Polo Red Extreme by Ralph Lauren

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So, here we are for yet another cologne review from the Polo line of scents. While, I enjoy a lot of the fragrances from this brand, my biggest complaint is how many of them have mediocre longevity…including a favorite of mine, Polo Red.

Now for this third incarnation of the ‘Red’ line of scents, Polo introduces us to Red Extreme here in 2017. In this review, I’m going to cover how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not I think it is worth a purchase. Update: This one is now discontinued.

What Does Polo Red Extreme Smell Like?

Notes include: blood orange, coffee, ebony wood

Click here to try: Polo Red Extreme Eau de Parfum Spray 4.2 Ounce, Ralph Lauren Men

My Full Review

I was excited that a new Polo Red fragrance had come out and jumped at the chance to try it. I enjoyed both the original Red and Red Intense, even though they could both be lacking in the longevity department.

Now, there is overlap between all three of these fragrances but I’d say that Extreme is the most unique of the bunch. It also shares more qualities with Red Intense, than it does the original, due to the coffee note being prominent.

I have only been able to find out three of the notes in this cologne and they are of course the most noticeable. Coffee leads the way and it is tempered by a smooth and creamy feeling blood orange.

Red Extreme is like an amalgamation of other scents, I get, Polo Red Intense plus Rochas Man, and something else (Luna Rossa Sport? Maybe? It’s been so long, since I’ve smelled that). That being said Extreme seems familiar enough while being its own independent experience.

Side by side with the original Polo Red, I do think that this also might have a hint of the cranberry note, because there is a definite similarity.

Red Extreme does have that same fruity vibe but it is much darker, smokier, and bolder than the previous two colognes. Extreme is very energetic and sporty in a completely masculine way.

At times, the interactions between the ingredients can give Red Extreme, a sort of chocolate-like scent. The roasted coffee with the citrus juiciness of the orange, does give this one a gourmand chocolate candy aroma. I like it for still being sweet, but not nearly as tart, or spicy (versus Intense) as the other options from this Red lineup.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

Longevity wise, finalllyyyyyy…they made a Red cologne with some really good longevity. Red Intense wasn’t bad, in this regard, but Red Extreme is bordering on excellent. This is an all day kind of wear but doesn’t hit the same length as something such as One Million.

In terms of projection, this stuff is fairly strong, and can be too much if you over spray but one or two spritzes should be enough.

The sillage is pretty potent in the early stages, though, it moderates much more as it wears on. Not a complete bomb, but it can be too invasive, at times.

I think Polo Red Extreme is quite a versatile cologne. I can imagine wearing this anywhere, as it wouldn’t feel too out of place at work or out on a date. I

want to say its geared more towards spring or winter but I do get a definite summer appeal with this one. Now, I cannot say if it will hold up well in the heat, but it seems like it could.

Update: As far as wearing Red Extreme in the heat, I’d probably skip it. Maybe on a summer’s evening or if only in an air conditioned building. Outside of that, I don’t really like its development in the humidity and high temperatures. It’s not the worst, but humidity is a killer.

Overall Impressions of Polo Red Extreme

Overall, would I say Red Extreme is a buy? Yes, I am digging it. If you were a fan of the previous Polo Red scents, you’ll probably be into this one as well. If you don’t like sweet or coffee scents, then, probably avoid this cologne.

I think that Ralph Lauren finally nailed this concept and produced a versatile cologne with good performance. It’s not the most amazing scent ever created, but I think it is very appealing.

The structure is all very simple. However, it shines within the confines of that simplicity. It gives you enough development, a really nice scent, and pretty high end performance. For guys in their 20-30s, who want a sweeter wear for the winter months, this is a very good pickup.

Update: Since it’s been discontinued, this one is getting increasingly expensive on the secondary market. I wouldn’t reach too high in price for a bottle, but Extreme is worth getting.

Guerlain Homme L’eau Boisee

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I grabbed a few Guerlain fragrances as a part of my latest batch of samples that I am testing out for cologne reviews on the site. One of them, is Guerlain Homme L’eau Boisee, which is a flanker fragrance of Guerlain Homme. In this post, I am going to cover what’s in it, what this scent smells like, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth buying a full bottle of.

What does Guerlain Homme L’Eau Boisee Smell Like?

Notes include: Indian vetiver, mint, lime, musk, rum, and grass

Click here: Guerlain Homme L’eau Boisee Eau De Toillete Spray, 2.7 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

I’m a fan of Guerlain Homme, I have a full bottle of the stuff, so I was interested in seeing how Homme L’Eau Boisee would compare with the original. The opening of Boisee is actually horrendous for about 5 seconds before it starts to settle.

At first, I was having trouble pinning down what that odor was that smelled like burning tires, and then I saw that this fragrance has grass as a note. Bingo! The grass note initially smells like a mowed lawn mixed with burning tires. Luckily, that smell is only very temporary.

Nevertheless, that aroma fades and  the Indian vetiver emerges to claim its supremacy within the scent. This is a contrast to the original Guerlain Homme, which led off with the minty rum of the mojito accord.

L’eau Boisee takes a different approach, the alcoholic aspect of the notes takes a back seat to the vetiver but it is still supported by the lime and a toned down mint note.

So, Boisee is much woodier and earthy than is Guerlain Homme, I suppose it depends on what kind of style you’re going for as to which mixture of the notes that you prefer. The original lacks the vetiver to the extent of this flanker, however.

L’Eau Boisee’s mint note, never fully takes over like it does in the original. The dry down for this fragrance is a fresh woody scent. The dry grass note comes back, a few hours in, but isn’t joined by that burning rubber smell which plagues the opening act.

It ends with a light lime, with cedar, vetiver, other woods, and grass. It’s a fresh yet quite dry aroma and not a complete booze-fest, like its predecessor. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Perhaps, it is just the sample that I received, but Boisee is weaker than Guerlain Homme in both its projection and longevity. The projection is just okay but it is more of a subtle fragrance, so I don’t have too much of a problem with that.

However, the longevity seems to be stuck in the 4-5 hour range on my skin, which isn’t great.

L’eau Boisee fits well into the current summer weather, which I totally attribute the the lime note, which plays extremely well off of the vetiver.

Update: I have also, worn this one in the cooler months, mainly autumn. I like the way it hangs in the crisp air. Vetiver and a juicy lime, but the woods really give it that fall feeling.

I’d say this is more of an office/casual wear scent but I wouldn’t be opposed to wearing this on a date either, since it isn’t really loud or overbearing.

This is a good alternative for people who liked the original Guerlain Homme but didn’t like the mojito accord being the main attraction the entire time. It’s a tough sell to want to smell like an alcoholic drink, while at work. The rum note in this one is so light, that it’s a non-issue. 

 

 

Overall Impression of L’eau Boisee

Overall, is this one worth a buy? Yes, but I personally enjoy the original more, so I won’t be purchasing a full bottle. I don’t like the longevity issues that L’eau Boisee has and I actually prefer that mojito, as I think that it is fun to wear at certain times.

However, aside from all of that, this is a very good cologne that is a great take on the original. I like how it sort of inverts the notes to create a familiar and yet unique fragrance. It just depends on what you personally like, when deciding between the two.

Update: This is now discontinued.

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme by D&G

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Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme was released in 1994 and is the original of the now extensive line up of fragrance for this brand. It was re-released, in 2012, with a slightly different take (which I’m reviewing here).

I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t done a review yet on the site, so, I bought a sample in order to do a full review. Not trying to just rely on memory. In this post, I want to cover how it smell. How does Pour Homme perform? Is this fragrance even worth a try?

What does Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, lavender, sage, neroli,  pepper, cedar, tobacco, musk, tonka bean, bergamot, tangerine, and more

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Dolce & Gabbana By Dolce & Gabbana for Men 6.7 Oz Eau De Toilette Spray, 6.7 Oz

My Full Wear Review

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme opens up with a lot of lavender, that is flanked by spices (sage and pepper), citrus fruit, and neroli. The lavender and neroli, give this a soapy and almost powdery quality. The citrus notes are subtle, sitting underneath that.

However, up top the spices are at their most noticeable. Mostly, I get sage, with a light pepper note thrown in. It comes across as very fresh rather than a bold or heavy sort of spiciness. For the first 30 minutes or so, the sage is the second strongest note to my nose.

Once the sage lightens up, most of the citrus top, is gone too (lemon remains). The neroli is still there, but the tobacco begins to come through. Here, the tobacco isn’t playing a giant role within the composition. It’s there, I can definitely smell it, but it gets overshadowed by the lavender.

A little further along, the balance does get better, but lavender is still in charge. There isn’t too much development, with D&G Pour Homme. There is a cedar base and some sweetness from tonka bean, but they are bit players.

What I’m ultimately left with is: lavender, tobacco, and neroli as the strongest part. Then, sage, lemon, and the rest of the notes combined together.

Sillage, Versatility, and Longevity

Quite frankly, the sillage on this isn’t all that powerful. You get pretty good projection for a few hours, and then, it sits closer to the skin. Not completely weak, but this Dolce fragrance isn’t a powerhouse.

The longevity is actually pretty good, but again, not great. It’ll go for 6-8 hours, on my skin, depending on the climate that day. It’s a very competent performer, overall.

Seasonally, it doesn’t strike me as being set for one type of climate. It’s citrus and soapy, so it’s fine with the warmer weather. On the flip side, the tobacco and spice, fits well into the colder months.

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme is a good daily wear. It’s attractive, clean, and fresh. Though, I wouldn’t call it all that ‘sexy’ It’s the type of cologne that can pretty much fit in anywhere.

Overall Impression of D&G Pour Homme

Do I like this scent? I like it, but I don’t love it. It’s a lot of lavender and neroli. Which is good, if you want a clean and soapy scent, but that’s usually not my style.

That being said, I enjoyed it for what it is. I like the citrus notes, up top. Personally, I like the smell of sage, but others aren’t too fond. Finally, when the tobacco gets to come in more, is when this fragrance is at its best.

It certainly has its strengths, enough to be worthwhile of a try, particularly the fact of its great versatility. All in all, this is a good cologne, but doesn’t cross into great for me.

7 Best Amber Scented Perfumes for Women

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Amber is a very popular ingredient to add to fragrance compositions. It can be found in literally thousands of scents. However, it doesn’t always get to be the main focus of a perfume, and comes in mostly in a supporting role. In this post, I want to highlight some of the best ladies’ fragrance options, in which amber is a major player/the main attraction.

What are the Best Smelling Amber Fragrances for Women?

Herbal Spice and Warm Amber

Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 50 Ml– If warm amber-y fragrance are your thing, then, Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens is an affordable choice versus some of the higher end specialty scents out there.

It has enough spice to make it stand out, mostly of the herbal variety, with a smooth resinous amber note. Great. I really enjoyed the smoky aspect of this fragrance and it had staying power in the 7-8 hour range, when I tested it out.  Ambre Sultan Review

Sweet Creamy Amber

Hermes L’Ambre Des Merveilles for Women Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 Ounce– A very underrated and not too well known entry from the Hermes lineup. L’Ambre Des Merveilles, takes the popular caramel and citrus blend found in many other best selling ladies’ fragrances, and just does it better. It starts off with that beautiful caramel note and what smells like orange, with floral undertones.

To my nose, I detected a really nice peach note, which takes over the orange and plays off of the salty caramel. This is wrapped up in a creamy vanilla and surrounded by the warmth of amber. L’Ambre isn’t super heavy, rather, it is softer and airy.

The aroma will hit the wearer throughout the day in bursts. This Hermes scent is quite versatile and can be worn at the office while being attractive enough for date nights. Full L’Ambre Des Merveilles Review

Michael Kors Daily Wear

Michael Kors Sexy Amber Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– As the name suggests, the main note is amber which is combined with white floral and sandalwood. Sexy Amber is a warm perfume that is quite seductive and alluring, with a powdery finish.

Sandalwood is the main attraction, as it wears on, but enough jasmine peaks through to make things interesting. A fairly linear fragrance, overall, but one that smells really good within that simplicity. Less of a niche scent, fairly affordable, and beautiful wear.

Prada Amber and Patchouli

PRADA AMBER For Women By PRADA Eau De Parfum Spray 2.7 Oz– I’m not that big of a fan of the men’s version of Prada Amber, as I feel it’s not enough amber, and way too floral/clean. However, the women’s edition of this name is really great. Plenty of sweetness, patchouli (which gives this one more of a gourmand feeling), and a superb amber ingredient.

Smooth, spicy, clean, with some deliciously edible aspects. At times, it is smooth and sweet, with vanilla and honey. Next, it is warm and spicy, with floral and green aromas. Quite resinous and warm, not a scent for everybody, but can be amazing for amber lovers.

The Best Dior Option

Dune By Christian Dior For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces
A lovely and elegant scent dating back to the early 1990s from Christian Dior. It is fresh, sensual, and great for the warmer months. Dune is dry and woody with sandalwood, rosewood, and amber being the main highlights. There are spiced notes and undertones of vanilla, which keep it sweet.

This is amber within a more cooperative setting, but man, is it nice. Dune is a very smooth and a pretty low key scent. This one could be a unisex fragrance in reality, with its woody tones, and serves as a great change of pace from the usual popular fare.

dune

Sweet and Spicy

Histoires de Parfums Ambre 114 Eau De Parfum Spray, 2 Fl Oz– Ambre 114 kicks off with some earthy spiciness courtesy of nutmeg and patchouli. Then, hints of vanilla and tonka bean float just underneath the surface.

Amber is utterly perfect, in the heart of this fragrance, stuck between the spicier elements and the sweet creaminess. Well-blended and a very nice performer.

Popular Blend with Amber

Thierry Mugler Alien Refillable Eau de Parfum Spray, 3 Ounce– Another mainstream fragrance option, with a very nice amber note, playing a major part. Alien is an interesting fragrance for women, as the name itself suggests, there is something exotic. foreign, or even other worldly about this scent.

Floral and woody notes blend together and top it off with a kick of spice. It’s sweet and loud and a perfume that really shines in the wintertime. Alien is led by jasmine as the floral, surrounded by warm amber, and with a woody base.

This fragrance lets itself be known, can overwhelm some, but others swear by its power and cannot do without this Mugler creation.

L’Homme Ideal EDT by Guerlain

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Looking through my haul of fragrance samples, I noticed that I had two scents with the L’Homme Ideal moniker. They had two separate colored sprayers and information cards but I really didn’t know if there was a difference.

It turns out that L’Homme Ideal (the subject of this review) has a flanker fragrance called L’Homme Ideal Cologne…yes, they just added the word cologne to it.

Anyways, I grabbed the original, and decided to wear it around for purposes of this review. I’m going to cover all of the usual stuff in this post, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, etc. Please continue reading below for my full take.

What Does L’Homme Ideal Smell Like?

Notes include: almond, citrus, leather, tonka bean, bitter orange, orange blossom, vetiver, and cedar

Click here to try: Guerlain L’Homme Ideal EDT Spray for Men, 1.6 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of L’Homme Ideal is a fresh blast of almond and woody spice. Lurking in the background is a sweetness that is quite nice and flanked by the leather note. I love the nuttiness of the opening act and how it also gets paired with a blend of citrus notes.

The citrus is fresh and reminds me somewhat of the Cologne version of Ideal, but this one still stays in more of a nutty/leathery mode, in totality.

The overall sweetness never strays into the ‘girly perfume’ territory as it sits atop the leather, vetiver, and cedar notes. This gives L’Homme Ideal an excellent platform to start from.

One thing that I really enjoy about this gourmand fragrance, is the inclusion of the citrus notes. They are never overpowering or brought out as the main attraction in this cologne, but they do provide an energy, and a change of pace from the rest of the composition.

The citrus isn’t huge throughout, but this blend does hang around, giving Ideal the slightest clean boost throughout its time on my skin.

Of course, there is the smooth warmth of the tonka bean, which is one of my personal favorites. The almond is the main star in this fragrance and during the dry down period, it kind of reminds me of Man in Black by Blvgari, as it has a warm spiciness that is sort of like an alcoholic drink.

I get a smooth and creamy blend during the final stages, that is peppered with some rosemary herbal spice. Leather, tonka bean, and almond with a fresh base of cedar and cool vetiver. When L’Homme Ideal is performing well, it is a fantastic smelling cologne.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s pretty moderate. It’s not an absolute monster in this regard but it does the job pretty well. Longevity, is decent most of the time.

I’ve worn it a few times and I’ll get 4 good hours out of it and the 6-7 the next time. It’s not great, but it’s passable.

I’ve been wearing this here in June, after the official start of summer, but it’s not really built for the hot days outside. It’s fine at night when it cools off a bit, but L’Homme Ideal would excel during the colder months of the year, like a lot of fragrances seem to do.

I would try to wear this during autumn through early spring, preferably. Again, in the evening hours of the summer, it holds up pretty well on my skin. Though, I try to stay indoors, for optimal sillage and longevity.

It does have a good versatility, as it’s subtle enough to wear at work yet still quite sexy and attractive to wear on a date. The more that I went through the sample, the more it grew on me, and the more complements I received.

I think the first few hours is going to be when you’ll actually get complemented on Ideal. After that, it might have turned too light for many people to notice, outside of those who are close by.

Overall Impression of Guerlain L’Homme Ideal

Overall, I think L’Homme Ideal EDT is great. It is one of my favorites from the batch of around 40 or so samples that I recently got. The longevity could be better but aside from that, it smells fantastic, and is very well put together.

I do feel like, I already have a million options in the Fall/Winter space, like Man in Black or Armani Code Profumo. So, I’m not sure if I’ll pick up a full bottle at some point, but it is worth looking into.

Update: Coming back to this fragrance and working my way through the rest of the sample, I can say, that I truly enjoyed wearing this fragrance. The scent itself, is super attractive and great to wear. The performance could be better, and if it was an elite performer, it’d probably make my list of best colognes.