlying energy which makes it both intriguing and attractive.

Its aroma is fresh with a touch of sweetness, though, rooted in a cedar woodsy base with patchouli thrown in. An energetic outdoorsy smell, thanks to a cedar note.

The dry down, is where it really transforms from that opening of tonka and juniper to more of a leather and patchouli blend with some tonka and herbal undertones. It’s all very fresh and quite wearable.

It has a drier aroma, coming from the base, but it maintains some level of creaminess or sweetness to it thanks to that tonka note. Which, at times has a powdered scent as well. But, that isn’t too prominent to my nose.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Rhythm projects itself well and doesn’t overwhelm your own senses or that of those around you. Not a bomb, but solid, and won’t go unnoticed. It’s above average, so no real complaints. It isn’t one to leave a huge scent trail behind, unless you went wild with the sprays.

It lasts fairly well also, I’d say 6-8 hours, which isn’t outstanding but works just fine for most guy’s purposes. With an inexpensive bottle, you’ll get your money’s worth.

It really depends on the day and the climate, as to what I get from Rhythm. Either way, those last few hours aren’t going to be strong.

It isn’t too heavy of a fragrance. So, you will be able to get use out of it beyond just late autumn and into winter. I wouldn’t be using it in the heat. Though, it the more moderate temperatures of spring, Rhythm works just fine.

This fragrance is also a versatile one which can be worn out, at work, school, or anywhere really which boosts it higher in my book.

Brit Rhythm is pleasant and attractive in a non-descript way. People really won’t know what it is, but it is a simple grab, that can get complements.

It doesn’t stray too immature or too serious. As far as age range goes, it casts a pretty wide net.

Overall Impressions of Brit Rhythm

If you are looking for an inexpensive scent that is fresh, masculine, and great for everyday wear then I would say Burberry Brit Rhythm is definitely a solid option.

Younger guys on a budget, could do a lot worse than this cologne, but this really is a good performer at this pricing point.

Though, I admittedly enjoy the original Brit more. If you’re a guy who wants something really unique or a bit more advanced, there is plenty else out there. However, this Burberry flanker is nothing to scoff at, and actually pretty darn good.

The leather, tonka, and woodiness are great together and give you plenty to enjoy. It’s not a cologne that screams for attention, but does a whole lot well. No major weaknesses, but not spectacular either.