Men’s Fashion

Polo Red Extreme vs Polo Black Comparison

by

For this edition of the men’s fragrance comparisons, I am going to take a closer look at two scents offered from the Ralph Lauren line, Polo Black vs. Polo Red Extreme. Which of these colognes is the better buy? Which has better longevity? Which just smells better overall? I have reviewed each already and will now break the head to head match up, in different categories.

Tale of the Tape: Polo Black vs. Red Extreme

Polo Black Tale of the Tape

Notes include:  mango, sandalwood, tonka bean, tangerine, sage, lemon, patchouli

Click here to try: Polo Black by Ralph Lauren for Men – 4.2 Ounce EDT Spray

My review: Polo Black Review

Polo Red Extreme

Notes include: blood orange, coffee, ebony wood

Click here to try: Polo Red Extreme Eau de Parfum Spray 4.2 Ounce, Ralph Lauren Men

Read my review: Polo Red Extreme

Opening

Polo Black opens up with an icy mango note to go along with patchouli and sage. It has a juicy fruit note at the top, with warm spice underneath. It’s a great little balancing act, of sweet and spice, and there are other citrus notes sitting at the top, also.

Polo Red Extreme starts off with a bold blood orange note and coffee. The blood orange is juicy and sweet, to go along with the warm smell of coffee beans. It’s simple and there is a bit of cranberry, which is found in the original Polo Red.

Which is better? I really like Polo Red Extreme, but to me, the opening of Polo Black is one of its strengths. It is more balanced and the mango/citrus notes are really great in the composition.

Edge: Polo Black

Projection

The sillage of Polo Black is fairly moderate. It is pretty good for the first few hours and then weakens somewhat. Red Extreme has a strong sillage, not super powerful, but it is definitely stronger and projects itself further than does Black.

Edge: Red Extreme

Longevity

Polo Black, is once again pretty good, as it will last for 6-7 hours. With Red Extreme, I get 8-10 hours of wear, on my skin. It’s an easy win for Extreme.

Edge: Red Extreme

Versatility

Neither of these scents, holds up great on the hottest days of the year. However, Polo Black probably does a better job in warmer weather. Both are great for casual wear, can be worn in an office, or for a night out. I’d say that, Polo Black has a better versatility for climate though, and thus an edge.

Edge: Polo Black

Overall Scent

Polo Black has a great opening act of mango, citrus, and spice. I find this to be quite appealing and better than how Polo Red starts out. The dry down is nice, woody and has some tonka bean, but I think that it’s not as good during this period. Beyond that, the sillage is average, and the longevity is too.

Red Extreme is really straightforward with that bold orange opening, with coffee, and tart cranberry. It features an ebony wood note, at the base, but most of what you get is the orange and coffee. I think that it is a bold and dynamic scent, with great performance, and a really good sillage.

Between them, I think that Red Extreme is better overall. The nod could have gone to Black, if it maintained its opening act, and could at least be in the ballpark of Extreme in terms of performance. It doesn’t though, so, I give the win to Red Extreme.

Winner: Red Extreme

Invictus Aqua vs. Light Blue Eau Intense

by

For this head to head comparison post, we are going to take a closer look at two popular citrus aquatic fragrances, for the summertime. In one corner, we have Invictus Aqua. Versus, Light Blue Eau Intense, in the other. Which of these marine accord-laden scents, smells the best? Has the better sillage? Longevity? Which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Invictus Aqua vs Eau Intense

Light Blue Eau Intense

Notes include: mandarin, frozen grapefruit, juniper, aquatic accord, amber woods, musk

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Intense Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 1.6 Ounce

My review: Light Blue Eau Intense

Invictus Aqua EDT

Notes include: yuzu, pink pepper, guaiac wood, marine notes, violet leaf, ambergris, grapefruit

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Aqua Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read my review: Invictus Aqua

Opening

Invictus Aqua starts off with its salty marine notes, with a strong blend of yuzu and grapefruit. It’s fresh, clean with that saltiness, and has a bit of pink pepper in it as well. I like the way that Aqua begins, the yuzu is awesome, when combined with the aquatic notes.

Light Blue Eau Intense also starts with grapefruit, but it’s ‘frozen’, and paired with mandarin orange. I think that it’s got a colder quality, less saltiness in the aquatic accord, and the juniper note comes in and adds a nice touch.

Which is better? It’s a pretty close call for me, but I like Eau Intense more here. The crispness, the freshness, and the aquatic accord is all slightly better than in Invictus Aqua.

Edge: Eau Intense

Projection

Both of these colognes are pretty moderate in the sillage. They both start off with a somewhat strong ability to project themselves to the surrounding area. Then, they taper off within a few hours, to something much more subdued…but not weak.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Light Blue Eau Intense lasts about 9 hours on my skin. Invictus Aqua will usually do about 8. However, Aqua has the ability to hit over 10 hours, on occasion. It kind of depends on the climate and my skin, that day.  The Paco Rabanne is a bit better or at least has that ability.

Edge: Aqua (slightly)

Versatility

Both of these fragrances are quite versatile. They really both shine in the warmer months of the year, as the aquatic aroma, truly works in the heat. However, you could wear either year round, if you wanted.

They can be worn casual or at work or for an evening out. I wouldn’t classify either as a nightlife scent, though. There’s no real separation in this category.

Edge: Push

 

 

Overall Scent

Invictus Aqua is a really nice scent, which I enjoy wearing, for the first few hours. Then, the dry down gets worse and worse to my nose, until I end up not liking it. That citrus and marine combination is great.

It gives Eau Intense a run for its money. But then, it gets an infusion of wood (which is decent). Finally, it dries down to pretty much just to the sea water note…which isn’t too attractive, when it is by itself.

The opening act is great, the performance is great, but a lot of the wear isn’t.

Light Blue Eau Intense, to me, has a slightly better opening. It also has about equal performance to Invictus Aqua. Most importantly, it stays great throughout.

It has quickly become one of my favorite aquatic fragrances, out on the market. Eau Intense is smooth, clean, and its drydown with juniper and amberwood holds the thing together.

For the first few hours, it’s a close call. After that, the D&G owns this contest. Another option, may be to try Light Blue Sun. It’s kind of a midway point between Eau Intense and the original Light Blue. Good for those who think Eau Intense comes on too strong.

Winner: Eau Intense

Oud Fleur vs Noir de Noir Comparison

by

After doing my review of Oud Fleur yesterday, I had to do a comparison post, with its similar counterpart Noir de Noir. These two Tom Ford fragrances, can often be the final two choices for some folks, but which is the one to go with? Which perfume smells better? Which lasts longer? Which of these oud based Tom Ford scents, is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Oud Fleur vs. Noir de Noir

Noir de Noir

Notes include: rose, oud, patchouli, black truffle, tree moss

Click here to try: Tom Ford Private Blend Noir De Noir Eau De Parfum Spray Edp 3.4 Fl / 100 Ml

My original review: Noir de Noir

Oud Fleur

Notes include: oud, sandalwood, resin, patchouli, rose

Click here to try: Oud Fleur by Tom Ford for unisex – 3.4 Ounce edp spray 

My review: Oud Fleur

Opening

Noir de Noir opens up with rose and patchouli, as its main notes. The oud sits underneath, those two, and isn’t all that prevalent. The rose has a nice sweetness that pairs nicely with the earthy and spicy patchouli.

Oud Fleur opens up in a very similar manner. Rose leads the way, but it is paired with mostly the sandalwood note and a resinous amber. The similarities between the two, go much further, as oud and patchouli are also present in Oud Fleur.

Which is better? Again, they’re quite close, but I like the start of Oud Fleur more. The sandalwood and resin set it apart. To me, the opening of Noir de Noir, is its weakest quality. It becomes much better later on.

Edge: Oud Fleur

Projection

For the duration of the wear, both of these are mostly moderate fragrances, in terms of sillage. The aren’t going to project, in an extreme way. I will say, that Oud Fleur is stronger on my skin, for the first few hours than is, Noir. After that, they are about equal.

Edge: Oud Fleur

Longevity

Both of these perfumes, last for 8-9 hours, on my skin. I haven’t noticed any differences in this regard, during testing. Each is very good, though, not elite.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Noir de Noir and Oud Fleur are relegated mostly to colder weather. You can go somewhat into the temperate climates, with these, but should avoid the heat.

Now, both of these are unisex, technically. Oud Fleur leans more feminine and Noir de Noir, while more masculine, probably has the wider appeal. More men and women could enjoy it.

Noir de Noir is probably better for nightlife and I would consider it to be sexier. Oud Fleur, is probably the more formal or elegant type of perfume. I’d give the edge to Noir, in this category.

Edge: Noir

Overall Scent

It is admittedly, a pretty evenly matched bout up to this point. There’s so much overlap between these Tom Ford fragrances, that it can indeed be a difficult choice.

Oud Fleur has a nice sandalwood and resinous quality that I enjoy. It’s spicy profile, is a highlight, and its a great option if you love the agarwood smell. Particularly, if you’re a female. The performance is solid all around, but it can be a pretty linear scent.

To me, Noir de Noir is the better fragrance. The opening isn’t all that amazing, but this one really gets going during the dry down. During the latter stages, it becomes earthier and dirtier, so to speak. The oud isn’t super powerful, but you get a mossy note, to go along with patchouli.

Also, there is vanilla and truffle which gives Noir de Noir, a sweet and creamy aroma. It has a depth and personality, that Oud Fleur lacks, in my opinion. The performance is pretty much on par with its competitor too. Plus, it is more of a viable wear for most men and women, as well.

Winner: Noir de Noir

9 Colognes that Smell like Soap

by

There are many different types of fragrances, from the super spicy, to the complete oceanic. However, there is also a class of scents that gets overlooked, because it can fit into any category really…that is the soapy smelling cologne.

Yes, there are a great deal of scents for men, which deliver the cleanliness of a classic soap or one that is a bit more modern. In this post, I want to cover nine examples, for guys who want a soapy cologne.

What are the Best Smelling Colognes that Smell Like Soap?

Citrus, Lavender, and Tobacco

Dolce & Gabbana Dolce & Gabbana By Dolce & Gabbana for Men 6.7 Oz Eau De Toilette Spray, 6.7 Oz– D&G Pour Homme feels like a powdery kind of soap. It starts off with a heavy dose of lavender, which is flanked by spices, citrus, and neroli. The sage and pepper note give this a spicy opening act.

Once that settles, you get a fragrance that is mainly lavender and tobacco, with neroli and the remaining citrus coming through. Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme has a relatively soft sillage, but can easily be an office or daily wear. D&G Pour Homme Review

Sandalwood Soapiness

Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Cologne, 100 ml– Taylor of Old Bond Street is almost a pure sandalwood fragrance, which pairs this awesome note, with mainly lavender. This is an older classic fragrance which adds floral notes like lavender, carnation, and geranium to the woody mix.

It is low key and a softer scent, but not weak. Taylor of Old Bond Street’s Sandalwood, is dry and comforting, and quite affordable.

Taylor’s Sandalwood gives you a cleaner fragrance, without the spices, found in some of the others on the list. Gets fairly soapy at times, with the sandalwood/lavender mix. Then, it can be powdery and fresh.

Bright Metallic Citrus

Chrome Cologne for Men 3.4 fl. oz Eau De Toilette– A very clean and fresh cologne that can become a man’s daily wear fragrance at a very inexpensive price. Chrome is simple yet a quite potent blend of citrus notes. Is it completely like a lather sort of cologne? No, but all together you get a very similar effect.

Chrome starts off with it strong juicy citrus notes of pineapple and lemon, giving the cologne a bright and upbeat disposition. These two are joined by a very nice neroli, giving chrome a further semi-soapy cleanliness.

During the wear, you will notice aquatic aromas, a slight metallic air, and woods at the base. Chrome is a classic, still has a good performance, and smells great all these years later. Very easy to wear and perpetually popular. Chrome review

chrome

Classic Clean Acqua di Parma

Acqua Di Parma Essenza Eau De Cologne Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce–  A shockingly clean and refined composition of citrus and herbal/floral notes. Essenza screams class and with it’s fantastic performance, this is one to reach for during the warmer months of the year, and shares a lot of similarities with Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino Forte. In this one, you get plenty of orange, grapefruit, and bergamot.

Naturally, this is put together with neroli, as is so common in summertime scents. The citrus at opening is juicy and somewhat sharp, then, it dries down more into a soapy sort of scent.

Especially later in the wear, you can pick up rosemary and oakmoss, but Essenza is very well-blended and can be difficult to decipher. Nonetheless, you get yourself a classically styled unisex perfume, that is highly attractive though not heavy-handed.

Daily Wear Citrus and Floral

Calvin Klein ETERNITY for Men Eau de Toilette, 1.6 Fl Oz– Eternity gives you a burst of citrus and lavender, in the opening stage of the wear. It’s very bright and fresh, and still, an absolute classic.

While you do get citrus, florals, and spices like sage. Eternity ultimately relies on sandalwood, lavender, and vetiver to give it that familiar clean aroma. Yes, you get the soapiness, but the green herbal and woody dry down is where I think this Calvin Klein cologne is at its best.

I’ve always gotten solid projection from this one, and the modern bottles, will last from 5-7 hours on my skin. Not amazing performance, but quite good for the price point. Eternity for Men Review

eternity

Green Minty Sport Fragrance

Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren for Men 4.2 oz Eau de Toilette Spray– Fresh, sport, and an absolute throwback to the 1990s and is iconic Ralph Lauren. Polo Sport was one of the first fragrances that I loved, when I was a kid. That opening act with lemon and orange, flanked by notes of cool spicy mint, is still captivating.

Lavender and neroli, create a nice trio with the mint, to deliver its soapy and dynamic smell. However, my favorite part comes when this has the time to settle down.

Polo Sport has a light seaweed touch, giving it is aquatic edge. That along with its clean profile, minty disposition and the inclusion of floral notes; make it a great wear to this day. It’s changed a bit since its original release, but this is still a very wearable cologne that folks enjoy. Polo Sport Review

Vetiver Soapy Scent

Creed Original Vetiver Men Millesime Spray, 4 Ounce – Creed Original Vetiver is a hyper clean and masculine use of vetiver and citrus with a classic soapy quality. I always feel energized after applying Original Vetiver, as the fragrance just seems to strike an upbeat and positive chord.

It’s not a complex sort of cologne, rather, it is linear but everything that it needs to be. This vetiver is a modern style with an older soul. Solid choice for business or casual wear. It all comes together as very clean, with good performance that will last a full work day.

The opening citrus is bright and really a highlight of this fragrance. There is some iris and sandalwood, in here as well, but they definitely don’t hit the same heights as the citrus and vetiver. Original Vetiver Review

Green Aquatic

Davidoff Cool Water Edt Spray for Men, 6.7 oz– Cool Water is an extremely famous fragrance, which dates back to the 1980s, and has quite the soapy opening act. The entire wear, has a similar feeling, but it is most pronounced up top.

Mint and tobacco give the opening a green and fresh air, which is then paired with both lavender and neroli. Yes, it gets more aquatic and woody, as it moves along. However, the main wood note is sandalwood, which helps to keep it in the category we want here.

Cool Water is still extremely affordable and an easy fragrance to fall back on, for men who want a clean daily wear. Cool Water Review

High End Floral and Citrus

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Yes, I like Neroli Portofino Forte better, but the original is still a very good neroli based scent. Neroli Portofino is more floral, but does have an opening act which features lemon, to go along with the neroli and orange blossom.

It has a soapy profile and becomes even more floral as it dries down, as jasmine really starts to come through underneath the neroli. Clean and leans more feminine (still unisex, though), great for warm weather, with pretty good performance. Read my review

Nautica Blue by Nautica

by

Here in my latest installment of fragrance reviews, I’m going to take a closer look at Nautica Blue. This scent is in the lower end in terms of price for men’s colognes. It was released in 2005 by Nautica and has been one of the best selling ‘cheapies’ on the market since.

There can be some good deals and great finds at really affordable  prices. Is Blue actually one of them? What are the notes? What does it smell like? How long does it last? Read below for my take. Also see: Nautica Voyage N-83 Review and Nautica Blue vs. Nautica Voyage Comparison

What does Nautica Blue Smell Like?

nblue

Notes include: Musk, cedar, bergamot, sandalwood, peach, pineapple, water lily, jasmine

Click here to try: Nautica Blue Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 fluid ounce

My Full Wear Review

Nautica Blue contains fruit notes such as bergamot, peach, and pineapple. However, I wouldn’t classify it as a fruity fragrance at all. It’s more along the lines of an aquatic/woody scent and the fruit notes add a layer of freshness to it.

While they don’t smell the same at all, I am reminded of Polo Sport when I try out Nautica Blue, as they share the cedar, musk, sandalwood, and bergamot notes. It’s that same clean type of marine aroma you would get from Polo Sport but the Polo fragrance is way better, in my opinion.

The opening of Nautica Blue can actually be quite harsh, with the newest formulations on the market, the start of this scent has a sharp detergent-like smell. This really wasn’t as prominent with older bottles or maybe my memory of those is clouded.

Either way, the bergamot and pineapple, are super sharp at the top. Then, the cedar and heavier musk come in and give it that laundry sort of smell.

As it dries down, the sharpness is muted somewhat by the woody notes like the cedar and sandalwood. The musk also falls back and the floral notes become much more prominent for the rest of the wear.

Water lily and jasmine are the flowery ingredients, which go together with the pineapple and citrus bergamot, as the main attractions once this has had time to settle on the skin.

To describe this cologne I would use the words fresh, crisp, clean, soapy, aquatic. It’s a very safe and straightforward fragrance that won’t surprise you with anything unique but it won’t overwhelm you either.

I do find the cologne somewhat attractive, it is pretty basic however, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing for the price you’d pay for a bottle.

I really don’t like the opening, in these newer bottles, it’s way too sharp for my nose but it does quiet down a lot.

In some ways, this is a victim of some re-formulation. It’s been around for decades now, so, it was bound to happen. But, I do think that the quality has slipped, on the newer bottles.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

It’s projection is fairly moderate and definitely seems to have a short half life. So, it’ll go from a moderate opening to a lighter dry down.  Nautica Blue is usually going to last anywhere between 2-5 hours, depending on the circumstances in which you wear it.

Not a great longevity by any means but at this price point, one could afford to respray it as needed. At this roughly $15-25 price range, you’re not going to get too many scents that both smell great and last for a long time, it just what it is.

However, this isn’t terrible in terms of performance.

Seasonally, this works best in the warmer months of the year. It’s a nice refresher on summer days, as it can take the heat, and actually still smell like its supposed to. It holds up for the rest of the year, also, it just is at its best when the weather is hot.

I’d call this a casual fragrance. It’s safe and not overwhelming. Nautica Blue is a solid starter cologne for the younger guys out there. So, high school through college. Or just someone who needs an inexpensive and clean scent to spray on certain days.

That sharply fresh and soapy sort of scent, isn’t one that screams out, ‘romantic wear’ or nightlife fragrance. It’s a basic freshie, that can be had for super cheap.

Overall Impressions of Nautica Blue

Overall, I’d say it’s a decent buy, but nothing that will blow you away. It’s a good way to smell fresh during the warmer months of the year and could be a solid option for a guy on a tight budget.

I prefer Nautica Voyage over this. However, you might prefer Blue between those two. That’s usually not the case, for most people, though.

I think that this is still one of the best smelling Nautica colognes, but rather middling versus other brands in this price range.

That’s not too big of an accomplishment, as the brand has put out a lot of duds over the years. This one is still okay versus the rest of the competition at this price. It was better than it’s current form, at one time.

Fresh, simple, and you know what you’re getting out of it.