light blue

Light Blue Forever by D&G

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Light Blue Forever was the flanker release in the Light Blue series for 2021. Since I’ve been reviewing all of the men’s scents from this D&G lineup, I figured that I should do some more of the women’s as well. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Light Blue for Women Forever Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, apple, blood orange, musk, orange blossom, white flowers, cedar, cashmeran

Click here to try: Light Blue Forever

My Full Review

So, the men’s version of Forever changed things up with a hyper-realistic grapefruit note. I was expecting something like that with the women’s. However, it seems to be an updated remix of the original Light Blue.

The apple note and the cedar are toned down in Forever versus the original. But, up top you get that same lemon note, joined by blood orange, and a pretty prominent orange blossom. Very juicy citrus opening, that I actually like quite a bit.

The balance among the fruit notes is better here, than the original. Since the cedar note isn’t blasting your nose, it’s not as woody fresh, but that lovely citrus and apple blend is keeping the clean sunny vibes going.

The lemon will quiet down some and the blood orange with orange blossom emerge as the leaders of the pack. It feels sweeter, more floral, and less tart than Light Blue.

Further along, it will be more of a white floral scent, with fruity tones, musk, and some light woody notes. Cashmeran comes out some in the final act.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one starts to really approach the original and Intense, unlike some of the earlier flankers. Others in the Light Blue series could be pretty light with how they project. This one, is well above average and actually performs very well on my skin.

As far as longevity, it lasts 8-8.5 hours for me. Again, it’s not a scent that’s just going to fade away. Those other flankers could be in the 4-6 hour range, so you get some value with Forever.

Seasonally, obviously we’re going to be late spring and early summer. It’s built for the warmer weather and sits beautifully in the air.

It’s good for casual or just general daytime wear. If you go lightly with Forever, it can be pretty versatile with its applications. More of a pretty fragrance than something that’s super sexy. Yet, it certainly has its appeal.

Overall Impressions of Light Blue Forever

Overall, do I like Light Blue Forever? Yes, it’s nothing that’s super unique but it’s about what you’d expect from a Light Blue scent. Very clean and fresh summertime wear, lots of citrus, and neroli.

If you’re not into the citrus ingredients, you can pretty safely pass on this one. If you like the original Light Blue, you might actually prefer this, if the cedar bothered you in that one.

The performance is really good and the scent has some enjoyable moments. I like the dry down more so probably, since the fruit overload could get on my nerves at times.

Forever is probably a pretty safe blind buy, if you’re familiar with the Light Blue fragrances already. If intense citrus bothers you, this might. Yet, it’s pretty easy to wear overall. It’s already been discontinued, so supplies are going to be much more limited moving forward.

Light Blue Sunset in Salina by D&G

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Sunset in Salina is one of the flankers from the women’s Light Blue line. It was released back in 2015. Since I am currently finishing up my review of all of the men’s Light Blue colognes, I took the opportunity to pick up a few more for the ladies, including Salina. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Sunset in Salina smell like?

Notes include: orange blossom, vine, violet leaf, amber, freesia, jasmine, musk, cedar

Click here to try: Sunset in Salina

My Full Review

This is going to be a different take on the Light Blue name and doesn’t have too much in common with the original, other than a few notes.

It starts off with the orange blossom already out in full effect. Now, this is not just the flower itself, but there does seem to be a little zest of the fruit too.

It’s a slightly citrusy white floral start, with an ozonic breeziness and a touch aquatic. The aquatic aspect is actually just the freesia and violet leaf doing their thing. Luckily for me, the violet leaf isn’t too heavy in the mix.

Another part that I want to touch on, is the greenish aroma that Sunset in Salina has. Vine and that violet leaf, give this one a fresh leafy boost, that I think works really well. It’s like sitting in a flower garden on the Italian coast during summer.

For a time, this does feel a bit more violet leaf heavy. When mixed with the other notes, it has a hair spray sort of vibe for a time. For me, it does go away.

A bit further along, the greenish parts will start to fade. This becomes much more of a white floral dominant scent. Orange blossom still reigns supreme followed by, jasmine and freesia.

Very clean and not nearly as woody fresh as the original. The cedar is still here, but it’s a faint impression in the dry down.

The final act is a more run together mix of the floral notes, a surprisingly strong amber giving Salina a warm resinous quality, and musk.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty middle of the road. It comes across as being lighter than others in the series, without much of a trail left behind. The projection, outside of the opening, is like 2 or maybe 3 feet. Not a beast at all.

The longevity too isn’t great. It’s okay at around 5-5.5 hours, on my skin. I don’t have too much of a problem with it for what the use case of this perfume is. Unless you really over-payed, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Seasonally, late spring and summer, depending on where you live. Sunset in Salina is built for the hottest days and its light cleanliness hangs very nicely in the air.

This is more of a casual or daily wear for the summer months. Not a nightlife beast or one that is particularly sexy. It lives up to its name, as I could totally see this as something a woman would wear walking through an island market or sitting outdoors for a drink in the Mediterranean.

Overall Impressions of Sunset in Salina

Overall, do I like Sunset in Salina? Yes, I was surprised that I enjoyed this Light Blue as much as I did. Based on the notes, I wasn’t sure that I was going to be into it. It’s not amazing or a must have, just very nice for a specific season.

The orange blossom is nice and so is the dry down, with the amber and musk. Much smoother and less green at that point, even if I personally enjoyed the vine note early on.

It’s got the same spirit as the rest of the series, but doesn’t just try to clone Light Blue.

Performance isn’t great. If you need an 8+ hour wear, you probably won’t get it with this one. My skin doesn’t tend to ‘eat up’ perfumes and I still only managed the 5 or so hours with Salina.

Light Blue Sunset in Salina does seem to be one that has split opinions on it. As such, I wouldn’t grab an expensive bottle, if you’re blind buying.

Though, since it came out years ago at this point, the cheapies may be harder to come by. $50-70 seems like an okay range, under $40 it’s a pretty safe buy.

To me, it’s worth a shot, especially if it sounds interesting to you.

Light Blue Pour Homme Discover Vulcano by D&G

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Discover Vulcano was the 2014 release in the Light Blue Pour Homme series. It’s one of the fragrances that really didn’t get too much attention upon release and still doesn’t to this day. I had the opportunity to grab a small decant of it to review for the site. So, here I am to give my thoughts on this one and whether or not it’s an underrated gem.

What does Light Blue Discover Vulcano Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, cypress, ginger, lavender, cedar, vetiver

Try here: Discover Vulcano

My Full Review

Discover Vulcano opens up with a huge blast of citrus, along with, cypress and ginger. It’s actually quite sour, ashy/smoky, with a certain saltiness to it. This is sort of like the Light Blue version of AdG Profumo (in terms of style), just way less subtle in the opening (and not nearly as good).

Once that initial lemon blast tones down, this one is much more wearable, but still the most unique smelling of the line. Whether or not that’s a good thing, is probably up to your personal tastes.

Lavender is what I think comes in for a while to help take some of that sourness away. It’s not too prolific of a note here, just a stabilizing force. The cypress is absolutely massive, on my skin, and this scent goes full on dry and fresh woods.

If we’re trying to capture the scent of a volcanic island, I think it works as well as one could expect, without creating something noxious. I like the spicy hints of ginger and can deal with the cypress bomb, once it’s not completely surrounded by a sour lemon.

Vulcano actually is a pretty simple scent. The only real changes towards the end, is the inclusion of more cedar and vetiver butting in on the space of the cypress. Those three notes covered in a light spray of lemon juice.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is about the same as some of the other flankers, but towards the weaker end of the series’ spectrum. Like, Italian Zest, Vulcano opens up very strong with its citrus before retreating into something that sticks to 2-3 feet from the skin.

Though, this is a tad better with its projection than Zest.

Again, this is another Light Blue that will go for about 6 hours. Probably 5-6 hour range, for most people. It’s not very strong, nor is it going to be an all-day wear.

Seasonally, this is a summertime wear. Daytime for casual wear or those in need of refreshing. I suppose it could be worn to work, also, for some people.

This is probably the lease mainstream appealing from the series. Not one that is probably going to appeal to most younger guys or draw a bunch of complements. If you’re one who loves woods or an older man, this might work for you…but far from a guaranteed winner.

Overall Impressions of Discover Vulcano

Overall, do I like Light Blue Discover Vulcano? Not really. I’d have to say it’s my least favorite of the Light Blue line. It’s not my style, even if it has a more unique smell than the others in the series, it’s just not all that good.

Some might dig this. If you want a cheaper summer use of cypress and other woods. But, there are better examples out there than Discover Vulcano. From performance to the scent itself, it’s all pretty mediocre.

Bottles of it don’t seem to be too hard to find, even today, after its limited run back in 2014. Not too many people are checking for this cologne. I don’t recommend it, unless you’re just very intrigued for whatever reason, or are someone like me who needs to complete the entire Light Blue series.

Light Blue Pour Homme Italian Zest by D&G

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Italian Zest is the Light Blue flanker release from 2018. It really wasn’t one that I was too interested in trying out, but since I’m working my way through the entire Light Blue Pour Homme line, I grabbed a small decant to put through its paces. How does Italian Zest smell? Does it last long? Is it worth getting a bottle?

What does Light Blue Italian Zest Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, mandarin orange, Sichuan pepper, rosemary, rosewood, musk, hedione, moss, incense, amberwood

My Full Review

The opening of Italian Zest is a mix of sour, bitter, and tart citrus aromas. The lemon has the upper hand early on, with strong contributions from the usual Light Blue grapefruit, and the lighter bergamot.

That will settle into something more tolerable rather quickly. But, that first minute or two is pretty tough.

Underneath all this is a dry, spicy, and musky aroma which will grow in prominence as we move forward. The rosemary, Sichuan pepper, and even a very light smokiness from incense are all here.

The lemon note will fall back and the grapefruit will come back into play. Italian Zest starts to resemble more of the original Light Blue, but a muskier and woodier version, in the latter stages.

So, once that lemon has taken a backseat, you will get a bit of an orange peel aroma that is surrounded by light floral touches. Really, the floral notes here aren’t major players.

The progression of this scent is: citrus, citrus/spice, citrus/musk/spice, citrus/musk/woods.

That’s pretty much the extent of it. Not super complicated, but one that does evolve throughout the wear. The ending is the remaining citrus blend, rosewood, musk, and a general dryness underneath it all.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Italian Zest Pour Homme starts out with a bang, but that will very quickly dissipate into something that is a lighter moderate. The citrus opening can punch you in the face from across the room, but the fragrance for most of the duration will be in 2-3 foot range, from where you sprayed.

Fine. It’s a lighter summer cologne.

The longevity is also pretty basic. I get just about 6 hours of wear, maybe 5.5, as I wasn’t keeping exact time. Just don’t expect some all day monster fragrance.

Seasonally, summer. Wear Italian Zest on the hottest days of the year. It holds up as well as it can and actually smells it’s best in that sort of weather. I wore it on an 80+ degree Fahrenheit day and it was more enjoyable than inside with the AC running.

Like the other flankers in the series, Italian Zest is casual and mostly suited for daytime wear. Even during the summer, I’d go with a different evening cologne. It’s appealing enough, not sexy, but a laid back scent to freshen up when it’s hot.

Overall Impressions of Italian Zest

Overall, do I like Italian Zest? It’s not something that I dislike, but it’s pretty average in terms of smell and the performance is below average for this line. It’s like a worse version of the original Light Blue and on the bottom half of the list for all of these flankers.

That opening is a sharp citrus mess. I’m glad that it doesn’t last long. The next phase is lighter and easier to wear. Surprisingly, after that bold start, Italian Zest is actually one of the worst projecting (if not the lightest) from the Light Blue Pour Homme line.

Musky, woods, the usual take on this line. I do like the additional spice from the pepper which comes across for a while.

The performance isn’t really good enough for me to want to pick up a full bottle. Sure, this is a basic summer scent, but the other D&G options smell better and give me a little bit more power and longevity.

Since this was a limited edition, bottles of this stuff are getting scarce. It’s not really worth ponying up very much money to acquire Italian Zest. I’d say skip it and you can pretty much grab any other summery citrus cologne to get the same effect.

Light Blue Pour Homme Italian Love by D&G

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Since it was a new year, D&G released a new Light Blue flanker for 2022. Following up on 2021’s Light Blue Forever, they are now coming out with Pour Homme Italian Love. It appears to be a similar scent to Forever, but is that the case? I forgot to update this page last year, so, I grabbed a sample finally to test Italian Love out. How does it smell? Is it worth a buy?

What does Light Blue Italian Love Smell Like?

Notes include: Italian bergamot, grapefruit, green notes, violet leaf, ozonic notes, guaiac wood, vetiver, musk, patchouli

Click here to try: Light Blue Italian Love

My Full Review

Let’s see how D&G describes it:  It opens with Italian bergamot and juicy frozen grapefruit, revealing a fresh cocktail. It then evolves to an intensely masculine heart, with invigorating green notes combining with violet leaf and the fresh aquatic wave of the ozonic marine accord. Earthy vetiver combines with musks and the heady, mysterious note of patchouli, while the full-bodied note of guaiac wood brings new depth and an intriguing sensuality.

Tried it yourself? Leave your own review and score in the comments section below.

Italian Love starts out very close to what you get with Forever.  If you already have Light Blue Forever, you can probably skip this.

Yet, the differences that are between them, make Italian Love a better buy in my mind, for those who don’t have a bottle of either. Or, if the blend of Forever, just put you off.

Italian Love brings back the grapefruit note, but this time it is paired with a juicy and slightly sour bergamot note. Tart and sour, nothing sweet. I like it a lot. The balance is probably around 70/30 in favor of the grapefruit, but the bergamot gives it a better balance.

The second difference that I notice, is the toned down violet leaf in this Light Blue versus Forever. The violet leaf and green notes aren’t as prominent, but the ozonic gives it more of that airy sea breeze impression. Not salty, but leans very blueish and fresh.

As we move into the next phase, the grapefruit takes a more solid leading role in the citrus top. This is also when the light musk note and woods begin to emerge. Musk and vetiver are carryovers from Forever, maybe the musk is weakened in Italian Love, but it is essentially the same with how it comes across.

It’s interesting that Italian Love has a bit of fizziness to it. Can come across as a fresh cocktail of some sort. The bergamot really helps with that, along with the strengthened ozonic accord, and the guaiac wood which makes an appearance in the middle act.

The dry down is a blend of the citrus, musk, and mostly vetiver-dominant woody notes. A little patchouli and guaiac wood thrown in for good measure, but not extremely noticeable. That’s basically the ending of Italian Love.

One more thing to note, is that there is what feels like a light smokiness. Probably the guaiac wood mixing with vetiver, but the undercurrent of this cologne is quite a dry freshness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty moderate, just like Forever. The early stages come with the same blast of citrusy strength that you get with its predecessor, but it settles thereafter. It projects in that 4-6 foot range, initially, with a normal amount of application. Maybe 2-3 feet, past the first hour.

Still not incredible projection, but nothing to be disappointed by.

As a weaker skin scent, it’ll hang around for just over 7 hours, on my skin. That being said, most of what you’re going to pick up will be in the first couple of hours. It is still there, I just don’t notice it all that often.

Seasonally, late spring and summertime. The Light Blue flankers really lean into the summer appeal of the original, as seen with 2023’s Light Blue Summer Vibes (which I’ll review very soon).

It might be a little more versatile, with its appeal versus Forever, which smells like pure grapefruit at times. This one is great to wear out on summer days or nights, and one that can get complements since it performs in the heat. Casual, daily wear, and nightlife.

Overall Impressions of Italian Love

Overall, do I like Light Blue Italian Love? Yes, it is better than Forever. The blend just has a more delightful aroma and some better depth versus the 2021 release. I’m still not a massive fan of this much grapefruit, but this is one of the better releases from the Light Blue line.

The bergamot is the hero for me, in the early stages. It helps to pull back some of that overwhelming grapefruit of Forever, without destroying the appeal of that fragrance. Secondly, the heavier weighting of the ozonic notes, is just a better way to go for me.

Performance wise, it’s basically the same as what I got with Forever. So, it will all come down to which smell you prefer Forever (greenish grapefruit) or Italian Love (ozonic grapefruit blend). For me, it’s the latter.

On the whole, Italian Love is a very good summer fragrance. I’m not completely blown away by it, but I like it for what this scent is going to be used for.