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
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally test out and written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides. You can also follow me on: YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok!
