Versace Man Eau Fraiche vs Bvlgari Aqva

In today’s cologne comparison, I am going to take a closer look at two summertime wears, Bvlgari Aqva and Versace Man Eau Fraiche. Which of these popular fragrances smells better? Which performs for a longer amount of time? What is the better buy between the two?

Tale of the Tape: Eau Fraiche vs. Aqva

Bvlgari Aqva

Notes include: mandarin, seaweed, cedar, orange, lavender, petitgrain

Click here to try Aqva: Aqua By Bvlgari Eau De Toilette Spray For Men 3.4 oz

Read my Full Review: Bvlgari Aqva

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 Full Review: Man Eau Fraiche

Opening

The opening of Bvlgari Aqva consists of seaweed, cedar, and orange citrus notes. This is where the citrus is most prominent in this cologne and it is quite an interesting blend with the sea weed.

Eau Fraiche on the other hand is a cold blast of lemon citrus, that hits immediately with an absolutely fresh and bright aroma. Along with that is the carambola (star fruit), that blends well with that typical Versace lemon note.

Underneath all of that, are the herbal notes and the super freshness of the woods, which will grow in strength later on.

Which is better? I think the Versace is more appealing. Aqva is interesting but that cold lemon of Versace is really crisp and just smells better to me. Plus, I really love star fruit.

Edge: Eau Fraiche

Projection

Aqva starts off pretty strong for about 10-15 minutes and then turns into more of a skin scent. However, it does linger around and has moments of intensity through the wear, it’s sort of unique in that way.

Eau Fraiche is a moderate but is consistently stronger than Aqva. Aqva is stronger at first but Eau Fraiche maintains its course.

Edge: Eau Fraiche

Longevity

Neither one of these is a beast in terms of how long that it lasts. Aqva gives me about 5 hours of wear. Eau Fraiche is 6-7.

Eau Fraiche has the better performance between the two, longer lasting and stronger for the duration.

Edge: Eau Fraiche

Versatility

Both of theses scents are warmer weather colognes and to me, should be worn during this time, and not stray to far from that. Both are clean and casual scents. Eau Fraiche is probably a bit better for dates, but I wouldn’t say that it is explicitly used for those purposes.

There doesn’t seem to be a real leader in this category.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Honestly, neither of these fragrances are among my favorites to wear. I like both of them but don’t really love either. If I have to choose between the two, I’m reaching for Versace Man Eau Fraiche more often than Aqva.

Aqva is a cool scent. It’s got such an oceanic vibe with the sea weed and sea water saltiness, which depending on who you are, might just be right up your alley. I like it’s fresh summery feel and how smooth it is.

Eau Fraiche has that initial blast of lemon but then shifts to something a bit spicier and woodier as it dries down. The cedar and the herbal spices give it a more defined and enjoyable character. The longevity is better and I think it is just a more pleasant cologne to wear, in my opinion.

Winner: Versace Man Eau Fraiche

Best Men's Colognes

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.