Fragrances

Invictus Intense by Paco Rabanne

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More samples have been acquired and thus more reviews will be on the way. One such entry, is a 2016 release from Paco Rabanne and a flanker to the original Invictus. Invictus Intense takes the original and attempts to ratchet the power up and give the cologne a new experience. How does it rate? Does it last? Continue reading below for my full review of Invictus Intense.

What does Invictus Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: orange blossom, black pepper, malt accord, wood, black amber, ambergris

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Intense Eau De Toilette Spray 100ml/3.4oz

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Invictus Intense seems less sweet than the original. There is an immediate sensation of a warm amber note with a salty marine element hanging around. It definitely takes the Invictus name in a new direction, it feels darker, and has a boozy quality provided by the malt accord (think whiskey).

After a few minutes of settling on my skin, the orange blossom emerges which provides a softer sweetness that is reminiscent of the original Invictus. On my skin, up to this point, the booziness retains the strongest spot in the composition. 

Intense maintains the freshness of the original (the bay leaf) but does away with the citrus notes (outside of the orange blossom aroma). I always find it interesting how these brand’s change notes around or eliminate them entire while still maintaining the overall essence of the original scent.

As it moves along, Intense becomes more of a darker floral (almost unisex) fragrance with woody notes plus black pepper and the ultimate takeover of the composition by the ambergris.

The sweetness in Intense is almost muted, with how restrained it is. when compared to the original Invictus. Much more spice here, within the context of an amber-laden fragrance. 

The final dry down consists of amber, marine notes (sea salt), and a woody base. The wood isn’t too noticeable, but it is there. Anything that remains from the other notes, just seems to blend together, on my skin. It all seems much deeper and richer than the original Invictus does. 

As a whole, Invictus Intense delivers a warm, slighty spicy, and fresh mix of mostly amber and floral notes. The malt, wood, and black pepper play a supporting role in balancing it out and preventing it from becoming a ‘women’s’ scent.  Though, at its heart, you can still sense the spirit of the original.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d say it’s somewhere between moderate and mildly strong. You can obviously overdo the sprays with it but it isn’t super pungent. It’s kind of funny how this ‘Intense’ version of Invictus is still weaker than the regular 1 Million also by Paco Rabanne.

The sillage will pretty much be in a 5-7 foot radius around the wearer, for the opening act, and then move towards the skin gradually. It’s not an absolute bomb, but again, it can be over-sprayed. 

Longevity is also really good but not great, think I’m getting about 7-8 hours with it, at a still solid projection. Plus, maybe a few more hours as a close skin scent. The longevity on my skin isn’t amazing, but this will go on forever, on clothes.

Don’t spray fragrances on anything that you actually care about keeping high quality, but with a t-shirt, Invictus Intense is very long-lasting.

One nice aspect about Invictus Intense is how versatile it is. It’s so balanced and can seemingly be worn in any season and not feel out of place.

While I cannot test it in the high heat of summer in the middle of October, I think it would hold up nicely. Though, that would be its worst performing climate.

In the colder weather, Intense works very well. The whiskey and amber combination are an ideal fit, in autumn/winter, and just seem to hang around beautifully in the crisp air. 

It also can be worn casually or out on the town or out on a date. Intense is quite pleasant and has a certain sexiness to it that girls should love. It still feels like a younger man’s cologne, but less so than the original. I’ve never worn it to an office environment, but I couldn’t see why a light application, wouldn’t work. 

Overall Impressions of Invictus Intense

Overall, is Invictus Intense worth a buy? I honestly like it. If you hated the original, I highly doubt you’ll like this one, so go ahead and skip over it. It’s not an amazing scent, in my opinion, BUT I think that it is quite good.

Update: this one is now discontinued.

It doesn’t do a bad job at anything, has a nice aroma, and has great versatility. For the price, one could do a lot worse, and I would lean towards wearing Intense over the original Invictus.

This is one that I have a mini bottle of. I put it on every once in a while, when I am in the mood to do so, and just enjoy. I love amber, orange blossom, and whiskey. Plus, I am not opposed to the Invictus DNA, that inhabits all of these colognes. 

Actually, after trying all of the Invictus scents including the newer Invictus Legend, Intense is my favorite. I have grown somewhat fonder of the original, but I still would rather wear this, over any of them. 

Burberry London by Burberry

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British design house Burberry is famous for its distinctive check pattern and its long history of high fashion. One thing that this firm does extremely well is to create fantastic fragrances for men and women.

One such fragrance is Burberry London. Burberry London was one of the first colognes, that I bought while I was in college, and it is one that I truly enjoy wearing.

There have been plenty of colognes which I have worn since but I don’t think that any of them were as masculine in their essence as London.

As such, I thought that I’d do another review and give my impressions on London. What it contains. How does it smell? How does it perform? Is it worth a purchase?   Top Burberry Colognes

What does Burberry London for Men Smell Like?

london

Burberry London Notes: bergamot, cinnamon, pepper, lavender, port wine, mimosa, moss, tobacco leaf, leather

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

My Full Wear Review

What I love about London is its depth and complexity as a cologne. It’s notes blend together to create a sexy and masculine scent full of spice. It is a rich and full scent with plenty of character and woodsy charm.

Tobacco is a major player here, it’s a rather sweet tobacco note which is a nice play off of the leather and cinnamon to give it something rather unique.

Something that is a bit smoky and aged just right like a cask of whiskey, but without that type of boozy element. It does have port wine, instead of whiskey.

The opening is a blast of that tobacco note, which is flanked by the super warm spice duo of cinnamon, and pepper. Oh yeah, plus that wine note.

Tobacco, booze, spice and leather! That start can be quite heavy and bold, but I really enjoy how it hits, with just enough bergamot to keep it from being overwhelming.

As it moves along, the spices fade somewhat, and are replaced by a rich leather note that helps to smooth out the composition.

The port wine present in the opening, is pretty much gone at this point, and woody/forest notes begin to emerge from the base.

It very dry and mossy, with bits of calming lavender coming through. It all comes together as tobacco, leather, cinnamon, woods, with a dry and slight sweetness. Lovely.

London is a scent that is great for guys with a certain level of presence and maturity. The scent almost has a confidence of its own and if the man wearing it doesn’t, it almost seems in-congruent that he is wearing this cologne.

The kind of comments that I get while wearing London are phrases like “That’s sexy”, “You smell really good”, or that it is “manly”.

Many other colognes that have a spice to it like to blend that spice off of citrus based notes or only floral notes. London as you can see from the ingredients adds spice to woodsy scents as well as floral ones to help create a different take on spice.

Sillage, Longevity, When to Wear

Like the other Burberry scents, this one is a moderate in how it projects and moderate in its longevity also. The opening act can be fairly powerful and intense. Though, that will settle down, along with the spiciness and boozy qualities.

It lasts for a long time on fabric, but on skin it’ll usually fall into the 6-8 hour range. Every time that I have owned a bottle of London, this is the longevity that I get. No more, no less.

In my opinion, Burberry London is a scent made for the Fall and Winter months, when the air is crisp and not weighed down by the humidity.

I’ve always liked to wear it in the evenings but it works well in the daytime also. Not a summer scent at all, so don’t expect a year round wear.

It’s good dressed up or with a more rugged look, at a bar, or something of the sort. I think Burberry for Men is probably a more moderate option for the daily wear, while London is a sexier bet.

It works for younger men, but has enough maturity to be a solid option for older guys as well.

Overall Impressions of London

Overall, is Burberry London worth a purchase? I’d say yes. I love to alternate between this, Brit (London vs Brit), and Burberry for Men during the autumn and winter.

London is the most masculine of the three scents and is for those who want something spicy/woodsy/refined and who happen to really enjoy the tobacco note and/or leather.

I definitely fall into that camp and London had been close at hand in my collection for years. It’s a very good scent and does almost everything well. Yet, it still flies under the radar somewhat nowadays.

Bois du Portugal by Creed

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Another one of the fragrances that I revisited upon my excursions to the Creed boutique in Las Vegas was Bois du Portugal. This men’s cologne takes a different turn than other scents in the Creed family and offers a much more woodsy scent.

It can also feel much more formal than even the other luxury fragrances offered by this boutique brand. In this post, I want to give my thoughts on this cologne, how it performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not it is worth a buy.

Check out: Creed Tabarome Review and List of All Reviews from this Site

What does Bois du Portugal Smell Like?

bois du portugal

Notes include: cedar, sandalwood, bergamot, ambergris, lavender, vetiver

Click here to try: CREED BOIS DU PORTUGAL by Creed EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY 2.5 OZ

My Full Review

I retested Bois du Portugal for one day with a few sprays on my arm. The opening is a familiar bergamot note from Creed which is similar to the one found in Green Irish Tweed as well as Silver Mountain Water.

This opening blast of citrus blended with the sandalwood, is just a phase for perhaps the first 20-30 minutes or so; before it begins to transition away from something familiar to a more refined and mature cologne.

There is this interesting, but very slight spice, during the opening act. Not very overt, but it is there.

As it wears on a bit more, Bois du Portugal takes on more of the cedar and lavender notes and the bergamot begins to take a back seat. This is where this cologne begins to shine, in my opinion.

At this stage, its a smooth, woodsy, and warm aroma that somewhat recalls the spiciness of Tabarome. Sitting underneath, is that famous Creed ambergris, which isn’t all that prominent in this perfume.

This scent is so wholly classic and doesn’t feel the same as many more modern fragrances for men. At the same time, the sandalwood and lavender provide a touch of sweetness, that doesn’t allow Bois du Portugal to stray too far in either direction.

Like most other Creeds, this one is blended superbly. I do enjoy getting bursts of aroma, from individual notes. A sharper cedar here and there.

Then, you get a nice vetiver, emerging from the creamy sandalwood. It’s got enough depth to be interesting, but never feels overly complicated, just refined.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

Projection wise, it feels pretty moderate. It isn’t a complete sillage beast, but it isn’t weak either, which allows it to be a completely safe bet. Decent amount of power, up top, but that fades into something much more middle of the road.

Longevity is also really good on this as well, I think I got 8-9 solid hours out of Portugal and a couple more when it was in a much more weakened state.

So, the performance is very good as a whole, just not an extreme or ‘in your face’ sort of fragrance.

The woodsy scent, lends itself well to the cooler months of the year. Luckily, it isn’t too heavy, that it cannot venture into slightly warmer weather. However, I probably wouldn’t wear it during the summertime.

Also, it fits for office, casual, and dressed up events. Though, not so much for clubbing or going to school. I don’t know that there’d be a large percentage of younger guys, who’d be into this scent. It is mature, professional, but never feels dated to my nose.

Overall Impressions of Bois du Portugal

Overall, would I rate this a buy? Yes, it is one of the best options for Creed. However, one needs to understand that, it comes off as a mature and more serious type of cologne.

Younger guys should probably stay away, unless you have a very refined style or go to lots of upscale events.

Bois du Portugal is a classic and should be treated as such. It is a really great scent for those who enjoy woodsy and elegant fragrances.

The bergamot opening is fine, but this scent really comes into its own, during the dry down. The wood notes are the stars here.

Each of them brings something to the table, for a really great cologne.

The performance is solid, just not extremely bold. If you want a refined woody fragrance, Bois du Portugal should be on your list to try out.

Bleecker Street by Bond No. 9

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This is a review that I’ve been meaning to get around to doing for a long while. In fact, I grabbed another sample vial just for this very purpose, and promptly forgot about it for months. But, Bleecker Street, is a scent that needed a write up on this site and I wasn’t going to let the sample Bond No. 9 perfume, lie unused for too long.

So, in this post, I am going to cover the usual ingredients, how it smells, develops, performs, when it should be worn, and if it’s actually worth a purchase.

What does Bleecker Street Smell Like?

Notes include: violet leaf, vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, jasmine, cassis, patchouli, oakmoss

Click here to try: Bond No.9 Bleecker Street Women Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Bond No. 9 describes, Bleecker Street: Art, fashion, seduction, and dessert in liquid form. A warm and sensual aphrodisiac that glides from day into evening. 

The opening of Bleecker Street gives you that initial blast of violet leaf. Violet leaf always reminds me of Fahrenheit by Christian Dior, and yep, that’s a what I experience with this Bond No. 9 fragrance. That outdoorsy almost gasoline kind of aroma, just toned way down, in Bleecker Street and not nearly as aggressive as the Dior.

Nonetheless, it quickly moves off of that beginning and is joined by other notes like cinnamon, patchouli, and oakmoss. It’s a green ‘natural’ kind of scent, sort of sporty, but always clean and fresh.

Looking at the notes, which include vanilla and caramel, I would expect this to be sweeter than it actually is.

However, Bleecker Street never reaches that expected sweetness, as it is controlled by the stronger notes like cassis, which while derived from black currant doesn’t have that sugary quality. It is the same type of thing you find in Aventus.

So, it’s not sugary and the fruit isn’t ‘juicy’, as it is surrounded by dry ingredients.

The whole profile and experience of wearing Bleecker Street brings me to the outdoors, out in the wilderness, and taking in the landscape. At times, it’s completely woody with the overlying natural sharpness of the cassis. Then, a layer of faint sweetness of caramel.

The violet leaf is always present and a bit of warm spice from the cinnamon and patchouli. To my nose, it gets sweeter as it dries down, and moves away from the woodiness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, its of pretty moderate sillage. People will notice it, but there’s no need to go heavy on the sprays, nor is it going to be crazy intense with a normal application. There’s really no need to coat yourself in it, though.

The performance with Bleecker Street’s longevity is very good and while around 8 hours is the norm, it can hit double digits on occasion. It’s not one to die out in the middle of the day and will be just right for almost any time one wears it.

Now, this is listed as a unisex fragrance by Bond No. 9 and I tend to agree. Though, it does lean more towards the masculine side of things.

I’ve said that it has elements of both Fahrenheit and Aventus for men, but this Bond scent, never has that same intensity or overt masculinity.

So, yes, it is safe for women but it does have more of what would usually be considered masculine elements.

Seasonally, I would like to wear this best in the autumn or spring. It just feels right with more moderate temperatures and there’s all of the usual changes in nature taking place. Just the whole clean outdoorsy profile fits these time periods to a tee.

Bleecker is a versatile scent, it can be worn casually, as well as on more formal occasions. It smells really good, but isn’t what I’d call sexy, and isn’t a nightclub beast.

Overall Impressions of Bleecker Street

Overall, do I like Bleecker Street? Yes, this is one of the better fragrances by Bond No. 9. It’s got a pretty unique style and aroma. It is interesting throughout and the notes aren’t what you’d find in a lot of the more common fragrances on the market.

The performance is also great. Is this a fragrance for everybody? Almost certainly not. Some women will find it too masculine and some guys won’t find it bold enough. Though, it is a quality perfume, and one which has found a niche in a lot of people’s rotations.

It’s definitely one of my favorite fragrances from this expensive brand, which can honestly be pretty hit or miss. This one is among the best that they’ve ever put out.

7 Best Smelling Wood Scented Colognes

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Often times, in men’s fragrances, the wood notes will sit at the base and play more of a supporting role. However, there are some guys who want these notes to be the stars of the show. They want a clean wood based cologne or something a little more earthy and woodsy. In this post, I want to explore some of the best smelling options for men who want a wood scented fragrance. 

What are the Best Smelling Wood  Fragrances for Men?

Oud Scent

Tom Ford Private Blend Oud Wood Eau De Parfum Spray – 50ml/1.7oz– Oud Wood is a somewhat niche fragrance with lots of fans. While I’m personally not a huge fan of the oud note, some people swear by it, and this is a great example.

This Tom Ford scent opens up with the oud, spice, and warm cardamom. The next wave, is solidified with other wood notes like, rosewood and sandalwood. There is warmth, wood, spice, and some sweetness from vanilla and amber.

The performance wasn’t that great on my skin, but the smell is what a fan of oud would want. But, you may also want to look at Oud Wood Intense, for more power. Oud Wood Review

Sandalwood Cologne

Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule Eau De Parfum Spray For Men 50Ml/1.6Oz– A great sandalwood offering from Serge Lutens. It of course has that great woody note as a base, but it is joined by raw cacao and rose, to give Santal Majuscule an underlying powdered sweetness. It’s very smooth and has a creamy element while maintaining a familiar dry warmth.

This is absolutely one of the best options on the market, for someone who wants a dominate sandalwood note. It is pretty simple and straightforward, with its list of ingredients, but takes those and creates something that it beautiful. It has elements of spice and sweetness and bitterness, at times. Simplicity with depth and is just plain enjoyable.

Light with Sweetness

Bvlgari Man Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 5 Ounce– Bvlgari Man is a woody fragrance that is soft, smooth, and sweet with that bit of honey at its heart. Man is not at all an overpowering fragrance, it is more of one that demands others get closer for a better aroma.

That is not to say that Bvlgari Man is completely weak, it isn’t, it is more subtle, refined, and masculine but use more sprays. I do wish that it was bolder and had top notch sillage, because it is a pretty unique and fine smelling scent.

For a more mass appealing daily wear, I really do enjoy throwing this one on. The smell is great, so, I’ll just spray more than usual when wearing this to get decent performance.  Full Bvlgari Man Review

bvlgari man

Unisex Pine Parfum

Serge Lutens Fille En Aiguilles Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 1.6 Ounce– Wow. What a unique scent it’s full bodied and woodsy with pine note being the main player. It has a dry sort of aroma to it but don’t think, ‘pine car freshener’, as the sweetness of the non-juicy fruits brings an added layer of depth and intrigue.

I really don’t know what to compare this to, but it’s awesome. Fille En Aiguilles gives you a woody blend of fir and pine, with a nice warm smokiness, among some other light spices/fruits. Not too heavy, but something that can change the pace in the autumn/winter months.

Inexpensive Wood Cologne

Lalique Encre Noire Pour Homme EDT Spray, 3.3 oz– A very popular scent that is inexpensive but provides a lot of bang for your buck. Encre Noire is a wood based cologne with cypress, vetiver, and cashmere being the main attractions here.

Of course as the name suggests, it is a dark scent with an air of mystery, and a nice dash of smokiness. It is dry and features a vetiver note that feels a bit unique than some of the others on the market. This doesn’t just give you a ‘woody’ aroma, but provides, a green forest type of vibe as well. Encre still has a cleanliness about it, but its a rugged cleanliness. 

Cedar Fragrance for Him

Dior Homme Eau For Men by Christian Dior for Men – 1.7 oz EDT Spray– I personally wear, the original Dior Homme, but Eau is the choice if you want something woodier. It actually starts off much closer to the original fragrance, then Eau, takes on more of the cedar note than the signature iris.

You get lots of fresh cedar, coriander, some grapefruit, and iris. It has some spice, earthiness, and herbal elements. Not a bomb in terms of its sillage, however, the performance was nice at about 6-8 hours of wear. It’s classy, with a nice powdery iris, blended with the cedar. Dior Homme Eau Review

A Blended Woody Fragrance

Zino Davidoff by Zino Davidoff for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 4.2 Ounce– Zino Davidoff does it’s own thing with notes of sandalwood, rosewood and patchouli as the main attractions. Masculine. with enough sweetness in its vanilla and floral notes. Very well done. This one dates back to the late 1980s and as an affordable wood based cologne, it is top notch. 

Zino has a slightly spicy opening with sage, that is paired with calming lavender. The wood notes are ubiquitous throughout, but cedar and rosewood are prevalent in the early stages. Then, it becomes more of a sandalwood and rosewood scent. However, it isn’t just that, as the patchouli does play a large role in the latter part of the wear. Mature barbershop sort of smell.