Voce Viva EDP by Valentino

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I got a hold of a sample of Voce Viva a while ago, as a part of a major acquisition of samples and new scents to try out. I’d never heard of this perfume before and really didn’t have any excitement to try it out, until I saw it sitting in a box a few days back.

Voce Viva was a 2020 release from Valentino, which seemed to pass without much fanfare. What’s it like? How does it smell? Please continue below for my full take.

What does Voce Viva Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, mandarin, vanilla, gardenia, orange blossom, and moss

Click here to try: Valentino Voce Viva 3.4 oz / 100 ml EDP Women Spray

My Full Review

A couture and feminine bouquet of white flowers that gives Italian tradition a contemporary edge.

Voce Viva opens up with its bright citrus notes coming through, sitting on top of plenty of orange blossom, and the vanilla which is already peaking up from the base. Right away, I get the sense that this is going to be a warm and sweet floral experience…which I like.

There is a light and fresh spiciness that you can detect underneath the citrus and floral notes. The consensus seems to be an unlisted ginger note, which makes sense to me.

After a little bit, the initial somewhat juicy vibe from the citrus notes goes by the wayside and the gardenia comes up into that position. For me, the orange blossom is the strongest floral note initially, and then the gardenia plays a more prominent role.

The later stages, gives me more of a vanilla aroma with a dry freshness and underlying spiciness. The musky/mossy/woodsy smell does come through, but remains underneath the gardenia, vanilla, and maybe a bit of tonka bean?

The final three notes in terms of strength, seem to be: vanilla, gardenia, and moss. I like it. The aroma coming off of my skin is enjoyable and doesn’t stray into sickly sweet or irritating territory ever.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here isn’t super powerful and actually leans towards the lighter end of things, without ever being weak. It’s got an airy sort of demeanor, but actually projects itself quite well from the skin. Don’t expect a beast, but I was pretty happy with what I got out of this Valentino.

The longevity is also good, just not amazing. You might be able to squeeze a full workday from Voce Viva. For me, it did hit that 7.5-8 hour range, on my skin. For most purposes, that will be more than enough.

Seasonally, it’s actually very versatile, if you just stay out of the extreme heat and humidity. It does have that sweetness, that you’d associate with more of a autumn/winter scent (think: Black Opium), though not the same thickness or heavy sillage.

Late spring and for some parts of the world, early summer would be fine. Possibly, you could roll it out for a summer evening.

This would be great for a daytime wear, that could also venture into the nightlife without being a complete bomb. It’s sweet, but has a level of maturity to fit in with a wide swath of the female population.

Personally, I don’t find it sexy, but it is an appealing and very pleasant fragrance to wear and be around in general.

Overall Impressions of Voce Viva

Do I like this perfume from Valentino? I really do. To me, Voce Viva isn’t completely amazing nor super original. However, it is an easy to wear and attractive example of a white floral paired with sweeter notes.

The opening is bright and a very nice blend of spice, sweet, and floral notes. Then, the heart of gardenia and orange blossom is always a pairing, that I seem to like experiencing. Finally, the vanilla and woodsy smell during the latter stages is an interesting take on a familiar composition.

The performance is above average, as is the smell. If you want a versatile, clean, and well put together daily wear…Voce Viva could be a nice option to look into. It doesn’t seem to have any major weaknesses, other than having overlap with a lot of other perfumes. But, so do most scents.

The Dreamer by Versace

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I can’t believe that I haven’t done a review of The Dreamer by Versace, up to this point in time. It has long been a go to fragrance on occasions, when I want to wear something different from the usual fair.

I found a mini bottle mixed in with a box of sample fragrances recently and I had to check the site, to see if I actually had written about this Versace cologne before. Nope.

So, in this post, I want to take a closer look at the 1996 release from this designer and give my thoughts on how it smells and performs.

What does Versace The Dreamer Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco, tonka bean, lavender, sage, rose, cedar, geranium, and more

Click here to try: Dreamer By Gianni Versace For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

My Full Review

The opening of Dreamer can be somewhat intense, compared to the rest of the wear. From the start, the tobacco note is present, it is more of an uncured tobacco than one which has been toasted.

I think that the intensity of the start stems from the sage, fir, and rose notes interacting with the tobacco. It is quite green with a sharp herbal spice and lavender poking through at times. That rose note with the tobacco, certainly lends a green-ish sensibility.

Now, Dreamer does settle down pretty quickly into something that is much better, than you initially get. As it dries, down Dreamer becomes sweeter and more floral. Yes, tobacco still is the top dog here, and will be throughout the entirety.

However, rose, carnation, and geranium show up to flank the tobacco for a really fresh heart. At times, this one reminds me of Burberry Brit. They don’t smell the same, but they share plenty of common notes, and can have a similar vibe. Just Brit, is more of a powdery cologne.

The rose really settles from a greener sort of smell, to the floral note, that we’re all pretty much familiar with. Nice mix of herbal, woody, and floral. Dreamer is such a unique fragrance, especially for a mainstream designer.

The base of this Versace fragrance, is a drier, woody one. There is a solid cedar note, fir, and vetiver. Ultimately, Dreamer is tobacco with a big does of lavender (and tonka bean) with floral/herbal notes supporting those two and a green woody base.

It’s really gets smooth and has a slightly spicy freshness during the dry down. Really great deep tobacco aroma.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on this one starts out moderate, but turns lighter in short order. It’s never been weak for me, but this isn’t a super heavy fragrance. It doesn’t hang close to the skin but rather floats around in the immediate air around your body.

The longevity on this one usually runs 6+ hours, depending on the climate. It can go 8 hours for me, on colder days. Yet, here in this warmer southern climate, I usually will get that 6-ish hours from Dreamer.

Seasonally, this is an autumn through early spring wear. Dreamer isn’t very good at all, in hotter weather, so try to avoid that. It can be worn casually, at work, or even out for an evening.

It is a really versatile and attractive cologne, that women usually enjoy. Not necessarily ‘sexy’, but a complement getter. I’ve worn this as a teenager and as an adult, it does have a more mature air, but is fine for a younger guy.

Now, from what I understand, Dreamer may have been reformulated and perhaps the ingredients were changed up in new bottles. I can’t confirm that, but this mini bottle that I have from a couple of years ago, is the same smell that I remember from vintage bottles.

Overall Impressions of Dreamer

Overall, is the Dreamer worth a buy? Yes, it is. Again, not sure if the newer bottles have been screwed with or not, but the price for a full bottle has been really inexpensive for a long while now.

Update: Also, the newer bottles I think have changed at least some of the notes too. At least from what I’ve read, I haven’t checked out a new bottle as of yet. So, this is a review of the original formulation.

Lots of great fragrances from the 1990s are really affordable, at the moment, and are an awesome way to get both quality and value. This isn’t for everyone, but Dreamer gives you a great green tobacco with floral sweetness and a bit of fresh spice. It’s always worked for me.

It’s not my favorite fragrance ever, but there aren’t too many cologne options like this. As such, when the mood strikes, Dreamer is a great daytime wear for me to have around.

Dylan Blue Pour Homme by Versace

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This is my third entry of my one time wear reviews while traveling in Europe. Today, I am going to give my impressions of Versace Pour Homme’s, Dylan Blue. This has become a very popular fragrance.

In this post, I’m going to discuss how it smells, performs, my impressions, and whether or not I think that it is worth a buy.

Note: I have updated this post a few years after my initial impressions, after spending more time wearing this scent, and having a better feel for it.

What Does Dylan Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: black pepper, violet leaf, grapefruit, bergamot, tonka bean, ambrox, fig leaf

Click here to try: VERSACE Pour Homme Sealed Dylan Blue Eau de Toilette, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

Upon first sniff of this fragrance, I immediately want to place in the same realm as a fragrance such as Acqua Di Gio Profumo. It’s different mind you, but, it seems to belong to that same class of citrus/aquatics.

Between the two, Dylan Blue is a more youthful and lighter cologne, but as it dries down the similarities between Profumo fade and the ambroxan of Dior’s Sauvage begin to emerge.

Dylan Blue really is kind of an amalgamation scent of the aforementioned colognes, mixed with maybe one or two others, that I cannot think of at the moment.

Dylan Blue is aquatic at first, with the grapefruit and bergamot notes, sitting on top of that watery base. Plus, there is the ambroxan note, which is nice and warm but gets stronger as it moves along.

The fig note and citrus pairing at the top is actually quite good. I think it might be my favorite aspect of this Versace release. While the citrus and ambroxan, bring to mind Sauvage, this one isn’t nearly as spicy as the Dior. Plus, the fig and aquatic notes set it apart.

The initial burst is fairly short lived, less than an hour, and the Sauvage-esque spirit takes over. At that point, it seems much weaker than it had been, but the longevity isn’t terrible.

Not as bad as another grapefruit citrusy cologne I just reviewed, Lacoste Jaune. My biggest complaint with Versace scents is how chemical they can smell.

I liked the original Versace Pour Homme well enough but that has the same kind of faux-citrus smell.  There is also a woody-fig note that gives it another layer but it isn’t all that complex of a scent.

As it dries down, I start to pick up more of the ambroxan, some black pepper, and even a little bit of violet leaf. The citrus has settled somewhat and Dylan Blue becomes more wholeheartedly ambroxan based.

I should also mention the slight smokiness from the included incense note, during its latter stages. It’s a great little touch, that I picked up on the more I wore around the contents of my mini bottle of this cologne.

Sillage, How Long Blue Lasts, and Versatility

Projection is good at first and then dies out a bit. It’s pretty average overall. Though, the sillage can seem heavy at first.

The longevity of Dylan Blue has been consistently 6-7 hours on my skin. Seemingly no more, no less. It’s actually kind of weird, how quickly it goes from a nice amount of power to just completely gone.

At least, it consistently hits that mark, and I know what to expect from it beforehand. That’s not a short amount of time, but it’s not a monster, in that regard.

I think that where Dylan Blue shines is in its versatility. I think it’d be appropriate for almost any summer or warm weather occasion. It would also be more appropriate for young men, sub-25 years of age, and is sexy enough for date night/club wear.

This is one that will get positive attention out of it. It’s not an offensive scent and is generally crowd pleasing. Dylan Blue is popular and so it’s going to have plenty of fans, in public spaces.

It’s a really nice scent for younger guys, who want something stylish, and that can fit in a wide variety of situations. The performance isn’t top notch, but it is good enough for most purposes.

Overall Impressions of Dylan Blue

Overall, is Dylan Blue worth a buy? Not for me, BUT I could see how it could work for some guys. If you need a summer scent that is pretty basic and will draw complements, I don’t think you would go wrong here.

For me, it doesn’t really offer anything different from scents that I already own or have samples of…so it’s kind of pointless. I certainly don’t hate it, in fact, I have come to like it a good deal more than I had initially.

Mostly, I like the opening hour or so. Thereafter, Dylan Blue just seems kind of basic to me. Not particularly interesting or all that attractive. Decent.

I just with I got more time to enjoy the fig note and the initial citrus blend, that’s actually one great aspect of this cologne.

However, at it’s price point and with it’s versatility, it would be a solid pick up for someone who wants a simple no-brainer. I like the aroma for the most part, not my favorite, but it does smell good.

Coach for Men by Coach

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In today’s fragrance review, we have Coach for Men, which was released in the past few years (2017) and has enjoyed some popularity. Note: I’ve updated this page since the initial write up. I have tried it out and will report on all aspects of my experience with this cologne. How does it smell? What are the ingredients? Does it have good performance? Is it even worth a buy?

What does Coach for Men EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, kumquat, ambergris, pear, vetiver, suede, coriander, cardamom, geranium

Click here to try: Coach New York Eau de Toilette Spray For Men, 3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review

The opening of Coach for Men is a blast of the fruit notes consisting of pear, citrus, and kumquat. This is all surrounded by warm amber and some light spices thrown in.

It’s clean and pleasant, but smells totally familiar and like a bunch of other scents that I’ve come across before. It’s very fruity and sort of makes me think of Dylan Blue, with the amber note, but I think I like that one more.

The pear note is the strongest to my nose, in this one, but the citrus and kumquat are quite juicy and so it does have that bright citrus aroma sitting just underneath.

Ambergris is soaking the entire composition and I detect that smooth smell of suede. It’s enjoyably simple and smells quite nice.

As it dries down, it doesn’t change all that much for me. I do get hints of cardamom and coriander, after about an hour, but they aren’t too powerful and get outshined by everything else in here. Coach for Men is fairly linear, but the citrus aspect, does weaken as it moves along.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is pretty moderate for the first few hours, it’s probably noticeable from 3-5 foot range. After that, it is really light and damn near a skin scent.

The longevity is much to write home about, I get about 5 hours on my skin, and that’s it. Meh. Again, only the first two hours have any projection that is noticeable. Really disappointed by the performance.

Coach strikes me as more of a spring/summer scent, but honestly, it can be worn year round without issue. It isn’t heavy and doesn’t seem to turn sour at any time.

It has great versatility and can be worn in seemingly any situation. Aroma wise, it is very safe to wear at work, and is great casually. It smells nice, but isn’t really sexy, and it’s not a club beast with it’s performance.

With better performance, this could absolutely be a daily wear and all-around fragrance, for a guy to own. That’s what they were going for, it just didn’t workout completely.

Overall Impression of Coach for Men

Overall, is Coach for Men good? It smells good. The performance is pretty weak. It smells like a lot of other scents out there. I do enjoy the fruity top notes, the pear and citrus mix is great, and the additional kumquat is a good change up.

It’s pretty much every other mass appeal fragrance of the last decade, with a slightly different blend of notes, to give it some sort of uniqueness.

I find it to be a good wear. However, at its price I don’t think I’d buy a full bottle. It’s performance is concerning and it doesn’t have any uniqueness to really capture my attention.

But, it does have a good level of likeability. If it actually lasted, I’d be higher on this scent.

Maybe, if you can get it on sale, it might be worthy of a pickup. If it were stronger, it’d be a definite yes. As it is, I pass, without a huge discount.

1 Million Parfum by Paco Rabanne

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1 Million has once again spun off another flanker in that gold ingot bottle, this time it’s a Parfum version. I hadn’t done any research on 1 Million Parfum before I got a hold of the sample, so I didn’t know what to expect.

Would it just be an amped up 1 Million or closer to Intense? Well, I was actually quite surprised by the direction Paco Rabanne went with this one. So, please continue below as I share my complete thoughts on this scent.

What does 1 Million Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, solar leather, tuberose, pine, resin, amber

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne One 1 Million Pure Parfum Natural Spray For Men 100ml / 3.4oz

My Full Review

The opening act of 1 Million Parfum does bring to mind for me, the original 1 Million, but with alterations. If you replaced the blood orange with a juicy grapefruit note and added a warm semi-tropical twist to the leather, you’d have a good chunk of Parfum’s start.

I actually like it. It’s sweet, but has a unique flair that I wasn’t entirely expecting. This is a fragrance that does pull off a unique take, while maintaining that clear 1 Million DNA.

The white floral accord here, is really what helps to separate it from the pack. Initially, there seems like there is a good amount of tiare flower in this. That with the ‘solar notes’ and leather, gives this one a sort of island/beachy vibe. 

Yet, later on it will turn into mostly a tuberose fragrance. Anyway, the opening act is that grapefruit, tiare, solar leather blend. Underneath that, is a slightly salty ambergris and resin, which gives this one some more thickness.

It sticks to that track for a while, before the pine notes freshness peaks in. Leather and pine together do have that super fresh aroma, but it sort of stays underneath some of the other ingredients. It’s just a perpetual presence.

The final dry down is pretty simple. To me, it’s a blend of tuberose, leather, ambergris, and the remnants of the pine note. Honestly, it’s my least favorite part of 1 Million Parfum. Which sucks, as that’s what it is for most of the wear, after the first few hours.

It’s kind of a letdown after that opening act. I liked the kind of tropical aroma version of the original 1 Million, it was a nice change of pace from the norm.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here doesn’t feel extreme to me, but it is pretty powerful at first. It does project itself well, but sometimes it seems like it sneaks up on you, especially once that pronounced grapefruit note has fade. But, it’s not disappointing.

Longevity seems to fall in the 8 to 10 hour range. Very good, but not elite, at least on my skin. It does hang around for at least a full workday, so, no real complaints. I don’t know, I was expecting it to be more of a beast, but it’s really solid.

Seasonally, I’d say, autumn through spring. It’s not a super heavy fragrance and it does have some tropical elements, but I’m not sure that it’ll do well in the heat of summer. It’s already a warm scent, with resin, and plenty of ambergris. As such, it might melt.

Like the other entries in the 1 Million line, this does have a more youthful vibe. Not like the teenager quality of Lucky, rather, closer to Prive. Once it settles, it does have a mature and stylish character.

 

I’d wear this casually, out a night, or walking around town during the day. Wouldn’t really classify it as an office wear. Attractive and it does have a certain sexiness to it. 1 Million Parfum isn’t going to be one you reach for on formal occasions. 

Overall Impressions of 1 Million Parfum

Do I like this fragrance? I do. However, I’m also not blown away by it. I like the opening act way more than I do the draw down. Way too much of a fresh floral between the pine, leather, and tuberose…which, admittedly isn’t one of my favorite flowers.

I don’t think it’s a bad option, though. I do like that they at least went in a unique direction with Parfum, while giving nods to the original. For me, I’d still rather wear Prive and probably the original 1 Million ahead of this. 

Update: Also, 1 Million Elixir. Since that has come out since this original review was posted.

It wears on me, as it moves along, and I almost get fatigued from that dry down. Though, I can see why there will be people who will be completely into Parfum. I won’t be getting a full bottle, but it’s not a terrible fragrance, and it definitely has enjoyable aspects.

It could’ve been something really different and interesting, but didn’t make it to anything approaching classic status.