Versace Man Eau Fraiche vs. D&G Light Blue

For this entry into the head to head men’s cologne match ups, I am going to be comparing two of the most popular fragrances on the market, D&G Light Blue vs. Versace Man Eau Fraiche. These two citrus based scents have become staples in the rotation of many guys around the world, but which one actually smells the best? Which lasts longer? Which is ultimately the better buy?

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Tale of the Tape: Light Blue vs. Eau Fraiche

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

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Versace Man Eau Fraiche

Notes include: Lemon, Rosewood, Carambola, Cedar leaves, Tarragon, Sage, Musk, Amber, Sycamore

Click here to try: Versace Man Eau Fraiche By Gianni Versace For Men Edt Spray 3.4 Oz

Read my review: Man Eau Fraiche

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Opening

Light Blue starts off with a blend of citrus notes from bergamot to grapefruit to mandarin orange. These notes are then joined black pepper and rosemary. It is bright and spicy. A clean and fresh blend.

After about 10 minutes of wear with Light Blue, I do get the incense note coming through more, a touch of smokiness.

Eau Fraiche kicks things off with lemon and bergamot, but adds starfruit, which gives it a very nice and distinct juicy aroma.

It’s a very refreshing and juicy citrus smell without the same level of spiciness of Light Blue. It has some herbal elements, but not the pepper, found in the competitor.

As it moves along, the cardamom and tarragon will become more apparent, before moving into a woodier phase.

Which is better? I really like the great lemon citrus of Versace Man Eau Fraiche, when combined with the starfruit, the opening is super clean and pleasant. I prefer it to the spiciness found in the D&G.

Light Blue has more going on up front, but the Versace just has a better presentation in that opening act.

Edge: Eau Fraiche

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Projection

Neither one of these scents have giant silage. They aren’t going to fill up a room and are pretty moderate.

That being said, while they start off pretty much the same, Light Blue is more consistent for longer. Fraiche has a lighter sillage, hours into the wear, versus Light Blue.

Fraiche is just not as heavy of a fragrance, even if Light Blue isn’t all that heavy either.

Edge: Light Blue

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Longevity

Light Blue always gets me in the 6-8 hour range of wear, and as I said, it is consistent during that time. It’s really one of its best strengths. That performance is like clockwork.

Eau Fraiche is a 6-7 hour wear, but not more than that, and the sillage is lighter towards the end of the 3-4 hour mark.

Eau Fraiche isn’t a powerhouse or a crazy performer. Either way you measure it, I’ve always gotten better performance out of Light Blue. Not an insane gap between them, though.

Edge: Light Blue

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Versatility

These are two very versatile fragrances, as they can hold up well in the heat, are pleasant, and can go casual  or to the office.

They’re both best sellers because they are non-offensive and are great starter fragrances. Neither is a club beast and are more ‘nice smelling’ than sexy. No real separation here.

Edge: Push

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Overall Scent

This can be a tough match up to decide on, as these have a similar profile, and are pretty simple colognes. Light Blue is very good. You can’t really go wrong with buying this fragrance, as it is well liked, and brings a good performance for a citrus based scent.

I like the citrus and spice mix, with the herbal and woody notes in the dry down. It’s fairly linear, but gets the job done.

Versace Man Eau Fraiche has a very enjoyable opening act. The dry down is more full of rosewood and amber, but the citrus hangs around throughout. There is plenty of overlap between these two, but Eau Fraiche feels like a woodier aroma to me.

Personally, I enjoy the overall smell of Eau Fraiche versus Light Blue. Yes, it is also very linear, but I feel that it hits a higher peak than does the D&G.

Light Blue has a bit better performance, but I think Eau Fraiche smells better. I’m going to give the latter, the nod in this match up, but it is really close.

I actually like Light Blue Eau Intense more than either, but between these two, I’d go Versace.

Winner: Eau Fraiche