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Versace Eros vs Eau Fraiche Cologne Comparison

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Versace has a whole line of wonderful smelling men’s colognes and two of the best selling fragrances in the world belong to the franchise, Eros and Versace Man Eau Fraiche. As such, many guys narrow their choice of what cologne to purchase to between these Versace gems.

How do they compare? Which one smells better? Which lasts longer? In this post, I want to compare these two scents and try to determine a clear winner or at least point to some deciding factors, that should help make a decision.

Tale of the Tape: Eau Fraiche vs. Eros

Versace Eros

Notes of Eros: mint, green apple, tonka bean, madagascar vanilla, vetiver

Read my Eros review

Shop Amazon for: Versace Eros Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Fluid Ounce

Versace Man Eau Fraiche 

Notes include: Lemon, Rosewood, Carambola, Cedar leaves, Tarragon, Sage, Musk, Amber, Sycamore

My original review

Click here to try: Versace Man Eau Fraiche By Gianni Versace For Men Edt Spray 3.4 Oz

Opening

The opening of Eros is rich and complex. It’s a gourmand type of scent that blends the crispness of mint and apple with the smooth flavors of tonka bean and vanilla.

Update: Newer bottles seem to have more lemon, then they used to. As such, the opening act has a more noticeable citrus kick.

Eau Fraiche is a very cool fragrance that opens with the scent of frozen citrus, you literally get a chilled scent. It’s quite sharp with lemon and starfruit. Add to that, some rosemary spice and the freshness of the woody base.

I think Eros has more character and is more interesting from the beginning, though I have no complaints about either. I do really like the starfruit aspect of Eau Fraiche, but I’d still give Eros the edge.

Update: Ehhh, coming back to these two. I am going to change it to Fraiche. Maybe it’s just me, but the balance of the newer Eros bottles seems off. The opening of Fraiche is sharp and fresh, but strikes me as a bit better now.

Edge: Fraiche

Projection

Neither of these bad boys is weak by any means. Eros is loud and heavy. Seriously, I wouldn’t ever overdo this scent. Eau Fraiche is no slouch and while not as strong as Eros it can still be a projection beast, at first.

Update: Eros has weakened somewhat, but is still ahead in this matchup. Eau Fraiche becomes more of a moderate, the further along you get into it. It’s sharpness up top, does project very well, though.

Edge: Eros

Longevity

Again, both are good performers. All day wear from both. Eros just doesn’t seem to quit sometimes, while Man Eau Fraiche, usually gets me 6-7 hours of solid wear before tapering off.

Update: Nowadays, I get in the 8-9 hour range with Eros. Not double digits anymore.

Edge: Eros

Versatility

To me, this is where the true decision lies between these two colognes. Eros is a cold weather fragrance and can be too much for casual situations (at least use it lightly).

Meanwhile, Eau Fraiche is a classic summetime scent, it can hold up during the rest of the year but it has that warm weather vibe to it. Plus, Eau Fraiche, is better for casual situations since it is not as heavy.

Eau Fraiche just has an easier time fitting in during a greater number of scenarios. Neither is a formal fragrance, however.

Edge: Eau Fraiche

Overall Scent

I like Eros better. I just find the warmth and complexity inherently appealing. However, Versace Man Eau Fraiche is probably more serviceable as an everyday wear. One is built for the winter while another shines in the summer.

They really are on two ends of the spectrum, so the best buy is up to your personal needs from the fragrance. I’d rather wear Eros out of these two. Even, with the slight changes I pick up from newer bottles of Eros, I still would gravitate toward that more often.

That being said, it’s much closer than it used to be and I’m very close to give Fraiche the win straight up. If I’m going to get a lemony opening from both, I like the pairing with starfruit from Fraiche.

The mint, vanilla, lemon blend used to be better. But, on the whole, Eros still has plenty going for it.

Winner: Eros (very slightly)

YSL Y vs L’Homme by YSL Cologne Comparison

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For this edition of the head to head fragrance match ups, we have two selections from Yves Saint Laurent’s men’s line, Y EDT vs. L’Homme EDT. Which of these colognes smells the best? The ever popular L’Homme or the more recent release from YSL? Which gives a better performance? Has more versatility? Is the better buy overall?

Tale of the Tape: L’Homme vs. Y EDT

Y EDT

Notes include: bergamot, ginger, aldehydes, violet leaf, geranium, sage, cedar, musk, incense, ambergris, fir

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Y Eau De Toilette Spray 100ml/3.3oz

Review: Y EDT

L’Homme

Notes include: Virginia Cedar, Ginger, Violet, Citron, White Pepper, Basil Flower, Ozone, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Vetiver

Click here to try: L’homme By Yves Saint Laurent Eau De Toilette Spray For Men 3.3 oz

Review: L’Homme by YSL

Opening

Y Eau de toilette, opens with a super clean, crisp, and cool aroma that is led by bergamot and aldehydes. The bergamot is light and gives that juicy citrus aroma, while the aldehydes act as a clean ray of sunshine, to brighten up the composition further.

Plus, an herbal/minty coolness. After that, you get ginger with violet leaf, and a warm ambergris.

L’Homme also has the bergamot opening but it is light and more well-blended with the surrounding notes than is Y.

The bergamot is paired with ginger and basil for a dash of spice and a creamy tonka bean note to help create a smoothly clean effect. Much like Y, there is an additional violet leaf note, that pops up.

That bergamot and ginger pairing is simply awesome together. There are lighter peppery spices in the mix, but it’s not overwhelming.

Which is better? These two fragrances do share plenty of overlap between them. However, I think the L’Homme smells better at the start of the wear.

I’ve always really enjoyed that aspect of this YSL cologne. Y isn’t bad, but it just doesn’t have the same blend of spice and sweetness that L’Homme achieves.

Edge: L’Homme

Projection

Y and L’Homme are both light fragrances. Neither has very much sillage. They both can start out fairly moderate but will quickly move into becoming skin scents whenever I wear them. No real edge in this one.

Update: Y EDT is more consistent with its projection and probably has better sillage than newer bottles of L’homme. So, I’m changing it.

Edge: Y EDT

Longevity

My biggest problem with YSL’s L’Homme was always the longevity. On my skin, I can only get it to last for 4-5 hours, and then its basically gone.

Y EDT isn’t much better, but it is slightly, clocking in at close to 7 hours. It’s like 6-7 hours almost every time, but not beyond that.

Update: Newer bottles of L’Homme are even worse. Y EDT is now much better than L’Homme.

Edge: Y 

Versatility

Both of these fragrances shine for moderate to warm weather in the springtime to early summer. However, they are kind of year round colognes, which aren’t unusable in any conditions really (outside of extreme heat and humidity, perhaps).

They are both used as casual or office wear scents, but not really ideal for the nightlife. They fill the same role, no clear winner.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

This is a tough comparison to do, because there isn’t a choice that is head and shoulders above the other. Y EDT is a very nice and light scent that is quite pleasant in its simplicity.

It has a balanced composition, smells really good, but isn’t all that interesting. It’s safe, but won’t really turn heads.

L’Homme, is the better smelling cologne of the two, even if it has worse longevity. I’ve always enjoyed the scent and wished that it was stronger, as the release of L’Homme Intense was quite different from the original, and not simply a beefed up version.

The performance of both leaves much to be desired. Both have similar strengths, yet Y lasts a tad longer as mostly a skin scent. L’Homme smells the best. I’m going to give the nod to L’Homme, even with its weaknesses, because I find it to be a better composition. It’s a very slight winner.

Frankly, I prefer Y EDP (Review) to either of these, as it smells better than EDT and has great performance.

Update: While L’homme smells better still. It’s performance is pretty terrible nowadays. As such, I’d go with Y EDT now out of these two. Y is a nice fragrance and some decent performance.

Winner: Y EDT

Venetian Bergamot by Tom Ford

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Continuing through my review of a whole lot of Tom Ford fragrances, we have a 2015 release, entitled: Venetian Bergamot. I want to take a closer look at this fragrance after I’ve been testing it out for a while. How does it smell? What are the notes? How does it perform? Is it worth a purchase?

What does Venetian Bergamot Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, pink pepper, black pepper, amber, sandalwood, tonka bean, ylang ylang, ginger, magnolia, gardenia, cedar

Click here to try: TOM Ford Private Blend Venetian Bergamot EDP Spray 3.4 Oz / 100 Ml Sealed

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Venetian Bergamot obviously features that familiar citrus bergamot opening, but this one definitely doesn’t take the familiar route with it. Not only is there a spice to the aroma, there are also floral notes, which create something that is quite unique.

However, even with the other elements being involved from the jump, it is still mostly the juicy and somewhat sour citrus smell with sandalwood peaking through. The start is much more of a tropical scent than what you get during the rest of the wear and I find it really enjoyable.

As it dries down further, Venetian Bergamot, becomes less of a bergamot scent and the floral notes being to take over the composition.

This is mainly gardenia with some ylang ylang. So, at this point it is the floral notes, pink and black pepper, sandalwood, and a fading bergamot. It is smooth and creamy with bright elements that really perk up the senses.

I think that the most interesting aspect of this Tom Ford fragrance is the spicy notes in here. They aren’t heavy spices however, the white ginger is a nice addition to the warm pink pepper, and the hint of sharp black pepper sprinkled throughout.

This is what keeps the fragrance in the unisex category, even as the white floral notes pull it toward the feminine side of things.

What I ultimately get from Venetian Bergamot when all is said and done is, a gardenia/ylang ylang combo sitting on top of sandalwood and cedar, with a mix of bergamot and spices floating around this core composition.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise it’ll be in the 3-6 foot range. The sillage of this one is pretty moderate, and works down into something light and close to the skin. So, the first 3-4 hours, it will be a moderate scent. Then for the rest of the time, VB is much more of a skin scent.

It does last in the 7-8 hour range on my skin, so the longevity ain’t too shabby. For a lot of that wear, it’ll be the woods with some light floral touches. The bergamot doesn’t completely last all that time, but the blend is fairly creamy and has a clean soapy quality.

Seasonally, Venetian Bergamot is one for the spring and summer months. Between the citrus and floral notes, it begs to be worn in the warm weather. As I said, it is unisex that leans more towards the feminine side of things, but this is still completely safe to wear for men.

It’s classy and has an expensive air about it. Not really a sexy fragrance but one that smells nice and can be worn in dressy casual or more upscale scenarios. It is completely office safe.

This one is better worn when dressed up or for at least more semi-formal occasions during the spring and summer.

Overall Impressions of Venetian Bergamot

Overall, do I like Venetian Bergamot? I do like it. It is a bit too floral for my taste and I wish it stayed closer to what it is at the opening, rather than, drying down to gardenia, ylang ylang, and magnolia.

That being said, it is still a very nice perfume, that has a unique scent and decent performance.

I do like the bergamot, ginger, and spiciness of that opening. With the name, I was expecting to get more of a pure bergamot, but it ends up with a greater use of the gardenia. That’s fine, just not what I was expecting when I first tried Venetian Bergamot.

It’s by no means a beast in terms of its performance, so at this price point it might be a pass. Though, it isn’t entirely terrible either. Value is okay, but that’s your call.

However, if you’re looking for a citrus or floral fragrance and want to try something different, Venetian Bergamot is worthy of consideration. It’s not one of the top tier Tom Ford perfumes, but it’s in the upper half or even third, for sure.

Prada L’Homme Intense EDP

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So, today I have another entry from the Prada line of men’s fragrances, and one of the flankers to the original Prada L’Homme: Prada L’Homme Intense. In this post, I am going to cover what’s in it, how it smells, when it should be worn, how long it lasts, and if it is even worth a buy?

What does L’Homme Intense by Prada Smell Like?

Notes included: amber, leather, tonka bean, iris, sandalwood, patchouli

Click here to try: Prada L’homme Intense Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

Prada L’homme Intense starts off with that familiar iris note, with its powdery aroma, and a warm amber plus smoothly rich leather. It’s very nice and has a noticeable darker profile than does the original L’Homme.

This scent is clean, warm, and sweet with the inclusion of a roasted tonka bean note for good measure. I like how dry the composition is and how the amber sort of soaks the iris.

Further along in the wear, we get to hit a base of sandalwood and patchouli. I really appreciate how subtle these later notes are and how they simply enhance the overall vibe of an already fantastic smelling cologne.

It’s really at this time, that I am reminded of Dior Homme and Dior Homme Eau, as L’Homme Intense fits right in line with that series. However, this is stronger on the iris and doesn’t have the leather to the same extent, nor any cacao. The overlap isn’t too extreme.

What it ultimately dries down to is an incredibly rich blend of mainly the iris and tonka bean. It’s so classy and smooth, with the leather and amber, being the next most powerful notes.

Though, I’d put the amber at number three. From here, it is pretty linear, and doesn’t develop much beyond this.

The powdery iris and the mix of woods, sweet notes, and leather are truly fantastic together. Not a super complicated fragrance in its development, but is definitely enjoyable throughout.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I find the sillage to be on the upper end of moderate. It’s not a heavy scent, but it projects well, just not crazy so. The performance is very good, regardless, and you or other people will notice this juice on you.

The longevity for me hits around 9 hours, which is great for just about any purposes. Not exactly top tier level, that goes on for seemingly ever, but this Prada isn’t going to disappoint. Truly, for most purpose Intense is going to work perfectly.

Seasonally, L’Homme Intense strikes me as a cold weather scent, with the ability to be worn in more moderate temperatures. I do feel it is a bit more limited than the original L’Homme, in this regard, but if you want to wear it at its absolute best, is should be colder.

This Prada cologne, does have a more mature profile, which isn’t to say that younger guys cannot wear it. However, it’s one that works extremely well dressed up, or out for an evening on the town. It is fresh and elegant and doesn’t have any of the overly youthful sweetness.

It is an excellent choice for men in their mid-20s and above, is completely safe for work, while being completely attractive enough for dates.

Overall Impressions of L’Homme Intense

Overall do I like Prada L’Homme Intense? I think it is an amazing fragrance. It’s got enough similarities to the original to be familiar, while also adding new elements, to stand on its own.

It does occupy that same sort of space that the Dior Homme’s of the world do, which might prevent me from getting a full bottle in the near future.

Though, since Dior has reformulated Dior Homme in 2020, maybe this would be a nice alternative.

This Prada is a clean, classy scent and the iris note is simply great. It’s not one to get, if you don’t really enjoy floral or powdery fragrances. The leather and patchouli rough it up and masculinize it, but there is a very good balance at play here.

But, I really have no negative things to say about Intense. I enjoyed wearing it thoroughly. This is an elegant scent, that performs well, and will appeal to a wide variety of people. Yes, there is plenty of overlap here, but still an outstanding scent to put on.

L’Homme Parfum Intense by Yves Saint Laurent

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I just got a hold of something like 40 new sample vials of fragrances for both men and women…sooooo I’ll be getting to a lot of reviews on the site here in the near future. First up to the plate, is a scent by Yves Saint Laurent that I have yet to try, L’Homme Parfum Intense.

Being a pretty big fan of YSL colognes, I knew that I had to grab this one and try it out. As usual, I’m going to cover what’s in it, how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not I think this scent is worth a buy.

What does L’Homme Parfum Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: cedar, orange blossom, suede accord, lemon, bergamot, amber, black pepper

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent L’homme Parfum Intense Men Edp Spray 3.4 OZ

My Full Wear Review

It has been a while since I’ve worn the original L’Homme, so,  I was interested to see how this one stacked up versus that one, even if my memories of it are kind of hazy. Right off the bat, I’m drawn to Parfum Intense, as I usually dig amber scented fragrances.

It’s dark, spicy, and floral. Don’t let the orange blossom fool you, because this cologne definitely isn’t girly, in the slightest. Maybe unisex, however.

It opens with a bright citrus blend of lemon, orange, and of course orange blossom. There is a spiciness from pepper and it’s all swimming in a warm/sweet amber note.

A few minutes in, I really get the orange blossom as the main note, taking over for the lemon combination. The scent is very floral with an increasingly smooth profile.

I think it might be the suede/leather that is combining with the orange blossom, to give it that soft powdery scent, that illuminates the background.

To the best of my recollection, Parfum Intense almost inverses the order of some of the notes and let’s the cedar become more prominent yet retains that beautiful citrus note that adds almost a boozy quality to it.

I was trying to figure out why I was into this cologne so much when I sprayed, then I went and grabbed some of my Armani Code Profumo, and found my answer.

Leather, amber, and orange blossom are the common notes between these two scents, although the Armani is highlighted by tonka bean. That tonka bean, does really help to set them apart and creates a vastly different effect. Sweeter, heavier.

L’Homme Parfum Intense is so smooth, rich, and warm. It’s a sweet floral that’s backed by wood and masculine notes that give it a fully developed identity.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it can be towards the strong side, if you over-spray it. But for most guys, one or two spray should be enough to make it more than noticeable. It’s not a bomb, but it can be a handful up top.

My one complaint, is the longevity, which is decent but not a complete beast. I wore this out to a bar with an outdoor patio area and while it was still there after 5-6 hours of wear, it had become mostly a skin scent.

Other times that I’ve tested Parfum Intense, it performed basically in the same manner. By that fifth hour, it is mostly on its last legs, and not really going to go beyond that.

This is another gem for the colder weather months, but I wore it that evening in mid-70s degree weather and it seemed fine to me. I wouldn’t wear it when it’s hot outside because it’d probably turn to complete shit, but it worked for this particular summer night.

Parfum Intense, seems like it’s cologne with some versatility in terms of its wear. Office, casual, or on a date and this stuff will shine. It’s quite attractive and sexy.

It’s not a cologne for every guy, as not everyone is into such a heavy amber and orange blossom note being present, in their scents. That being said, it will set you apart from the masses, and the endless array of ‘blue’ colognes nowadays.

Overall Impression of L’Homme Parfum Intense

Overall, would I recommend this? Absolutely. I actually like it better than the La Nuit L’Intense flanker sample that I also got (which is good) and I also think that I prefer it over La Nuit L’Homme Eau Electrique, which I enjoyed thoroughly.

This is a really great flanker fragrance to the original. It’s got a rather unique scent and is a fantastic use of floral notes in a men’s fragrance. Again, it’s best for the autumn or winter months, but I do really like it.

The amber, orange blossom, with a dark and spiced edge gives you something a bit different for a men’s cologne. I wish the performance was a tad better, but this is a really nice example of a floral scent for guys.

YSL even seems to have taken some cues from this one, with their more recent ladies’ release, Libre Intense. This one doesn’t seem to be around anymore, but Parfum Intense was a nice fragrance. Had its limitations, sure, but was different from most other men’s options.