Seven Intense by James Bond 007

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I’ve reviewed most of the James Bond 007 line of men’s colognes up to this point, but found a sample vial of another one in a box, that I had lying around. So, today’s review entry will be of that one, entitled: Seven Intense. This is the flanker fragrance to the original Seven for Men. What’s inside? How does it actually smell? Does it perform well? Is it actually worth a purchase?

What does Seven Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: oud, leather, vanilla, cinnamon, amber, nutmeg, saffron, caramel, and more

Click here to try: 007 Fragrances Seven Intense Colognes, 1.6 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Seven Intense gives me a blend of cinnamon and leather. It’s got a smooth, warm, and masculine spice that is actually quite well done.

I didn’t know what to expect coming into this one, but I was pleasantly surprised by the start. After about 5 minutes, I start to detect the oud note and a bit of amber, but not all that much.

There is some general sweetness in this mix, but nothing that is distinct early on. Supposedly, there is notes of orange, apple, and bergamot up top. However, I don’t really get any of that. Cinnamon and leather with some sweet touches.

I want to talk about a dry down period with Seven Intense, it’s just that, there really isn’t one. If I really press my nose to my skin I can get a faint vanilla and possibly caramel sweetness, but it is so damn faint. This 007 cologne, like so many of the others, is really weak.

It’s called Seven Intense, you’d figure that they’d actually try to add some intensity, but alas. I’d like to add more detail to how it smells, but that’s about its entire lifespan.

Based on the notes, I would expect something with a lot more depth and nuance. It’s not there, though. I do like that opening.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

As I mentioned, the projection is extremely lacking. If you apply a lot of the fragrance, you’ll get a few minutes before it becomes a skin scent…the sillage/projection sucks.

The longevity here isn’t exactly great, either. You might be able to smell it for 3 hours or thereabouts and that’s it. Most of that time will be that vague vanilla and caramel, that I wrote about.

I think it’s a shame that the performance is so bad with this cologne because I actually think that Seven Intense smells really nice. Had they put forth the effort to give this scent some punch, it would be on the list as a great inexpensive fragrance.

The warmth, the leather/oud combo, the cinnamon spice, and the sweet undertones…I like it all. This is a scent that should be right up my alley, as it’s ingredients fit the profile of just about everything I really enjoy.

When it could be worn? Cold weather. Casually, semi-formal. It’d be a great little starter cologne for younger men. If it could be a better put together fragrance.

Overall Impressions of Seven Intense

Overall, do I recommend Seven Intense? Obviously not. It’s probably one of the best smelling colognes from the 007 line of fragrances, it just has terrible performance. I wish companies would stop labeling weak sauce scents as ‘intense’.

It’s like they just need a word to separate it from the original, whether or not it fits the bill as intense, is irrelevant. That’s my biggest complaint with these James Bond colognes, they all usually smell good to very good, they just cheap out on making them last.

They are usually inexpensive, but not super cheap. I also see bottles going for over $40, which is pretty ridiculous for something that should be under $10 with what you actually get.

The 007 line has plenty of colognes with potential, but rarely hit their mark.

Brit Rhythm for Men by Burberry

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I am a fan of Burberry fragrances for everyday wear, especially for the younger crowd, as this design firm makes affordable choices which smell very good and perform well for many different occasions. Today, I want to focus on Burberry Brit Rhythm for Men.

This is another addition to the great run of scents produced by Burberry, albeit one that might not enjoy very much esteem from niche fragrance collectors. In this post, I want to take a bit of a close look at Burberry Brit Rhythm and review its pros and cons.

Also check out: Best Smelling Burberry Fragrances for Men

What does Brit Rhythm for Men Smell Like?

burberry rhythm

Notes include: basil, verbena, cardamom, juniper berries, leather, tonka bean, incense

Click here to try: BURBERRY Brit Rhythm Men Eau De Toilette

My Full Wear Review

Brit Rhythm is a nice change of pace from many colognes that are geared more towards younger men. A lot of those types of scents are extremely sweet or fruity, which isn’t bad, but isn’t always what we want as guys to smell like.

This isn’t to say that Burberry Brit Rhythm is wholly unique, but it does deliver a beautiful scent best suited for autumn and the early spring months.

While I’m on the topic of its uniqueness, it does have similar qualities to fragrances such as Chanel Allure Homme Sport, Gucci Guilty, and Armani Code.

Again, those are all great scents but Rhythm is available for a much cheaper price in most cases. This is a cologne which screams value. Plus, it doesn’t completely mimic any one of them. Just shared characteristics.

It opens for me with the lead leather note, juniper berries, tonka, and verbena. It starts out sweet, but again, it never comes across as that sweet to my nose. The scent itself is masculine, with its leathery notes, but has an underlying energy which makes it both intriguing and attractive.

Its aroma is fresh with a touch of sweetness, though, rooted in a cedar woodsy base with patchouli thrown in. An energetic outdoorsy smell, thanks to a cedar note.

The dry down, is where it really transforms from that opening of tonka and juniper to more of a leather and patchouli blend with some tonka and herbal undertones. It’s all very fresh and quite wearable.

It has a drier aroma, coming from the base, but it maintains some level of creaminess or sweetness to it thanks to that tonka note. Which, at times has a powdered scent as well. But, that isn’t too prominent to my nose.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Rhythm projects itself well and doesn’t overwhelm your own senses or that of those around you. Not a bomb, but solid, and won’t go unnoticed. It’s above average, so no real complaints. It isn’t one to leave a huge scent trail behind, unless you went wild with the sprays.

It lasts fairly well also, I’d say 6-8 hours, which isn’t outstanding but works just fine for most guy’s purposes. With an inexpensive bottle, you’ll get your money’s worth.

It really depends on the day and the climate, as to what I get from Rhythm. Either way, those last few hours aren’t going to be strong.

It isn’t too heavy of a fragrance. So, you will be able to get use out of it beyond just late autumn and into winter. I wouldn’t be using it in the heat. Though, it the more moderate temperatures of spring, Rhythm works just fine.

This fragrance is also a versatile one which can be worn out, at work, school, or anywhere really which boosts it higher in my book.

Brit Rhythm is pleasant and attractive in a non-descript way. People really won’t know what it is, but it is a simple grab, that can get complements.

It doesn’t stray too immature or too serious. As far as age range goes, it casts a pretty wide net.

Overall Impressions of Brit Rhythm

If you are looking for an inexpensive scent that is fresh, masculine, and great for everyday wear then I would say Burberry Brit Rhythm is definitely a solid option.

Younger guys on a budget, could do a lot worse than this cologne, but this really is a good performer at this pricing point.

Though, I admittedly enjoy the original Brit more. If you’re a guy who wants something really unique or a bit more advanced, there is plenty else out there. However, this Burberry flanker is nothing to scoff at, and actually pretty darn good.

The leather, tonka, and woodiness are great together and give you plenty to enjoy. It’s not a cologne that screams for attention, but does a whole lot well. No major weaknesses, but not spectacular either.

Angel Muse EDP by Thierry Mugler

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Moving right along through these ladies perfume reviews, I have one today for another Thierry Mugler perfume: Angel Muse. Obviously, this is a flanker to the original Angel that was released back in the early 1990s, and has been a best seller ever since. Is this one worth it? How does it smell? Does it actually perform well?

What does Angel Muse Smell Like?

Notes include: patchouli, vetiver, hazelnut cream, pink pepper, wood

Click here to try: Thierry Mugler Angel Muse Eau de Parfum spray, 1.0 oz

My Full Muse Review

Angel Muse is a very interesting scent for me, as patchouli usually represents a wildcard for my nose, as to whether or not I’ll enjoy a fragrance. The opening is a blast of patchouli with sugary sweetness of the hazelnut cream and a fruit note in there as well.

Grapefruit is the citrus fruit note and has that sparkling sharp brightness to it. Mixed with the patchouli and pink pepper note up top, this one can start out pretty earthy, with a level of dirtiness to it. The opening isn’t all that fantastic, but this gets way better to my nose.

It reminds me of  I Love NY for Holidays by Bond No. 9, as it has that same sweet baked goods feeling mixed with patchouli. Of course, it also shares so much DNA with the original Angel, too.

However, I will say that Angel Muse does it better and ultimately differentiates itself from the Bond No. 9 fragrance. I think the inclusion of the vetiver note was a great choice, as it adds an earthy/woodsy aroma, for depth.

Angel Muse is so smooth while maintaining that unique earthy smell and it’s quite fantastic.

During the dry down, I get more of the vetiver and hazelnut. There is of course a creamy quality to the fragrance from the hazelnut cream, but I also think there might be some tonka bean in there. I

t’s warm and enveloping with a bit of spice from pink pepper and the dominant patchouli.

The dry down is really where it’s at with Angel Muse. Once the grapefruit has faded away, the whole composition fits together better. The hazelnut cream note, is the absolute highlight of the fragrance for me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Angel Muse never strikes me as too loud or heavy, and I’d call the sillage moderate. Maybe, upper end of that rang. You won’t have to spray a lot and you won’t choke out the room. Mugler did a great job of balancing both the notes and the performance.

The projection itself will at least be a few feet from the skin for a vast majority of the wear before it finally tapers off.

Longevity is also awesome, it will last all day no problem. I’d say at its max, it hung around for 10 hours. Usually, falling into that 8-10 hour range, closer to the lower numbers most of the time. Yet, it still delivers plenty.

Climate wise, this one is for the autumn/winter, and probably won’t be great in the high heat of summer. One could wear Angel Muse casually, romantically, or even out in a night club scenario. It’s a very versatile fragrance.

Though, it’s not really a formal kind of wear. But, with some lighter application, it would be just fine at work or something along those lines.

Muse is warm, inviting, and has a certain sexiness to it. It is kept from being too sweet and overwhelming by the vetiver and patchouli, which makes this much more appealing and mature.

Overall Impressions of Angel Muse

Overall, would I recommend Angel Muse by Thierry Mugler? Yes. I like it a whole lot. I actually just now figured out what I like about the dry down and that hazelnut/cocoa aroma. It’s because of its resemblance to the opening of Dior Homme Intense, due to the shared vetiver note.

Angel Muse is much more feminine and sweeter, but there is a similarity there and I dig it. Ultimately, Angel Muse is dry and warm and sweet and great.

Some may not care for the opening act (I don’t really either). Also, patchouli and vetiver can be a turn off for other folks. That woody/earthiness works well, in my view. Others, may find it to be too much.

The good news is, that this perfume gets better as the wear moves along. It’s got solid strength and staying power.

The creaminess is fantastic and this one gives you a crowd pleasing yet pretty unique experience. This is one of the better Angel perfumes and an awesome gourmand.

Update: This one has been discontinued.

Uomo Acqua EDT by Valentino

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With my last batch of samples, I picked up a couple more flanker fragrances, from the Valentino line. Today, I am going to be getting into Uomo Acqua, and sharing my experience testing this scent out. How does it smell? What’s the sillage like? Does it last a long time? Is it worth a buy?

What Does Uomo Acqua Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, citron, iris, leather, green tomato, sage, patchouli

Click here to try: Valentino Uomo Acqua By Valentino for Men – 4.2 Oz Edt Spray, 4.2 Oz

valentino acqua review

My Full Wear Review

Before we get into my personal review, let’s see what Valentino has to say about this fragrance: A fresh and elegant fragrance with a clash of scents that is so very Valentino. The top notes reveal the aromatic freshness of an Italian garden with a citrus hint of mandarin and citron. The invigorating hook is soon offset by the dark and velvety depth of iridescent leather. The perfect harmony of freshness and intensity, embodying the subtle balance of Italian elegance.

Immediately upon spraying, I was in love with this fragrance. Uomo, had one of my favorite opening acts ever, and now Uomo Acqua takes a similar path. While this is of course, going to share some common traits with the rest of the Valentino Uomo line, Acqua takes its own path. It’s an awesome one.

The top notes of mandarin and citron are great, but the key here is the tomato leaf note. It’s not used in that many mainstream fragrances, but it is actually a gem of an ingredient.

I remember the tomato leaf aroma from Adidas Moves, which I used to wear back in high school, but it is way better in Acqua.

The tomato leaf and citrus notes are joined by the iris note, which presents itself a bit differently than in the other Uomo fragrances. It is super fresh, citrus, green, and like how they described as a garden.

There is also a bit of sage, in the beginning, which only adds to the freshness and give Uomo Acqua a hint of herbal spice. That note, is however, fairly short lived.

As it moves along, the scent becomes more about the iris, leather, and tomato. It’s smoother, with less of the overt citrus coming through, it’s more of a hint from this point forward. The dry down stays pretty linear, as this isn’t a complex cologne at all, but there is some patchouli in here.

Acqua isn’t an aquatic fragrance in the usual sense, so, don’t go into trying this expecting it to be. The name is isn’t ideal, but think of it as a warm weather flanker of the Uomo lineup. The juiciness/watery feeling of the tomato and citrus is probably as close to being aquatic as you’ll get.

Sillage and Longevity

Projection wise, the sillage on Uomo Acqua, is really solid for the first 30 minutes. Then, is hangs quite close to the skin. Admittedly, I was bummed out that I didn’t get a huge sillage from this stuff, as I love it. But other people have been noticing it, so, it can’t be that ‘weak’.

The longevity is better than you’d think, even with the light sillage. I wore this out on a Saturday night, to bars with indoor/outdoor spaces, and with both high heat and humidity.

I could still smell it on my skin, when I got home really late. It must have been 6-7 hours. Sure, it wasn’t strong, but it was still clearly detectable.

Other times, just wearing it around the house, I might squeeze an extra hour of wear from this Valentino. Not amazing, but it’s pretty good.

When Should it Be Worn?

This is built for the warmer weather. Spring/summer, this is probably going to be a go to, for me. With the floral aspects of this fragrance, the springtime seems to be the absolute ideal use case with Acqua.

You can wear it for any occasion, from formal to casual. It’s light enough to fit in and not really cause any problems by being overwhelming or having any offensive notes to it.

People really seem to like it, especially early on, when the citrus is popping. Uomo Acqua is one that will draw complements. It’s super fresh and quite sexy.

Overall Impressions

This one has become one of my favorite scents, over the past week or so. The opening, is absolutely amazing, to my nose. I cannot get enough of it. I plan on buying a full bottle, in the near future.

That being said, I do wish it was stronger. I wish Valentino would make an intense version, but not make too many changes to the formula, and have it smell like this.

This is a great option for the warmer months, when you don’t want something that is oceanic or beachy. It retains some of what is great about Uomo, but, changes enough to fit the spring/summer months The tomato leaf, citrus, iris, and leather are just about perfect.

Is it a buy? For me, it is. Bottles are inexpensive enough, to where double or triple spraying won’t break the bank. You’ll have to put on more, as the power, isn’t ideal. Though, the smell, absolutely is. I think that this is now my favorite Uomo cologne.

Champaca Absolute by Tom Ford

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I’m getting towards finishing up my Tom Ford fragrance reviews, in this latest batch of samples. Today, I have a bit of an older release from 2009, but one that is still in production. That being, Champaca Absolute. What does it smell like? How does it perform? Is it worth a try?

What does Champaca Absolute Smell Like?

Notes include: champaca, amber, sandalwood, cognac, vanilla bean, tokaji wine, orchid, jasmine

Click here to try: Tom Ford Champaca Absolute Edp Eau De Parfum Spray Private Blend 1.7 Fl / 50 Ml

My Full Wear Review

Here’s how Tom Ford describes it: CHAMPACA ABSOLUTE PERFUME SHIMMERS IN THE DARK, A PROVOCATIVE AND VORACIOUS FLORAL BEAUTY THAT BECOMES ELUSIVE, JUST AS YOU THINK YOU’VE CAPTURED IT.

Right off the bat, I’ve never actually smelled champaca before this. Never even knew what it was, before getting a sample of this Tom Ford perfume. So, I really didn’t know what to expect from it. 

It opens up with the boozy notes, of cognac and the tokaji wine. I also had to figure out what tokaji wine was, before sampling this perfume, and it seems to be a wine grown in a region of Hungary.

Nonetheless, I don’t think it’s ever that strong, or just gets overshadowed by the cognac…which I do know the smell of quite well.

Along with the cognac, is a hint of citrus, some sweet vanilla, and the emergence of floral notes. Luckily, my nose can pretty readily pick up on jasmine and orchid, to distinguish those aromas from other scents. Here, it has helped me to single out what I deduce is the champaca. 

The composition comes across as warm and somewhat dark, at first, while the booze settles in. Then, it becomes a lovely yellowish floral perfume, with vanilla, and soaked in a sea of amber. The cognac hangs around, but it is never as potent, as it once was.

The good news is that, there is some nuttiness that peaks through more once the cognac has started to fade out. It’s noticeable at times after the opening, but that richness sits in the amber aroma quite nicely.

To my nose, the dry down really develops a creaminess, which I find very appealing. That’s going to happen with these floral notes, when blended with vanilla, and sandalwood. Here though, it is impeccable.

Finally, the two main notes left are the champaca and sandalwood. Champaca Absolute has a drier feeling, at this point, woody yet sweet. Calming and lovely.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

The sillage here isn’t super strong, it has a certain airiness, but hangs around. Champaca Absolute is a perfume which will sneak up on you, with it’s power. It’s not a bomb or anything, but you won’t think that it’s projecting as much as it actually is.

I put some of my tester on a shirt and was catching some whiffs of the perfume, as I walked by a few days later. I had forgotten that I’d even done so.

The longevity for me, was in the 8-9 hour range. That’s on skin. Not elite, but it’ll certainly serve almost everyone’s purpose. What is great about the performance, is that the sillage didn’t completely degrade, and stayed solid even when diminished hours into the wear.

 

Seasonally, I don’t think that this would have a problem in any climate, really. Champaca is probably much better in the cold, but can make a nice transition when things warm up.

Maybe avoid it in the summer, during the daytime. Autumn through spring is when this one would really be at its peak.

It is listed as unisex. It is, but leans more feminine. Not every guy, will want to wear something like this, but it’s not all that girly either. Mostly going to be one that women would want to wear around.

This has a certain level of sexiness to it. Sultry and a bit seductive, while still being pretty and charming. Probably best for casual or other events, rather than the office. You might not want to have a somewhat boozy fragrance on, at work. 

Overall Impression of Champaca Absolute

Do I like this perfume? I do. It does everything well and has a unique style. This is a great option for floral lovers, who want something different.

While it is different, it isn’t so completely out there as to be unwearable. Champaca Absolute actually smells good, delivers great performance, and changes up the pace.

As a man, it’s not something that I’m going to wear personally, beyond testing it out. However, it is one that I would enjoy smelling on a woman, and is a nice release from Tom Ford. 

The cognac, nuttiness, and sweet fruit aspects of this fragrance are highlights for me. The white floral transition is cool too, but those other notes help this one to not just be another boring floral scent.