Lost Cause by Phlur

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Lost Cause is another of the Phlur fragrances that I got with my sample set a few years ago. It’s also one that I haven’t done a proper review of, until today, after finding that set sitting in the closet.

So, let’s correct that error and see what this perfume is all about. How does Lost Cause smell? Perform? Is it worth a buy?

What does Lost Cause Smell Like?

Notes include: cassis leaves, apple, bergamot, rhubarb, freesia, lily of the valley, jasmine, ambergris, vanilla orchid, orris, mate absolute

Click here to try: Lost Cause by Phlur

My Full Review

The opening of Lost Cause has a lot of rhubarb coming through, between it in the citrus, it’s almost like a green/floral Hugo Red for Men, in the opening. Much more tart with the Phlur.

Also, it’s got a clean shampoo-like aroma, that becomes more prominent after the initial phase begins to dissipate. Part of this can be chalked up to an apple note, it’s not really distinct, just a crisp watery aroma.

Green cassis leaves and dew give it a springtime vibe with hints of being an aquatic perfume. 

The cassis play a dual role with that fruitiness and greener qualities.

The next phase features a calmer rhubarb note, that is paired with freesia and lily-of-the-valley. On my skin, I get a lot more of the freesia for the duration of the wear, but the lily and jasmine are also noticeable. A good blend overall.

Yet, this one is still much more of a bright greenish fragrance than a pure floral perfume. That’s going on the the background. I’m still getting the fruitiness and citrus and the leaves pulling things together.

The back half is less sharp to my nose, when the ambergris and vanilla, round of the composition. There’s still the dewy greenish aroma, but it’s creamier and an interesting way to close out things.

Turns out there is also an orris note in here. If I detect much of it, it’s within a blend between it and the vanilla.

Really changed my thoughts on this one as the wear moved on. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this isn’t a heavy scent, it has the aquatic/ozonic sort of lightness to it. But, that initial hour actually has decent projection. Not a massive beast, but I can smell it just fine.

After that, it is more intimate. But again, I have not trouble smelling it on myself. Lost Cause just isn’t a perfume that is going to wallop you with its presence. 

The longevity is also just okay. 6-6.5 hours, on my skin. 

Seasonally, this is a spring and summertime wear. It really works well in this warmer and even more humid weather. I wore it outside the other day and the fragrance came alive.

This is a unisex perfume. There are stretches where it leans more masculine, but then it’ll move towards being more traditionally feminine. Anyone can wear this one, though.

Within the spring and summer season, it does have fantastic versatility. In the daytime, it’s a staple, and at night it can work as well. Not a club beast, but it’s an attractive scent once it’s settled in.

Basically, this is a perfume that is going to serve as a daily wear when it’s warmer out. 

Overall Impressions of Lost Cause

Overall, do I like Lost Cause? I have to say, yes. But, it’s more of a mixed bag for me. I do like this more than Missing Person, for example, which is probably the more popular of the Phlur line.

I’m not thrilled about the opening act, while I really do enjoy rhubarb as a note, and how it is here. There are parts throughout the wear that I’m not exactly enjoying and then I’ll love other parts of this.

The back half, while pretty weak in terms of performance, is fairly awesome in terms of how it smells. 

So, I’ll say a decent opening hour, with a really good rest of the wear. It’s a difficult fragrance to rate for me, but I’m sure this one has people who are crazy about it. Also, I’ve been trending in the positive direction on Lost Cause.

The longevity and performance overall is decent. Again, not a massively projecting or heavy perfume. A lot of the Phlur scents are like that. Keep that in mind, before grabbing your bottle of the stuff.

Apparently, this one is or has already been discontinued. So, if you want to try it out, you’d better act quickly before it starts becoming scarce.

Missing Person by Phlur

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Missing Person became a very popular fragrance on social media in the past few years. I’ve had a sample vial as a part of a Phlur tester set for quite a while. I kind of forgot about it and never did a full review of this perfume.

But, today, I’m going to change that and give this scent a full write up. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is Missing Person worth a buy?

Missing Person Perfume Overview

Notes include: skin musk, bergamot nectar, sheer jasmine, cyclamen, neroli, orange flower, sandalwood, blonde wood, white musk

Click here to try: Missing Person by Phlur

My Full Review

Missing Person opens up light, with a blend of musk, citrus, and floral notes. The bergamot citrus isn’t too heavy or juicy, just a squeeze to break up the hold that the musk has on the composition.

Beyond that, I’m mainly getting the jasmine note out of the floral ingredients. That, and the cyclamen, are what stand out to me. The orange flower/neroli is pretty hidden underneath that tart bergamot.

It’s a somewhat sweet musky aroma, at this point. But, you do get a fresher scent at the start then the powdery clean it will dry down to.

The rest of the development? You will get some woods, soft powdery sandalwood, lots of musk and a clean cozy feeling throughout.

Mainly, it’s about the musk and sandalwood with mostly the remaining jasmine as the discernable note. Everything else, just sort of blends together.

Missing Person isn’t too complicated of a fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is light. It’s not going to leave a massive scent trail in your wake, nor is it going to blast itself off of your skin.

Yet, I can actually detect it on my skin pretty well and I don’t have to absolutely press my nose up against where I sprayed. But, I think that I have meshed well with this Phlur perfume, because other people report that they cannot really smell anything after a short period of time.

For me, I can get between 5-6 hours of wear from Missing Person. Not amazing, by any means, but basically hits the mark of being average.

Don’t expect a powerhouse scent.

Seasonally, this is a fragrance that can be worn during any time of year. It doesn’t get cloying and isn’t bad in the cold, either.

The versatility is probably its greatest strength. It’s mostly going to serve as a daytime wear, but within that frame you can wear it basically whenever. It’s not the sexiest or an absolute nightlife beast, but if you want to be clean and lowkey, this Phlur can do the job.

Overall Impressions of Phlur Missing Person

Overall, do I like Missing Person by Phlur? I actually do enjoy this one, quite a lot. For a musk driven perfume, it’s extremely wearable and pleasant to have on.

I like the softness here. The sandalwood is great, the light citrus, and the floral mix that is led by jasmine. It’s simple but effective.

Is the performance great? No. For me, it isn’t terrible either. If you want something bold, get something else besides Missing Person.

This is one that can be a staple in one’s collection, but might not completely stand out unless people really get close to you. The performance is somewhat of a problem. I think that it’s ok, but other people get much worse results than I do with this.

So, keep that in mind, if you decide to pick up a bottle.

Best Versace Eros Fragrances Ranked

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Eros has been successful as a line for Versace, both on the men’s and women’s side of things. However, the men’s line has been an absolute smash hit for the designer, and has seen more releases under the banner for more than a decade.

On this page, I wanted to keep track of the colognes that have come out with the Eros tag, and rank them in terms of how much I enjoy each (after testing and reviewing them). So, this is my list.

Favorite Versace Eros Colognes Ranked

Note: This is all of the Eros for Men fragrances as of posting, except for Najim. Since that was a special release, that I didn’t track down a bottle of.

Top Pick

Eros Parfum– This actually opens with more freshness than the citrus emphasis, found with the others. Yes, the citrus does appear at the top and its sparkling quality is pleasant, but it’s actually more subdued in the overall blend.

The familiar lemon and mandarin appear alongside that verbena-like litsea cubeba. Pepper and sage become more apparent, as does the foundation of amber and resinous notes like benzoin and elemi.

Clary sage takes the lead early on. Notably, there doesn’t appear to be much, if any, of the mint note. It seems to have been replaced by enhanced geranium and sage to produce a similar effect.

Parfum ultimately becomes an amber, vanilla, cashmeran, and vetiver blend as it reaches its conclusion. 

All in all, I think that this is the best experience out of all of them. I don’t think that it blows the others away or anything, but after coming back to each, I did slightly enjoy this more. Eros Parfum review.

Original

Eros EDT– The original Eros was one of my favorites when I was younger. Now, it’s not something that I return to all that often.

The latest bottles seem to be more like how they once were (just not as strong), after having (to my nose at least) more lemon than usual. I did pick up a bottle of Greatness by Dua, which is inspired by the 2012 batches of Eros.

Anyway, this one opens with a zesty Italian lemon note, joined by crisp, juicy green apple and the cool spice of mint leaves. 

Tonka bean and vetiver also make their presence known. Later in the dry down period, Eros truly becomes an enveloping fragrance. The ambroxan amber and a subtle geranium emerge to complement the main trio of notes.

It’s a smooth, creamy, and freshly sensual fragrance with the vanilla note reaching its absolute peak.

For this list, I still think that it’s the second best offering. Eros EDT review

Another Revision

Eros EDP– At the start, Eros EDP feels colder, sweeter, and smoother than the original EDT. One notable change is how much weaker the vetiver is in this version

The tonka bean has also been removed. While I typically enjoy tonka bean paired with vanilla, I actually prefer the vanilla standing alone in this particular fragrance.

The cedar notes receive significant emphasis and really emerge after 30 to 45 minutes of wear. This next phase brings out those woody elements while the geranium and sage begin to recede.

At this point, the citrus becomes quite faint.  Finally, the mint and vanilla take center stage, accompanied by some apple and the cedar. The most significant change throughout the remaining wear time is how much the Ambermax begins to develop.

When I first tried this, the opening act almost made this my favorite Eros. But, that was short-lived. The back half was kind of disappointing, the Ambermax ruins it for me. Still pretty good, but it never took the top spot. Eros EDP review

Burning Red

Eros Flame– I considered swapping this ahead of the eau de parfum, because they’re basically interchangeable to me. I purchased this as soon as it was released way back when and never became too big of a fan of Flame.

It’s solid. The initial formulation’s performance was insanely good, also. Last few times that I’ve tried it, it wasn’t nearly as strong.

The tangerine and lemon combination creates a very bright and juicy opening. More tangerine, than lemon. This becomes especially apparent when the emerging vanilla and tonka bean create that smooth, creamy aroma.

Versace describes the citrus pairing as part of a chinotto accord. The pepper here isn’t intensely spicy and probably doesn’t match the strength of the mint in the original. 

Overall, I really like the opening sequence here too. The citrus and vanilla/tonka bean combination feels familiar and there’s a certain effervescent quality to the entire experience.

As it develops, Flame adopts many outdoorsy and woody elements, sharing some characteristics with the original even during this stage. Cedar, vetiver, oak moss and geranium all carry over from the original formula.

But, as with Eros EDP, I’m not too in love with this one past the opening. For some people, this is their favorite Eros. I think the reviews of this have gotten better over time, but it just doesn’t fully click with me. Eros Flame review

Summer Vibe

Eros Energy– Energy is another of these Versace fragrances that I bought, as soon as it came out. And…it’s my least favorite of the bunch.

It’s not terrible, it’s just okay.

Eros Energy is as a heavily citrus-focused fragrance. It incorporates numerous fruits: lime, green mandarin, orange, lemon, grapefruit, and bergamot, plus the tart blackcurrant berry.

For me, Energy presents its aromas in distinct waves. Initially, I get a blend primarily of lemon, grapefruit, and bergamot. Then lime, orange, and some blackcurrant emerge. When it finally settles, it becomes more of a lemon/bergamot/grapefruit/orange grouping.

Is it purely citrus? No, there’s subtle spiciness from the pink pepper note. I detect some patchouli as well, though that appears more after an hour or so of wear.

The main attraction beyond the citrus elements is the musk note.

But, it’s nothing special. I’ll wear it once and like it. Then the next time, I find it annoying. It’s a good enough summer scent, if you get a discounted price, though. Energy review

Mod Vanilla vs Vanilla 28

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Mod Vanilla and Vanilla 28 are two very popular inexpensive to mid-range priced perfume options. Obviously, the competition is between that signature note, and these can sometimes be the final perfumes under consideration for a purchase.

But, which of these scents is actually the better buy? Which vanilla fragrance smells better? Lasts longer? I’ve tested each of them and here’s my full breakdown.

Tale of the Tape: Mod Vanilla vs Vanilla 28

Mod Vanilla

Notes include: pink freesia, dark plum, vanilla, musk, praline, cocoa butter, orris butter, jasmine

Click here to try: Mod Vanilla

My full review: Mod Vanilla by Ariana Grande

Vanilla 28 

Notes include: vanilla orchid, tonka bean, brown sugar, amber woods, musk

Click here to try: Vanilla 28 by Kayali

Read my review: Vanilla 28

Opening

Mod Vanilla opens with a collection of lighter notes that will eventually fall into to the background, though they remain well-balanced even on the first sprays.

The pink freesia becomes immediately apparent alongside the notes of fresh musks.

The musk maintains its presence throughout the fragrance’s development, and while I don’t consider Mod overly reliant on this note, it does stand as the most prominent among the three opening accords.

Accompanying these two elements is a subtle plum that introduces an additional tart quality to what is already a notably sweet composition. From the very start, you’ll also detect some of the fragrance’s central aromas.

Vanilla makes its presence known, and is joined by praline and cocoa butter. The praline emerges as a significant component that will define much of this fragrance’s character.

As this opening act transitions, the freesia and plum become considerably softer within the overall blend.

Vanilla 28 launches immediately into its own sweetness. The tonka bean and brown sugar really stand out during this initial stage of wear.

While the vanilla orchid maintains its presence throughout, the fragrance clearly emphasizes those other two notes in the opening.

However, this perfume never becomes overwhelmingly cloying or juvenile in its sweetness. It’s more refined to me, than is Mod. The tonka bean does eventually soften, the vanilla becomes more prominent, and the composition develops some musky undertones as it evolves.

Which is better?

I really do like the opening act of Mod Vanilla a lot. There’s plenty going on, it’s more complex, and simply smells quite good.

However, I prefer how the Kayali fragrance starts out more. The tonka bean, brown sugar, and vanilla are really great in this mix.

Edge: Vanilla 28

Projection

In terms of projection, the Ariana Grande perfume delivers some impressive strength during the initial two hours of wear.

I was genuinely surprised by how effectively it projects and creates a noticeable scent trail behind you. While not overwhelmingly potent, Mod Vanilla does perform well above average in this regard.

Following that two-hour mark, the fragrance settles closer to the skin, though it doesn’t become a true skin scent until around the four to five hour point for me.

The projection with the Kayali perfume remains fairly moderate. You’ll experience about thirty minutes of solid strength with Vanilla 28 creating a pleasant aura around you.

After that point, it settles into a light to moderate range. It’s not completely weak, just not the type to fill an entire room.

The Ariana Grande fragrance definitely takes this category.

Edge: Mod Vanilla

Longevity

The longevity of Mod Vanilla proved surprisingly impressive compared to other Ariana fragrances that have been released.

This fragrance keeps up for over 8 hours on my skin, finally becoming undetectable somewhere between the 8.5 to 9 hour mark. For me, at least.

On my skin, Vanilla 28 lasts somewhere in the 5 to 6 hour range. Again, not particularly impressive, but still acceptable. Performance isn’t where this fragrance truly shines.

Another advantage for Mod.

Edge: Mod Vanilla

Versatility

Regarding the seasons you should wear Mod Vanilla, I like this during winter’s colder months. That being said, it works perfectly well whenever temperatures are moderate. Just avoid high heat and humidity, and this fragrance will be fine.

Vanilla 28 also works best during autumn or winter months. If you live somewhere with cooler spring weather, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to wear it. They’re the same in their seasonal use.

Mod Vanilla is a sugary sweet perfume, so don’t anticipate something suitable for formal occasions or office wear.

Mod appeals to a younger demographic, though some older women would certainly appreciate it as well. Mod has a delicious gourmand quality that feels fun, instead of something that is sexy or seductive. The overall vibe is casual and cozy.

Vanilla 28 works across various situations and does so better than the Ariana scent. It maintains its sweet character while still appealing to different age groups.

While it’s not a formal type of perfume, Vanilla 28 functions well in numerous scenarios on its own. Plus, you could layer it with another Kayali perfume to mix things up.

Edge: Vanilla 28

Overall Scent

So, overall which of these fragrances do I actually prefer?

Mod Vanilla is a solid release, though it doesn’t rank as my favorite Ariana Grande perfume or come close to the top of my list.

It shares some similarities with Cloud and isn’t particularly unique, in terms of how it smells.

If you already own and enjoy Cloud, you probably won’t need to add this one to your collection. While they are different fragrances ultimately, they cover much of the same territory.

I like the opening act of Mod Vanilla and the performance is much better than I expected. Really, could be a consideration when compared to the Kayali.

Yet, I prefer Vanilla 28 to Mod. I’m really drawn to the brown sugar note that it has.

Yes, it can be overly sweet or lack sophistication, but I think it works here, and isn’t a potentially cloying as Mod vanilla.

The performance sits in the middle range and trails it’s competitor. If you plan to wear this as a standalone fragrance rather than layering it with others, keep this in mind.

While it wasn’t completely disappointing in that aspect, Vanilla 28 isn’t a long-lasting powerhouse.

Overall, though, I think that Vanilla 28 just smells better and has a better vanilla note. So, it gets the win.

Winner: Vanilla 28

Le Beau Paradise Garden vs. Le Male Elixir

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Le Male from JPG has been a long-running and massively successful line for the brand. Le Beau, is the more recent line of colognes that they’ve released and has also ridden a wave of popularity.

Two of the scents from Gaultier, Elixir and Paradise Garden, have been recent standouts for them. Even if they’re not exactly similar smelling fragrances, they are options that people sometimes decide between.

So, which one smells better? Lasts longer? Is the one that you should buy?

Tale of the Tape: Le Beau Paradise Garden vs. Le Male Elixir

Le Male Elixir

Notes include: mint, honey, lavender, tonka bean, benzoin, tobacco, vanilla

Click here to try: Le Male Elixir at Amazon

Read my review: Elixir

Le Beau Paradise Garden

Notes include: mint, ginger, fig, coconut water, salt, tonka bean, sandalwood

Click here to try: Paradise Garden

Read my full review: Le Beau Paradise Garden

Opening

Elixir makes a bold first impression with its mint note, delivering a cooling fresh spiciness right from the start. This distinctive opening blends seamlessly with the signature Le Male lavender accord.

The tonka bean emerges as another key player in the early stages. While Elixir features a vanilla note that intensifies throughout the wear, the tonka creates a sweet, syrupy character when combined with honey and the fuzzy warmth of benzoin.

Meanwhile, Paradise Garden introduces itself through an interesting blend of sweetness, freshness, mint, and subtle aquatic undertones.

A greener character develops as the fig note asserts itself, complementing the coconut beautifully, while a pronounced ginger note makes itself known early on after spraying. The fig brings both sweetness and verdant freshness to the composition.

Paradise features a distinct coconut water element, though a certain creaminess remains present throughout. This is all supported by a base of sandalwood, fig, and tonka bean, which further enhances the creamy quality.

The sandalwood will become increasingly prominent in the dry down phase.

Which do I like more? It’s close, but I’ve been liking the mint, coconut water, and fig mix of Paradise Garden a lot lately. So, it gets the edge.

Edge: Paradise Garden

Projection

Paradise Garden isn’t too heavy of a fragrance, but it does project itself quite well and leaves a scent trail in its wake. It doesn’t have that same thickness, but you’ll know that it is there.

With Elixir, it starts off really strong, more of a cloud-like envelopment before it finally moderates.

Elixir is really strong stuff and it takes this performance category.

Edge: Elixir

Longevity

With Paradise Garden, I’ve been getting 8-9 hours of wear out of it. That actually is pretty great for a scent that you’re mainly going to be wearing in the summer.

However, it falls a bit short compared to what I get with Le Male Elixir which will hang around for up to 10.5 hours or so, on my skin.

The Le Male entry takes this category.

Edge: Elixir

Versatility

Elixir is pretty bold with its sweetness, it’s crafted for colder days and has a youthful energy that is good for nightlife. I’ve also worn it in a more temperate climate and Elixir was fine. Most guys won’t be wearing this to the office or some kind of formal black-tie events.

Paradise Garden falls squarely into that relaxed, summertime cologne territory. It’s tropical coconut aroma is built for daytime wear mostly.

Though, I could see wearing this on a warmer night out, at a bar or something. 

Neither fragrance really ventures into formal territory. They’re casual scents that’ll resonate more with younger guys definitely not something you’d rock at work. These are pretty even here, but I might give a very slight edge to Elixir

Edge: Elixir

Overall Scent

This is honestly a pretty close race between these two, but I think that Paradise Garden is slightly better. If I were to include Elixir Absolu, I’d pick that one over both of these options.

I’m particularly drawn to Elixir’s opening notes and how honey and tobacco enhance the Le Male line. It delivers a sweet, warm, spicy, rich, bold experience that’s genuinely fun to wear.

That said, Le Beau Paradise Garden wins my vote as the better JPG fragrance. The opening is a tad better and I have a slight preference for the entirety overall. You don’t have to give up much performance either.

It strikes an excellent balance with impressive longevity, a gorgeous tropical character, and an overall pleasantness that makes it wonderfully wearable. I’ve been enjoying spraying it on warmer days, since I bought it.

Neither of these would be my daily wear, but they are fun colognes that I will finish out the bottles of, at some point.

Winner: Paradise Garden