Reviews by atrac

    atrac's avatar
    atrac
    United States United States

    Showing 1 to 30 of 40.
    rating

    Number 1 for Men by Clive Christian

    Just tried this at a shop in West Hollywood. It was just sitting there with a bunch of other testers. How much is this again? Seems like it should have been locked up!!!

    At any rate, I found this a pleasant fragrance. But it reminded me of a more complex Jovan White Musk for Men -- which costs much less and fits more nicely into my budget.

    29th January, 2012.

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    Simply Soap by Clean

    I agree with everything said -- except for the unisex part. To me it definitely has the "perfume" smell associated with "feminine."

    Had to scrub this stuff pretty fast.

    Thumbs down as a male scent, thumbs up as a female scent.

    2nd November, 2010.

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    Activist by Body Shop

    A 90's scent that I only recently discovered (thanks to its re-issue by The Body Shop) that has become an instant classic for me. I definitely also get the root beer opening. I also get a more complex (and expensive) "Preferred Stock" smell from it (which I also like but prefer this one by leaps and bounds).

    At any rate when I learned it was re-released I was quite pleased as I had heard of this frag's fans and, being a fan of the 90's in general, was glad to have a slice of that better than now decade. A+

    29th May, 2010.

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    Green Tea by Victor

    An absolutely splendid Tea fragrance. It is indeed unisex and I'm quite comfortable wearing it (I feared it would be too feminine).

    If you want a fantastic Tea scent that lasts a long time and projects well, this is the one to get. It can be found for around $20US (or less) and is truly a fantastic bargain, as it smells like it would cost 3x as much.

    5th December, 2008.

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    Corvette Red by Corvette

    I sampled it this evening and found it to be a slightly woody version of CK One. Not much else to say about it. Not very original.

    2nd December, 2008.

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    Kiss Him by KISS

    Indeed, I definitely smell a man's body odor in this. One who hasn't showered and tried to cover the stench up with a cheap and weak cologne.

    This has to be Gene Simmon's joke on the public. He must truly believe that if you throw the name "KISS" on it, anyone will buy it -- regardless of how bad it is.

    It truly stinks.

    23rd November, 2008.

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    Swiss Army by Swiss Army

    In my opinion this is an absolutely terrific scent. It's not overpowering but has excellent sillage and longevity. I can put it on before work and still smell it by the end of the day. I get nothing but compliments on it and will always make sure I have a bottle of it handy.

    In terms of Cool Water, this scent is everything that one should be and more. I find Cool Water to be cloying and it gives me a headache (which, to be fair, a lot of scents do).

    I'm surprised at the amount of "meh" or negative reviews -- but that means less people probably wear it and more of a chance for it to be unique to me! :)

    21st November, 2008.

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    Colden by Abercrombie & Fitch

    Abercrombie seemed to fall back to its sister's stores for this concoction. For me, Colden smells like Ruehl No. 925 Signature and Hollister SoCal blended together, with maybe an added dash of pepper.

    Already owning both of those, I feel like I could take both scents, spray one, then the other on top of it, and have Colden.

    I was *really* hoping for something more original. Or at least, if you're going to copy yourself, they should have developed something based on the now discontinued (but still hugely popular) Woods.

    2nd November, 2008.

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    The One for Men by Dolce & Gabbana

    This is not a bad fragrance, but it smells like David Beckham's Intimately Beckham + Coconut. I am a fan of Intimately Beckham, but not really a fan of Coconut.

    22nd October, 2008.

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    Essence of United Colors of Benetton Man by Benetton

    Hey, CK One was a hit! We need one too! Let's make our own version of it!

    "Do you think anyone will notice, it being 14 years later and all?"

    "Who cares!"

    -- I noticed. :(

    19th October, 2008.

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    Chrome by Azzaro

    Hey, CK One is a hit! We need one too! Let's make our own version of it!

    19th October, 2008.

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    Wings for Men by Wings

    Cool Water + Cotton Candy (with the emphasis on the latter). It's a nice clean scent that seems to last awhile with some decent sillage.

    Nothing remarkable, just meh.


    12nd September, 2008.

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    DK Men Unleaded by Donna Karan

    While DK Men Fuel tops my list of favorite colognes, DK Unleaded doesn't make my top 10. It's a nice cologne to be sure, but it's missing the notes that make DK Men Fuel the classic that it is.

    DK Unleaded is sold as a "Bracing Skin Spray," and honestly I'm not quite sure if that's an EDT or Cologne, or neither. At any rate, it doesn't last nearly as long as DK Fuel, so I'm guessing that it possibly approaches the concentration of a body spray (?).

    The smell reminds me a lot of a men's facial scrub product, specifically one that I used to buy from Bath & Body Works in the early to Mid-90's (and long discontinued as well).

    I have a 1.7 oz bottle of this and honestly just keep it because it's related to DK Fuel. But I'm not in a rush to wish or campaign for a re-release.

    DK Men, on the other hand....it deserves it's recent relaunch!!!

    8th August, 2008.

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    Musk for Men by Coty

    While I definitely can smell the relation to Pinaud Clubman and "Barbershop," this scent also reminds me a lot of Helmut Lang Men. In fact so much did it that I ditched my bottle of it and decided to just use this instead.

    Oh, the sacrilege I know! But $8 a bottle is preferred to $45 (or more) in my book. :)

    29th July, 2008.

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    Of a Man by Body Shop

    Yikes! I'm the only one who doesn't like this so far. I tried it today and was immediately reminded of the smell of "Off" insect repellent. I suppose if you are going camping or hiking, this would be a great scent to wear to protect you from insect bites. But you'd be better off spending a lot less and just getting "Off" instead. ;)

    16th June, 2008.

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    Boss Number One by Hugo Boss

    If someone held a gun to my head and made me pick my signature fragrance, this would be it. I feel a cologne should be packed with longevity and should project itself well. When I enter a room, I want to be noticed, and this one does the trick!

    This fragrance is no longer listed on the Hugo Boss fragrance website, which does not hold well for the future of this, my favorite fragrance ever.

    I think I'll hold a gun to my own head now. :(

    9th June, 2008.

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    OP Blend by Ocean Pacific

    I totally agree with the Dolce & Gabbana comparison. They are *almost* twins in my opinion. The only thing that puzzles me is there is no tobacco listed in the note pyramid, but clearly it's a basenote. And that what makes it smell so much like D & G.

    Not being a big fan of tobacco, this one really isn't for me. But I would recommend it as a cheap alternative to D & G.

    7th June, 2008.

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    King by Parfums de Coeur

    The first time I smelled this fragrance, I immediately dismissed it. The initial blast smelled like cheap cologne. At the suggestion of a fellow BN'er, I gave it another try. I had asked for a scent that smelled like Dial Gold Soap, and King was suggested to me. Sure enough, after I gave it a second try (and calmly waited the minute or so for the "cheap" smell to pass), there was my Dial Gold Soap!

    Soapy and clean smelling, this has quickly risen to my "scent of the day" rotation. Have no illusions, this is a cheap cologne ($10 US for a 1.5 oz bottle, $15 US for a 2.6 oz bottle), but it smells like it costs more.

    I was told SMN Gold Musk smells like Dial Gold Soap too. That would set me back about $100 US. I think I'll stick with King for my Dial fetish.

    5th June, 2008.

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    Patchouli by Demeter Fragrance Library

    I tried this one at Marshall's today and I was stunned when the tester spot on my hand smelled like dirt! I know that Demeter actually has a "dirt" scent so I wonder if it was mislabeled?

    And yes, my hand was dirt free before spraying. :)

    29th May, 2008.

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    Sex Appeal for Men by Jovan

    To me, this reminds me a LOT of Old Spice. Old Spice is a classic, smells much better, and is cheaper. This was an unnecessary clone in my opinion.

    Still, they did a good job of copying it, so if for some reason there is no Old Spice available, get this and you'll be satisfied.

    17th May, 2008.

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    Santa Fe for Men by Aladdin Fragrances

    I have to agree with the Caron Third Man comparisons. Here's an equation that sums it up for me:

    Caron Third Man + Powder = Santa Fe. I purchased a 1.7oz bottle at Big Lots for $3.00...and that was not a clearance price.

    A very very very inexpensive way to enjoy Caron Third Man at a fraction of the cost -- unless you don't like a bit of powder added.

    12nd May, 2008.

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    Tomorrow for Him by Avon

    I bought this for cheap and ended up selling it to co-workers minutes after I had opened the box. It smells a lot like the Hanae Morie EDT (not the EDP), which I am also not a fan of. Just say no to cocoa in your colognes! So if you are looking for an inexpensive alternative to Hanae Morie EDT, Tomorrow should be in your sights.

    24th December, 2007.

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    Wild Country by Avon

    This is a scent most certainly inspired by Clubman by Pinaud and Dana's Canoe, and to some degree, Neutrogena Rainbath. While "Touch" by Fred Hayman definitely smells the most like Rainbath, I would say that Wild Country comes in second. Imagine what you would smell like if you showered with Rainbath, and then immediately applied some Clubman or Canoe after drying off -- that's what Wild Country smells like to me. It's sweeter to my nose than Clubman or Canoe, and I believe the "Rainbath" elements give it that extra dimension. I actually prefer Wild Country over Clubman or Canoe!

    It has great sillage and long lasting power, which makes it a terrific bargain from Avon. I would definitely rank it a "safe" blind buy, as you can find it for under $10 US when Avon has it on sale perodically.

    24th December, 2007. (Last Edited: 17th April, 2008.)

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    Jockey Club by Caswell-Massey

    My initial impression of this cologne when I sprayed it was panic! Get it off of me! But once it dried down, I was extremely impressed. Others have mentioned "talcum powder" in reviews for Canoe, Clubman by Pinaud, and Lagerfeld Classic. THIS cologne really smells like talc, with the others paling in comparison. I absolutely love this frag and it's easy in my top 5. I have yet to smell anything similar to it (including the colognes/after shaves mentioned in the reviews on this page.

    19th December, 2007.

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    Chaps (original) by Ralph Lauren

    Add me to the "love it" group. As others have said, this is a very complex and manly scent. It lasts quite a long time on me and is very much a classic. It really is as good as a lot of the more expensive colognes. It is almost inconceivable to me that this frag is sold at Drug Stores. But then again, the low price makes it a steal.

    6th December, 2007.

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    Black by Pierre Cardin

    I tested this and it immediately reminded me of Sean John Unforgivable, which itself reminds me of Creed Silver Mountain Water. I prefer this scent over Unforgivable though because it is not as loud. It has nice sillage and excellent longevity. An impressive offering from Pierre Cardin, especially if you're a fan of SJ or CSMW.

    5th December, 2007.

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    OS Signature by Old Spice by Procter & Gamble

    I smelled the tester sticker on the box and liked the smell. I then sprayed the tester bottle on the top of my hand and was immediately repulsed. As the scent dried down, it got even worse. The resulting smell was something I spent the rest of the evening trying to scrub off of my hand.

    I get a very heavy Juniper Berry smell from this, which is a scent that I am *not* a big fan of (read: HATE). So if you are a fan of it (notably not even mentioned in the pyramid), you'll like this one. If you are fan of Michael Jordan Original, Very Sexy 2 for Him, or Very Cool by Tommy Bahama, this will fit right in to your wardrobe rather nicely.

    1st December, 2007. (Last Edited: 14th June, 2008.)

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    1776 Russian Leather by Elsha

    Another classic I discovered at Carroll & Co. It starts off with a slight (but delicious) root beer smell, but moves into a wonderful leather scent. Terrific sillage and longevity. It comes in a splash bottle (like the men used to use when men were MEN!).

    29th November, 2007.

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    Royal Briar by Atkinsons

    I picked up a bottle today from Carroll & Co. in Pasadena. This stuff is incredible. Definitely worth the effort Carroll made to take over the production of it. The scent is smooth and clean and indeed, quite masculine. It really is "class in a bottle." Best cologne purchase I've made in quite awhile. At $25 a bottle it's an incredible value. I'll be buying more!

    21st November, 2007. (Last Edited: 24th June, 2009.)

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    Unforgivable by Sean John

    Add my vote to the Creed Silver Mountain Water similarity. A co-worker of mine wears Unforgivable a lot (a little too many sprays too), so when I finally got the chance to smell SMW I was immediately reminded of him. I didn't know what scent he wore so when I asked him, he said Unforgivable.

    So there you go.

    17th November, 2007.

    Showing 1 to 30 of 40.

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