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Capri in Love is 2025’s edition of the extremely popular and long-running Light Blue series of perfumes by Dolce & Gabbana. I bought samples of both the men’s and women’s releases of this fragrance title and have been testing them out recently.

How does Light Blue Capri in Love perform? What does it smell like exactly? Is this women’s fragrance, even worth a try?

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Capri in Love Pour Femme Review

Notes include: jasmine tea, apple, longoza

Click here to try: Capri in Love

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My Take

Upon first spraying, I thought that this had ginger as a note. Then, I had to look up what longoza is, and it’s apparently a plant in the ginger family. So, that made sense.

Anyway, the opening here is a fresh mix of the three notes. The jasmine tea is initially playing the background, while the crisp apple and longoza are the main attractions.

Capri in Love does have a nice spice, some sweetness, and a greenish edge to things. Yet, this is fairly sharp with things mainly present.

As it dries down, this Light Blue fragrance starts to veer into the soapier territory. Not entirely to my nose, because that jasmine note is presented as a watered down version.

Just a clean and rather simple fragrance, that is less green and spicy and more of a somewhat of a clean apple soap aroma.

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Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here isn’t particularly heavy, but it has enough to it, for Capri in Love to be noticeable.

The longevity here is in the 6.5-7 hour range, on my skin. Keep in mind, that last hour or two is pretty darn light with the projection. However, it is still technically there, you just shouldn’t rely on Capri in Love to have insane performance.

Seasonally, obviously this is another spring and summertime wear, that can extend into the early autumn in many regions. But, like all of the Light Blue series, this perfume is going to function best in the warmer weather.

For those months of the year this is going to be a daily wear. Something that’s not too formal, but can be used more than just casually. Capri in Love isn’t much of a nightlife scent, so, it’s pretty much going to be a daytime thing.

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Overall Impressions of Capri in Love

Overall, do I like Light Blue Capri in Love? It’s fine. This edition of the Dolce & Gabbana series is pretty simple and straightforward. I was never particularly put off by it and I did enjoy the ginger-floral presentation mixed with the apple note.

The light tea aroma and ginger is pleasant. There’s nothing here that is super amazing or unique, but for what this is, it’s a fairly decent perfume.

At full price? There are better options for a summer scent. Once it heads to the discounters, it’s worth a try, especially if you’re a Light Blue fan. Just don’t expect Capri in Love to be near the top of the list in the series.

Neither this nor the men’s version of Capri in Love are all that great. Kind of a miss in both cases, for this year’s Light Blue releases.

Born in Roma has developed into a best seller for Valentino over the years. Now, it has a bunch of different flankers to its name and plenty of fans.

On this page, I want to keep track of fragrances that either smell alike, are similar to, or are cheaper alternatives to Uomo Born in Roma. I will try to update and include options beyond just the EDT version, such as Yellow Dream, Green Stravaganza, and Coral Fantasy.

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Colognes that Smell Like Born in Roma

Inspired by Rome

Aromatic Sage by Dossier– For those who want an inspired take on the Born in Roma formula, this one from Dossier aims to get as close as possible to our target scent.

I haven’t yet tried this Dossier out, but they usually do a pretty good job a getting near what fragrance they’re aiming to replicate. But, they are using pineapple and ‘water fruits’ up top in effort to match the opening sweetness and sort of aquatic element that you get with the Valentino.

Added pink pepper to the spice profile as well. I would be interested in seeing if they pulled off the mineral accord well in this version. But, it should be fine.

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Green Inspiration

Rome in Green by Dua– The Born in Roma flankers keep getting released, including Green Stravaganza. Long enough name, but Rome in Green is Dua’s take on that design, if you’re in the market for a cheaper alternative.

Bergamot, coffee, and Hatian vetiver combine for this interesting mix of bright citrus, a cafe aroma, and a smooth dry down period.

They don’t seem to have yet created their version of the original Uomo Born in Roma or any of the others, but this is a unique enough scent that some might be looking for.

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Similar Start

Invictus by Paco Rabanne– This is one of the mainstream designer colognes that Born in Roma gets compared to most often. To me, it’s mostly confined to the opening hour or so, and it’s more of a mix between Invictus and Invictus Aqua.

Invictus EDT is definitely sweeter and has a heavier use of citrus early on. Salty with a bay leaf note adding some fresh spice to the mix. 

Yet, early it does have a very noticeable overlap with the Valentino. Again, if I could take elements from both EDT and Aqua, it would be even closer to Roma.

After that, the dry down on this one is different. Marine notes, that citrus, and its woody base are still going strong. Invictus doesn’t shift as much as Born in Roma does, as the Valentino gets woodier and soapier to some extent. Invictus review

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Join the Club

Ralph’s Club Parfum– Here’s the first of the designer options that have similarities to Roma, but without being entirely the same. Giving you a different take, while hitting some of the same beats.

Apple and grapefruit are the opening fruity notes up top, with sage, lavender, and that general blue vibe throughout. This one also has a lot in common with the YSL Y fragrances (listed below).

That opening will calm down and you move into the floral heart with lavender and orange blossom, before it dries down to an earthier and somewhat smoky finish. 

Less of the freshness found with the violet leaf in Roma, but it has the same kind of clean aroma and that vetiver note. More floral and woody. A good alternative, if you’d like to branch out a bit. Ralph’s Club Parfum review

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Y so Intense?

Y EDP Intense by YSL– The sage and blue-ish aspects of this version of the YSL Y line, do lend it to how our target fragrance smells. Not the same, but have enough similarities that a fan of one would probably enjoy the other.

For me, this definitely isn’t my favorite of the Y line (I’d go EDP or Elixir), and I actually might favor Born in Roma slightly more than this. But, it’s the closest in smell to what we’re looking for. 

This one starts off with a good amount of sage, it doesn’t have the mineral notes, and instead you’ll get ginger and geranium. This is paired with a light bergamot citrus and the usual Y blend of notes.

A woody and earthy back half with calming lavender. Performance is middling. Y Intense would be my last pick out of this list, but some might really enjoy this if bought for a decent price.

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Eros Flame, for a long time, had been the only truly different flanker from the original Eros. Now, we have Eros Energy (and another one exclusive to Dubai) to help shake thinks up from just being another close variant of the main formula.

With this in mind, I wanted to compare these two Versace colognes to give a clearer picture as to which one is the better bet for those looking to get themselves a bottle of Eros. Which fragrance lasts longer? Smells better?

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Tale of the Tape: Versace Eros Flame vs. Eros Energy

Eros Flame

Notes include: lemon, tangerine, chinotto accord, black pepper, wild mountain rosemary, pepperwood, geranium, rose, cedar, patchouli, vetiver, oak moss, sandalwood, tonka bean, and vanilla

Click here to try: Versace Eros Flame 100ml 3.4Oz Eau de Parfume For Men

My review: Eros Flame

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Eros Energy

Notes include: bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, orange blackcurrant, musk, amber, moss

Click here to try: Versace Eros Energy

Read my review: Energy

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Opening

With Eros Flame, my first bottle of it was pretty strong with the lemon and orange upon initial spray. But, the last few times that I’ve tried it, it seems to be toned down somewhat.

Those two notes are paired with pepper, the chinotto accord, rose, vanilla, and tonka bean. The rose and vanilla emerge more on my skin, as it starts to move into the middle act.

Eros Energy starts off with a ton of citrus. For me, it comes in waves. First, we get a mix of mostly: lemon, grapefruit, bergamot. Then: lime, orange, and even some blackcurrant amping up the tart aspect.

Very juicy and fresh with how it comes across. Some light spiciness is there, but it’s not too potent.

Eros Energy also has an amber and woodiness, which will become more noticeable later on.

Which is better?

I think both are fine. I do tend to like how Eros Flame kicks things off, more than what I get with Energy. Energy is definitely intense, but that sharpness can be bothersome to me, early.

Edge: Flame

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Projection

Eros Flame has always been a powerful scent. I do think that it has lost a step or two from the original bottles. That first batch was insanely strong.

For a while, it felt like one of the biggest projecting mainstream designer colognes out there. Now, it’s still a beast, but somewhat tamed.

Energy has a nice strong start. It’s not a heavy scent, but that citrus opening is sharp, and can definitely reach across a room with a good amount of spraying.

Once it settles, it’s a moderate scent for a few hours. Then, it’ll be much more intimate.

Between the two, it’s a pretty easy win for Flame. Eros Energy puts up a good fight in that opening bit, but it cannot sustain nor reach the same peak as its Versace counterpart.

Edge: Flame

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Longevity

Eros Flame lasts 10+ hours, at least with my original bottle. It could also go up to around 15 before completely quitting.

That was, however, with the initial release. This recent sample that I got, doesn’t nearly have the same staying power. Maybe it’s just that sample, but it only seemed to get around 8 hours.

With Eros Energy, I get 5-7 hours of wear out of it. Not nearly what Flame is capable of, but it’s also not designed to be.

Edge: Flame

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Versatility

Energy is the first Eros cologne that works well in the spring and summer months. The citrus formula is built for the warm and even hotter temperatures of that part of the year.

Yet, it doesn’t really work as a autumn and winter wear like Flame. So, it’s kind of a split, and depends on what type of fragrance you’re looking for.

Energy is more of a casual sort of scent. It would be fine in somewhat dressier occasions, when it’s hot outside, but it doesn’t have the same nightlife or romantic wear potential as Flame.

Flame is more well-rounded in its use cases versus what you get with this newer Eros flanker. It’s not any better seasonally, just different, but it will probably be one guys reach for more often versus Energy.

Edge: Flame

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Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two fragrances do I prefer?

I wore Eros Energy quite a lot, when I first purchased the bottle. I wanted to be sure that I spent plenty of time wearing it in different scenarios. On the whole, I think that it’s a fine fragrance.

Nothing great, has enjoyable moments, but not a cologne that I am wanting to wear all too often. Plus, here in January, it’s just sitting on the shelf.

While I’m not personally, that big into Eros Flame, I do still like it more than I do Energy. I like its scent and the complexity of the notes more than I do the massive citrus aroma of this newer Versace Eros flanker.

Eros Flame is better. It did really used to get on my nerves, in the dry down. Though, trying a few samples in the past year, I’m not put off by it. Flame isn’t a fragrance that I completely love, it’s just good, and better than Energy.

Winner: Eros Flame

Chanel’s Chance line has spawned plenty of best sellers. Eau Tendre is among them, which has spun off two such perfumes in the Eau de Toilette and eau de parfum versions. The questions then become, which one do you go with? What are the differences? Which smells better? Below is my take on the topic, after having tested out each of these Chanel’s.

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Tale of the Tape: Eau Tendre EDP vs EDT

Chance Eau Tendre EDP

Notes include: rose, jasmine, grapefruit, quince, musk

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Chance Eau Tendre EDT

Notes include: jasmine, grapefruit, hyacinth, musk, quince, iris, musk, cedar, amber

Read my review: Eau Tendre EDT

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Opening

Eau Tendre EDP starts off with a quick blast of its citrus fruits, consisting of the same grapefruit and quince as the eau de toilette.

On my skin, the shift to the florals comes on rather fast. Jasmine and the rose note will come out with the usual musky base. But, the musk here isn’t as noticeable. Early on, the jasmine will have the upper hand. Then, the rose will be stronger.

The citrus doesn’t fade away completely, but it will take a backseat. There also smells like there is some cedar, in here, as in the EDT version.

Meanwhile, the EDT starts with the citrus notes. They stick around longer, than in the eau de parfum. This time they are joined by a more prominent cedar note, giving it a fresh aroma.

The floral notes are the hyacinth, iris, and jasmine. Hyacinth dominates and the other two split duties. There’s a fresher and a powdery kind of vibe coming from EDT.

Which is better? Obviously, there’s a lot of overlap, so they can come across as extremely similar at times. But, I think the floral notes provide enough of a difference. Personally, I like the EDT ingredients more so than the EDP.

Edge: EDT

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Projection

You might expect that the EDP has a greater sillage with its higher concentration levels. But, if it does, I haven’t noticed it.

Testing these two out, the seem about the same. I’ve sprayed them on skin and t-shirts around my house and don’t pick up a difference.

That being said, they’re both above average. Especially during the first few hours of wear, their is a good scent trail produced with each and these perfumes do project well off of the skin. After that, more moderation, but each of them is about equal to the other.

Edge: Push

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Longevity

The longevity here is also pretty much the same. With both of them, I will get 6-8 hours on the skin, depending on the day.

Most of the time, it will be more than 7 hours, but I have gotten each quitting before then. However, comparing the two, they are equal.

Even with the higher concentration in the eau de parfum, it doesn’t last any longer for me when I’ve tested these out.

Edge: Push

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Versatility

Both of these are built for the spring and summer months, mostly. I’d keep it to moderate and above temperatures.

Within that, they are highly versatile with easy use as daily wear perfumes, whether that be the office or class.

Neither is much of a nightlife scent. It’s light enough to fit into most environments, without demanding too much attention. Plus, with the two Eau Tendre fragrances, they can easily be worn by any age group without feeling too juvenile or too stuffy on either end of the spectrum.

But, there really isn’t a difference with their use cases. Another tie.

Edge: Push

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Overall Scent

So, this is one of those comparisons that can be difficult to distinguish, since they are so intertwined with their ingredients.

The performance, use case, and overall aroma are essentially the same in so many ways. It really comes down to the floral notes and use of citrus in the composition, and which that you personally prefer.

If you want a more floral fragrance with the rose and jasmine, less citrus, and cedar stripped down. Then, the eau de parfum will be the choice.

If you want something that is fresher, uses more citrus, and has powdery hints from hyacinth and iris…the EDT is for you.

Those are going to be the main differences with each. Rose and jasmine or jasmine, hyacinth, and iris?

Again, I like the EDT slightly more for those reasons. It’s not a huge gap there, but since it’s equal in performance to the eau de parfum, it gets the overall win for me.

Winner: Eau Tendre EDT

Jean Paul Gaultier’s fragrance, Le Male, has become an absolute classic and perennial best seller. It’s spawned an insane number of flanker fragrances, all put in slightly different versions of that iconic torso shaped bottle.

One of these flankers, Ultra Male has become quite a force on its own terms, as well as being a personal favorite of mine.

But with all of its great qualities, how does it stack up against the original Le Male? After having bought and tested each of these fragrances, I want to compare the two and lay out what the differences are and which of these two colognes is the better bet.

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Ultra Male vs. Le Male: Tale of the Tape

Le Male

Notes include:  orange blossom, mint, lavender, woods, vanilla, tonka bean, cinnamon, and more

Click here to try: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male By Jean Paul Gaultier For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Oz.

Read my original review: Le Male by JPG

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Ultra Male

Notes include: vanilla, pear, amber, woods, cinnamon, cumin, sage, lavender, mint

Click here to try: Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male for Men Intense Spray, Eau de Toilette, 4.2 Ounce

Read my original review: Ultra Male Review

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Opening

Of course there is going to be a lot of overlap between these two fragrances. However, Le Male is much more geared towards being vanilla, woodsy, and powdery.

The opening of Le Male is all about the vanilla and its spices, mint and cinnamon. All of which are present in Ultra Male. As it dries down further, that’s when lavender and woods come in, and take away some spiciness.

There is a pleasant bergamot note up top with Le Male, also. I like how it and the cinnamon play off one another early. Obviously, very reminiscent of what I get from Ultra, too.

While, Ultra Male is noticeably absent of the same powdery quality and has a sugary sweetness and an added pear note.

What it does have is a burst of initial spice, mainly from the cinnamon note.  Pear, vanilla, and light citrus round it out and give it an aroma akin to bubble gum.

It’s kind of hard to give it to one or the other, it’s really about personal preference, and I like Ultra Male more. I’d give it a slight edge.

Edge: Ultra Male (slightly)

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Projection

While both of these scents strike me as moderate, I think Le Male falls to the weaker end of that spectrum, and Ultra is towards the stronger end. Le Male is noticeable and can project well for a few hours, at least.

In fact, Ultra Male also comes out with more of a bang before settling down into that upper moderate range. Ultra Male actually has a rather large projection radius at first, but quiets into a moderate.

Go easy with the sprays or give it time to settle. Neither are bad, nor weak, but Ultra is stronger. I’ve sometimes used it like an air freshener and it will stick around pretty loudly for a long while.

Edge: Ultra Male

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Longevity

Through personal experience, I tend to get 6-7 hours with Le Male, which is certainly respectable.

Le Male used to have better longevity, but newer formulations, seem stuck in this 6-7 hour range. I will say that with my newer bottle, it’s definitely closer to that six hour mark than getting near or above seven.

With Ultra, I usually get at least 8, more likely 9, and sometimes even longer. Ultra Male has very good strength and is damn near elite in that regard. After having this cologne for two years, a colder climate will yield me 10 hours, pretty regularly.

Realistically, 8-9 hours is all you really need in almost every situation, and Ultra fills that role nicely. But, if you need a bit more, this flanker can provide that.

Edge: Ultra Male

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Versatility

They both serve the same purpose. Nightlife type fragrances that are built for cold weather. There is really no difference in this regard.

However, after spending more time with Ultra Male, I feel that Le Male, is the better casual scent and daily wear.

Update: Coming back to this post with my new bottle of Le Male, it’s definitely the better everyday cologne versus Ultra. Still not a formal fragrance, but an easy one to go with for younger guys.

Ultra Male can be too bold at first, which can limit it in certain situations. Plus, in near quarters, it can still project itself strongly sometimes (even after time has passed). I’m changing this category to Le Male.

Both of these scents are going to better for a younger man. Teens through mid-twenties for most guys. Neither of these is what you’d term a formal cologne.

Edge: Le Male

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Overall Scent

I love Ultra Male right now. In the past, I have really enjoyed wearing Le Male, and I think that it is still a great cologne. However,  I think JPG, just made Ultra Male a better scent.

I mean, Le Male has been around for 20+ years at this point, so it’s not surprising that they surpassed it eventually.

I do enjoy coming back to it from time to time. When I got a smaller bottle, I wore it for like a month straight, before setting aside Le Male once again. The mix of creamy and powdery aspects can really draw me in, but the same sweetness eventually grates on my nerves, and I’ll move on to another fragrance.

I could wear either and be perfectly fine, but I enjoy how they altered the notes in Ultra Male and got rid of the powdery excesses of the original.

Granted, I believe that they are discontinuing Ultra Male, so the time to grab a bottle may be limited…but while that lasts, that’s what I’m going with.

Update: It seems like the reversed course and then brought it back. Who knows how long it sticks around with the influx of Le Male flankers like Elixir, taking attention away from it.

It might be a good idea to pick up a bottle of Ultra Male and one of the cheaper Le Male clones. That way you could have both, if you desired.

Winner: Ultra Male