In my long list of men’s fragrance reviews on this site, I have already tackled one Bvlgari cologne, and today I’d like to turn my attention to another, Blv. Blv is a casual scent for men released back in 2001 and like other scents from the brand, it is both affordable and has a really specific aroma that separates it from many other offerings.
Is that enough to make Blv a buy? How does it perform? What’s it smell like? Please continue reading below for my take on Blv.
Blv Overview
Notes include: sandalwood, juniper berries, cedar, ginger, cardamom
Click here to try: Bvlgari Blv By Bvlgari For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Oz.
My Full Review
Blv upon its opening strikes me as a rather unique scent for something that is a mainstream daily wear fragrance. It’s slightly sweet/citrus with an overtone of spice provided by the ginger note.
The ginger does get overshadowed by that cardamom, which only heightens the initial spicy profile of this fragrance. It seems to be the ‘lemony’ smelling sort of cardamom like Wanted by Azzaro, but not nearly as prominent.
Behind all that, sits a woodsy and fresh aroma that is down right pleasant. Blv in many regards is almost a perfect casual scent.
With Blv I get the same ‘dry’ type of scent that I do with Bvlgari Man, except more of a clean/powdery smell than that one. Yes, it does have a bit of a ‘baby wipes’ aroma at times, but not exactly.
Tobacco blossom and juniper give this one an aromatic and greenish profile during the middle especially.
In fact, Blv leans more towards the unisex side of fragrances, not that it’s really all that feminine but women could definitely pull this one off if they wanted to.
It’s quite a subtle scent, that isn’t too complex in that it doesn’t change all that much from the first 15 minutes of wear. Yes, less spicy and more woody. But, Blv is a clean aromatic scent with some nice highlights of spice.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
The sillage here is fairly light to moderate. This isn’t a cologne that’s going to bog you down with a thick or heavy feeling. Nor is it going to be one that’s absolutely jumping off of the skin.
It hangs around well enough. Though, it isn’t a fragrance that is going to be radiating across a room with its power.
In terms of longevity, it’ll get a solid 6 hours and maybe more depending on the conditions its being worn in. It’s not a projection beast, as I said, it’s subtle. But, you might get 7 hours from this Bvlgari cologne at times.
That isn’t a bad thing in this case, as it begs to be worn during the daytime as an office/school wear. It’s very versatile within that frame. It can go casual or semi-formal and it’s a low key aroma that can fit in almost anywhere.
Not too much of a date night fragrance or one that will command attention (although it will draw complements). It’s a pretty unique scent, while being familiar enough, that isn’t offensive and does its job well.
Seasonally, this one can be worn pretty much whenever. Spring through autumn is when it would be at it’s best. I like it more in the warmer weather than anything approaching freezing temperatures.
Overall Impressions of Blv
Is Blvgari Blv worth a purchase? Fragrance wise, yes, it smells really nice.
It’s got a great blend of spice and powder. But, the woods and even slight creaminess make this one interesting to me, even with Blv’s simplicity.
I think that they might have stopped making this at one point, because for a while it became pretty difficult to find.
Now, I’m seeing it around a lot more and the price isn’t too bad.
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 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.
