Driven (2006)
by Derek Jeter

I have to admit that Driven does smell quite a bit like Acqua di Gio, a fragrance I hate. It's light, citrusy and sort of has that aura of a so-called "aquatic" fragrance.

So why do I detest AdG, but enjoy Driven? I like Driven because it is a very well balanced fragrance, which makes it very comfortable to wear. I despise AdG because its synthetic aquatic notes overpower the rest of the fragrance, making it smell like I'm wearing pool water and chemicals. I also think AdG is a wimpy smelling fragrance. It's a fragrance with no soul.

By contrast, Driven smells rather natural. It blends its grapefruit, pepper and wood notes very nicely, so that no one note overpowers the others. As a result, Driven smells more like a woody citrus scent, rather than an aquatic scent. It also smells a lot more masculine than Acqua di Gio. To me, aquatics by their very nature smell highly synthetic and flat. Driven does not.

Does this rise to the level of Essenza di Zegna in the woody citrus category? No, but it's still very good and much better than just about every aquatic fragrance I've ever smelled. Just one thing - even though it's a light scent, spray it on lightly. If Driven is sprayed on heavily, it will smell obnoxious and juvenile, just like Acqua di Gio.

MY RATING: 7.5/10

7th March, 2011.

Nice clean marine scent. Very light. Smells surprisingly good, but does not last on the skin. Also, the scent does not last in the bottle.

12nd January, 2011.

I think this is a great knock off to ADG. For some of the younger crown that dont have the money for Armani go with this. Great in warmer weather and actually lasts.

11th October, 2010.

Guys...women like this! There is nothing wrong with "hitting to center field" and this scent hits dead center. It is not too strong. It is not offensive. It does not smell "cheap". Driven is a slightly sweet and very pleasant herbal fragrance that can be worn anywhere, anytime. Even though I rarely like Avon fragrances (the last one I purchased was Tamarind for men), I like this one and I DID buy it for my husband. Don't tell him that I spritz it on myself occasionally!

28th September, 2008.

A cool, peppery aquatic. Very much like Adidas Moves but stronger and less watery. Good enough for women to order for their husbands.

12nd August, 2008.

The notes in Driven are as follows (per the Avon website):

Chilled grapefruit, black pepper, iced lavender, american spearmint, aquatic bamboo and oakmoss

I am surprised no one has reviewed this to date. Anyway, it is spicy-aquatic blend, rather generic and inoffensive. Nothing special here.

2nd July, 2008.