Bvlgari Man Terrae Essence

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Bvlgari has released an Essence series of fragrances over the past number of years, each representing some part of the natural elements. I have been testing these out, after receiving samples of these colognes, a few months back. Today’s entry is the ‘earth’ portion of the line, Terrae Essence. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Man Terrae Essence Smell Like?

Notes include: vetiver, citron, orris, styrax, terrae accord

Click here to try: Bvlgari Man Terrae Essence

terrae essence review

My Full Review

Here’s how Bvlgari describes it: Continuing to harness the natural elements, Bvlgari Man Terrae Essence pays tribute to the power of the Earth, its authentic richness and diverse fertility. A scent impeccably translated through a contemporary and original vetiver interpretation, combined with an exclusive smoky Terrae accord.

Terrae opens up with a light citron note sitting on top of vetiver. Vetiver, to me is the second most prominent note throughout the entire duration of this fragrance.

The interesting part of this cologne, is going to be the terrae accord. I think, that it is what will make or break most people’s enjoyment with this scent.

The terrae accord is earthy, smoky, leathery, and woody. The styrax from the base also gives this one a warm and somewhat spicy balsamic presence.

Orris doesn’t come come across as being very strong or powdery. It’s more of an earthy root variety, but softens up that dirty aroma of the start.

At first, the fragrance has a spicy dryness and dirtiness about it. But, that really shifts to my nose, to become warmer and fresher as things move forward.

In the end, this is a prominent vetiver with a rich and dry earth, resin, citrus, and woods. Pretty different from most of the mainstream.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does come out with a pretty strong level of performance during the first hour or so. That will settle into something moderate, but above average in terms of leaving a scent trail and just general projection.

It’s not going to completely blow out a room, but 4-6 feet of projection from the skin or clothing, seems about what Terrae Essence is capable of.

The longevity isn’t bad. Again, it’s above average, but not great. It stayed around for about seven hours, on my skin, with pretty decent projection for the vast majority of that duration.

Terrae Essence doesn’t just quit early. So, if this is a scent you like, it’s a decent enough deal.

Seasonally, this works just about anytime, in terms of climate. The extremes of heat and cold, I’d probably stay away from. However, a nice spring day or the early part of autumn is when I’d say this is at its best.

This isn’t a formal cologne. Not a nightlife or sexy romantic wear (for most folks at least). It does have that rougher dirty quality to it, that might not always be crowd pleasing.

Terrae Essence also isn’t frivolous or childish. So, as a daily wear, casual, or even semi-formal fragrance this could totally work…if it’s your style. It’s ability to work in a variety of climates, gives one some leeway in terms of what occasion you’d want to wear it.

Overall Impressions of Terrae Essence

Overall, do I like Terrae Essence? I like it more than I thought that I might, it’s just not a strong like for me.

I appreciate that Bvlgari went in a different direction with this fragrance, as creating an earthy based cologne, isn’t going to win over most people out there. That being said, Terrae is very wearable.

I like the freshness here. The terrae accord itself, does have that nice touch of smokiness and leather that pairs well with the dirtier aspects of it. The dry down itself is more of a traditional vetiver fragrance. Dry with citrus, but the resinous notes give this one some more personality.

Performance is good enough. Not spectacular, just will give you most of what you need on a daily basis.

Terrae Essence can be a solid pick for the right guy. Blind buying just might not be the way to figure that out, as there is a real risk of an individual not liking this at all. Terrae is probably one you’d want to test out, if you don’t want to risk spending money on.

At full retail, I think this is overpriced. At a discount, it certainly has its merits.

Eau So Sexy EDP by Victoria’s Secret

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Victoria’s Secret has a seemingly endless catalog of fragrances that it has put out over the years. Some get discontinued and never come back. Others routinely do get brought back for periods of time, again and again. Eau So Sexy is one of the latter perfumes. I recently grabbed a rollerball version of the EDP to give a full test. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Eau So Sexy EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: apple, bergamot, whipped cream, vanilla, fruits

Click here to try: Eau So Sexy EDP

eau so sexy review

My Full Review

The opening of Eau So Sexy is a candied apple mixed with bergamot citrus, and other sugary fruits. It’s not a complete Jolly Rancher’s style apple note, but more like a juicy/crisp green apple that’s been rolled a bit in sugar.

From the start, you can tell that this is going to be a very edible and delicious sort of fragrance. The bergamot gives it a bright sparkle.

While it is sugary, it isn’t heavy at all. In fact, this one does have a fresh and upbeat vibe, rather than being a cloying mess of scent.

The initial random assemblage of fruits will start to fade. There might be some pineapple in there? Strawberry? I’m not sure, aside from the citrus, but it fades and the whipped cream plus vanilla start to take shape in the base.

It’s pretty simple from here on out. The crisp candied green apple with whipped cream. The vanilla feels like an added flavoring to the whipped cream note. Not too prominent, but adds a nice touch.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one does start off with some moderate strength, enough to create a nice scent trail with decent projection from the skin.

But, it will mostly be a softer scent, creating a more intimate bubble. To me, it’s not a complete skin scent until it gets closer to the four hour mark. Before that, it’s decent.

The longevity here isn’t great. 4-5.5 hours before it disappears. This is really the weak spot of Eau So Sexy. Not something that’s going to last all day. Bottles are usually affordable, so reapplying isn’t too burdensome.

However, you do wish it could go for longer.

Seasonally, this is actually better in the moderate to warm weather of springtime. It can venture through summer and into early autumn as well. Again, not a thick or heavy sweetness here, so it’s not going to be a winter scent.

It’s sexy in a pretty and playful way. This isn’t a sultry or dark seduction. It’s youthful without being too girlish, but also isn’t a formal wear.

Casual, dates, daytime wear mostly.

Overall Impressions of Eau So Sexy

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I really do. It is a very attractive smell. I like the freshness of the apple mixed with the creamy sweetness of the rest of the perfume notes.

Apple and whipped cream together are really great. It’s not the most mature scent out there, but doesn’t come across as being solely for teenagers either. It’s much in the same vein as the Ariana Grande line of perfumes.

It really doesn’t get too involved. Eau So Sexy is a straightforward release from Victoria’s Secret. Though, I do enjoy its simplicity.

The performance is the biggest issue. 4-5 hours really isn’t great. Not the worst, but certainly not above average either. If you go into this knowing that you’re not getting a massive long-last scent, this is a perfume that smells wonderful.

Spell on You by Louis Vuitton

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Spell On You is one of the many perfume releases, that Louis Vuitton has brought to market over the past few years. This one came out in 2021 and the ad campaign features actress Lea Seydoux, as the face of the fragrance.

What does Spell on You Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, violet, iris, peach, jasmine, acacia 

spell on you review

My Full Review

Here’s how Louis Vuitton describes it: Imbued with sophistication and sensuality, Spell On You expresses this thrilling tension of attraction as a magnetic floral composition. Like a love potion for the senses, upon contact with the body the fragrance releases an enveloping, euphoric warmth.

So, this has a lot of overlap with Rose des Vents, while not being the same at all. In fact, I rather prefer Spell On You versus that Louis Vuitton perfume.

Which is sort of odd, as I’m not a huge violet fan and would think that’d I’d like the fruitiness found in that scent when compared to what is on offer here.

The rose note will eventually be the main focus of Spell. However, at first, it kind of splits duties with the other floral notes. Violet and iris give this a slight powdery quality. It’s strange, I’ll catch a whiff of that, then it disappears, and comes back.

The opening is green, violet, that bit of powder, juicy peach, and the rose. The whole thing comes together as a semi-aquatic floral and peach fest.

The violet seems to fade the most on my skin. The iris will have more of a role to play, but the rose takes the lead, without ever becoming too heavy in the mix.

The final dry down will be less powdery and more soapy with the florals and the emergence of the white musk note. The ending is more of a generic soapy floral than anything special. The opening and middle are the strong points here.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, with a normal amount of sprays you will get a nice projection and scent trail coming off of the skin.

I’d say at it’s peak it’ll project about 7 feet from the skin. Somewhere within that radius thereafter. The peak isn’t too long and it’ll be a more intimate scent bubble at less than half that amount for much of the wear.

On my skin, I get close to 7.5 hours of wear from Spell. Not a complete performer, but it at least clears the hurdle of what I would expect for a perfume at this price point.

Seasonally, this is best in the moderate to warmer temperatures of spring. Can also be a summer scent and even into the early part of autumn. The energy is really nice during the warm weather.

It is a versatile fragrance. It can fit in almost anywhere during the daytime. Not really nightlife scent, but wouldn’t be out of place either. It actually has a youthful sort of vibe, without being childish.

As a man, I find it to be more pretty than sexy. I wouldn’t mind smelling it on a woman, but I don’t think that it would ever ‘cast a spell on me’. It’s more of a clean, enjoyable floral fragrance, and that’s it.

Overall Impressions of Spell On You

Overall, do I like Spell On You? I do. I don’t think that it is an amazing or groundbreaking must have sort of perfume. It is light and enjoyable, though.

The rose, iris, and sweetish peach mix is attractive for the entirety of the wear. While it doesn’t develop all that much, I don’t really think that it has to, since it smells good enough for what it is.

Spell does become muskier in the dry down.

The performance is pretty good. Not amazing. It doesn’t have a huge sillage, which really doesn’t need. Stays on the skin for over seven hours. Good, but for $300? Kind of a wash.

I don’t think that this is one that you need to rush out and buy a full bottle of. For some, it would rank among the top of the Louis Vuitton offerings. For others, they’d be massively disappointed.

I lean more towards the former camp. In my top 10, from LV (women’s), possibly a bit higher 7-8th maybe…I still need more time with it to decide. I like it more than Rose des Vents, this is worth sampling if you can.

If you’re not a huge rose or iris fan, I sincerely doubt this would change your mind.

H24 by Hermes

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Hermes is a brand that doesn’t seem to follow the trends, with its fragrance offerings for men. H24 is another example, released in 2021, which received mixed reviews from folks. I got my sample and have tested this Hermes cologne out, to see how it really performed. How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does H24 by Hermes Smell Like?

Notes includes: sage, narcissus, rosewood, sclarene

Click here to try: H24 by Hermes

h24 review

My Full Review

How does Hermes (best colognes) describe it: H24 is the first perfume expressing the contemporary man as seen by Hermès. A lively, sensual and bright perfume, stemming from the daring blend between nature and technology.

H24 isn’t all that complicated of a fragrance. However, I do think that it is an interesting one and takes things in a much different direction, than most other designer men’s colognes out today.

Upon first spraying, you get a sage bomb. The sage will be the strongest note in the mix here, which is pretty unusual for an ingredient which usually serves as a background player.

Also, noticeable with be the warmth of the metallic-like sclarene note. If I had to explain it, I’d say that it is sort of resinous, but not too thick. Warm. Almost like the carbon note found in Luna Rossa Carbon.

Underneath those two notes, sits the narcissus. Lending a nice floral aroma to the H24 blend. There does seem to be a light sweetness here also, from something fruity. Checking the chemical ingredients, I think it’s a bit of lemon blending with the flower.

Although, there’s something else there too. I just can’t quite pick it out.

After a while, the narcissus seems to back away. Rosewood occupies the base, along with some dry woodsiness. Again, an unlisted oakmoss note. Not too strong, but it even says it’s there on my sample card’s chemical breakdown.

So, fresh sage. Metallic warmth. Woods. Simple, right? Yes, but it really works for me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is moderate, but not at all weak on my skin. In fact, it provides a pretty substantial scent bubble early on, and sticks around fairly well.

The projection isn’t huge. However, 5-7 feet is about what I’ve experienced, and where I pick it up after spraying H24 on some clothing. Not a massive fragrance, but solid.

The fragrance stays on my skin for 6-7.5 hours. I had heard people say that this scent doesn’t last long. I don’t find that to be true. It worked well enough for me. Not an all day, marathon performance, just something I have no real complaints about.

Seasonally, this is beautiful in the warmth of the summer. Spring would also obviously be a good candidate for wearing H24. I wore this outside and then went inside to air conditioned stores, H24 adapted well and smelled great in the temperature changes.

This is a daytime wear. It’s attractive and pleasant. Not a nightlife banger or one for romantic evening occasions.

H24 is office and school safe. Not too casual or buttoned up and formal. It has a fairly wide use case during this spring and summer season.

Overall Impressions of H24

Overall, do I like H24? I do.

At first, I wasn’t too sure about it. Then, I tried this Hermes fragrance again and liked smelling it throughout the day. It’s not a complete love for me, just a pretty strong like.

I do like sage, so, that helps. But, this simple scent also gives you a unique blend of floral, metallic, sweetish, and woodsy underneath the herbal freshness. It’s modern and sleek. Very clean and inoffensive.

The performance is good, though not great. With around 7 hours of wear, H24 is good enough for most occasions.

This is worth a try. I wouldn’t mind having a bottle of it, but I’m not rushing out to purchase H24 either. If it’s on discount, it’s one that could get a lot of use in one’s collection.

Ombre Leather Parfum by Tom Ford

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Ombre Leather Eau de Parfum is one of my favorite entries from the Tom Ford line. When the brand released a 2021 Parfum version, I was really intrigued at giving it a try. Well, I’ve been testing it out and am now ready to post my review to the site. How does it smell? Is it as good?

What does Ombre Leather Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, violet leaf, jasmine, orris, cedar, tobacco

Click here to try: Ombre Leather Parfum

My Full Review

Here’s how Tom Ford describes it: OMBRÉ LEATHER PARFUM INTENSIFIES THE ORIGINAL SCENT, FUSING HEATED LEATHER FLORALS WITH WOODS–CAPTURING THE UNBRIDLED SENSUALITY OF THE AMERICAN WEST.

Well, I don’t think there’s anything any more intense about Parfum versus the EDP. Actually, that one starts and finishes with a heavier boldness.

Parfum isn’t as warm and doesn’t have that cardamom spice up top. Instead, we get a lighter and cooler aroma at first versus EDP.

The violet leaf note really sets the tone. Watery to an extent, with its greenish floral aroma, giving the leather a cleaner feeling than the somewhat earthy example of the EDP.

Cedar, jasmine, and the orris note also come into the picture. The jasmine note won’t be as prominent as in the original, but it still does a lot next to the more dominant violet leaf.

Yes, the orris note is present. It gives Parfum whiffs of a light powdery smell, but really not too heavy.

This is fresher and never has that same dryness. Cedar bolsters the base and a general woodiness just sits underneath the leather and violet leaf.

Tobacco is a newer addition to this. Again, another light note that adds some sweetness and an overall smoother experience.

In the end, it does become dominated by the leather. If EDP was an older, beat up type of leather, this is a brand new jacket.

Leather, the violet leaf/jasmine combo, and woods. That’s the dry down, on me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

With the longevity here, I still get the same 9-11 hours total on skin, like the EDP. But, whereas that gives me 6-8 hours of strong wear before become a skin scent. Parfum will go 5-6 and then be much softer.

The performance is by no means bad, but on my skin it is actually a slight step back from the original.

Seasonally, Ombre Leather Parfum is still mostly in the autumn and winter camp. Though, it has much more of an ability to be a late springtime wear versus the original. It’s lighter style is beneficial in that environment, holding up better in the heat.

Also, while both are unisex fragrances. Parfum is much more universal in its wear-ability. The original can be earthier and more animalic. With the violet leaf here, plus the lack of intensity from the cardamom and patchouli notes of the original.

This is an attractive scent. Good for nightlife. But, just know that not everyone appreciates the smell of leather, so it isn’t going to be universally beloved.

Overall Impressions of Ombre Leather Parfum

Overall, do I like Ombre Leather Parfum? I do. It shares plenty of overlap with the original, but takes things in a bit of a different direction.

I was worried about the leather and violet leaf before trying this. It could’ve veered more into the Fahrenheit by Dior direction, which isn’t a bad scent, but not one of my favorites.

This is a cleaner representation of the leather, actually can be a bit suede like. There is some tobacco and orris which gives it a smoother finish. Not all that powdery, but there is just a hint at times.

The jasmine that I loved in the EDP is also still here. Now, it splits weight with the violet leaf, which is just isn’t as good as the original.

Ombre Leather Parfum is a lighter version of this fragrance and probably will have a greater appeal in that regard.

Personally, I don’t like the smell of this one as much as the EDP. It’s still up there, just a notch below the eau de parfum.

Performance is also very good. So, which Ombre Leather you should go with is going to boil down to your personal taste, and not anything glaringly wrong with either. Softer, semi-aquatic suede? Or heavier earthier leather?