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In this head to head men’s fragrance match up, I am going to be taking a closer look at the ever popular Invictus vs. Legend Spirit, a flanker scent release by Mont Blanc. Which of these men’s colognes, smells the best? Lasts the longest? Is the better buy overall? I have revisited each in the past week, to gather my thoughts and impressions of these colognes, and will break them down by category.
Tale of the Tape: Spirit vs Invictus
Legend Spirit
Notes include: grapefruit, pink pepper, bergamot, musk, aquatic accord, lavender, cardamom, oak moss, wood
Click here to try: MONTBLANC Legend Spirit Eau de Toilette, 3.3 Fl Oz
Read my review: Legend Spirit
Invictus
Notes include: grapefruit, sea notes, mandarin orange, bay leaf, jasmine
Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce
Opening
Invictus opens up with bay leaf, ambergris, and citrus notes. It is sweet and fruity, with an aquatic aroma, and smells a bit like grape-flavored bubblegum. The dry down becomes more of an aquatic/amber/jasmine laden scent, but I have grown to really appreciate the top notes here. To me, the citrus in the opening, is my favorite part of the scent.
Legend Spirit also opens up with citrus and an aquatic accord, but is joined by the warmth/spice of pink pepper and cardamom. It is really nice and clean, quite pleasant, with a different feel from the original Legend.
Which is better? I think Legend Spirit is an improvement on the original and quite good. However, when wearing both scents around again last week, I found myself much more drawn to the opening of Invictus. I was never that big of a fan, but I’ve come around to like it, and it’s better than the Mont Blanc.
Edge: Invictus
Projection
The sillage of Invictus is pretty strong at first and can absolutely be bold from the jump. Though, it does calm down into more of a moderate on my skin. Meanwhile, Legend Spirit is fairly moderate, and never achieves the same power as the Paco Rabanne.
Edge: Invictus
Longevity
Legend Spirit is good for 5-6 hours, not that great, but not terrible. Invictus gives me 6-7 hours on my skin, but others can get it to go longer. I’d say it has the advantage.
For me, all of the Invictus line lasts longer than the Legend lineup, save Legend Night.
Edge: Invictus
Versatility
Both fragrances are extremely versatile in their uses. They are warmer weather fragrances, but can fit in, year round. Both can go from casual to work or out at night. Invictus is better for night clubs, but Legend Spirit is probably more mature. There isn’t much separation in this category.
Edge: Push
Overall Scent
When it comes down to it which scent smells the best? I like Legend Spirit. It is a great mix of aquatic, dry spice, and citrus blended together with some of that Legend DNA. The performance is decent and it is a clean and fresh blend, that is a bit more complex than the original, and does some very nice things.
Invictus is the better to the two, however. I’ve never been a huge fan of this cologne, but I am liking it more than I used to. That opening is sweet and attractive, it’s a great choice for younger guys, and this fragrance seems to get complements.
Plus, the sillage and longevity is better overall. Is it head and shoulders above? No, but I’d reach for Invictus more often than Legend Spirit.
Winner: Invictus
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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.