Villain by Christian Audiger (Ed Hardy)

I have some more samples on deck to review, but thought that I’d get the last men’s fragrance of the lot sorted out first. This entry is Villain by Christian Audiger, under the Ed Hardy banner. What does Villain smell like? What’s inside? How does it perform? Read below for my full take.

What does Villain Cologne Smell Like?

Notes include: cedar, amber, nutmeg, basil, bergamot, cardamom, lavender, sandalwood, musk

Click here to try: Ed Hardy Villain Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Review

I was interesting in testing out Villain, as I had heard that it was supposedly a similar fragrance to The One by D&G. Now, The One, was a scent that I really enjoyed the smell of…it just lasted all of 10 minutes on my skin. So, the thought of being able to get a cheaper ‘clone’ scent, was intriguing.

My initial impressions from the opening are that Villain is noticeably sweeter than is The One. Add to that, the bergamot adds this citrus aroma that is much more pronounced than anything I remember from the D&G product. It feels almost too sweet to my nose at the start, pretty synthetic in how it is put together.

After about 10-15 minutes, I think that Villain becomes much cleaner and fresh smelling. The amber note begins it warm take over and there is a pepper/cedar blend, which tones down the sweetness, and brings about a slight spice.

This is the smell that I get for the rest of the time that the fragrance lasts on my skin. So, it’s synthetic smelling cardamom with bergamot citrus, which transforms into amber with lighter spice. Pretty basic, not much development, like many inexpensive fragrances.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s strong at first but then fizzles out pretty quickly. It’s not a powerhouse by any means, but I think with the right body chemistry it could potentially be  loud.

On my skin, the longevity isn’t great. Better than The One, but still I could only muster 3-4 solid hours of wear from it. If it could conjure up some more time, actually sticking around, Villain would be a pretty darn good cheapie. Not great, but definitely serviceable.

I’d chalk this up as a casual scent, with a chance to be a romantic wear cologne. I personally think there are better options, but if this is your price range, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. Villain does have an appealing enough aroma to be deemed ‘attractive’.

Overall Impressions of Villain

Overall, would I recommend Villain? Maybe for younger guys, who need something cheap. I don’t think it smells as good as The One or even close enough to be a direct clone of that fragrance, but it does last longer. For what it is, I do think it’s a decent buy in the 20-ish dollar range of scents.

It would never be my go to and I’m personally not going to wear it around after this, but I don’t hate it, and can see how it could find a place in a younger guy’s rotation. It’s fresh, warm, sweet/spicy, and smells good enough.

I should really enjoy Villain, but I don’t think the cardamom note, is all that amazing. The spiced and amber are nice, but again, not anything special. Really would only suggest buying at a cheap enough level.

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.