Fragrances

Hugo Energise by Hugo Boss

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My latest review will be Energise by Hugo Boss, which I recently received a sample vial of and hadn’t yet given it much of a try. I have already reviewed Boss Bottled No. 6 and Hugo Red, which I recommend trying out and wanted to see if this one could find a place in my rotation.

How did Energise perform? What does it smell like? Is it worth a purchase? Please continue below for my full impression of this cologne.

What does Hugo Boss Energise Smell Like?

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Notes include: mandarin, cocoa beans, freesia, pink pepper, kumquat, coriander, and more

Click here to try: Hugo Boss Energise Eau de toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Fluid Ounce

My Full Wear Review

I have a pretty solid amount of respect for Hugo Boss fragrances, so when I got a hold of a sample of this cologne, I was excited to try it. With a name like Energise, I figured it’d be a youthful and you know, energetic scent.

Upon opening, I get a citrusy type of smell mixed with pink pepper which adds a hint of spiciness. Also, the cocoa beans are faint, but I’m pretty sure I’m detecting them for an added layer of smoothness.

The mint that is present, gives this a coolness to go with the fresh warmth of the pink pepper. However, it just doesn’t seem to have a really crisp edge. It feels pretty flat. Clean, yes, but that’s about all.

Honestly, the opening is just so bland to me. It’s not a bad smell but it does seem really flat and uninspiring. I have no idea where they were trying to take this one.

On the one hand, it is a rather unique type of scent just based on the ingredients…BUT there’s nothing really there to make it pop. Just a semi-sweet blend of citrus and pink pepper.

There wasn’t too much of a drydown period with Energise either, as it doesn’t hold for very long. Some leather, the remaining citrus, and pink pepper. That’s about all that I get from this.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage isn’t huge, probably call it a lighter moderate cologne. It’s somewhat noticeable, but isn’t going to really assert itself.

While the projection is moderate, it only seems to last a few hours. Seriously, after a few tries with this scent, I got it to last 3 hours at its maximum. Somewhere in that range, is about what one can expect from Energise.

I suppose that this was meant to be a casual scent, since it certainly isn’t romantic, energizing, or seductive in any way. I would say that this would be more geared toward younger guys, but not completely a teenager’s fragrance. It has enough maturity to go higher in age range.

Overall Impressions of Energise

Overall, I’m just confused by this cologne. What’s its purpose? Performance is subpar and it is totally average while it does work. I can’t recommend Energise when there are so many others out there that are much better, including from Hugo Boss.

I don’t think that it smells bad at all. It’s just, meh. If it had better performance, I could maybe give it a thumbs up, at a cheap enough price point. But even for cheap, Energise doesn’t strike me as being worth it.

Doesn’t seem to be all that cheap, but the good news is (if you’re interested in Energise) is Boss still makes this, as of now. So, test is out for yourself.

Bleu de Chanel Parfum vs. Acqua di Gio Profumo

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Bleu de Chanel and Acqua di Gio are two famous names, in the men’s fragrance space. Both have numerous best sellers to their names, and are basically legendary at this point. In this post, I want to compare two of their flanker scents, Acqua di Gio Profumo vs. Bleu Parfum. I have reviewed and tested each, and now want to try and determine which is the better fragrance for guys. 

Tale of the Tape: BdC Parfum vs AdG Profumo

Bleu de Chanel Parfum

Notes include: sandalwood, cedar, lemon, lavender, mint, bergamot, tonka bean, amber, geranium

Click here to try: BLEU DE C H A N E L PARFUM, 3.4 oz./ 100 mL

Read my Review: Bleu de Chanel Parfum

 

Acqua di Gio Profumo

Notes include: bergamot, sage, patchouli, incense, geranium, rosemary, and marine notes

Click here to try: Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Profumo 75ml (2.5oz) Parfum Vapo., 2.5 Fluid Ounce

Read my review: Acqua di Gio Profumo

Opening

Bleu de Chanel Parfum kicks things off with a trio of citrus notes: bergamot, lime, and lemon. These ingredients don’t have a super sharp opening, because of the other notes at play, from the start. You have mint, cedar, and sandalwood which provide a cool woody freshness to the composition. 

Acqua di Gio Profumo, on the other hand, also has a bergamot note. However, it is alone, and more powerful than the citrus found in the Bleu flanker.  This one doesn’t have a pure citrus smell either, as it is joined by a dark oceanic breeze, filled with spicy sage, and incense. 

Which is better? It’s a very close call, in my mind. Though, I think that I lean toward the AdG scent. The smoky incense and sage, play very well off that familiar marine profile. Though, I must say that I do enjoy the woody/herbal qualitites of Bleu Parfum.

Edge: Profumo

Projection

Both of these fragrances start out with a strong sillage. They can project themselves, quite well. However, AdG Profumo seems stronger, and is more steady throughout. The Chanel fragrance, starts off strong, but becomes much lighter.

Acqua Profumo starts off stronger and ends as a moderately sillaged cologne. Bleu just never gets to the same highs nor does it keep its power at a high level. However, it also isn’t a weak skin scent, just not as good.

Edge: Profumo

Longevity

While Profumo has the edge in strength, BdC Parfum, seems to get the win in the longevity category. I get 8-10 hours of wear from the Giorgio Armani cologne, while the Bleu will go for 10+ hours, on my skin.

Both of these scents has great staying power, but one will go for longer, albeit at a lighter sillage.

Edge: Bleu Parfum

 

 

Versatility

Blue de Chanel Parfum is much more of an autumn/winter type of perfume. It can do well, in moderate climates, but isn’t very good in the heat. AdG Profumo can do well year round, but has more of a warm weather vibe.

Blue Parfum is the better fragrance for professionals or more formal wear. AdG Profumo is the better casual or daily wear, particularly for younger guys, but not exclusive to that age range by any means.

There is separation between these two, but no clear winner, in this category. It will really depend on your individual needs. Both can do well out on a date or for nightlife.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

What do I like about Bleu de Chanel Parfum? How it takes the familiarity of the Bleu lineup’s citrus notes and gives it a woody/herbal component. It’s got a darker profile, than its predecessors, and the sandalwood note is awesome. It’s creamy, woody, herbal, with some citrus zest.

Acqua di Gio Profumo takes the famous Acqua di Gio profile, deepens and darkens it, and gives you a more mature version. I love its incense and sea breeze blend, with the spicy blend of sage and rosemary.

Which is better? It’s a hard decision to make, as both are quite good scents, but I lean more toward Profumo. I think it will work better for most guys and I prefer to wear it versus the Chanel.

Bleu Parfum is nice and it will be an excellent choice for some portion of guys reading this. However, Profumo has the edge in my book, and also has a better price between them.

Winner: Acqua di Gio Profumo

Seductive Homme Blue by Guess

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I have a bottle of Guess Seductive, which I still use from time to time, when I want to wear something casual. For the price, Seductive is a great little cologne to have, as it smells really good and gives a good performance.

I had however, yet to try other Guess offerings, and decided that I would like to test out the flanker of Seductive, Guess Seductive Homme Blue.

In this post, I want to review Blue and give my thoughts on how it smells and performs as a fragrance.

What does Guess Seductive Homme Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: citrus, moss, caviar, black pepper, cashmere wood, cardamom

Click here to try Guess Seductive Homme Blue: Guess Seductive Homme Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, Blue, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Blue, really struck a note with me. Immediately, I liked this aroma better than the original Guess Seductive (which I really like).  Though, it feels a bit synthetic, it was such a unique and different scent that I was completely drawn in.

I couldn’t even identify any notes and had to look them up just to know what I was smelling. It’s a soft scent with a refreshing and slightly powdery/spicy smell yet has an aquatic/woody heart to it.

The cardamom note is dominate in this one and when paired with a vague hint of citrus, it takes on a La Nuit by YSL kind of scent. I’m not saying it smells just like the YSL cologne, however, those two notes make these colognes seem like distant cousins. Also see: Guess Seductive vs Guess Seductive Blue

Blue is really fresh and the aquatic pairing with a powdery spiciness is just great. One of the notes is caviar for God’s sake…it doesn’t really get more oceanic than that but when added to other hints of the sea and you’ve got something really different than other scents in this cheaper price range.

It isn’t a super masculine scent either, it could honestly be unisex. It gets drier as it wears on, as the smooth cashmere wood kicks in with a little bit of a mossy element. Plus, a small peppery kick.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Seductive Homme Blue is on the softer side of moderate. This isn’t one that will completely take over a room but it is just about right for casual wear.

The longevity of this cologne, sucks though, at least with light spraying. One spray will last somewhere between 20-30 minutes before you have to press your nose to the skin in order to smell anything.

Upon further tries with Blue, if you double up the sprays you can get decent longevity out of it. 4-6 hours, depending on the day. However, it is always a very light fragrance, pretty darn airy.

The good news is that, this is offered at such an affordable price, that you can spray a ton without much concern about having to buy a new bottle.

The original Seductive Homme, has pretty good longevity and better than Blue head to head. So, the fact that this one has problems was a major disappointment.

In terms of who should wear this, it will be best for teenagers and guys in their early 20s. At that age, you can wear it pretty much on any occasion.

Not really a formal scent, but otherwise, you’re good.  Seasonally, it can hold up in all conditions…in terms of the aroma, the longevity still might be mediocre.

Overall Impressions of Seductive Blue

Overall, is Blue worth it? I actually like how it smells better than the original Guess Seductive. However, this one has bad longevity. You could definitely spray more than usual to get it to last longer or reapply it throughout the day.

This could be an absolute steal for the price if it performed better or you don’t really care about having to spray a lot. So, I’d say pick up a bottle for cheap and see how it fares on your skin or find something else within this price range that lasts.

Eau de Lacoste L.12.12. Red

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I picked up a few samples from Lacoste’s L.12.12. line of fragrances, Blanc and Rouge (White and Red), and have been wearing them around for the past few days in order to get a full take on these colognes.

Today, I want to do my review of the Red scent from this collection, which was released in 2012. As usual, I am going to give my thoughts on how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a purchase or not.

What does L.12.12 Rouge Smell Like?

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Notes include: ginger, mango, black pepper, mandarin liqueur, cardamom, red roiboos tea

Click here to try: Lacoste Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Rouge Eau de Toilette for Men, 3.3 fl. oz.

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Eau de Lacoste Red really highlights this fragrance’s uniqueness in the men’s cologne space. It definitely has it’s own feel, which I appreciate, while feeling somewhat familiar and not too far out there.

The mango note which is one of the main stars from the start, really reminds me of something like Polo Black. Although, the mandarin liqueur and tea notes take it in a different direction all together.

Red is really a nice summery scent, which would be great as a casual wear along with one of the brand’s signature polo shirts.

This rouge bottled cologne is quite a bright yet layered experience with the second wave of notes really coming through about 10-15 minutes into the wear.

Ginger and black pepper give Eau de Lacoste Red a nice earthy and spicy kick which provide a great richness to what should just be a basic summer/casual fragrance.

During this stage, the mango and mandarin notes, fall back somewhat and the spices become more pronounced. There is also a cardamom note, which begins to take up a significant portion of the dry down.

This entry in the L.12.12. collection is crisp and warm through the use of spice which sets it apart from a lot of summery colognes which go the ‘cold’ citrus route. It honestly is a pretty unique fragrance, which I’ve got to give Lacoste credit for.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on Red is pretty good, at least at first. I applied it before heading out to run errands and was loving getting whiffs of it off of my skin. I thought that I’d found a nice summer wear with decent sillage.

However, the longevity of this one, seems to be pretty weak. I actually love the dry down of this scent which is an outdoorsy sort of blend of spice, wood, and fruit…but it is short-lived.

Lacoste Red becomes a skin scent within a couple of hours, in my experience thus far. Sure, if you really load up on it, you’ll get better longevity but it will be really heavy to have to wear at first.

Update: Even after several tests with this fragrance, I’ve gotten the same results. Probably around 5-6 hours max.

L.12.12. Rouge is best as a summer casual cologne. I feel like I could wear this to a work event, school, or out and about during the daytime.

I can’t classify this as a sexy or nightlife kind of fragrance and I would also put it towards the more youthful side of the spectrum.

Overall Impressions of Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Rouge

Overall, is this one worth a buy? Eh…I like it and think that it smells pretty unique BUT the longevity kind of sucks. If you can grab a bottle for cheap, it might be worth a shot. Maybe, it’s just bad performance due to my skin, and it’d work better on someone else.

I appreciate what Lacoste was going for here but you might be better served by picking up a bottle of Polo Black, which at least has some similarities with L.12.12. Red.

Rouge had a lot of potential to be a nice wear for the summer months. I really do like the scent , the blend of mango and spices works well with each other.

It’s just not enough to warrant paying full price, in my opinion.

Burberry London vs Brit Men’s Cologne Comparison

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Here in yet another cologne comparison posts, I want to put two Burberry scents head to head, Brit and London. Now, I wear both of these colognes and enjoy both of them a lot. So, I do recommend both of them, but I want to break things down further to see what separates the two. Which one performs better? Which is sexier? What do they smell like? Which one is better overall?

Tale of the Tape: Brit vs. London

Burberry London

Notes include: bergamot, cinnamon, pepper, lavender, port, mimosa, moss, tobacco leaf, leather

london

My original London Review

Shop on Amazon: BURBERRY London for Men Eau de Toilette, 3.3 fl. oz

Burberry Brit

Notes include: wild roses, tonka bean, green mandarin, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cedar

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Read my original review

Click here to try: BURBERRY Brit for Men Eau de Toilette, 1.0 fl. oz

Opening

London is a darker and much more masculine scent than is Brit. London features a sweet tobacco leaf note that blends with cinnamon, pepper, port wine, and leather for a spicy and smooth start. The leather comes on stronger a bit later and the port wine ultimately disappears.

The opening is when London is at its spiciest and when it has a boozy edge. The cinnamon and pepper can be quite sharp, but it’s held in check by that tobacco note.

Brit on the other hand, is fresh and powdery with a hint of spice provided by the ginger note. The opening isn’t quite as smooth, as it will ultimately be. In fact, the opening feels quite green with the wild rose note, nutmeg, and a green mandarin orange. Not when Brit is at its best.

Brit is eventually much cleaner but I think that London is way more interesting and attention grabbing, at the start. The opening isn’t a strength for either, but London has a better go of it.

Edge: London

Projection

London is the heavier of the two scents. However, neither is really overpowering by any stretch. I’d say London is on the upper edge of moderate and Brit is a softer moderate.

Both do their job and do it well, just because it’s softer doesn’t mean Brit is weak BUT I’d say London gets the edge. I never have any issue with either being detected, either by my nose, or by those around me.

Edge: London

Longevity

Both sit in the 6-8 hour range for wear. There really isn’t an advantage between either to me in this category. I’d say both tend more toward 8 hours versus 6. I’ve tried recent bottles of each and the performance is still the same.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Both of these colognes are in the autumn/winter wear category of men’s fragrances. I have worn both casually and on dates. I’d say that London is definitely sexier and more of a romantic cologne than is Brit.

I’ll give London the edge because I think it is a better evening wear fragrance but again Brit isn’t bad by any means. Neither is going to be one you’ll want to wear in the summer months.

Edge: London

Overall

I honestly do love wearing both of these scents. As I said in the Burberry for Men vs Brit cologne comparison, I often will switch between these colognes depending on my mood.  Brit is a very good scent, I love its freshness and powdery/green aroma on cold winter days.

London is just an interesting fragrance. It is spicy, woodsy, dark, and kind of boozy. London is the most masculine of the three while Brit is the softest.

London won’t be for everybody and plenty of guys will enjoy the rose, tonka, and ginger notes of Brit; but I’m going to give the edge to London. Conversely, there are plenty of guys who won’t like the powdery quality of Brit, even though it is a dynamic example.

Updating here, I’d rank them: 1. London, 2. Brit, 3. Burberry for Men. I have been loving wearing Burberry Brit, lately, as I more recently purchase a new full bottle.

Winner: London