Tuxedo by YSL

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Tuxedo is a 2014 release from Yves Saint Laurent, as a part of their higher end Le Vestiaire des Parfums line. This has become one of the, if not the most popular perfume to come out of that line of scents, but how does it actually smell? Does it last a long time? Is Tuxedo worth the hype?

What does Tuxedo Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, amber, patchouli, cardamom, black pepper, vanilla, and more

Click here to try: Tuxedo by YSL

My Full Review

Here’s how YSL describes it: A spicy unisex scent that blends the matte texture of smoked patchouli with ambergris accord to express a magnetic and dark sex appeal. The sharp black pepper enhanced with the freshness of cardamom mirrors the satin stripe that runs along the seam of the trousers and the lapels of the jacket.

While the opening of Tuxedo does indeed have the spice that YSL refers to in their description, it really serves to establish how absolutely smooth and refined this fragrance is.

The black pepper is there, gives this one a bit of an edge, but never truly punches you in the face with its presence. Between that and the cardamom, the spices help to create a separation that might otherwise leave this one feeling like a sea of amber on your skin.

Aside from the prominent pepper, there’s a green/watery aroma provided by the violet leaf and patchouli. Along with a general balsamic feeling, perhaps a little smoke too. The former (thankfully, for me at least) isn’t too large a factor here. But, the patchouli will take on a larger role moving forward.

It’s all very fresh and smooth. Beyond the immediate opening, the spiciness will subside somewhat, as will that violet leaf. At this stage, the rose and vanilla notes will come into play. Though, the amber and patchouli are going to be the stars with Tuxedo, so don’t expect a fragrance like Toy Boy, which goes super rosy.

That being said, there is a surprising amount of rose in this one, when I spray it on my skin during the first hour or two.

Once Tuxedo hits its dry down phase, it’s a pretty straightforward scent. Patchouli, amber, and vanilla. All of the other notes combine for an amalgam of fresh undertones. It’s warm and light, but also sweet, with these ever so slight aquatic touches.

Seasonally, just skip the summer months and you should be fine. Autumn through spring, should work just fine in most climates. High heat and humidity, not so much.

With a name like Tuxedo, is this a formal wear fragrance? Yes, it is. That being the case, I think that it still works in a wide variety of situations, beyond elegant events.

It’s office safe, it can be worn out at night even in more casual settings, for dates, etc. It’s never too serious or oppressive feeling, to wear it couldn’t work in many scenarios. Tuxedo could absolutely be a signature fragrance for some.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Tuxedo can be a tricky one to pin down how strong it is. I’ve noticed this with a lot of amber and vanilla dominant blends, that you can tend to go nose blind to it.

Now the sillage, with normal sprays is towards the lighter end of things. It does create a nice scent trail, though, and will be noticed. Just after a while, it might not be noticed by you. It can seem like a skin scent after two hours or you might not pick it up at all.

However, Tuxedo is still there doing its thing. That happened a bunch while testing this one again. I would forget that I’m wearing it and then caught a whiff hours later.

It sticks around, but can be elusive. For some people, that seems to be an issue. Not so much for me. I would say it hits the 6-8 hour range of actual longevity. Not amazing, especially at the price point. Though, I’m not really upset by it either.

Overall Impressions of Tuxedo

Overall, do I like Tuxedo? I love the way that this fragrance smells. It’s been becoming more and more one of my personal favorites over the past year or so. A lot of the YSL scents that I used to really enjoy, have gotten discontinued over time, but Tuxedo captures my attention completely.

The smoothness. The blend of spice, sweetness, and the hint of a watery finish. Tuxedo is so clean and refined, yet has a sexiness to it that attracts.

Sure, the performance can be elusive when compared to other scents. But, it is better than many give it credit for, while also not being completely elite in this regard.

I find this Saint Laurent perfume to be entirely wearable and not at all ‘stuffy’, despite its class and formal attire name.

To me, this is definitely full bottle worthy and a scent that people should for sure give a try.

Pure Poison EDP by Dior

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Pure Poison is a 2004 release from Dior’s now long-running Poison for Her perfume line. I grabbed a decant of this stuff, as I couldn’t recall if I had ever tried it out, and knew that I had yet to do a review of it for the site. Despite covering some of the more recent Poison Girl flankers. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is Pure Poison worth a try?

What does Pure Poison by Dior Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, bergamot, orange, amber, orange blossom, gardenia, sandalwood, cedar, and musk

Click here to try: Pure Poison EDP by Dior

My Full Review

Here’s how Dior describes it: Once upon a time there was an ingenuous and captivating, sincere and mysterious fragrance… Pure Poison is the fragrance that celebrates the purest form of seduction, while exploring its duality and irresistible alchemy.

Pure Poison opens up with its jasmine note in control. The citrus blend of orange and bergamot sits underneath, creating a brightness to the aroma, but it isn’t a juicy citrus dominant mix. The citrus actually has somewhat of a ‘greenish’ finish to it, stemming from the bergamot.

Also, that is somewhat tempered anyway, by the inclusion of the orange blossom note. To my nose, that opening is jasmine dominant with the orange blossom second. Later, that gets taken over by gardenia, but the blossom has its time to shine.

Wearing this, I was expecting more of an amber and musk presence in this Dior. Not really the case. In fact, the woods seem to play a larger role here. Still, this one does absolutely have a very clean profile, much less of a seductive ‘poison’ as the name suggest.

As the gardenia steps up to the plate, the sandalwood will join it giving Pure Poison a nice woody balance. As I said, the orange blossom fades into the background, but I still get the citrus impressions for a long while into the wear.

The final dry down is pretty much just a woody white floral. The citrus has disappeared, the musk really fully materializes, and it’s basically the jasmine note with a dose of gardenia and sandalwood.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Pure Poison certainly has a strong opening act. I can spray this on a shirt or myself and it feels like it fills the room and lightly saturates the air for a while. I’d say around 1 hour of strong sillage, before it settles into an intimate scent bubble.

It’s not overwhelming ever, but it certainly packs a punch early on.

The longevity is decent, just not spectacular. Testing this one out, netted me experiences of five hours of wear and some of over eight. Maybe I just went nose blind that one time, but the longevity seems to be at least above average…if not, quite good.

Seasonally, this kind of always works. It’s not too heavy or cloying for the summer months. In fact, it brings a nice coolness. But, it’s not always too fresh for the cold of winter either. Sure, sometimes that cleanliness can get on one’s nerves, just wasn’t straying too much in that direction.

This comes across as much more of a daytime wear. I don’t find it to be seductive, sexy, or a nightlife scent despite the marketing.

But, as a cold fresh and clean perfume it does have plenty of uses. It can be used casually, semi-formal, to work, or what have you. Pure Poison is a daily wear type for those who love white floral scents.

Overall Impressions of Pure Poison

Overall, do I like Pure Poison? I like it, but I was never completely enraptured by it. Gardenia can be hit or miss for me and I’m not always thrilled with an overdose of jasmine. However, this blend is quality and I enjoyed enough of my time with it.

Still, it’s not one of my favorite Dior releases. It’s fine. If you’re a jasmine or fan of these sorts of clean white floral perfumes, you’ll probably want to give it a go.

The performance is good. It’s not super complicated. Basically, jasmine/orange blossom/citrus start with a finish of jasmine/gardenia/sandalwood. Simple, but it does have a nice dynamic energy to it.

The main strength is its versatility. If you dig the smell of this, you should have no problem finding time to wear it around.

Pure Poison is one that is worth testing to see if you happen to fall in the camp of those who love it.

Le Lion de Chanel EDP by Chanel

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I’ve had a few samples of Le Lion de Chanel that I’ve been coming back to over the span of many months. As I wasn’t exactly sure how to feel at first about this entry from the Les Exclusifs line from the French brand.

But, I’ve at least completed my initial evaluation to the point where I can share my thoughts on the site. How does it smell? Is Le Lion worth a try?

What does Le Lion de Chanel Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, bergamot, patchouli, sandalwood, amber, musk, labdanum

Click here to try: Le Lion de Chanel at Chanel


My Full Review

Tried Le Lion? Leave your rating and review in the comments!

Here’s how Chanel describes it: Gabrielle Chanel was born on August 19, 1883, under the sign of Leo. Proud and passionate, instinctive and daring, Mademoiselle fully embodied her zodiac symbol. Majestic, indomitable and wild, the lion became a personal emblem, serving as the inspiration for this powerful fragrance.

It is interesting with Le Lion de Chanel that I actually get a burst of the amber and labdanum before, the citrus is fully revealed on my skin. Like, those notes burst onto the scene with a smokiness, warmth, and spice…then fade a bit to let the bergamot and lemon come through.

It’s a captivating moment, when I do get to the citrus notes, however. Very juicy and bright, but they are surrounded by the pronounced dryness that is found with this mix. The labdanum remains the strongest note, beneath the citrus, and will grow in strength after the fruits move out.

With that labdanum, there is the patchouli lending its earthiness to the smokiness and resinous aroma of labdanum. Earlier, it has more of the balsamic aroma, before settling into something earthier and musky.

Man, this stuff really packs a punch for the initial stages of the wear. The labdanum or amber accord has a dry and sort of a leathery aroma at times. Then, when it dries down, we get a light muskiness and a nice sandalwood.

I do like that smokiness, leathery moments, and that opening citrus. Sure, it can be a lot and take some time getting used to, but I’ve come to enjoy it with repeat wears.

The patchouli will come in stronger, with a step back by the labdanum. It’s more of a straightforward amber here towards the end, with the vanilla and patchouli doing their thing, also.

Le Lion isn’t super complicated. To me, the latter stages are less smoky, still dry (kind of a powdery scent), none of the citrus. Just a woody/earthy/musk with the remaining resinous qualities. There does seem to be a light sweetness involved here throughout (vanilla).

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty massive. Not the strongest that I’ve come across, but it’ll out do many perfumes on the market. A nice long scent trail for sure and great projection off of the skin.

Just using the sample size, with 4-5 spritzes and this will be emanating off of my skin like a beast. Easily picked up by those around you.

It’ll also last in the 9-11 hour range, on my skin. It’s an all-day experience it seems, without issue. Le Lion will not be confused as being a weak fragrance. Even at the high end price, you do still get plenty of value.

Seasonally, this is a fragrance for the autumn and winter months. It’d be way too much for the heat.

It is a unisex perfume. Leans more towards the traditionally feminine fragrances in this style, but it never strikes me as being ‘girly’. It’s probably suitable for mid-20s and up because it does have a level of maturity to it.

It’s versatility isn’t the strong suit. It is confident and bold and probably not best served for use at work. Not entirely formal, but isn’t something all that casual either.

Probably better for nightlife or social functions versus being a daily wear. It’s not so overwhelming that it’ll be off-putting to most people, but Le Lion can skirt that line.

Overall Impressions of Le Lion

Overall, do I like Le Lion de Chanel? I do. I’ve liked it more, the more time that I’ve spent with it. Though, it’s not one that I’m personally clamoring to wear all the time, since I’m not a big fan of the oriental style perfumes.

But, there is plenty to like with this Chanel. It’s high quality, matching the price point. Those citrus notes sitting under the resinous smoky aroma of the amber accord is really attractive. I kept pressing my nose against my arm to pick up that bergamot and lemon.

The opening is attention grabbing, deep, and somewhat rough. But, the perfume never strays too far and remain luxurious and rich. I do like that in addition to the smoke, it has an earthy/dirty scent that will rise up and break the potential monotony of amber and vanilla.

The dryness and the leather-like finish with hints of sandalwood is very nice to catch whiffs of during the latter stages.

The performance here is great. Le Lion is powerful and will stick around for a long while.

But, this isn’t going to be a perfume for everyone. It’s pretty different from many other Chanel’s. Not a floral aldehyde soaked perfume. Yet, you can still pick out that classic Chanel style, if you’re familiar.

Le Lion isn’t entirely a niche fragrance, but it’ll be one to test out to see if you’d actually want to go with it. It for sure doesn’t have the same mass appeal, as something like Coco Mademoiselle.

Armaf Club de Nuit Intense vs. Dior Sauvage

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Two of the best selling fragrances for men right now, came about reaching that status in different ways. Sauvage EDT really propelled the ambroxan heavy mass appealing scent into the mainstream. So much so that it is the best selling fragrance (for men or women) in the world.

Meanwhile Club de Nuit Intense, got to where it is by being an inexpensively priced and similar scent to Creed’s famous Aventus. Now, each of these are two of the last colognes that some men often need to decide between to purchase. Which one is actually the better choice?

Tale of the Tape: Club de Nuit Intense vs. Sauvage EDT

Sauvage

Notes of Sauvage: bergamot, ambroxan, lavender, pepper, wood notes

Click here to try: Christian Dior Sauvage for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.4 Fluid Ounce

My Original Sauvage Review

Club de Nuit EDP

Notes include: lemon, apple, blackcurrant, birch, jasmine, rose, vanilla, musk, ambergris, patchouli

Click here to try: Club de Nuit Men EDP

Opening

Luckily for this post (not so much for my other work), I was accidently sent a new sample vial of Dior Sauvage EDT, instead of the Eau Sauvage the brand has been producing since the 1960s.

So, I have both of these fragrances on hand in order to compare them directly, instead of just off of past experience.

Club de Nuit EDP is very similar to the EDT release, which smells a lot like Aventus. It’s fruity, less smoky, and the birch comes across as more of a dry wood, without the same amount of leathery facets it will develop later.

To me, the EDP comes across as being a bit smoother. Less of the lemon note, but with a more pronounced apple, which I enjoy.  Also, the birch here is smokier early on and does give it that leathery aroma to a greater extent.

The opening of Sauvage gives off an aroma of amber, pepper, and the bergamot note. There is a bit of spice to it but I do get a lot of the ambroxan. It’s nice and dries down to a clean/soapy scent with some slightly spice wood notes and the bergamot.

One thing I notice with this Sauvage EDT sample, is that the bergamot doesn’t seem as sharp when paired with the Sichuan pepper, as it has in the past.

Actually, it’s much smoother than it has been on me before and more so than Club de Nuit Intense.

I’ve never been a fan of the opening act of Aventus and don’t particularly care too much about its cheaper alternative’s either. So, this category is going to go to Sauvage.

Edge: Sauvage

Projection

The sillage for both is very good. You get a very good scent trail coming off of the skin for hours on end, before it settles into something more intimate.

I’m not sure that there is much of a difference between Sauvage and Club de Nuit Intense EDP. Maybe it’d be noticeable with the full bottle sprayers, but with these sample sprayers, 3-4 sprays come across as being the same.

Perhaps, Sauvage’s projection reach stays around for a tad longer, but it’s not clear to me that it actually does.

Edge: Push

Longevity

With Sauvage EDT, it’s always lasted between 6-8 hours on my skin. But, it will usually be closer to the 8 hour end of things.

Club de Nuit Intense EDP will go for 7-9 hours. So, a higher floor and a bit better ceiling, in terms of how long it will last.

Not a massive difference and some might get better performance with the Dior. For me, the nod goes to the Armaf.

Edge: Club de Nuit

Versatility

Both are extremely versatile as to when you can wear them. Seasonally, I’d give the edge to Club in the autumn/winter and Sauvage in spring/summer.

Neither is great in the high heat, and actually, I’d use something else in the extreme cold as well. But, Sauvage does perform a bit better in the warmer weather, while still having the ability to be used in the colder months.

Both are good casually, out at night, etc. Neither is much of a formal fragrance. Club is probably better than Sauvage in dressier situations, but it doesn’t have the same Creed quality as with Aventus to make that certain.

Really, this category is kind of equal.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which one of these fragrances do I prefer?

With Sauvage EDT, it’s never been one that I loved. I liked it when it came out, got completely sick of it for years, and now…it’s fine. Doesn’t bother me, but I don’t really enjoy wearing it that much. I get the appeal, but it’s just nothing all that special.

By the same token, I’ve never been an Aventus fan boy. I like it more than Sauvage EDT, find it nice to wear on occasion, but I don’t personally need to have it around.

If I had to pick between the original Sauvage EDT and one of the Club de Nuit Intense options, I’d go with the Armaf. I do prefer the mimicry of Creed Aventus a bit more than that particular Sauvage release.

Plus, Armaf is significantly cheaper than what you’re going to spend versus Dior.

However, if I can choose any version of Sauvage, the decision would definitely change for me. Here’s what the list would look like then:

1a. Sauvage Elixir

1b. Sauvage EDP

2. Sauvage Parfum

3. Club de Nuit Intense EDP

4. Club de Nuit Intense EDT

5. Sauvage EDT

So, it’s really only when compared to the original Sauvage formulation, do I have a preference for the Armaf colognes. I really do like Sauvage EDP and Elixir provides a unique experience versus all of them.

Winner: Club de Nuit

5 Best Smelling Mercedes-Benz Colognes

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The auto manufacturers, particularly the luxury brands, have all seemingly gotten into the fragrance game as well over the past decade or so. To me, Mercedes-Benz and Bentley, are the one’s that have done the best job at developing quality perfumes and not just slapping their logo on any old thing. On this page, I want to keep a running update of what are my favorite and what I consider to be the best Benz colognes for him.

What are the Top Smelling Fragrances by Mercedes-Benz?

Select Lavender and Vanilla

Select Night– Right off the bat, a lot of Mercedes scents seem to be inspired by popular fragrances, but give each of them their own unique twist. Select Night gets compared to Noir Extreme by Tom Ford (one that I personally wear a lot).

While the resemblance is there to an extent, they aren’t exactly the same, by any means. Nonetheless, Select Night is an enjoyable cologne to wear in its own right. I think most of the comparisons come from the heavy use of vanilla, cardamom, and orange blossom here. Outside of that, the details are different.

This one kicks off with a blend of cardamom, lavender, orange blossom, and vanilla. It actually has a fizziness to it which reminds me of Armani Code Profumo. The dry down is more of a woody fresh blend with plenty of lavender and vanilla. The cardamom and orange blossom fades.

Select Night never comes close to hitting the same level as something like Noir Extreme, but this is a very nice wear and one of the highlights of the series.

Fresh Top Oud and Saffron

Le Parfum– I was intrigued by Mercedes-Benz Le Parfum, as it supposedly smelled just like Ombre Leather by Tom Ford. But, when actually getting to try it out, it struck me as being much closer to Ombre Leather Parfum with its violet leaf note.

Yet, this Benz scent actually has its own personality, outside of just being a clone fragrance. The opening here is actually bright, fresh, and watery. Watery, like biting into a fresh piece of fruit. That is due to the presence of the cascalone note, which produces that vibe.

The cascalone, bergamot, and a dash of pink pepper kick things off. There’s not actually an official leather note here, however. It’s mostly an effect of how the potent saffron and oud notes play off one another. And to me, a bit of that cascalone, as well.

Even then, it doesn’t come across as completely ‘leathery’.

Further use of ambergris and vetiver continue to lend to its freshness. Yes, it does have a resemblance to the Tom Ford fragrances, but not entirely. Nice performance here and this is an absolute gem from Mercedes.

Violet Citrus

Intense– The closest comps to Mercedes-Benze Intense are Dior’s Fahrenheit Aqua and Cologne. It’s been years since I’ve experienced Aqua, but I reviewed Fahrenheit Cologne recently, and this one seems to split the difference between the two.

But, I like this Mercedes more than the Dior Cologne version of that formula. This comes across as being less green, which I do enjoy about it.

It opens up with its mandarin orange note leading the citrus accord. This is joined by a solid heaping of black pepper, which gives it a kick, but doesn’t overwhelm. As it moves on, it becomes a cleaner scent with greater use of vetiver, amber, and the violet/violet leaf notes.

Very nice and versatile style, that works well in the spring and summer heat.

Refined Amber Woods

Private– A spicy woody fragrance with notes including mugwort and cardamom up top. It’s not super spicy, but rather smooth with a bit of a leathery like aroma early on. As it wears on, you get a warmth and resinous quality from amber and labdanum.

This is rich with depth and classy, the cypress note adds a fresh layer, but overall this has a balanced mix of its differing facets.

Mercedes-Benz Private is one of the more formal fragrances in this line. It exudes confidence and refinement. Not completely overpowering, but the sillage is solid and this one will last long.

Join the Club

Club Black– A cold weather standout, which opens up with a bright bergamot citrus backed by the smokiness of incense and clean floral highlights of jasmine.

The further we get into the dry down the more resinous and balsamic this one becomes. Vanilla gives Club Black a creamy sweetness, but the fuzzy benzoin, amber, and smoke provide a classic Oriental feel to this cologne.

In the end, it’s a smoky vanilla and benzoin gem, that is relaxed and cozy to wear during the winter months. Moderate with the projection and enough staying power to last a work day.