Habdan vs Oajan Cologne Comparison

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Parfums de Marly is a higher end designer with a lot of great fragrances to choose from. As such, the question often arises as to which one is the best. I’ve listed my top 5 already, but now I am going to place two of these colognes head to head: Habdan and Oajan. Which of these scents smells better? Which gives better performance? Please continue below for my full take on this comparison.

Tale of the Tape: Oajan vs. Habdan

Habdan 

Notes include: saffron, amber, frankincense, caramel, apple, myrhh, rose

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Habdan Men’s Edp Spray, 4.2 Ounce

Read my Full Review: Habdan Review

Oajan

Notes include: tonka bean, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, benzoin, musk, labdanum, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Oajan EDP Spray, 4.2 oz.

Read my review: Oajan Review

Opening

Man, this is going to be a tough one to sort out. Oajan is fresh and dark with cinnamon and benzoin before it shifts into more of a sweeter profile with honey and vanilla. It reminds me quite a bit of 1 Million Prive and how it starts off.

Habdan also has the sweet/spicy blend but adds a smoky twist. Incense, saffron, and crisp apple take the center stage. It has a layered sort of aroma and a warm almost leather-like scent, at times.

I really dig both of these colognes and how they start off, but I think I’ll give Habdan the edge, just based off being more unique.

Edge: Habdan (slightly)

Projection

Oajan is the clear winner here. It is heavier and the sillage is much more powerful than what Habdan brings to the table.

Edge: Oajan

Longevity

Habdan isn’t bad in this regard. In fact, it performs for a solid 7-8 hours, which is plenty for most uses. However, Oajan is an all day wear. It hits the double digit hours on my skin, without a problem. Oajan is much more of a powerhouse than its Parfums de Marly compatriot.

Edge: Oajan

Versatility

They are about the same in this category. Either can be worn on a variety of occasions and are both sexy enough to be worn out on a date. Work, casually, semi-formal, formal.

Both are best worn in cooler weather, but I’d say that Habdan can handle the heat better…that’s not to say it’s built for summer, but it can be worn on moderate spring days.

Edge: Habdan (slightly)

Overall Scent

This is one of those comparisons when there isn’t much of a clear cut winner. These are two of my favorite Parfums de Marly colognes and the one that I would prefer to wear would change based upon my moods.

Habdan has a great saffron, caramel, apple, and incense blend. It is a smoky sweetness, that has great personality, and complexity to its profile. I will say, that it probably doesn’t enjoy the same universal appeal for most guys.

I think it is great, but it isn’t the same level of crowd pleaser as Oajan is. Habdan is more niche.

For most guys, I think the safer bet is Oajan. It has that mainstream appeal and a very close similarity to the aforementioned 1 Million Prive, which is a best seller.

Again, I like both, and Oajan is a great blend of sweet and spicy. The notes are well blended and nothing ever seems to be too heavy-handed.

So, the winner is Oajan. I’m basing it off of it’s better performance and greater mass appeal. Though, some guys reading this are going to absolutely adore Habdan, just a smaller percentage of readers.

Winner: Oajan 

4 Best Smelling James Bond 007 Colognes for Men

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James Bond is an iconic film and literary character and has been so for many decades at this point. It’s funny how many celebrity fragrances are out there on the market, to the point that a fictional character has a line, all his own. In this post, I want to go over the 4 best men’s colognes that Eon Productions has released under the James Bond 007 moniker and what makes each one unique.

What are the Top Smelling James Bond 007 Fragrances?

Best Overall 007 Cologne

James Bond 007 Ocean Royale Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 2.5 Ounce– I’d say that this is probably the best scent of the lineup. Ocean Royale is aquatic but not overly marine, fruity but not completely sweet.

It opens up with a blend of lime, iris, and tonka bean. The citrus aroma is very nice and the other two provide a soft a somewhat powdery scent underneath that top note. Smooth, semi-tropical, with a hint of the seaweed note to give it the ‘oceanic’ vibe.

It’s interesting with a clean and fresh profile highlighted by a pinch of spice. Like the others here, my only major complaint is how long it lasts, which is kind of a big one. Ocean Royale Full Review

Warm, Sweet, and 1 Million-ish

007 Fragrances James Bond Gold Edition Eau de Toilette Spray 50ml– Has some similarities with 1 Million by Paco Rabanne but doesn’t really have the opening bubble gum sweetness nor the cinnamon spice.

Edition Gold is more earthy and woody with vetiver and sandalwood notes while maintaining a crisp apple top note. It has a drier quality as well. The cardamom is the bigger difference to me, with a more floral and aromatic heart.

Sweet, with some warmth but not too heavy. Nice enough for what it is and has the best performance out of the list.

Classic Leather and Cinnamon

007 Fragrances Seven Intense Colognes, 2.5 Ounce– A nice base for a cold weather scent. Woody, amber, with a spice provided by the cinnamon note. There is also a leather note which is fairly nice and supports the overall composition.

I really like the smell of this one. You get a classic masculine spiciness that is smoother out and warm overall. If it had the power, this would be an amazing cheapie. Still nice, just missing the last bit.

This is definitely a double (or triple) spray candidate, however, so not really ‘intense’. It’s one of the best smelling scents, just performance isn’t great. Seven Intense Review

Fresh Fruit and Greenish 

James Bond 007 Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 1 Fluid Ounce– Light and refreshing scent with apple and lavender notes which provide a steady calm. The longevity isn’t really all that great, it’s just a light fragrance, and the projection isn’t huge.

Mainly this is just a good blend of apple, bergamot citrus, and lavender with a little bit of cardamom spice and warmth. Not much of a dry down for me, but sandalwood and dry moss come through somewhat.

Again, double it up, if it’s too much of a problem. 007 Full Review

Sublime Vanille by Creed

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So, among multiple Creed samples, I received a few from their Royal Exclusives line of scents. These are even more high end (read: expensive) scents than their usual already high-priced fair. Sublime Vanille is a fragrance that is built for those who love vanilla, but is it any good?

In this review, I’m going to cover what’s in this unisex fragrance, how it smells, performs, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Sublime Vanille Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, musk, tonka bean, bergamot, lemon

Click here to try:  Sublime Vanille

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Sublime Vanille is a mix of citrus and the fantastic vanilla note. In fact, it smells like an orange Creamsicle to me, except changing the orange for a lemon note.

The first ten minutes or so it stays like this until the vanilla note becomes dominant along with the creaminess of the tonka bean. Honestly, this is one of the best vanilla notes that I’ve smelled in any fragrance, it’s really good.

The whole thing feels warm, almost like the vanilla is baked in, and it has a syrup sweet quality to it. The citrus note still hangs around but it plays the background exclusively after the beginning. While this is a unisex scent, Sublime Vanille does seem to lean more toward the feminine end of the spectrum.

One thing that I enjoy, is how the musk note is subtle and doesn’t overpower the composition. This scent is pretty straightforward, it doesn’t change all that much from the start, and is consistent from then on.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Sublime Vanille is decent but not amazing. It’s a fairly soft fragrance but you’ll know that it is there during wear. Longevity, is disappointing but not terrible I can usually steal 4-5 hours with this beauty before it fades away.

With many vanilla and tonka bean scents, you are limited to the colder months of the year but with the citrus notes in this, you can get away with wearing it in the summer. In fact, it’s pretty great when its warm outside, with that typical Creed bergamot note.

I would call it a casual scent, but it smells good enough to be a romantic wear. I guess you can call it a dressed up casual fragrance. It is not however, a night club scent.

Overall Impressions of Sublime Vanille

Overall, is Sublime Vanille a buy? OK, I’m going to assume that anyone who is researching a bottle of Creed, can actually afford to pay for it without selling a kidney.

I do think that this is a really nice vanilla fragrance, but I do have some reservations about the longevity. The aroma itself? It’s beautiful and one of the best vanilla notes that I’ve ever experienced. Top notch.

I feel that if you’re going to spend $500-1000 a bottle, you should get something that lasts throughout the day, and this doesn’t. Personally, I’d rather spend that money on several fragrances instead of just one, but if you’re a well to do vanilla lover…I say, go for it.

Best Smelling Playboy Colognes for Men

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Playboy as a branding logo, name, and lifestyle persona has been used from casinos to nightclubs to the subject of today’s post, men’s fragrances.

Now, before I get to the list of the five best scents from this line, I want to make it understood that these are very inexpensive colognes and not always comparable to designer fragrances.

However, out of all of the colognes that were produced under the Playboy imprint, there were some surprisingly nice wears that are available for under $10 and as low as $5 in some cases. NOTE: HERE IS THE LIST OF THE BEST WOMEN’S PLAYBOY PERFUMES

What are the Top Playboy Fragrances for Him?

Low Key and Unique

Playboy Vegas By Playboy For Men Edt Spray 3.3 Oz– An herbal/powdery/sweet/spice opening that transforms itself into more of a woodsy scent during its short life cycle. No, Vegas is not a longevity or projection beast, even by Playboy cologne standards.

However, while it lasts it’s quite an attractive fragrance, which is good enough to reapply. It actually feels rather unique, which is rare at this price point. There is a tea note, apple, a nice basil kick, and it dries down with doses of vanilla and lavender.

You’d think that the Vegas one would be more of a bold or nightlife kind of cologne…nope. Actually, a light aromatic.

Familiar Fresh

Playboy New York Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce– Playboy actually has an array of scents available for under $10 and in fact, most of them can be had for $5 currently. New York is one of the best of the bunch.

A very fresh and sweet scent that feels like a designer fragrance clone…a vaguely familiar mix of several scents. Think along the lines of Montblanc Legend and all the others, that smell like it. This is the super cheap version.

The performance is okay when compared to most colognes but for the insanely low price, Playboy New York is an absolute winner. Playboy New York Full Review

Sweet Winter Cologne

Playboy Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, VIP, 3.4 Ounce– A sweet chocolatey fragrance with a nice boozy spice provided by a rum note and smoothed out by tonka bean. Not super sugary when blended with the rum note.

Nice gourmand entry from Playboy and it actually has okay longevity and won’t crap out in a few hours. Not that it goes super long, but it held up well enough. Enjoyable wintertime scent.

Boozy Semi-Gourmond 

Playboy London Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce–  This is possibly the most interesting and perhaps the most refined of the Playboy label. London has notes of tonka bean, brandy, and cinnamon with a pretty solid longevity.

The brandy note gives it a boozy start and the blend of cinnamon and tonka bean, feels quite powdery, on my skin. Warm and cozy with a sweet floral and clean cedar base to hold things together.

At this price, point I have ranked this as one of the best scents available. Playboy did good. Playboy London Full Review

Cheap Code

Hollywood Playboy by Coty for Men Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 oz– Soft, powdery, and sweet like a very poor man’s Armani Code. But hey, for $5-10, you can double up the sprays to make it last longer than the few hours it usually gives.

Hollywood is a mixed bag performance wise, though, it could serve a place in a teenager’s collection. Synthetic citrus opening with lavender and vanilla, really coming through after 15 minutes or so. Once it settles, Hollywood is actually pretty enjoyable to wear.

5 Best Smelling Sean John Colognes

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Celebrities love creating their own fragrance lines. Many do a piss-poor job at it. Puff Daddy and his Sean John line of scents for men, did a pretty good job at it. Now, I wouldn’t rate any of these colognes as having blown me away but there are definitely some that are quite nice, and can be had for a fair price. In this post, I’d like to put forth the five best scents from Sean John, that are actually worth a try.

What are the Top Sean Jean Fragrances?

Crisp Citrus and Spice

Sean John 3 AM Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce– Fresh citrus notes meet gin and tonic for an appealing late night encounter.

It’s got a light spicy feeling, that has a cool aroma, and not a heavy overhanded spiciness. It’s like Very Cool by Tommy Bahama with a citrus/tonic blend sitting on top.

It’s a nice scent, but I don’t really dig the lack of longevity on this one, which can be a problem when you get into the less expensive designer fragrances. Still in the top 5 for the opening alone.

Best Overall Sean John

Unforgivable By Sean John For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Oz.– Again Sean John decides to hit you with the citrus notes and the booze (is it any wonder Puff went into Ciroc vodka?) but this is probably the best the line has to offer.

Unforgiveable is blend of the citrus notes, but the orange note really comes through the most. A pinch of saltiness and the rest combines to create a bit of a melon-like smell.

Very clean scent that is actually quite attractive to the opposite sex and has a nice support of rum, tonka bean, and sandalwood notes. It’s also one of the most popular colognes from this lineup.

Fruity Semi-Aquatic

I Am King by Sean John for Men – 3.4 Ounce EDT Spray– Cranberry/Orange aquatic mix that is a light daytime type of wear but good for the warmer months. The fruit notes are almost candy-like but I must admit that I kind of like it. Longevity isn’t so great, though.

The opening has some tartness for the cranberry note, but that fades and the fruit notes feel a bit sweet and bright.

Then, there is an underlying aquatic note. It’s a light and watery sort of aroma but has a enjoyable cleanliness.

Boozy Unforgivable

Unforgivable Black by Sean John For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 2.5-Ounces– Has a lot of similarities with the original but this one really hits with the rum note, so, if you like boozy scents you’d be well-served getting this one ahead of Unforgivable.

Also, Black has good longevity, which makes it a nice deal for the price. It’s not too different from the original, but that rum note and some citrus is pumped up higher. It’s more difficult to find nowadays, though, if you can get a cheap bottle it’s worth a try.

Fizzy Citrus and Amber Woods

Sean John Unforgivable Night by Sean John for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 4.2-Ounce– Citrus, amber, boozy notes, and wood make Night a very interesting fragrance. It is an energetic nightlife composition with the right hint of sexiness to attract the ladies.

There is a fizziness to this cologne with notes of juniper berry and champagne. The citrus is the star and there isn’t a strong rum note like the fragrance listed above.

The performance isn’t as good as the other two Unforgivable fragrances, so this would be my third choice. Nonetheless, I do enjoy the citrus here.