Men’s Fashion

Ranking Uomo Born in Roma Colognes

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Uomo Born in Roma is the men’s side of the very popular Valentino Born in Roma fragrance line. There are now more than a handful of colognes that have been released by the brand, but which is the best smelling of them? Which is the right option for you?

Uomo Born in Roma Fragrances Ranked

Note: This is the list as of now. I have yet to try the newest release, nor have I gotten a hold of the now discontinued ‘The Gold’ Born in Roma cologne. I will update, as soon as I come across those scents.

The Best Roma

Born in Roma Intense– To me, this is the best of the bunch thus far. I wasn’t expecting much from it, following my testing of the EDT version, but Intense surprised to the upside.

Now, do I think it’s a great fragrance? No. I don’t think any of these Valentino colognes are amazing, Born in Roma Intense is just a clear cut number one among the rest.

Intense opens with fresh sweetness. The original was sweeter with more Invictus vibes, but they share similarities.

The major difference is the lavender note running throughout, which keeps it from becoming too candy-sweet, though it still flirts with that territory. I  really appreciate the lack of mineral oil/saltiness accord that gave me headaches in the original.

After 20 minutes, Intense becomes a balanced lavender and vanilla combination that feels almost unisex.

The dry down is lavender and vetiver on my skin. Vanilla and amber provide support, but it’s much less sweet and more of a floral/fougere aromatic. Clean and easy to wear. Intense review

Warm and Cozy

Yellow Dream– I’m not sure that I have much of a preference between Yellow Dream and Coral Fantasy or Green Stravaganza. It might be recency bias, but I would probably lean more toward wanting to wear Yellow Dream.

Is it a great Born in Roma scent? It’s sort of like a better and warmer version of Stronger with You Freeze. Lots of overlap in terms of smell and style between Uomo Yellow Dream and that series from Armani, particularly with Freeze.

At no point am I offended by it, while at the same time I’m never quite wowed by this cologne either. It’s just nice, warm, and wearable.

There are points of the development where the gingerbread, pineapple, spice, and vanilla are working together in concert quite well. This is a cozy wear that should be popular with those who like a sweet and spicy gourmand for the autumn and winter months.

The Rock

Rockstud Noir– I’m pretty sure that this edition is already discontinued. It’s a better version of the original EDT, mixed with elements of the Ralph’s Club scents and Y Le Parfum.

But, I think I’d rather wear the YSL scent than this one. Polo? It’s a toss up. I like the opening here more, I think.

If you’re a fan of the original EDT, you’ll probably really enjoy this one. I’m not, but I do like this more as a cologne.

You do get a powerful start from the bergamot here. It is actually stronger and juicier than what Green Stravaganza provides. It’s backed up by sage and ambergris.

It has a clean and somewhat blue-ish sort of freshness to it. This is probably the most versatile daily wear of the bunch. That opening with the full bergamot and sage is when this is at its peak. After that? Fine. Not too interesting

Green Fresh

Green Stravaganza– Imperfect. Simple. Green Stravaganza really had an opportunity to be a great cologne, but instead is slightly better to me versus the rest of the list. Really not much separating it and Yellow Dream, for example.

What’s good here? The bergamot. It’s like YSL Myslf (at the start) without the major floral note. Instead, you get the citrus freshness with a light touch from a coffee accord.

It’s fresh, somewhat earthy and greenish at times thanks to the inclusion of the vetiver note. The dry down has a soapy/amber finish to it.

The simplicity here is at the same time a mark against it and also a selling point. It’s steady throughout, in terms of my enjoyment of it. But also, I don’t feel like it reaches the same highs as Yellow or Coral Dream.

A Fantasy

Coral Fantasy– This is the Born in Roma that I was really wanting to try out, when it was released, and the fragrance does open up with a pretty interesting aroma.

The crisp red apple note is the star, with its sweet and juicy scent getting paired early on with cardamom and some spices.

That red apple note is great with the cardamom and bergamot, lending some warmth and slight lemon-like fruitiness of its own with the spice. The sage is another major note.

The transition into the next phase, does come on early. The initial fruitiness will begin to fade. Geranium freshness will permeate, the lavender and tobacco notes will begin to show up, and the red apple will be a role player.

At this point, it is a colder, drier, freshness. Overall, I don’t think it’s that much better than the EDT. A nice enough fragrance, but ultimately was a disappointment to me. Coral Fantasy review

roma coral fantasy review

Original Roma

Born in Roma EDT– The original is okay to me. The first few times I tried it out, I got a headache from it. After that, it was fine, just not all that great nor is it very original for much of the wear.

Born in Roma smells a lot like the original Invictus and Invictus Aqua in the opening act. Roma has that same artificial candy-like sweetness.

The difference is that it is toned down in the Valentino and there aren’t any citrus notes, as in Invictus. Instead, this one gives me a very prominent mineral accord (like mineral oil’s smell) and violet leaf (which is also in Invictus Aqua).

With that, some light ginger, salt, and some sage also come through. It’s not an aquatic and the mineral accord is the equivalent of the Invictus ambergris.

The back half is where Born in Roma begins to have its own personality. Less of that candy-like sweetness and more of a soapy/fresh clean scent. The main notes that I get throughout are: violet leaf, mineral accord, vetiver, and wood. Born in Roma review

Devotion Pour Homme by D&G

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Devotion is a newer series for both men and women by D&G. The women’s side of things got a head start, before Devotion Pour Homme was released in 2025. I recently bought a sample of this cologne to test it out and see what it’s all about.

What does it smell like? Does Devotion Homme last long? Is this Dolce & Gabbana fragrance worth a try?

Devotion Pour Homme Overview

Notes include: lemon, coffee, patchouli

Click here to try: Devotion Homme at Sephora

My Full Review

Here’s how they describe it: Dolce & Gabbana Devotion For Men Eau de Parfum celebrates unwavering and unconditional devotion, the power of love, and the joy of life. The fragrance, anchored by the timeless Sacred Heart, reflects the essence of a determined man, confidently guided by his instincts.

The opening is a warm roasted coffee note sitting underneath a giant squeeze of lemon juice. The lemon is pretty intense for a few minutes, before fading behind the coffee.

This isn’t really a coffee bean sort of smell or the grounds, this is like a literal interpretation of what a cup of coffee smells like. It’s spiced and given that citrus enhancement, but that’s what is here with this D&G cologne.

So, if you’re not into that, you probably won’t enjoy Devotion. At least the opening act.

A little bit further along, you start to get more of the patchouli note. Even that, isn’t enough to unseat the coffee from being the main focus of this scent.

It begins to be more of a coffee and woody/woodsy sort of aroma. Note sure which wood note is here, but there’s something underneath the patchouli and coffee. Things are still somewhat spicy, but this just seems more like a warm aroma. The lemon is pretty much just a sparkle now.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The opening spray does have some decent power behind it. It’s not a super heavy coffee blend or anything, but it’s got some reach in that first hour or so.

After that, this Dolce & Gabbana cologne will have a moderate projection, that trends fairly quickly to the lighter end of things.

On my skin, Devotion Pour Homme sticks around for about 7 hours. Nothing amazing with the performance here, but solid enough.

Seasonally, this is an autumn through springtime wear. So long as it’s not too hot or humid out, Devotion should be able to work.

This would be a good fragrance for younger guys, as far as daily wears go. It’s not formal or something that most would wear to the office. Nightlife, would be good. It’s not a massive projector, but its gourmand qualities are attractive.

Overall Impressions of Devotion

Overall, do I like Devotion? I do like it somewhat. I’m not sure what the hate this has gotten is all about, it’s a pretty good fragrance, not amazing but likeable. I guess this is more of a love/hate cologne for a lot of people.

The opening spray isn’t too amazing, but I do think that once the strength of the lemon wears off a bit, it’s an enjoyable enough scent. Just sort of harsh to kick things off. I like the coffee and the slight spiciness of the mix. It does smell like a cup of joe. Then, it softens into something else.

Again, I’m not in love with this one, and won’t be buying a bottle for myself. But, for the time that I’ve had it on, there is enough to like here.

When compared to the other D&G sample that I received, Light Blue Capri in Love, I think that it is a bit better than is Devotion.

If you’re interested I would for sure try to get this when it’s discounted, because I don’t think it’s too worthwhile at retail prices.

Light Blue Capri in Love Pour Homme by D&G

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Light Blue is the line that keeps right on going for Dolce & Gabbana, on both the men’s and women’s side of things. 2025’s release is Capri in Love Pour Homme. I recently bought a sample vial of this new cologne to test it out.

How does Capri in Love smell? Does it last long? Is this Light Blue worth a try?

Capri in Love (Men’s) Overview

Notes include: fig, black pepper, patchouli

Click here to try: Light Blue Capri in Love Homme

My Full Review

Here’s how D&G describes it: A dive into the salty sea breeze and golden light of Capri.
Intriguing and enveloping, Light Blue Capri In Love Pour Homme Eau de Parfum opens with the spicy note of Black Pepper. At its heart lies the vibrant and green soul of Capri Green Fig, while Patchouli lends a deep and magnetic elegance, encapsulating the Mediterranean island’s allure.

So, there are only three listed notes here. But, looking at the ingredients there is a light citrus note up top that I’m smelling, which pairs up with the opening spice of the black pepper.

From the jump, you can tell that this one isn’t going to be too heavy and it will have a freshness that is great for the summertime. Very reminiscent of Kenzo fragrances and Paradise Garden (if you stripped it of mint and coconut).

Love in Capri is definitely a departure from the rest of the series. Dolce & Gabbana have done some really different takes on the Light Blue name, like, Vulcano and Stromboli.

Clean, spicy, slightly sweet, and a greenish base is how this Light Blue edition starts out.

Then, it really become fig dominant for the rest of the wear. If you don’t like fig, you’re not going to enjoy this. For me, this is something that I do think I’d enjoy, at least somewhat. A good fig mix for summer, isn’t usually something that the mainstream designers do.

Anyway, it’s basically just fig and a light patchouli the rest of the way. There are some woody undertones popping out as well. A pretty simple use of notes for the warmer months of the year.

But, I do think that this one shines once that black pepper starts to fall off. The green fruitiness of the fig works well.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This sillage here is a lighter moderate. It’s not weak, it’s just not going to be a heavy thick cloud of scent. Nor should it be. It’s light, clean, and somewhat refreshing. Though, the reach it has with it’s projection is good.

On my skin, this one lasts somewhere in the 6-7 hour range. That’s about what I expect from these D&G Light Blue releases, this edition is par the course.

Seasonally, obviously we’re going spring and summer with this one. That’s what it’s built for.

Within that, though, I think that Capri in Love has plenty of use cases. It can be a daily wear, something casual, or even venture into the nightlife if need be.

Also, this is one that can be worn by any age group. Capri in Love is a well balanced summer cologne.

Overall Impressions of Capri in Love

Overall, do I like Capri in Love? So far, I do kind of like it. I’m not blown away by it, but for what it is, I think this Light Blue edition is nice.

It’s not too complicated of a fragrance and is fairly linear once that fig note kicks fully into gear. If you enjoy the Kenzo scents, K by D&G, etc.; you’ll probably like this one at least somewhat too.

If you’re a fan of the usual Light Blue citrus heavy colognes, this one might not be worth your while.

Either way, I don’t think it’s a great scent. Probably too high priced, at the initial release, but if you want an enjoyable change of pace for the summertime, this can do nicely.

Performance is mid, as usual with the Light Blue fragrances. Yet, it does enough to make it useful.

If you want a simple designer fig cologne, this is a good option. If it doesn’t sound appealing to you, I don’t think it’s going to shock or change your mind, if you try Love in Capri out.

Best Versace Eros Fragrances Ranked

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Eros has been successful as a line for Versace, both on the men’s and women’s side of things. However, the men’s line has been an absolute smash hit for the designer, and has seen more releases under the banner for more than a decade.

On this page, I wanted to keep track of the colognes that have come out with the Eros tag, and rank them in terms of how much I enjoy each (after testing and reviewing them). So, this is my list.

Favorite Versace Eros Colognes Ranked

Note: This is all of the Eros for Men fragrances as of posting, except for Najim. Since that was a special release, that I didn’t track down a bottle of.

Top Pick

Eros Parfum– This actually opens with more freshness than the citrus emphasis, found with the others. Yes, the citrus does appear at the top and its sparkling quality is pleasant, but it’s actually more subdued in the overall blend.

The familiar lemon and mandarin appear alongside that verbena-like litsea cubeba. Pepper and sage become more apparent, as does the foundation of amber and resinous notes like benzoin and elemi.

Clary sage takes the lead early on. Notably, there doesn’t appear to be much, if any, of the mint note. It seems to have been replaced by enhanced geranium and sage to produce a similar effect.

Parfum ultimately becomes an amber, vanilla, cashmeran, and vetiver blend as it reaches its conclusion. 

All in all, I think that this is the best experience out of all of them. I don’t think that it blows the others away or anything, but after coming back to each, I did slightly enjoy this more. Eros Parfum review.

Original

Eros EDT– The original Eros was one of my favorites when I was younger. Now, it’s not something that I return to all that often.

The latest bottles seem to be more like how they once were (just not as strong), after having (to my nose at least) more lemon than usual. I did pick up a bottle of Greatness by Dua, which is inspired by the 2012 batches of Eros.

Anyway, this one opens with a zesty Italian lemon note, joined by crisp, juicy green apple and the cool spice of mint leaves. 

Tonka bean and vetiver also make their presence known. Later in the dry down period, Eros truly becomes an enveloping fragrance. The ambroxan amber and a subtle geranium emerge to complement the main trio of notes.

It’s a smooth, creamy, and freshly sensual fragrance with the vanilla note reaching its absolute peak.

For this list, I still think that it’s the second best offering. Eros EDT review

Another Revision

Eros EDP– At the start, Eros EDP feels colder, sweeter, and smoother than the original EDT. One notable change is how much weaker the vetiver is in this version

The tonka bean has also been removed. While I typically enjoy tonka bean paired with vanilla, I actually prefer the vanilla standing alone in this particular fragrance.

The cedar notes receive significant emphasis and really emerge after 30 to 45 minutes of wear. This next phase brings out those woody elements while the geranium and sage begin to recede.

At this point, the citrus becomes quite faint.  Finally, the mint and vanilla take center stage, accompanied by some apple and the cedar. The most significant change throughout the remaining wear time is how much the Ambermax begins to develop.

When I first tried this, the opening act almost made this my favorite Eros. But, that was short-lived. The back half was kind of disappointing, the Ambermax ruins it for me. Still pretty good, but it never took the top spot. Eros EDP review

Burning Red

Eros Flame– I considered swapping this ahead of the eau de parfum, because they’re basically interchangeable to me. I purchased this as soon as it was released way back when and never became too big of a fan of Flame.

It’s solid. The initial formulation’s performance was insanely good, also. Last few times that I’ve tried it, it wasn’t nearly as strong.

The tangerine and lemon combination creates a very bright and juicy opening. More tangerine, than lemon. This becomes especially apparent when the emerging vanilla and tonka bean create that smooth, creamy aroma.

Versace describes the citrus pairing as part of a chinotto accord. The pepper here isn’t intensely spicy and probably doesn’t match the strength of the mint in the original. 

Overall, I really like the opening sequence here too. The citrus and vanilla/tonka bean combination feels familiar and there’s a certain effervescent quality to the entire experience.

As it develops, Flame adopts many outdoorsy and woody elements, sharing some characteristics with the original even during this stage. Cedar, vetiver, oak moss and geranium all carry over from the original formula.

But, as with Eros EDP, I’m not too in love with this one past the opening. For some people, this is their favorite Eros. I think the reviews of this have gotten better over time, but it just doesn’t fully click with me. Eros Flame review

Summer Vibe

Eros Energy– Energy is another of these Versace fragrances that I bought, as soon as it came out. And…it’s my least favorite of the bunch.

It’s not terrible, it’s just okay.

Eros Energy is as a heavily citrus-focused fragrance. It incorporates numerous fruits: lime, green mandarin, orange, lemon, grapefruit, and bergamot, plus the tart blackcurrant berry.

For me, Energy presents its aromas in distinct waves. Initially, I get a blend primarily of lemon, grapefruit, and bergamot. Then lime, orange, and some blackcurrant emerge. When it finally settles, it becomes more of a lemon/bergamot/grapefruit/orange grouping.

Is it purely citrus? No, there’s subtle spiciness from the pink pepper note. I detect some patchouli as well, though that appears more after an hour or so of wear.

The main attraction beyond the citrus elements is the musk note.

But, it’s nothing special. I’ll wear it once and like it. Then the next time, I find it annoying. It’s a good enough summer scent, if you get a discounted price, though. Energy review

Le Beau Paradise Garden vs. Le Male Elixir

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Le Male from JPG has been a long-running and massively successful line for the brand. Le Beau, is the more recent line of colognes that they’ve released and has also ridden a wave of popularity.

Two of the scents from Gaultier, Elixir and Paradise Garden, have been recent standouts for them. Even if they’re not exactly similar smelling fragrances, they are options that people sometimes decide between.

So, which one smells better? Lasts longer? Is the one that you should buy?

Tale of the Tape: Le Beau Paradise Garden vs. Le Male Elixir

Le Male Elixir

Notes include: mint, honey, lavender, tonka bean, benzoin, tobacco, vanilla

Click here to try: Le Male Elixir at Amazon

Read my review: Elixir

Le Beau Paradise Garden

Notes include: mint, ginger, fig, coconut water, salt, tonka bean, sandalwood

Click here to try: Paradise Garden

Read my full review: Le Beau Paradise Garden

Opening

Elixir makes a bold first impression with its mint note, delivering a cooling fresh spiciness right from the start. This distinctive opening blends seamlessly with the signature Le Male lavender accord.

The tonka bean emerges as another key player in the early stages. While Elixir features a vanilla note that intensifies throughout the wear, the tonka creates a sweet, syrupy character when combined with honey and the fuzzy warmth of benzoin.

Meanwhile, Paradise Garden introduces itself through an interesting blend of sweetness, freshness, mint, and subtle aquatic undertones.

A greener character develops as the fig note asserts itself, complementing the coconut beautifully, while a pronounced ginger note makes itself known early on after spraying. The fig brings both sweetness and verdant freshness to the composition.

Paradise features a distinct coconut water element, though a certain creaminess remains present throughout. This is all supported by a base of sandalwood, fig, and tonka bean, which further enhances the creamy quality.

The sandalwood will become increasingly prominent in the dry down phase.

Which do I like more? It’s close, but I’ve been liking the mint, coconut water, and fig mix of Paradise Garden a lot lately. So, it gets the edge.

Edge: Paradise Garden

Projection

Paradise Garden isn’t too heavy of a fragrance, but it does project itself quite well and leaves a scent trail in its wake. It doesn’t have that same thickness, but you’ll know that it is there.

With Elixir, it starts off really strong, more of a cloud-like envelopment before it finally moderates.

Elixir is really strong stuff and it takes this performance category.

Edge: Elixir

Longevity

With Paradise Garden, I’ve been getting 8-9 hours of wear out of it. That actually is pretty great for a scent that you’re mainly going to be wearing in the summer.

However, it falls a bit short compared to what I get with Le Male Elixir which will hang around for up to 10.5 hours or so, on my skin.

The Le Male entry takes this category.

Edge: Elixir

Versatility

Elixir is pretty bold with its sweetness, it’s crafted for colder days and has a youthful energy that is good for nightlife. I’ve also worn it in a more temperate climate and Elixir was fine. Most guys won’t be wearing this to the office or some kind of formal black-tie events.

Paradise Garden falls squarely into that relaxed, summertime cologne territory. It’s tropical coconut aroma is built for daytime wear mostly.

Though, I could see wearing this on a warmer night out, at a bar or something. 

Neither fragrance really ventures into formal territory. They’re casual scents that’ll resonate more with younger guys definitely not something you’d rock at work. These are pretty even here, but I might give a very slight edge to Elixir

Edge: Elixir

Overall Scent

This is honestly a pretty close race between these two, but I think that Paradise Garden is slightly better. If I were to include Elixir Absolu, I’d pick that one over both of these options.

I’m particularly drawn to Elixir’s opening notes and how honey and tobacco enhance the Le Male line. It delivers a sweet, warm, spicy, rich, bold experience that’s genuinely fun to wear.

That said, Le Beau Paradise Garden wins my vote as the better JPG fragrance. The opening is a tad better and I have a slight preference for the entirety overall. You don’t have to give up much performance either.

It strikes an excellent balance with impressive longevity, a gorgeous tropical character, and an overall pleasantness that makes it wonderfully wearable. I’ve been enjoying spraying it on warmer days, since I bought it.

Neither of these would be my daily wear, but they are fun colognes that I will finish out the bottles of, at some point.

Winner: Paradise Garden