Dolce Floral Drops by D&G

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In today’s review, we have another fragrance from Dolce & Gabbana, from their Dolce line: Floral Drops. This one was released in 2015 as a flanker to the original Dolce perfume. So, how does this one smell? What are the ingredients? How does it perform? Is it actually worth a purchase?

What does Floral Drops by D&G Smell Like?

Notes include: peach, apple, daffodil, water lily, neroli, papaya flower, musk, sandalwood, cashmere

Click here to try: DOLCE GABBANA Floral Drops Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, 2.5 Fluid Ounce

Full Review

Floral Drops opens with a very crisp and watery aroma. It’s certainly the green apple in the top note, but the peach is also present. The peach is light but adds that sweet familiar smell. The fruit here, is a nice mix of floral and the actual fruit.

So, you get apple but also neroli and papaya flower, as well. It’s all sort of citrus and vaguely tropical. It’s sweet, summery, but not a sickening candy-like scent.

After the initial top notes, the white flowers move in to the dominant position. I can definitely smell the water lily in here and what I suppose is the daffodil, though, that isn’t a scent that I have a distinct memory of.

It’s all sort of blended together into more of a singular floral scent, rather than stand alone and distinct floral notes.

At its base, Dolce Floral Drops has a very small amount of musk and some woodiness provided by cashmere and sandalwood.

None of these notes come through all that strongly. In the end, it is juicy/watery, floral, and greenish. I do enjoy the almost aquatic aroma, that this one develops, as it moves along. Very nice.

Sillage, How Long it Lasts, Versatility

Projection wise, Floral Drops has a light sillage. It’s an airy sort of perfume and isn’t going to overpower a room. That being said, I did notice it plenty while wearing. Not extreme in the slightest, though.

The longevity is an area in which this perfume does under-perform. It lasted about 4-5 hours on my skin, which isn’t horrific, but definitely not where I’d want it to be.

Trying it a few times, Floral Drops does tend to stay in the 5 hour range, on the skin. On clothing, it’ll give a few more hours. Nonetheless, this perfume doesn’t have great longevity.

Seasonally, I’d call this D&G fragrance, one for the spring/summer months. It’s light, clean, and cheerful. Floral Drops can be worn at work or casually during the day.

I wouldn’t call it a sexy fragrance, but I certainly think that it is pretty enough to wear on a date or on a night wear one wants to be low key. Mostly, it’ll serve as a daily wear when you want something simple and pretty.

Overall Impressions of Floral Drops

Overall, do I like Dolce Floral Drops? I actually do. It’s not super amazing or anything but is a nice take on the usual white floral perfume.

The fruit notes, while light, add a different dimension and make Floral Drops quite an attractive scent.

The only real issue is that this perfume isn’t all that great at lasting for very long. However, if you only need something light and pretty for freshening up, this would be a solid choice.

Floral Drops is a good fragrance for the warmer months, very clean, and pleasant to have on throughout its cycle. My favorite part has to be the initial apple and peach, which gives it more personality than the usual white floral fare.

Scuderia Black by Ferrari

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As a part of the samples that I’ve gotten a hold of recently, I picked up a sample of an officially licensed Ferrari fragrance. I’ve never done a review on this site of this line of colognes as of yet and so I was interested in seeing what was up with Ferrari Scuderia Black. Does this automotive brand actually deliver a decent scent or is it just a ploy to make a quick buck off of the famous Italian brand?

What does Ferrari Scuderia Black Cologne Smell Like?

Notes include: lime, bergamot, red apple, plum, jasmine, rose, cinnamon, cardamom, cedar, amyris wood, vanilla, amber, and musk

Click here to try: Ferrari Scuderia Black Eau De Toilette Spray For Men, 4.2 Ounce

Full Scuderia Black Review

The opening few minutes of Scuderia Black are where the fruit top notes shine the most, obviously. The red apple and plum make an interesting pair along with bergamot. The lime note must not be very strong because I don’t really get any of it from this cologne.

It is a warm and sweet fragrance in the vein of Le Male, but of course, this is much more of a dead ringer for Boss Bottled. The Ferrari fragrance has more spiciness to it, provided by the cinnamon and cardamom than does the Hugo Boss, but they are quite similar.

So, if you’re looking for a cheapie alternative to the Hugo Boss best seller, this is a perfect option. Again, not exact, but you’re coming close.

As it dries down, I start to smell more of the woody notes, the vanilla, and amber. The plum and apple become background players and the spice of the cinnamon is less intense than it had been previously.

This is about what you’re going to get from this fragrance: warmth, sweetness, slightly spicy, wood. Scuderia Black is a fairly simple and linear cologne, but that doesn’t mean it is bad.

The latter stages of the wear, it can be difficult to parse out the individual ingredients. It’s a warm and fresh scent, with a fruity/creamy sweet aroma. Not groundbreaking, but it provides what you’ll need.

Sillage, How Long does It Last, and Versatility

Projection wise, it starts off pretty strong but quickly settles into a moderate fragrance. The good thing is that it is so inexpensive, that you can spray it additional times in order to bring out the best performance, and not break the bank in the process.

Longevity is meh. I get 4-5 hours of decent wear with it and a few hours more if I double up the sprays (which I recommend doing). After all, the price allows you to not have to conserve the bottle.

With most cheapie colognes, you’re not going to get outstanding performance, but this one is actually in the upper band of average. There are plenty of others, which won’t even make it a full 2 hours. Just bring your bottle with you, if you need to reapply.

I was wearing this Ferrari cologne here in the summer, but it really doesn’t work in the heat of the daytime. At night it was fine, but I’d usually want to wear this during the cooler months of the year.

It’s a nice versatile fragrance that can be worn casually, but will still garner complements. You can wear it at work, school, or at for an evening. Solid versatility in the cold to moderate climates. So maybe a little more than half the year, it should give you plenty of opportunity to use.

Overall Impressions of Scuderia Black

Overall, do I like Ferrari Scuderia Black? Yes, I think that it is a nice bargain cologne. You can pick up a bottle for around $20 and it smells enough like Boss Bottled to be considered a cheaper alternative to that scent.

It’s sweet, slightly spicy, and smells good enough. It’s not a scent that’ll blow you away, but is something you can grab while on a budget, and get plenty of use out of.

Apple and some light plum, give it a juicy tartness, while the cinnamon spice blended with amber and vanilla warm things up. If you’re on a tight budget, Ferrari is a brand that can offer good value, on many of its fragrance options.

Galloway by Parfums De Marly

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Still making my way through the lineup of Parfums de Marly scents that I received recently. Check out the fragrance review page for all of those posts and well as hundreds of other colognes. Anyway, today’s entry is entitled, Galloway.

How does this fragrance stack up? What does it smell like? How do the notes of iris, hesperides, musk, and pepper interact with one another? Continue below for my full take.

What does Galloway by PdM Smell Like?

Notes include: hesperides, orange blossom, musk, amber, pepper, and iris

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

My Full Galloway Review

The opening of Galloway struck me as a unique yet somewhat familiar experience. It took me a while to figure out which cologne I was being reminded of and finally came to the conclusion that it was Set Sail Martinique.

Why the reminder? The musk, citrus, and floral combinations in both fragrances. Though, Martinique has a muskier and saltier aroma, than this one does.

Now, I am not getting a direct comparison between the two. Martinique is heavier on the musk, feels watered down, and without spice. It is like a dulled down and cheaper version of Galloway in some regards.

In Galloway, I get that grapefruit aroma of the hesperides blended with that great orange blossom note, that I have been liking a lot lately. The musk is there but is well balanced by the pepper note which gives this Parfums de Marly scent a nice sharp kick.

As it dries down, Galloway reveals much more of the iris and warmth of the amber. It feels less spicy to my nose at this point, but still retains the musk.

At the end, it is quite fresh floral notes with just a dash of citrus lingering around, added to a peppery musk. You get some hints of powder, due to the iris, but it isn’t ever a main feature for this fragrance.

It’s fairly unique, for a men’s fragrance, but still retains plenty of elements that I have come across before. Pretty nice, though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d say the sillage is pretty strong here. It didn’t overpower in my opinion, but I knew that it was there. One could over spray, but I found that two or three sprays was sufficient for great performance.

It also will give you a full day’s worth of wear. This isn’t a citrus scent that just quits a few hours in, which I think is a credit to the other notes because the grapefruit note as an individual component does weaken with time.

Coming  back to wearing Galloway again, and it seems to have no issue hitting the double digit hour count. Parfums de Marly, while not always fantastic with the scents, never does disappoint me with the performance.

Galloway works well in the warm weather, but honestly you could wear it pretty much year round and it wouldn’t be weird. It is also quite versatile. Safe enough to wear to work and appealing enough to be worn on a date or out on the town.

It is a classy and refined kind of sexiness, like a tailored suit. I like it more as a daytime fragrance for spring or summer. Personally, that’s where I’d stick with it, but it can venture beyond that if you so choose.

Overall Impressions of Galloway

Overall, do I recommend Galloway? I like it quite a lot. It’s not my favorite from Parfums de Marly but I was really surprised how much I ended up enjoying wearing this cologne.

I’m not sure how most people would react to this scent, but it’s extremely fresh, spicy, and gives really nice performance. Will many guys like the floral and musk aspect of this scent?

Hmm, I should say they would, given a fair shot. I don’t ever think this would become a best seller, but it is a good perfume. I think the price, prohibits any real discovery by the bulk of the population.

Sunset Fantasy by Britney Spears

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I’ve gotten a few samples from the Britney Spears line of ladies’ perfumes and so I’ve been trying them out recently. One of these fragrances is a 2017 release from Britney, called, Sunset Fantasy. This is yet another flanker from the Fantasy part of the brand.

So, with that in mind, how does Sunset Fantasy smell? How does it perform? Is it worth a try? Please continue below for my full wear review.

What does Sunset Fantasy Smell Like?

Notes include: ruby grapefruit, Italian mandarin, pink lady apple, peach, orange blossom, raspberry leaves, sandalwood, amber, steamed milk froth accord

Click here to try: Britney Spears Sunset Fantasy EDT Spray, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Sunset Fantasy opens up with some zesty citrus notes as the main fruity attraction while being supported by peach and apple. It’s very bright, clean, and has that fructose sweetness to it. Coming into this review, I was expecting something bright and sweet, and Sunset delivers.

At the top, I mainly detect the mandarin note, more than anything else. I have to say, that it feels way more tropical than I would expect, even though it doesn’t have any pineapple or passion fruit-like ingredients.

The immediate opening, is much more like you would expect from a fruity beach perfume.

15 minutes or so into the wear, the peach note emerges as the leader, and it is joined by the steamed milk froth accord. Just think of this as ‘cream’ because that’s what it smells like.

Creamy peach with citrus, then orange blossom and sandalwood, playing the background and serving as the base. It’s all super juicy and creamy, again, it doesn’t have boozy notes but it has a tropical drink vibe…maybe just a puree?

Sunset Fantasy has a playful aroma, what I guess you could call, flirty. As it dries down it gets smoother, warmer, and creamier. The amber note is light but it does give it a hint of spice.

Ultimately though, it is all about the abundance of fruit notes, put together like a cocktail and the beautiful aroma that they give off. The secondary creaminess, gives Sunset a wonderful aroma, that you’d usually get with a heavier winter scent.

This lighter version is a great gourmand fragrance for when the temperatures rise.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this Britney fragrance is pretty moderate in its sillage. It’s not weak, but not ever a bomb either. This is one you can wear comfortably and not feel as though you’re choking out a room.

I found the longevity to be decent on my skin, somewhere around 6 hours before becoming a skin scent. Either way, it’s affordable enough to reapply, and not worry about having to drop serious coin to replace a bottle.

Seasonally, summertime. This is summer all the way. There aren’t marine notes, but you get a beachy vibe, or at least it conjures up images of sitting by a hotel pool. Sunset Fantasy has that tropical scent, creaminess like lotion, etc.

It’s a good casual scent for these months of the year and I would actually really like smelling this on a woman, so I’d say it’s date friendly. It also doesn’t feel like a complete teenager perfume, older women could pull this off, but it does have more of a youthful feeling to it.

Some of the other offerings from this line can really skew more towards younger teens, but this definitely doesn’t go that far.

Nonetheless, I would keep the application to casual events, daytime wear outdoors, or late night summer gatherings.

Overall Impression of Britney Spears Sunset Fantasy

Overall, do I like Sunset Fantasy? Yes, I do. Britney Spears actually has a lot of nice perfumes for the price and this is definitely an enjoyable example of that. If you don’t like hyper fruity fragrances, then, this is one to skip.

Update: Sunset Fantasy has been discontinued, since this original posting.

However, if you want a delicious go to scent during the warmer days of the year, this is one to try out. It’s not a pure fruity summertime scent, with aquatic elements, like many others in this category.

Instead, you get a creaminess from the trio of sandalwood/vanilla/cream, which surprisingly doesn’t feel heavy in the humid weather.

I enjoyed having this one on, during my review. Again, the price is low versus what you get in terms of performance and aroma. This can be a great value play, for the right person.

Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger

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Tommy Hilfiger was a major force in 1990s fashion and his line of fragrances for men and women have enjoyed great popularity even since that time. Hilfiger is a lifestyle brand which tries to celebrate the American spirit and caters to the tastes of classic Americana.

Tommy Hilfiger cologne is a perfect example of this brand association with the United States and as we will see in the notes of this fragrance one that brings together familiar elements to produce a nice casual scent.

What does Tommy Cologne Smell Like?

tommy

Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger notes: citrus, cranberry, mint, lavender, cactus, amber and cinnamon apple pie

Click here to try: Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger for Men – 3.4 oz EDC Spray

My Full Wear Review

I first got a bottle of Tommy Hilfiger cologne as a Christmas gift from a relative, many years back. From there it found its way into my rotation as a daytime fragrance for going to school and work.

I think that is probably the best use for this fragrance, not necessarily one designed for the nightlife but is a good choice for days during the spring and summer.

Tommy opens up with an intense blast of the fruit notes: grapefruit, apple, and cranberry with a healthy dose of mint popping through. At first, it is really fresh and crisp, but later it will turn more into an apple pie accord with warm cinnamon and amber.

It is a really interesting blend of tart cranberry, cool mint, and that crisp watery apple note. Tommy is an upbeat and very positive feeling fragrance, everything about it brings back memories of the late 1990s, when this scent was everywhere.

Being that it is comprised of fruity notes, Tommy does have a really sweet smell to it, one that is more citrusy than candy sweet. Before it gets more to the apple pie stage, Tommy is really green and smooth with lavender and what I assume to be the cactus note.

I think that this fragrance has always had balance with the bright citrus to not going too far in the warmth of the pie accord, because it is a completely chilled scent at times, too.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection always started out pretty heavy, but it just feels like a solid moderate wear, after an hour or so. People will be able to smell it, but I never choked out a room even with the vintage bottles.

Tommy Hilfiger cologne lasted a full work day in my experience and never overpowers the people around you. It is a rather ambient fragrance that is youthful and warming in its presentation. Hours 6-8 aren’t very strong, but it does stick around.

The price has come down a lot, but at one time this was a sought after designer scent, and it actually does give good performance.

Tommy was always a pretty versatile fragrance. Mostly for guys in their teens or twenties, but could be worn to work or school or casually or even on a date. Not a nightlife scent, but wearable during the daytime, seemingly year round.

Overall Impressions of Tommy

Is Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger worth a buy? I’d say, yes. If you aren’t looking to spend a lot of money on a fragrance and are looking for a casual or everyday wearer than I would recommend giving Tommy Hilfiger a shot.

It’s not much of a mature fragrance, but it isn’t completely childish, by any means. This stuff has been a best seller for over 20 years, at this point, and there is good reason for that.

I don’t know how often I’d wear this nowadays, but I do get that feeling of nostalgia smelling it, and I used to wear this very often in my late teens.

If you’re older or want a more mature cologne, go elsewhere. But, if this sounds like it fits your current age range or style, it is worthwhile. Good smell, nice performance, and well-liked.