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.

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker

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Checking through a newly re-found box of fragrance samples, I saw a sample vial and card for Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker. I have zero recollection of where this came from and was almost certain, that I had already done a review on this best-selling perfume.

Nope, but I plan on remedying that oversight, in this post by breaking down Lovely. What does it smell like? How does it perform? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a purchase?

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker Overview

Notes include: bergamot, lavender, apple martini, patchouli, paperwhites, creamy orchid, cedar, amber, woods, and musk

Click here to try: Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker for Women, Eau de Parfum, 3.4-Ounce Spray Bottle

lovely perfume parker

My Full Review

Before I get into my own review of this scent, let’s see how it’s described by the brand, “Loveliness is everywhere…a touch, a face, a memory, pink pearls, a song, a sexy shoe, a kiss, candlelight, a white orchid, a girl, a woman, a dream, a scent…you only have to look.”

Upon the first sniff of Lovely, I immediately get a strong musk note, that is paired with lavender. Along side of this, I get some mandarin orange, a bit of apple, and orchid. The orchid is very distinct out of those last three notes.

The mandarin and apple notes, aren’t all that strong, within this composition. In fact, they fade off into the ether fairly quickly. In their place, comes an ever-increasing patchouli, which dirties the perfume somewhat.

While this is an extremely popular fragrance for women, I will say that, not everyone will enjoy this scent. You’re going to have to like plenty of musk and patchouli, in your perfumes. Yes, lavender and orchid are strong too, but musk and patchouli are notes which can turn some folks off from a fragrance. 

The patchouli does give it that earthiness/dirtiness, but overall, the perfume is very clean and subtle. As it dries down further, the scent really settles down, on my skin. I start to get smoother woods, more lavender, less intensity in the musk, and the orchid still sitting pretty within it all. 

The final dry down is a floral/musky scent with a base of cedar and other non-distinct woody notes. It’s not too complicated of a perfume, fairly linear, but develops enough to keep things interesting.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Lovely isn’t too powerful of a scent. It is light and subtle, but not weak by any means. I imagine that you could over spray this, but the sillage isn’t going to take over a room, with normal application. I’d call it a light moderate perfume.

Longevity is pretty good, but not great. It seems to hit the 6-7 range for me, on a consistent basis, during testing. My skin doesn’t tend to ‘eat’ up fragrances, so, that should be a decent baseline for the performance. Your results may vary, of course.

Seasonally, Lovely would work in any climate. It’s not really a winter sort of scent, but it wouldn’t be bad, in that weather. I’d still probably go with any fragrance, that would be more suitable, however.

 

One of the main strengths of this Sarah Jessica Parker scent, is just how versatile it is. It is subtle enough for the office, can go casual, and generally serve as a no-brainer for daily wear. It’s at it’s best in warmer weather, not really going to be offensive, or ever in your face about its presence.

Is it a sexy scent? Not particularly. This isn’t a romantic wear or even a nightlife fragrance. It’s attractive, somewhat pretty, but not something that is going to draw a boatload of attention your way. Think of it as a generalist rather than a specialist perfume.

Overall Impressions of Lovely

Do I like Lovely by SJP? I do. For a celebrity fragrance, this one is of good quality, and at a cheap price. You’re going to have to enjoy musky floral perfumes, otherwise, you may not like this at all.

The performance is solid and it can be an easy daily wear for many women (and already is). The inexpensive price, is one of the main strengths of this scent, along with its aroma, and versatility.

I kind of wish that it had more of the apple and mandarin notes. That felt like a missed opportunity. But, the patchouli works well here, adding depth to an otherwise fairly thin profile.

This is the original and best seller from the Sarah Jessica Parker line and it does a good job at representing the brand. People also like to use this as a cheaper alternative to fragrances like Narciso Rodriguez, so, while it lacks originality and can be a great substitute for more expensive designer scents.

I don’t think that this one is completely amazing or anything, but it provides plenty of value for what it is.