Men’s Fashion

The Dreamer by Versace

by

I can’t believe that I haven’t done a review of The Dreamer by Versace, up to this point in time. It has long been a go to fragrance on occasions, when I want to wear something different from the usual fair.

I found a mini bottle mixed in with a box of sample fragrances recently and I had to check the site, to see if I actually had written about this Versace cologne before. Nope.

So, in this post, I want to take a closer look at the 1996 release from this designer and give my thoughts on how it smells and performs.

What does Versace The Dreamer Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco, tonka bean, lavender, sage, rose, cedar, geranium, and more

Click here to try: Dreamer By Gianni Versace For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

My Full Review

The opening of Dreamer can be somewhat intense, compared to the rest of the wear. From the start, the tobacco note is present, it is more of an uncured tobacco than one which has been toasted.

I think that the intensity of the start stems from the sage, fir, and rose notes interacting with the tobacco. It is quite green with a sharp herbal spice and lavender poking through at times. That rose note with the tobacco, certainly lends a green-ish sensibility.

Now, Dreamer does settle down pretty quickly into something that is much better, than you initially get. As it dries, down Dreamer becomes sweeter and more floral. Yes, tobacco still is the top dog here, and will be throughout the entirety.

However, rose, carnation, and geranium show up to flank the tobacco for a really fresh heart. At times, this one reminds me of Burberry Brit. They don’t smell the same, but they share plenty of common notes, and can have a similar vibe. Just Brit, is more of a powdery cologne.

The rose really settles from a greener sort of smell, to the floral note, that we’re all pretty much familiar with. Nice mix of herbal, woody, and floral. Dreamer is such a unique fragrance, especially for a mainstream designer.

The base of this Versace fragrance, is a drier, woody one. There is a solid cedar note, fir, and vetiver. Ultimately, Dreamer is tobacco with a big does of lavender (and tonka bean) with floral/herbal notes supporting those two and a green woody base.

It’s really gets smooth and has a slightly spicy freshness during the dry down. Really great deep tobacco aroma.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on this one starts out moderate, but turns lighter in short order. It’s never been weak for me, but this isn’t a super heavy fragrance. It doesn’t hang close to the skin but rather floats around in the immediate air around your body.

The longevity on this one usually runs 6+ hours, depending on the climate. It can go 8 hours for me, on colder days. Yet, here in this warmer southern climate, I usually will get that 6-ish hours from Dreamer.

Seasonally, this is an autumn through early spring wear. Dreamer isn’t very good at all, in hotter weather, so try to avoid that. It can be worn casually, at work, or even out for an evening.

It is a really versatile and attractive cologne, that women usually enjoy. Not necessarily ‘sexy’, but a complement getter. I’ve worn this as a teenager and as an adult, it does have a more mature air, but is fine for a younger guy.

Now, from what I understand, Dreamer may have been reformulated and perhaps the ingredients were changed up in new bottles. I can’t confirm that, but this mini bottle that I have from a couple of years ago, is the same smell that I remember from vintage bottles.

Overall Impressions of Dreamer

Overall, is the Dreamer worth a buy? Yes, it is. Again, not sure if the newer bottles have been screwed with or not, but the price for a full bottle has been really inexpensive for a long while now.

Update: Also, the newer bottles I think have changed at least some of the notes too. At least from what I’ve read, I haven’t checked out a new bottle as of yet. So, this is a review of the original formulation.

Lots of great fragrances from the 1990s are really affordable, at the moment, and are an awesome way to get both quality and value. This isn’t for everyone, but Dreamer gives you a great green tobacco with floral sweetness and a bit of fresh spice. It’s always worked for me.

It’s not my favorite fragrance ever, but there aren’t too many cologne options like this. As such, when the mood strikes, Dreamer is a great daytime wear for me to have around.

Dylan Blue Pour Homme by Versace

by

This is my third entry of my one time wear reviews while traveling in Europe. Today, I am going to give my impressions of Versace Pour Homme’s, Dylan Blue. This has become a very popular fragrance.

In this post, I’m going to discuss how it smells, performs, my impressions, and whether or not I think that it is worth a buy.

Note: I have updated this post a few years after my initial impressions, after spending more time wearing this scent, and having a better feel for it.

What Does Dylan Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: black pepper, violet leaf, grapefruit, bergamot, tonka bean, ambrox, fig leaf

Click here to try: VERSACE Pour Homme Sealed Dylan Blue Eau de Toilette, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

Upon first sniff of this fragrance, I immediately want to place in the same realm as a fragrance such as Acqua Di Gio Profumo. It’s different mind you, but, it seems to belong to that same class of citrus/aquatics.

Between the two, Dylan Blue is a more youthful and lighter cologne, but as it dries down the similarities between Profumo fade and the ambroxan of Dior’s Sauvage begin to emerge.

Dylan Blue really is kind of an amalgamation scent of the aforementioned colognes, mixed with maybe one or two others, that I cannot think of at the moment.

Dylan Blue is aquatic at first, with the grapefruit and bergamot notes, sitting on top of that watery base. Plus, there is the ambroxan note, which is nice and warm but gets stronger as it moves along.

The fig note and citrus pairing at the top is actually quite good. I think it might be my favorite aspect of this Versace release. While the citrus and ambroxan, bring to mind Sauvage, this one isn’t nearly as spicy as the Dior. Plus, the fig and aquatic notes set it apart.

The initial burst is fairly short lived, less than an hour, and the Sauvage-esque spirit takes over. At that point, it seems much weaker than it had been, but the longevity isn’t terrible.

Not as bad as another grapefruit citrusy cologne I just reviewed, Lacoste Jaune. My biggest complaint with Versace scents is how chemical they can smell.

I liked the original Versace Pour Homme well enough but that has the same kind of faux-citrus smell.  There is also a woody-fig note that gives it another layer but it isn’t all that complex of a scent.

As it dries down, I start to pick up more of the ambroxan, some black pepper, and even a little bit of violet leaf. The citrus has settled somewhat and Dylan Blue becomes more wholeheartedly ambroxan based.

I should also mention the slight smokiness from the included incense note, during its latter stages. It’s a great little touch, that I picked up on the more I wore around the contents of my mini bottle of this cologne.

Sillage, How Long Blue Lasts, and Versatility

Projection is good at first and then dies out a bit. It’s pretty average overall. Though, the sillage can seem heavy at first.

The longevity of Dylan Blue has been consistently 6-7 hours on my skin. Seemingly no more, no less. It’s actually kind of weird, how quickly it goes from a nice amount of power to just completely gone.

At least, it consistently hits that mark, and I know what to expect from it beforehand. That’s not a short amount of time, but it’s not a monster, in that regard.

I think that where Dylan Blue shines is in its versatility. I think it’d be appropriate for almost any summer or warm weather occasion. It would also be more appropriate for young men, sub-25 years of age, and is sexy enough for date night/club wear.

This is one that will get positive attention out of it. It’s not an offensive scent and is generally crowd pleasing. Dylan Blue is popular and so it’s going to have plenty of fans, in public spaces.

It’s a really nice scent for younger guys, who want something stylish, and that can fit in a wide variety of situations. The performance isn’t top notch, but it is good enough for most purposes.

Overall Impressions of Dylan Blue

Overall, is Dylan Blue worth a buy? Not for me, BUT I could see how it could work for some guys. If you need a summer scent that is pretty basic and will draw complements, I don’t think you would go wrong here.

For me, it doesn’t really offer anything different from scents that I already own or have samples of…so it’s kind of pointless. I certainly don’t hate it, in fact, I have come to like it a good deal more than I had initially.

Mostly, I like the opening hour or so. Thereafter, Dylan Blue just seems kind of basic to me. Not particularly interesting or all that attractive. Decent.

I just with I got more time to enjoy the fig note and the initial citrus blend, that’s actually one great aspect of this cologne.

However, at it’s price point and with it’s versatility, it would be a solid pick up for someone who wants a simple no-brainer. I like the aroma for the most part, not my favorite, but it does smell good.

3 Best Victoria’s Secret Colognes for Men

by

Victoria’s Secret is well known as a brand that sells women’s underwear, clothing, accessories, and fragrances. However, it does occasionally venture into men’s products, notably its limited line of colognes. Now, there have been sporadic releases over the years, but which of these VS colognes smell the best? In this list, I will present the options in order, from my experience trying out each.

What are the Best Smelling Men’s Colognes by Victoria Secret?

Very Sexy– To me, the original Very Sexy is the best Victoria’s Secret cologne. It’s a fairly simple fragrance highlighted by an opening citrus burst, with light cinnamon spice, on top of a dry woody base.

The spice of cinnamon and sage is at its peak, in the beginning, but will later weaken in favor of the woodier aspects of the scent. The spice and the citrus can create a feeling of sharpness, but the scent becomes clean with a sweet edge.

I like this one, because it lives up to its name, always had a unique yet familiar vibe, and the performance was good. Plus, I could get compliments fairly regularly, back when I had a bottle. Haven’t tried in a long time, but this tops the list.

Very Sexy Platinum– I’m not going to give this the number one spot, but I feel Platinum is the second best overall. I was tempted to put it number three, due to the fact that it isn’t unique, but it’s probably better than the one below.

Very Sexy Platinum smells like a mix between a weaker old school bottle of A&F Fierce and Montblanc Legend. Neither of which is my favorite, but I respect what they bring to the table.

The main differences between Platinum and those fragrances, to me at least, is a less spicy profile and it feels woodier. This could be a better option nowadays versus Fierce, as the newer editions of that cologne, are not the same as its heyday.

Very Sexy 2– Very Sexy 2 is a nice cologne, but I think that it’s the third option, on the list. Although, I’d probably take a bottle over Platinum, because this does provide something different.

It’s light, with a semi-aquatic feel, and a nice woody base. This one feels much more like a freshie fragrance, than does Very Sexy, and less ‘sexy’. Nonetheless, Very Sexy 2 is an attractive and enjoyable wear.

A softer option, but if I could find a cheap bottle, I would definitely enjoy wearing this one. I like the blend of woods, after about an hour of wear, that aroma is very well done.

Fougere Royale by Houbigant

by

In this review, I am going to take a closer look at a modern relaunch of a classic fragrance from the 19th century, Houbigant’s Fougere Royale. This is one of the last men’s fragrance samples that I received with my last batch, so, I’m going to have to reorder more stuff to review once I finish with all of the ladies’ samples I have to go through and review.

As usual, I want to cover what it’s made of, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a purchase or not.

What does Fougere Royale Smell Like?

Notes include: oak moss, lavender, tonka bean, geranium, bergamot, chamomile, cinnamon

Click here to try: Houbigant Paris Fougere Royale Eau de Parfum-3.38 oz.

My Full Review

Upon the first sniff of Fougere Royale, I am immediately struck by the oak moss and lavender notes. Also, I notice how much it smells like Azzaro Pour Homme. These two colognes are almost dead ringers for one another. There is definitely a lot of overlap in the notes and the style of both of these scents, so if you like one, you’ll probably be into the other.

Fougere Royale has a very cool and crisp aroma to it that is very soothing and yet wholly masculine. It comes across as a clean and fresh scent that would be great for a more mature man.

There is a small but noticeable level of sweetness and citrus that comes across and supports the main oak moss and lavender tandem. As a fougere, this scent obviously has that green and outdoorsy kind of feel and it doesn’t get detracted from that path by any of the other notes.

Honestly, I’m never really wowed by this cologne but I do find that it is extremely well put together and they did an excellent job in producing this scent.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s pretty moderate. It’s not an overpowering scent, and is towards the lighter side of things, but I wouldn’t call it weak by any stretch.

While it isn’t a huge or powerful fragrance, it does have pretty darn good longevity, I’ve been getting 7-8 hours of use from a few spritzes out of the sample vial.

Fougere Royale is probably best served as a casual or office wear scent. I actually think that it works really well here in the early spring weather and I think it could be pulled off for most of the year outside of the high heat of summer.

Overall Impressions of Fougere Royale

Overall, would I consider this as a buy? It’s nice, if you’re into the ‘green’ or fougere genre of fragrances. It’s not really my style but I think that this is a good scent.

It has so much similarity to Azzaro Pour Homme that if I wanted to buy one of these two, I’d simply go for the cheapest bottle available to me.

Fougere Royale is just one of those colognes that is solid all around, but doesn’t really ever separate itself enough for me to get too excited about it.

212 VIP Black vs 1 Million Comparison

by

When looking for a nightlife fragrance, something that you can wear out to the bars and stand out, the same names seem to come up. 1 Million by Paco Rabanne is one of those. Another, is the 212 VIP line, especially the original. However, that line has also spawned another nightlife wear, 212 Black. In this post, I want to compare 212 Black vs 1 Million. Which lasts longer? Which has better sillage? Which smells better?

Tale of the Tape: 212 VIP Black vs.1 Million

1 Million

Notes include: grapefruit, blood orange, rose, mint, cinnamon, amber, leather, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne 1 Million Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Fluid Ounce

Read my original review: 1 Million Cologne Review

212 VIP Black

Notes include: absinthe, leather, lavender, musk, vanilla, amber, anise

Click here to try: Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Black Men Eau de Parfum 3.4oz / 100ml – Launched in 2017

Read my review: 212 VIP Black

Opening

1 Million has a well-known, sort of grape bubblegum opening, which is actually bold and intoxicating. Some folks, don’t like it, but I think it’s great and gets better thereafter.

1 Million opens up with leather, citrus, and rose. This combined creates that bubblegum sort of smell. It’s actually a really smooth leather, juicy orange and grapefruit. This is surrounded by a warm and bold amber, with hints of cooling mint. All of these notes, I happen to love, except rose…which is fine here.

VIP Black, on the other hand, has a boozy start with a hefty dose of absinthe. I really like the absinthe here, as it’s a different alcoholic note, from most compositions. 

Like it’s predecessor, Black has a warm amber note and spice, but it’s a weaker anise . Add to this, lavender and a quite faint leather note.

Which is better? I like the smooth, warm, and slightly spicy profile of 212 VIP Black. However, I still prefer the interesting and classic start to 1 Million. It’s not that much better, but enough to have the edge here.

Edge: 1 Million

Projection

For me, VIP Black has a fairly light to moderate sillage on my skin. I’m not sure, if it’s just me or what, because others have said it’s a strong fragrance. To me, it didn’t come close to the original 212 VIP.

1 Million has a great ability to project itself. Seriously, the sillage here is absolutely huge. So, whatever the actual story with VIP Black is, it would still fall short of the Paco Rabanne.  Update: 1 Million isn’t as strong as it once was, but still superior to its competitor. 

Edge: 1 Million

Longevity

With VIP Black, I could only muster 5-6 hours of wear, and most of that it had fairly weak sillage. The first 2 hours or so, it has a nice and full performance, but it drops of rather precipitously. 

On the other end of things, 1 Million just seems to thrive, on my skin. I can get 12 hours of wear, from the formulations that I’ve had in the past. So, unless they’ve tampered with new batches and made them weaker, this stuff is a star performer. Update: Yeah, it’s like 8 or 9 now.

Edge: 1 Million

 

 

Versatility

Both of these are pretty limited colognes and are designed specifically for nightlife wear. They both are great in cold weather, but not when it gets too warm. Neither is very casual or an office safe type of scent. They pretty much fit the same bill.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I really wanted to love 212 VIP Black, as I have a full bottle of 212 VIP, which can be great on the right evening. If it could have been another monster performer, with a different take on the booze soaked cologne genre, I would have been quite happy.

It just doesn’t perform up to the standards, that I want from a nightlife fragrance. Nor does it smell as good, as 212 VIP.  VIP Black has that nice boozy opening and then settles into something that is sweet with a bit of musk.

Vanilla, amber, and musk are pretty much the dry down and the absinthe and spice is hardly noticeable.

1 Million just smells and performs, at higher level than 212 VIP Black. I love the depth and development of this scent. Super sweet, leather, spice, and fruity juiciness. A bold performer, that has been a staple in the nightlife for the past decade plus. 

Winner: 1 Million