K EDT vs. EDP by Dolce & Gabbana

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Dolce & Gabbana have released two fragrances under the K banner over the past two years. They have gained some popularity, despite getting mixed reviews from the fragrance community as a whole. But for those who are into this sort of cologne, you are still faced with choosing between the original K eau de toilette and the newer eau de parfum. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: K EDP vs EDT

K EDP

Notes include: pimento, fig, juniper, blood orange, lemon, cardamom, lavender, sage, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana K for Men Eau de Parfum Spray, 5 Ounce/150ml

Read my Review: K Eau de Parfum

K EDT

Notes include: juniper, blood orange, citrus, sage, pimento, cedar, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Dolce and Gabbana K Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3 Fl Oz for Men

Read my review: K EDT

Opening

K Eau de Parfum really opens up with the pimento note going full blast. It is partnered with cardamom and a nice fig note. It is spicy, warm, and earthy with the patchouli coming up from the base. The citrus notes aren’t too prevalent, I get a bit of blood orange, but not much beyond that.

The original K is pretty darn similar to the EDP version. However, the citrus here is stronger and it feels less spicy/warm and more fresh. The juniper note pairs with the citrus notes to give it somewhat of a gin effect, the pimento is still there, but no fig.

Which opening is better? It’s a close call for me, because I enjoy different aspects of each, and they still overlap with one another. The fig note in EDP is great. The fresh/greenish start to the EDT is also very nice…and I think I prefer it slightly.

Edge: EDT

Projection

Neither of these fragrances are monsters on my skin. They each project well, I’d say above average, and you will notice them with only a few sprays. Nice ability to project with each, just doesn’t take over a room.

Between the two, the eau de parfum seems to be a bit more powerful. Though, it isn’t by very much.

Edge: EDP

Longevity

Testing out K EDT, it lasted for about 7 hours on my skin. It’s solid, just not amazing. It doesn’t seem to want to go beyond that for me.

K EDP can range from that same 7 hours, all the way to about 8.5. It does have a slight boost here, but it isn’t a marathon runner, but it’s enough for the edge.

Edge: EDP

Versatility

To me, both of these fragrances are best for casual wear to semi-formal. You can wear them during the day or venture out at night.

The only real difference to me, is that the EDT version is a bit better in the heat. Both are great in spring or summer, but the EDT is better in the daytime of summer. While, I’d save the EDP for nights only when it gets really hot.

Edge: EDT (slightly)

Overall Scent

I must admit, that I’m not loving either of these fragrances, but I do enjoy them each somewhat. I don’t know why they have gotten such seemingly bad reviews from people.

K EDT has a very enjoyable opening act. It’s fresh, clean, and the blood orange note is really given time to shine, unlike in the EDP. Plus, that juniper note is almost always a nice addition to the fragrance. The lavender, pimento, and geranium all further develop that freshness.

However, the dry down isn’t as enjoyable to me. I’m not even sure what it is exactly, but it’s just not nearly as good as the start.

I think K EDP smells betters in its totality, even with a weaker start. Some might not like the woodiness and spice that is stronger here versus the EDT, but I think Dolce & Gabbana did a nice job developing a rather unique men’s fragrance.

It’s not a huge margin, but I’d go with the EDP. If you want a fresher and more citrus laden version, go with the EDT.

Winner: K EDP

YSL Libre vs. Mon Paris Comparison

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YSL has released a ton of perfumes over the past decade, in addition to the classics they’re still selling. Mon Paris and Libre are two of their newer lines, that they seem to be in the process of creating even more flanker perfumes for. Between the originals, though, which smells better? Which fragrance is the one to check out? In this post, I will break down my thoughts and compare these scents.

Tale of the Tape: Mon Paris vs. YSL Libre

Libre EDP

Notes include: lavender, white musks, orange flower, vanilla, orchid

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau De Parfum Spray for Women 90ml/3oz, clear

Read my review: Libre EDP

Mon Paris EDP

Notes include: peony, white musk, patchouli, and datura accord

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Eau de Parfum Spray, 3 Fluid Ounce

My Original Review: Mon Paris 

Opening

Mon Paris opens up with berries, pear, and other citrus notes. It’s a floral perfume, but much of the wear is actually pretty fruity in its presentation. Underneath that, are the floral notes of datura flower and peony. As things progress, they will take over more of the composition.

Libre also opens with a bit of citrus. However, it is much more floral from the start. Orange blossom and lavender are the main highlights at the start. The lavender is going to end up being the main focus of this fragrance, though.

Which is better? I think the fruity notes in Mon Paris are more enjoyable than the lavender and orange blossom, that I get with Libre. Libre feels soapier and musky versus the berries and nice datura note, that comes with Mon Paris.

Edge: Mon Paris

Projection

Both of these fragrances have above average sillage. Mon Paris is more in the moderate camp, but towards the upper end of the spectrum. While, Libre is definitely what you could term as strong. Not a monster, but it projects itself a bit better than Mon Paris.

Edge: Libre

Longevity

On my skin, Mon Paris goes 7-8 hours. Libre, again has the greater strength, at just over 9 hours of full wear. Plus, Libre keeps its power up for a longer period of time.

Edge: Libre

Versatility

Neither of these fragrances are going to be best for the hottest days of the year. Though, I think that Mon Paris holds up a bit better there.

Also, neither is very formal. Both are best for daily wear or casual wear and are quite versatile within that setting. I’d also say, both of these will probably skew toward a younger crowd. I don’t see much distinction in this category.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I don’t absolutely love either one of these scents. In my mind, they’re both pretty good and have nice performance, but never reach anything all that special.

Libre is an interesting fragrance. It’s a bold lavender fragrance, that dries down into a creamier scent, with its vanilla note. Not super complicated and has an emphasis on the floral notes, including that opening orange blossom.

Mon Paris is fruity, floral, and musky. The opening is pretty, but also a pretty standard fruit-chouli type of fragrance with its prevalent patchouli note. However, it does have a nice datura which separates it somewhat.

Between, them I like the sweetness of Mon Paris just a tad better. Libre is more unique and has better performance. But, it’s nothing mind blowing. Out of these YSL perfumes? I’d give a slight win to Mon Paris.

Winner: Mon Paris

Mon Paris Intensement by YSL

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Mon Paris Intensement is a flanker fragrance of the original and fairly popular, Mon Paris from Saint Laurent. It was released in 2020 and I recently bought a sample of this fragrance to give it a whirl and see if it’s actually a worthwhile scent. How does it smell? Does it last long? Please continue below for my full take on this YSL perfume.

What does Mon Paris Intensement Smell Like?

Notes include: datura, Centifolia Rose, cashmeran wood, black currant, white musk

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Intensement Women EDP Spray Floral 3 Ounce

My Full Review

A woody floral chypre, a bouquet of flowers as grand as the Eiffel Tower. The hypnotic accord of Datura flower is heightened by the elegance of Centifolia Rose absolute and the sensuality of Cashmeran wood. The scent of mad love, to be lived intensely.

The opening of Intensement is similar to the original Mon Paris. Black currant (other berry notes, also) is stronger here and the datura accord is toned down, but it’s pretty similar overall.

Another main difference, is that the rose note here is much more prominent throughout the entire wear. That comes through early on with the patchouli, creating an early fruit-chouli type of fragrance.

That will fade, however, and the rose and peony really take over the composition. The patchouli pretty consistent during the entirety of the wear. But, those berry notes start to fall by the wayside and fall pretty far from prominence.

The result is a rose, peony, and datura blend with a sweetness covering it. From there add some cashmeran wood and muskiness from the base and you’ve pretty much have experienced the entire scent.

The final dry down is more of a musky rose blend, for maybe the last hour or two that it lasts on my skin.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Mon Paris Intensement is a strong perfume, though, not completely overwhelming. It is safely above average and can project itself well with only a few sprays. The sillage is solid overall and it doesn’t just cut out early to become a skin scent.

It can last for up to 10 hours, on the skin. But, I mostly got 8-9 hours of solid wear out of it. So, that’s more along the lines of what to expect on a daily basis, with some additional time on occasion.

The performance is one of the strengths of this YSL perfume and you get a good deal based on what you’re paying for it.

Seasonally, it can it in a wide range of climates, excepting the extreme heat of summer. It’s not completely terrible when it’s hot, but the fragrance definitely isn’t at its best. Ideally, slightly cool to moderate temperatures is when Mon Paris Intensement shines.

Mon Paris Intensement can be worn in a variety of situations, but I wouldn’t call it a formal sort of scent. It feels like it skews toward the younger crowd and is best served as a casual scent, either during the day or night.

Overall Impressions of Mon Paris Intensement

Do I like this perfume? I actually do enjoy it. It’s still not a love for me, but I think that it is better than the original, on balance. From the smell to the performance, Intensement just gives you a bit more than the original (which was pretty decent).

I really do like the early sweet stages of this scent. The rose, the black currant, and the patchouli are a familiar but enjoyable pairing. The main knock that I’d give to Mon Paris Intensement is that it isn’t very original.

I mean, not only is it a flanker to the original, but it has a decent amount of overlap with a ton of other scents, like Armani Si…but doesn’t smell as good.

It’s a nice scent, nothing spectacular, and not one of the top perfumes from YSL. Nevertheless, if you can good a nice price for it, this can totally find a way in your rotation. It does everything well and does provide a good deal of value.

Hugo Element by Hugo Boss

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I recently got a hold of a sample of Hugo Element cologne by Hugo Boss. I’ve already done plenty of Hugo Boss reviews on this site and I’ve been wearing Hugo Red seemingly a lot over the summer, so I was looking forward to getting to try out another scent from this house’s line.

In this post, I want to explore how this fragrance smells, how it performs, when it could be worn, and whether or not it is worth a buy.

What does Hugo Element Smell Like?

hugo element

Notes include: ginger, coriander, cedar, courmarin, calone

Click here to try: Hugo Boss Cologne for Men, Element, 3.0 Fluid Ounce

My Full Review

Note: I’m updating this page after 6 years to meet the new formatting of the website. Boss Element has been discontinued for a long while at the point.

The opening of Hugo Element is kind of an aquatic blast of ginger for the first 5 minutes before transitioning into a citrus laced fragrance. I have to say, the citrus notes in this are fantastic, they are really fresh and juicy.

Element is quite crisp and aquatic, which I found to be very attractive, and I was beginning to enjoy this cologne a whole lot. The calone note isn’t too heavy here, just adding a light impression of being aquatic.

That said, it is a very linear experience, after 10 minutes you know exactly what you’re getting. There isn’t any real complexity, just clean/aquatic/citrus with ginger undertones.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Element isn’t great. It is on the softer side of moderate and doesn’t seem to want to make its presence all that known.

Longevity is also another issue. It quickly becomes a skin scent and only lasts around 4 hours, which is disappointing. I know not to expect too much from this sort of light, watery, and warm weather fragrance…but something more would’ve been fantastic.

I feel like this could’ve been a really nice spring/summer casual wear, had it been designed with better performance. It would be safe to wear to work, but it’s not a formal sort of fragrance at all. Though, outdoors or out around town during the day and it’d be cool.

Overall Impressions of Hugo Element

Overall, is Hugo Element a buy? I can’t say yes. I actually like the fragrance itself, it works, and has great citrus notes. With a little added intensity, this would’ve been a nice scent to wear around during the summer.

The citrus is really nice, I love ginger, and it is a refreshing wear. It had some positive aspects in place, it just needed a way to bring it all together better.

I’m sure you could double the application and get a longer lasting use out of it; but why bother with better performing scents out there.

Coco Mademoiselle EDP vs. EDT

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Chanel has had a lot of success with the Coco Mademoiselle line of fragrances. The EDP and EDT have been out for decades now, but, I recently picked up samples of the latest batches and wanted to do a head to head comparison post for the site. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy here in 2021?

Tale of the Tape: Coco Mademoiselle EDP vs. EDT

Coco Mademoiselle

Notes include: orange, neroli, may rose, patchouli, vetiver, jasmine

Click here to try: Coco Mademoiselle

Read my full review: Coco Mademoiselle EDP

Coco Mademoiselle EDT

Notes include: litchi, citrus, vanilla, patchouli, vetiver, musk, rose, jasmine

Click here to try: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle 3.4 oz eau de toilette 

Read my Full Review: Coco Mademoiselle EDT

Opening

Mademoiselle starts off with its blend of neroli, patchouli, and orange. The orange is very powerful at first, before this perfume starts to feature its other floral notes, being jasmine and a slight rose. It blends with the patchouli for a bold and somewhat gourmand opening act.

Mademoiselle EDT does somewhat mimic its predecessor. However, the neroli isn’t present. The patchouli and orange are toned down. Also, EDT adds a very nice litchi note, that gets balanced with the other citrus notes.

Which is better? It’s actually a close race. While I do appreciate the balance, litchi, and having less patchouli in the opening act. I actually still slightly prefer the start of the EDP version more. I’m one who has always appreciated that strong punch of fragrance to start things off.

Edge: EDP

Projection

The eau de parfum obviously has the higher fragrance concentrate and it does indeed project better and feels stronger overall. Add to that more of the orange note and patchouli and you get a strong perfume. Not an absolute monster, but very good.

Mademoiselle EDT is decent at how far it will project, but it is much more of a moderate fragrance. It never hits close to the same highs as the EDP.

Edge: EDP

Longevity

Coco Mademoiselle EDP will last on my skin for over 10 hours, without fail. It’s got fantastic performance, to this day, with the newer batches Chanel has put out.

EDT? It’s a solid performer with 6-8 hours of wear, depending on the day. Quite usable, but again, doesn’t touch the original.

Edge: EDP

Versatility

I actually think that EDT has the edge in this category. It’s lighter feeling is a plus for many people who wear it, who may have been turned off by the strength of the original. So, it is going to be better for situation where you’d want to be low key.

Add to that, while neither is a summertime fragrance, EDT does hold up a bit better than the heavier EDP. Outside of those differences, both of these perfumes are highly versatile.

Edge: EDT

Overall Scent

I really enjoy both of these scents. I think that Coco Mademoiselle EDT can be a fantastic choice, if you want something lighter and that can seem less harsh to some folks. The scent really develops a nice woody/musky base with a smoother overall finish and light vanilla touches.

It’s a really good fragrance overall.

However, I think EDP is a great fragrance. I love the intensity of the orange and neroli, the gourmand touches, the power, and the vanilla creaminess that is more noticeable in this formulation.

In its totality, I just think that Coco Mademoiselle EDP has more strengths and a bit more depth. It’s not far and away better, but has a clear edge, in my book.

Winner: Coco Mademoiselle EDP