Men’s Fashion

Invictus vs. Invictus Legend Cologne Comparison

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Paco Rabanne has released a new flanker fragrance to the Invictus lineup. Naturally, we will want to know how it compares to the original, which is better in the match up between: Invictus vs. Invictus Legend. Does Legend meet expectations or does it pale in comparison to the original release from the brand? Which lasts longer? Smells better? Is the best buy?

Tale of the Tape

Invictus

Notes include: grapefruit, sea notes, mandarin orange, bay leaf, jasmine

Read my review

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

Invictus Legend

Notes include: grapefruit, amber, geranium, metal, mead accord, guaiac wood, laurel, sea salt, bay leaf

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Legend eau de parfum for men 3.4 Fl Oz

Read my Review: Invictus Legend

Opening

The original Invictus opens up with its citrus notes, ambergris, and bay leaf. The aroma this produces, has often been described as, grape bubble gum. That’s fairly accurate and underneath this is a bit of the sea notes, giving Invictus a light aquatic feel.

Invictus Legend also starts off with a strong citrus, yet, it feels more tropical in its presentation than grape bubblegum. The grapefruit and lemon is joined by a heavier dose of the aquatic notes and amber, with the bay leaf barely registering.

Yes, these two do smell similar, but are still quite distinct. The opening of Invictus is really enjoyable and the sweetness has grown on me over time. However, I think that I enjoy the start of Legend, a bit more. The citrus is more intense and you get some fresh spiciness later on. The amber is also, more noticeable.

Edge: Legend

Projection

Invictus has always felt like a strong cologne, at first, and then moves into something that is moderate. Does Legend surpass it? Yes. Legend has a more powerful sillage, at the top, and remains stronger throughout the rest of the wear. It’s not the most powerful fragrance out there, but it does pack a punch early on.

Edge: Legend

Longevity

With Invictus EDT, I have continually gotten 6-7 hour of wear, on my skin. It’s not insanely good, by any means, but definitely respectable. Meanwhile, Invictus Legend goes a bit further. With its greater power, Legend can last for somewhere in the 8-10 hour range, which is quite good.

Edge: Legend

Versatility

To me, there isn’t much separation here, as the ingredients are so similar that the uses will overlap. Both are great in the warm weather, but Legend does have more of a summertime feel. Both can go daytime or into the nightlife, without issue. Not seeing a winner, in this category.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

The original Invictus has never been my favorite scent. I used to be mostly indifferent toward it, and now, I do like it more. The opening is still the most enjoyable part to me and the performance is good enough. I understand why it is so popular and has gotten so many fans.

However, I have already enjoyed Invictus Intense more than the original, and now I will add Invictus Legend to that list. Legend is like a more citrus/marine version of Intense, sort of like a summer addition, and does everything better than Invictus EDT.

The performance and sillage is greater. The citrus notes give it a tropical edge, while the amber is deeper and more intense.

I have to say, it feels more balanced and energetic than the original. For those reasons, I have to give Invictus Legend, the win here.

Winner: Invictus Legend

Acqua di Gio vs Azzaro Chrome Cologne Comparison

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For this men’s fragrance comparison, we are going to be taking a closer look at two insanely popular fragrance from the 1990s, Azzaro Chrome vs. Acqua di Gio. Which of these citrus aquatic scents, is the better wear? Which lasts longer? Which should you buy? I have worn, tested, and reviewed each and will break them down by category before declaring an ultimate winner.

Tale of the Tape: Chrome vs. AdG

Acqua di Gio

Notes include: bergamot, tangerine, neroli, jasmine, rosemary, patchouli, rock rose, hyacinth, persimmon, marine notes

Click here to try: Acqua Di Gio By Giorgio Armani For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

Read my review: Acqua di Gio 

Azzaro Chrome

Click here to try: Men’s Chrome by Azzaro Eau de Toilette Spray – 3.4 oz.

Notes include: neroli, lemon, bergamot, rosemary, pineapple, musk, woods, and jasmine

Read my review: Chrome Review

Opening

Acqua di Gio opens up with a nice citrus blend of tangerine and bergamot. These two top notes are joined by marine notes of an ocean quality, and then, floral notes of neroli and jasmine.

It’s nice with the sea notes and the citrus. I like the addition of the jasmine, in particular, and the spices which gradually arise during the wear. Having come back to this fragrance after a long absence, the citrus and jasmine really struck me as being fantastic.

Chrome opens with lemon and pineapple, which is a sharper pairing, than is found in AdG. It too, has jasmine and neroli, in the beginning.

Do the two smell similar? Ehh, there are somewhat related but, AdG has a spicier and less sharp profile. Chrome is bright with a vaguely aquatic aroma lurking in there, with more of a soapy/woody scent.

Which is better? It’s really close, as I enjoy both of these colognes and how they start. Ultimately, I think I prefer Acqua di Gio’s opening act, a bit more. The oceanic sea breeze, with the tangerine and bergamot, is what I think gives it a slight edge.

Edge: Acqua di Gio

Projection

Chrome can strike me as pretty bold, right at the start, but later settles down into a moderate. It’s a pretty similar experience with Acqua di Gio, which is also, fairly moderate. I really don’t see much separation with the current sillage of each.

Older editions may have had a marked difference. Nowadays, they’re basically equals.

Edge: Push

Longevity

With Acqua di Gio, I get about 6-7 hours of wear, on my skin. It’s respectable, but not amazing. Azzaro Chrome will get me 7-8 hours of wear. It’s not a huge difference, but Chrome is better with how long it lasts.

Update: Trying AdG some more, it seems to be a 5-7 hour range. A few times, I don’t think it reached the six hour mark.

Edge: Chrome

Versatility

Both of these colognes are great in the warmer months of the year. They really do smell fantastic, when the temperatures rise, but can go year round without issue. Both are good for casual wear, daily office wear, or even to school for younger men.

Neither is much of a nighttime fragrance exclusively, but can venture into that world. Again, there’s not much separation, and they occupy the same niche essentially.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Each of these fragrances, has been a best seller since the 1990s, and there’s good reason for that.

Chrome is a great daily wear cologne, that has a lot of fans, and it does get plenty of complements. It is fresh, upbeat, with aquatic and woody undertones.

It has a soapy clean smell with a unique metallic edge. It’s really easy to just grab and spray on, without much though, and has good performance.

However, if I’m just going on smell alone, I’d give the edge to Acqua di Gio. It is more interesting to me. I like the spiciness, the floral undertones, the oceanic influence, and those awesome citrus notes. It would be my choice, if each were priced the same.

I will say, that you can usually get Chrome for a cheaper price (sometimes, it’s reversed). If that were the major deciding factor, I’d buy that over the Armani cologne. Nonetheless, AdG is the winner of this match up for me. They are extremely close and it’s not a clear cut choice.

Winner: Acqua di Gio

Angel Men Pure Havane by Thierry Mugler

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It’s been a while since I’ve done a review of a Thierry Mugler cologne on the site. The last time being, B*Men, which I actually grew to enjoy quite a bit after my initial mixed reaction. I recently received another sample with one of my cologne orders, and it’s one of the flanker fragrances of the Angel Men (A*Men) series, Pure Havane.

While I’ve smelled this cologne before, I was wanting to give Pure Havane a longer try, and see exactly how it smells, performs, and whether or not it is worth a purchase. In this post, I will share my thoughts of my experience with this fragrance and try to flesh out a bit as to what this tobacco based juice is all about.

What Does Pure Havane Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco leaves, honeyed tobacco, patchouli, and bitter cocoa

Click here to try: Thierry Mugler Eau de Toilette Spray, Angel Men Pure Havane, 3.4 Ounce

A*Men Pure Havane

The opening of Pure Havane is quite simple. Imagine a fine Cuban cigar dipped in honey and then rolled in a pile of sugar…that’s what this smells exactly like. It’s a very warm, sweet, and slightly sticky sort of smell that is actually quite beautiful and enthralling.

Although, it isn’t listed in the notes, I also detect a hint of vanilla which provides an extra creamy smoothness. Now, if this doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, look elsewhere. However, if you like rich and masculine scents, then Pure Havane is a masterpiece of fragrance.

The tobacco note in this is dominant but it is a rather different experience than something such as Burberry London, the tobacco in Pure Havane is a much lighter and sweeter smelling variety.

As it wears on, the honey note lessens and the vanilla scent gets pushed more into the foreground. Also, the cocoa note emerges and smells like a chocolate powder to me, it must be the way it blends with the honey and vanilla.

There’s a bit of earth spice here, from patchouli, but it mostly stays in the background. The dry down of Pure Havane is all about the rich tobacco and thick honey, with all of the other sweet notes, orbiting these two. Not too much development from this fragrance, but it’s very good in its contained style.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

Projection wise, A*Men Pure Havane is really good. It isn’t overwhelming, but it is on the strong side of things. It doesn’t require that many sprays to be effective, which is a relief with so many weak colognes out there.

The reach does decline during the wear, but the first hours are pretty potent.

It also has really good longevity, this is an all-day kind of scent. However, be aware that it is much more of a skin scent after 5-6 hours but with reasonable application it should still be noticeable.

Pure Havane is for cold weather. If you live in a climate that is hot year round, you probably shouldn’t bother with this at all. I fear it would become a complete mess in the heat, yet, it is so beautiful in the cold weather.

I would say you could wear this to pretty much whatever event you would want to and it seems perfectly acceptable for school and work. Plus, this is a sexy type of cologne. Great for dates or just wanting to get closer. Pure Havane is a very comfy sort of scent.

Overall Impression of Pure Havane

Overall, is Pure Havane a buy? Yep, while it’s limited to colder weather, it is still a fantastic scent and performer. This A*Men flanker is a layered gourmand fragrance with tobacco taking center stage in its profile.

Not everyone enjoys this kind of cologne, so if you’re more into fruity, dry woods, or aquatics then this probably isn’t going to be a good selection.

On the other hand, if you like sweet winter scents (that aren’t sickly sweet) and rich tobacco blends then Pure Havane is an excellent choice.

I think that the opening can be overwhelming or messy at times, but, this one does settle down and get better as it moves along. Not a super mature scent, but it can work well for guys through their 20s and 30s, with exceptions.

The A*Men line has produced some awesome colognes, over the years, and this is among the best.

Update: All of these ‘Pure’ fragrances got discontinued by Mugler.

Creed Aventus Vs Green Irish Tweed Cologne Comparison

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I have already reviewed multiple men’s fragrances by Creed on this site including both Aventus and Green Irish Tweed. Now, I want to do a bit of comparison between the two colognes to see which one is better. Now obviously, scent is an entirely subjective experience, even if a majority of people are able to agree on something that smells good (which is why we have best selling fragrances).

However, I want to present my opinions on each of these colognes in this post and weigh as to which one is the better bet and why I think that.

Tale of the Tape: Green Irish Tweed vs Aventus

Green Irish Tweed (GIT)

Notes include: violet leaf, sandalwood, iris, ambergris, lemon verbena 

Click here to try: Creed Green Irish Tweed Eau de Parfum 3.4 Oz/100 ml New In Box

Read my original Review: Green Irish Tweed

Aventus

Click here to try: Creed Aventus for Men Eau De Parfum Spray, 4.0 Ounce

Notes of Creed Aventus: 

Top: Blackcurrant,Italian bergamot, French apples and pineapple

Middle: Rose, dry birch, Moroccan jasmine, and patchouli

Base Notes: musk, oak moss, ambergris, and vanilla.

Read my original Review: Aventus Review

Opening

Now, as I’ve stated in my original reviews (Aventus and GIT), I’m not really a fan of either cologne’s opening scent. To me, the opening 15 minutes or so of Aventus is akin to a dulled down version of Lemon Pinesol. Meanwhile, GIT has a pretty earthy and mossy type of opening which doesn’t really wow me either.

Aventus kicks off with a sharp mix of pineapple and black currant. It’s pretty darn harsh to my nose, quite dry with the super dry birch note coming through. The citrus and apple notes, aren’t too prevalent but you can pick them up.

While, I don’t like this opening act of Aventus, I do enjoy it once it settles down. The birch strengthens, with oak moss, and the intensity of the fruity notes fade. This makes it much more balanced and tolerable to me. 

Green Irish Tweed, is pretty mossy and earthy in the beginning, to my nose. I get plenty of violet leaf, lemon verbena, and other assorted notes giving it that flair. I don’t particularly enjoy the opening, but like Aventus, it gets much better.

I enjoy GIT more, once it takes more of a turn toward the citrus, but this follows that earthy violet leaf start. 

If I had to choose the better opening from two which I’m not fond of, I’d give the nod to GIT. It doesn’t blow me away but it isn’t as pungent and intense as the opening of Aventus. So, during this initial stage it is a better fragrance.

Edge: GIT

Longevity

Both of these fragrances are very good in terms of how long each of them lasts.  There really is no edge here as both of them have about the same wear time of somewhere in the 7-10 hour range in most cases.

I’ve worn each many times, in a variety of climates, and I always get them to fall in this same range. Yes, heat and humidity, can diminish the results more toward 7 hours. Though, they are very resilient compared to a lot of other men’s fragrances, in such scenarios. 

Edge: Push

 

 

Projection

Just as both of these fragrances have good longevity, they also project very well too. I would say that Aventus is the stronger of the two in this regard, as I usually won’t apply more than the equivalent of two sprays, after that I think it just becomes too loud.

Neither of them, has an absolutely massive sillage, compared to others on the market. However, I view each as being firmly in the strong category. 

Edge: Slight Aventus

Versatility

I view GIT as more of a spring scent and Aventus as a spring/early summer scent. However, Aventus could be used well during the winter and in the summer as well, if it is not too hot.

Also, I think Aventus has more uses in terms of the occasion than does Green Irish Tweed. GIT doesn’t feel like a date night cologne to me or one that I’d one to wear out to a party or something.

Whereas, I think Aventus can pull both of these situations off. Aventus seems sophisticated but not necessarily something a younger guy couldn’t wear and GIT comes off as more mature in its use.

Edge: Aventus

Overall Scent

I like GIT but I’ve never been blown away by it. I understand why some people swear by it but it really isn’t my style and I feel like that’d also be the case for many other guys.

While the opening of Aventus has never sat right with me, once it settles down it does become a really great scent that is quite woodsy and masculine with the undertones of citrus, instead of its initial overwhelming citrus notes.

I really like the woodsy tones of Aventus, once separated from the fruit, and when paried with the ambergris and vanilla. Both add a touch of sweetness, without the tart feeling of pineapple and black currant in conjunction.

Pineapple, birch, and oak moss are still the strongest in the end, however. Though, have a much more balanced scent than before. 

Again, this is all subjective to my personal tastes and experiences. But, I simply think that Aventus is the better choice between the two, for most guys. Even if, there have been a ton of Creed Aventus copies hitting the market the past however many years.

Winner: Aventus

Oud Wood by Tom Ford

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Continuing on into the depths of my Tom Ford fragrance reviews, we have another entry from the Private Blend line: Oud Wood. This is one of the more popular options in this collection, but does it actually live up to the hype? What does it smell like? Does it perform well?

What does Oud Wood by Tom Ford Smell Like?

Notes include: rosewood, sandalwood, oud, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, cardamom, and vetiver

Click here to try: Tom Ford Private Blend Oud Wood Eau De Parfum Spray – 50ml/1.7oz

My Full Review

Oud is one of those ingredients that seems to have a lot of fans in the fragrance world, but one that isn’t super appealing to my nose. Yes, in certain cases, when it’s a part of a well blended mix, I enjoy its presence but not when it’s leading the way.

With Oud Wood by Tom Ford, I get an opening of the oud note, that is paired with cardamom and a peppery spice. Cardamom is a pretty big player in the early life of this fragrance and the other woody notes sort of take a backseat to it.

Sitting underneath the two main notes, is a distinct rosewood, some vanilla sweetness, and the familiar scent of sandalwood. After a few minutes of wear, I notice the vetiver poking through, as well. At this point Oud Wood, begins to be less spicy, and has a bit of a sour element within the composition.

Also at this point, the oud note, isn’t the main attraction. As the fragrance dries down, I get the other woodsy notes, vetiver, amber, a bit of sweetness, and the cardamom.

The oud is definitely still around, but is has more of a supporting role than the lead, which is good for me. Though, odd considering the name of the fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Oud Wood is light to moderate. Honestly, this version doesn’t have much sillage at all past the first hour or so. Coming into this, I would’ve thought that Oud Wood would be a complete bomb sort of scent…nope.

The longevity too, isn’t that great. I can get 4-5 hours on my skin, but after that, it’s gone. That’s a shame for something at this price point and considering how other Tom Ford scents hold up.

Seasonally, the woodiness reminds me of autumn, but also extending into wintertime. These notes aren’t built for the heat, however. I think that it’d turn gross, especially in the high humidity, so take that into account before buying.

It’s a men’s fragrance, even if it is listed as a unisex perfume. Quite masculine. Elegant and well rounded, Oud Wood should be worn on more dressed up occasions and not with jeans and a tee.

Overall Impressions of Oud Wood

Overall, do I like this Tom Ford fragrance? I do and I don’t. The performance isn’t good. I like how it smells at some points in the wear but then it also has a sour smell at times. The oud note, is actually not overwhelming in this one, so I enjoy that fact and the wood notes are great.

It is warm and has a rather unique aroma. Still, it’s not one for me, but is one that has a ton of admirers.

If it had better performance, I might give it the go ahead for a full recommendation, but I don’t think I can due to the cost. I enjoy the vetiver, tonka bean, and amber. They’re nice touches to the overall composition, but not enough to truly sell me on this one.