Nautica Voyage vs Nautica Classic Comparison

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In this edition of the head to head fragrance comparisons, I’m going to be taking a look at two cheap options, from the brand Nautica. The two colognes are best sellers still, but which is the top wear: Nautica Classic vs. Voyage? I have worn each and will break them both down by category before declaring a winner. Which smells better? Which lasts longer? Which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape

Nautica Voyage

Notes include: apple, musk, cedar, lotus, amber, mimosa, and oak moss

Click here to try: Nautica Voyage Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 oz

Read my original review: Nautica Voyage Review

Nautica Classic

Notes include: lime, sage, cedar, sandalwood, jasmine, lemon, amber, musk, and more

Click here to try: Nautica Classic for Men by Nautica 3.4 oz 100ml EDT Spray

Opening

Voyage opens up with notes of apple, musk, and mimosa. It’s clean and has an aquatic feeling, but it isn’t oceanic, in its aroma. The crisp apple and mimosa create a watery sort of smell and this is layered with musk and some lotus flower.

Nautica Classic starts off with a clean blend of citrus with a fresh sea-like breeze to it. There is also a prominent jasmine note and some musk, which gives the scent a soapy sort of quality. Underneath this top is a woodsy/spicy blend with notes of sage, tarragon, and cinnamon.

Which is better? Nautica Classic has been reformulated and doesn’t really smell like how I remember it.

Nonetheless, I like how it starts off better than Voyage, which I never particularly enjoyed the first few minutes of. I like the citrus and spice blend and the soapy aroma isn’t too front and center, from the start.

Edge: Nautica

Projection

The sillage on Vyoage is pretty moderate. It is never loud or very bold, yet, it is quite consistent on my skin. It doesn’t just crap out, an hour in. Meanwhile, Classic, starts off about the same but it does weaken pretty darn fast. This is a case, where it was probably better in the past, but doesn’t compete now.

Edge: Voyage

Longevity

What I like about Voyage, is that, you do get a pretty solid performance for a low price. It will last 5-7 hours, on my skin, and never feels all that weak to me. Classic will go for around 3-4 hours of wear. That’s disappointing.

Edge: Voyage

Versatility

These two fragrances pretty much occupy the same space, as to when they should be worn. Both are best in warm weather, but fine for year round wear.

Both are better for casual situations, school, or maybe the office. They aren’t nighttime, club scents, or romantic wears. There’s no real separation between them.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

It’s difficult to do this comparison now. Nautica Classic isn’t the same as it was in the 1990s, from the actual smell, to the performance. I know that I smelled the old formulation, at the time, but it’s really hard to remember a scent from 25 years ago.

As such, I can only describe what it is now. The smell itself is nice enough. You get an upbeat citrus with aquatic elements up top. Herbal spice and jasmine, with some woodiness in the dry down. It is later pretty fresh and soapy.

The problem is, the scent really doesn’t perform well anymore. Yes, it’s only around $10 a bottle, but it could definitely be better than it is. For those reasons, I cannot give it an edge versus Voyage.

Voyage, still smells better in my opinion, and has the performance to back it up. I’m not a huge fan of how it starts, but I do like the dry down quite a lot. There’s a reason it’s basically the best selling cheap men’s cologne. It wins this match up, but honestly, you can grab a bottle of each for under $25…so it’s not too much of a stretch to just wear both.

Winner: Voyage

Azzaro Wanted vs. Invictus Cologne Comparison

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Two of the more popular fragrances for men over the past few years, have been, the two that we’re going to take a closer look at today. It’s pretty common for these two colonges, to be the final scents that a man will be deciding on buying. However, when it comes down to it between: Azzaro Wanted vs. Invictus by Paco Rabanne, which of these smells the best? Has better performance? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape

Invictus

Notes include: grapefruit, sea notes, mandarin orange, bay leaf, jasmine

Read my review

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

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

Invictus opens up with its citrus notes, bay leaf, and ambergris. It is fruity and sweet, with a grape bubble gum sort of aroma, and sea notes giving it an aquatic sensibility. Despite its sweetness, I really do enjoy the top notes here, and its probably my favorite part of the fragrance.

Wanted opens up with lemon, ginger, mint, and woods. It actually smells quite a bit like Invictus, which is why these two, so often get compared. Wanted is similar, but is spicier and woodier, than is Invictus. Then, the tonka bean and cardamom, come in and its becomes more distinct.

Which is better? I prefer Invictus. Wanted does a solid job at mimicking the start of Invictus, but I don’t think it does as good of a job. The lemon alone, can be kind of sharp.

Edge: Invictus

Projection

Invictus has a strong sillage for a decent amount of time, after first application, before it turns into a moderate cologne. Wanted starts off fairly strong, but it never seems to eclipse Invictus. Both are moderate, but Invictus is a bit bolder.

Edge: Invictus

Longevity

Invictus has better strength, for me, and will last about 6-7 hours. However, Wanted will go 7-9 hours, while not having the same sillage. Go figure. It’s actually a very steady fragrance, not a complete monster with its strength, but sticks around well.

Edge: Wanted

Versatility

Both are pretty versatile scents. I’d say, Invictus is better in the heat, and as a nightlife scent. Wanted is more mature and fit in as an office wear better. As a steady daily wear, I’d say that Wanted has a slight edge.

Edge: Wanted

Overall Scent

I’m not a huge fan of either of these fragrances. That being said, I like each, well enough. As it dries down, Wanted has a smooth fruitiness, with tonka bean, apple, and juniper berry coming in. It’s fresh, not super spicy but has a slight bite to it.

However, I still like Invictus more than Azzaro Wanted. The opening act is better than anything that Wanted, throws at me. The dry down of amber, jasmine, and sea notes is pleasing. I feel that Invictus is just a better blend of notes, overall.

There’s parts of Wanted, where I really don’t enjoy the smell much at all. Other parts of the wear, it smells nice, but Invictus just strikes me as the better scent.

Winner: Invictus

Coach Platinum vs. Sauvage EDT

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For this entry in the men’s fragrance, head to head match ups, we have two fragrances that often get compared: Dior Sauvage EDT vs. Coach Platinum. Which of these colognes smells better? Which lasts longer? Which is the better buy? In this post, I am going to break them down by category before declaring a winner. I have already tested and reviewed each, but which perfume for him, is the greater option?

Tale of the Tape: Coach Platinum vs. Sauvage EDT

Sauvage EDT

Notes include: Bergamot, Ambroxan, Sichuan Pepper, lavender, pink pepper, and more

Click here to try: Sauvage by Chrisitan Dior Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

Read my review: Sauvage EDT Review

Coach Platinum

Notes include: vanilla, sage, sandalwood, pineapple, leather, patchouli, black pepper, geranium, juniper berries

Click here to try: Coach New York Platinum Cologne for Men 3.3 fl.Oz Eau De Parfum Spray

My Review: Coach Platinum

Opening

Sauvage EDT opens up with a sharp bergamot note and spicy Sichuan pepper. This is quickly followed up by ambroxan and the latter emergence of lavender.

Coach Platinum begins with a great pineapple note, juniper, and black pepper. The pineapple top, burns off quickly, and more vanilla and leather come through in its place. After the pineapple moves on, its really about the juniper and spices, in the opening stages.

Which fragrance starts off better? I think I’ll lean toward Coach Platinum. The beginning of Sauvage EDT, has never really been a favorite of mine.

However, I don’t think Platinum is super great, either, just a bit better. The pineapple is gone too quickly and was a highlight of the top notes. Nonetheless, it takes this opening category.

Edge: Platinum

Projection

Sauvage starts off with a bang, before gradually becoming more moderate. It’s sillage is pretty darn strong at first, and overall, isn’t a weak fragrance.

Coach Platinum is decently strong at first, but pretty middle of the road, and its sillage stays in the 3-5 foot range. It never really gets to the level of Sauvage, though.

Edge: Sauvage

Longevity

With Platinum, I have been getting around 6-7 hours of wear. Sauvage has a wider range and one which goes longer. I get 6-9 hours, depending on the climate, on a particular day and what I’m doing. It does have the ability to go all day, in plenty of circumstances, and outdoes its opponent here.

Edge: Sauvage

Versatility

While both of these scents are pretty versatile and can be worn in almost any situation, I think that Sauvage has the edge in two ways. First, it is better in the heat, than is Platinum. Secondly, its stronger sillage, is probably better for nightclub sorts of environments. Though, Platinum is good for night wear, also. Otherwise, these are two quite well-rounded fragrances.

Edge: Sauvage (slightly)

Overall Scent

Coach Platinum is a nice scent. At times, it smells like Sauvage EDP, but more often like Luna Rossa Carbon. If you took that Prada scent, added vanilla and leather, and some different spices; you’d essentially have Coach Platinum.

Albeit, a version that I think, doesn’t smell nearly as good or as balanced. The pineapple note is great, but short-lived. The ultimate dry down of vanilla, leather, and sandalwood also works quite well. The rest of it? Is decent.

Sauvage EDT isn’t my favorite fragrance, but I like wearing more so than Coach Platinum. It has a lot of intensity up top, but the lavender and ambroxan dry down is smoother, and really pleasant. The performance is better than Platinum and already has an established track record of being pleasing.

Sauvage EDT is the winner here. However, could include other options, I’d go with: 1. Sauvage EDP  2. Luna Rossa Carbon. Then, I’d pick Sauvage EDT, and Coach Platinum as number 4.

Winner: Sauvage

Solarissimo Levanzo by Azzaro

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I reviewed another of the fragrances from this Azzaro series, many months ago, and never got around to doing the review of Levanzo. I remembered enjoying how this one smells, at the end of last year, but still needed to do some full testing of it.

So today, I am going to share my thoughts on Solarissimo Levanzo. How does it smell? Perform? When should it be worn? Is it worth a buy?

What does Solarissimo Levanzo Smell Like?

Notes include: basil, citrus, tea, mint, lavender, and cedar

Click here to try: Azzaro Solarissimo Levanzo Cologne for Men 2.5 fl. Oz Eau de Toilette

My Full Review

Before I begin my review, here’s what Azzaro has to say about this fragrance: Levanzo, an ode to the awakening of a nature drenched in sunlight. This aromatic and woody eau de toilette evokes the green and natural energy of the Mediterranean. 

The opening of Levanzo hits with a burst of lemon, basil, mint, and an herbal tea. It is sharp while being, cool, green, and spicy.

The citrus note isn’t too powerful, but adds a nice upbeat sort of feeling, to the spice which is dominated by basil. The top for me, in terms of strength is: basil, lemon, tea, and then mint.

As it moves along, Levanzo becomes a smoother green herbal, and less of a spicy scent. Though, the basil is still hanging around. It feels like a summer scent, without being an aquatic or having any real sea notes.

It’s coastal and warm, like being in the Mediterranean, without being super close to the water. Very fresh, with the emergence of cedar coming through.

Ultimately, it is a lemon tea, with fresh basil, woody cedar, and some calming lavender thrown in. That’s about the extent of the development of this cologne.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on this stuff is light. The initial sprays, lure you into thinking that this might have some power, but that quickly fades. Which sucks.

The longevity on this on is pretty pitiful. 3 full sprays in the same spot, is completely gone, by 2 hours in. Plus, most of that time is spent as a total skin scent.

Seasonally, I’d like wearing this in the warmer months. It’s such a lovely change of pace, from the usual summertime faire. It has a great blend between fresh spice and cooling mint, with the citrus tea top notes. This would be a great casual, daily wear during the summer.

Overall Impressions

Unfortunately, the performance is terrible. I really do like the smell a lot. The opening is pretty fantastic, as I enjoy scents which utilize, a basil spice.

If this stuff had any staying power, this would be an excellent low cost cologne, for the warmer weather.

It’s unique, quite balance, fresh, and entirely interesting. It just dies so utterly quickly, that it’s just not worth much of anything. Shame. There’s really not too much to say about Solarissimo Levanzo. It was a part of this series of forgettable fragrances from Azzaro, smelled nice, but just not up to par.

Dior Homme Sport (2017) by Christian Dior

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I’ve put off trying out, this newer edition of Dior Homme Sport for long enough. So, I grabbed a mini sprayer of the stuff, to finally give it a whirl. I enjoyed the older versions, of this fragrance, and came into this thinking that I’d like it. However, I wasn’t completely sure, if the reformulation would make things better or completely ruin the Sport name.

In this post, I want to share my thoughts and experiences with Dior Homme Sport 2017. Whether or not it is worth a buy? How long it lasts? What it actually smells like?

What does Dior Homme Sport (2017) Smell Like?

Notes include: citron, vetiver, grapefruit, pink pepper, blood orange, sandalwood, nutmeg, and more

Click here to try: Christian Dior Dior Homme Sport By Christian Dior for Men 4.2 Oz Eau De Toilette Spray

My Full Wear Review

I’m a pretty big fan of Christian Dior fragrances, but man, do they ever get annoying with their name changes or reformulations. Obviously, this is a different Dior Homme Sport, from the 2012 release.

Which was different from the 2008 one. Yep, same title, mostly the same ingredients, but with enough differences to make it an entirely new thing.

If you think that’s bad, the Miss Dior line, can be an even bigger nightmare to figure out which release is which, under what title, and what year.

Anyway, the main difference right off of the bat with the 2017 edition, is the lack of ginger. The ginger note in the 2012 version, was really great. I loved the way that it blended with the citrus notes.

Also, this newer one, features blood orange and doesn’t have iris. I am going to be reviewing this version, as a completely separate entity from the rest, but wanted to lay out the differences up front.

The 2017 edition, opens up with some bold and sharp citrus notes. It’s familiar, but the blood orange note, really takes up the intensity. It is blended with citron and grapefruit, which flank the orange ingredient. It noticeably doesn’t have the same spiciness, at the top, but the citrus makes up for it.

These notes smell freshly natural and quite juicy. Dior Sport is utterly simplistic upfront, and the citrus, doesn’t get crowded out by the other ingredients. The rest of the lot will ramp up in intensity, but keep fairly quiet, in the beginning.

The second wave, is my favorite, and it is that of the spices. When I first sprayed this edition on my skin, I didn’t think it was as good as 2012, as I really dug the ginger note.

But, when the pink pepper and nutmeg kick in fully, I absolutely love this fragrance. The pink pepper is absolutely wonderful and becomes entwined, first with the citrus, and then the creamy sandalwood note.

Sure, I don’t get the iris note in this, but I really do like the way the pink pepper and nutmeg make up for the ginger’s absence. Really works to give Dior Sport, a fresh spice.

Finally, we come to the dry down. Sandalwood really takes over completely. Vetiver is hanging around, but it doesn’t come in as noticeably, for me. At this point, it is a slightly spicy woody cologne, with some vague hint of citrus. It’s cool, but not as good as the middle act.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Dior Homme Sport starts off pretty powerfully. It has great strength and projects itself very well for the first hour or two. Then, it slowly weakens until, it just hovers above the skin. The first 3-4 hours are quite good, then, it slowly dissipates.

I get somewhere in the 6-8 hour range, depending on how long it hang on, as a skin scent. Is the performance amazing? For some of the wear, yes. The rest of it, is just okay.

It’s great in the spring/summer. I could wear this year round, honestly. Dior Homme Sport is a very versatile scent, that is safe for work, can go casual, or more dressed up.

I will wear it on nights out, however, it isn’t a club beast. The fragrance itself, is super attractive, and this one will get complements. This is especially the case within those first couple of hours.

Overall

Do I like Dior Homme Sport 2017? Yes, I like it overall, and love parts of it. This is a very good fragrance for when it is warm out, it gets noticed, and is really pleasing to wear.

Do I like this better than the 2012 edition? I can’t decide between them, really. I think the 2012 edition, is more consistent throughout the wear, at being great. This one, has periods of brilliance, in which it exceeds its predecessors.

Update: I’d probably lean towards 2012, but it’s harder to come by now. Luna Rossa Eau Sport, is a great alternative to the Dior options.

On its own? I absolutely recommend this. I do with the sillage was better, for the entire wear. Also, if I could get that middle section extended for a period of time, I’d be happy. Nonetheless, this will be something that I wear a lot, over the next few months.