Polo Blue EDT by Ralph Lauren

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I have sort of a soft spot for the line of Polo fragrances, Polo Sport was one of the first colognes that I tried when I was younger, and honestly still enjoy to this day. I also really enjoy the fashion line Ralph Lauren has created, as even if I don’t want to have my whole wardrobe look like the preppy or sailing type, I still like to mix and match some of the brand’s iconic menswear into my own personal style.

So, after trying a fragrance like Polo Red, I decided that I should try out Polo Blue as well and give my opinion on it. Also check out: The Top Fragrances by Polo Ralph Lauren

Polo Blue EDT Overview

Notes include: amber, melon, patchouli, geranium, cucumber, tangerine, moss, musk

Click here to try: Polo Blue for Men By Ralph Lauren Eau-de-toilette Spray, 6.7-Ounce

My Full Review

My initial impression of this scent was immediately how fresh it was. I could really detect, the cool aquatic notes, and it did conjure up ideas of the color blue in my mind. It was really great to wear on a warm summer day.

However, I also think that it would work very well during the colder months because of the second wave of warm and slightly spicy notes.

Blue opens up with a cucumber, melon, and some tangerine/orange blend. It immediately strikes my nose, as being very similar to Eternity Aqua by Calvin Klein, which I have been wearing some as of late.

It is a water crisp aroma, with a bit of herbal basil in the background, adding some spice. At first, the cucumber is more dominant and later, the melon becomes more noticeable. Though, they can be difficult to distinguish between, in the same blend.

As it dries down some, the herbal quality sticks around, but there is an additional musk note which becomes more powerful. It never takes over the scent, but it is much more noticeable in the following hours. I like the dry down period, as you get a bit more character, in a fairly linear fragrance.

The notes do sort of transform from very clean and crisp into something that is warmer and more sensual. While it does have plenty of fruit notes, this never becomes anything girly, and I would say it’s wholly masculine. The woodsy notes anchor Polo Blue and don’t allow it to become a light and airy fragrance.

It is smoother and less spicy than Blue EDP or even some of the other options on the market, which have a close approximation to its aroma. It does indeed give you an uplifting freshness, that can be pleasing to wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

I would say that its projection is moderate. It’s not the type of cologne which will overwhelm with just a few sprays but it is by no means a weak one either.

Polo Blue EDT sticks around quite well for an eau de toilette and the sillage is noticeable for most of the wear. Towards the latter stages, it does become more of a skin scent.

It has good to very good longevity, as I get through an entire work day and can still detect it before I shower at night (unless I went to the gym beforehand).

That’s my experience with older bottles of Polo Blue, I’m not sure if the longevity has suffered from reformulations, but I always found it to last quite well.

Update: Coming back to Polo Blue, a few years after this initial review, I would put its longevity in the 6-9 hour range. Actually, much of the time it does last closer to the higher end of that range. It’s actually quite good, not elite, but you definitely get good value from this cologne.

Seasonally, its a spring/summer wear that can venture year round, as I said. It is a fresh and casual scent, that is inoffensive enough to venture into work. Is it sexy? Ehh, it’s attractive and pleasant. People appreciate it, but it’s never made women go crazy or anything like that.

This is a fragrance that you can technically wear almost anywhere. It’s not really a formal scent, but for many office type of environments, it would be perfectly fine.

I still would prefer to wear this on a summer’s day, while just going about my life, but it can serve as a the main cologne for someone.

Overall Impressions of Polo Blue

Overall, I do recommend Polo Blue. It’s by no means my favorite but I recognize that it is a really good daily wear choice for guys. It’s fresh, performs well, is versatile, and draws complements.

Is it some super amazing scent, that is completely unique and could become a signature wear?

Probably not, but it does what it does well, and I think that is more than enough for the general population of fragrance shoppers. I prefer Polo Blue EDP to this original release. Also, if you can find Eternity Aqua for cheaper, it’s a great alternative.

I like the top notes a lot, along with the overall aquatic aroma of the fragrance, without venturing into the oceanic zone.

Polo Blue does however, remain a very popular option. It’s really not difficult to understand why, as it does provide an attractive and versatile wear, that can be pulled off by anyone.

Code Colonia by Giorgio Armani

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I’ve had a sample of Code Colonia, since around the end of last year, and haven’t gotten around to reviewing it. Heck, I kind of forgot about it, until a few days ago. That happens, when you have boxes of fragrances sitting around. Anyway, I’ve tried it out once again, and have gathered my thoughts for a review of this Armani flanker. How does it smell? When should it be worn? How’s the performance? Is it even worth a purchase?

What does Armani Code Colonia Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin orange, bergamot, sage, tonka bean, orange blossom, pink pepper, amber, heliotrope

Click here to try: Giorgio Armani Code Colonia Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Upon first smelling Code Colonia, I immediately pick up on the similarities that it shares with the rest of the Code family. In this one, the strength of the notes are inverted, however. So, while in Code and Profumo you get a touch of citrus, Colonia makes it the main focus.

It starts off with plenty of bergamot with a lesser amount of mandarin and orange blossom. I really like it, it’s familiar, but has a summery kind of vibe. It’s fairly sharp, with a refreshing zest.

A few minutes in, the pink pepper comes along, but it really doesn’t stand out to my nose. I mean, when compared to Guess Seductive which also features orange and pink pepper, Colonia has a fairly weak pepper note.

To me, the pink pepper and sage, sort of occupy the same space here. Just adding a touch of fresh spice. While you do get citrus throughout, the amber and tonka bean, really start to kick up. During this period, I really notice the similarities between this and Code Profumo.

This one is much lighter, has way more citrus, and isn’t as sweet. It’s as if you took the amberwood from AdG Absolu or Invictus Aqua and spliced it together with Code DNA.

Ultimately what I get here is: creamy tonka bean, citrus, bit of spice, amberwood, and a light floral scent. Not super complex, but quite attractive, in what it is.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on this one is a stronger moderate. It doesn’t have that same sillage as Code Profumo or Code Absolu, but it really doesn’t need to. I don’t think that I’d want this to be any louder or heavier, it’s very nice, as is.

The longevity is solid, but not amazing. It’ll go in the 7-8 hour range, without any problem, which is great for most any occasion. For other scents in this vein, 7-8 hours is pretty great, but it isn’t an elite performer.

Seasonally, this is a spring/summer version of the Code line. While I love the others in the colder weather, they don’t hold up well in the heat. This one gives you that versatility, which is a nice change of pace from the rest.

With the tonka bean and amberwood, it doesn’t sound like much of a warmer weather cologne but it absolutely works. Colonia gets compared to Eros or YSL Electrique with its smell, but this is much fresher and lighter than either.

Colonia is also a scent, which you can wear, for pretty much any event. It’s not too bold for daytime or office wear. However, it smells good enough and has an attractive quality, for dates or just evenings out on the town.

Overall Impressions of Code Colonia

Overall, do I like Armani Code Colonia? Yes, I do. I think I’d put it third behind Absolu and Profumo, in the Code hierarchy. However, you don’t need both of those fragrances, and this one is a great option for warmer weather.

As such, you could do a lot worse than having one of those for the colder months, and wearing this in spring/summer. It is fresh, with a nice citrus top, enough of that Code DNA, and a nice use of tonka bean and amber.

I also like that start with the various citrus notes. Great zest way to kick off the composition.

Code Colonia is attractive, will get complements, and performs well. A very good cologne all around. It’s worthwhile picking up a cheaper or smaller bottle, because it can be a nice addition to a fragrance lineup.

Update: Colonia was released back in 2017 and is now discontinued. Bottles are still online somewhat, but very expensive versus what they used to be. I don’t think it’s worth the grab at well over $100 a bottle, unless you’re really sure this is the cologne for you. Everyone else? Maybe, pick up a newer Code flanker like, Parfum.

Gentleman EDP Boisee by Givenchy

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Gentleman EDP Boisee is one from Givenchy that I hadn’t tried yet. It came out back in 2020, but I never got around to checking it out since I’m not the biggest fan of this series. Though, as I head more about this fragrance, I was wanting to try it. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a buy?

What does Gentleman Boisee Smell Like?

Notes include: black pepper, cocoa bean, iris, geranium, coriander, cedar, sandalwood, patchouli

Click here to try: Gentleman EDP Boisee

My Full Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: The elegance of iris mingled with the strength of burning wood. A sensual woody floral warmed by addictive cocoa bean.

Boisee opens up with a warmth, fresh spice, and woods already peaking through. Black pepper with some touches of coriander are there at the start giving this a more dynamic feel than what the iris note would give you alone.

Though, that iris note is also there. It’s going to be the highlight, as it is in the rest of this Givenchy series, but shares the stage early on.

Cocoa bean is also noticeable. With its influence and the surrounding notes, the iris takes on less of a powdery aroma at first, and smells more buttery to my nose.

The other aspect of the opening act is the slight freshness/earthiness not coming from the two spice notes. Patchouli is light but there. Geranium is heavier in the mix, just not a long-lived role to play, kind of a sweet smelling geranium too.

As we move along, the iris and woods really come out in full force. The spices will fade, as will the cocoa bean. Both are still around for a while, but neither has the same impact moving forward.

The patchouli actually does manage to make it to the latter stages of Boisee. This one doesn’t get too heavy with the iris, it does have the powdery quality but isn’t super slanted towards that.

Mostly, the dry down is a balance of the iris, sandalwood, and the other woods. Under that? Some patchouli and a blend of the final hints of the other notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is lighter to moderate. Though, that is kind of deceiving as Boisee is the type of scent that you can go nose blind to, while others will still give you a complement on the fragrance.

Gentleman Boisee isn’t a ‘heavy’ feeling fragrance. It hangs around as a lighter cloud around the wearer, just one with significant reach. At it’s peak, this one is in the 5-7 foot range in terms of projection. It will move in much closer to the skin, but I still catch whiffs of this cologne pretty deep into the wear.

The longevity here isn’t all that amazing. On my skin, it’ll go for 6-7 hours. Yes, much of that time is with the sneaky ability to project. Even still, those last few hours are very light and basically a skin scent.

Seasonally, this is mostly an autumn and winter wear. However, I wore it here in late spring when its very warm outside and I didn’t hate the results. Sure, it’s better in the colder to moderate temperatures, but as long as it isn’t insanely hot you should be okay.

This one can be worn for pretty much whatever occasion. It’s attractive and dynamic enough for the nightlife or for a date. Yet, Boisee is well put together enough for office wear or some other formal occasion.

It doesn’t scream for attention, is balanced and well-behaved. Boissee is great at fitting in to many scenarios.

Overall Impressions of Gentleman Boisee

Overall, do I like this fragrance? Yes, it is one of the better releases so far from the Gentleman lineup. It’s very good, but not great in terms of its scent. It’s performance is pretty mid.

I like the spicy opening. It doesn’t stray too far into that territory and maintains its balance. However, Boisee’s black pepper and coriander pair very well with the iris and the cocoa coming up from the heart.

The iris and woods finish is less enthralling, but I like it better than the finish of Reserve Privee, which was disappointing after its awesome opening act.

I do wish that this one had a longer life span and a slightly better projection. It’s not terrible, just had room for improvement.

Personally, I don’t need another iris centered colognes since I already own: Dior Homme 2011, Valentino Uomo, and Prada L’eau. All three of which are better than this Givenchy release. So, I’ll be skipping this as an acquisition.

If you’ve enjoyed the rest of the Gentleman line of fragrances, you’ll almost certainly like this one too. Nothing super different, but the woods and the cocoa bean give it enough of a distinct quality to help Boisee stand on its own.

Poison Girl EDP by Christian Dior

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Moving right along with my review of the recent sample fragrances that I’ve received, I wanted to do another women’s perfume that was included in the lot, Poison Girl by Christian Dior. This scent was released in 2016.

Now, I received about 4-5 Dior samples for women, so there will be more of them upcoming. However, today I am going to focus solely on this Poison flanker fragrance. How does it smell? What are the ingredients? Is it worth a buy?

What does Poison Girl by Dior Smell Like?

Notes include: Damascus rose, tonka bean, bitter orange, vanilla, almond, sandalwood

Click here to try: Christian Dior Poison Girl Women’s Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Full Wear Review

The opening bit of time after spraying on Poison Girl feels quite familiar. To me, it is reminiscent of La Petite Robe Noire Couture, and even Black Opium to an extent. Now, this Christian Dior perfume is not a clone of either one of those scents, but there is a similar feeling and some overlap in the notes.

From the start, I get a rush of the Damascus rose, a blend of tonka bean/vanilla, and the citrus of the bitter orange hanging around.  It is a sweet gourmand aroma that has a definite creaminess to it (particularly in the latter stages).

It is a citrusy vanilla, rose, and tonka bean perfume; with some other floral undertones, but is quite sweet and creamy at the beginning. With that sweetness, you do get a slight powdery aroma from the rose, but it is nothing too intense. Poison Girl doesn’t go full-on baby powder mode.

After a few minutes, I begin to really notice the distinctive almond note, which I feel gives the perfume an enveloping nutty warmth. This is the note, which begins to set it apart from the aforementioned fragrances, and one which I always seem to be drawn to.

As it moves along, Poison Girl retains its sweet vibe with a much softer touch. It is a very smooth and enjoyable fragrance during the dry down period. There is also just a hint of floral notes within the composition of this Dior, which adds a nice layer of depth.

There is much less of the zesty citrus fruit scent and things feel much drier, with some sandalwood, and overall warmth to the composition.

The whole thing feels enveloping, but not heavy, just a smooth and comforting aroma. I ultimately get creamy vanilla/tonka bean combo and almond, with what’s left of the bitter orange, and a fairly light rose hanging around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection is good. Poison Girl starts out with some strength but morphs into something softer, yet still quite noticeable while wearing. Fairly strong sillage at the front end, light to moderate, back end.

In terms of its longevity, this perfume really shines. It’s an all day wear, so you won’t have to worry about it quitting on you. It will go for 8-11 hours, depending on the day and climate. For the designer price, it actually does deliver a quality wear.

Poison Girl is also versatile. It is suitable for office or casual wear but does have a very pleasant and indeed sexy kind of scent to it. I continually found myself wanting another sniff and would love smelling this on a woman, that I was dating.

It has that appeal, but is also light enough to be used as a daily wear, during the autumn and winter months. This is a cold weather scent all the way to me, but it wouldn’t be bad in moderate temperatures.

In the heat? Poison Girl EDP is a pass. It will melt and start to take on a less than appealing aroma. So, if you live in a warmer climate, you won’t want to wear this…at least outside.

Overall Impressions of Poison Girl

Overall, do I think Poison Girl is worth a try? Yes. If you like sweet gourmand fragrances, this is another excellent choice. While there is a lot of similarities with the scent and some others out on the market, it does have just enough of its own style to set it apart.

If you’re not that into sweeter fragrances, this is one that could potentially get annoying. I never found it to be irritating, but it has that potential for some.

The highlights for me are the tonka bean and almond notes. I like the citrus and how that blends with those two, sort of a creamsicle-like experience. This is a very lovely fragrance, that is easy to wear and attractive, without being overwhelming.

Furthermore, it smells great and performs really well. Plenty of power and staying time on skin. Really no weaknesses with this Dior perfume. Mainstream and not completely unique? Sure. Poison Girl just works, however.

This is one that could be a signature scent for the right woman. Since writing this, I have also tried Poison Girl Unexpected, and like that one a bit more. Nonetheless, this is still a great option.

Oud Minerale by Tom Ford

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I have finally reached my last Tom Ford fragrance review, from the huge batch of samples, I acquired some time back. Now, it’s not all of the brand’s perfumes, but I’ve gotten through a lot of them.

In this post, I am going to be sharing my experiences with, Oud Minerale. This is an aquatic fragrance that was released by Tom Ford in 2017. How does it smell? How does it perform? Is it worth a buy?

What does Oud Minerale Smell Like?

Notes include: sea weed, oud, salt, pink pepper, marine notes, fir, and more

Click here to try: Oud Minerale Eau De Parfum

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Oud Minerale, immediately brings to mind two other fragrances, Light Blue Eau Intense and Blvgari Aqva. It’s as if you stripped out the citrus notes from those scents, combined them, and added oud.

Right away, I get a big dose of that calone aroma, which is so prevalent in Eau Intense. This is joined by a salt water/sea weed combination, that is found in the Bvlgari cologne.

This is going to be one, for those who are really into marine or oceanic smelling fragrances, as it is fully entrenched within that category.

Up top there is a slight pink pepper spice, for a time, it is seemingly blended with the light ambergris. The pink pepper later dies down, to my nose, but the ambergris remains for the duration as a light addition to the composition.

Anyway, getting to the oud. Oud Minerale, really isn’t all that packed with this note. The oud is there, but its usual intensity is tempered. In fact, much of the time, I actually smell more fir than oud. All of the woody notes, feel like water-logged driftwood, and secondary to the marine aromas.

The final dry down is sea weed, with some light saltiness and ambergris, sitting on top of water and with oud. The oud, at the end, becomes the dominant wood note over the fir.

Up close to your nose, the ambergris is more noticeable throughout. But when I catch whiffs of Oud Minerale, it is more of a refreshing and oceanic aquatic fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Oud Minerale is deceptively strong. If I spray it on clothes, I can pick it up from across the room, but on my skin it doesn’t seem all that strong. So, yes, this does have the capability to overwhelm a room. Don’t get carried away in application.

The longevity with this stuff is fantastic. Easily hits the double digit hours on my skin. I’m not sure the exact number, as I washed it off eventually, but no problem hitting 10+ hours. You will at least get your money’s worth, from a performance standpoint. Strong sillage and it doesn’t quit.

Seasonally, I guess I’d put it in the spring and summer months. It does well in warmer weather and would feel somewhat awkward to have on in the winter. It’s not something that fits, with that climate’s vibe.

This is more of a casual niche wear. You can wear it professionally, too. However, this isn’t a sex date night option or any sort of nightlife wear. Mostly, I’d stick to wearing it around on warm days, particularly spent outdoors.

Is it unisex? I’d say that it is. As a whole, it’s a fairly neutral scent.

Overall Impression of Oud Minerale

Do I like this scent? Personally, not really. It’s not my style and I don’t find this to be enjoyable. That being said, it will be a winner for the right person. You just have to completely love that marine environment smell.

I pretty much knew this wasn’t going be my thing, as seaweed is pretty much a non-starter for me in most every fragrance. Add, oud to the mix and I wasn’t too excited to test Oud Minerale.

It really does capture the smell of sea water and sea weed, though. The oud is there, but light, and won’t be too big of a distraction. The performance is top notch, so if you do like this Tom Ford, you will get your money’s worth.

The fir, ozonic, and aquatic aspects of this scent do draw me in at times. Just not enough, that I want to wear this perfume beyond this testing.

Oud Minerale is a niche scent, with limited appeal. It’s not a ‘bad’ fragrance, by any means, just one that isn’t going to have too many subscribers to its style.

This is also a really expensive fragrance, so, you’re most likely going to have to be in love with it for Oud Minerale to be worthwhile.