Costa Azzurra EDP by Tom Ford

by

Tom Ford has had several iterations of Costa Azzurra, including one from 2014 and Acqua and the new Parfum. I randomly got a sample of the newer version of Costa Azzurra EDP with a  recent fragrance order and was interested to come back to this scent again. Since I didn’t have much of a memory of the older one. How does Azzurra smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Costa Azzurra EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, orange, cypress, oak, incense, seaweed, cardamom, lavender, vetiver, oud, and more

Click here to try: Costa Azzurra EDP by Tom Ford

My Full Wear Review

Here’s how Tom Ford describes it: COSTA AZZURRA CAPTURES THE EASY SENSUALITY OF A PURELY UNINHIBITED ESCAPE. THE EXHILARATING AROMA OF SEA AIR, FRESH AROMATIC NOTES, EVERGREENS AND CITRUS SET THE SCENE AND MINGLE WITH DEEPER WOODY SCENTS — A CRISP MEDLEY OF CYPRESS, OAKS AND AROMATICS.

Costa Azzurra EDP opens up pretty heavy on the cypress note, on my skin. I’m not usually a huge fan of this style of fragrance, but this one definitely captures my attention more than others.

Citrus, woody, fresh, spicy, and smoky. There is definitely an incense and oud influence wafting up to give this one that warm smoky finish.

This will turn to a more woody fresh dominant scent, as we move forward. However, there is a nice spicy punch up top. Cardamom and maybe some other herbal notes.

The marine notes are here, as well. Seaweed with a more generic ‘blue sea’ type of smell. Though, it’s more an impression of seaweed, not a dense copy of the actual stuff.

The seaweed isn’t as heavy as something like the Bvlgari Aqva scents. Also, at times the aquatic/incense/citrus notes remind me of a brighter version of AdG Profumo or the aromatic cypress smell of Guilty Cologne.

The cypress and the citrus have a light an effervescent sort of aroma. When I wore this outside, the hot July breeze, really helped bring this Tom Ford fragrance to life.

I must say, as this one dries down, it does come across as less aquatic and more like a sea breeze. But, a sea breeze while standing in a coastal forest. Super dry and fresh, but you can still tell you’re near the ocean, if that makes sense.

In the end, the lavender makes Azzurra more approachable and soft. The breeziness is still there, somewhat salty, and the citrus has faded away. Cypress, driftwood, and the dryness of notes like vetiver really reign supreme.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Costa Azzurra actually isn’t a massive fragrance, frankly, it’s quite moderate. Maybe slight above average with how it projects or leaves a scent trail.

Don’t expect a beast, because that’s not what this one is. No real complaints, though.

The longevity here is pretty good, just not elite. It lasts on my skin for 7-8 hours in total. At the price point, I do kind of want more, but it’s about what I get with some other Tom Ford fragrances that I really enjoy.

Seasonally, it should be pretty obvious by now that this is a spring and summertime wear. I really can’t imagine wearing Costa Azzurra much outside of that.

Now, if you live in a tropical climate or one where the summer temperatures drag on pretty late, you’ll get more use out of this one.

This is a daytime wear. Casual to semi-formal mostly. It might be an office wear, for certain folks, since it’s not too heavy.

This isn’t really a nightlife beast or date night sort of scent, however.

Overall Impressions of Costa Azzurra

Overall, do I like Costa Azzurra EDP? I do. Again, this isn’t usually my style, but this is a better example of this kind of marine/woody fragrance.

The scent itself is good. I really like the blend of citrus, cypress, and incense early on in the wear. Also, the fact that the seaweed isn’t overbearing and it’s more an impression of a marine aroma, than the actual smell of the sea itself.

The performance is fine. Not amazing, but certainly not terrible.

It’s one that is worth checking out, but not might be to everyone’s taste. If this sounds, like one you’d like, I definitely recommend giving it a go. If you’re in the market for a warm weather scent, this is certainly a solid option.

Gucci Bloom Ambrosia di Fiori by Gucci

by

Bloom has been an ongoing series from Gucci for a long while now. I’ve been slowly making my way through testing the entire series, for full reviews on this site, and am getting close to completion. One of the last ones that I need to cover, is Ambrosia di Fiori. How does this version smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Bloom Ambrosia di Fiori Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, honeysuckle, rose, tuberose, orris, and Rangoon Creeper

Click here to try: Bloom Ambrosia di Fiori

top gucci bloom

My Full Review

Here’s how Gucci describes it:  Invoking a banquet of an ancient world, ambrosia was the sustenance of the Greek gods, thought to give immortality to those who drank it. The name of this precious nectar and the magic it evokes is woven into the scent’s vibrant bouquet. 

Ambrosia opens up with the same formulation as the original Gucci Bloom, but with some distinct additions. Also, maybe it’s just me, but the jasmine seems to have more punch early on versus Bloom.

This time around the honeysuckle note comes in early to reduce the amount of green stem-like aromas versus what you get in the original. It does give Ambrosia some sweetness instead, maybe an assist on that front from the Damask rose?

Also, this one has more of a powdery/resinous smell to it. The orris root is there in the beginning pairing together with the Rangoon Creeper to amplify those aspects of the perfume.

As it dries down, the orris fades, and the honeysuckle settles more. There is a Damascena rose in the mix. This never gets too rosy, but in the middle act this ingredient is noticeable. I mean, Damascena rose isn’t really a traditional red rose anyway, and adds a depth that the original doesn’t have.

Finally, the tail end of this is mostly about that tuberose. Jasmine and Rangoon Creeper jockey for the second position, and the rest of what I get is just an amalgam of white floral smells. As such, the ending gets much closer to the original.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Out of the gate, the sillage here is pretty good. A nice scent trail and will project off of the skin, probably 4-6 feet while you’re just sitting around.

But, that’s not terribly long lasting. It’s a lighter moderate scent for a good portion of the wear. Then, it’ll sit much closer to the skin for the back end of its lifecycle. Yet, it’s better on me, than the original.

The longevity is okay with Ambrosia. It’s honestly not great, but it wasn’t absolutely dreadful either. I get somewhere in the 5.5-7 hour range, on skin. Those last few hours are super light, but it is there, it’s just kind of easy to go nose blind with Bloom.

Seasonally, this one is awesome in the spring and summer months. Mainly. a focus in the springtime, when it’s just starting to warm up. It’s a good way to break up having to wear the heavier gourmand fragrances of winter, as this is a straight floral.

Probably the greatest strength of this perfume, is how versatile it is. Outside of the nightlife (which it wouldn’t be entirely out of place) Ambrosia can be worn pretty much whenever, during the daytime. Daily wear, office wear, casual, more formal occasions, etc.

Overall Impressions of Bloom Ambrosia

Overall, do I like Gucci Bloom Ambrosia? Yes, I think that it is one of the best from the series and an improvement on the original formulation.

If you’re not a fan of the original Bloom, you still probably won’t dig this one. It’s better, but still very similar. On the other hand, if you liked that original Gucci formulation, this might be an upgrade…though, needing both is questionable.

I like the changes here. The honeysuckle playing a greater role, really helps this one out. I like the fact that it isn’t as green as the original. You just get a better mix of floral notes with Ambrosia. The orris is also a highlight in that middle act.

The performance is decent, just not going to set any records for how long it lasts. It’s not a complete hinderance towards owning a bottle, so not a huge issue.

All in all, this is a nice entry from the Bloom series. If you want an easy to wear floral fragrance with some mass appeal, this is one of the ones to go with.

Idôle EDP by Lancôme

by

Idôle isn’t a sample fragrance that I ordered. But, at some point, I guess it was included with something else that I bought since it was just sitting in a box. So, I decided to test it out and post my review of this fragrance that whose ambassador is Zendaya. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Idôle Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, pear, jasmine, rose, pink pepper, musk, patchouli, cedarwood

Click here to try: Idôle by Lancome

Idôle review

My Full Review

Here’s how Lancôme describes it: Made for women, by women. Three talented female perfumers from across the world united to create a sophisticated yet unapologetically modern fresh fragrance with notes of bright citrus, clean rose, spotless jasmine, white musks and vanilla.

The opening pear and bergamot in Idôle are actually very good. Juicy with enough fructose level sweetness to really liven things up. The pear notes juiciness gives it that usual aquatic-like feel.

Pear is going to be a major factor in this one, not a complete takeover, but it is significant throughout (until the last bit).

Early, I actually don’t get all that much of the pink pepper. It’s there, just light. Instead, I get a lot of jasmine to go along with the fruity top. Now, this will flip places with the rose at some point, but jasmine is the floral focus at the start.

Once that flip happens, the bergamot has gone away, the rose is increased, and Idôle has more of a musky finish. Pear is still hanging around, but the perfume now has a heavier floral weighting.

The final stages have more of a balance between the rose and jasmine on me. There is musk, cedar, and perhaps a touch of vanilla…just not a ton. The pear has finally diminished to the point, that it’s only noticeable, if you’re truly focused.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Idôle actually has some power. Now, it’s not super heavy or something that has massive projection off of the skin, but it is certainly above average.

With this, I got a few hours of it really popping off of the skin. Again, not massive, but 4-7 feet during that time. Then, it’ll be more in the 3-4 foot range for the most of the duration of the wear.

Even on that front Idôle is solid with it’s performance. Not a marathon runner, by any means, but 7-8.5 hours on skin, is about what you should expect from this one.

Seasonally, this is better when it’s warmer out, in the spring or summertime. Though, it’d be fine in just about any climate or temperature, I’d probably have something else for when it’s cold outside.

Idôle isn’t a perfume that screams out for attention. So, it’s really not built for the nightlife. It is a pretty fragrance, but not necessarily something that’s wildly sexy. Very likeable. Wouldn’t be entirely out of place on a date, but maybe not the first choice you’d want to go with.

Idôle is better suited for daily wear, office, casual, semi-formal, etc. It has plenty of use cases and kind of does serve a a sort of ‘do it all’ (or at least ‘do most’) fragrance.

Overall Impressions of Idôle

Overall, do I like this fragrance? Yes, it’s all around quite good. I wouldn’t say that it is great or an absolute must have. However, it really doesn’t do anything poorly and is attractive enough to find its way into a perfume rotation or as a daily wear.

I really enjoy the beginning of this fragrance, when the pear and the bergamot get to shine. Juicy, sparkling, and something with upbeat vibes.

The latter stages are still good to me. I like the balance of the rose, musk, and vanilla notes. Not the most unique scent out there, but it still smells good, which is what we’re after.

Performance is solidly above average and I never had a disappointing experience with Idôle during my testing of it.

In my opinion, this is well worth a try. You might not be blown away by Idôle, but it is a very easy to wear ‘dumb reach’ perfume that can be worn in a variety of situations.

The One Mysterious Night by D&G

by

I’ve been retesting and going through the other flanker fragrances of D&G’s The One lineup, that I hadn’t tried before over the past few months. One of them, which was new to me, is The One Mysterious Night. This 2018 release is a part of there special edition ‘Night’ collection. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does The One Mysterious Night Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, saffron, rose, oud, clary sage, amber, woods, labdanum, tonka bean

Click here to try: The One Mysterious Night

My Full Review

Right off of the bat, I have to say that I’m not a fan of rose and oud scents. Individually, I can like these notes well enough, but together they become bothersome.

Not only do I not find the smell all that appealing. It’s also the fact that every designer uses the same exact formula with these two notes and then charges $400 per bottle. At least, this D&G is an affordable example.

Just putting it out there, as this doesn’t have the same effect on me as it does with others…who rank this fragrance highly.

Upon first spraying, Mysterious Night actually reminds me somewhat of 1 Million Cologne, the flanker to the more popular namesake. Grapefruit, rose, some light tonka bean. Cologne has a huge citrus blast with the rose and an aquatic note, but this gives me flashbacks.

That’ll fade, the rose and spiciness of this fragrance will come out. It’s actually got a surprising amount of powder to it. Sort of like in Burberry Brit, just without the greenish notes.

Sage really comes through for a while, like it does in Luminous Night. However, that won’t be the main focus because the saffron here has a pretty massive impact on the composition.

The dry down is better for me. I like the tonka bean, wood, and amber/labdanum. The earlier notes settle down somewhat and Mysterious Night feels more balanced and tolerable.

It’s an ambery rose with wood and tonka bean. The intensity isn’t to the same extent and I can actually somewhat enjoy this.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, you definitely get your money’s worth. Mysterious Night has a massive projection and ability to leave a scent trail…for hours on end. I can spray this one on clothes and smell it in the next room.

Not the most extreme ever, but for a designer cologne, this stuff is loud.

The longevity is also insane. Well into the double digit hours on skin. I’m getting about 12 hours on the top end of things.

On clothing, I swear this will last for weeks. Mysterious Night sticks and doesn’t ever seem to want to let go.

Seasonally, stick to late autumn and winter. This has enough heft and thickness to it, that it’s way too much for any sort of heat.

It’s an attention grabbing fragrance, whether that’s good or bad will depend on the crowd, I suppose. But, Mysterious Night lives up to its name, and is a fragrance that is basically going to be a wear for the nightlife.

It has a certain amount of depth and style, as such it’s not a casual nighttime wear. Maybe one you’d want to wear when you’re dressed up and want to exude a sense of power.

Skip the daily wear use, if you’re in close environments, though.

My Overall Impressions of The One Mysterious Night

Overall, do I like Mysterious Night? Not particularly. I wasn’t expecting to going into testing it out and it was basically just as I thought it’d be.

The oud, rose, amber, and saffron combination gets done again and again. So, there’s not much new ground being laid. But, as far as examples of this style of scent goes, this D&G gives you plenty of value for something that’s not too expensive.

The opening hour or so, is when this is a bit too much for my tastes. Then, it does improve into something, that while I still don’t enjoy it, it’s got some positive attributes.

The performance is awesome, unlike many of the others in The One lineup. Not a weak scent and it goes for a very long time. That’s the real strength of this fragrance.

If you like this style of fragrance, you know what you’re getting here. The oud isn’t too heavy in the mix versus a lot of the others, so, it can be more wearable for people.

If you’re not familiar with these notes, this isn’t a blind buy. If you really want to try, get a sample to see if it speaks to you.

It’s my least favorite of The One Night series and I’ll recommend try the much more crowd friendly, Luminous Night, if you can find a bottle.

Dior Homme Sport (2021) by Dior

by

Dior has once again updated the fragrance using the name of Dior Homme Sport in 2021. This comes four years after the last change. This time, it goes in a whole different direction from the previous incarnation. How does this Sport do? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Dior Homme Sport Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, aldehydes, lemon, elemi, pink pepper, wood, amber, olibanum

My Full Review

Here’s how Dior describes it: Opens with a burst before suddenly becoming as soft as a second skin a deliciously luminous and fresh woody accord bitten by the vivacity of bergamot and the intensity of peppercorns.

The opening is a blast of the lemon and bergamot notes, that are given an extra spicy kick by the pink pepper. It is nice and a very familiar scent that you’ve seemingly encountered many times before.

This does have some similarities to Dior Homme Cologne. However, I’d say more like Chanel Allure Homme Sport Cologne, with the inclusion of the resinous elemi note. Which actually comes across a sort of waxy in this Dior. Maybe, that’s more of an effect with the olibanum note coming in as well.

But, what separates this version of Dior Sport from the rest of them is the aldehydes. It gives this one a clean freshness, like sun-dried laundry. Fresh wood and woodsy smelling resins, with that initial citrus burst is very attractive. Olibanum gives it a light smokiness, at times.

Once this citrus wears off, Dior Homme Sport starts to lose my interest. It’s basically just a clean wood with lemon wax on top of it. Sure, some freshness makes it okay, but the initial dynamic is lost and it feels like I’m just wearing laundered clothing.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is moderate. A bit of a scent trail for an hour or so. But, overall it is moderate. It’s not a skin scent until later in the wear. However, you might not always notice that you’re wearing it. Then, you’ll catch another whiff of Sport.

In terms of longevity, Sport actually matches the new Dior Homme EDT in its performance. On my skin, this one goes for 6.5-8 hours, depending on the day.

It’s not an elite performance, but it’s actually quite good for a ‘Sport’ scent. Even if, there really isn’t too much that is ‘sporty’ about this fragrance. Nonetheless, it is a cologne that doesn’t just fall apart.

Seasonally, this is probably best in warm weather. However, it can really work year round and not feel out of place at all.

Sport is highly versatile. It’s clean, inoffensive aroma can go casual, daily wear, or even more formal events. Not really a sexy nightlife beast, but outside of that, it can fit in wherever its needed.

Overall Impressions of Dior Homme Sport 2021

Do I like this fragrance? It doesn’t smell bad to me. However, outside of the opening 20-30 minutes or so, I’m just not into this. It’s my least favorite of the Dior Homme or Sport line, even the 2017 version, which was just okay.

It does have overlap with Dior Homme EDT. But, they aren’t exactly the same, and I like that one much more than this.

Performance is fine and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to wear this fragrance, if you enjoy how it smells. To me, it’s pretty boring, a bit too waxy/resinous, and almost a detergent-like quality.

I’ll pass on getting a bottle for myself. But, it’s worth a try, at least. Test it out and see if you actually enjoy it. If the performance and versatility was bad, I’d say to just stay away from this. As it is, try it if it still sounds interesting. If not, pass on it entirely.