Polo Red vs Polo Red Extreme Comparison

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or this cologne comparison, I am going to do a head to head look at two Ralph Lauren fragrances, from the Polo Red line: Red vs. Red Extreme. Which one of this scents smells better? The original Red has enjoyed a lot of popularity over this decade, but does its newer flanker release, surpass it? Which lasts longer? Continue below for the full breakdown.

Tale of the Tape: Red Extreme vs Polo Red

Polo Red

Notes include: grapefruit, italian lemon, cranberry, saffron, sage, coffee beans, and amber

Click here to try: POLO RED by Ralph Lauren, 4.2 Fl Oz

Read my full review: Polo Red

Polo Red Extreme

Notes include: blood orange, coffee, ebony wood

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

Read my review: Polo Red Extreme

Opening

Polo Red opens up with a bright mix of citrus and cranberry. The citrus notes are lemon and grapefruit, which provides an upbeat and juicy aroma, to go along with that tart cranberry. The cranberry is the strongest note, in this cologne, and it is all wrapped up in an increasingly strengthening amber.

Polo Red Extreme opens with coffee and blood orange. I also pick up on some of that same cranberry note, but it isn’t listed officially. The blood orange is great and they invert the coffee note in Polo Red (which was weaker) and make it the main attraction.

Which is better? I like Polo Red, but Red Extreme really captures my attention. It’s very simple at the start with a juicy blood orange and warm coffee, but there is some spice and the base note of ebony wood.

Edge: Red Extreme

Projection

Polo Red starts off strong for me and then goes into a moderate sort of scent. Meanwhile, Extreme is pretty darn strong, and stays that way. It doesn’t require more than a few sprays.

Edge: Extreme

Longevity

If I go heavy with the application of Polo Red, I can get it to last somewhat longer, but it hits the 4-6 hour range with normal sprays. Polo Red Extreme lives up to the name and can last in that 8-10 hour range, it’s very good in this regard.

Edge: Extreme

Versatility

Polo Red has always been more of a spring/summer wear for me. It’s a casual type of scent you would wear hanging out, to class, and possibly to work. Not really much of a sexy fragrance.

Red Extreme is more geared to fall/winter, but could venture into more moderate temps. It’s simple yet attractive, but I don’t know if one really has an advantage over the other here.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Polo Red was a really nice release, when it came out years ago. I enjoyed wearing it around and thought that the cranberry note was an interesting ingredient to use. It has that really tart fruit aroma that gets tempered by amber, as it moves along. I always wished that the performance was better.

Later on, Polo Red Extreme was released, and it’s a much better fragrance in my mind. Quite linear, but the coffee and blood orange combination are great, and pretty unique.

Add to that, a base of ebony wood note, and you have a rich and smooth cologne that outdoes the original. It has become one of Ralph Lauren’s best men’s fragrances and wins this head to head, fairly easily.

Winner: Extreme

Artisan Blu by John Varvatos

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Another sample that I recently picked up with my last order, was Artisan Blu by John Varvatos. I had never come across this particular flanker fragrance from the Artisan line, and was curious, as to how it would smell. This was released in 2016.

So, I’ve been wearing it recently, and gathering my impressions on both its composition and performance. Please continue below for my full thoughts on Artisan Blu.

What does Artisan Blu Smell Like?

Notes include: lavender, basil, bergamot, bitter orange, chayote, pine, geranium, orange blossom, sage, cedar, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: John Varvatos Artisan Blu Men’s Cologne Spray, 4.2 fl. Oz. EDT

My Full Wear Review

Before I get into my review, let’s see what John Varvatos says about Artisan Blu: is the ultimate embodiment of crystal blue waters under the warmth of the Mediterranean sun.

Okay, so, we know from the name and the description that we’re in for a sunny aquatic fragrance. The opening is full of citrus, from the bergamot and bitter orange notes.

The bergamot is the stronger of the two, and it does have, that beachy vibe. Sharp citrus with spicy basil and sage, really peaking through, at the top.

So, almost right away, I noticed the similarities between this and Mandarino di Amalfi. I grabbed my sample of that fragrance, put it on my other arm, and compared the two. The Tom Ford, is much more refined, and the citrus is different (lemon and grapefruit).

The main similarities come with the sage and herbal spices that flank the citrus. They’re not exactly the same, but do have some relations.

The spiciness of Artisan Blu, is what keeps it from going into pure citrus territory. Very herbal, with strong basil, some patchouli, and sage with weakens as the wear moves on.

Now, the chayote note, gives this one much of its crisp watery vibe. The water isn’t completely like salt water or anything, but it does give a slight marine-like aroma.

As it dries down, the lavender comes out, and also a very dry woody combo of pine and cedar. The further along in the wear I get, the soapier the blend becomes. Much more green than the initial tropical blue citrus impression, my mind went to.

Ultimately, I get lots of bergamot, lavender, pine, basil, chayote. Wrapped all together it is a zesty freshness with soapy qualities. The citrus is still the standout for the entire wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is honestly, not great. It’s pretty good for about an hour or so, and then, falls off of the map pretty much. Artisan Blu pretty quickly and consistently moves into skin scent territory.

That skin scent, seems to last for around 4-5 hours, before evaporating. Yeah, the performance isn’t great. That is a pretty common theme with a lot of Varvatos fragrances.

None of them have good performance, some are okay, and a whole bunch just fail completely at this price point. It’s a shame, because they are unique and often nice smelling colognes.

Seasonally, this one is late spring and summertime all the way. Very semi-casual or casual sort of scent, to wear on a warm day outdoors or to the office when it is nice out. Probably best worn by men mid-20s and up versus something that a teen guy would put on.

Overall Impressions of Artisan Blu

Overall, do I like Artisan Blu? I like the smell, it is quite pleasant. The citrus top is great and I like the later contrast with the pine note.

It is an interesting composition, which adds depth to the usual summertime citrus. The basil and sage combination isn’t something that I’m too excited about in this one. Also, I wish it was more of a citrus aquatic rather than drying down into soapy woods.

Blu is nice enough, it’s clean. Is it amazing? No. The performance leave a lot to be desired both in power and longevity. If it did better in those respects, this would be a great summer option, for day wear.

As it stands, maybe grab it, if you can buy at a heavy discount and reapply. However, I always see this at a higher retail price of around $100 or so (currently), which is way too much versus what you’re getting out of this one. With better performance? Maybe. Just not the way it actually is.

Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford

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For today’s review, I am finally getting around to doing a full write up of Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford. I am still getting through my reviews of fragrances from this designer and this is among the most highly regarded of the bunch. This one came out in 2007. But how does it actually smell? Does it have good performance? What are the ingredients?

What does Tobacco Vanille Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco, vanilla, dried fruit accords, cocoa, tonka bean, wood sap, spices

Click here to try: Tom Ford Beauty Tobacco Vanille Private Blend Spray/3.4 oz.

My Full Review

Tobacco Vanille opens up with a lot of very sweet tobacco, vanilla, cocoa, and creamy tonka bean. It is loud and really sweet, which I think puts off many people from giving this a fair shake, because it can kind of be overwhelming at the start.

The sweetness is somewhat offset by a layer of unnamed spice, but from what I can tell is mostly cinnamon. It’s a warm enveloping cloud of tobacco and familiar gourmand notes.

One thing about the sweetness is that it has a dry and powdered quality to the aroma. The cocoa note smells like cocoa powder and the dried fruit accord provides a different type of sweet scent from that of the strong vanilla and cocoa.

As it dries down, it becomes less sugary sweet, and more of a rich and dark aroma. It’s a very thick fragrance, smooth overall, but notes like the wood sap give it a resinous undertone.

As it dries down, I get more of the tobacco as a stand alone, that is less drowned out by the gourmand notes. It’s a green leafy tobacco, not a cured and toasted one. This is surrounded by sap and spices.

Plus, the sweet combo of the cocoa and vanilla, which lend it a creamy powdery disposition. It’s pretty much what I get for the rest of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Tobacco Vanille is really quite strong at first. It’ll stay that way for a few hours, but I’d put it on the upper edge of moderate for the rest of the wear. It isn’t a super bomb scent for the entire way, but it can hit hard at first.

Longevity is great. It’s an all day wear, and can hit double digit hours of wear, with only a couple of sprays. Probably in the 11-12 hour range, at its best.

This one has always stuck to my skin very well and kept going. I’m not sure everyone will experience the same, but it’s one of the best performing Tom Ford scents for me.

Seasonally, it’s a cold weather scent. Too much warmth and sweetness to be of use for me in the spring/summer, but it’s great when the temperatures drop. Very versatile, sexy enough to be worn out at night, but mature enough for office wear.

Doesn’t offend and gets positive reactions from people, as long as you’re not doing a crazy number of sprays. Also, it’s more masculine than anything, but it is still within the realm of being a unisex scent.

Overall Impressions of Tobacco Vanille

Overall, do I like Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford? Yes, it is a very good tobacco based fragrance. The dry down period is my favorite part, because it doesn’t have the same in your face sweetness, but I cannot say that I totally dislike the opening either.

It is expensive, but this is one of the Tom Ford scents that has really great performance, while being pleasing to wear. If you live in a very humid climate, it might not be the best choice. Obviously, you’ll also need to like the smell of tobacco.

For me, this is one of the Tom Ford perfumes that I can and do enjoy. Though, it isn’t my favorite or one that I personally want to wear all of the time. Especially since, the autumn and winter is when I get to break out a whole host of other scents with a dark, sweet, spicy profile.

Other Tom Ford scents like: Noir Extreme and Parfum. Different high end stuff like Oajan, Angels’ Share and Chanel’s Egoiste.

So, I do recommend giving this one a try at least. But, I already have a glut of fragrances with a similar use case, and this one gets left out of the mix for me.

Versace Man Eau Fraiche vs L’eau D’Issey

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For this entry, I am going to do a head to head comparison between two popular citrus fragrances, that guys like to wear in the spring/summer months: Versace Man Eau Fraiche vs. L’eau D’Issey by Issey Miyake. Which of these two colognes smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy overall? I am going to break down each of these scents, by different metrics, and as always I have linked my original review of each below.

Tale of the Tape

L’eau D’Issey

Notes include: lemon, yuzu, tarragon, bergamot, tobacco, vetiver, lotus, nutmeg, musk, cedar, sandalwood, lily

Click here to try: L’eau De Issey By Issey Miyake For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 6.7 Oz

Read my review: L’eau D’Issey

Versace Man Eau Fraiche

Notes include: Lemon, Rosewood, Carambola, Cedar leaves, Tarragon, Sage, Musk, Amber, Sycamore

Click here to try: Versace Man Eau Fraiche By Gianni Versace For Men Edt Spray 3.4 Oz

Read my review: Man Eau Fraiche

Opening

L’eau D’Issey starts off with the citrus notes of yuzu and lemon but doesn’t have the usual sweet juiciness of other fragrances. It is instead pretty sharp and has a dry tone from the woods, spices, and tobacco. It’s actually my least favorite part from this cologne.

Man Eau Fraiche meanwhile, also starts out with citrus notes of lemon and bergamot, plus, starfruit. It is much brighter and cleaner than is the Issey Miyake. More along the lines of what you’d expect with these kinds of notes. I prefer how this Versace fragrance opens when compared to L’eau D’Issey.

Edge: Man Eau Fraiche

Projection

The Issey Miyake cologne starts off with strong sillage and then calms down into more of a moderate. I would always go 2-3 sprays with this scent. Eau Fraiche has a pretty steady moderate wear for most of its life cycle before becoming lighter. Issey takes this category.

Edge: L’eau D’Issey

Longevity

I get 6-7 hours out of Versace Man Eau Fraiche before it evaporates. L’eau D’Issey is a 6-8 hour wear, depending on the day. The Issey Miyake doesn’t consistently hit that 8 hours, but it is at least capable of it.

Edge: L’Eau D’Issey (slightly)

Versatility

Both of these colognes are built for the summer months, but can be worn in winter too. Casual and office safe type of fragrances, with pleasant aromas, that are delightful but not necessarily sexy. Neither is a club beast, but on certain nights out they’d be fine. Not much separation here.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

This is actually one of the more balanced fragrance match ups that I’ve done, on this site. These two fragrances have similar performances and sort of occupy the same niche in men’s colognes. The question is which smells better?

I’ve worn Issey Miyake’s cologne a lot over the years, I really enjoy it. The citrus and herbal spice mix is quite nice to wear as it moves along, past the opening. It has a dry woody base, with a clean profile, and notes like nutmeg and tarragon providing the spice.

Versace Man Eau Fraiche, I think smells slightly better overall. I think it’s because it doesn’t have quite the level of spice or musk that L’eau D’Issey does. Though, it actually does have those ingredient too.

I think the citrus opening and that smell as a whole is better, than the Miyake, not by very much though. If I had to choose one to wear, out of 10 times, I’d probably pick the Versace 6 of them. It’s that close.

If you want a spicier, drier fragrance with a tad more musk, go with the Miyake. I prefer Versace Man Eau Fraiche a bit more.

Winner: Eau Fraiche (slightly)

Neroli Portofino vs Forte by Tom Ford Comparison

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Alright, so here we are with another head to head match up between two Tom Ford fragrances. In this edition, I am going to compare how the original Neroli Portofino measures up to its flanker, Neroli Portofino Forte. Which one of these perfumes smells the best? Does Forte outdo the original? Which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Portofino vs Forte

Neroli Portofino

Notes include: neroli, orange flower, amber, mandarin, bergamot, jasmine, lavender, lemon

Click here to try: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray

Review: Neroli Portofino

Neroli Portofino Forte

Notes include: neroli, orange flower, amber, mandarin, bergamot, jasmine, lavender, lemon

Click here to try: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray

Review: Neroli Portofino Forte

Opening

The opening of the original Neroli Portofino is a blast of lemon and other citrus notes, to go along with the neroli, and orange blossom. It has a citrusy top with floral undertones and a sort of soapy clean quality to it.

Forte, on the other hand, starts off musky and spicy, with white floral notes at the heart. Plus, there is a strong herbal spice, provided by the basil note. I really dislike how Forte starts off, it is just really off-putting. The musk and the basil beginning just isn’t as good as the original with the lemon and floral notes.

Edge: Neroli Portofino

Projection

The original Neroli Portofino was a pretty light fragrance, at best, the sillage was moderate at the start. Forte, isn’t heavy either but it is stronger and more consistently moderate throughout the wear. Clear edge.

Edge: Forte

Longevity

The original lasts on my skin for about 5-6 hours. Forte does do better and gives me 7-8 hours. Neither are super amazing in this department but the flanker does out duel the original.

Edge: Forte

Versatility

Both scents are spring/summer wears. Both are unisex and lean towards feminine. Both for more non-casual occasions. There isn’t a clear difference in this aspect.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I want to say that while I think that both of these versions of this namesake, smell nice, I’m not a huge fan of either. Neroli Portofino is a pretty simple fragrance, citrus with the orange blossom and neroli. Then, jasmine and lavender pop in to solidify the floral notes. It’s clean, soapy, and bright but also pretty similar to other scents that I’ve smelled.

Forte, I hate the beginning. However, it does get better, and is much more interesting than the original. Once you get past the first five minutes, the blood orange and bergamot, come out and add a zesty citrus.

Then, they add the leather note, which takes it to a different place than the original and it turns out quite well. Also, the better longevity and projection, make it much more worth paying those Tom Ford prices.

Again, neither is something that I’d personally buy, but Forte is the better fragrance overall.

Winner: Neroli Portofino Forte