By Designer

Axe Excite Shower Gel Fragrance Review

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I have been reviewing many different fragrances here on the site over the past few months. Among them, is the Axe line of shower gels that have become so popular in the last 15 years or so.

Now, I haven’t worn the body spray since high school but since I can usually get a good price on the shower gel, I like to use it to clean myself up.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at Excite, which is a newer edition to this brand and see where it ranks among the other Axe options.

Axe Excite Overview

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Notes include: caramel, hazelnut, coconut

My Full Review

Axe Excite is described as a woodsy based scent but to me it’s more of a sweet gourmand in a lot of ways.

While there does seem to be woods influences with the hazelnut note and perhaps some other notes that I’m not aware of, I really do get a sweet and rich lather from this bottle of Axe.

The hazelnut note is also found in Very Irresistible by Givenchy, however, that is more of a coffee/mocha type of scent. Excite is more of  a cocoa butter type of scent with an extra candy-like sweetness to it provided by the coconut to go along with a woodsy base.

Like the other Axe scents, it’s a very linear experience. Meaning, the scent really doesn’t have a dry down period where it transforms, like colognes would.

The longevity and projection of the shower gel are both average. The Axe body sprays do tend to last most of the day and can be quite potent, so they shouldn’t be used to the extreme in terms of amount.

How would I rank Axe Excite compared to other scents from this line? Out of the one’s I have reviewed on the site, I’d put it behind Anarchy in the second spot.

However, there are other Axe scents that I haven’t reviewed yet, that I think are better also (Gold/Dark Temptation, Kilo, and some others I don’t think are made any longer).

Overall, though, I do like Axe Excite a lot as a shower gel. It is stimulating and quite alluring in it’s presentation. It’s a very creamy and rich sort of smell, that is quite pleasing for the price.

Adidas Moves 001 Cologne Review

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I used to wear the original Adidas Moves back in high school and reviewed that fragrance on here yesterday. However, Adidas usually would sell a 3 fragrance gift set of Moves, 001, and Deep Energy. These fragrances are always available for dirt cheap and present some feasible options for younger guys who don’t have the budget. For this post, I want to take a look at the third cologne in these sets, Moves 001.

 

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Notes include: amber, sandalwood, mandarin orange, pear leaf, coriander, musk, patchouli

Click here to try Moves 001! 

 

I wrote in my review of the original Moves, that is basically a cologne suited best for high school aged guys. I would say that 001, is a more mature fragrance than that but it is still youthful in its presentation. This cologne is much more earthy/woodsy/spicy than the watery aquatic that is Adidas Moves. It does still have sweet fruity highlights of pear leaf and mandarin, however, it isn’t dominated by citrus or fruity scent.

001 is a smooth cologne, it isn’t spicy in the same way as something like Opium, but it is mostly imbued with musk and patchouli which give it that older vibe. Much like the other Adidas colognes, 001 is a bit synthetic in the way it smells, not overly so but it doesn’t have nearly the same complexity or quality as some more pricey designer fragrances.

When I used to wear this back in the day, I would usually get 4-6 hours out of it. It’s not a long-lasting fragrance and so that takes aways some of its usefulness. It also starts out as a moderate projecting cologne but it quickly fades and most of its longevity is when someone is very close to you.

Overall, it isn’t a bad scent. It smells fine but it isn’t anything special.001 is probably my least favorite of the three Adidas colognes that I used to wear. It’s something that can be worn casually but don’t expect miracles, though, it isn’t offensive so it is a safe fragrance to wear around wherever. Is it a buy? I think there are much better options, even at this price point, but if you want a bottle, go for it.

Claiborne Sport by Liz Claiborne Cologne Review

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The other day, I published my list of the best Liz Claiborne fragrances for men. One of the scents that I left off the list was Claiborne Sport, despite the fact that I used to have a bottle and it was my first experience with the Claiborne line. In this post, I thought that I would take a closer look at Claiborne Sport and whether or not it is worth a buy, even if it was left off the list of top scents by the brand.

 

 

 

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Notes include: ginger, morning dew, cedar, lavender, amber

Click Here to Try Claiborne Sport

 

One of the first colognes that I ever received, was a bottle of Claiborne Sport. It must have been during my first years of high school when I would occasionally wear this fragrance to class in the morning. The first thing that I’ve always noticed about this fragrance was its strong opening. It has an earthy/green scent laden with a musky spice. Now, it isn’t an overwhelming scent by any means, but it does start off with a strong note.

This is a sport cologne, so it of course has that sporty and active vibe to it. It’s clean and has an energy about it that many other fragrances do not. Claiborne Sport is a bright sort of cologne but it doesn’t really stand out in my opinion. It is rather generic in its presentation, though, it does seem to get smoother and less spicy as it develops.

Longevity and projection were always average in my experience. This isn’t an all day affair and you should probably expect to get 4-6 hours out of it, with the last two being fairly weak. On the plus side, like all Claiborne scents, Sport is very inexpensive so it should present no problems having to re-spray once it begins to fade.

Overall, do I like this scent? Eh, it was always just alright to me. Even when it was my only bottle of cologne, I still didn’t choose to wear it that often. It seemed a bit too musky or synthetic for my tastes at times and I was never really in a rush to spray some on me. It’s not a terrible fragrance in my opinion, it just is average at a really cheap price point. However, there are better options for the money and even more in the Claiborne family of colognes.

 

Axe Apollo Fragrance Review

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This is going to be my fourth review of an Axe scent and another one from the standard label (for White Label reviews, see: Forest and Night). For this post, I’m going to give my thoughts on the Apollo scent from Axe. This was sort of a blind buy because I needed some shower gel while I was at the store, this happened to be on sale, and I also just liked the name (Greek mythology ftw). What did I think of this fragrance? Read below to find out.

 

 

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Notes include: sandalwood, sage, and mandarin

 

Let me say from the start that I only sort of like Axe Apollo. I do think that it smells good. However, I do not put it on the same level as the best scents from Axe. I’ve noticed that they like to use a sandalwood note in many of their products (including: Anarchy), since it tends to provide that smooth and fresh scent that people enjoy. Apollo is definitely a fresh scent, it is quite cool and crisp with some spice provided by the sage note.

I think the sage note is what isn’t really capturing my attention. Overall, the scent just feels sort of flat and less dynamic than some others. It is a burst of cold spice, that while pleasant, doesn’t really keep you coming back for more. I did use the whole bottle of shower gel and definitely didn’t mind it. I felt clean and like it didn’t bother me or put me off at all. It was just lacking something and the mandarin note seems a little bit weak as well.

Some guys out there might really enjoy using Apollo. I just thought it was so so. In my opinion the best of Axe seems to be: Anarchy, Kilo, Dark/Gold Temptation, Harmony, and one other that I don’t think they make any longer.

Axe Anarchy for Him Shower Gel Review

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I have already done a few reviews on Unilever’s Axe products from their White Label line of scents (Forest and Night). Now, I want to step away from the White Label and review a selection from its standard line of scents. I have been using Axe Anarchy for Him, as a shower gel for the past few days and want to briefly give my thoughts and experiences with this product.

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Notes include: amber, sandalwood, and fruit notes.

Upon my first sniff of Anarchy, I immediately liked it better than the two white label entries that I had tried so far (which I actually liked) and some of the other Axe scents I have used before. It almost reminded me of Axe’s Dark Temptation or Gold Temptation, in its rich quality. However, it doesn’t have the same chocolate notes and the fruit notes begin to emerge. I get a sensation of perhaps, bergamot, and a bit of coconut for good measure.

The sandalwood and amber give it that smooth aroma while those fruit notes create a really wonderful dynamic (sort of 1 Million-ish). I find Anarchy for Him to be quite refreshing and think that it smells very good for what it is. Obviously, this is just a shower gel, so its longevity and projection aren’t going to be great. The body spray should provide much more in that area and provides a cheap alternative to cologne for younger guys.

Overall, I’d say this is in the upper echelon of scents from Axe. I haven’t actually worn the body spray since my early high school days but this is just as good as any of them. Give it a try in whatever form you need, deodorant, shower gel, body spray, as it is a great fresh and sweet scent at a rock bottom price.