Fragrances

1 Million Elixir by Paco Rabanne

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1 Million is still a powerhouse name from Paco Rabanne. The brand has been releasing newer flankers these past handful of years, with 2022’s Elixir being the latest. I recently got a sample of 1 Million Elixir to review and have been testing it out. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does 1 Million Elixir Smell Like?

Notes include: osmanthus, Damascena rose, tonka bean, cedar, apple, davana, patchouli, vanilla absolute

Click here to buy: 1 Million Elixir

million elixir review

My Full Review

Here’s how Paco Rabanne describes it: 1 Million Elixir, richer than ever before, for thrilling sensations.  The hand-picked ingredients, Turkish Damascena rose, osmanthus and wild grown tonka beans, undoubtedly make this masterpiece composition stand out by the extreme quality of its raw materials. Deeply sensual, liquorous davana vibrates with the power of smooth woods and black vanilla seeds. Supreme sensuality meets absolute long-lasting power.

Elixir opens up with a crisp apple note up top. It’s not massively strong or candy-like, but that note will help lend this one some fruitiness. Beyond the apple, you get contributions of ‘fruitiness’ from the davana, osmanthus, and the Damascena rose.

Each of those notes adds something akin to a fruit smell, without actually being fruits themselves. They also seem to give Elixir almost an amber-like aroma underneath. Not sure which note or combination is doing that here.

Davana up top gives this one a drier woodsy/herbal/fruity smell, that will fade away rather quickly.

What I do notice from the start and throughout is the vanilla note. Well, really vanilla and tonka bean, but the latter will get stronger later on in the development of this scent. Up top, you’re getting much more vanilla.

The Damask rose is more floral than sweet, but even that adds something to the top. After the apple settles and the davana passes, the rose will come out along with some smoky fresh cedar.

Now, this isn’t a traditional red rose aroma. It’s lighter and sweeter than that, more pinkish or white than what you might otherwise expect. This is going to be one of the main notes throughout.

Though it’s not listed and doesn’t feel to intense here, I do get something that smells like cinnamon here. Cinnamal is listed in the actual chemical ingredients and it was a note in the original 1 Million, so, I’m not crazy in picking it up.

As it dries down, this becomes less fruity sweet and more of a vanilla and tonka bean dominant scent. For the rest of the way, the other notes will just jockey for position underneath those two notes.

Rose, patchouli/cedar, some remaining apple. Warm and fresh.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

1 Million Elixir is a strong fragrance, especially at the start. I don’t think that it is a complete monster, with how it projects and the scent trail that it leaves.

However, it is well above average, and is more importantly consistent. This isn’t a fragrance that starts out big and quickly fades. No, the projection will taper off slowly and you’ll be good to go for a long time. Just, the peak isn’t a total bomb.

With the longevity, it lasts on my skin for up to 10 hours. It seems to fall in the 8.5-10 hour range, but doesn’t go beyond that for me. The performance here is well worth the price of admission.

Seasonally, more of an autumn and winter scent. I wouldn’t go much too much above room temperature with this. So, that eliminates summer and much of springtime.

1 Million Elixir really gives you another option, as a nightlife scent. It’s nice to see that this line has headed back to being about that aspect of wear, like the original was. Lucky and Parfum didn’t have that same feel.

This one is going to skew younger, but isn’t completely childish. Just don’t expect a cologne that is built for formal occasions or office wear. This is one to draw complements and go out with.

It can probably fit better into more daily wear situations that the original and many others in the series, especially because of the easier and fresher dry down period.

Overall Impressions of 1 Million Elixir

Overall, do I like 1 Million Elixir? Yes, this is one of the better 1 Million releases. I think it’s about on par with the original, but not as good as 1 Million Prive. Though, it’s better than the others in this line.

The opening and first quarter of the wear is really the best part. After that, the vanilla and tonka bean take things over fully, and it’s not as dynamic.

Not that it’s bad, but I wasn’t all that enthusiastic about the later parts of this cologne. The davana was a bit too short-lived, while the osmanthus and apple pairing is great while it’s got the center stage.

But, that first bit is definitely strong enough to warrant a try or buy of 1 Million Elixir. This scent is for sure in the same vein as the Stronger With You line or Ultra Male. Though, the latter is much sweeter and has a spicier cinnamon note.

Either way, it’s not exactly the same as either of them and stands separate enough to be a distinct fragrance.

The smell is quite attractive and the performance absolutely delivers what you’d want from a 1 Million scent. They went a bit of a different direction with 2023’s 1 Million Royal, which I also like a lot.

Terre d’Hermes EDT by Hermes

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Alright, I am revisiting this fragrance a handful of years. Also,10 years after my initial review. I know how popular and well loved this Hermes release is since its 2006 release. However, I pretty much hated it the multiple times, I wore it back then.

Now, I have hundreds upon hundreds of other fragrance reference points since then, and my nose has become much more adept at picking up details. I started to wonder, if I would still not like Terre D’Hermes? Wearing it today, would I change my tune and begin to love it? Below is my updated thoughts on this fragrance (over multiple years).

What does Terre d’Hermes Smell Like?

IMG_0260

Notes include: mineral note, Grapefruit, bay rose, pepper, geranium, Atlas cedar, benzoin, patchouli, vetiver, orange.

Click here to try: Terre D’ Hermes By Hermes For Men. Parfum Spray 2.5 Oz / 75 Ml

My Full Review

When I first tried Terre D’Hermes, I had pretty high expectations as to what this fragrance would be, and afterwards, I was really disappointed.

The opening act featured a strong orange note, which is sharp, and joined by an equally sharp and very bitter grapefruit note. On my skin, the opening smells like this old citrus scented cleaner/polisher, that I used to use on my furniture.

That’s exactly what I though of back ten years ago, with the initial review.

Update: Today, I don’t really feel that way, and I can definitely detect some more nuance here.

It’s not as sharp, as I once found it. I’m much more used to these sorts of smells, than I was back in the day. The citrus actually feels balanced here, sweeter with the orange than the bitterness of grapefruit.

Plus, you get a spicy black pepper note, bay leaf, and a mineral aroma. I actually have begun to enjoy that spice. Particularly, the lighter bay leaf note. It gives it a kick without dominating the composition.

I still don’t really enjoy most ‘mineral’ accords. In AdG Profumo, it works. Here, it’s not too distracting, either. When I first tried it, that’s a big part of what I could smell and why I hated this Hermes fragrance. But, this time around it doesn’t play a major role. Great!

There is also a certain level of smokiness here from the vetiver and perhaps the benzoin. I think that’s what it is, because I get a similar feeling from Kouros Body. Sort of fuzzy, smoky, but that YSL scent also had incense too.

I still get a lot of the pepper, but with more patchouli (decent), and a really fresh cedar and vetiver blend (I like this part). On top of all of that, is the orange note, still adding a sweetness.

The scent has less of that vetiver smoke, but I dig the touch. It’s a sweet orange and wood with an earthy quality and the remaining notes dancing in the background.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Terre d’Hermes is strong. Not super powerful projection, but still very good. I’d say that it settles into something noticeable, slightly above average, but not going to blow the doors off. Unless you really go heavy with the sprays.

The performance of this fragrance is great and the longevity hit 8 hours on my skin, during this latest trial run. Update: Here in 2023, still getting 8-ish hours from it. So, if you dig this scent, you do get your money’s worth.

The other strength of this fragrance is its versatility. It’s got an almost unisex quality to it, but it definitely leans more masculine. It’s clean, citrus/woodsy aroma, is safe for work, casual wear, formal situations, etc.

Terre d’Hermes is one that can be worn daily and works well in just about all climates, excepting the high heat of a summer’s day. It’s works in warm weather, but wearing it on a hot day, was an even worse experience for me.

Overall Impression of Terre d’Hermes

Overall, I’m still not a massive fan of Terre d’Hermes. However, it has gone from a complete dislike, to something that I can enjoy from time to time.

I still don’t really want a full bottle or to wear it all of the time, but I appreciate it more.

Eau Intense Vetiver, is another flanker of this that I like. Eau Tres Fraiche is one is still really don’t like.

This time around, I’m getting less of the mineral note, less sharpness/bitterness from the citrus, and highlights of the aspects of Terre d’Hermes that I like.

The orange seems to have more control in this batch, versus the grapefruit.  I prefer the orange, playing off of the other notes. The vetiver is great, as is the bay leaf, and benzoin.

Now that I get a better opening act with this one, the entire lifecycle of the cologne feels much smoother and something likeable. I’m never going to completely be one to love this fragrance, but it’s worth checking out for sure.

Others, have always been into it more than me. These days, Terre d’Hermes is something that has sort of won me over, just not entirely.

Azzaro Wanted by Night vs. Spicebomb Extreme

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When it comes to wintertime fragrances, the original Spicebomb was legendary. Azzaro Wanted has also developed a ton of popularity in the past few years. Each of those fragrances spawned flankers, Wanted by Night and Spicebomb Extreme. For this post, I want to compare these two, how they smell, how long each lasts, and declare which one is the better buy.

Tale of the Tape: Spicebomb Extreme vs Wanted by Night

Spicebomb Extreme

Notes include: tobacco, cumin, cinnamon, saffron, vanilla, bourbon

Click here to try: Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb Extreme Eau De Parfum Spray 50ml/1.7oz

Read my Full Review: Spicebomb Extreme

spicebomb extreme edp

Wanted by Night

Notes include: cumin, cinnamon, lavender, tobacco, lemon, orange, cedar, cypress, patchouli, fruits

Click here to try: Azzaro Wanted by Night Eau de Parfum for Men – Mens Cologne

Read my full review: Wanted by Night

Opening

To kick things off, Spicebomb Extreme gives you a hefty dose of tobacco, lavender, sweet vanilla, and some spices. It’s not actually a heavy spice, but still quite noticeable cumin and cinnamon. I actually don’t think that this one is nearly as spicy as the original Spicebomb. 

Extreme is more about that tobacco note. It is smooth, warm, with that nice sweet touch. There is a great saffron note, which freshens things up, but plays a bigger role later on.

Meanwhile, Wanted by Night starts off with citrus and fruity notes up top. The spices are the same, cumin and cinnamon, but probably a bit more intense than in Extreme. Also, the tobacco note, which isn’t as good as Extreme’s. 

Which is better? While I really like Wanted by Night, I prefer the Spicebomb scent. It’s smoother, with a nicer blend of spice and sweetness.

Edge: Spicebomb Extreme

Projection

Both of these fragrances start off strong and then settle more into the moderate range. However, Extreme has the better sillage and it stays at that powerful level for longer. Wanted by Night is no slouch, is above average, but doesn’t climb to the same heights.

Edge: Spicebomb Extreme

Longevity

Wanted by Night is a very solid performer, clocking in at around 7-9 hours, on my skin. Nothing to complain about.

However, in comparison, it isn’t even close between these two fragrances. The V&R scent, goes above and beyond what you get with the Azzaro.

Spicebomb Extreme goes over 10 hours for me. It can get into the 12-13 hour range, on the right day. The Viktor & Rolf takes another category.

 

Edge: Spicebomb Extreme

Versatility

Both of these fragrances are built for autumn and winter. I would avoid both during the warmer months. Also, I’d much prefer to wear both in casual or nightlife scenarios, versus the office. 

The only real distinction, is that Spicebomb Extreme is a bit more mature. It has greater depth and has more refinement. For that, I’ll give it a slight edge.

Edge: Spicebomb Extreme (slightly)

Overall Scent

It’s easy to see why these two fragrances, often get compared to one another, what with all the overlap in their notes.

To me, one of them clearly stands above the other, from smell through how each performs.

I was never a huge fan of the original Azzaro Wanted, so, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy Wanted by Night all that much. I was wrong. I actually do like it and have worn it around, more than I was expecting to, after testing.

It’s a nice fragrance. I especially enjoy the opening hour or so. It has it’s charm, but it’s not something I’d want to reach for all of the time during the fall and winter. Update: The Most Wanted and Parfum are even better than Night.

The problem is, it doesn’t hold up when compared to Spicebomb Extreme. It’s just a better fragrance all around. From it’s strength, to its tobacco note, to the saffron touches. I’ll gladly wear either cologne, but I’m going with the Viktor & Rolf here.

Winner: Spicebomb Extreme

Ombre Leather by Tom Ford

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I received in the mail a sample card from Tom Ford with a pull down tab of the new unisex scent, Ombre Leather, inside. I sniffed the card and really enjoyed the fragrance that I was smelling.

So, I headed to the mall to get me some actual sprays onto my skin for a review. Then, tried it once more a few days later. (note: I’ve updated this page since the initial post)

With that in mind, I have gathered my thoughts on this 2018 release, and type them up in this post. As usual, I will cover: what’s inside, what it smells like, when it should be worn, and whether or not I think it is worth a purchase.

What does Ombre Leather Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, moss, jasmine, amber, patchouli and cardamom

Click here to try: Ombré Leather Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7-oz.

Okay, so, before I dive into my own review of Ombre Leather let’s see how Tom Ford describes it:

Vast. Untethered. Driven. Freedom comes from within, the desert heart of the west wrapped in leather. It moves forward, Untethered, through the still air of wide-open space. Dust on wind, skin on skin, Ombre Leathers reveals itself like a landscape in layers, where stretches of rock transform into sunrise blonde low on the horizon. 

My Full Review

Upon first smell, Ombre Leather naturally brought to mind Tom Ford’s, Tuscan Leather (without raspberry, but there does seem to be a bit of sweetness there). However, I actually feel like this 2018 Ombre Leather, smells more like Godolphin by Parfums de Marly at the start.

It took me a while to remember which Parfums de Marly, was reminding me of the Tom Ford, and had to look up the notes when I got home. Yep, they share the amber, leather, moss, and jasmine notes.

While I like Godolphin, I think that the leather note in this one is utterly fantastic.

It is a very dark sort of fragrance but not some overwhelming monstrosity with heavy spices. Ombre Leather is definitely unisex, dry, and warm; like how they describe the desert in the paragraph above.

The leather aroma smells like a high end jacket fresh off the rack, intense, and you can almost feel its presence in the room. It’s all super supple and smooth.

It does have spice early on. Cardamom and saffron really come through. The cardamom is there after that initial spray, but is the quickest of the notes to begin to fade.

The amber here is honestly not that intense, it kind of lurks in the background, but never really jumped out at me during the wear. Not that it isn’t totally present throughout. It does provide nice support, however.

What I do get during the dry down, is that familiar jasmine aroma, which lightens and adds a floral sweetness to the composition and allows Ombre Leather to become more unisex.

Geeeeezz, the leather and jasmine combo is really great. It’s pretty much what makes this scent for me.

This one is very well blended and can be somewhat difficult to distinguish the notes beyond just the leather at some points. There is a very nice dried outdoorsy spice in this one. Quite earthy moss, vetiver, and patchouli, which isn’t very heavy but does add some depth of character to Ombre Leather.

It does seem to be more vetiver at times, but I’ve seen both it and moss listed as notes…so who knows, how much is there of each. It’s difficult to discern.

Overall, it’s a clean and warm sort of scent, but it does have that rough/dirty side to it. The Western theme of the marketing campaign, actually does seem to fit, unlike so many other ridiculous fragrance adverts over the years.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this one starts out strong. You won’t need more than a few sprays, because it veers into beast mode, at the beginning. It does dry down into something that is much more moderate, but by no means light. Just know, that it can be intense.

The longevity is actually very good, but there are two stages to it. The first is when it is noticeable, which is 6-8 hours of wear.

The second, as a skin scent, which will go on for about 3 more hours. Honestly, in most situations the longevity will be a-ok, for most anybody. It’s just not a 12+ hour ride of crazy loudness.

On clothes, Ombre Leather will go for days on end. Not massive projection that far into it, but you can pick up on it when you’re wearing the item of clothing.

Seasonally, autumn and winter. I don’t think it’d be truly awful in warmer weather, but it is simply great in the cold.

Does it have sex appeal? I think it does, but not everyone likes the smell of rich leather, so it’s not going to be universally beloved like a lot of the most popular fragrances.

Ombre Leather seems to perfectly straddle the line with the elements of masculinity but can still be oh so good on a woman. Wear this one with a leather jacket, or semi-formally, or with formal wear at night.

Overall Impressions of Ombre Leather

Overall, do I like Ombre Leather? Yep. Tom Ford did good with this one. I wasn’t too enthused with Noir Anthracite last year, but man, am I starting to love Ombre.

The leather is some of the best I have ever smelled in a fragrance and I enjoy the overlap it has with a scent like Goldolphin.

If you don’t like leather, then this is obviously not for you. Though, I think that this fragrance should be give a try, if you dig the leather note at all…because the one here, rocks. It takes a different tact than many other leather scents, but still remains familiar and has a nice amount of depth.

Update: Coming back to this in 2022, this might be my favorite leather scent. It’s really great and long lasting. I’ve also compared it to Ombre Leather Parfum, but I still prefer this.

The initial warmth and spice, the jasmine note, that earthy rugged desert vibe lurking underneath. The amber note…Ombre Leather is great. One of Tom Ford’s best.

Eternity for Men by Calvin Klein

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Calvin Klein has a long history in the fragrance market, dating back to the 1980s. The most amazing part of this fact, is that, many of the scents are still best sellers every year, despite the fact they have been around for so long.

One of the colognes, is Eternity for Men, which debuted way back in 1990 and is still going strong. It has been a while since I’d smelled this fragrance, so, I ordered a sample vial to refresh my memory and decided to write a review.

Also see: The Best Calvin Klein Colognes for Men

What does Eternity for Men Smell Like?

eternity

Notes include: lavender, mandarin, basil, jasmine, sage, sandalwood, amber, rosewood, vetiver, geranium

Click here to try: Eternity for Men

My Full Wear Review

What I’ve always appreciated about Eternity is how simple of a scent it is. Not necessarily, in its complexity of notes but more of its consistency and how you know exactly what you’re getting out of it.

There are many colognes out there with severe performance issues or will take on completely different vibes in different environments but this Calvin Klein fragrance always seems consistent.

It’s opening is very clean and crisp. The lavender note is what I detect throughout and helps to give it an almost soapy quality to it, similar to the lavender in a body wash like, Axe Night.

However, those two scent wholly diverge after that, Eternity has a citrus quality to it from the mandarin and lemon notes, which is complemented by an accord of greens.

The notes that are the strongest or most detectable in Eternity for Men are the lavender, sandalwood, and vetiver. It’s a very smooth and calming type of scent which I would describe as masculine without become too dark and heavy.

Again, the citric and floral notes help to lighten this cologne up a bit and make it more appealing.

There is also the herbal spice contingent, lead by sage, which is most noticeable to my nose after the initial wave of the opening few minutes. It of course, gets subsumed somewhat by the soapy aroma, but it is there in varying strengths throughout.

The drydown period is where I think that Eternity really starts to come into its own, as a fragrance. The woody notes, herbal spice, and other earth ingredients play around in the background quite well.

The rosewood and sandalwood combination is great, with the latter being dominant in the composition. It all comes together as green, clean, with the citrus top notes still powering through, this late in the game.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Its projection is good to very good on my skin. I can certainly detect it and so can those around me but not in an overwhelming or offensive way. Is it long-lasting? It’s moderate in that regard.

Not one that I will smell like 10 hours later or anything like that but neither is it a fragrance which will disappear in 2-3 hours. I have gotten 5-7 hours usually out of it depending on the day, environment, what I’m doing, etc.

I’m sure the performance has probably changed over the years, since that is pretty standard with reformulations, and the like. Even if that’s the case, Eternity for Men still holds up well, where so many others have faltered.

Seasonally, it has always struck me as a springtime sort of scent, or during the early days of autumn, before it really gets chilly. Of course, it can go year round if need be, but that’s the impression it gives off in my mind.

It can be worn casually or a daily office wear. It’s clean enough to be at least semi-formal, but doesn’t have that high end quality, really. It is attractive, has a bit of sexiness, but isn’t a scent that will knock anyone’s socks off. Eternity is appreciated well, overall.

It kind of does skew younger in its use case, but doesn’t have a teenager vibe. Older men can wear this, if they are inclined.

Overall Impressions of Eternity for Men

Overall, this is a very attractive scent. Women seem to like it and it is versatile enough to wear on pretty much any occasion. It is not a cologne which is wholly unique and will make you stand out but it is really nice for what it is.

Eternity is a relatively safe and inexpensive choice as a daily wear, with solid performance and attractiveness. I wouldn’t be opposed to having a small bottle around again for myself on those days where I just want something simple.

Eternity for Men holds up well, even after the passing of decades. It’s a modern classic and one that should continue to have fans for the long haul.

It’s not a world changing scent, but one for guys in their late teens to late twenties (and perhaps beyond) to wear when they need a basic and safe cologne. I have begun to really like Eternity Aqua over this one and spray it on during the summer. So, that’s another option.