4 Best Victoria & David Beckham Perfumes for Women

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David Beckham’s ever popular line of men’s fragrances is still going strong. However, when he wanted to release a lineup for ladies, he teamed up with his wife, Victoria, to launch the perfumes. It was along the same premise as David’s men’s line, create good smelling scents, at a low price point. In this post, I’d like to explore the 4 best perfumes from the Victoria Beckham line of perfumes. Note: As of this current update in 2020, it is becoming harder to find these perfumes around. Some aren’t being made any longer, but there are still bottles floating around for relatively cheap.

 

What are the Best Victoria Beckham Fragrances for Her?

Beckham Signature By Beckham For Women Eau De Toilette Spray, 2.5-Ounce / 75 Ml– This one feels a bit different from the rest of the bunch. That could be because it shakes things up with more unique notes such as orchid and anise. It gives a good performance and strikes an interesting balance between the fruit/floral sweet, spice, and soft powder. Victoria Beckham was a part of the ad campaign for this perfume.

It opens up with the orchid being fully in control and flanked by some sweeter notes, like vanilla. The anise and patchouli, will play a major role as it wears on, and provide a great spiciness 10-15 minutes after spraying it on. I think that Beckham Signature for Women has been discontinued, as of now, but it’s still a great option with bottle available online. 

 

BECKHAM INTIMATELY YOURS EDT SPRAY 1.7 OZ FRGLDY– A floral/fruity blend with pear and bergamot giving support to lily, freesia, and frangipani. Slightly sweet with a vanilla vibe, this gives off a summery/tropical floral aroma that is quite smooth and pleasant to wear.

Intimately Yours has a bright warmth and woodsy undertones provided by vetiver and sandalwood. The frangipani is creamy and upbeat, especially when you get more of the sandalwood note. Intimately Yours is a highly enjoyable, mostly floral fragrance, that doesn’t get too bogged down in a garden-like aroma. Lighter sillage, but great smell. 

 

Beckham Signature Story by David Beckham, 2.50 Ounce– A very clean and feminine scent with a hearty helping of rose. Also, a citrus top provided by orange and peach, to go along with a warm/spicy musk note. Solid performance for casual/romantic wear.

Signature Story was a flanker fragrance to the original Beckham Signature. Though, the two really don’t have anything in common other than the name, and patchouli. Very musky floral, during the dry down, heavier on the peony and rose. Reminiscent of Lovely by SJP. 

 

Intimately Beckham By Beckham For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 1.0 Oz / 30 Ml– A good one for the floral lovers out there. An airy bouquet of notes including lily, vanilla, tuberose, and neroli. The musk is much less pronounced than in the option above. Intimately Beckham ends up being a moderate and fresh kind of fragrance. The tuberose really comes through later on, but the other notes play a nice enough support roll, that it isn’t overwhelming.

5 Best Smelling Thierry Mugler Colognes for Men

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Thierry Mugler has been a best selling designer in women’s fragrances for a long time with such hits as Alien and Angel. However, the design house’s men’s fragrance line also has some gems in its midst, that seem to go unappreciated sometimes. For this post, I want to take a look at some of these Thierry Mugler colognes to represent what I feel are the best options for guys out of the bunch. Best Men’s Colognes Homepage

 

What are the Best Smelling Mugler Fragrances for Men?

Angel By Thierry Mugler For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray Rubber Bottle 3.4 OZ– This one is sweet. Like, really sweet, long lasting, and heavy. However, it is also a very great fragrance if you like gourmand notes such as caramel, coffee, honey, etc.

A*Men has more patchouli, early on than the other entries on this list. It is paired with those sweet notes, to create a wonderful and masculine gourmand. The patchouli is there for the entire wear and is fantastic within this framework. Coffee and caramel are the longer term sweet notes, which stick around, and this all sits on top of a woody base of sandalwood and cedar. A*Men is, I believe, the most popular and best selling of the men’s Mugler line. 

angelm

 

Thierry Mugler A Men Ultra Zest Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce– This Mugler scent is really underrated. It opens with a great mix of orange and tangerine. It’s juicy with an underlying blend of patchouli and coffee, pulling it all together.

The secondary wave is of mint, tonka bean, and vanilla. This allows for a sweet, fresh, and creamy aroma that is downright delicious. I get about 7 hours of wear with moderate sillage. It’s good to wear in either the summer or winter. It’s not being made anymore, but Ultra Zest is still available online, for a decent price. I really enjoyed this one. Ultra Zest Review

 

Angel Men Pure Malt by Thierry Mugler Eau De Toilette Spray (Limited Edition) for Men, 3.40 Ounce– Fruity, malt, and woodsy notes make for an interesting fragrance. It doesn’t come across nearly as strong as the original Angel but that is a good thing for some people. The whiskey note gives it a warmth that is absolutely beautiful in the winter.

This smoky and boozy blend, is possibly my favorite Mugler scent to wear. It’s somewhat limited to the colder weather, but it is utterly great, during that time frame.  Fruits, vanilla, malt, and patchouli kick this one off. Later it gets fruitier, boozier, creamy, and woody. Strong sillage, but not overbearing with a good performance in terms of longevity. Pure Malt Full Review

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Angel B Men By Thierry Mugler For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray Rubber Bottle 1.7 Ounce
I have softened on my stance of not liking this cologne very much, from my original review. Since then, I have come to appreciate its dark spiciness, even if I still don’t like licorice notes. Overall, it’s a very good masculine scent for the right guy.

B Men has been discontinued, but it is still underrated, and not well know. Though, it is still available. The spices remind me of Pure Malt’s in a lot of ways, but B Men doesn’t have the booziness or same level of sweetness. I really dig the dry down, where you get a great earthy/woody group of notes, which pairs amazingly with the spices. Well worth a try, if you can pick up a bottle for a decent price. 

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Thierry Mugler Eau de Toilette Spray, Angel Men Pure Havane, 3.4 Ounce– A good tobacco based scent that is softened by the honey, cocoa, and vanilla notes. The tobacco itself is a sweeter kind while remaining masculine. Pure Havane is a fantastic fall/winter cologne.

This is another one of my personal favorites. Usually, I am back and forth between this and Pure Malt. It is like rolled tobacco dipped in honey and vanilla. Sweet, warm, with that light honey stickiness.  The patchouli adds a little bit more depth, but Pure Havane is pretty straightforward. Again, it is pretty limited and not for those in a hot climate, but it is an outstanding perfume. Read my full Review

havane

 

Dior Homme vs Dior Homme Intense Cologne Comparison

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Yes, it’s time for another cologne comparison. Today’s head to head match up is between two Christian Dior scents: Homme and Homme Intense. Is the flanker Intense version better than the original? How does each hold up? Does one of these scents smell better than the other?

Tale of the Tape

Dior Homme

Notes include: vetiver, iris, cacao, bergamot, amber, leather, sage, and lavender

Click here to try: Dior Homme By Christian Dior For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

Read my Full Review: Dior Homme Review

Dior Homme Intense

Notes include: pear, iris, vetiver, ambrette, lavender, cedar

Click here to try: Christian Dior Dior Men Intense Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read My Full Review: Dior Homme Intense Review

Opening

The opening of Dior Homme is more of a floral with the introduction of iris and an underlying sweetness provided by the cacao. It sets the stage for the magnificence, that is to come with this fragrance.

The note that stands out, up top is bergamot. This juicy citrus, pairs very well with the powdery iris, clean lavender, and sweet cacao. Not to mention the sage and dry vetiver.

Homme Intense has an amazing opening act. I absolutely love it. It’s warm and woody with the cedar, vetiver, and amber joining forces to create an aroma that is absolutely divine, in my opinion. This is also paired with the same lavender, as Homme.

I really enjoy the smell of Dior Homme at the start, but I once again, love the way Homme Intense opens. Both are extremely good, but Intense takes it to another level.

Edge: Homme Intense

Projection

Dior Homme is a softer/moderate kind of scent. Obviously, Dior Intense was made to be stronger, as it’s in the name. So, Intense is the winner here because it is strong (but not overpowering).

I will however say that, if you double spray Dior Homme, you get much better sillage and longevity. Like two sprays to each side of my neck, worked wonders. This isn’t always the case with weaker colognes, because you can get fragrances that are so weak, that even tripling up doesn’t really help.

It still won’t be as strong as Homme Intense, but it gets close.

Edge: Homme Intense

Longevity

Homme Intense wins. It lasts all day. In the 9 to 11 hour range.

My full bottle of Dior Homme, with the large sprayer, can get me 8-9 hours of wear out of this cologne. Which is great because you can buy large bottles for under $100, so you don’t really have to conserve the sprays anymore.

Nonetheless, it doesn’t go quite as long as Intense.

Edge: Homme Intense

Versatility

Both of these scents are mature, refined, and work well in the colder weather. I could wear either one casually or for a night out. These are the kind of fragrances you dress up for while wearing.

Dior Homme is more versatile, due to the prominence of the floral notes, in its composition. This allows it to be worn further into the springtime and it holds up better in heat. Not extreme heat, but a nice warm day.

Edge: Dior Homme

Overall Scent

This is honestly a tough one. They are of course similar fragrances but they have enough differences to be distinct. I really do go back and forth between the two…and feel like I now need to purchase full bottles of both again.

However, I do seem to prefer Dior Homme overall when compared to Homme Intense. While the opening of Intense is better, it dries down into more of a chocolate powdery sort of aroma, that simply isn’t as pleasing to me as is the entire life cycle of Dior Homme.

Homme Intense gives better performance, though, that gap can mostly be closed by spraying a bit more Dior Homme. Dior Homme is so subtle, refined, and layered. It’s almost a perfect fragrance in my mind.

I love both of these scents and will gladly wear either one, based on my mood that day. Also, I’ll use both at the same time. In the end though, if I had to choose one, I’d pick Dior Homme.

Dior Homme is my main daily wear, on the off days, when I’m not doing reviews for the site. A lot of folks seem to prefer Intense, but I don’t think it’s a strong throughout, as Dior Homme is.

Winner: Dior Homme (slightly)

Valentino Uomo vs. Dior Homme

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Dior Homme has been a very successful fragrance over the past 15 years or so. Yes, it has now (as of 2020) undergone 3 iterations, under the name Dior Homme. In this post, I am going to be comparing the 2011 version, and not the newest release which is just coming to market.

Anyway, one very similar cologne series to the Dior line, is Valentino’s Uomo series. In this post, I want to compare Uomo vs. Dior Homme. Which smells better? Which lasts longer? Which is the best buy?

Tale of the Tape

Valentino Uomo

Notes include: myrtle, bergamot, leather, coffee, cedar, gianduja cream

Click here to try: Valentino Uomo FOR MEN by Valentino – 3.4 oz EDT Spray

My review: Uomo EDT

Dior Homme

Notes include: vetiver, iris, cacao, bergamot, amber, leather, sage, and lavender

Click here to try: Dior Homme By Christian Dior For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

Read my Full Review: Dior Homme Review

Opening

Dior Homme opens up with its iris note, cacao, and a juicy bergamot. The bergamot is a really nice touch up top, to give it a different feel, from the rest of the wear. It is smooth and floral with some underlying dry elements of sage and vetiver.

Valentino Uomo starts of with gianduja cream, bergamot, and myrtle. Obviously, the floral and bergamot aspects, give a very similar impression as Dior Homme. However, the nutty gianduja blends insanely well with the citrus, and the result is an utterly divine smell.

Which is better? I love both. However, Uomo, has one of the best opening acts ever…to my nose, anyway. It’s so good, I cannot get enough of that first 30 minutes or so.

Edge: Uomo

Projection

The sillage of each, can start off pretty strong, but quickly venture into the moderate part of the spectrum. Neither is going to blow the doors off and I don’t particularly notice much of a difference.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Just about every time that I wear Valentino Uomo, I get 7 hours of wear. When I initially tested Dior Homme, it was a 5-7 hour fragrance. However, when I got my full bottle, it would hit 8-9.

Dior Homme has a bit better staying power. Not a crazy amount, but can reach for those extra two hours.

Edge: Dior

Versatility

These are both very versatile fragrances during the autumn through mid-spring (in most places). You can wear them formally, casually, on a date, or out into the nightlife.

Both are probably best worn by men in their mid-20s and up. These scents are so similar, that there really isn’t a distinction, in this category.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Which of these two colognes is the better wear? This is indeed a tough call, because I will gladly wear either of them, without hesitation.

The strengths of Uomo are its great opening act. The hazelnut like smell, with coffee undertones, and bergamot is just so enjoyable. Add to that the floral notes, leathery smoothness, and woodsy base. The latter parts, are basically a close kin to Dior Homme, in every way.

Dior Homme is my personal go-to. It’s one of my daily wears, when I’m not testing out fragrances, for this site. Iris and leather are the pairing, that ultimately have the most influence. With cacao and lavender taking the secondary level.

Some guys don’t like the iris in Dior Homme, I personally really dig it in this composition, because the leather and woody base keep it masculine. If that’s not your thing, go with Uomo, as it doesn’t have that iris note.

Overall, I’m still riding with Dior Homme, most of the time. I think that it’s slightly better as a whole. If Uomo smelled like the opening act, during the entire wear…it’d be the winner. It doesn’t and most of the rest of it, is a less interesting rehash of Dior.

Winner: Dior Homme

Best Winter Colognes for Men 2019-2020

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The cold weather of winter has descended upon us in the Northern hemisphere, as the official start of the season, is mere days away. For some, the freezing temperatures and icy conditions, have already been around for months. While I personally dislike the coldest months of the year, the one redeeming quality about them, is the vast array of colognes there are to choose from. Yes, there are some men’s fragrances, which only get to shine for part of the year and they’re some of the best. In this post, I am going to cover my favorites, and what I consider to be the top winter scents.

 

What are the Best Smelling Winter Fragrances for Men in 2019-2020?

Tom Ford Private Blend Noir De Noir Eau De Parfum Spray Edp 3.4 Fl / 100 Ml– Noir de Noir from Tom Ford, kicks its life off with, a very nice and sweet rose note. This teams up with moss, patchouli, and oud. It has a darkness, spicy elements, a sweeter side, with a later delicious vanilla and truffle combination. The result is a wholly unique experience, that hangs beautifully, when its cold out. 

This is a fragrance that can hit you in many different ways and completely be a joy to wear. The truffle note, is great, and holds the entire thing together during the dry down along with vanilla. The oud sits at the heart, but doesn’t overwhelm the composition, and is so balanced it heightens the whole experience of wear.

This is generally a well-liked scent, with the sweet and dark dry down. It’s not too powerful, with its moderate sillage, but I get about 9 hours of wear from this one. The opening can be beasty, but it settles into something highly palatable.  Noir de Noir Review

 

Bvlgari Man in Black Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce– Man in Black is a fragrance, that I’m personally excited, that I get to break out once again. Due to its spicy and boozy nature, this isn’t a cologne, that I always get the opportunity to wear. But during the winter? It’s a nighttime go to, in my rotation.

If you’re familiar with Spicebomb, this has quite a bit of similarity, with that fragrance. This is a rum soaked fragrance, with cinnamon, smooth leather, and a nice tonka bean touch. Add to that, tobacco plus oud, and you have yourself a highly masculine scent that gets noticed. Man in Black Full Review

 

Giorgio Armani Code Absolu Eau de Parfum Spray For Men (3.7 Ounce)- Code Absolu opens up with nutmeg, rum, suede, and tonka bean. There is also a hint of citrus and crisp apple, in the background. It sounds somewhat similar to Man in Black, above, but the two scents end up much differently. This one is much less boozy and spicy. 

The spice of the nutmeg is dominant for a few minutes, before the suede and tonka bean really take over. The fresh spice here is great, nutmeg and rum, are surprisingly great together. The fruit notes, are also just strong enough, to prevent it being a completely dark fragrance.

This one is fresh, warm, with a nice sweetness from vanilla and tonka bean. The projection is strong, but not absurdly so, and the longevity consistently hits 10+ hours, on my skin. Code Absolu Full Review

 

Parfums de Marly Herod Men’s Edp Spray, 4.2 Ounce– A warm, mature, and sexy cologne. Herod struck me as a fragrance with elements of some of my other favorite scents on the market. This scent opens up with a fantastic tobacco note, with cinnamon spice, pepper, and earthy patchouli. 

It later has a sweet and spicy aroma, that plays off of one another. First, vanilla. Then, it’s cinnamon and pepper pairing go to work. . Long lasting fragrance, who’s pepper spice is blunted by an incense smokiness lingering just underneath. This one is built for the cold weather and really is one of the top Parfums de Marly fragrances to boot.  Read my full Herod Review

 

Prada Luna Rossa Black for Men Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– I initially tested this one out while in Las Vegas, during the summer. It’s definitely not built for that climate, but it actually held up better than expected. However, Luna Rossa Black is at its best, in the cold.

Now, I’m not a huge fan of its opening act, nor is this my favorite Luna Rossa cologne from Prada. Nonetheless, when it dries down to its tonka bean and amber heart, I find it to be very captivating.

Beyond that, the performance is top notch. It lasts a long time, has a solid, but not overwhelming sillage. It has a darkness to it, with some underlying musk and patchouli. The tonka and amber, are the main stars here, though. Luna Rossa Black Review

 

Angel Men Pure Malt by Thierry Mugler Eau De Toilette Spray (Limited Edition) for Men, 3.40 Ounce
Fruity, malt, and woodsy notes make for an interesting fragrance. It doesn’t come across nearly as strong as the original Angel but that is a good thing for some people. The whiskey note gives it a warmth that is absolutely beautiful in the winter.

Pure Malt opens up with its whiskey, patchouli, fruits, and vanilla. At the start, the fruit medley is the dominant part of the composition. It’s fruity, warm, slightly gourmand/boozy. As it dries down, it becomes a smoother scent with its vanilla, tonka bean, and hints of coffee. It’s masculine and unique, with a fantastic vibe for the winter. Pure Malt Full Review

pure

Paco Rabanne 1 Million Prive Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce– For me there is no question, that 1 Million Prive, is currently the best release by Paco Rabanne. I still really enjoy the original 1 Million, but it’s been surpassed, by this flanker.. Prive is darker, more mature, and just smells better.

The fragrance is super warm and features an opening of apple and cinnamon. Yes, it has that 1 Million signature of sweet and spicy, but it also includes myrrh and tobacco to keep it from being overly sweet. There’s a smokiness and an oriental quality to the smell.  It doesn’t have the same insane sillage of 1 Million, but it is still strong, and lasts 9-10 hours on my skin. 1 Million Prive is just a great wear and has a broad mass appeal. Read my Review

 

Ralph Lauren Polo Red Extreme Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce– Not only is this the best Polo Red fragrance, for the wintertime, it is also the best one period. It smells the nicest and has greater performance than any other of the Polo Red flankers.. This version is darker and doesn’t have the same level of fruitiness created by the cranberry note.Though, it is still present.

This is joined by a certain level of smokiness and a familiar smelling coffee note to go along with blood orange. Sweet, rich, and masculine. Ebony wood rounds out the trio of ingredients, that really make this fragrance go. Not too complicated, but does give you a different experience from the other Ralph Lauren scents, and other colognes in general. 

You get the opening citrus note of blood orange mixed with coffee. Later, coffee becomes dominate and there is an almost chocolate-like aroma hanging in the air, when blended with the wood notes. Pretty straightforward scent, but great. Polo Red Extreme Review