Fragrances

The Essence by David Beckham

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I have been on a cologne testing kick recently and one of the new scents that I have tried out is The Essence by David Beckham. The former footballer has released many fragrances over the past few years and has created a niche for himself in the inexpensive cologne category.

How does The Essence stack up? What is its composition? Is it worth a buy? Keep reading while I go in depth about this cologne.

What does The Essence Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, tonka bean, pineapple, apple, lavender, kashmir wood, and more

Click here to try: The Essence for Men, 2.5 ounce

My Review

The opening is very fresh and citrusy. I can definitely detect the interplay between the grapefruit and pineapple notes. The apple note is there as well, but I find it to be on a tier below the other two fruits.

It really reminded me of a Nautica scent, somewhere between Voyage and Blue with a grapefruit twist. So, yeah, the opening is quite aquatic-like in character with that citrus accord which works well for spring and summertime.

The citrus notes are very nice, but ultimately kept in check by the lavender, tonka bean, and cardamom notes. It’s got that clean lavender scent, for much of the wear, and the warmth of cardamom, coming in an hour or so into things.

The dry down period is where I think that The Essence really begins to shine. It begins to take on a more earthy/woodsy type of scent and still remains just as fresh but much smoother.

The Essence has a noticeable violet leaf, that mixes with the lavender, and woody base notes. So, at this point, the fragrance is a toned down fresh grapefruit with clean earthy ingredients rounding it out.

Again, this cologne is reminiscent of many other fragrances, like Azzaro Chrome and even somewhat like Drakkar Essence with its grapefruit and lavender notes. Which means, if you’re looking for something unique, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

It’s projection is moderate. At first, the grapefruit opening comes on somewhat strong, before it settles down into something much lighter. Overall, it’s not a beast with its sillage, but it will be very noticeable for at least a few hours.

Also, you’ll get around 6 hours of life on your skin, maybe a bit more than that. Now, this six hour time frame isn’t spend entirely at full strength. The latter half of the wear is going to sit really close to the skin. It’s still there, you may catch whiffs, but not going to feel like a constant.

I would say that it is a safe scent to wear, for just about any occasion, and not offend anybody. Seasonally, spring or summer is when it’ll be at its best. It’s fresh and bright with an upbeat citrus zest.

I’d say this will skew younger. Probably appropriate for men in their early 20s. If older, you can definitely wear it on casual occasions, no problem. It doesn’t come off as a ‘kids’ cologne.

The Essence is clean and subtle. Not really a club type of fragrance or for dates or evenings out. Simple, clean, daily wear.

Overall Impression of The Essence

Overall, is The Essence by David Beckham worth a purchase? Yes, if you’re in the market for a warm weather wear and on a tight budget. It has shades of many other scents, so it is kind of generic. However, for the price it is clean, fresh, and effective.

The overall smell is nice. I like the grapefruit and pineapple notes, the tonka bean, and the lavender. The performance isn’t amazing, but a full bottle is less than $20, so I can’t complain too much. There are plenty of expensive colognes, that don’t even reach this level.

Probably won’t be amazed by this fragrance, but it is a deal, and easily enjoyable to wear.

Epic Man by Amouage

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In my recent sample haul, I picked up 5 vials of different colognes from Amouage, and as I’m getting close to being through with the current box of fragrances…it’s about time that I do my first review of this high end designer.

Today’s post is going to cover Epic Man, which is described as, “Evoking memories of the ancient Silk Road journey from China to Arabia”. Yeah. Think this one is going to be exotic? You better believe it. Please continue below for my full wear review.

What does Epic Man Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, saffron, patchouli, incense, oud, nutmeg, pink pepper, myrrh

Click here to try: Amouage Epic Cologne, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Review

Based on the notes alone, I was expecting to really dislike Epic, as I don’t personally enjoy many oud scents. However, this one intrigues me, and while I cannot say I loved it, I do think that I got some enjoyment from wearing Epic. It is an ‘oriental’ style of fragrance, it at times reminds me of Opium Pour Homme (with more spice and no vanilla) and Man Amber.

Right out of the gate, you experience the full oud note which is complemented by a very smokey spice mix. The leather, patchouli, incense, and myrrh notes create a very masculine, warm, and smoke-laden aroma that is actually quite nice.

Epic is dry, like a desert heat, and does conjure images of travels through Central Asia along the Silk Road.

After about 20 minutes or so, the smokiness calms down and it becomes more leathery and I begin to notice the pink pepper note. At this stage, there is a less in your face spiciness and a sweet smoother fragrance emerges from the pretty powerful start.

This is a very complex cologne, it takes you on a journey or different aromatic experiences throughout it’s life cycle and never strikes me as boring.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this is a heavy hitter. Epic starts out very strong but does quiet down to a tolerable level of intensity. You won’t have to overdo the spraying with this one.

It also has some good longevity to it, I get 6-7 solid hours of wear, and I can still detect it at the 9 hour mark in a diminished state. Epic is a nice performer.

This is a highly masculine animalistic kind of cologne, so it won’t be for everybody. Late Fall and Wintertime, would provide the best results with Epic. I didn’t really like it, when it was exposed to the heat of August, here in the States.

I’d put this more towards the business/casual side of things, it might be passable for romantic wear for some guys but that’s not how I’d describe it.

Overall Impressions of Epic Man

Would I recommend Amouage Epic Man? Again, I’m not personally enamored with oud scents, they don’t really do anything for me. BUT I kind of like this one, it’s not my style but I appreciated the complexity and quality of the fragrance.

This is probably a niche kind of scent that will appeal most to guys who like smoky/spicy/masculine/oriental colognes, as Epic nails the vibe the designers were going for. Not for everyone, but this will definitely appeal to a subset of the population.

Instinct by David Beckham

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David Beckham is a world famous former footballer who is also well known for his personal style. Along with his H&M clothing partnership, Beckham also has his own line of affordable fragrances for men.

While these scents aren’t on the level of quality of something much more expensive, such as Creed, they do offer very pleasant colognes at an attractive pricing point.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at Instinct from the David Beckham collection of fragrances, and see if this one is worth a purchase.

What does Instinct by David Beckham Smell Like?

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 Full Review

The opening of Instinct for me really highlights the citrus notes of this fragrance. I’m not always a fan of orange in colognes, particularly the bitter orange note in Terre D’Hermes.

However, in Instinct, I rather like its paring with the lemony bergamot and the underlying earthy notes which develop quite nicely later on.

This scent does have a nice warm slightly spicy air to it that vaguely reminds me of L’Homme Libre (it must be the star anise and perhaps the patchouli/cardamom that gives off that vibe).

The opening citrus is very bright and clean, with a somewhat soapy cleanliness, thanks to the vetiver note, which will get stronger as it moves along. Also, this will start to get quite dry over time.

That’s not to say that the colognes smell alike, they don’t, just a similarity that I picked up on…Instinct is much less spice and more woodsy. Though, the anise and other spices, give it a slight kick.

The opening isn’t powerful, nor is the dry down. It is subtle and has a freshly washed, masculine aroma. The citrus notes that take precedent in the start, calm down and give way to the vetiver and amber notes.

I really enjoy the richness of this scent and how it smells so clean and refreshing while keeping it’s dry woodsy/spicy profile intact. The latter half of the wear, is still sweet with a great freshness of anise, and some light touches of cardamom.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Instinct is not a heavy fragrance nor one in which someone will be able to smell you across the room. I would put it on the lower end of moderate. It definitely becomes a ‘skin scent’ so to speak and one in which requires someone to get closer to you.

Longevity wise, Instinct does not impress me. That’s really the only major flaw in this cologne. I might get 3-4 hours of solid performance out of it before it dissipates almost completely.

I get that it’s available for less than $15, but this would be an amazing pickup if you could get a few more hours of wear from it.

Seasonally, this could pretty much work year round. It’s best in more mild to moderate temperatures, not really fantastic in the high heat and humidity.

It is also very versatile. It’s works well for daily wear at work or for class. Its subtlety is a selling point, as you could wear it casually, or even out for an evening. The aroma doesn’t feel too youthful or anything like that. Instinct is appropriate for any age range.

Overall Impression of Instinct

Overall, I really like this scent, especially at the price. I think that a guy could definitely add this to his collection and enjoy its use. Yes, it does have issues with longevity but if you can keep a bottle around for reapplication, I don’t see why you couldn’t have use for it.

There are definitely better options out there, but Instinct is a very good smelling fragrance in my opinion. The price is super cheap and versus other options in this range, Instinct smells better than almost anything.

This is still a useful scent, but if it had more staying power, it’d be an absolute classic cheapie. It’s worth a try, seeing as it costs so little.

Bvlgari Man by Bvlgari

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Since I’m doing a whole slew of new cologne reviews on the site , I figured I’d take some time and do one on a Bvlgari fragrance. In this post, I’m going to be taking a closer look at Bvlgari Man. It’s a woodsy/green type of fragrance which I tend to either love or hate.

What are some of the notes in Bvlgari Man? How does it smell? How does it perform? Is it worth a buy? Please read on for my full review of this cologne.

What does Bvlgari Man Smell Like?

FullSizeRender (4)

Notes include: Lotus, bergamot, vetiver, honey, violet, woods, musk

Try Blvgari Man: Bvlgari Man Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 5 Ounce

My Full Review

With a name like Man, you expect this Bvlgari scent to be something masculine and confident, and on that accord this cologne delivers. The opening is very refined and fresh.

I’m not completely blown away by it but it certainly smells very good as well as being quite crisp and clean.

Update: Coming back to this scent years later, I really do enjoy the opening act more so, than I had.

There is a light floral mix of lotus and violet leaf, with just a touch of pear and citrus. Even in the beginning, I am picking up more vetiver and wood. It is woody, warm, with thickness provided by the honey. 

Man does have a slight smokiness to it maybe from the vetiver? But then there is also a warm, woodsy, sweetness to it provided by the honey and musk. The impression it leaves is of a somewhat sweet grassy floral, with lots of wood.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

However, like some of my other favorites, this one does have longevity and projection issues. It isn’t a big time in your face scent to begin with but it could’ve at least made up for it with some longevity.

It doesn’t last nearly as long as I’d like, and it falls quickly into a skin scent. If you spray more than you usually would, it can be serviceable. I can only seem to must 3-4 hours total, though. It doesn’t hit the same level as Man in Black or other offerings. 

What this scent does right is provide an appealing if sort of generic aroma which would probably work very well in an office type environment.

I would say late 20s through 30s would be best served by wearing this. I want to say, I truly do enjoy this cologne, when it settles in Man becomes so damn good.

So, casual or business wear for this. It is attractive enough to pull complements, though, I wouldn’t really categorize it as a ‘sexy’ cologne. Very attractive, with its own style. 

Overall Impression of Bvlgari Man

Overall, would I rate this a buy? It’s fantastic for what it is, it just doesn’t last. It’s really a shame because I could envision me wearing this as a casual fragrance on a regular basis if it just projected itself better and lasted longer.

I might have suggested going with Bvlgari Man Extreme, but that seems to be a completely different fragrance. The more time that I’ve spent wearing Bvlgari Man, the greater appreciation that I have for this scent.

It’s unique and honestly has moments of utter greatness. The performance just sucks. 

I have a mini bottle, that I still throw on from time to time. Usually, it’s just before heading to the store or around my house. Really, because it’ll fade in most scenarios, before any real use is gotten out it. 

Update: This has been long since discontinued.

360 Red by Perry Ellis

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It is important to note that not all worthwhile fragrances are super expensive or even moderately priced. Sure, the cheaper scents tend to use more synthetic ingredients and are generally less complex and more linear but that doesn’t preclude some from smelling quite good.

Today, I want to review one such cologne, 360 Red by Perry Ellis. In this post, I want to give my impressions of it and see just what makes it a potential buy. Also see: 360 Red vs Nautica Voyage

What does 360 Red by Perry Ellis Smell Like?

360

Notes include: bergamot, cinnamon, lime, orange, lavender, spices

Click here to try: 360° Red by Perry Ellis for Men, 6.8 Ounce

My Full Review

360 Red gets a lot of attention for being in the opinion of some, an Acqua Di Gio clone.  I definitely notice the similarities between these two scents but I think 360 Red’s citrus notes are stronger and more defined than they are in Acqua Di Gio. It’s only right that they smell similar judging by the overlapping of some of each cologne’s notes.

However, I don’t want to get bogged down in comparison with an Armani fragrance when 360 Red presents an interesting fragrance at a fraction of the cost.

The opening is a pretty intense burst of mostly lemon and lime notes which exudes freshness right from the start. Now, it can be kind of overpowering at first but 360 Red settles down nicely and develops much more character as it wears on.

This one actually has a whole host of citrus based notes, from lime to orange, and bergamot. It’s going to be very citrus heavy throughout, with a spicy edge to it.

With the citrus in the opening, are an accord of spice, led by cinnamon. Cinnamon and some clove, are mainly what you’re going to pick up, on the skin. There is supposedly nutmeg in there too, but I can’t pick it out, if that’s the case. It is indeed quite close to AdG, but without the oceanic influences.

As it settles down, the spicier notes begin to flourish more. Again, this isn’t an overwhelming spice, rather, something that is smooth (sort of peppery) and envelops a definite warmth. This is definitely an attractive fragrance and one with just a hint of cinnamon to give a unique distinction.

Much later in the wear, I get touches of lavender, and a woodsy base. It’s fresh and pretty dry later on, though, it doesn’t dominate the composition. 360 Red is still all about the citrus and spice notes. However, it is a nice change of pace, to develop things further.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Longevity wise, this one is a performer. Seriously, for the price, it’s pretty much all of a full work day scent in most circumstances. Projection is moderate to very good. It’s not a heavy or overwhelming scent but you’ll notice it on you for sure.

Could you overspray this? Sure, but normal application isn’t going to choke out a room. I would expect anywhere from 6-9 hours of wear, depending on the climate, and circumstances of when you’re wearing it.

Versatility wise, this is going to lean more towards younger men. It’s not a complete teenage scent, but most older guys can opt for something better. 360 Red operates best in the warmer months, definitely a good daily wear candidate for late spring and summer.

It has a certain level of attractiveness. It smells good, but not necessarily sexy. A younger man, could wear this on an evening out no problem, though.

Casual, school, office, and potentially evening for the right occasion. So, you do get a wide berth of uses, with Red. That’s great news for something, at this price point, where colognes are usually extremely limited in use and performance.

Overall Impression of 360 Red

Do I think 360 Red is worth a purchase? Yes, it is a great value pick and if you like Acqua Di Gio or similar scents, you might as well save some money and get this and a bottle of something else for the same price.

Honestly, the original AdG probably isn’t even worth buying nowadays (at retail prices, discounted, sure), since we have so many other options. This or Just Me for Men, can replace the Armani scent. Also, Acqua di Gio Profumo, is a better fragrance overall.

With 360 Red, I really dig the citrus strength of the opening, and the cinnamon note. It’s a bit sweet, spicy, and you have enough woody notes to keep it interesting. 360 Red has freshness and a drier base, than does Acqua di Gio, in lieu of sea notes.

All in all, this Perry Ellis cologne is a great pick up, for guys who want something cheap with a mass appeal.