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Gentleman Society by Givenchy

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Gentleman Society is a new release from Givenchy for 2023. I wasn’t in too much of a rush to try yet another addition to the Gentleman line, since it can be pretty hit or miss for me. Anyway, I’ve been testing this one out for a full review on the site. How does Society smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Gentleman Society Smell Like?

Notes include: sage, cardamom, daffodil, vetiver, sandalwood, cedar, vanilla

Click here to try: Gentleman Society

My Full Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: A scent as a signature. A wild narcissus flower enhanced by a deep woody accord.

The first time that I tried Gentleman Society was in the Miami airport while waiting for my flight. I don’t think I liked it at all and simply found it annoying. But, I chalk that up to being annoyed by a delayed flight and having to then sit on a plane.

So, I bought a full sample when I got back home, to really give it a fair chance.

On my skin, this one opens up with more of the sage being loud than the cardamom spice. Now, that’ll flip and more of the cardamom show up, but early on I get a bunch of sage.

Not that this is super spicy or anything, as Society is actually pretty sweet up top, kind of nutty. Even the cardamom here, feels more like the kind found in Azzaro Wanted. Sweeter, maybe with a lighter tinge of a lemon-like aroma.

The sage is paired with the emergent vanilla note, that’ll play more of a role. Also, the daffodil, which has been gaining more traction in men’s fragrance as of late. H24 also used a narcissus flower to great effect.

What’s interesting is that Hermes cologne, also has a lot of sage and woody notes in the base. Society is a lot like this scent, but with cardamom and vanilla piled on and without the metallic aroma.

Back to Society, the sage note will pretty much burn off in that first 15-30 minutes on my skin. The cardamom and narcissus will come to the forefront, with the floral note really developing and adding that yellow sort of musky finish to this scent.

The further along we get, the drier this one feels. Vetiver and palo santo wood aren’t massive influences in the mix, but towards then end this definitely has a more striking woodiness than the floral aspects of the early stages.

It’s an woody and earthy cologne at the end, with a big hit of vanilla still sitting on top. I don’t get anymore of the cardamom, narcissus, or sage at this point. Just woodsy notes and vanilla.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Society starts off with a pretty high level of ability to project off of the skin and leave a scent trail. I wouldn’t call it elite, but it is well above average throughout the wear.

Obviously, it is going to moderate as you move along in the wear, but I never felt like it was a weak cologne while having it on.

The longevity is also good. I’d say it’s in the 8.5-9 hour range, on my skin. With heavier spraying and a full bottle, I might be able to hit the double digit hour mark. Either way, I wasn’t disappointed in the performance and this Givenchy gives you good value.

Seasonally, it strikes me as one for the cooler to more moderate temperatures. Autumn through early spring, in most places. I wore it in the daytime once, here in late spring when it was really warm out, and Society wasn’t too good.

So, keep it indoors or only when the heat isn’t blasting you outside.

Society comes across as a fragrance better suited for men in their 20s. Not completely juvenile, but its sweetish aroma, might not be mature enough for some guys.

This one can go daytime or night. It’d work great as a nightlife sort of scent. It doesn’t scream for attention, but it has enough power and appeal to grab some. Seems like one that women will like to smell on a man.

Overall Impressions of Gentleman Society

Overall, do I like this fragrance? It’s fine. I do like it much more than I did when trying it in the airport. It has some familiarity with other colognes out there, but it does separate itself ultimately and do its own thing.

The opening 30-45 minutes is my favorite part of the wear. Narcissus, sage, the nuttiness, sweetness, and cardamom. It has depth and nuance that is at least interesting, while not being the most amazing cologne ever.

After that, I’m less enthusiastic about it. Kind of boring, can feel too sweet, and just not anything that I truly enjoy.

One advantage that Gentleman Society does have, is its performance. This projects very well and will provide a full workday’s worth of wear at least before quitting. Some guys might even get a longer amount of time with Society than I do.

I think that this is a mainstream fragrance that is worth a try, especially for younger guys. It’s one that is going to be popular and probably get you some complements. Easy to wear, more of a crowd pleaser, that does everything well enough.

To me, it’s nothing spectacular, just a fragrance that smells pretty good and can deliver in the performance department.

Gentlemen Only Casual Chic by Givenchy

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With my recent sample haul, I received my third fragrance from Givenchy’s Gentlemen Only line, Casual Chic. This was released in 2015. My favorite of the previous two was Gentlemen Only Intense, but Casual Chic seemed to be more of an imitation of the original than that particular flanker cologne.

In this review, I’m going to cover what it’s made of, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if I think that it is worth a purchase or not.

What does Gentlemen Only Casual Chic Smell Like?

Notes include: cedar, ambroxan, birch leaf, sandalwood, cardamom, ginger, juniper

Click here to try: Givenchy Gentlemen Only Casual Chic Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: A seductive fragrance for the easygoing gentleman. Fresh and relaxed for a casual chic allure.

The initial spray of Casual Chic seems to have an element of orange for the first 30 seconds or so before the spicy and woody aroma emerges. It has an outdoorsy vibe that is topped by the ginger and juniper notes which creates quite an interesting combination.

Casual Chic is energetic and fresh with an old school feel that never strays into the unisex category like some other scents.

The ginger note provides that characteristic spice throughout the life of the scent and Casual Chic is one of the better uses of this note, that I’ve experienced recently.

I find it to be quite ‘green’ and woodsy, like a walk in the forest on a late spring or summer day, but it doesn’t go full woods as compared to another scent like Azzaro.

The ambroxan note, keeps it warm and smooth without getting overpowered by the cedar.

When compared to the original Gentlemen Only, I do find some similarities in the composition, but the original is much smokier and actually does have that orange not that Casual Chic briefly mimics.

Sillage, Longevity, and When to Wear

It’s projection is pretty moderate but it is better than its predecessor in this regard. It’s not an overwhelming fragrance, but it is noticeable.

It’ not a heavy fragrance, lighter to moderate in terms of sillage. However, it does project rather well. So, you do get some value out of this spring and summer wear.

It does have good longevity on my skin, probably 7 hours of wear. This is when the original fell flat by hour 3…so that’s a good improvement.

Not an elite scent, I’m just glad it outshines the original at least. Surprising, considering what its based on, but Casual Chic worked pretty well for me.

I’d rate this as a casual scent, as the name implies. Good for work, school, or a day spent around town.

It’s a outdoorsy kind of cologne but it seems to be best for warmer weather, when so many other similar scents get stuck in the winter category. This is a nice change of pace from the norm.

It could probably be worn to work or semi-formally. Not really a club scent or something super formal. But, the freshness and easy going nature gives it the ability to be worn fairly extensively in the spring and summer.

Overall Impressions of Casual Chic

Overall, is Casual Chic worth a buy? I enjoy it but it doesn’t really fit me and my style. That said, it is better than the original Gentlemen Only.

So, if you like that or if this composition seems to fit your personal style, it could be a good purchase at the right price. It’s solid all around but it doesn’t particularly blow me away ever, for what it does, it does it well enough.

The juniper and ginger are the highlights for me. Not too big on the ambroxan and birch, but the other woods give it a nice freshness. Nothing about Casual Chic is bad, more of an above average cologne that some guys will really like, while others will mildly enjoy.

Update: While there are still bottles around online, Givenchy discontinued this one some time ago. The one’s I have seen are mostly on eBay and are selling for around $100. Not going to be worth the reach for most people. Unless you’ve already tried it and loved it, you can pass on Casual Chic.

Very Irresistible for Men by Givenchy

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Givenchy has a wide range of colognes for men that are stylish and memorable. I recently received a sample of one of their more popular fragrances, Very Irresistible.  I have worn this cologne a bit lately and would like to use this post in order to share my thoughts and give my opinion on this fairly unique scent.

What does Very Irresistible for Men Smell Like?

very irr

Notes include: Hazelnut, coffee, mint, grapefruit, sesame, and cedar

My Full Wear Review

The first thing that strikes me about this fragrance is how rich and enveloping it is. To me, it’s a pretty heavy scent but not in a way that will choke those around you, though, I wouldn’t put a ton of it on.

What I detect most is the hazelnut and coffee notes, which is of course reminiscent of a hot cup of coffee in the morning. However, the mint note makes this take on a chocolatey/mocha scent that makes it fall into the gourmand category.

It is definitely a sweet cologne, yet, still retains a completely masculine vibe…probably aided by the woodsy cedar note. That rich and warm quality which I wrote about above really reminds me of Versace Eros. The two fragrances do not smell alike at all but I get that same kind of enveloping feeling with both of them.

The most interesting aspect of the notes to me is the emergence of the grapefruit and mint. I am a fan of mint notes in cologne, see: Guerlain (love it!) and Le Male. The mint in Very Irresistible is wholly different from those two fragrances, as it takes on a much more woodsy/green quality…but it makes this Givenchy scent really pop.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The opening does give you that bold and far reaching heaviness, that I wrote about. It tones down quite a lot after maybe 20 minutes of wear and is actually somewhat moderate once you get to that stage.

But, that opening is large enough to pull it firmly in the above average sillage camp.

The longevity was in the 6-7.5 hour range. Not bad, just never really hit a high level of performance. It’s about what you’d expect from this sort of designer cologne.

It’s such a dark and engaging fragrance that I believe it demands to be worn in the late fall and early wintertime. The sweetness, the greenness, and the gourmand aroma would really do well in that type of cooler environment.

It’s attractive enough for the nightlife and dates. I’d wear this out or more in casual situations versus trying to have it on in a professional setting.

My Overall Impressions 

With all that being said, would I recommend, Very Irresistible? I’d say that I would. However, I don’t think it is the right scent for everyone. I don’t feel that it is the right scent for me, I found it quite nice at first but after a while, I just couldn’t enjoy it anymore.

It’s just way too rich for my tastes. If you are a fan of the gourmand type of fragrance and love a sweet/green type of scent, I would say this is a very good bet. I love a lot of gourmand scents, but this one is just pretty good.

Updating this page years later, this Givenchy has been long discontinued. You can still track down bottles if you want to try it out. Which, it’d still need to be the right price, as anything above a certain point (maybe $50-60) would be overpaying for most guys.

Givenchy Gentleman Reserve Privee vs. Dior Homme Intense

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Two iris fragrances for men, are among the two most popular cologne options for guys: Dior Homme Intense and Gentleman Reserve Privee by Givenchy. Add to that, they each have a dark warmth about them, and plenty of shared notes. The question is, which smells better? Which one lasts longer? Which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Dior Intense vs. Gentleman Reserve Privee

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 review: Dior Homme Intense

Gentleman Reserve Privee

Notes include: bergamot, iris, benzoin, whiskey absolute, chestnut, cedar, vetiver and patchouli

Click here to try: Reserve Privee at Macy’s

Read my review: Reserve Privee

Opening

Homme Intense starts with a mix of lavender, cedar, and vetiver. It’s a smooth woody scent that pairs with the ambrette to create a warmer woods feeling. The iris emerges on my skin, after a minute or so delivering the signature floral note of each scent.

The ambrette creates a cacao-like aroma, that was found in the original Dior Homme. Sweet, warm, and just fantastic.

The opening of Gentleman Reserve Privee shares a lot with the two Dior fragrances, along with, Uomo by Valentino.

Bergamot and chestnut come through early to give it a fresh and nutty aroma. It actually starts to settle into more of a cacao smell, but it is pure chestnut at the beginning. The iris of course, is there too.

It really does favor smelling like Dior Homme Intense, at this stage. But, the main highlight is the whiskey note. Warm, dark, and very appealing.

Which is better? For me, the opening hour is a pretty close call. They are very similar and are both excellent openers. I do think that I still prefer Dior Intense a bit more than this newer Givenchy release.

Dior Intense is one of my favorite openers of all-time, I don’t think Reserve does anything to completely surpass it.

Edge: Dior Intense

Projection

Dior Intense has a nice and strong first few hours, that will for sure leave a scent trail behind. Not a powerhouse, but it’s always been well above average on me. Even if I couldn’t smell it at a particular moment, others have commented on it.

Reserve Privee doesn’t reach that same peak in the beginning. Plus, it falls off into something that is on the lighter side of moderate. Not completely weak, just not up to the Dior level.

Edge: Intense

Longevity

With this one, Dior Intense usually gives me in the 9-11 hour range of wear. I think I get a bit better performance out of this one, than most people for whatever reason.

The Givenchy lasted 8-9 hours on skin. So, it’s upper end can match what Dior does sometimes, but it doesn’t have that extra gear.

Again, for some people, this might actually be equal. For me, it’s Dior.

Edge: Intense

Versatility

These two inhabit the same sphere and share so many overlaps, there’s no real distinction here.

Both are autumn and wintertime wears. Both tend towards being nightlife wears, with mass appeal and sexiness. But, also there’s not problem wearing it in the daytime usually. Classy, well put together, etc.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances do I enjoy more? It’s the Dior.

Reserve Privee was a scent that I was pretty excited to try out, but ultimately a bit underwhelmed by. Now, I do think that opening is awesome and trying it again and again, it still captures my attention.

But, after that, this one just doesn’t hold up in the same way. Nor does it ever hit the same peak as Dior Intense. The whiskey note doesn’t stick around long enough, the nuttiness of chestnut becomes more of a dry chocolate (which is nice), but even that isn’t an extended stay.

Mostly, it’s the iris, amber, and wood. Not a bad smell, but just kind of boring and doesn’t bring the same punch as the Dior. The Givenchy isn’t a bad cologne, it’s just never as good, and tries to tread over much of the same ground.

Winner: Dior Intense

Irresistible EDT by Givenchy

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Irresistible eau de toilette is another fragrance from this Givenchy series. This edition was launched in 2021. I bought samples of each of the Irresistible perfumes brought to market thus far and have been testing them out. Today’s review entry is the EDT. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Irresistible EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: blackcurrant, white tea, rose, iris, cedar, musk

irresistible edt review

My Full Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: Introducing sparkling rose to tender musky wood, the new Irrésistible Givenchy Eau de Toilette is a bright and airy expression of femininity. It invites you to connect to others and savor the delicious lightness of life.

Like the EDP version, Irresistible EDT starts off quite fruity and with a sparkling quality. In that one, the pear had a great deal of influence, in this it’s blackcurrant.  Joined by a light white tea note that gives it moments of an herbal-like smell.

This, and the greater weighting of the Turkish rose note early on, provides this a sharper/sour and much less juicy/fresh/sweet aroma than the EDP.

It lacks the ambrette and amps up the musk note instead. The rose note here starts off very green, seemingly heightened by the blackcurrant. Plus, the white tea and its scent. However, this will calm down after the first wave.

After that point, it becomes a pinkish rose with musk, a sweeter fruitiness, and the powdery finish of the iris. I get some more iris in this one versus EDP, but still less than the Fraiche version of Irresistible.

The dry down is a fresh musky rose scent with some cedar and iris still hanging around. The iris really does fall off after that middle act and isn’t much of a factor on my skin, thereafter.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one has a lighter moderate sillage. Not as good as EDP as far as its projection and how long it leave a scent trail behind. Though, it isn’t all that much weaker than that version with a higher concentration.

With this, I get about 5-6 hours of wear total. The fragrance during that time frame is consistent with its strength and doesn’t just turn into a skin scent an hour in. It will eventually, but you do get a decent period of time to experience the scent of Irresistible EDT.

Seasonally, it has the same versatile use case. Spring and summer, is when this fragrance is at its best. If it’s not too cold otherwise, wearing it will be perfectly fine. Maybe not as sharp in the cold, as EDP. Just not when it is in peak form.

Irresistible is a pretty sort of perfume, that will get complements, and less of something that might be called sexy. But, it’s one that is a crowd pleaser and nothing that should offend.

It’s fairly wearable. Light and upbeat. More of a daily wear, casual, and semi-formal. I’d probably skip using this as a nightlife sort of scent.

Overall Impressions of Irresistible EDT

Overall, do I like this fragrance? It’s fine. In terms of how it smells, it’s actually my least favorite of the series. Though, for some people, you may prefer this to the sweeter EDP. Fraiche also smells better than this one, but doesn’t have the performance.

I do like the iris and the blackcurrant influence here. It does have the rose and a muskier profile, which is fine, just not all that exciting.

The performance is pretty middle of the road, also. None of the Irresistible scents are super long lasting nor do they have heavy sillage.

You get a pretty forgettable aroma, albeit pleasant, with middling performance and not too much about it that stands out. On sale, you could do a lot worse than picking up a bottle of Irresistible EDT. Full price? Probably wouldn’t go for it.

In either case, I wouldn’t go out of my way to obtain a bottle.