Men’s Fashion

Hugo Red by Hugo Boss

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I’ll be making my way through plenty of reviews over the next few weeks and today I thought that I’d go with one from Hugo Boss, Hugo Red. I’ve already included this cologne on my list of best by Hugo Boss, however, I want to give it a closer look that I feel it deserves.

In this post, I will explore what makes up Red, what it smells like, how it performs, and whether or not I think it is worth a buy. Note: This page has been updated a few times since its original posting.

What does Hugo Red Smell Like?

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Notes include: grapefruit, pink pepper, rhubarb, amber, pineapple, tonka bean, cedar

Click here to try: HUGO BOSS Red EDT Spray for Men, 6.8 Fluid Ounce

Hugo Red Full Review

Hugo Red is quite an interesting scent to me. At times, it reminds me of some other fragrance that I’ve once smelled and at other times it seems wholly unique.

The opening is the usual citrus affair of pineapple and grapefruit notes which give it a spring/summer fruity vibe to it. The pink pepper and amber feel, has a Guess Seductive quality to it.

But, this is a fresher and less heavy kind of cologne.

However, Hugo Red becomes interesting in that there is this almost metallic aroma to it, sort of like Creed Himalaya (which I don’t enjoy) but in Red it is enjoyable.

The spice to this really isn’t really heavy and it’s kind of tough to explain. Red has a warm and woodsy heart that is only slight spicy and provided by the amber, pink pepper, and cedar.

It’s sort of unique because the rhubarb note isn’t all that common in many fragrances and I think that this note is what is setting Hugo Red apart.

This fragrance is quite clean, crisp, and refreshing. People also seem to dig it while I have it on, even if it can seem synthetic/generic at times.

There’s a very slight tonka bean after a while, but it isn’t all that noticeable during most wears.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

It is a moderate projection and I could detect it without having to get close to my skin. It stays moderate for 2-4 hours, before having a lighter sillage, but sticking around for a long while.

This fragrance has a reputation of not lasting long but I got really good wear out of it. I put it on the night before and it was quite noticeable still when I woke up the next morning.

Update: Upon wearing this for a while, I actually can get 8+ hours easily, but it fits in the 8-10 hour range mostly.

This would be a great choice for the warmer months, but I think it’d perform pretty well in wintertime, also. I like to wear it casually or for a night out during the summertime.

Hugo Red isn’t really an office scent, can have more of a youthful vibe. Not just for teenagers, but can work great for guys in their mid-20s. It just works in its simplicity, and has a unique enough vibe, to make it worthwhile.

Overall Impressions of Hugo Red

Overall, is Hugo Red a buy? It does smell good and it’s completely safe to wear for any occasion. I’d say that this could be an everyday summer wear for guys in the 18-30 range. It’s not too expensive and was a solid performer for me.

If you like citrus based scents with a woodsy/spicy heart, then Hugo Red is worth a look. I actually really enjoy this as a summertime citrus fragrance.

It’s unique and has a great blend of tartness and sweetness. That metallic finish is a great addition to making this Hugo Boss scent, stand out on its own.

Is it amazing? No, but it is all around a very good cologne, that has flown under the radar.

Update: Red has been discontinued by Boss. It’s harder to get a hold of bottles, but they do still exist, and usually for a great price. But, that’ll change as soon as the fragrance gets scarce.

I wouldn’t pay too much for a bottle, as it’s basically a fun summertime fragrance. Though, I’d enjoy having it again, if it were still a value.

London by Playboy

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In this review, I am going to dive into the ‘cheapy’ end of the fragrance market, with London by Playboy. Yes, the long-running men’s magazine, has had a line of colognes and perfumes for both men and women, for 10+ years or so now.

This line is currently being produced by Coty and most of the scents can be had for $10 or less. How does Playboy London rate? Please continue reading below for my full take.

Update: The ownership of Playboy has changed, since this was first published, and London is discontinued.

What does Playboy London Smell Like?

Notes include: brandy, cinnamon, tonka bean, galbanum, cedar, and mandarin

Click here to try: Playboy London Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The bottle of London features the Playboy Bunny logo colored by the British flag, which looks really cool to me as an image. The contents of the bottle start out with a blast of brandy and a somewhat muted cinnamon.

The cinnamon note isn’t all that spicy and feels more powdery due to its interaction with the tonka bean.

Playboy London is a very fresh and sweet scent punctuated by a boozy aroma that is surprisingly well done for such an inexpensive scent.

Don’t think of this as a super sugary kind of sweetness, more of a gourmand blend that is pleasant, warm, and just sort of hangs around the wearer gently.

Most of what you’re going to detect is the cognac warmth and the cinnamon with a supporting role provided by the tonka bean.

This isn’t a super complex fragrance by any means, but it does have some cedar and floral notes that are noticeable, and a bit of citrus to keep it balanced.

I will say that London is a well put together fragrance for something so low on the price spectrum.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s moderate and fades within a few hours to more of a skin scent. Longevity, again, 2-3 hours of decent wear and then fades for the next 2-3 into a skin scent. In total, London lasts 4-6 hours.

It’s not disappointing for the price. I’ve encountered plenty of designer fragrances with performances at this level or worse.

Luckily, it cheap enough to spray extra with no problems. I feel like they could have made this a stronger fragrance, as it seems watered down at least somewhat. Had they done that, Playboy London, might have been a sneaky little beast.

I like this as a casual fragrance during the fall and winter months. It’s got some level of sophistication and sexiness to it, as much as can be expected, but it is legitimately a nice aroma for something so cheap.

However, I will say that this is primarily going to be a fragrance for teens or guys in their early 20s. It’s not something that most older guys are going to want to wear around. Not good enough for a formal environment or anything like that.

Overall Impressions of London

Overall, would I recommend, Playboy London? If you’re in the market for a very very inexpensive scent, it’s worth a look. I bought my bottle for $5 and will probably use it for the gym or just randomly as a change of pace.

Update: I used it on occasion for a while, before giving it away to someone else. I had too many other better fragrances than this ultra cheapie. It’s a cheap but good cologne, not great.

Don’t expect some amazing high end designer cologne, rather, a fragrance that punches above its weight class and provides a good amount of value. I like the opening act, the booziness, and cinnamon/tonka bean.

Is it a great fragrance? No. Would this be my first option ever? Probably not. Only if I absolutely can’t afford anything else.

Y EDT vs Eau Fraiche Comparison

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Y EDT has spawned four other flanker cologne since its release a few years back. One of them, was last year’s Y Eau Fraiche. A lighter and fresh take on the Y DNA. Which one of these fragrances is better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy? I’ve worn and reviewed both and share my thoughts on the head to head in this post.

Tale of the Tape: Y EDP vs EDT

Y EDT

Notes include: bergamot, ginger, aldehydes, violet leaf, geranium, sage, cedar, musk, incense, ambergris, fir

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Y Eau De Toilette Spray 100ml/3.3oz

Read my original Review: Y EDT

Y Eau Fraiche

Notes include: lemon, pepper, ginger, mint, juniper, lavender, geranium, and cedar

My Review: Y Eau Fraiche

Opening

Update: YSL released an updated version of Y EDT in 2022. It’s slightly different from the original released in 2017. This post is about the original 2017 version. Everything still basically applies, however.

Y EDT opens up with a cool and crisp aroma. There is a light bergamot note, along with aldehydes, which gives the EDT a bright and sunny disposition. Underneath that, is violet leaf, ginger, and a light ambergris. It is a very good smell, light, and clean.

Eau Fraiche shares lots of overlap with EDT. It has the lemon, ginger, and mint. However, it also does away with plenty of the other notes. It’s actually cleaner, fresher, and has a bit of a spicier kick with the black pepper note.

While they are somewhat similar at the start, there is enough distinction between them in the early stages? Which do I prefer? I like Eau Fraiche. It’s got a cold vibe and really comes across great in the warmer weather.

Edge: Eau Fraiche

Projection

Y EDT has a moderate sillage for much of the wear. Noticeable, but not heavy or a super projecting monster. It does settle much lighter, however.

Eau Fraiche is the weaker concentration and so never hits the same level of power as EDT. It’s a lighter summer wear, but actually is pretty good for this sort of scent. Just not to the same level as its competitor.

Edge: Y EDT

Longevity

With EDT, I pretty consistently get 7 hours of wear. Not spectacular, but passable. Eau Fraiche on the other hand, gets me 6 consistently and 7 on occasion. Again, the scent won’t be as powerful, but it almost keeps pace with the original.

Edge: EDT

Versatility

Y Eau Fraiche is a rather limited fragrance. It’s built for late spring/summer and is best worn during the daytime. That’s what it’s built for.

Y EDT is more of an all around daily wear, that can venture into pretty much any season, and many situations.

Edge: Y EDT

Overall Scent

So, with Y EDT having better performance and versatility it is going to be the winner, right? For me? Not exactly.

Point blank, I like the way Eau Fraiche smells more so than EDT. Yes, the end up quite similar, especially in the latter stages. However, I really like that cold lemon and summertime vibe. I wore Eau Fraiche at the beach and it worked very well.

Sure, it’s got a limited use case, but it’s just a better scent. In fact, EDT is my least favorite of the Y lineup.

That’s not to say that it is a bad fragrance, it isn’t. Though, it isn’t spectacular either. If you need an all around cologne, you could do worse. And if you’re in that situation and choosing between these two, go with EDT.

The better scent is Eau Fraiche.

Winner: Eau Fraiche

Explorer Ultra Blue by Montblanc

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Explorer Ultra Blue is the follow up to the very popular Explorer from Montblanc. It was released in 2021, but I grabbed a sample more recently to test it out and see if it was actually worthwhile. How does Ultra Blue Smell? Does it last long? Is it better than the original Explorer?

What does Explorer Ultra Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: pink pepper, bergamot, sea notes, fruits, ambergris, wood, patchouli, leather

Click here to try: Explorer Ultra Blue

My Full Review

Here’s how Mont Blanc describes it: Explorer Ultra Blue celebrates the Blue found throughout nature. Intense, infinite, and fresh, the eau de parfum reveals a citrus woody marine fragrance. Embark on an epic journey.

The opening of Ultra Blue doesn’t come across like the original Explorer. Actually, the opening of this fragrance is a lot like Light Blue Living Stromboli with how it smells.

Citrus, pink pepper, aquatic notes, and vetiver are the overlaps between them. This one starts out blended more, with a less intense use of the pink pepper (heavily featured in the D&G cologne).

After about ten minutes, this will separate away from that comparison, and more towards being its own thing.

Ultra Blue does have its own overlap with the original Explorer, but the smell is different. Notes shared, include: bergamot, pink pepper, leather, vetiver, amber. Different weightings and you replace the cacao with sea notes (which is simply going to be different).

It’s fresh, with a hint of citrus, a salty marine accord, and woods. Actually, some smoothness in there from a touch of leather.

That’s my dry down. A light amber, mixing with a mix of the marine, woods, and some leather. Not super deep or complicated.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The first hour or so does have a nice punch to it. It’ll extend out to about a seven-ish foot radius from where you sprayed, at its peak. By the end of that hour, it’s come closer to the three foot range.

So, Explorer Ultra Blue does pretty quickly dissipate with its power and ability to leave a scent trail. Not a heavy scent, that’ll bog down on you. At it’s height, it does have a substantial heft for a fresh aquatic.

The longevity here isn’t all that great. It’s okay, on my skin, in the 5-6 hour range in total. The last couple of hours are pretty light and skin scent level.

Seasonally, this is a cologne that is more for the spring and summer months. But, honestly, I’d be fine with it anytime other than when it is really cold out. That fresh bite, might be too much.

It’s a clean and fresh daily wear. Not very formal, romantic, or a club beast. It’s one that you can wear to work (at most jobs), casually, or at school if you’re a student.

Ultra Blue is pleasant and probably not ever going to offend anyone.

Overall Impressions of Explorer Ultra Blue

Overall, do I like this cologne? It’s okay. I don’t hate it, but I’m sure that I’ll forget about this one in a short amount of time.

Ultra Blue isn’t unpleasant, but there’s not much going on here that really grabs my attention. The aquatic accord is pretty nice, the citrus isn’t that strong, and all of the other notes kind of end up blending together.

If you want an easy blue aquatic with a relatively pleasant woody base…this could fit the bill. Though, I’d want a massive discount for it. Ultra Blue is very serviceable, though never spectacular.

I do have a full bottle of Living Stromboli, which I purchased for review, and has a comparable opening. I prefer that Light Blue flanker to this and that was never cologne that I particularly loved.

Everything here is just fine. Smell is just fine, performance, quality, etc. The original had its somewhat different take on the Aventus style. Yet, it is a much better fragrance than this more unique Ultra Blue flanker.

Polo Red Parfum by Ralph Lauren

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Polo Red Parfum is another flanker in the long line of Red colognes, put out by Ralph Lauren. This one was released in 2023. I’ve already tried this one out once before, but now I’ve gotten a sample size sprayer in order to do a full review. How does it smell? Does Red Parfum last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Polo Red Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: blood orange, bergamot, pink pepper, absinthe, lavender, orris, musk, cedar, opoponax 

Click here to buy: Polo Red Parfum

My Full Review

Red Parfum starts out with a prominent blood orange note, like in Red Extreme. This time, however, it isn’t flanked by coffee and wood. Instead, early on, you get some assistance from a citrus bergamot note and some like warmth/spice of pink pepper.

The pink pepper is pretty subdued to my nose, especially when I compare it to other fragrances with a heavy use of that note.

I was interested in this scent, after reading about the absinthe as a note. Maybe a bit of bitterness in the first hour, underneath everything else. Other than that, it really doesn’t show up on my skin.

One thing that I will note, is the cranberry found in Polo Red EDT, does seem to be here to some limited extent. Not listed, but I keep getting hints of it coming through. So, it probably actually is a part of this blend.

A difference with the others in the line, is that the citrus loses much of its strength after 15 minutes or so. By this time, the lavender and orris notes have moved in. Now, the orris root adds a touch of powder to the scent, but is vastly overshadowed by lavender.

At this point in the wear, it’s: lavender, blood orange, pink pepper, musk, and orris.

Quite fresh, clean, warm, with some increasing resin in the base from the opoponax. In the end, it’s still sweet with the blood orange residue. But, mainly Red Parfum is about the lavender, musk, cedar, opoponax. Orris and pink pepper have faded to basically nothing.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Red Parfum isn’t a super heavy fragrance that bogs down. It does open up with a strong projection and a further reach than Red EDT.

From there, it’s in the upper range of moderate for a few hours, before it slides into something lighter to middling. Pretty good with the power, just not amazing.

On my skin, I get somewhere in the 6-7.5 hour range. It might go 8 hours, at times. Beyond that, I wouldn’t expect much. It’s above average and good for most uses.

Seasonally, Polo Red Parfum can work pretty much whenever, outside of the hottest days of the year. I’d go with something else during the summer months.

It is more of a casual and daytime wear. I think it can fit in more places than Red EDT since it doesn’t have that lemon and strong cranberry coming through the entire time.

Especially, once the citrus notes tone down, this will be able to be worn at the office or school without trouble. It’s not a formal sort of fragrance, but can fit in for the nightlife, without being a ‘club beast’.

Overall Impressions of Polo Red Parfum

Overall, do I like Red Parfum? I do. It’s about on par with the original Polo Red. I might like this one slightly more, but that could change day to day. Nonetheless, it is one of the better releases from this series, while still trailing Red Extreme.

I do love the return of the blood orange note, with the bergamot, and phantom cranberry note giving a nod to the original. It’s got a great citrus blend, fresh spice, clean lavender, and a woodsy base.

The back half of the wear is more basic. Polo Red Parfum loses some of its luster. Though, I find it to still be pleasant enough, and not bad at all.

The performance is better than the EDT and is above average, while not being elite. I never expect Ralph Lauren colognes to have crazy performance, but this is one that I have no real problems with.

All in all, it’s worth checking out, if you like this series. One of the better releases from this brand as of late.

It’s different in some ways, with familiar elements poking up throughout. Less tart and candy sweet than the EDT, over the long haul. It’s probably safe enough for a blind buy, but I might wait for it to go on sale, before grabbing a full bottle.