By Designer

Invictus Aqua vs. Light Blue Eau Intense

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For this head to head comparison post, we are going to take a closer look at two popular citrus aquatic fragrances, for the summertime. In one corner, we have Invictus Aqua. Versus, Light Blue Eau Intense, in the other. Which of these marine accord-laden scents, smells the best? Has the better sillage? Longevity? Which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Invictus Aqua vs Eau Intense

Light Blue Eau Intense

Notes include: mandarin, frozen grapefruit, juniper, aquatic accord, amber woods, musk

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Intense Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 1.6 Ounce

My review: Light Blue Eau Intense

Invictus Aqua EDT

Notes include: yuzu, pink pepper, guaiac wood, marine notes, violet leaf, ambergris, grapefruit

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Aqua Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read my review: Invictus Aqua

Opening

Invictus Aqua starts off with its salty marine notes, with a strong blend of yuzu and grapefruit. It’s fresh, clean with that saltiness, and has a bit of pink pepper in it as well. I like the way that Aqua begins, the yuzu is awesome, when combined with the aquatic notes.

Light Blue Eau Intense also starts with grapefruit, but it’s ‘frozen’, and paired with mandarin orange. I think that it’s got a colder quality, less saltiness in the aquatic accord, and the juniper note comes in and adds a nice touch.

Which is better? It’s a pretty close call for me, but I like Eau Intense more here. The crispness, the freshness, and the aquatic accord is all slightly better than in Invictus Aqua.

Edge: Eau Intense

Projection

Both of these colognes are pretty moderate in the sillage. They both start off with a somewhat strong ability to project themselves to the surrounding area. Then, they taper off within a few hours, to something much more subdued…but not weak.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Light Blue Eau Intense lasts about 9 hours on my skin. Invictus Aqua will usually do about 8. However, Aqua has the ability to hit over 10 hours, on occasion. It kind of depends on the climate and my skin, that day.  The Paco Rabanne is a bit better or at least has that ability.

Edge: Aqua (slightly)

Versatility

Both of these fragrances are quite versatile. They really both shine in the warmer months of the year, as the aquatic aroma, truly works in the heat. However, you could wear either year round, if you wanted.

They can be worn casual or at work or for an evening out. I wouldn’t classify either as a nightlife scent, though. There’s no real separation in this category.

Edge: Push

 

 

Overall Scent

Invictus Aqua is a really nice scent, which I enjoy wearing, for the first few hours. Then, the dry down gets worse and worse to my nose, until I end up not liking it. That citrus and marine combination is great.

It gives Eau Intense a run for its money. But then, it gets an infusion of wood (which is decent). Finally, it dries down to pretty much just to the sea water note…which isn’t too attractive, when it is by itself.

The opening act is great, the performance is great, but a lot of the wear isn’t.

Light Blue Eau Intense, to me, has a slightly better opening. It also has about equal performance to Invictus Aqua. Most importantly, it stays great throughout.

It has quickly become one of my favorite aquatic fragrances, out on the market. Eau Intense is smooth, clean, and its drydown with juniper and amberwood holds the thing together.

For the first few hours, it’s a close call. After that, the D&G owns this contest. Another option, may be to try Light Blue Sun. It’s kind of a midway point between Eau Intense and the original Light Blue. Good for those who think Eau Intense comes on too strong.

Winner: Eau Intense

Nautica Blue by Nautica

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Here in my latest installment of fragrance reviews, I’m going to take a closer look at Nautica Blue. This scent is in the lower end in terms of price for men’s colognes. It was released in 2005 by Nautica and has been one of the best selling ‘cheapies’ on the market since.

There can be some good deals and great finds at really affordable  prices. Is Blue actually one of them? What are the notes? What does it smell like? How long does it last? Read below for my take. Also see: Nautica Voyage N-83 Review and Nautica Blue vs. Nautica Voyage Comparison

What does Nautica Blue Smell Like?

nblue

Notes include: Musk, cedar, bergamot, sandalwood, peach, pineapple, water lily, jasmine

Click here to try: Nautica Blue Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 fluid ounce

My Full Wear Review

Nautica Blue contains fruit notes such as bergamot, peach, and pineapple. However, I wouldn’t classify it as a fruity fragrance at all. It’s more along the lines of an aquatic/woody scent and the fruit notes add a layer of freshness to it.

While they don’t smell the same at all, I am reminded of Polo Sport when I try out Nautica Blue, as they share the cedar, musk, sandalwood, and bergamot notes. It’s that same clean type of marine aroma you would get from Polo Sport but the Polo fragrance is way better, in my opinion.

The opening of Nautica Blue can actually be quite harsh, with the newest formulations on the market, the start of this scent has a sharp detergent-like smell. This really wasn’t as prominent with older bottles or maybe my memory of those is clouded.

Either way, the bergamot and pineapple, are super sharp at the top. Then, the cedar and heavier musk come in and give it that laundry sort of smell.

As it dries down, the sharpness is muted somewhat by the woody notes like the cedar and sandalwood. The musk also falls back and the floral notes become much more prominent for the rest of the wear.

Water lily and jasmine are the flowery ingredients, which go together with the pineapple and citrus bergamot, as the main attractions once this has had time to settle on the skin.

To describe this cologne I would use the words fresh, crisp, clean, soapy, aquatic. It’s a very safe and straightforward fragrance that won’t surprise you with anything unique but it won’t overwhelm you either.

I do find the cologne somewhat attractive, it is pretty basic however, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing for the price you’d pay for a bottle.

I really don’t like the opening, in these newer bottles, it’s way too sharp for my nose but it does quiet down a lot.

In some ways, this is a victim of some re-formulation. It’s been around for decades now, so, it was bound to happen. But, I do think that the quality has slipped, on the newer bottles.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

It’s projection is fairly moderate and definitely seems to have a short half life. So, it’ll go from a moderate opening to a lighter dry down.  Nautica Blue is usually going to last anywhere between 2-5 hours, depending on the circumstances in which you wear it.

Not a great longevity by any means but at this price point, one could afford to respray it as needed. At this roughly $15-25 price range, you’re not going to get too many scents that both smell great and last for a long time, it just what it is.

However, this isn’t terrible in terms of performance.

Seasonally, this works best in the warmer months of the year. It’s a nice refresher on summer days, as it can take the heat, and actually still smell like its supposed to. It holds up for the rest of the year, also, it just is at its best when the weather is hot.

I’d call this a casual fragrance. It’s safe and not overwhelming. Nautica Blue is a solid starter cologne for the younger guys out there. So, high school through college. Or just someone who needs an inexpensive and clean scent to spray on certain days.

That sharply fresh and soapy sort of scent, isn’t one that screams out, ‘romantic wear’ or nightlife fragrance. It’s a basic freshie, that can be had for super cheap.

Overall Impressions of Nautica Blue

Overall, I’d say it’s a decent buy, but nothing that will blow you away. It’s a good way to smell fresh during the warmer months of the year and could be a solid option for a guy on a tight budget.

I prefer Nautica Voyage over this. However, you might prefer Blue between those two. That’s usually not the case, for most people, though.

I think that this is still one of the best smelling Nautica colognes, but rather middling versus other brands in this price range.

That’s not too big of an accomplishment, as the brand has put out a lot of duds over the years. This one is still okay versus the rest of the competition at this price. It was better than it’s current form, at one time.

Fresh, simple, and you know what you’re getting out of it.

Angel Men Pure Havane by Thierry Mugler

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It’s been a while since I’ve done a review of a Thierry Mugler cologne on the site. The last time being, B*Men, which I actually grew to enjoy quite a bit after my initial mixed reaction. I recently received another sample with one of my cologne orders, and it’s one of the flanker fragrances of the Angel Men (A*Men) series, Pure Havane.

While I’ve smelled this cologne before, I was wanting to give Pure Havane a longer try, and see exactly how it smells, performs, and whether or not it is worth a purchase. In this post, I will share my thoughts of my experience with this fragrance and try to flesh out a bit as to what this tobacco based juice is all about.

What Does Pure Havane Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco leaves, honeyed tobacco, patchouli, and bitter cocoa

Click here to try: Thierry Mugler Eau de Toilette Spray, Angel Men Pure Havane, 3.4 Ounce

A*Men Pure Havane

The opening of Pure Havane is quite simple. Imagine a fine Cuban cigar dipped in honey and then rolled in a pile of sugar…that’s what this smells exactly like. It’s a very warm, sweet, and slightly sticky sort of smell that is actually quite beautiful and enthralling.

Although, it isn’t listed in the notes, I also detect a hint of vanilla which provides an extra creamy smoothness. Now, if this doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, look elsewhere. However, if you like rich and masculine scents, then Pure Havane is a masterpiece of fragrance.

The tobacco note in this is dominant but it is a rather different experience than something such as Burberry London, the tobacco in Pure Havane is a much lighter and sweeter smelling variety.

As it wears on, the honey note lessens and the vanilla scent gets pushed more into the foreground. Also, the cocoa note emerges and smells like a chocolate powder to me, it must be the way it blends with the honey and vanilla.

There’s a bit of earth spice here, from patchouli, but it mostly stays in the background. The dry down of Pure Havane is all about the rich tobacco and thick honey, with all of the other sweet notes, orbiting these two. Not too much development from this fragrance, but it’s very good in its contained style.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

Projection wise, A*Men Pure Havane is really good. It isn’t overwhelming, but it is on the strong side of things. It doesn’t require that many sprays to be effective, which is a relief with so many weak colognes out there.

The reach does decline during the wear, but the first hours are pretty potent.

It also has really good longevity, this is an all-day kind of scent. However, be aware that it is much more of a skin scent after 5-6 hours but with reasonable application it should still be noticeable.

Pure Havane is for cold weather. If you live in a climate that is hot year round, you probably shouldn’t bother with this at all. I fear it would become a complete mess in the heat, yet, it is so beautiful in the cold weather.

I would say you could wear this to pretty much whatever event you would want to and it seems perfectly acceptable for school and work. Plus, this is a sexy type of cologne. Great for dates or just wanting to get closer. Pure Havane is a very comfy sort of scent.

Overall Impression of Pure Havane

Overall, is Pure Havane a buy? Yep, while it’s limited to colder weather, it is still a fantastic scent and performer. This A*Men flanker is a layered gourmand fragrance with tobacco taking center stage in its profile.

Not everyone enjoys this kind of cologne, so if you’re more into fruity, dry woods, or aquatics then this probably isn’t going to be a good selection.

On the other hand, if you like sweet winter scents (that aren’t sickly sweet) and rich tobacco blends then Pure Havane is an excellent choice.

I think that the opening can be overwhelming or messy at times, but, this one does settle down and get better as it moves along. Not a super mature scent, but it can work well for guys through their 20s and 30s, with exceptions.

The A*Men line has produced some awesome colognes, over the years, and this is among the best.

Update: All of these ‘Pure’ fragrances got discontinued by Mugler.

Oud Wood by Tom Ford

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Continuing on into the depths of my Tom Ford fragrance reviews, we have another entry from the Private Blend line: Oud Wood. This is one of the more popular options in this collection, but does it actually live up to the hype? What does it smell like? Does it perform well?

What does Oud Wood by Tom Ford Smell Like?

Notes include: rosewood, sandalwood, oud, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, cardamom, and vetiver

Click here to try: Tom Ford Private Blend Oud Wood Eau De Parfum Spray – 50ml/1.7oz

My Full Review

Oud is one of those ingredients that seems to have a lot of fans in the fragrance world, but one that isn’t super appealing to my nose. Yes, in certain cases, when it’s a part of a well blended mix, I enjoy its presence but not when it’s leading the way.

With Oud Wood by Tom Ford, I get an opening of the oud note, that is paired with cardamom and a peppery spice. Cardamom is a pretty big player in the early life of this fragrance and the other woody notes sort of take a backseat to it.

Sitting underneath the two main notes, is a distinct rosewood, some vanilla sweetness, and the familiar scent of sandalwood. After a few minutes of wear, I notice the vetiver poking through, as well. At this point Oud Wood, begins to be less spicy, and has a bit of a sour element within the composition.

Also at this point, the oud note, isn’t the main attraction. As the fragrance dries down, I get the other woodsy notes, vetiver, amber, a bit of sweetness, and the cardamom.

The oud is definitely still around, but is has more of a supporting role than the lead, which is good for me. Though, odd considering the name of the fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Oud Wood is light to moderate. Honestly, this version doesn’t have much sillage at all past the first hour or so. Coming into this, I would’ve thought that Oud Wood would be a complete bomb sort of scent…nope.

The longevity too, isn’t that great. I can get 4-5 hours on my skin, but after that, it’s gone. That’s a shame for something at this price point and considering how other Tom Ford scents hold up.

Seasonally, the woodiness reminds me of autumn, but also extending into wintertime. These notes aren’t built for the heat, however. I think that it’d turn gross, especially in the high humidity, so take that into account before buying.

It’s a men’s fragrance, even if it is listed as a unisex perfume. Quite masculine. Elegant and well rounded, Oud Wood should be worn on more dressed up occasions and not with jeans and a tee.

Overall Impressions of Oud Wood

Overall, do I like this Tom Ford fragrance? I do and I don’t. The performance isn’t good. I like how it smells at some points in the wear but then it also has a sour smell at times. The oud note, is actually not overwhelming in this one, so I enjoy that fact and the wood notes are great.

It is warm and has a rather unique aroma. Still, it’s not one for me, but is one that has a ton of admirers.

If it had better performance, I might give it the go ahead for a full recommendation, but I don’t think I can due to the cost. I enjoy the vetiver, tonka bean, and amber. They’re nice touches to the overall composition, but not enough to truly sell me on this one.

1 Million Paco Rabanne vs Issey Miyake Comparison

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L’eau D’Issey by Issey Miyake and 1 Million by Paco Rabanne are two of the more popular men’s fragrances out on the market today. Both of them have been around for quite a long time and are still best sellers even after years of public consumption.

So, what if you’re in the hunt for a new scent to wear and you’ve narrowed it down to these two colognes? Which cologne smells better? Which lasts longer? Which is more versatile?

In this post, I want to put Issey Miyake and the original 1 Million cologne head to head to see which is the best option.

Tale of the Tape: L’eau d’Issey vs 1 Million

1 Million by Paco Rabanne

Notes include: Mint, Grapefruit, Rose, Patchouli, Amber, Cinnamon, White woods, Blond leather, Blood orange, Spice notes

My original review

Buy here: Paco Rabanne 1 Million By Paco Rabanne For Men Edt Spray, 3.4 Ounce

L’eau D’Issey by Issey Miyake Tale of the Tape

Notes include: citrus, spice, musk, amber, and woods

issey miyake

My Issey Miyake Review

Buy here: L’eau De Issey By Issey Miyake For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 6.7 Oz

Opening

The opening of L’eau D’Issey is just ok in my opinion. It’s a spicy citrus scent that doesn’t really wow and is probably the weakest part of the fragrance.

The yuzu and lemon are nice, but it comes across as dry and spicy, thanks to nutmeg and tarragon. It’s a bit too sharp, with some additional tobacco and woodsy notes. Not saying it’s bad, just not my favorite part of this scent.

1 Million starts out with a candy-like grape scent that is bolstered with smoothness provided by leather and rose. Though, this is surrounded by a warm spice as well. Just not nearly as sharp and it’s mainly cinnamon, which leans into that candied sort of vibe.

Both fragrances get better as they go along, but 1 Million is the one that starts out ahead.

Edge: 1 Million

Projection

The Paco Rabanne scent is a heavy hitter when it comes to projection. Issey Miyake is no slouch, but it is more of a moderate type of cologne.

Update: Newer bottles of 1 Million aren’t as strong as they used to be. The sillage is still good and better than Miyake, but it’s not a huge margin any longer.

Edge: 1 Million

Longevity

Both of these scents hold up well, 1 Million is a stronger scent, so it seems like it’s there longer even if it’s the same amount of time. I’ve had no problem with either of these quitting early.

Update: Miyake has always gotten me 6-8 hours of wear. 1 Million used to be 10+. Now, it is more like 8-9 and closer to 8. Sometimes, they are equal, but mostly it’s still the Paco Rabanne.

Edge: 1 Million

Versatility

Now, here’s where Issey Miyake has an advantage. 1 Million can be limited to nightlife and when worn lightly on casual occasions. It also doesn’t work too well in the summer heat. L’eau D’Issey on the other hand almost works well year round and I’ve worn it on just about every type of occasion and it never felt out of place.

Edge: L’eau D’Issey

Overall Scent

I have to admit that I prefer the scent of 1 Million more. 1 Million is a sweet cologne and that does weigh on some people as time goes on, it can get on my nerves, and I only wear it when I’m in the mood.

Issey Miyake isn’t my favorite scent but I like it and others seem to like it on me. Issey Miyake is the better choice for casual wear on a daily basis, but 1 Million definitely has something to it.

I have had L’eau d’Issey as a daily wear in the past, so I do like it quite a lot, particularly the drydown. It would easily be my choice if I needed an all around fragrance versus 1 Million.

If you like citrus/woodsy smells, go with L’eau D’Issey, as the drydown period is much better than the opening.

I wear 1 Million more often, so I’ll go with that. It doesn’t have the same level of power that it used to, but it’s a fragrance that I do like throwing on. In terms of pure smell, it gets the slight edge.

Winner: 1 Million