light blue

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.

Light Blue Pour Homme vs. Forever

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Light Blue has spawned a ton of different flankers, seemingly every year for a long time now. The latest, is the blue-bottled Light Blue Forever, that gained a lot of popularity since its release. Though, how does it compare to the original? Which lasts longer? Smells better? Should you buy?

Tale of The Tape: Light Blue Pour Homme vs. Forever

Light Blue

Notes include: bergamot, grapefruit, mandarin orange, pepper, oak moss, juniper, musk, rosemary, rosewood, incense

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 6.7 Ounce

My review: Light Blue

Light Blue Forever

Notes include: grapefruit, violet leaf, white musk, vetiver, ozonic accord

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Forever for Men by Dolce & Gabbana Eau De Parfum,3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review: Light Blue Forever

Opening

Light Blue starts off with its citrus fruits led by bergamot and grapefruit, with a bit of mandarin orange. It is super bright and summery, with a spicy pepper note, and an herbal aroma of rosemary.

After 10 minutes, the citrus is bolstered by some base notes, of incense and rosewood. This gives the scent a touch of smoky wood, lingering in the background.

Light Blue Forever also starts with a grapefruit note. But, it is the sole focus of this scent, and isn’t splitting duties between citrus fruits as the original does. It also smells more realistic and has a very fresh crispness to it.

Beneath that, is a blue-green ozonic accord that adds a watery freshness, and the ever-increasing violet leaf.

Which is better? Forever. If you’re going to make one note the focus, you’d better do it well. D&G definitely nailed the grapefruit experience and it is just more enjoyable early on.

Edge: Forever

Projection

I’d call both of these fragrances moderate, at their peak. With Forever, you get that bold grapefruit burst initially, which does project itself quite well. But, after that it will become lighter, and will be very light for much of the wear.

With Light Blue, it’s moderate also, but I’d call it more consistent with its sillage. It does also get lighter, but holds on to the middle for a few more hours.

Edge: Light Blue

Longevity

With longevity, I have gotten 6-8 hours with the original Light Blue in the past. Newer bottles seem to be on the lower end of the spectrum. Not too bad considering what you get with many long-running popular colognes.

With Light Blue Forever, it gets me just over 7 hours of wear, even with that lighter kind of strength level. Again, pretty good for a super citrusy fragrance.

I might have given the edge, to the original with older bottles. But, I’ll call it a tie with today’s offerings.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Both of these fragrances are at their peak in the summertime. Also, can venture into the spring, but really great on the warmer days. I think that Forever actually has more refinement, than the original, and that’s really the separation between them.

Not that it’s a formal cologne, by any means, but it can go better into semi-formal situations. It isn’t a massive difference, with when they can be worn, but a slight edge to Forever.

Edge: Forever

Overall Scent

I do enjoy Light Blue quite a bit. It isn’t my favorite, by any means, but it is so easy to wear and has plenty going for it. It’s clean, fresh, and a great first buy for many guys just starting out with fragrances. It gives you a decent performance for the price.

It’s got a drier, spicier aroma than the more green/ozonic qualities of Forever, that some men may prefer.

With Forever, I really do like that opening act with the grapefruit note. After that, it becomes a greener and woodsier scent and the grapefruit becomes just another part of the composition.

Violet leaf and vetiver with some musk…once you get past the grapefruit, I don’t really lover it.

It smells fine, at that point, but is pretty weak with its sillage. I don’t hate it, but once the opening fades, the appeal is gone for me.

The opening alone might have me recommend it over the original. As a whole, I’m kind of torn between the two. I think the original is still more enjoyable overall. It feels more dynamic and has a better ability to stick around with some power.

So, I guess the nod goes to Light Blue, over the newer Forever. But, it’s pretty equal. Forever has a higher high, but it’s short-lived.

Winner: Light Blue

Light Blue Pour Homme Eau Intense vs. Forever

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Light Blue is a seemingly endless line of fragrances from Dolce & Gabbana. I mean, why quit when you’re so successful with the formula? The latest edition is Light Blue Forever Pour Homme, which made waves in the summer of 2021.

It’s a well-liked cologne, but how does it compare to another popular option from the line, Eau Intense? In this post, I will compare the two and declare the best option.

Tale of the Tape: Light Blue Eau Intense vs. Forever Pour Homme

Light Blue Forever

Notes include: grapefruit, violet leaf, white musk, vetiver, ozonic accord

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Forever for Men by Dolce & Gabbana Eau De Parfum,3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review: Light Blue Forever

Light Blue Eau Intense

Notes include: mandarin, frozen grapefruit, juniper, aquatic accord, amber woods, musk

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Intense Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 1.6 Ounce

My review: Light Blue Eau Intense

Opening

Eau Intense has similarities to the original Light Blue, much more so than Forever. It kicks things off as a citrus scent with its mix of grapefruit and mandarin orange.

The scent has a chilly aroma, as the grapefruit note is ‘frozen’. It doesn’t have the peppery accord of the original.

In its place, I pick up a light juniper note. The main difference from the original is the inclusion of an aquatic accord. It is slightly salty but not really oceanic, more like sitting by a hotel pool, while on an island. You pick up aquatic elements of sea and pool water.

The juniper and amberwood in Eau Intense give it very fresh profile, that is great to spray on during the summer.

Light Blue Forever also starts with a grapefruit note. That’s it’s main attraction and it smells much more realistic and fresh versus the one found in the rest of the series.

Beneath that, is a blue-green ozonic accord that adds a watery freshness, and the ever-increasing violet leaf.

Which is better? I enjoy both, but I think that Forever has the better start to things. That grapefruit note, while not my favorite aroma in the world, is absolutely great in just how much like the real thing it smells like.

This first category goes to Forever.

Edge: Forever

Projection

Light Blue Eau Intense starts off pretty powerfully and it has the ability to project itself pretty far from the skin.

That first hour or so, it is certainly possible to overspray and take over a room. Though, it does settle and become much more of a moderate fragrance for the rest of the wear.

Forever opens up with that nice grapefruit burst, though it’s pretty moderate as a whole. It never hits the same heights as Eau Intense and much of the wear will be spent near skin scent level.

You get a few hours of solid performance, then it will be a lighter cologne.

Eau Intense has the better sillage.

Edge: Eau Intense

Longevity

While, Forever isn’t the best with how it projects, it actually does stick to the skin for quite a while in this lighter state. It gets me just over 7 hours of wear, with the first couple being in its moderate strength.

However, Light Blue Eau Intense gets me around 9 hours of wear, with a better ability to project. Between these two, Eau Intense clearly has the better performance.

 

Edge: Eau Intense

Versatility

Both of these fragrances are best in the summertime. They can both go casual and can fit in, for an office environment.

I do think that Forever, is the better of the two with how it can fit into those sorts of semi-formal circumstances in comparison to Eau Intense.

It’s a pretty close race and there is plenty of overlap. Forever does have a slight edge in when and where it can be worn.

Edge: Forever

Overall Scent

This is a close call to which of these two fragrances I prefer. Both of them have their strengths and are enjoyable in their own right.

Light Blue Forever is the new kid on the block and has already made a name for itself. I really do enjoy that opening act with the grapefruit note.

After that, it becomes a greener and woodsier scent and the grapefruit becomes just another part of the composition. Violet leaf and vetiver with some musk to boot. Once it has dried down, I’m not that enthralled with Forever.

Update: Forever has since been discontinued. It is still available online at some places. D&G came out with Italian Love the next year, which was a slightly different take on the formula (which I preferred), and can also serve as an alternative to Light Blue Forever.

Either way, you’ll now have to find both from 3rd party online stores, that may still have stock of each.

It smells fine, at that point, but is pretty weak with its sillage. I don’t hate it, but once the opening fades, the appeal is gone for me.

Eau Intense is a summertime workhorse. It starts off slower, but I think has a better smell overall. Not a huge margin, but I do like it better. Plus, I get 9 hours of solid performance.

I love the aquatic nature and freshness from the juniper note. Eau Intense is cold and clean reminding me more of sitting by the pool versus the ocean.

Between these two, I still give the edge to Eau Intense.

Winner: Eau Intense

Light Blue Forever Pour Homme by Dolce & Gabbana

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Light Blue is a perpetual best seller for Dolce & Gabbana, in both its men and women’s incarnations. The brand puts out tons of flankers and limited editions, that can be pretty hit or miss in terms of their attractiveness.

In 2021, D&G put out Light Blue Forever, in a pour homme and pour femme version. I grabbed a sample of the men’s Forever cologne recently, to test it out and review it for the site.

How does it smell? How long does ‘Forever’ actually last? Is it worth buying this limited edition Light Blue fragrance?

Light Blue Forever Pour Homme Overview

Notes include: grapefruit, violet leaf, white musk, vetiver, ozonic accord

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Forever for Men by Dolce & Gabbana Eau De Parfum,3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review

From D&G: A bold new expression of freshness, Light Blue Forever Pour Homme blends intensity and delicateness to create a scent that is both generous and addictive.

All that I’ve been hearing about Forever, is just how realistic the grapefruit note is in this fragrance. People aren’t exaggerating, it really does smell like a freshly cut grapefruit.

Now, if you don’t particularly enjoy that scent, this is one that you should avoid. I like the smell of grapefruit (hate the taste), but it’s not something that I absolutely love.

So, the very opening is going to be a blast of the big juicy citrus, with a breezy/watery ozonic accord, and violet leaf. Light Blue Forever is more of a ‘blue-ish green’ cologne, in the early stages, when compared to the others in this series. In the dry down, it leans much more green than anything aquatic.

While the grapefruit dominates the composition, you will also pick up some cleanliness from the white musk and woodsy freshness from the Indonesian vetiver. Light Blue Forever is extremely bright and uplifting, one to reach for if you love clean scents.

Once the grapefruit calms down, the violet leaf and vetiver have a much stronger influence and the cologne seems to be split between these three notes (and the general ozonic accord) fairly equally. The citrus dominance comes to an end.

That’s about all of the development that I get with Forever Pour Homme. It’s a fairly simple wear from Dolce & Gabbana.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty moderate, as a whole. The early stages do give you a strong blast, but it dries down into a much lighter fragrance. It projects in that 4-6 foot range, initially, with a normal amount of application.

Not amazing, by any means. Though, with this sort of citrus based cologne, that’s pretty much to be expected.

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. The performance is a weakness here, though, it’s isn’t terrible.

Seasonally, this is a summertime wear. If you live in a warmer climate, you should be able to break this out in the spring and early autumn as well. Generally speaking, most folks will be using it for the summer.

It’s well put together and appropriate for men of all age groups. Light Blue Forever has a mass appealing scent and should be able to draw plenty of complements from passersby. Casual, daily wear, and maybe nightlife (if you don’t want to wear a beast).

Overall Impressions of Light Blue Forever

Overall, do I like Light Blue Forever? I do enjoy it quite a bit. Though, this isn’t a love for me. Again, I’m not a massive grapefruit fan and violet leaf isn’t a note that I particularly care for either.

That being said, even with those two caveats, I did like this cologne. The grapefruit opening is super juicy, fresh, and hyper-realistic. That first hour especially, is really great stuff.

Forever Pour Homme will change things up, however. On my skin, I get more of the violet leaf note. For others, the vetiver woodsy freshness might pop out more. Either way, that’s what you should expect a lot of the dry down to be about. With the remaining citrus, it can come across as somewhat sour.

Update: Since this came out in 2021, it has been discontinued. Most of the Light Blue series are one year releases. Italian Love was the follow up, very similar but better in my opinion. You can obviously still find bottles of each around.

Scoop them up, if you want to try these two grapefruit heavy editions out. Summer Vibes went in a different direction as the 2023 release.

The performance isn’t spectacular, but it’s good enough for one of these sorts of summer fragrances. I wouldn’t really complain about it, if I purchased a full bottle. This isn’t a super expensive one. It’s weaker than Eau Intense, but about right in line with Light Blue Sun.

I do wish that grapefruit opening would stick around for a longer while. I mean, I pick up grapefruit for most of the wear, but I liked that initial weighting much more than the middle and ending.

This is a summer fragrance that is at least worth a try. If you love grapefruit, I’d say it’s a must own. For others, you probably won’t hate it, and it’s a pretty safe blind buy.