Wanted by Night Azzaro

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While I liked the original Wanted by Azzaro, it was never a total must have for me. I could enjoy wearing it, but was never quite drawn to do so outside of testing for this site. So, trying its flanker Wanted by Night has never been a major priority. Nonetheless, I recently grabbed a smaller size in order to give it a go, and post my full review here.

What does Wanted by Night Smell Like?

Notes include: cumin, cinnamon, lavender, tobacco, lemon, orange, cedar, cypress, patchouli, fruits

Click here to try: Azzaro Wanted by Night Eau de Parfum for Men – Mens Cologne

My Full Review

With my initial spraying of Wanted by Night, I immediately get the similarities with the original Wanted. However, I also get a major reminder of Ultra Male by JPG. Like, if you stripped Ultra Male of the prominent pear and mint notes and combined it with Wanted. Then, you heightened certain notes.

Here are the overlapping notes between Ultra Male and Wanted by Night: lemon, lavender, vanilla, cedar, cinnamon, and patchouli. The early use of lemon and cinnamon are most noticeable to me. Not as sweet or vanilla based as Ultra Male, but, plenty of similarity.

The opening here, while it still has fruity elements, is played way down when compared to the original Wanted. With that, I get a much bigger dose of that lemon note. Here, it is more about the cinnamon and cumin spice, with the added tobacco note making itself known early on. 

That spice is paired with a moderate benzoin note. Benzoin can come across a somewhat medicinal, which is present here for a short time period. 

Wanted by Night opens with the fruity notes and cinnamon being the main factors and the other aforementioned ingredients playing a support role. As it moves along, the fruits fade more, and the woods and tobacco come out in a greater significance. 

Once it hits this stage, this cologne has pretty much revealed itself fully. Cinnamon, cedar, tobacco, incense, and benzoin. All wrapped together with a hint of sweetness and a closer resemblance to the original versus how it begins. 

Wanted by Night is spicier and has a darker profile when compared to the original. Which, is either a plus or minus, depending on your own tastes. The lavender here is also a lot less noticeable for me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

For me, Wanted by Night starts off strong but not overwhelming. Then, I would say it remains above average with its sillage for most of the wear, before it fades away. Good ability to project but not an absolute monster, on my skin.

Longevity is also good, just not elite. It seems to stay in the 7-9 hour range, every time that I have worn it thus far. That’s enough for almost every situation, that I’d want to wear this one in, so no real complaints.

 

 

Seasonally, it is best for the cold of autumn or winter. Though, it isn’t terrible in more moderate temperatures, just avoid for the summertime. 

The name is Wanted by Night, and yes, it is much more of a nightlife wear. Does it feel less youthful than Wanted? Yep, but it isn’t a ‘mature’ scent, and not really one to wear to the office.

Mainly, casual or nighttime social situations. Best worn by younger guys, maybe through early 30s, as it really doesn’t come across as super high quality. 

Overall Impressions of Wanted by Night

Do I like this scent? Yes, I think that it’s a nice wear. I enjoy it more than Wanted, but it’s still not a love for me. Out of the 8 to 10 recent sample fragrances that I’ve picked up, this would probably occupy the 4th or 5th spot.

If you like Ultra Male, Wanted, Stronger with You, or Spicebomb Extreme…this should be one you’d probably like. However, it could also be completely redundant if you have any of those. Personally, I’d go with the Spicebomb or Ultra Male before this.

Overall, this is a very good effort by Azzaro. Not amazing by any stretch, though, it’s a fragrance that is very wearable. Good performance and usually not too expensive. 

Bvlgari Aqua Pour Homme

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I’ve had this review idea sitting in my drafts folder for a couple of years now. I entirely forgot to review Bvlgari Aqva, way back then, and have overlooked it ever since. So, here I am to remedy that oversight, armed with another mini bottle of this Bvlgari aquatic fragrance.

This one was released in 2005.

How does it stack up? What does it smell like? Does it last long? Please continue reading below for my full take of Aqva. Note: I have updated this post, a few years later, to add some further depth and experience with it.

What does Bvlgari Aqua Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, seaweed, cedar, orange, lavender, petitgrain

Click here to try Aqva: Aqua By Bvlgari Eau De Toilette Spray For Men 3.4 oz

My Full Wear Review

It doesn’t get much more ‘aquatic’ than a scent whose main note is seaweed. Yes, that green stuff at the bottom of the ocean, gives Bvlgari Aqua a very interesting aroma which helps sets it apart from the crowd.

The opening blends this seaweed note with cedar and both types of orange to create something that is familiar with its citrus content while still remaining fresh and unique.

I like the citrus notes in the opening, but their strength is short-lived. They do still stick around, just not with the same intensity. 

This opening lasts about 10 minutes or so and then Aqva changes course. It becomes more oceanic and salty, with a bit of smoothness from the lavender note. This is when this fragrance really shines as an aquatic, as you will pick up on that watery sea vibe.

Also, Aqva begins to hang much closer to the skin, and you won’t detect it for a few minutes and then it’ll hit your nose again. It’s kind of a weird experience.

It is interesting, how Aqva goes from being a clean and upbeat citrus blend, to something darker and deeper. Closely emulating the sea itself. Is it a naturalistic sea blend of notes? Not really, you can tell that it’s manufactured. However, it is a very good simulation. 

 

What I’m finally left with is seaweed, soaking in the ocean, with hints of lavender and cedar that has become driftwood. Salty and a bit of fresh spice from the latent sage note. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it starts off pretty strong and as I wrote, it turns more into a skin scent that can be sneaky strong. I guess I could say that it’s fairly moderate, when you don’t notice it but other’s in your general vicinity will.

Longevity wise, it’s okay, and not something that lasts more than 5 hours or so.

I’ve had a mini bottle of this for ages, now. On my skin, that 4-5 hour range, is a hard limit. It does have that light watery sillage, but this one isn’t ever going to be an all day wear. More like, something you throw on during a warm day, knowing it will fade into the evening.

When to wear? Summertime, of course. This is a casual scent that is built for the summer months. I wouldn’t be wearing it to the office or while dressed up but at the beach or at a laid back bar at night, this would be good stuff to have on.

This is straight coastal and island life in a bottle.

Keep it casual. Aqva isn’t going to be a date night scent and the sea notes, really don’t put out a formal vibe, in the slightest. For a fairly popular fragrance, it uses are pretty limited.

This shouldn’t be the only cologne on your list of potential buys, if you don’t have anything else to use, for the rest of the time. 

Overall Impression of Bvlgari Aqva Pour Homme

Overall, do I like Aqua? Yes, it’s kind of a niche fragrance in terms of its use, but has a wide appeal in terms of its smell.

This is a unique scent by Bvlgari (before they released all of the flanker versions), the seaweed and oceanic aroma give it a defined spot to wear on the calendar, and it is a great wear from the aquatic category.

It doesn’t have amazing longevity but it is decent for what it is. If aquatics/oceanic scents aren’t your thing, skip this one. Otherwise, you might do well to check Bvlgari Aqva out. I’m still not a huge fan of the sea weed note, but it’s not horribly offensive, in this version.

Some of the other Aqva scents, go seriously heavy into the oceanic side of things, but this is more moderate.

Bvlgari Aqva gives you a nice citrus fruitiness with the refreshing notes of the sea, along with woody undertones. It’s not the most outstanding thing on the market, but it can have it uses for the right kind of guy. 


Noir EDP by Tom Ford

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I have been doing a lot of different reviews of other companies’ fragrances as of late, but I am indeed still working my way through a bunch of Tom Ford scents, and today will cover the popular Noir eau de parfum.

This one was released in 2012 for the men’s lineup. How does it smell? What are the notes involved? Please continue below for my full take after wearing Tom Ford Noir for Men.

What does Noir Eau de Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: iris, patchouli, amber, pink pepper, nutmeg, black pepper, civet, vanilla, vetiver, bergamot, rose, violet, and more

Click here to try: Tom Ford Noir for Men Eau de Parfum Spray 3.4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Tom Ford Noir is known to be a scent that can be hit or miss for a lot of people. I think a lot of that has to do with the opening of this fragrance and how polarizing it can be. It opens with a lot of patchouli and a good deal of pepper.

As such, that can turn off a lot of people, and honestly it’s my least favorite part of this one. It’s pretty strong and has a certain dirty quality to the aroma, plus, an animalistic aspect provided by the civet.

So, with patchouli, pepper, and civet being prominent in the opening; it is no wonder why this can scare a lot of folks off from wanting to wear it. Beyond those notes however, Noir also gets quite floral, the more it wears on the skin.

The most noticeable is definitely the violet at first, although, there is also rose and iris lurking around as well (iris later takes over). Noir becomes quite powdery and has a tinge of sweetness from bergamot and vanilla.

With a name like Noir, is this a ‘dark’ sort of fragrance? Yes, for something this floral, it does have plenty of warmth, spice, and a resinous ‘thickness’ throughout its life cycle.

So, while it is floral, it still has an earthiness that many of the modern clean colognes just don’t. Noir is pretty old school in that way.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Noir really bombs out a room at first. One or two sprays is huge and the sillage can make it across the room without issue. Now, it does calm down, and turn into something that is on the upper end of the moderate spectrum.

It just hits really hard at first. It’s not one that I’d go crazy with the sprays. The longevity is also very good and seems to be able to hit double digit hours fairly easily.

When testing it, Noir seemed to hang around for 11-12 hours. Though, I tend to lose track of fragrances, once they get past that point. So, it could’ve kept going.

Seasonally, this is for the autumn and winter months. I wouldn’t want to wear this in heat, so, if you’re in a warm and humid climate it might not be the best bet. Even if it is pretty popular, Noir always strikes me as something that is more niche.

It’s not going to be a crowd pleaser. It is best served to be worn in a more formal setting or at least in finer clothing.

Is it sexy? It could be considered that, but not really overall. It is mature, powdery, resinous, with spices. So, even if it does have good performance, I wouldn’t be using it as a nightclub scent. Also, probably not the best for younger guys.

Overall Impressions of Noir by Tom Ford

Overall, do I like Noir? Personally, it’s not my favorite, but I appreciate it. This is one that just doesn’t fit my style but I can understand why some people love it so much. Then again, I also understand the hate some people have for it.

Not a universally beloved cologne by any stretch. However, it is an interesting throwback fragrance, that hits the beats that it is aiming for perfectly. Strong, long lasting, and develops a barbershop clean with its own twist. Best to give it a whirl, before buying a full bottle.

These aren’t really all the same fragrances or even quite similar variations. But: Noir de Noir, Noir Extreme, and Noir Extreme Parfum are better than this one.

Luna Rossa Eau Sport by Prada

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Luna Rossa has been an absolutely great lineup of fragrances from Prada. I haven’t come across one, that I haven’t at least liked a little, and some which I enjoy a lot.

That being the case, I was excited to try one that I have overlooked to this point in time: Luna Rossa Eau Sport.

It was released in 2016 and in many ways has flown under the radar. Please continue below for my full take on this Prada scent.

What does Luna Rossa Eau Sport Smell Like?

Notes include: ginger, citron, bergamot, lavender, cedar, amber

Click here to try: Prada Luna Rossa Eau Sport Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 2.5 Ounce

My Full Review

While Eau Sport, shares the sport name, it isn’t at all like Luna Rossa Sport. Out of the collection, it is much closer to the original Luna Rossa. Though, it is even closer to Dior Homme Sport (2012).

For me, this is fantastic news, as I’ve been wanting a replacement for that now discontinued version of Dior. Eau Sport opens up with its blast of citrus notes, ginger, and that great Luna Rossa lavender note, that is pretty ubiquitous throughout the lineup.

It feels so fresh and lively from the start. The ginger note with the citrus is really what gives this one its close resemblance to Dior Sport, but that one uses iris instead of lavender. It doesn’t come across as sharp or heavy, just a clean and upbeat wear, with that nice edge of spice.

This initial phase lasts for an hour or so on my skin, before it begins to shift somewhat. The ginger note fades, lavender grows stronger, and the base notes begin to emerge. Mostly, I pick up amber, but there is a fresh little bit of cedar peaking through.

That’s about what you’ll get from Luna Rossa Eau Sport, a very simple yet very well put together presentation. Extremely pleasant and attractive.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

On my skin, this comes across as a lighter moderate. I’ve read that some people have said it is super weak, but that’s not the case for me. Not a powerhouse, but I catch whiffs of it throughout its entirety. 

It’s really not a problem because that is what this fragrance is supposed to be. Lighter and captivating.

The longevity is also pretty good for me. It has hung around for 6-7 hours, during my tests of this cologne. Again, not spectacular, but fairly well done for what this is used for.

Seasonally, spring and summertime. I think this is absolutely going to be a go to summertime fragrance for me. I might track down a smaller bottle of the old Dior Sport and get a full bottle of this, to switch between that iris and the lavender.

Is it versatile? Yes, while it seems best in spring or summer, I have really enjoyed it here in January. Beyond that, it can be worn casually, at work, on a date, etc. It is a very likeable fragrance and most people would certainly like it. 

Eau Sport isn’t a club banger. So, if you want a loud and bold nightlife fragrance, this isn’t the one.

Overall Impressions of Luna Rossa Eau Sport

Do I like this one? I love it. Out of the recent samples that I’ve gotten over the past few months, this is my favorite. When I haven’t been testing out new scents, I’ve been either wearing this or Y EDP, 90% of the time.

If you want an elegant and great smelling summertime scent, this is a fantastic option from Prada, and has quickly moved among my top picks from the brand.

The performance is pretty good for me, just don’t expect an elite level of wear or some super heavy cologne. 

Maritime Journey by Tommy Bahama

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Maritime Journey is a part of the recent Maritime collection of fragrances by Tommy Bahama. It was released in 2019. I actually got to try this once a few months ago and recently grabbed a sample sprayer, in order to give it a thorough chance. In this post, I’ll cover how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if it’s worth a try.

What does Maritime Journey Smell Like?

Notes include: cardamom, apple, lavender, moss, coriander, orchid, cedar, violet

Click here to try: Tommy Bahama Maritime Journey for Him, 4.2 Fl Oz 

My Full Wear Review

I’ve got a bunch of samples that I’m working my way through and oftentimes these scents can smell quite a bit similar. When I sprayed Maritime Journey, I noticed that it has some similarities to Eternity Air by Calvin Klein, that I had tried out the previous day.

Checking the notes: apple, violet, and lavender are present in both. What’s funny is that, this Tommy Bahama isn’t the oceanic scent (despite the name), but Eternity Air features sea water and seaweed as notes.

The initial spray nets me a big dose of crisp and juicy apple, violet, coriander, and lavender. As the fragrance’s tagline suggests, it’s: A fresh aromatic scent for every adventure.

Yes, it does indeed come across as very fresh, with a distinct coolness to the aroma.

As Maritime Journey, moves along its development, I start to get way less of the coriander note and get way more: moss, cardamom, and cedar.

It feels less juicy and aromatic, turning drier and quite woodsy/earthy. The violet note is also fading, but it hangs around enough to further that outdoorsy vibe. Still, that dose of apple and lavender keeps it feeling fresh with some sweet highlights.

The last few hours of wear are more about the moss and woods, with the remaining cardamom, giving it a bit of a light spice.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Maritime Journey isn’t very strong. For much of the wear it is noticeable, but moderate, and then it becomes fairly light. It’s not a complete skin scent on me, though, it is pretty subtle.

The longevity is okay. Much like the rest of the Tommy Bahama collection, this one won’t blow the doors off with its performance. 5-6.5 hours it seems to hang around. Not terrible, depending on how much you paid for it, but not great.

 

This light freshy cologne would work best in springtime, in my opinion. However, it is January now when I’m testing it out, and it feels fine.

The woods and moss make it work perfectly fine in the cooler weather, but it is light enough to venture into the heat. Though, it’s not a traditional summer scent.

I would mostly wear this one as a casual daily wear sort of fragrance. You could wear it to work or semi-formal occasions. Maritime Journey isn’t a nightlife or romantic wear, however. It’s fresh and clean, but not really sexy. 

Overall Impressions of Maritime Journey

Do I like Martime Journey? I do. I think it’s among the best that Tommy Bahama has to offer, it’s just not amazing to me. This is a cologne that I can spray on, smell relatively good, but not necessarily grab any attention. Very low key, but gives a nice enough wear.

The sillage is light and the longevity is just okay. I wouldn’t pay full price for a bottle, but when this gets discounted it could be a nice pickup for a guy who enjoys this style of cologne.

This is a like, but not a love for me. I will probably finish out the sample over time, even if it’s not a must have for me personally.