By Designer

Gucci Guilty EDT vs. Parfum

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Gucci keeps coming out with new versions of their Guilty line. Some, are wildly different from the originals. While others, share a pretty similar overall vibe. Guilty Pour Homme Parfum, falls in that latter category. So, with that being the case, how does Parfum compare to the original EDT? Which lasts longer? Smells better?

Tale of the Tape: Guilty EDT vs Parfum?

Gucci Guilty

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

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

Read my original review: Gucci Guilty

Guilty Parfum

Notes include: juniper, orange flower, cistus, lavender, nutmeg, lemon, patchouli, musk

Click here to try: Guilty Pour Homme Parfum by Gucci (Macy’s)

Opening

Gucci Guilty opens up with a blend of lemon, pink pepper, and lavender. It’s a light, warm, and calming fragrance with added base notes of cedar and patchouli.

While it feels basic, it’s actually fairly unique in how it comes across when compared to other scents. At least when compared with non-Guilty fragrances.

With Guilty Parfum, you get a fresh and aromatic fragrance early on. The lemon is more peel than juicy fruit. It has a colder and woodsier feeling versus EDT. The juniper and nutmeg, really are pretty dominant at the opening stages, on my skin.

Which is better? I like EDT. It’s quite nice to smell. Straightforward and attractive.

But, I prefer the opening of Parfum more so. It’s a better mix, with some more depth, and a different profile. Plus, I like that juniper and nutmeg blend.

Edge: Parfum

Projection

Comparing an EDT to a Parfum, it’s pretty clear that the latter should have the greater sillage, just based on the perfume concentration. Parfum, for sure does. But, it isn’t a total beast, however.

Guilty EDT is moderate for the first few hours of the wear. Then, it will be pretty light and airy for the rest of the way. Not a huge performer, but it generally stays above skin scent level right up until the end.

With Guilty Parfum, it hits the upper end of the moderate range. Not massive, but it will project itself 4-6 feet for a while. Then, it too will begin to lighten up after a few hours. Still, it maintains more than Guilty and reaches a higher high.

Edge: Parfum

Longevity

Guilty EDT isn’t a workhorse. Anytime that I’ve used it, I’ve only gotten 5-6 hours of wear from it. It’s pretty average and doesn’t simply disappear. But, it’s not something that keeps going.

Is Parfum better? Yes, but it’s longevity is in the 7-8 hour range. Solid, but it also isn’t a complete performer. 7-8 hours is good and about what I would expect with something like this.

Parfum has the clear edge here. 

Edge: Parfum

Versatility

Both of these are extremely versatile. They can be worn nearly year round…accepting the hottest and coldest days. Both are great daytime wears, with the ability to handle the nightlife. 

These two Guilty fragrances are kind of no-brainers. Not the most formal occasions, but fit in fairly well most other places.

But, I think that Parfum has more maturity in comparison. Older guys can enjoy it, as well as younger ones, who are more the target audience for EDT. Very easy to wear, either way, but Parfum gets the nod.

Edge: Parfum

 

Overall Scent

Gucci Guilty EDT has always been something that I liked, but never really had much attraction to wear. I’ve always preferred its flankers.

It is a simple and clean fragrance, that is a good go to for a wide variety of situations. The main focus is simple and are the lemon, lavender, and pink pepper note.

It has a slight woody/earthiness to the aroma, but also some nice floral sweetness. By no means a bad one, just nothing that jumps out.

Guilty Pour Homme Parfum? It’s a very good scent. Not a complete classic, but one that I’ve enjoyed wearing in this short time since its release. It’s just an across the board better cologne than the original EDT.

It has similarities to Guilty Intense, but even feels like an improvement upon that. You get balance between citrus, freshness, floral notes, and woodsiness in the dry down. I just like wearing it more so than the original. Plus, better performance.

It’s a clean sweep for Parfum.

Winner: Parfum

Light Blue Pour Homme vs. Forever

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Light Blue has spawned a ton of different flankers, seemingly every year for a long time now. The latest, is the blue-bottled Light Blue Forever, that gained a lot of popularity since its release. Though, how does it compare to the original? Which lasts longer? Smells better? Should you buy?

Tale of The Tape: Light Blue Pour Homme vs. Forever

Light Blue

Notes include: bergamot, grapefruit, mandarin orange, pepper, oak moss, juniper, musk, rosemary, rosewood, incense

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 6.7 Ounce

My review: Light Blue

Light Blue Forever

Notes include: grapefruit, violet leaf, white musk, vetiver, ozonic accord

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Forever for Men by Dolce & Gabbana Eau De Parfum,3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review: Light Blue Forever

Opening

Light Blue starts off with its citrus fruits led by bergamot and grapefruit, with a bit of mandarin orange. It is super bright and summery, with a spicy pepper note, and an herbal aroma of rosemary.

After 10 minutes, the citrus is bolstered by some base notes, of incense and rosewood. This gives the scent a touch of smoky wood, lingering in the background.

Light Blue Forever also starts with a grapefruit note. But, it is the sole focus of this scent, and isn’t splitting duties between citrus fruits as the original does. It also smells more realistic and has a very fresh crispness to it.

Beneath that, is a blue-green ozonic accord that adds a watery freshness, and the ever-increasing violet leaf.

Which is better? Forever. If you’re going to make one note the focus, you’d better do it well. D&G definitely nailed the grapefruit experience and it is just more enjoyable early on.

Edge: Forever

Projection

I’d call both of these fragrances moderate, at their peak. With Forever, you get that bold grapefruit burst initially, which does project itself quite well. But, after that it will become lighter, and will be very light for much of the wear.

With Light Blue, it’s moderate also, but I’d call it more consistent with its sillage. It does also get lighter, but holds on to the middle for a few more hours.

Edge: Light Blue

Longevity

With longevity, I have gotten 6-8 hours with the original Light Blue in the past. Newer bottles seem to be on the lower end of the spectrum. Not too bad considering what you get with many long-running popular colognes.

With Light Blue Forever, it gets me just over 7 hours of wear, even with that lighter kind of strength level. Again, pretty good for a super citrusy fragrance.

I might have given the edge, to the original with older bottles. But, I’ll call it a tie with today’s offerings.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Both of these fragrances are at their peak in the summertime. Also, can venture into the spring, but really great on the warmer days. I think that Forever actually has more refinement, than the original, and that’s really the separation between them.

Not that it’s a formal cologne, by any means, but it can go better into semi-formal situations. It isn’t a massive difference, with when they can be worn, but a slight edge to Forever.

Edge: Forever

Overall Scent

I do enjoy Light Blue quite a bit. It isn’t my favorite, by any means, but it is so easy to wear and has plenty going for it. It’s clean, fresh, and a great first buy for many guys just starting out with fragrances. It gives you a decent performance for the price.

It’s got a drier, spicier aroma than the more green/ozonic qualities of Forever, that some men may prefer.

With Forever, I really do like that opening act with the grapefruit note. After that, it becomes a greener and woodsier scent and the grapefruit becomes just another part of the composition.

Violet leaf and vetiver with some musk…once you get past the grapefruit, I don’t really lover it.

It smells fine, at that point, but is pretty weak with its sillage. I don’t hate it, but once the opening fades, the appeal is gone for me.

The opening alone might have me recommend it over the original. As a whole, I’m kind of torn between the two. I think the original is still more enjoyable overall. It feels more dynamic and has a better ability to stick around with some power.

So, I guess the nod goes to Light Blue, over the newer Forever. But, it’s pretty equal. Forever has a higher high, but it’s short-lived.

Winner: Light Blue

Polo Ultra Blue by Ralph Lauren

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So, I’m back again with another review of one of the newer Ralph Lauren releases, this one a flanker from the Polo Blue line of scents: Ultra Blue. This one came out in 2018, but how does it stack up? Is this flanker a worthy release? What does it smell like? How long does it last?

What does Polo Ultra Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, salt, amber, bergamot, basil, verbena, sage, juniper

Click here to try: Ralph Lauren Polo Ultra Blue 2.5 Fluid ounce Eau De Toilette

My Full Wear Review

Ultra Blue opens up with a mix of citrus and salt. There are two types of lemon in this one and a salty note that reminds one of an ocean breeze. Yes, this one is an aquatic, but not overly marine in nature, but quite fresh.

It’s actually pretty close to Polo Blue EDP, while maintaining its own character. This is lighter, less spicy, and more citrus/salty.

The melon and cucumber of the original EDT are absent here, which is a nice change of pace if you’re coming off of wearing that one a lot. The opening act of the citrus is really nice. Pretty familiar with other non-Polo fragrances, which do the same thing.

However, for what this is, I find it enjoyable enough. The light marine/aquatic elements are a nice tough, without going overboard into the realm of the oceanic.

Ultra Blue is much lighter than either of the other three Polo Blue colognes. It also strikes me as having a pretty simple and linear aroma. There is some change after the opening, but it’s not a big one, in my opinion.

I pick up on some spicy herbal notes like the sage and basil, which tones down the saltiness of the composition. Even then, nothing that is so powerful to be readily noticeable, unless you’re paying attention.

For the dry down, I get lots of citrus, a mix of salt and amber (sort of like a Creed fragrance would, but more on par with Tommy Bahama), and then the herbal undertones. It’s a nice citrusy clean with limited aquatic elements and a nice spice.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Ultra Blue is weak. I mean, it’s decent for about an hour or so, and then it sticks close to the skin…really close. You’ll have to go heavier with the sprays, to get good use out of it.

While I’m not in love with the scent itself, if it had a bit more power, Ultra Blue would be something that I really wouldn’t mind wearing fairly often during the summer months.

However, the longevity actually isn’t bad. Not great, but not as bad as the sillage. I get about 6 or so hours with it on my skin, in that very light state. With double sprays, you might be able to pull off longer.

I thought that it might quit really early, after I tested it out for the first time. But, it did keep chugging along in that airy/skin scent form.

Seasonally, an obvious candidate for spring/summer, with a nod to summertime in particular. The citrus, the salty ‘sea air’ quality at the start, just screams warm weather. Though, it’s so light, that it could be worn at other times without issue.

Ultra Blue is a casual fragrance or a light office scent for the daytime. I don’t think that it is loud enough or really ‘sexy’ enough to be a club cologne.

Overall Impressions of Ultra Blue

Overall, do I like Ultra Blue? I do enjoy the smell, it’s not amazing, but the aroma is good. It is similar to Polo Blue EDP, but has enough differences to set it apart.

What I don’t like, is the very weak sillage, but that can be somewhat overcome with a greater number of sprays. It turns into a skin scent much to quickly. Though, it hangs around for a decent amount of time.

It’s a nice freshy cologne for the summer months and wouldn’t be a bad buy, at the right price. I definitely wouldn’t pay retail for Ultra, if I could help it. But, for under $40 for a full size…it could be worth it, depending on your situation.

A decent effort from Ralph Lauren, but far from perfect. Edit: Now that they’ve released Polo Deep Blue, I’d go with that or EDP. Ultra Blue seems pretty pointless to have, unless its super cheap

Allure Homme Sport by Chanel

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Chanel’s men’s lineup of fragrances has a lot of great selections. One of the main titles, other than the popular Bleu line, is Allure. Particularly, the Allure Homme Sport releases. The first of which was released back in 2004.

I grabbed samples of this one last year to give an updated review of how things currently stand with Allure Homme Sport. How does it smell? Does it have good performance? Is it worth a buy?

What does Allure Homme Sport Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, musk, tonka bean, cedar, sea notes, aldehydes, vanilla, pepper

Click here to try: Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 5 oz

My Full Review

Allure Homme Sport starts off with a very nice and rather unique blend of freshness and sweetness. At one end, you have the citrus of the mandarin orange and infused sea notes. On the other end, is the vanilla and tonka bean providing a sweet creaminess.

The mandarin is really great here. Not super heavy, but it gives you that nice juiciness out of the gate.

All of that is tied together by the inclusion of aldehydes which gives Allure Sport a cold air quality to it. That really helps to give Sport that distinct Chanel style. However, the vanilla and tonka bean will play a larger role later on. At first, it’s more of a supporting role and other notes play their part.

That freshness is enhanced by the cedar and pepper note. The pepper is pretty noticeable early on, but it is probably the first note that fades away in the composition.

As it moves along, the marine notes will recede also. Vanilla, cedar, musk, tonka bean, and some mandarin/neroli will pretty much jockey for control throughout the rest of the way. Musk becomes stronger as the aldehydes weaken.

The floral neroli note will take over for the juicier mandarin citrus aroma, that is found at the top. Allure Homme Sport takes on a creamier/muskier finish towards the end. The vanilla and tonka bean really stand out on my skin.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it is a pretty light to moderate fragrance throughout the wear. You do get a nice initial ability to project itself fairly far. However, that will change into a more personal scent bubble, and ultimately sitting close to the skin.

Not terrible, but not exactly a powerhouse.

With this batch from 2020, I get about 5-6 hours of wear from Allure Homme Sport. With older bottles, it was probably closer to 7-8, at least for me. Never was one that would be going on and on, but it used to bring more to the table.

Update: Here years later, I’ve tried this one once again, and I’m still getting the same five or six hours of wear. So, it hasn’t completely fallen off of a cliff since 2020.

Seasonally, I’ve worn this one year round without much issue. Though, it’s best in moderate to warmer temperatures. It can come across as a bit too fresh in the depths of winter. But, I like it in autumn and late spring.

A great feature of Allure Homme Sport is just how versatile it really is. It isn’t just a ‘sporty’ cologne. In fact, it might not even conjure up that kind of imagery for people. It can be worn as a daily wear, in semi-formal scenarios, just around town, and even venture into the nightlife if necessary.

Now, I’d probably wear something else as a nighttime cologne, but this one is up for the job.

It can also be worn by men of all ages. It’s well put together, but not stuffy. Dynamic, but not too youthful. Great balance.

Overall Impressions of Allure Homme Sport

Overall, do I like Allure Homme Sport? Yes, I really love the way that this Chanel smells still. The play between the citrus, aldehydes, vanilla, and marine notes is fantastic. It’s a bit simpler than Eau Extreme, but it works and the dry down is awesome.

From a smell and versatility perspective, Allure Sport can have a place in almost any man’s rotation. The problem comes with the merely okay performance nowadays. It isn’t entirely worthless, but Eau Extreme exists, and gives you a bit more power and longevity.

As such, I’d go with that version if I wanted to buy from the Allure line. Update: Coming back to both of them, I did go with Eau Extreme, when I bought a full bottle. I came close to going with Allure Sport, but the performance just doesn’t do it for me. Still a very likeable fragrance with some really great moments.

This is still nice and sometimes I actually prefer the smell to Allure Sport of its flanker.

Allure Homme Sport is a classic. It’s a solid buy, but not a necessary one, when you can get Extreme instead.

L’Homme Le Parfum by YSL

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L’Homme has become a long running and popular series of men’s fragrances for Yves Saint Laurent. In 2020, they released a Le Parfum version of this scent, and I’ve been recently testing it out to give it a full review on here. What does it smell like? Does it have good performance? Is L’Homme Le Parfum worth a buy?

What does L’Homme Le Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, cardamom, cedar, vetiver, amberwood, basil, violet leaf

Click here to try: L’homme Le Parfum by Yves Saint Laurent Eau De Parfum Spray 2 oz Men

My Full Review

The opening of L’Homme Le Parfum really matches the color of the juice. This is a very modern blue-ish fragrance. You can tell the original L’Homme’s DNA is here. But, it is infused with elements of other YSL colognes.

L’Homme Ultime and Libre, come to mind. Those aren’t made anymore, but when it is all blended together, the opening gives off strong Y EDP vibes also. So, it becomes the original L’Homme blended with Y EDP.

The opening act features a strong blend of citrus and the basil. That basil note is what L’Homme Libre was built around and along with the violet leaf brings me flashes of that scent, within Le Parfum.

The basil, lemony spicy cardamom, and actual lemon are all sitting on top of the fresh and dry cedar wood and that synthetic amberwood aroma. The amberwood really steers the blue-ish feeling of this fragrance, like other modern colognes which pair that with citrus.

Unlike Libre, Le Parfum’s basil freshness is tampered down by the sweet spiciness of the cardamom note. Which gives it those L’Homme Ultime vibes, with the geranium. Strip out the sage and apple of Y EDP and Le Parfum is a good approximation, in its early stages.

This fragrance starts out leaning more towards the fresh end of the spectrum, with a solid amount of sweetness. However, in the dry down that flips and Le Parfum becomes sweeter than the other releases that I’ve mentioned.

It’s a woody sweetness with that fresh and hefty dose of geranium in the middle. It ends up being smoother and sweeter in the end, versus the somewhat sharp and synthetic opening act.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

I really appreciate the performance of Le Parfum. I have a recent bottle of L’homme and the sillage and longevity are terrible. With Le Parfum, YSL changes course and delivers something much more substantial.

Early on the sillage is strong. Not a bomb, but one that could easily be over-sprayed. That phase will last 30 minutes or so. After that, Le Parfum fall much more in the moderate camp with its projection. It’s a good deal.

The performance here is also solid. It isn’t elite in regards to how long it lasts, either. But, I’ve been getting around 8 hours of wear on my skin.

So, it will deliver what you will need for most purposes and circumstances. Better than almost any other release in this series (it might actually be, but I can’t think of any which exceed it, off of the top of my head).

Seasonally, I’d wear this in the moderate to warmer temperatures of early autumn, the whole of spring, and much of the summer months. It’s a bit too sharp for the cold and probably wouldn’t hold up all that well in the extreme heat and humidity.

Plenty of use, though.

I don’t consider this to be a formal wear. It’s office safe, if you don’t overdo it. However, I’d prefer to wear this out on the town or casually day to day. Think more of evenings in the spring and summer months.

Can easily be worn be any age group. It might be too sweet for some guys, however. That blue-ish ambroxan mix can be a turn off for some and you get plenty of it with Le Parfum.

Overall Impressions of L’Homme Le Parfum

I like it. It has enough of the DNA of the original and blends it with other releases. Not my favorite by any means, but it can do a nice job of replacing L’Homme, which now has atrocious performance.

I like the basil touches, cardamom, and the cedar freshness. Very easy to wear and versatile. A true ‘blue’ cologne with plenty of ambroxan in the base. It is very much an amalgam of other fragrances from this brand, so if you’ve tried any of the one’s that I’ve mentioned, you basically know what this one is like.

I enjoyed wearing it during testing, but it still wasn’t something that I’d personally want a full bottle of. L’Homme Le Parfum does everything well enough and be a solid addition to someone’s rotation.