The Essence by David Beckham

I have been on a cologne testing kick recently and one of the new scents that I have tried out is The Essence by David Beckham. The former footballer has released many fragrances over the past few years and has created a niche for himself in the inexpensive cologne category. How does The Essence stack up? What is its composition? Is it worth a buy? Keep reading while I go in depth about this cologne.

What does The Essence Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, tonka bean, pineapple, apple, lavender, kashmir wood, and more

Click here to try: The Essence for Men, 2.5 ounce

My Review

The opening is very fresh and citrusy. I can definitely detect the interplay between the grapefruit and pineapple notes. The apple note is there as well, but I find it to be on a tier below the other two fruits.

It really reminded me of a Nautica scent, somewhere between Voyage and Blue with a grapefruit twist. So, yeah, the opening is quite aquatic-like in character with that citrus accord which works well for spring and summertime.

The citrus notes are very nice, but ultimately kept in check by the lavender, tonka bean, and cardamom notes. It’s got that clean lavender scent, for much of the wear, and the warmth of cardamom, coming in an hour or so into things.

The dry down period is where I think that The Essence really begins to shine. It begins to take on a more earthy/woodsy type of scent and still remains just as fresh but much smoother.

The Essence has a noticeable violet leaf, that mixes with the lavender, and woody base notes. So, at this point, the fragrance is a toned down fresh grapefruit with clean earthy ingredients rounding it out.

Again, this cologne is reminiscent of many other fragrances, like Azzaro Chrome and even somewhat like Drakkar Essence with its grapefruit and lavender notes. Which means, if you’re looking for something unique, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

It’s projection is moderate. At first, the grapefruit opening comes on somewhat strong, before it settles down into something much lighter. Overall, it’s not a beast with its sillage, but it will be very noticeable for at least a few hours.

Also, you’ll get around 6 hours of life on your skin, maybe a bit more than that. Now, this six hour time frame isn’t spend entirely at full strength. The latter half of the wear is going to sit really close to the skin. It’s still there, you may catch whiffs, but not going to feel like a constant.

I would say that it is a safe scent to wear, for just about any occasion, and not offend anybody. Seasonally, spring or summer is when it’ll be at its best. It’s fresh and bright with an upbeat citrus zest.

I’d say this will skew younger. Probably appropriate for men in their early 20s. If older, you can definitely wear it on casual occasions, no problem. It doesn’t come off as a ‘kids’ cologne.

The Essence is clean and subtle. Not really a club type of fragrance or for dates or evenings out. Simple, clean, daily wear.

Overall Impression of The Essence

Overall, is The Essence by David Beckham worth a purchase? Yes, if you’re in the market for a warm weather wear and on a tight budget. It has shades of many other scents, so it is kind of generic. However, for the price it is clean, fresh, and effective.

The overall smell is nice. I like the grapefruit and pineapple notes, the tonka bean, and the lavender. The performance isn’t amazing, but a full bottle is less than $20, so I can’t complain too much. There are plenty of expensive colognes, that don’t even reach this level.

Probably won’t be amazed by this fragrance, but it is a deal, and easily enjoyable to wear.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.