Azzaro Wanted vs. Chrome Comparison

by

It’s been a while since I’ve done a new fragrance comparison post, so, let’s knock one out. Today, I am going to be breaking down two popular scents by Azzaro: Chrome vs. Wanted. Which is the better cologne? The classic or the newer release? Which has better longevity? Sillage? Ultimately, which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape

Azzaro Chrome

Click here to try: Men’s Chrome by Azzaro Eau de Toilette Spray – 3.4 oz.

Notes include: neroli, lemon, bergamot, rosemary, pineapple, musk, woods, and jasmine

Read my review: Chrome Review

Azzaro Wanted

Notes include: tonka bean, lemon, cardamom, vetiver, juniper, ginger, geranium, mint, amber wood

Click here to try: Azzaro Wanted Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read my review: Azzaro Wanted

Opening

Chrome opens up with top notes of pineapple and lemon, which lends to its bright and somewhat sharp aroma. These notes are joined by floral ones, being jasmine and neroli.

The latter two help to give Chrome is clean and soapy qualities. Chrome isn’t just your typical citrus/floral, but it also has an aquatic feeling, throughout the wear.

Wanted begins with lemon, ginger, mint, and woods. It’s actually quite sweet and warm, with an Invictus-like aroma. This becomes especially true, when the cardamom and tonka bean come in fully. Wanted is warm, sweet, thick, and somewhat spicy.

Which is better? Honestly, I prefer Chrome much more than the start of Wanted. I like its cleanliness and that metallic scent, more so than, the start of Wanted. The latter isn’t that appealing, at the top, to my nose.

Edge: Chrome

Projection

Ultimately, they are both moderate fragrances. However, I think that Wanted starts off as having a stronger sillage, than does Chrome. Chrome can be fairly strong, but doesn’t reach the same height as Wanted.

Edge: Wanted 

Longevity

These two fragrances, are also pretty close, in terms of how long each lasts. Chrome has the ability to go 7-8 hours. Meanwhile, Wanted usually ranges from 7-9. Most of the time, it’ll be about the same, but Wanted can go a little longer in the right climate conditions.

Edge: Wanted 

Versatility

Chrome is good for year round daily wear. It can be worn at the office, school, or casually. Wanted can too, but Chrome is generally more appropriate. Azzaro Wanted is the better bet for nightlife, out of these two. There’s no real distinction in this category.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Wanted has some nice parts to its wear. I’m not a big fan of the opening, as I find it too sharp, and like a worse version of Invictus. However, once the wood and tonka bean get going, I think that it turns around and is more enjoyable. It has good performance and isn’t a bad option at all.

Granted, neither of these fragrances are something that I want to reach for often. But if I had to, I would pick Chrome, on a more frequent basis. Yes, it’s been around a long time and isn’t super complex.

I just appreciate its upbeat freshness, metallic undertones, aquatic smell, and the woody dry down period. It’s not exactly as good of a performer as is Wanted, but it is close enough, to not be a big deal.

Chrome is a no-brainer, that is easy to wear, and gets a lot of complements. There’s a reason it has been a solid starter cologne, for its third decade. Again, not a huge fan of either, but Chrome is more pleasant.

Winner: Chrome

5 Best Smelling Lalique Perfumes for Her

by

Lalique is a fairly popular brand in the fragrance world, with a whole host of scents available, for both men and women. This French brand is known for jewelry and other fashion staples and has been around for many decades. In this post, I want to take a bit of a closer look at their fragrance lineup. I have selected five of what can be considered the best smelling fragrances for women by Lalique.

What are the Best Smelling Lalique Perfumes?

Most Popular Berries

Amethyst by Lalique for Women 3.3 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Amethyst is probably the most popular Lalique perfume for her. It is full of delicious black and blueberries and a sweet tart note of black currant.

This is a juicy fruit fragrance with some light musk and rose notes, in the background of the scent. It’s not too sweet, nor too loud, but a nice daily wear scent for those who dig these fruit notes.

During the latter stages, there is a woody base to solidify things, and it plays nicely off of the berries.

Light Peachy Musk

Lalique Reve D’infini Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.3 Fl Oz– Reve d’Infini is a light and easy to wear perfume, with a nice bright fruity top act, which transitions into more of a floral/musk scent.

The sillage isn’t too heavy but the performance is good overall. It has a peachy sort of aroma to it and dries down with a dash of vanilla.

Spicy Power

Lalïquë Pêrles De Lalïquë Perfume for Women 3.3 fl.Oz Eau De Parfum Spray– Perles de Lalique takes a different tact from the other perfumes on the list. This is an outdoorsy fragrance for ladies with a peppery scent that is laden with patchouli.

Beyond that, you get a dry slightly rosy dry down, with a solid cedar note at the base. This has a stronger sillage than some of the others and is wholly distinct from the others.

Clean Powder Fragrance

Lalique Perfume for Women 3.3 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– This is an older scent, but one the more popular ones. Lalique for Women is a fruity and powdery scent, with a nice iris note floating throughout the heart. It is clean with a pear note and creamy with sandalwood.

Lalique is well blended and a solid performing daily wear, with the juicy blackberry note being the main highlight, of the scent.

Summertime Citrus Floral

Lalique L’Amour Eau de Parfum, 3.3 Fl Oz– L’Amour is one for the floral lovers. Most of the rest of the list, is fruity/floral dominant. While this does have a citrus zest at the top, L’Amour, is loaded with jasmine, gardenia, and neroli.

It is light and fun, a great wear for the spring and summer months, for work or casual or even more formal occasions. The sillage here is light, but the good news is, that it has such great versatility. L’Amour is really a Jack of all trades, kind of scent. Nice soft floral, with a light musk, and citrus top.

There you have it, the five best scents for ladies by Lalique. I will come back and make any changes needed to this post, over time, and potentially add some more selections. As for now, these five should get the job done just fine.

Eternity for Men EDP by Calvin Klein

by

In the midst of all of these new reviews, I’ve been writing up, I had the chance to try out the new release from Calvin Klein: Eternity for Men EDP. Yes, they are putting out an eau de parfum flanker under the Eternity name, some 30 years after its been out. Fine. But how does this 2019 edition smell? What’s its performance like? Is it even worth a try?

What Does Eternity EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: cypress, suede, sage, geranium, vetiver, apple, and more

Click here to try: Calvin Klein Eternity for Men Eau de Parfum, 3.4 Fl Oz

My Full Wear Review

The immediate opening of Eternity has some pretty obvious similarities with the original. However, the most noticeable difference is the absence of a strong sandalwood note.

It doesn’t have that same soapy quality, which may either be a good or bad thing, depending on your tastes.

Eternity EDP starts off with a nice crisp apple note, perhaps some light citrus (if so, it’s not listed), and a good amount of sage. It’s fresh and herbal, with a solidly powerful sillage, at the top. This initial smell, lasts for a little while longer, before the cypress fully takes control.

The cypress is an interesting note, within this composition. I like it, giving Eternity EDP that woodsy clean aroma, without being overbearing about it. I feel like the suede helps to keep things balanced and smooths out the overall cologne.

This CK scent has a similar style (not exactly similar smell) to something along the lines of Chanel Egoiste Platinum. It’s funny, because I put on Platinum the day after I first wore this, and the idea immediately struck me.

During the dry down, the sage, begins to fade. The whole scent is much less herbal, but the woodsy smell amps up, on my skin. Again, it’s mostly the cypress with suede, but I do get a good deal of geranium and a slight musky air.

Sillage and How Long Does it Last?

Eternity EDP starts off projecting itself, pretty strong. Not an absolute monster, but definitely brings the power, for about an hour or so. Then, it settles into a much more moderate fragrance. Noticeable but not one to take over a room, with normal sprays.

For me, the longevity was decent. Somewhere in the 5-7 hour range, is about what this one seems to do. Not ideal, but not a complete waste, either.

Mostly in line with what other releases from this house have been over the past 15 years or so. They almost all seem to fall into that range of wear.

Versatility

I like this scent for guys in their late 20s and up. It just fits more with an older man’s, sort of style. It’s not an ‘old man’ cologne, let’s just call it, more mature.

Nonetheless, it does have a nice style to it, and an attractive/sexy quality. Eternity EDP can go from the office to a night on the town or be worn casually.

Seasonally, I’d put it in the autumn to springtime range. It wasn’t too great in the summer heat, but inside with the AC on, the fragrance sat beautifully.

Overall Scent

Do I like Eternity eau de parfum? I do. It’s a nice mainstream woodsy cologne, which still gives a nod, to the original release from Calvin Klein. It doesn’t stray into too niche of  an aroma, with the cypress note, but finds a good balance with the suede.

Is it amazing? No, but it’s a very wearable and enjoyable cologne. The longevity could be a bit better, but this one, does everything at least somewhat well. I probably wouldn’t pay full retail price for it, but would consider it when it gets discounted.

I took the same tact, with Eternity Aqua, which is great at $20 but not so much at full price. This strikes me as being in that camp. Not worthwhile at retail, but with that heavy discount a lot of CK colognes inevitably reach, Eternity EDP could be a decent pickup.

6 Colognes that Smell Like the Ocean or Beach

by

Since summertime is fully upon us now, in the northern hemisphere, images of the ocean and sitting on the beach are in full swing. There are plenty of sights, sounds, and indeed aromas which we associate with these locations; many of which, have been distilled into all sorts of different fragrances. Today, I want to create a list of men’s colognes with a marine or beach aroma, that evokes these smells in a bottle.

What Men’s Fragrances Smell Like the Ocean or Beach?

Alright, I’ve already done a list of the best aquatic colognes, on this site. As such, there is going to be a bit of an overlap, but you can treat that list as a supplement to this one. Check it out, there are some great fragrances featured in that post.

For this one, I am going to solely focus on colognes with a distinct oceanic aroma or other options which bring up images of the beach. A slight differentiation from ‘aquatic’, but a distinction, nonetheless.

Best Oceanic Scent

BVLGARI Aqva Atlantiqve Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3 Ounce– Aqva Atlantiqve is possibly the best of the Aqva releases from Bvlgari, ever since it was released. The fragrance bears somewhat of resemblance to Dylan Blue, except with a much greater oceanic note, permeating its heart.

The two are most alike at the start, when the citrus is strongest. The sea notes are there, but it isn’t overly salty, and there is of course the ambergris. Atlantiqve does a great job at evoking the depths of the ocean, while still bringing the pleasant citrus notes.

Summer by the Pool

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Intense Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 1.6 Ounce– Eau Intense never completely struck me like an ‘ocean’ scent, rather, it was like sitting by the pool at a hotel on the coast. You get that salty breeze element, but the immediate aquatic aroma, isn’t that oceanic…at least to me. 

The other thing about Intense, is the addition of a ‘frozen’ grapefruit note, which does give this one a great chilled feeling. That’s pretty great on a hot summer’s day. This is one of my favorite aquatic/marine fragrances. I like it better than the original and its performance is great. Eau Intense Review

Citrus and Seaweed

Bvlgari Aqua By Bvlgari For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces– The original Aqva really goes full on with the oceanic theme, as it uses seaweed as its main ingredient. The top is actually much more citrus, utilizing two types of orange notes, some cedar, and the sea weed.

As it passes about 10 minutes, you get the salty sea water, to go along with the more prominent sea weed. There’s also some lavender, in the picture.

Aqva does give you a really good approximation of an ocean scent, but the sillage is pretty weak, and it lasts for about 5 hours. So, if you get it, get it for cheap. Oh and go heavier with the sprays. Bvlgari Aqva Review

Dark and Spicy Depths

Giorgio Armani Aqua di Gio Profumo, 4.2 Fluid Ounce– Acqua di Gio Profumo is based on the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It does feel deep and dark at times, but is dominated by bergamot and the salty sea notes.

What is interesting, is how they add incense notes, which give a smoky depth to this fragrance, along with some earthy notes like patchouli. Rosemary, sage, and the incense create a spicy herbal aroma in this fragrance, which I think is great.

Profumo has really good sillage and longevity. Ultimately, it is an oceanic/bergamot blend with the smoky herbal spice undertones. Acqua di Gio Profumo Review

Drink on the Beach

Tommy Bahama St. Barts Men Cologne,3.4 Fl Oz– Set Sail St. Barts starts off with that potent lime note with a creamy almost coconut-like scent lurking underneath. It’s also boozy and features a guava fruit note, at the top. It’s like sitting on a beach with a drink in hand, as it does contain tequila.

However, you don’t just get the tropical drink thoughts, as it does dry down with a great sea salt spray note and palm tree. I really like wearing this one during the summer, since I picked up a bottle years ago.

The sillage isn’t amazing, but I can get 6-7 hours of longevity, when I go heavy on the sprays. I will say, you’ll want to buy it at a discount, as the performance isn’t great enough to pay full Tommy Bahama prices. St. Barts Review

Simple and Beachy

JAKE (BLUE EDITION) * Hollister 1.7 oz / 50 ml EDC Men Cologne Spray– Jake is the other best seller from Hollister besides Socal. This one is much more straightforward in my opinion, but it has a really great aroma within its simplicity.

It has a citrus top that features a slight floral kind of sweetness over the top of a wood/sea water base. Fresh summer shore vibe, that is pleasant all around.

If you can get this at a discounted price, this is a good cheapie option for the summer, particularly for younger guys.

Armani Stronger With You vs Code Profumo Comparison

by

For this entry into the men’s cologne comparisons, I want to take a closer look at two wintertime wears, from the Armani collection: Stronger With You vs. Armani Code Profumo. Which smells better? Which has the greater performance? Sillage? Ultimately, which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Profumo vs. Stronger with You

Armani Code Profumo

Notes include: leather, amber, tonka bean, cardamom, lavender, and nutmeg

Click here to try: Giorgio Armani Code Profumo EDP Spray for Men, 3.7 Ounce

Read my full review: Code Profumo Review

Stronger With You

Notes include: vanilla, mint, cardamom, chesnut, amber, pink pepper, sage, violet leaf

Click here to try: Emporio Armani Stronger With You for Men Eau de Toilette Spray, 1.7 oz

Read my full review: Stronger with You

Opening

Code Profumo begins with amber and tonka bean. It also has a top of citrus, nutmeg, and cardamom. It’s warmly sweet, a bit spicy, and has a certain fizziness to it. Sort of like a cream soda.

Stronger With You starts off with cardamom, pink pepper, and mint. It strikes me as being more along the lines of something like, Azzaro Wanted. It is really fresh and has a nice personality, before the sweet vanilla, comes in.

Which is better? Code Profumo. I don’t particularly like the cardamom heavy start of Stronger, though, it does get much more enjoyable as it dries down. Code Profumo is a bit more interesting and the tonka/amber combination smells better, at the start.

Edge: Code Profumo

Projection

Stronger with You has a strong sillage. It’s not insanely powerful, but it will create a large scent bubble around you, as you wear it. Profumo is also strong, probably about the same sillage as its competitor. I don’t really see much of a difference here.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Stronger with You will go for about 9 hours, but it can go over 10, at times. It’s got a very good performance. With Code Profumo, I always get 10+ hours of wear. It’s doesn’t have a huge amount of extra staying power, but Code Profumo is a slightly better.

Edge: Profumo

Versatility

Both of these fragrances, are more suited toward cold weather, and for the nightlife. You can wear them at the office or at school, but these should be sprayed lightly, in those scenarios.

I wouldn’t be wearing either of these, when it gets warmer out, as they don’t hold up too well. There is no clear distinction, in this category.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Stronger With You, doesn’t have the best opening act, and it made me worried that it wasn’t going to be a good fragrance. However, it improves greatly throughout its development, and ultimate is a very nice cologne. It ends up with a dry woody aroma, led by vanilla, and a great chestnut note.

In my mind, the chestnut note, holds this one together. The cedar, sage, and amber that comes through gives it a much different vibe than its opening. The performance is also quite good.

However, it isn’t quite as good as Code Profumo, in my opinion. There are aspects that I enjoy more from Stronger, but it isn’t as consistent during the entire wear. Profumo is sweet, creamy, and bold. The amber, tonka bean, and leather are rich and super smooth together. It’s fantastic in the winter.

For that, I’m giving the win to Code Profumo. Actually, the newer Code Absolu, is better than both but in this limited match up Profumo takes it.

Winner: Profumo