Halloween Man by Jesus del Pozo

Halloween Man by Jesus del Pozo is often the answer for those who are looking for a fragrance that smells like 1 Million. There are tons of smell alikes and knock-offs floating around, of varying degrees of competence. Does Halloween Man stand on its own? How does it perform? How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Halloween Man Smell Like?

Notes include: cinnamon, cumin, ginger, lavender, mandarin, apple martini, vanilla, leather, violet leaf and more

Click here to try: J. Del Pozo Halloween Man Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

As soon as I smell Halloween, I immediately get the reminder of 1 Million. There is a reason, that this one is considered a close enough and cheaper dupe of the Paco Rabanne fragrance. They aren’t exactly the same, just a familiar rendition.

Halloween Man starts off with its citrus, violet leaf, and array of spices. Also, the apple martini note which adds a very slight boozy factor here. Actually, the opening is where some people are put off by this cologne.

The violet leaf and spices can come across as somewhat dirty and odorous. Mainly, its the cumin and violet leaf giving off this impression. It does settle down, but I can see why folks may not like it.

It can be bothersome to me, also. Cumin isn’t my favorite spice and violet leaf gets on my nerves too.

Personally, I prefer 1 Million’s start to this. There’s more citrus in that one, at the beginning. Luckily, Halloween Man gets better than a fairly tepid start.

So, initially the cumin and basil are more prevalent. Then, cinnamon becomes more of a factor. As it moves along, Halloween man shifts to a softer and smoother aroma. It has leather, but not to the same extent as 1 Million.

Lavender, amber, vanilla, and some leather. That’s what Halloween Man moves toward when it dries down. Still warm and spicy, but with a greater smoothness and sweetness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it starts off as a stronger moderate scent, but ends rather moderate. For the price range, it performs quite well on my skin. Not extreme, but still respectable. The projection will range within 6 feet or so.

That first hour is great at this price point. Of course, that’s when I like it the least. However, if you dig the smell, you get a pretty bold experience.

Longevity seems to hit the 6.5-8 hours for me. Old bottles of 1 Million were super strong and would go double digit hours. Newer bottles are much more in line with Halloween, which can make this a better value than it had been before.

This one had the tendency to hit that 8 hour mark most of the time, during testing. There were a couple of times when it simply quit after that 6.5 hour range.

Seasonally, stick to the autumn and winter months. I wouldn’t want this on in the heat, it’d be oppressive. Cold to moderate temperatures without a lot of humidity. That opening spice, even with the lighter fresh notes aren’t great when warm. Cumin, mainly.

Halloween Man skews toward younger men. It’s more of a casual or nightlife fragrance. Probably not one you’d want to wear to work or in a formal situation.

Overall Impressions of Halloween Man

Do I like this fragrance? Yes, to some extent. I was always a fan of 1 Million, so, it makes sense that this has some appeal.

I would still rather wear 1 Million, everything else being equal. Even with the downgrades to the performance of 1 Million, it still smells better than this. However, if price is a huge factor, this one could do a nice job as a replacement.

The cumin and violet leaf with apple martini is interesting. Ultimately, I don’t think the combination up top works all that well.

The opening isn’t all that appealing, but the dry down can come together well. The performance is solid, in my testing of this cologne, and it’s an affordable wear. Overall, it’s not a must have scent, but it can definitely play a role for someone who wants a cheaper alternative to 1 Million.

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.