Men’s Fashion

Acqua Di Gio vs 1 Million Paco Rabanne Cologne Comparison

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For this edition of the head to head fragrance match ups, I want to do a comparison between two of the most popular men’s colognes, from the past few decades: Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani vs. 1 Million by Paco Rabanne. Which scent smells the best? Which has the better performance? Which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: AdG vs. 1 Million

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 

1 Million

Notes include: Mint, Grapefruit, Rose, Patchouli, Amber, Cinnamon, White woods, Blond leather, Blood orange, Spice notes

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne 1 Million By Paco Rabanne For Men Edt Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read my review: 1 Million

Opening

1 Million opens up with a blend of leather, rose, and citrus of blood orange and grapefruit. It’s quite sweet and bold, and creates a grape bubble gum like aroma from the jump.

Some folks aren’t too enthusiastic about the opening, but I like its charming beginning. This is all surrounded by a warm amber note. That amber warmth is enveloping and I really like the cooling sensation of the mint note that starts to peak through.

As it moves forward, it goes from sweet and cooler freshness to warmer spices, and a balanced period in between.

Acqua di Gio starts out with tangerine and bergamot citrus notes and a sea breeze note, which provides an upbeat and refreshing aquatic scent. There is also a floral aroma, provided by the jasmine. Some neroli and hyacinth, as well.

The citrus really comes across as a lemon and lime-led aroma. The newer bottles really have a nice amount of jasmine, when I wear it. Very nice.

Which is better? I really do enjoy both of these colognes and how each starts. Acqua di Gio has plenty of nice qualities, but I think I prefer the bold start of 1 Million. It is somewhat more interesting and has greater depth.

Though, coming back to both here recently, I have a great appreciation for wearing Acqua.

Edge: 1 Million

Projection

Acqua di Gio isn’t a powerhouse fragrance. It is solid but moderate throughout the wear. 1 Million is pretty legendary, at this point, with its sillage and how it performs. 1 Million can fill a room, with not too many sprays, it’s a beast. This category isn’t close.

Update: 1 Million doesn’t have that same level of pop anymore, but it still does extremely well in comparison, and didn’t lose too much of a step. AdG is still about the same, but it gets lighter quicker.

Edge: 1 Million

Longevity

Acqua di Gio gets me a consistent 6-7 hours of wear, each time I use it. Again, that’s a very respectable number, and good enough for most purposes.

Update: Newer batches that I’ve tried, are much more in the six hour range, maybe 5.5 hours much of the time. I can still get 7 occasionally.

1 Million, has always been 10+ hours, on my skin. Like, 13-15 hours into a wear, has not been uncommon. I haven’t tried newer bottles, so, I’m unaware of any reformulation. However, it’s always been top tier for me.

Update: Newer bottles only hit around 8, on my skin. Still, better than the current AdG offering.

Edge: 1 Million

Versatility

This is where AdG has an advantage. This stuff can be worn in a wide variety of situations and climates and still work. It is a great starter cologne, daily wear, and is still versatile enough for dates.

It skews towards younger guys, but so does 1 Million. 1 Million is a colder weather scent with serious nightlife vibes. In fact, it’s a club staple, and has been since its release. It can be worn elsewhere, just have to go easy with it.

Edge: Acqua di Gio

Overall Scent

Acqua di Gio is a really great scent and has been for a long time now. It’s just one of those colognes that you can throw on without thinking about it and feel comfortable that it won’t let you down.

It is a classic aquatic and will undoubtedly be a best-seller for a long time to come. If you’re in the market for an everyday wear, this will probably be a better option.

However, which is a better fragrance overall? I think 1 Million is superior and I prefer wearing it to the Armani cologne. It has a playful demeanor and women seem to really react positively to it, especially younger ladies.

I love the mint, leather, rose, citrus, and amber warmth. It’s so sweet and still smells really good to this day. Yes, it has more of a limited versatility than does AdG, but it makes up for it with the aroma and superior performance.

But again, if you want a greater use case all around, go with Acqua di Gio. The citrus, wood, and marine aquatic breeze is still amazing to come across after all of these years.

Winner: 1 Million

Starwalker by Mont Blanc

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Having already done a few other Mont Blanc cologne reviews (see: Individuel) and a best of list from the brand, I thought that it was time to put up a review of Starwalker.  The name is what initially had me wanting to give this a try, as I found it to be a rather unique and interesting moniker. Turns out, it is named after one of the pens which the company also produces.

Nonetheless, this was still a review that I was looking forward to doing and seeing how Starwalker stacks up versus the rest of the Mont Blanc line. Please continue below for my full impressions on how it smells, its performance, and if it is a good bet to buy.

What does Starwalker Smell Like?

starwalker

Notes include: amber, mandarin, musk, bamboo, bergamot, sandalwood, ginger, and more.

Click here to try Starwalker: Mont Blanc Starwalker Edt Spray 1.7 Oz By Mont Blanc [Misc.]

My Full Review

Starwalker isn’t one of the most well known fragrances out there. In fact, it isn’t even the most popular cologne for men by Mont Blanc (see: Legend). However, this under the radar scent is rather unique and that is one of the reasons that I wanted to give this one a closer look.

The opening of Starwalker is mostly dominated by the citrus notes, but, it isn’t a bold and overwhelming citrus like some other colognes. This one is more subdued and surrounded by woodsy and floral aromas.

Enough juiciness, but more of a fresh and somewhat sweet aroma coming through.

The wood in this case, is bamboo, which is what I think gives Starwalker its unique sort of vibe; as bamboo isn’t a frequent ingredient found in most colognes. The orange and bergamot, aren’t really allowed to become overly sharp, as the wood keeps it in check.

There is a very slight spice with nutmeg and ginger, but that’s more of a temporary experience, even if it were bolder in how each note presents.

As it dries down, this cologne smells very smooth and refined. In many citrus fragrances, you’d expect it to really come to the forefront. Instead, what you’re left with is something that is very light, clean, and beautiful.

Sandalwood, bamboo, and a muskiness floating in the background alongside the fading citrus in these latter stages. Even the sandalwood, doesn’t last for that long it seems. Musky bamboo with cedar and citrus highlights, in the end.

Quite freshly clean and low key.

It does seem to have some similarities with other citrus/woodsy fragrances out there, mainly, Versace Man Eau Fraiche. I do enjoy the Versace cologne more than Starwalker but this fragrance is really nice as well.

However, I don’t think that it smells exactly like that cologne. After all, the lemon and star fruit in Eau Fraiche, are very strong and dominate the scent. It has a cedar note, but the wood in that fragrance, aren’t nearly to the same extent as it is in Starwalker.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Starwalker is light and non-intrusive, you’ll smell it but you won’t be enveloped in its aroma. It starts off decently strong, but quickly settles into having a 3-4 foot radius, around the wearer.

It is pretty steady, for the entirety of the wear, at least until the 4th or 5th hour.

The longevity is pretty moderate in my opinion and it’s usually good for about 4-5 hours and sometimes longer. It’s definitely not a top notch performer, in that regard. Many Mont Blanc scents, seem to have this longevity issue. Many of them are decent, but few are truly outstanding.

Starwalker isn’t one of them. But, if you can get past needing to have an all-day wear, this could be a scent that you enjoy.

It’s really a spring/summer type of fragrance, the light citrus aspect of it, draws it into that category. I like it as a versatile daily wear, during these months.

Starwalker can be worn to work, casually, or for semi-formal events. It’s a well put together scent, but not completely stuffy or anything like that. It’s attractive, rather than being super sexy and begging for attention.

Overall Impression of Starwalker

Overall, is Starwalker worth a purchase? I’d say yes, if you’re looking for something light, casual, and relatively inexpensive, then this one could be right up your alley. It’s by no means the greatest cologne on the market but it’s very good for what it is.

I like the bamboo and citrus mix. Later, the woody notes of sandalwood and cedar, give it a nice finish. There is also a great addition of ginger, in there as well, even if it is ephemeral.

The performance isn’t all that great, so, I’d say definitely pick up a discounted bottle if you can. I wouldn’t go full price for this. It’s actually not a very complex fragrance, just nice and simple with how it develops.

The style itself is pretty common, but Starwalker is a unique take on this sort of simple citrus and woods cologne. The smell is among my favorites from Montblanc, if the performance was beefed up, this would’ve been borderline great.

Acqua di Gio EDP by Armani

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Acqua di Gio keeps rolling right along with the 2022 release of the eau de parfum version. This following on the heels of the Profondo flankers. It’s finally available for purchase here in the US. How does this one smell? How does it compare? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Acqua di Gio EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: green mandarin, patchouli, sage, vetiver, geranium, lavandin, marine notes

Click here to try: Buy from Amazon

adg eau de parfum review

My Full Review

Let’s see how Armani describes it: ACQUA DI GIÒ EAU DE PARFUM encapsulates a powerful, long-lasting freshness, where innovative marine notes blend with natural green mandarin, sage, vetiver, patchouli, and a woody mineral dry-down. The infinite horizon of the sea is captured in a new innovative refill bottle.

If you’ve tried it, you can post a review and score in the comment section below.

Acqua di Gio EDP starts off much like Profondo Lights and Profondo. I’d say it’s closer to the former, with the prominent green mandarin note, but thankfully none of the cardamom. That was the note, which made me not really care for Lights.

The mandarin feels more pronounced in this eau de parfum version. It’s bright and much juicier/sweet than the Profondo colognes.

A strong citrus start, some of the blueish sea notes, sage, and geranium. Another thing that it lack is, the cypress note of the Profondo scents.

Is this similar to the EDT? Yes, but the original AdG has more of a floral feel. But, you can obviously tell that all of these fragrances are related. I always get a lot of jasmine on my skin with the original.

After a while, that top will start to burn off. EDP becomes less citrus dominant and the patchouli, sage, and geranium really start to come in stronger. During this part, the eau de parfum will start to resemble Profumo, and less of the Profondo editions.

It’s interesting, Acqua di Gio EDP will do its own thing to an extent, but it closely mimics the other releases throughout the duration of the wear.

So, during the Profumo-like part, it lacks the incense smokiness and darker feeling of that fragrance…but it’s near identical outside of that.

That too, will start to shift. This becomes a drier fragrance as it moves on. You do still get that sweetness from the mandarin note, but patchouli, the fresh mix, and a touch of the mineral note is most of the rest of the development.

The mineral note is there, like in Profumo, just toned down. Especially towards the end, its a lot of patchouli, vetiver, and that mineral note. The sage, mandarin, and geranium are basically just an impression that you can vaguely pick up on.

gio edp review

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one starts off with a decent amount of power. But, it will go quickly into moderate territory, and follow that up being fairly light.

Acqua di Gio EDP isn’t a powerhouse, nor a beast performer. It’s been solid on my skin, for about two hours, then it enters its lighter phase.

How long does EDP last? In total, 6-8 hours. Keep in mind, those last hours are very much a skin scent, but I can still pick it up on me during that time period.

Update: After wearing this fragrance a large number of times, it skews much closer to the six hour range than it does the eight. It is still capable of hitting 8, EDP just isn’t consistent in this regard.

The performance here is just okay. Not going to blow the doors off or anything, just be pretty much serviceable in its wear.

Seasonally, this like the others in the series, is a spring and summertime fragrance. But, a super versatile daily wear within that timeframe. Plus, it wouldn’t be too out of place during the rest of the year, but there are better options for cold weather.

Also, the age range is wide. From younger men to older, no problems. It’s enjoyable, but not a club beast, and I’m not sure if it’d be classified as being ‘sexy’. I haven’t worn it around any women, yet, so I’m not sure.

acqua eau de parfum

Overall Impressions of AdG Eau de Parfum

Overall, do I like Acqua di Gio EDP? I do like it. Though, it’s not completely amazing, nor a must have. If you already have other AdG fragrances, you probably won’t need this.

I do like it more than Profondo Lights, but maybe a notch below Profondo and Profumo, during this initial testing phase.

I really like the opening act. That mandarin note is great, giving you that citrus juiciness without as much in the way, as with the Profondo scents. I also enjoy the fact that I get to experience the others in the series, all wrapped up into one bottle.

I already have my Profumo bottle and this will give me elements of the others, during this spring and summer.

I do wish that this was a stronger scent. The longevity is well enough, but if it could pack a punch for a longer time, this would be more worthwhile. Better than the EDT? Yes, but that’s been weakened over the years, and this isn’t a huge step up.

I like its aromatic freshness and the fact that it doesn’t go too heavy with the mineral note. I do kind of wish that it was more marine, adding more of that ‘sea note’ accord.

On the whole? I’m enjoying EDP thus far. Is it a buy? Sure. However, you might not need it, if you’re already someone who has bottles of the other.

Update: After almost a year of having it and using quite a bit during the last summer, I must say it still basically holds up, as far as me enjoying it. I still really like that opening hour or so way more than I do the dry down. Though, I’ve knocked a couple of points off my original score below, in this update.

Also, wearing Acqua di Gio EDP outside, it’s a much more likeable fragrance for the duration. Indoors, it starts to feel very casual and not all that compelling. I’m going to finish off this bottle and don’t think that I’m ever going to re-up.

If not? Give it a try, you might like it better than Profondo or Profumo. To me, it’s up there. Not necessarily a must have, but I don’t regret buying a full bottle, in the slightest.

Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme by Chanel

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Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme is one that I came across on and off for many years, but really haven’t had any contact with for a long while. In fact, I’ve been rediscovering for myself, a lot of the Chanel men’s and women’s fragrances. I got a hold of a sample of Eau Extreme in order to finally do a proper review of this one for the site, using the latest batch. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it really worth a buy?

Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme Overview

Notes include: mandarin orange, tonka bean, cypress, musk, sage, mint, sandalwood, pepper, cedar

Click here to try: ChaneI Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme Eau de Parfum Spray 1.7 Fl. OZ. / 50ML.

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Chanel describes it: Allure to the extreme. A powerful, dynamic and invigorating fragrance for the man who thrives on extreme sensations and pushes himself beyond his limits. An intense Eau de Parfum, like a rush of adrenaline.

Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme starts off with a fresh coolness and green quality that the original Allure Sport lacks. Eau Extreme doesn’t have the same mandarin or sea notes, but instead, goes with mint and sage as prominent players.

The citrus is definitely still there, just toned down. It’s a cypress, sage, mint, and peppery start up top. Musk is hanging around as well, but for me that really starts to show up more in the latter stages.

I have been going back and forth for years, whether I prefer the opening act of Sport or Eau Extreme. Having had samples of each in the past few months, Eau Extreme has taken the lead for me.

Some of that initial sage will then wear off and it’s more just about the mint and the cypress note. However, the tonka bean and musk notes also really begin to emerge and give this fresh scent an aromatic sweetness.

Eau Extreme does give you a different take from the original Sport, but during the dry down is when these fragrances really start to smell similar. Though, Eau Extreme strikes me as muskier and less of a sweet aroma with that spicy fresh kick.

The tonka bean really begins to take control of the wear, it feels sweeter and warmer. Together with the musk, it is super smooth and very appealing. Along with those two notes, I get the remnants of pepper and the wood accord, which it’s pretty tough to pick out just the cypress anymore.

The way things come together it does create a sweetish-powdery kind of aroma. Not like baby powder, but some people might not like the tonka bean note in this.

After coming back to this one during this past year, this reminds me of Luna Rossa Sport, in the dry down. Not the same, but that tonka bean is just so prominent.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Eau Extreme starts out fairly strong on my skin, but not a complete beast. It actually will be pretty moderate throughout the wear, but an improvement on Allure Sport, especially compared to the newer batches.

Solid. Though, I still wish it was cranked up a bit more with its projection abilities.

On my skin, I get right about 8 hours each time I’ve worn it. Amazing? No, but very good. Again, a little more ‘extremeness’ would’ve been nice, but I can’t complain too much. Those last few hours are pretty light, which is probably one of the downsides here.

Seasonally, Eau Extreme can work pretty much whenever. I would prefer it in warmer weather and not the winter, but it’s not bad there. It is a ‘cold’ sort of scent, so, I’d rather go with something thicker and warmer in icy conditions.

To me, it’s best in the moderate range of temperatures from slightly chilly to a bit warm. At the far ends of the scale, it’s not as good.

Aside from that, Allure Sport Eau Extreme is very versatile. It can be worn by any age range, in a variety of situations. Sort of a jack of all trades and one that most guys could own as their only bottle of fragrance. It’s not really a formal fragrance, but not terrible there either.

The sportiness is there. Others in the category, seem to go a lot more dynamic or even skew the line between being an aquatic. Allure Sport Eau Extreme brings you a refined and energetic aromatic freshness.

It’s also got an attractive and mass appealing smell. Women like this and it does get complements. Maybe not a night club monster, though, it fits into the nightlife fine…just less ‘in your face’ about it.

Overall Impressions of Eau Extreme

Overall, do I like Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme? Yes! I’m so glad I came back to this one. The long time away from it, really made me appreciate what it is. I’ve found that I like the original Allure Homme less, Allure Sport about the same, and Eau Extreme more so.

The opening freshness gives you a nice change of pace from Sport. The mint, pepper, and cypress is great. The mandarin is less intense, but adds a brightness to the cold feeling of the composition. Then, the tonka bean, musky/woody finish is super smooth and attractive, if also being a bit fuzzy/powdery.

This is an easy to wear, all around versatile sort of scent. The sillage isn’t amazing and it’s not really what I’d term extreme, but the performance is still pretty darn good. I think complaints on this front are overblown. That 6-8 hour range of the wear, isn’t strong, but it is still pretty well detectable.

Eau Extreme is one of the better Chanel fragrances for men and very useful in any guy’s collection. Very mainstream entry from their collection and easy to wear.

Again, some people are just not going to like the tonka bean note in Eau Extreme. As such, one of the Bleu de Chanel’s might be the better starter cologne from the Chanel line.

Kouros Fraicheur by YSL

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After receiving my bottle of YSL Haute Concentration, I decided to buy another vintage Saint Laurent fragrance. This time I grabbed a bottle of 1993’s Kouros Fraicheur, a flanker to the original released in 1981. I was intrigued to get the original Kouros experience, blended into a lighter and more wearable version. Is it actually any good, though?

What does Kouros Fraicheur Smell Like?

Notes include: clove, pineapple, bergamot, ginger, orange blossom, patchouli, vetiver, amber, honey, oakmoss, incense, coriander, vanilla, tonka bean

My Full Review

The opening is full of that familiar spiciness and animalic quality found in the classic Kouros. Civet is toned down, but it is definitely there, adding an intense musk to the top of this scent.

Yet, I think they used aldehydes to a greater extent here, like I get with the last batch of Kouros I reviewed. A warm spice blended with that cold fresh airy blast.

But, the main difference with Fraicheur is the inclusion of lighter notes up top like pineapple and bergamot. This brightens up the composition with less of a massive pungent heaviness, that the 80s bottles of Kouros had.

When compared to the modern Kouros, I think this one is actually the more potent of the two, even though this was the ‘lighter’ version of the original 30 years ago.

Like Kouros, I get a good deal of coriander in the spice profile. Maybe some ginger. Most of it is going to be a mix of those spices, musk, patchouli, and what smells like neroli (not just the orange blossom alone).

Once we’re past that initial heavy mix of many different notes, things start to shift to an earthier blend. Some smokiness from incense, lots of vetiver, patchouli, and a bit of amber. This earthy smokiness is pretty well-blended with the floral notes (perhaps honey, too?) and the remaining pineapple/citrus.

I think this phase of the wear is great. The civet/aldehydes have take a back seat to these earthier notes and you start to get an unobstructed smell of the floral notes, also. It’s a mix of the cleaner and dirtier notes, but gradually becoming calmer.

At times, I really pick up on a powdery or creamier scent in this. It’s not distinct enough to be just one note, but the way everything starts combining.

While Kouros ends as a musky/floral/herbal fragrance, Fraicheur dries down woody/floral/sweet. There are hints of vanilla coming through and enough of the top pineapple influence to be noticeable if you press your nose.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one will leave a trail and fill a room, especially in that first hour of wear. It reaches much further than the Kouros sample I reviewed a few months ago. Fraicheur doesn’t require a ton of sprays to be effective.

That being said, past the first hour, and this cologne calms down a lot. Still very noticeable, but it doesn’t radiate quite like it does when it’s in full civet, aldehydes, pineapple, and spices mode.

The longevity is also great. It seems to stick around for about 9 hours on my skin. Remember, this is a ‘freshie’ EDT, and it’s putting out this kind of power. Most vintage colognes were just built different.

Seasonally, this is actually really nice in (near) springtime and could work in summer too. Fraicheur wouldn’t feel too out of place anytime of year. But, I think it’s best in mild temperatures and above.

Fraicheur still comes across as a vintage scent. Very different from just about anything that’s come out in the past decade-plus. It will probably appeal much more to older guys or those who appreciate the classic stuff.

I think that this is an approachable way to wear the vintage Kouros. It’s not overwhelming and the animalic facets aren’t the main event here. Still, it’s a classic chypre style, that you may have to grow to love.

Overall Impressions of Kouros Fraicheur

Overall, do I like Fraicheur? Yes, I actually prefer it to Kouros itself, especially in its modern incarnation. This 1993 version has a better strength and heavier reach than the newer bottles of Kouros, while having a lighter and more appealing scent.

You can absolutely still tell that this is very much a Kouros derivative. As such, if you don’t like Kouros, I doubt that you’ll enjoy Fraicheur. I like it somewhat more, but it’s still never going to rate as a personal favorite.

That initial spray is jam packed with things going on. I think it’s nice enough at that stage. I like the pineapple and citrus editions, but I think that Kouros Fraicheur really comes into its own once you get to the earthier and floral parts of the cologne.

All in all, I think this is a great release by Yves Saint Laurent. Obviously, it’s discontinued nowadays, and can be pricey to track down. I paid about $95 for a 1.11 ounce (30 mL) bottle, which isn’t too bad. But, this is mostly going to appeal to collectors.