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?
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.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally test out and written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides. You can also follow me on: YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok!
