Fragrances

Canoe by Dana

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I’m pretty sure that I am approaching or perhaps already have surpassed 100 fragrance reviews on this site since its launch almost 3 years ago.

Of course, there are always new scents to try out and relay my experiences with them to my readers, but sometimes I can call on an older cologne and put forth my two cents about it. One of the earliest fragrances that I was gifted was a scent called Canoe by Dana.

Apparently, this is one which dates back to the 1930s and has been steadily selling as a sort of drug store cologne ever since. In this post, I’d like to give an overview of this scent and its performance.

Notes include: lemon, oakmoss, cedar, lavender, vanilla, tonka bean, carnation

Click here to try: Canoe by Dana

The opening of Canoe always struck me as a warm blend of citrus and sweetness provided by the vanilla and tonka bean notes.

I really should like this cologne, as I enjoy vanilla scents such as Le Male and Opium, both of which add a layer of spiciness to the aroma but I simply could never vibe with Canoe.

It always seemed like an old scent (which it is) but it has all of the appeal of something an old man would wear…like senior citizen eau de cologne.

I don’t mind mature fragrances when I feel they are done well, Azzaro isn’t my style really, but I understand its dry and earthy appeal.

Canoe I think relies too much on floral notes, which just strikes me as kind of underwhelming when put together with the citrus notes.

One things, that I will say on the positive side of things, is that Canoe is quite a clean scent, so even if I don’t personally care for it, I can see what they were going for with it.

Projection is on the low-to-moderate side of things. That’s good in this case because I would utterly hate to be around an intense version of this cologne. Longevity is also pretty disappointing, maybe 5 hours tops with this stuff.

Is Canoe a buy? Not for me. It is really, really cheap but even still, I don’t recommend it. What’s the appeal?

It doesn’t last very long and smells completely dated and not that great to begin with. If you’re looking to save money, there are plenty of other options that are better than this.

Best Smelling Unisex Fragrances 2016

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There are many fragrances out their built specifically for men or woman and the opposite sex wearing these scents can seem quite out of place. However, there are also plenty of great unisex perfumes for ladies and gentleman, that not only smell good but also perform well in a variety of life situations. For this post, I wanted to explore some of the best smelling unisex fragrances on the market today. This is by no means a complete list of your options but this is a great place to start. As usual, I have linked each selection out to its Amazon page for more info and ease of purchase.

 

Calvin Klein ck one Eau de Toilette, 6.7 fl. oz.
CK One is a part of the unisex fragrances that Calvin Klein has released and the most popular of them all.  Notes of papaya, pineapple, and jasmine give it a intriguing sweetness while the green tea and amber add warm layers to its simple base.  My Review of CK One

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BE Perfume for Unisex new in box 6.7 FL OZ./200 ML.
Another choice fragrance from the unisex line. CK Be features floral and fruity notes with an undercurrent of musk. It’s a light fragrance that still commands notice. Full Review

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Creed Virgin Island Water by Creed Eau De Parfum Spray for Unisex, 4 Ounce This Creed scent is like summertime in a bottle. Lime, coconut, and rum are the highlights and the smooth/creamy coconut is the main note during the drydown. Great stuff. If you want a cheaper alternative (that isn’t as good but similar) try Tommy Bahama St. Barts.

 

Bond No 9 New Haarlem Cologne, 3.4 Ounce
This bold scent was one of the originals released in 2003 and still maintains it uniqueness to this very day. Lavender, bergmot, coffee, and cedar notes is a great choice for those who like to cause a stir.

 

Eau De Cartier By Cartier For Men and Women, Eau De Toilette Spray, 6.75-Ounce Bottle
This is a unisex fragrance, so it won’t be a good choice for guys who want something wholly masculine. However, this is a good and light choice for those who like a citrus based fragrance that settles down into something more earthy. Best Cartier Colognes for Men

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Bond No.9 Bleecker Street Women Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 Ounce
Bleeker Street is a fantastic fragrance designed to invoke standing in a NYC pastry shop. Sounds weird, right? Don’t worry because the scent is simply great.  Sweet sort of parfum that can settle into something with a hint of spice to it. Categorized as a perfume for women but it is more unisex and can be worn anytime.

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Tobacco Vanille– Warm fragrance that is quite heavy and projects a whole lot. It’s not for everybody, despite being unisex, as it is such an enormous scent.

 

THIERRY MUGLER COLOGNE by Thierry Mugler EDT SPRAY 3.4 OZ

A summertime fragrance that is light, green, soapy, and a little musky. It’s so fresh and clean and perfect for a daily wear.

Best Colognes for Date Night

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For this post, I want to present some cologne options for men when having a date night with a lady. Now, I’ve already addressed the best night colognes for summer and the most complemented fragrances and while there is some overlap between them, I want to focus this post on scents that are fresh, clean, masculine, and/or gourmand in their aromas. This is by no means a complete list, rather, it is a good starting point and there are plenty of options for almost any scenario and if not…check out some other posts on here. As always, I have linked each out to its page on Amazon for more info and ease of purchase.

 

Carolina Herrera Ch Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce
This is a beautiful fragrance by Carolina Herrera. It features notes of grapefruit, bergamot, nutmeg, jasmine, violet, leather, and amber. It is a sweetly sugary aroma with  vanilla and leather, which gives it  a rich and warm smoothness. The dry down is quite lovely.

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Armani Code By Giorgio Armani For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Oz.
Very attractive scent that works well for going out for a night on the town. My review

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Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male By Jean Paul Gaultier For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Oz.
The cologne has been extremely popular for a long time and for good reason. It is warm, seductive, and fresh. Ladies love this stuff. Review

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BURBERRY London for Men Eau de Toilette, 3.3 fl. oz
A wonderful blend of spice and woodsy elements. This fragrance is masculine and full of depth.Burberry London Review.

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Dior Homme By Christian Dior For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces
Light, fresh, elegant, and classy. Dior Homme is a modern classic. The longevity isn’t as great as desired but this is still a wonderful fragrance, you could also go with Homme Intense. Top Christian Dior Colognes for Men

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Givenchy Play Intense by Givenchy for Men – 3.3 Ounce EDT Spray
Great fragrance from Givenchy with woodsy and spice notes.  

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The One By Dolce and Gabbana for Men, 3.3 Ounce

One of my favorites in terms of smell. However, it simply doesn’t last long on my skin and I know others have this problem too…but not everyone. If it works for you, you’re lucky because The One is amazing.

DolceGabbana_The_One_For_Men

Rochas Man Eau de Toilette, Woody Gourmand, 3.3 fl. oz.

Sweet and warm gourmand with a strong coffee influence. This is one for the wintertime but it gets attention.

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Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit De L’homme Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3-Ounce
An entry from Yves Saint Laurent. With notes of bergamot, lavender, cedar, vetiver, and other floral notes…La Nuit is definitely a winner come autumn and is generally very well received. Here’s my review

la nuit de l'homme

 

Kouros Body By Yves Saint Laurent For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 1.6 Ounces One of my favorites during the wintertime. This cologne is sweet and spicy and has the ability to draw women in it seems. My Full Review

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Polo by Ralph Lauren Men’s Cologne Review

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I have already covered the best smelling men’s fragrances by Ralph Lauren and have done several reviews on this brand’s colognes. However, I have until now neglected to do a review of one of the originals which dates back to the late 1970s, Polo by Ralph Lauren.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at this now classic men’s scent and determine how it performs, what it smells like, what notes it contains, when it should be worn, and if it is really worth a purchase at all. My Reviews of: Polo Red, Double Black, and Polo Blue. 

Polo by Ralph Lauren Overview

Notes include: basil, leather, tobacco, oakmoss, pine, cedar, and more.

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Click here to try:Polo by Ralph Lauren for Men, Eau de Toilette Natural Spray, 4-Fluid Ounce

My Full Review

What strikes me about the opening of Polo is how dry and masculine it is. That isn’t a bad thing, this is classically masculine, so don’t expect sweet fruits and floral notes like so many more modern examples.

It’s an interesting mix of pine and leather notes which gives it a rich, grassy/green type of aroma, that feels quite complex and dark. I completely dig it as a change of pace from the norm.

After 20 minutes or so of that initial blast, Polo begins its transformation into more of a tobacco laden cologne with a distinct patchouli note poking through. This drydown phase is warm and smoky and still retains that dry woodsy element that makes the opening so intriguing.

Projection wise, Polo is a pretty heavy fragrance, so 1-2 sprays max. This one can fill a room if you’re not careful and it will take it from pleasant to overbearing.

Longevity wise, this stuff is really damn good, 8+ hours for each use in my experience. I would stay away from wearing Polo in the summer or on any warm day really, as it doesn’t hold up that well and seems out of place.

However, during the fall and into the winter, this is when Polo really shines.

Overall, is Polo worth a purchase? This one is for the older set. Not that younger guys couldn’t pull it off in some cases, but I’d say, 30 and up is your best bet.

So, yes, if you are in that age group and want something that a change of pace from the usual sweet type of fragrances, then Polo is a terrific choice which lasts a long time and performs great as a casual and everyday cologne.

Blv Pour Homme by Bvlgari

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In my long list of men’s fragrance reviews on this site, I have already tackled one Bvlgari cologne, and today I’d like to turn my attention to another, Blv. Blv is a casual scent for men released back in 2001 and like other scents from the brand, it is both affordable and has a really specific aroma that separates it from many other offerings.

Is that enough to make Blv a buy? How does it perform? What’s it smell like? Please continue reading below for my take on Blv.

Blv Overview

Notes include: sandalwood, juniper berries, cedar, ginger, cardamom

Click here to try: Bvlgari Blv By Bvlgari For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Oz.

My Full Review

Blv upon its opening strikes me as a rather unique scent for something that is a mainstream daily wear fragrance. It’s slightly sweet/citrus with an overtone of spice provided by the ginger note.

The ginger does get overshadowed by that cardamom, which only heightens the initial spicy profile of this fragrance. It seems to be the ‘lemony’ smelling sort of cardamom like Wanted by Azzaro, but not nearly as prominent.

Behind all that, sits a woodsy and fresh aroma that is down right pleasant. Blv in many regards is almost a perfect casual scent.

With Blv I get the same ‘dry’ type of scent that I do with Bvlgari Man, except more of a clean/powdery smell than that one. Yes, it does have a bit of a ‘baby wipes’ aroma at times, but not exactly.

Tobacco blossom and juniper give this one an aromatic and greenish profile during the middle especially.

In fact, Blv leans more towards the unisex side of fragrances, not that it’s really all that feminine but women could definitely pull this one off if they wanted to.

It’s quite a subtle scent, that isn’t too complex in that it doesn’t change all that much from the first 15 minutes of wear. Yes, less spicy and more woody. But, Blv is a clean aromatic scent with some nice highlights of spice.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is fairly light to moderate. This isn’t a cologne that’s going to bog you down with a thick or heavy feeling. Nor is it going to be one that’s absolutely jumping off of the skin.

It hangs around well enough. Though, it isn’t a fragrance that is going to be radiating across a room with its power.

In terms of longevity, it’ll get a solid 6 hours and maybe more depending on the conditions its being worn in. It’s not a projection beast, as I said, it’s subtle. But, you might get 7 hours from this Bvlgari cologne at times.

That isn’t a bad thing in this case, as it begs to be worn during the daytime as an office/school wear. It’s very versatile within that frame. It can go casual or semi-formal and it’s a low key aroma that can fit in almost anywhere.

Not too much of a date night fragrance or one that will command attention (although it will draw complements). It’s a pretty unique scent, while being familiar enough, that isn’t offensive and does its job well.

Seasonally, this one can be worn pretty much whenever. Spring through autumn is when it would be at it’s best. I like it more in the warmer weather than anything approaching freezing temperatures.

Overall Impressions of Blv

Is Blvgari Blv worth a purchase? Fragrance wise, yes, it smells really nice.

It’s got a great blend of spice and powder. But, the woods and even slight creaminess make this one interesting to me, even with Blv’s simplicity.

I think that they might have stopped making this at one point, because for a while it became pretty difficult to find.

Now, I’m seeing it around a lot more and the price isn’t too bad.