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6 Fragrances Similar to Versace Pour Homme

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Versace Pour Homme is a best seller and a favorite cologne of many guys. But, sometimes you may want a change of pace or to find something that is close to what it brings to the table for a better price.

In this post, I am going to cover (and update when necessary) other colognes which can fit the bill and strike close to the Versace aroma. Some will be fragrances that are trying to replicate, while others will be colognes with a close style to the Versace scent.

Scents Similar to Versace Pour Homme

The Similar Chanel

Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 5 oz– I have to include Allure Homme Sport on the list, as it does have a lot of similarities with Versace. Not exactly the same, but they really do strike a similar chord.

I actually enjoy the smell of the Chanel more so than I do Pour Homme. However, newer bottles of Allure Sport don’t have the same performance level as they used to. Since it is also more expensive, I would probably go with the Versace instead.

The main difference to me, is that Versace has more of a citrus start. Also, the Chanel has the traditional Chanel aldehydes and a somewhat oceanic freshness to it. I love this fragrance, but the performance has become pretty meh. Allure Homme Sport Review

More Aquatic, Vanilla Creamy

Missoni Missoni Wave Men EDT Spray, 3.4 Fl Oz – This one is a really nice entry from Missoni. It does smell more like Allure Homme Sport than it does Versace, but the overlap is for sure there between the three.

The citrus top is closer to the Versace. While the aquatic and aromatic qualities are closer to the Chanel. However, Wave has more of an aquatic aroma versus either of them and also dries down with a creaminess provided by vanilla orchid and vetiver.

The performance is pretty good, at least close to par versus what we get with newer Versace Pour Homme bottles. For the price, this is a really solid and affordable wear, that gives you an easy reach during summertime.

A More Floral Based Citrus Cheapie

Nikos Sculpture Homme for men Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounces– Sculpture is a really nice cheapie and has been around for multiple decades now. It isn’t a complete match, but the citrus notes do remind me somewhat of Pour Homme.

It’s in the same style, I’d say. Actually, it is sort of like a mix of Versace Pour Homme and Dreamer. The citrus opening, prominent orange blossom and floral notes, and at times bitter herbal qualities. Like a synthesis of those two Versace scents, with its own added flair.

Woodier and Light Freshness

Hatem for Men EDP – Eau De Parfum 75ML (2.5 oz)– Hatem has a ton of overlap with our target, in terms of notes. Rose, citrus, geranium, cedar, sage. So, right from the bat you are going to get a very similar structure.

The difference is going to really be with the weightings of the notes. This has a bit more spice and some added woody notes. Fresh and clean with a toned down amount of citrus.

Hatem has okay performance, but the sillage is pretty light. Depending on the price, it may be worth a look, but if it is close to the Versace I’d go with that.

Similar Aquatic Blue

Desire Blue By Alfred Dunhill For Men, Eau De Toilette Spray (3.4 Ounces)– Lighter on the citrus, but a good deal, and some amped up general blue aquatic notes.

This one is sweeter, more floral, with some tonka bean and amber finishing things out. Again, this is another one that won’t be an exactly the same as Versace Pour Homme, but in the same general style for very cheap.

The marine/aquatic aroma in this is stronger than the others on the list and the citrus is also paired with a nice lychee fruit early on in the wear. Crisp freshness and fruitier rather than just being a citrus dominant cologne.

Dua Dua

Homage Pour Homme– This is The Dua Brands inspired version of the original 2008 formulation of Versace Pour Homme. This is one to try if you want something that’s trying to match the Versace experience.

Now, I haven’t personally tried this one out, but I’m including it on the list. I’ve gotten other scents and blends from them and they usually strike it pretty darn close.

Add to that, you get an Extrait de Parfum concentration, and in my experience with Dua…the perfumes tend to perform well. Also, they usually have discount codes on the site; so, it could end up being somewhat cheaper than new bottles of the Versace.

The Dreamer by Versace

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I can’t believe that I haven’t done a review of The Dreamer by Versace, up to this point in time. It has long been a go to fragrance on occasions, when I want to wear something different from the usual fair.

I found a mini bottle mixed in with a box of sample fragrances recently and I had to check the site, to see if I actually had written about this Versace cologne before. Nope.

So, in this post, I want to take a closer look at the 1996 release from this designer and give my thoughts on how it smells and performs.

What does Versace The Dreamer Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco, tonka bean, lavender, sage, rose, cedar, geranium, and more

Click here to try: Dreamer By Gianni Versace For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

My Full Review

The opening of Dreamer can be somewhat intense, compared to the rest of the wear. From the start, the tobacco note is present, it is more of an uncured tobacco than one which has been toasted.

I think that the intensity of the start stems from the sage, fir, and rose notes interacting with the tobacco. It is quite green with a sharp herbal spice and lavender poking through at times. That rose note with the tobacco, certainly lends a green-ish sensibility.

Now, Dreamer does settle down pretty quickly into something that is much better, than you initially get. As it dries, down Dreamer becomes sweeter and more floral. Yes, tobacco still is the top dog here, and will be throughout the entirety.

However, rose, carnation, and geranium show up to flank the tobacco for a really fresh heart. At times, this one reminds me of Burberry Brit. They don’t smell the same, but they share plenty of common notes, and can have a similar vibe. Just Brit, is more of a powdery cologne.

The rose really settles from a greener sort of smell, to the floral note, that we’re all pretty much familiar with. Nice mix of herbal, woody, and floral. Dreamer is such a unique fragrance, especially for a mainstream designer.

The base of this Versace fragrance, is a drier, woody one. There is a solid cedar note, fir, and vetiver. Ultimately, Dreamer is tobacco with a big does of lavender (and tonka bean) with floral/herbal notes supporting those two and a green woody base.

It’s really gets smooth and has a slightly spicy freshness during the dry down. Really great deep tobacco aroma.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on this one starts out moderate, but turns lighter in short order. It’s never been weak for me, but this isn’t a super heavy fragrance. It doesn’t hang close to the skin but rather floats around in the immediate air around your body.

The longevity on this one usually runs 6+ hours, depending on the climate. It can go 8 hours for me, on colder days. Yet, here in this warmer southern climate, I usually will get that 6-ish hours from Dreamer.

Seasonally, this is an autumn through early spring wear. Dreamer isn’t very good at all, in hotter weather, so try to avoid that. It can be worn casually, at work, or even out for an evening.

It is a really versatile and attractive cologne, that women usually enjoy. Not necessarily ‘sexy’, but a complement getter. I’ve worn this as a teenager and as an adult, it does have a more mature air, but is fine for a younger guy.

Now, from what I understand, Dreamer may have been reformulated and perhaps the ingredients were changed up in new bottles. I can’t confirm that, but this mini bottle that I have from a couple of years ago, is the same smell that I remember from vintage bottles.

Overall Impressions of Dreamer

Overall, is the Dreamer worth a buy? Yes, it is. Again, not sure if the newer bottles have been screwed with or not, but the price for a full bottle has been really inexpensive for a long while now.

Update: Also, the newer bottles I think have changed at least some of the notes too. At least from what I’ve read, I haven’t checked out a new bottle as of yet. So, this is a review of the original formulation.

Lots of great fragrances from the 1990s are really affordable, at the moment, and are an awesome way to get both quality and value. This isn’t for everyone, but Dreamer gives you a great green tobacco with floral sweetness and a bit of fresh spice. It’s always worked for me.

It’s not my favorite fragrance ever, but there aren’t too many cologne options like this. As such, when the mood strikes, Dreamer is a great daytime wear for me to have around.

Dylan Blue Pour Homme by Versace

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This is my third entry of my one time wear reviews while traveling in Europe. Today, I am going to give my impressions of Versace Pour Homme’s, Dylan Blue. This has become a very popular fragrance.

In this post, I’m going to discuss how it smells, performs, my impressions, and whether or not I think that it is worth a buy.

Note: I have updated this post a few years after my initial impressions, after spending more time wearing this scent, and having a better feel for it.

What Does Dylan Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: black pepper, violet leaf, grapefruit, bergamot, tonka bean, ambrox, fig leaf

Click here to try: VERSACE Pour Homme Sealed Dylan Blue Eau de Toilette, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

Upon first sniff of this fragrance, I immediately want to place in the same realm as a fragrance such as Acqua Di Gio Profumo. It’s different mind you, but, it seems to belong to that same class of citrus/aquatics.

Between the two, Dylan Blue is a more youthful and lighter cologne, but as it dries down the similarities between Profumo fade and the ambroxan of Dior’s Sauvage begin to emerge.

Dylan Blue really is kind of an amalgamation scent of the aforementioned colognes, mixed with maybe one or two others, that I cannot think of at the moment.

Dylan Blue is aquatic at first, with the grapefruit and bergamot notes, sitting on top of that watery base. Plus, there is the ambroxan note, which is nice and warm but gets stronger as it moves along.

The fig note and citrus pairing at the top is actually quite good. I think it might be my favorite aspect of this Versace release. While the citrus and ambroxan, bring to mind Sauvage, this one isn’t nearly as spicy as the Dior. Plus, the fig and aquatic notes set it apart.

The initial burst is fairly short lived, less than an hour, and the Sauvage-esque spirit takes over. At that point, it seems much weaker than it had been, but the longevity isn’t terrible.

Not as bad as another grapefruit citrusy cologne I just reviewed, Lacoste Jaune. My biggest complaint with Versace scents is how chemical they can smell.

I liked the original Versace Pour Homme well enough but that has the same kind of faux-citrus smell.  There is also a woody-fig note that gives it another layer but it isn’t all that complex of a scent.

As it dries down, I start to pick up more of the ambroxan, some black pepper, and even a little bit of violet leaf. The citrus has settled somewhat and Dylan Blue becomes more wholeheartedly ambroxan based.

I should also mention the slight smokiness from the included incense note, during its latter stages. It’s a great little touch, that I picked up on the more I wore around the contents of my mini bottle of this cologne.

Sillage, How Long Blue Lasts, and Versatility

Projection is good at first and then dies out a bit. It’s pretty average overall. Though, the sillage can seem heavy at first.

The longevity of Dylan Blue has been consistently 6-7 hours on my skin. Seemingly no more, no less. It’s actually kind of weird, how quickly it goes from a nice amount of power to just completely gone.

At least, it consistently hits that mark, and I know what to expect from it beforehand. That’s not a short amount of time, but it’s not a monster, in that regard.

I think that where Dylan Blue shines is in its versatility. I think it’d be appropriate for almost any summer or warm weather occasion. It would also be more appropriate for young men, sub-25 years of age, and is sexy enough for date night/club wear.

This is one that will get positive attention out of it. It’s not an offensive scent and is generally crowd pleasing. Dylan Blue is popular and so it’s going to have plenty of fans, in public spaces.

It’s a really nice scent for younger guys, who want something stylish, and that can fit in a wide variety of situations. The performance isn’t top notch, but it is good enough for most purposes.

Overall Impressions of Dylan Blue

Overall, is Dylan Blue worth a buy? Not for me, BUT I could see how it could work for some guys. If you need a summer scent that is pretty basic and will draw complements, I don’t think you would go wrong here.

For me, it doesn’t really offer anything different from scents that I already own or have samples of…so it’s kind of pointless. I certainly don’t hate it, in fact, I have come to like it a good deal more than I had initially.

Mostly, I like the opening hour or so. Thereafter, Dylan Blue just seems kind of basic to me. Not particularly interesting or all that attractive. Decent.

I just with I got more time to enjoy the fig note and the initial citrus blend, that’s actually one great aspect of this cologne.

However, at it’s price point and with it’s versatility, it would be a solid pick up for someone who wants a simple no-brainer. I like the aroma for the most part, not my favorite, but it does smell good.

Versace Eros vs Polo Red Cologne Comparison

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It’s been a little while since I have done a cologne comparison and so I thought that I’d present a head to head match up between a Versace and a Polo scent. Eros vs. Polo Red. Both of these colognes are highly popular fragrances that have been released in the past 3-4 years and usually occupy a similar pricing point. I like both and have owned (own) both of them before. Which one is better? Which is the better performer? Is one worth a purchase?

Tale of the Tape: Eros vs Polo Red

Versace Eros 

Notes of Eros: mint, green apple, tonka bean, madagascar vanilla, vetiver

versace eros

Read my Eros review

Shop Amazon for: Versace Eros Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Fluid Ounce

Polo Red Tale of the Tape

rp_polo-red-300x259.jpg

Notes of Polo Red: grapefruit, italian lemon, cranberry, saffron, sage

Try Polo Red: Ralph Lauren Polo Red Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce

Read my original review: Polo Red Ralph Lauren Review

Opening

The opening of Eros is like a heavy, cool, and gourmand blast that then begins to warm up rather quickly. Polo Red is sweet and warm with a candy-like lemon and cranberry combo. I really like Polo Red in the opening but I feel that Eros is just more interesting, even if it can be overpowering.

Update: Eros now seems to have more of the lemon up top than previously, at least to my nose. It’s more of a citrus mint up top, whereas the was more balance and a creamier tonka/vanilla aroma, in the very early stages.

Polo Red starts with that citrus and cranberry sweet/sharp blend. It’s bright and sits on top of plenty of amber.

Which one is better? I’d probably still go with Eros, but it’s less clear cut than it had been previously.

Edge: Eros

Projection

Versace Eros is an absolute monster in this regard. Polo Red is on the lower end of moderate with how it projects. I often have to double up on the application of Red, just to make it stand out. Eros never has that problem.

Update: Eros is still better with the sillage than Polo Red, but it isn’t as strong as it was in the initial bottles.

Edge: Eros

Longevity

My biggest gripe with Polo Red has always been the longevity issues. It works rather well when I double up but can have the tendency to just give out sometimes.

Eros is not only loud and bold, it also has always gotten very great wear anytime I’ve put it on. Even if you don’t like Eros, it simply performs.

Update: Eros has also lost some of its longevity, but again, still better than Red.

Edge: Eros

Versatility

Polo Red is good in the spring and summertime. I think it works decent enough in the colder months also. Red is a nice casual wear that is safe for the office but can be worn on dates without problem.

Eros…I can’t call it an office scent (it could be done, technically), but it is an in your face type of fragrance. Eros is also a cold weather scent, it can get somewhat ugly in the heat. Gotta give the nod to Polo.

Edge: Polo Red

Overall Scent

I’m going to go with Eros. However, I really do like wearing Polo Red…it’s just got some performance issues. Eros isn’t really a cologne for everyone nor is it for ever situation but there are plenty of guys who will appreciate it.

It is a rich, bold, and very nice gourmand that is built for romantic wear. It’s the better of the two. However, nowadays I might go with Polo Red Extreme as my first choice from these line of scent. I’m still fairly high on Versace Eros, just not to the same extent.

Winner: Eros

Yellow Diamond Intense by Versace

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Today, I’m going to review another women’s perfume by Versace, Yellow Diamond Intense. I’ve had this sample for a while and have been giving it consideration today. Intense came out in 2014, as a flanker to the popular original. In this review, I will cover what’s in it, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a purchase or not.

What does Yellow Diamond Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: pear, citron, neroli, bergamot, freesia, orange blossom, jasmine, bezoin, musk, amber wood

Click here to try: VERSACE Yellow Diamond Intense Eau De Parfum, 3 Fluid Ounce

My Full Wear Review

OK, so I reviewed the original Yellow Diamond perfume on the site a few days back, but I also have a sample vial of the Intense version so I thought that I should review it next.

The notes are the same, so how different could the fragrance actually be? Was it just going to be a ‘stronger’ version of the original?

Upon smelling the opening for the first time, I knew that it wouldn’t be the same. Versace definitely reformulated the potency of each note, as well as making it more intense.

Yellow Diamond Intense starts out with a bold presentation of the citrus notes, while the floral notes take a much more subservient role than they did in the original. I have to say, that I enjoy the opening of the Intense version much more than the original.

After about 5-10 minutes the pear note began to take hold and the citrus quieted down somewhat. The second phase is a citrus/pear/white floral combination that is quite cheery and upbeat.

Later on there are some woodsy notes but I don’t feel that this version gets ‘green’ or too plant-like as the original does with its mostly floral/wood disposition. This is a very clean scent and almost has a soapy vibe to it at times.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Yellow Diamond Intense actually lives up to its name. It does deliver some intensity after the soft-spoken original fragrance. It projects quite well and never felt weak to me. I sprayed it on an old t-shirt days ago and it seems to still be going strong on the fabric.

Is it going to fill up a room? Probably not, unless you go big with the sprays. It’ll be noticed and create a nice scent bubble around you for the day.

Longevity is also better than the original. On my skin, it lasted right around 8 hours, and I only used one spray on my wrist. That’s a great sign.

Update: With some more testing, it seems that 8 hours is about what to expect. Maybe an extra hour or so, on occasion. I did get about nine and a half hours once.

Yellow Diamond Intense is of course a spring/summer scent. It really has a naturalistic feeling of fruit and flowers that takes your mind to walking through a grove or garden. It seems like a versatile fragrance, as well, it would be fine for the office or casual situations.

Not really a club scent, but possible for dating. I do find it to be sexier than the original, but still wouldn’t classify it as a ‘sexy’ or ‘seductive’ perfume. Mostly a good daily wear for the warmer months of the year.

Overall Impressions of Yellow Diamond Intense

Overall, do I recommend Intense? I liked the original, but I like this one better. It’s bolder and I think the composition is more refined. Add to the fact that it has a higher level of performance and it’s a winner.

I really like the bright and upbeat citrus notes here, particularly in the opening few minutes. The jasmine and orange blossom, do a great job at supporting the citrus fruit. I’m not a huge fan of pear as a fragrance note, but it does a nice job in this perfume.

I’m not totally blown away by Yellow Diamond Intense, but I find no real faults with it either. This Versace is quite solid all around. It’s a very good choice and if you happen to like the notes as shown, you could do a lot worse than picking up a bottle of this stuff.