Fragrances

Desire by Alfred Dunhill

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Desire by Alfred Dunhill enjoyed plenty of popularity after its release in 1997. That popularity has waned some since then, however, that doesn’t mean that it has suddenly become a bad scent. This is a rather unique cologne for men, which will fill a certain niche in a man’s inventory of scents or become a daily wear for a certain type of guy.

In this post, I want to explore my thoughts about Desire, after wearing it around for a few days in the past week and whether or not I would recommend it.

What does Dunhill Desire Smell Like?

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Notes include: rose, vanilla, apple, bergamot, orange blossom, lemon, teak wood, musk, and patchouli

Click here to try: Desire By Alfred Dunhill For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

My Full Wear Review

The immediate opening of Desire strikes me as a unisex fragrance bordering on a women’s perfume. The fruit and rose notes are immediately detectable and have a delicious quality to them. It is bright and dynamic when first applied, with an underpinning of the musk and more woodsy notes.

Along with the rose, I get orange blossom, as an additional floral note. The floral presence is moderate, but definitely not overwhelming. In the opening act, you get apple as the main note, with a grab bag of citrus aromas coming in. Again, pretty unisex, at this point in time.

Desire, as its name suggests, is a cologne which is set up to be seductive and bring women closer to you. I definitely get that kind of vibe from this scent, it has a unique and attractive profile, that should perform well on nights out on the town.

There is a exotic/oriental type of spice which develops after a few minutes of wear. I think it is the combination of vanilla and musk which provides this light spiciness.

After about an hour, the fruit notes begin to lose some of their potency and Desire evolves into a more woodsy and oriental type of fragrance. It is still sweet, but you get more of the teak wood and musky base.

In the end, I am left with rose, vanilla, musk, wood, and some lingering sweetness from the fruit notes. It’s nice with a warm sweet/spice blend, quite attractive overall.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection also seems to die down after a while, the cologne is still detectable but it’s definitely not as loud as it was during the opening phase. Strong opening sillage, then, much more moderate.

I don’t don’t find this cologne to be super long-lasting, but it seems to perform rather, well throughout the day. You’ll get around 7 hours, out of it. That seems to be the consistent result, from my testing. Though, I wouldn’t put it at the top of the list of longevity.

For this price range, it’s really more than what you get with other comparable fragrances. No real complaints because Desire is still is above average in sillage and longevity.

Desire for Men is a pretty versatile scent. It has a pleasant enough aroma to be mass pleasing, yet, it is unique enough to stand out from the crowd. It can be worn in almost any season, though I would avoid the hottest days of summer.

The citrus allows it to venture into the warmer weather, but it won’t perform near it’s peak when it’s blistering outside.

It is safe enough for daily office wear, if needed. It can also venture into the nightlife. I would probably reserve it for casual wear or other social events, but it does have the ability for other purposes.

One further thing to mention is this does have a unique vibe. Even back in the late 90s this one was pretty different. Now? It’s miles away from most designer offerings. There aren’t too many men wearing Dunhill Desire and it’s formula is just distinct.

Overall Impressions of Desire

Overall, I would say that Desire is worth a try. It might not fit every guy’s style but I think it will be appreciated by many and is appealing enough to attract the ladies.

The fruity rose part, does have a unisex if not a women’s level of sweetness and style. But, that musk and vanilla dry down is better for most guys. When it becomes woodier, less sweet, and more balanced overall.

It has grown in appeal, because you can pick up bottles of this stuff for under $30 nowadays, which makes it a bargain. Even updating here in 2023, it’s still around for the same price.

It smells good and provides solid performance. This would never become a signature scent for me, as I’m not that big on rose as a note in this, but it is something that I wouldn’t mind wearing some more. Desire is a good cologne, that has the potential to be great, for the right guy.

Gentlemen Only Intense by Givenchy

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I have already reviewed many scents this week, including Gentlemen Only. Since I’ve also got a mini size of Gentlemen Only Intense, I thought that I’d go ahead and do a review post on it.

This is another cologne from Givenchy and one which is masculine and suited toward the cooler months of the year. How does it stack up? Is it better than the original? Please read below for my full take on this scent.

What Does Gentlemen Only Intense Smell Like?

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Notes include: tonka bean, birch wood, mandarin, patchouli, leather, amber, and cedar

Click Here to Try:Givenchy Gentlemen Only Intense Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

OK, so after trying the original Gentlemen Only and enjoying it, (only to later be disappointed by its longevity), I was looking forward to trying the Intense version of this cologne. As it turns out, I actually like this one much better.

Let me state beforehand that I love sweet/spicy/leathery fragrances in the fall or winter months. I am a fan of tonka bean (Versace Eros), leather even in something like Dirty English, and the sweet/spicy incense of something like Body Kouros. As such, I was drawn to this fragrance right off the bat.

The opening is a sweet blend of tonka bean, amber, and the leather note. This is an interesting departure from the original which featured more of the birch wood, mandarin, and vetiver, which are downplayed a great deal in Intense.

The opening has a bit more fresh spiciness, than this one will later feature. You get some of the mandarin, mint, and pink pepper.

The composition is pretty inverted from the original. As such, you are hit with a different sensibility and less of the dry sweetness than Gentlemen Only.

Intense presents itself as much more of a sweet/incense take on the original, that at times seems somewhat gourmand without going overboard (like in Very Irresistible by Givenchy)  but keeping an underlying smokiness.

Again, this one might not be for everyone but if you enjoy that kind of sweet/leathery/masculine type of scent this could be a good look. The dry down becomes a woody, sweet, leathery, creamy/amber-laden affair.

It has that Gentlemen Only dryness, spice, and smokiness but those are relegated to bit players. It all comes together, as being super smooth. I really enjoy the way that it smells, even if the development isn’t too complex.

Sillage and Longevity

Projection wise, it is pretty good. It’s not a beast but it is better than Gentlemen Only, though, I believe Intense is a misnomer…it’s not intense but quite moderate. Even with that spiciness. It’ll project itself 4-6 feet from the skin for a while, before settling back down, closer to the skin.

Longevity was the drawback of the original and honestly, Intense isn’t much better in this regard. 4-5 hours of life at most. The only saving grace is that I feel that this is a nighttime fragrance and so that longevity might be enough in that situation.

However, it really should be better than that and I’m disappointed that it isn’t. Shouldn’t an ‘intense’ fragrance, have a strong sillage, and staying power?

I think others have gotten a slightly better result with this one. For me, it refuses to stick around for very long on my skin, which is usually fine with not ‘eating up’ colognes.

When Should Gentlemen Only Intense be Worn?

Again, to me, this is a nighttime fragrance. The original was more of the office type of daily wear, while this one is a sexier evening wear option. On a cold evening, Intense is actually really awesome, and will get complemented.

Well, at least for those first few hours. It is a mature fragrance and will generally be a better fit for those in their late 20s and up.

Overall Impressions

Overall, is it worth a buy? Maybe. It smells really good, in my opinion, but the longevity questions remain. The fragrance itself is an awesome blend of sweetness, woods, leather, and spice. On that end of things, Gentlemen Only Intense is pretty brilliant.

It’s not an all-time great or anything, but this had the potential of being a under the radar favorite. The tonka bean and leather combination is so good here.

It’s one that I could definitely find a place for on occasion, but, at the price I could get something else that is a much better performer. It’s not a bad fragrance, actually quite good, but it could be magnificent.

Updating this post, a few years after the initial review, I think that it’s been discontinued.

I still have a mini bottle of this, wear it occasionally, and still cannot believe what a missed opportunity this was for greatness. You might be able to pick up a cheap bottle, at the discount sites now, and it would be worth a shot.

Newer Update: I just saw it going for around $100 when I looked it up, which is a bit of a stretch in my opinion. So, you’ve probably missed out on getting this one for anything reasonable.

Weekend for Men by Burberry

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Burberry is a line which usually sports very good and universally appealing fragrances at a moderate price point. I have already gone over the best Burberry colognes here, and I left Weekend for Men, off of that list.

I don’t remember being impressed by it, however, when I received a mini bottle of this cologne, I thought that I would give it another shot and post a review. Did it change my mind, this time around? Read below for more.

What Does Burberry Weekend Smell Like?

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Notes include: tangerine, citrus, musk, rose, iris, sandalwood, oakmoss, ivy, honey

Click here to try: BURBERRY Weekend Eau De Toilette for Men, 1.7 Fl. oz.

My Full Wear Review

Burberry Weekend, opens with a lot of citrus, and it sticks around for the duration of the wear. I get a ton of lemon, in this one, and some bergamot underneath. The other fruits, just seem to blend together, with one another and create a generic cloud.

After like 15-20 minutes some of the oakmoss and sandalwood type of notes, do start to emerge. This gives Weekend, a bit of an earthy/woody body, but this is mostly a citrusy affair. Ivy is fairly noticeable, which provides a grassy sort of smell, it’s not super powerful but you can pick up on it.

To me, Burberry Weekend really doesn’t ever get anymore complex than that, just a blend of citrus and some woodsy notes in the background. On my skin, it is mostly lemon with some ivy, sandalwood, and a bit of dry oakmoss. It’s extremely linear on me.

I suppose there is some honeyed sweetness, in there, but not very much. If you’re not into the smell within 10-15 minutes, you probably won’t ever be.

How Long does it Last? What’s the Sillage Like?

It’s projection and longevity are both moderate. It’s not a beast with its sillage, but it at least, isn’t completely weak. It’s projection is a few feet from the skin, for most of the wear, so don’t expect folks to be able to smell you from across the room or anything.

The longevity clocks in at about six hours or so. Again, not impressive, but passable at the right price.

Versatility

This is a casual wear for the spring/summer months, all the way. It would seem out of place, during the rest of the year. It’s not a nighttime beast, nor a formal type of fragrance.

Weekend for Men is a scent you can throw on, when the temperature goes up, and smell fresh and citrusy.

A cologne to feel clean and somewhat refreshed, not a scent that’s going to bet getting massive complements or be seen as ‘sexy’.

Overall Scent

This is a very short review because quite frankly, Weekend isn’t all that impressive. If you’re a big fan of citrus, then maybe it’s worth getting a hold of.

Otherwise, I really don’t get who this is aimed at. I think that it smells okay but the citrus is just too prevalent and the other notes never seem to fully wrestle control away from it.

As a result, it can take on too much of a bathroom cleaner type of scent…it’s not totally chemical but you can definitely detect a resemblance. Is it an awful cologne? No, but it isn’t a very good one.

Even for this type of summer-centric release, it’s not very good. Below the D&G Light Blue flankers and other designer efforts in the same space.

There are much better options, from the line of Burberry scents (see: London and Burberry for Men), and other ones that are much better choices for summer weather (Burberry Summer line, usually smell better at least, with poor performance). I’ll probably pass on wearing the rest of this mini bottle.

Update: Yeah, I never finished it before getting rid of this mini. This still floats around for cheap, so, it might be worth spending $20-30 on. I still wouldn’t personally, but if you wanted an easy to wear summer citrus, this is passable.

Y EDP Intense by YSL

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Y EDP Intense is the latest offering in the series from YSL, after being released here in 2023. I purchased some samples in order to test it out and see whether it holds up to the rest of the line. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is Intense actually worth a try?

What does Y EDP Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: sage, patchouli, ginger, geranium, lavender, cedar, juniper berries

Click here to try: Y EDP Intense

y edp intense review

My Full Wear Review

Here’s how YSL describes it: This clean scent amplifies the iconic blend to the extreme by spicing it up with juniper berries and rich, woody patchouli. A deep blue sexy and fresh scent, with all-day-long intensity in a spray

The opening of Y EDP Intense is pretty familiar, in terms of what you get with the rest of the series. The same blue-ish aroma is there early, along with the powerful sage note from Y Eau de parfum (review).

Intense, doesn’t have the apple note, so, people who weren’t a fan of its sweetness may be pleased. It is replaced by a much shorter-lived juniper berry. I like its pairing here with the sage and other ingredients.

Early on you get a light bergamot, to go along with the cooler fresh spiciness. Geranium, ginger, and that sage note are all present creating a nice aromatic aroma.

I personally get around 20-30 minutes of this phase of the fragrance, before it begins to shift quite a bit. Things get earthier, warmer, less spicy.

The patchouli note is actually a large influence in the composition. This next phase is basically that, lavender, and geranium. Sage and juniper essentially fall off of the map.

This lasts for another hour or so, before it hits what you’re essentially going to get the rest of the way. However, during the shift the vetiver note, increases in strength until it eventually overtakes the patchouli.

The dry down is dry, woody, somewhat earthy, with some lavender hanging around still. Vetiver and patchouli are the main attractions, flanked by cedar, geranium, and lavender.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

So, that opening hour or so has pretty strong sillage. I might call it above average, just nothing insane. Especially, that first 30 minutes or so. It projects well and will leave a trail in your wake.

After that, it is a pretty intimate cologne after the first hour. By the third or so, it’s a skin scent. Really, I haven’t been getting great performance with this one.

The longevity is around 6.5 hours, on my skin. It’s strange, as I can get well into the double digit hours with Y EDP, much of the time. I have a full bottle of that and comparing these head to head, it’s really no contest.

Intense doesn’t have the Y EDP sillage or longevity.

Seasonally, EDP Intense actually has great versatility. Outside of the height of summer, this one could probably be worn without issue. I’ve worn it out on an extremely warm winter’s day and it did well. Also, have sprayed in the cold, and it fit in fine.

Stripped of its apple note, this has a slightly more mature profile than the original EDP. It’s not too intrusive, has a pleasantness about it, but I really wouldn’t call this one ‘sexy’ in any meaningful sense.

Casual to semi-formal, can go nightlife if need be. The fragrance’s versatility is where it can actually score higher marks.

Overall Impressions of Y EDP Intense

Overall, do I like Y EDP Intense? Eh, it’s okay. The opening is intriguing, but it doesn’t really do anything for me thereafter. I have to say, it’s my least favorite Y scent, as of now. Even Eau Fraiche, was more enjoyable, even with its limited use case.

Once past that opening, it’s pretty bland. Lots of patchouli, then more of a vetiver-led dry down. Which isn’t bad, but if you want a woody aromatic or fougere, there are better options out there than this.

Y EDP Intense isn’t even great with the performance. The sillage and longevity of the original EDP are way better than this. Sure, that apple note with the sage bothers some people. But, it lasts long and projects like a beast. This, not so much.

Personally, I don’t have much use case for this. It isn’t terrible. However, at that price point, I’d rather buy a lot of other scents. In this series, I’d rather wear pretty much any of them before coming to this one. A pretty mid-range release all around from YSL.

If you’re a fan of the Y line, but didn’t really like the apple, maybe this would work. I’d test it out for sure, before committing though.

Egoiste EDT by Chanel

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Egoiste is a 1990 release from Chanel, that’s still going strong today. It followed and is basically a rebrand of 1987’s Bois Noir. I recently grabbed a new bottle, in order to review the modern formulation. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Egoiste Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, coriander, cinnamon, Damask rose, sandalwood, vanilla, ambrette seed

Click here to try: Chanel Egoiste

My Full Review

Egoiste is a fragrance that I’m revisiting and finally posting a full review of. I saw it online when I was making some other new purchases to test out and put a bottle of this in the bag, also.

It kicks off with a dry, bright, and spicy blast. That mandarin note is light and doesn’t grab the headlines, but it is a nice lighter element to the mix. Coriander and cinnamon are pretty massive here, making the opening act a very warm and spicy affair.

The mandarin fruitiness is bolstered by the presence of the Damask rose. Pinkish, sweet, and a touch fruity with how it comes across earlier. Balances out the weaker carnation, which really serves to add to the spice.

Now, the main star here for the entire duration of the wear, is the sandalwood note. The dry down is going to be very much about this ingredient, when the initial punch has faded. Very dry, very woody fragrance.

The coriander is the first to burn off for me, that little carnation too. This is more rosy during the second phase. A sweeter fragrance, with bits of vanilla and tobacco coming through. A warmer, honeyed sort of sweetness thanks to ambrette seed.

The woody accord is still about the sandalwood, but there is some mahogany and rosewood there in support. Sweetish rosy wood, dotted with cinnamon. Yet, it’s darker with the woody influence and that initial citrus brightness leaves entirely.

Finally, we get to the sandalwood dry down.  This is a very dry scent, especially at this point. Less sweet, a dense woodiness, some remaining: floral impressions, cinnamon, and tobacco. A slightly smoky and creamy ending.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one offers up a strong start, but it lighter to moderate the rest of the way. I find it to be about equal to the modern Platinum Egoiste.

The first hour and a half or so is strong, then, it will become more intimate. Even when I cannot totally pick up the scent with my own nose, other people have made comments about it (positive ones). So, this one can make you a bit nose blind when it shifts more to the sandalwood part.

Egoiste still does last. Again, you can become desensitized to it and not really notice. However, I can still pick this up 7.5 hours later. Is it a monster at this point? No, it sits very close to the skin. It is there, however.

Seasonally, I’d skip this anytime that it is too warm. It’s mostly an autumn and winter wear. If it’s temperate out, Egoiste works well too. During the summer, I wouldn’t be too enthusiastic to have it on.

This one is refined and masculine. Can work as an office fragrance, but I also love wearing it out at night. It’s got a sexiness to it and receives complements from people. While Egoiste is ‘old school’, the formula still feels very modern and not completely anachronistic.

Yes, this does skew older in its demographic. Though, I personally wore this back in my early 20s at times, and it worked fine for me. Just know if you’re younger, pretty much no one your age, is going to be wearing something like Egoiste.

Overall Impressions of Egoiste

Overall, do I like Egoiste? I love it. I’m so glad that I randomly bought a new bottle for myself, to rediscover everything wonderful about this scent. It’s just so good in the winter air and has a different feel from most everything mainstream out today.

The first time that I wore it, this time around, I thought that I had stopped liking it completely. But, that went away pretty quickly and I wanted to wear this everyday for the next week straight.

Coriander and cinnamon are great. Very bold within this very dry mix. I love the way that the spices hit, while you still get some sweetness from the rose, mandarin, and vanilla notes. Really great, balanced, and signature sort of fragrance that you can wear for decades.

Egoiste is very approachable for guys who want to try an older styled fragrance, but don’t want to start with something like, Kouros. I think Egoiste, is a better smelling scent anyway, but it’s also easier to wear for most people.

It’s a pretty safe blind buy, unless you just absolutely don’t like this style of fragrance. It’s a nice change of pace in the sea of ‘blue’ scents and still very worthwhile, all these years later.