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Today, I want to take a closer look at two popular cold weather scents, that have carved out a spot in the nightlife: Versace Eros vs. Pure XS. Which of these men’s colognes smells the best? Versace or Paco Rabanne? Is the best selling Eros a better overall fragrance and buy, than the newer Pure XS? As usual, I will compare and contrast the two in a variety of categories, before declaring an ultimate winner.
Tale of the Tape
Versace Eros
Notes of Eros: mint, green apple, tonka bean, madagascar vanilla, vetiver, Italian lemon
Shop Amazon for: Versace Eros Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Fluid Ounce
My review: Versace Eros
Pure XS
Notes: ginger, vanilla, myrrh, thyme, sugar, leather, musk, liquor, cinnamon, cedar, and grapefruit
Click here to try: PACO RABANNE Pure Xs Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce
My review: Pure XS
Opening
Pure XS opens up with a boozy and sugar-infused ginger note. It is super fresh, with cinnamon and citrus, adding varying depth to this cologne. It is a great blend of booze, spice, warmth, and sweetness.
Eros opens with a bright lemon, crisp green apple, and cool mint note. It is at times sharp, then juicy, and then has a sweetly warm undertone when the other notes kick in.
Which is better? It’s tough, as I really like how both of these fragrances start out. I think I’ll go with Eros, on this one, as it is a smell that I want to revisit often and more so than the Paco Rabanne.
Edge: Eros
Projection
Pure XS has a moderate sillage and it actually gets light through the wear. I was disappointed, when initially trying it. However, I found it could get a boost by double spraying the same spot, which doesn’t always work with all colognes. Luckily, it does for Pure XS, and you get to enjoy the benefits. Eros, is simply stronger. It’s always been known for its loud sillage and Pure XS doesn’t match it.
Edge: Eros
Longevity
With normal sprays of Pure XS, I get 7 hours. Double spraying? Gets me about 9. It still falls short of the double digits of Versace Eros.
Edge: Eros
Versatility
These scents sort of occupy the same category. Both are mainly for cold weather, can venture into spring, but not great in the heat. They work casually and have a sexy vibe that can shine in the nightlife. Also, the both hit that 20-30s demographic of men.
Edge: Push
Overall Scent
Pure XS has really come on strong for me, since I’ve been over-spraying to get better performance. I really enjoy how this fragrance smells. It’s loaded with ginger, vanilla, and myrrh. There’s spice and sugary sweetness, to go along with boozy warmth, which fits right in on a cold winter night. If you can get a bottle, at a good price, it is well worth checking out.
However, I don’t like it as much as Eros. The Versace fragrance is a best seller for a reason and it outperforms this challenger, in every respect. Both smell great, but I have kept coming back to Eros over the years, and probably will do so for a long time. Pure XS is really nice, but it’s not Eros.
Winner: Eros
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Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.