Fragrances

Instinct vs Intimately Beckham Cologne Comparison

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David Beckham has put out a bunch of different fragrance for men over the years. In the celebrity perfume space, they are both quite popular, and highly affordable. Two of the best sellers from his line are, Intimately Beckham and Instinct. As such, these are the two guys have to decide between most often. Which smells best? Which lasts longer? Which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Instinct or Intimately Beckham?

Instinct

Notes include: Amber, mandarin, orange, anise, bergamot, cardamom, patchouli, vetiver

Click here to try: David Beckham Instinct EDT Spray For Men, 2.5 Ounce

My review: David Beckham Instinct Cologne

Intimately Beckham

Notes include: Amber, sandalwood, cardamom, grapefruit, star anise, nutmeg, violet

My review: Intimately Beckham for Men

Opening

Instinct kicks things off with its citrus notes, taking center stage. It is a blend of mostly orange, but with some bergamot. It smells super clean with some spicy anise and a slight soapy quality, thanks to the vetiver added in.

Intimately Beckham opens up with a woodsy/spicy/earthy sort of aroma. It features sandalwood, violet, and cardamom as the main trio up front. Along with that there is added spice from nutmeg and a very light citrus smell from grapefruit.

Which is better? I much prefer the start to Instinct versus Intimately Beckham. The citrus and fresh cleanliness are very well done. Intimately, gets better with some time, but I’m not much of a fan of the opening. Too much violet and spice.

Edge: Instinct

Sillage

Which fragrance projects itself better? While neither fragrance is a beast, Intimately Beckham does have more strength than its competitor.

Instinct starts off as a lower tier moderate scent, becoming pretty much a skin scent, in its latter stages. Meanwhile, Intimately starts off a notch above Instinct, but also ends up as a lighter perfume. Again, not a huge difference, but Intimately does hit a higher peak.

Edge: Intimately Beckham

Longevity

On my skin, Instinct lasts about 3-4 hours. Intimately Beckham will go 4-5. Obviously, neither is going to be elite, but Intimately is a little bit better. Considering both are available in the $10-15 range, I wouldn’t expect crazy performance.

Putting down a layer of unscented lotion on the skin before spraying, can help add some longevity, but it won’t work miracles.

Edge: Intimately

Versatility

I think that either of these can work in a variety of social situations. They’re non-offensive, can be worn by the younger crowd, and are versatile for daily wear or an evening out. Equal in this regard.

Climate wise, Instinct has much better versatility. It can be worn year round, performs well in heat, and isn’t out of place in the wintertime. Intimately, doesn’t hold up well in heat. It becomes cloying and not too pleasant. In the cold? Really nice, but not so, in the summer.

Edge: Instinct

 

 

Overall Scent

Thus far, it has been an extremely tight race between these two fragrances. Both have their strengths and negatives. For the price, I think both smell really good, and have a higher quality than most others in the same range. However, the sacrifice comes on the performance end of things.

Intimately Beckham has better performance, and I thin, that it’s dry down smells much better than how it opens. I like the sandalwood and amber notes, with a blend of spices like anise, surrounding it.

The violet also gets better. Though, I’m not crazy about the smell. It’s certainly pleasant, but not outstanding.

Instinct doesn’t quite measure up performance wise, but it has the better versatility. It’s a true year round scent. Plus, I ultimately think that it smells better than Intimately Beckham.

I’d be willing to give up perhaps an hour of wear for the better aroma. Thus, it’s going to win this battle, for my tastes.

Winner: Instinct

4 Colognes Similar to Jimmy Choo Man

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Jimmy Choo’s line of fragrances, has gotten a lot of fans as of late. It all started out with the original, Jimmy Choo Man. Guys dig the fresh pineapple and suede notes. Though, it can be pretty expensive, in many places. What are some good smelling alternatives? Any comparable options that smell alike to Jimmy Choo Man?

What Fragrances Smell Similar to Jimmy Choo Man?

A Designer Alternative

Coach New York Eau de Toilette Spray For Men, 3.3 Fl Oz– If you want an alternative to Jimmy Choo Man, that smells quite a bit the same, Coach for Men is that scent. 

It utilizes kumquat, citrus, and pear in lieu of the pineapple note. Coach’s fruit notes are surrounded by amber. The pear is the strongest of the lot, but it has a bright underlying citrus aroma. Fairly linear fragrance, that lasts around 5 hours, on my skin.

Personally, I think that Jimmy Choo Man smells better, due to the suede note. Though, they are fairly close. Coach for Men Review

Cheaper with a Similar Style

Antonio Banderas King of Seduction Men Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce– King of Seduction is a fragrance that sits in the same family as Jimmy Choo Man, while not being a complete match. It has some similarities with Blue Seduction, Jimmy Choo Man, Invictus and a hint of Aventus by Creed.

Another summer scent with a vetiver and cedar base to prevent it from going too far into the aquatic category. However, King of Seduction does have oceanic notes, which separates it from our target.

Though, it overlaps with pineapple, suede, and citrus. This Antonio Banderas fragrance is fruity, musky, with an aquatic aroma permeating it. 

The Better Jimmy Choo Scent

Intense Eau De Toilette, Fougere Oriental Woody, 3.3 fl. oz. JIMMY CHOO – I’m putting the flanker to Man on here, as it smells very similar, and I think it is a better cologne. Though, I will say, I think I prefer the opening few minutes of the original more.

However, I get better performance from Intense, as well as the overall smell in totality.

Intense gives you a nice juicy fruitiness, paired with lavender, and tonka bean. Sitting underneath that, is a nice small dose of spiciness, provided by pepper and patchouli. Man Intense is very well-liked and will receive complements.

This is the type of cologne, for a guy who wants a simple daily wear, that will be appreciated and not too heavy. No worries, the Intense name, doesn’t mean the sillage is unbearable. Pretty moderate, in fact, but that’s what you’d want for its purpose. My Review

 

 

Melon Tonic

Abercrombie & Fitch First Instinct Men Eau De Toilette, 3.4 Ounce– First Instinct features a gin and tonic accord, which gives it that carbonated sensation of tonic water. It’s sweet with sort of a tropical vibe at times, along with a nice pepper note.

This isn’t as fruity as Jimmy Choo Man, but you get: melon, citrus, and suede. Giving First Instinct, a relative relatedness to our target. Admittedly, not a one to one comparison, by any means. 

It mellows out the sweetness some during the dry down and you get the wonderful melon note along with musk. You could also go with First Instinct Blue, if you can find a bottle of the stuff. That one, is pretty close to Coach for Men. 

Guilty Essence (Black) Pour Homme by Gucci

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I first reviewed this fragrance way back in the beginning of this website. Actually, it was one of the first handful of full wear reviews that I ever wrote. Gucci Guilty Black was a cologne that I would wear quite a lot and really enjoyed it back then.

As such, I felt that it was time to update this page, and expand upon what makes this scent what it is. Especially since Gucci has now changed the name to Guilty Essence. Same cologne, new marketing.

I will cover how it smells, what’s inside, how it performs, and if it is still even worth a try.

Gucci Guilty Essence Overview

Gucci Best Cologne

Guilty Black Notes: green coriander, lavender, orange flower, neroli, patchouli, and cedar wood

Click here to try: Gucci Guilty Black Pour Homme Fragrance Collection 3.0-oz. Eau de Toilette

My Full Review

The first thing I’d like to say about Guilty Essence is that it definitely is not a boring fragrance. One of the best words I’ve read described it as, ‘hypnotic’, and I would agree wholeheartedly with that assessment.

It is a refreshing scent that isn’t fruity or too light, rather, it is completely masculine and versatile in its uses.

I notice immediately, how it shares a very similar DNA to its predecessor, Gucci Guilty. However, Essence doesn’t have that same citrus fruit top, but relies instead on orange flower and neroli to provide a different experience.

It starts off with a bit more of a spicier kick than the EDT version.

I will say, that I think Guilty Essence is better than Guilty Pour Homme. It’d be a tougher pick between this one and Guilty Intense, but I don’t want to get too off track here.

Essence is such a well-blended fragrance, that it can be hard to actually distinguish the notes themselves. Instead, it is more like you get the impression that each ingredient would normally give you, and sort of infer that it is there.

That being said, I can obviously pick up on that oh so familiar lavender, the other floral notes, and that great spicy coriander which adds a sexiness to the composition. The whole thing comes together as very green, fresh, masculine, with a great underlying spice/woodiness.

It shares that really clean and bright feeling that you get from wearing the other Gucci Guilty scents. I love the energy of this one and how I can pick out hints of notes, such as patchouli, when catching a whiff of it on my skin.

Sillage (Projection)

Projection wise, it was always very solid for me. Not huge, but not a weak skin scent either. Here’s what I wrote back in 2014, about it’s staying power: Also, it seems to both project well and it lasts long without fading. I put it on this morning at around 7:30 and it was still there at 6 PM when I left work, so it has staying power. 

This was of course from the original bottles of Guilty Black, but the longevity was great on my skin, and the sillage stayed pretty moderate throughout.

How Long does Guilty Black Last?

Coming back to testing this cologne out again, I still manage to get anywhere from 7-12 hours. It really depends on the climate and how much time I spend outside with Guilty Black on.

Updating again: I don’t seem to get double digit hours with Essence now. It’s more in the 7-9 hour range.

Season and When To Wear

Seasonally, another sort of year round wear. The Guilty line, always struck me as better in warm weather, but ubiquitous enough to spray it on whenever.  This is a cologne which is appropriate for the business world, but can be worn effectively for a date or a night at the club, as it draws attention.

Mostly, I always for it as a casual cologne, with t-shirt and jeans. Here’s another snippet of my initial experiences:  I’ve worn it three days thus far and have had at least one person comment positively on it during each one of those days. 

This is a scent for a man who exudes confidence and wants to be noticed and while it isn’t overpowering it does stand out. That can be a good or bad thing depending on your own personality but with a scent like this, one won’t stand out in a bad way.

It isn’t a heavy scent either, it’s clean, but not really definable as a clear woodsy scent or aquatic or even sporty.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Gucci Guilty Essence

Overall, do I think Guilty Essence is worth a try? Yep. This one has gained a substantial following since its release way back in 2013. It smells good and covers so many bases, that it is great to have on hand, when you just want something easy to wear.

Is it groundbreaking? No. It’s just a pleasant and sexy fragrance, which gets complements, and has nice performance. Sometimes, that is enough to make a cologne worthwhile.

This is still one of the best Gucci colognes for men, one of the better performers, and has good versatility.

They changed the name to Essence, but the formula remains the same and they’re still selling it, more than a decade later. So, you know it has plenty of fans, when so many other scents in this series got discontinued. It, just got rebranded.

K EDT vs. EDP by Dolce & Gabbana

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Dolce & Gabbana have released two fragrances under the K banner over the past two years. They have gained some popularity, despite getting mixed reviews from the fragrance community as a whole. But for those who are into this sort of cologne, you are still faced with choosing between the original K eau de toilette and the newer eau de parfum. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: K EDP vs EDT

K EDP

Notes include: pimento, fig, juniper, blood orange, lemon, cardamom, lavender, sage, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana K for Men Eau de Parfum Spray, 5 Ounce/150ml

Read my Review: K Eau de Parfum

K EDT

Notes include: juniper, blood orange, citrus, sage, pimento, cedar, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Dolce and Gabbana K Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3 Fl Oz for Men

Read my review: K EDT

Opening

K Eau de Parfum really opens up with the pimento note going full blast. It is partnered with cardamom and a nice fig note. It is spicy, warm, and earthy with the patchouli coming up from the base. The citrus notes aren’t too prevalent, I get a bit of blood orange, but not much beyond that.

The original K is pretty darn similar to the EDP version. However, the citrus here is stronger and it feels less spicy/warm and more fresh. The juniper note pairs with the citrus notes to give it somewhat of a gin effect, the pimento is still there, but no fig.

Which opening is better? It’s a close call for me, because I enjoy different aspects of each, and they still overlap with one another. The fig note in EDP is great. The fresh/greenish start to the EDT is also very nice…and I think I prefer it slightly.

Edge: EDT

Projection

Neither of these fragrances are monsters on my skin. They each project well, I’d say above average, and you will notice them with only a few sprays. Nice ability to project with each, just doesn’t take over a room.

Between the two, the eau de parfum seems to be a bit more powerful. Though, it isn’t by very much.

Edge: EDP

Longevity

Testing out K EDT, it lasted for about 7 hours on my skin. It’s solid, just not amazing. It doesn’t seem to want to go beyond that for me.

K EDP can range from that same 7 hours, all the way to about 8.5. It does have a slight boost here, but it isn’t a marathon runner, but it’s enough for the edge.

Edge: EDP

Versatility

To me, both of these fragrances are best for casual wear to semi-formal. You can wear them during the day or venture out at night.

The only real difference to me, is that the EDT version is a bit better in the heat. Both are great in spring or summer, but the EDT is better in the daytime of summer. While, I’d save the EDP for nights only when it gets really hot.

Edge: EDT (slightly)

Overall Scent

I must admit, that I’m not loving either of these fragrances, but I do enjoy them each somewhat. I don’t know why they have gotten such seemingly bad reviews from people.

K EDT has a very enjoyable opening act. It’s fresh, clean, and the blood orange note is really given time to shine, unlike in the EDP. Plus, that juniper note is almost always a nice addition to the fragrance. The lavender, pimento, and geranium all further develop that freshness.

However, the dry down isn’t as enjoyable to me. I’m not even sure what it is exactly, but it’s just not nearly as good as the start.

I think K EDP smells betters in its totality, even with a weaker start. Some might not like the woodiness and spice that is stronger here versus the EDT, but I think Dolce & Gabbana did a nice job developing a rather unique men’s fragrance.

It’s not a huge margin, but I’d go with the EDP. If you want a fresher and more citrus laden version, go with the EDT.

Winner: K EDP

Hugo Element by Hugo Boss

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I recently got a hold of a sample of Hugo Element cologne by Hugo Boss. I’ve already done plenty of Hugo Boss reviews on this site and I’ve been wearing Hugo Red seemingly a lot over the summer, so I was looking forward to getting to try out another scent from this house’s line.

In this post, I want to explore how this fragrance smells, how it performs, when it could be worn, and whether or not it is worth a buy.

What does Hugo Element Smell Like?

hugo element

Notes include: ginger, coriander, cedar, courmarin, calone

Click here to try: Hugo Boss Cologne for Men, Element, 3.0 Fluid Ounce

My Full Review

Note: I’m updating this page after 6 years to meet the new formatting of the website. Boss Element has been discontinued for a long while at the point.

The opening of Hugo Element is kind of an aquatic blast of ginger for the first 5 minutes before transitioning into a citrus laced fragrance. I have to say, the citrus notes in this are fantastic, they are really fresh and juicy.

Element is quite crisp and aquatic, which I found to be very attractive, and I was beginning to enjoy this cologne a whole lot. The calone note isn’t too heavy here, just adding a light impression of being aquatic.

That said, it is a very linear experience, after 10 minutes you know exactly what you’re getting. There isn’t any real complexity, just clean/aquatic/citrus with ginger undertones.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Element isn’t great. It is on the softer side of moderate and doesn’t seem to want to make its presence all that known.

Longevity is also another issue. It quickly becomes a skin scent and only lasts around 4 hours, which is disappointing. I know not to expect too much from this sort of light, watery, and warm weather fragrance…but something more would’ve been fantastic.

I feel like this could’ve been a really nice spring/summer casual wear, had it been designed with better performance. It would be safe to wear to work, but it’s not a formal sort of fragrance at all. Though, outdoors or out around town during the day and it’d be cool.

Overall Impressions of Hugo Element

Overall, is Hugo Element a buy? I can’t say yes. I actually like the fragrance itself, it works, and has great citrus notes. With a little added intensity, this would’ve been a nice scent to wear around during the summer.

The citrus is really nice, I love ginger, and it is a refreshing wear. It had some positive aspects in place, it just needed a way to bring it all together better.

I’m sure you could double the application and get a longer lasting use out of it; but why bother with better performing scents out there.