Fragrance Reviews by bokaba

This is one of the nicest early Guerlain exhibiting a light citric opening, a floral heart, and Guerlainade base of vanilla and musk. This is a perfect assemblage of a rainy spring day or whatever the name means.

This (along with the 1985 launch of Green Irish Tweed) sounded the bell for the release of hundreds of fresh, green, oceanic scents over the next two decades. Cool Water opens with synthetic citrus and orange blossom and dries down to a salty, oceanic note with musk and amber. Creed is deeper, but I am not personally a fan of this genre.

A nice vetiver re-released after a decades long hiatus as part of Givenchy's Mythical Line, which includes Monsieur de Givenchy among others. This is what a well-restrained vetiver should smell like. Not as bright as Guerlain's reformulated Vetiver or as smoky as the vintage juice, but just right.

Modern Reserve certainly attempts to maintain the integrity of the already dated and intolerable formula of original Polo. How nice of them! The opening is similar to the original with the same citrus, spices, etc. Then the middle and base of some kind of resinous sweet amber appears and stays strong for at least twelve hours. Polo Modern Reserve is very potent.

What a wonderful insect repellent! I bet it would work, too. The opening is a clove bravado followed by a musky, synthetic, mossy base. Not good at all.

Guerlain Eau de Imperiale is probably my favorite of the classic Guerlain eaus not including Eau de Guerlain of course and its prodigious caraway note. The opening is fresh citrus, lime to be precise, and then lime blossoms backed up by the lightest of cedars and the mere essence of tonka and verbena to create an aristocratic ambiance. Imperiale is well, imperial. It is short lived and has poor sillage, but that's what it was meant to be. Having worn this for a couple of days I can certainly say that I smell indolic flowers and an animalic musky tonka in the base albeit extremely light and close to the skin. This is what aristocratic Napoleonic dreams are made of (Napoleon III mind you as Napoleon I was dead before Imperiale debuted in 1853)! It's affordable, so spritz some on with reckless abandon of course!

Boring and uninspiring at best. I expected a clean, soapy, transparent scent and got a soapy, fruity, fresh, exceedingly feminine scent instead. Not worth it. I would go with a more classic cologne if you can. Perhaps the "S" stands for stagnation--a stagnant, unmoving construction with little to no development?

Bouquet Imperial by the esteemed house of Roger and Gallet attempts to be a refined, traditional cologne with an added modern, albeit feminine, flair. I suppose it accomplishes this if you consider heavy synthetics an accomplishment. Smells much like insect repellent with some roses.

This is what my hands smelled like after passing out lemonheads on Halloween for two hours--the box too. I don't think there is any kind of complexity here at all. I prefer a more traditional cologne such as Guerlain. Hopefully, the French one is better...

Obsession for men is a very spicy, ambery, soapy concoction from the 1980s and it should have stayed there. It is not the worst designer frag out there but it is nothing special and rather annoying. The opening is cinnamon, bergamot, clove, and other spices much like your favorite holiday eggnog. Dries down to a heavy amber and musk. Obsession is a rip off of Creed's Ambre Canelle from the 1940s. CK cannot compete with a vintage Creed by the way.

A big rose, another big rose, and then some light laundry detergentesque musk. Far too feminine of a floral for a man to consider wearing. There's some vanilla sweetening the rose here, thus it is not the natural, dry rose of Acqua di Parma, but rather a rose potpourri.

Expensive Jovan Musk and that's about it. Nice soapy opening similar to Dial, but the urine-like musk quickly takes over and makes the scent unpleasant.

Boo! I was looking forward to liking this one, but alas it smells only of maple syrup and has no development. I have difficulty describing this scent except for the syrup allusion. Perhaps there is orris root and anise?

I wanted to like this but found too much of a floral mess. I usually like florals that concentrate on a theme or single flower rather than every flower known to man. Very medicinal indeed. I would go with something like Caron Le 3 Homme or Floris no 89.

4711 is, above all else, a cheap drugstore brand, but probably the best known and most readily available eau de cologne on the market (shamefully nonetheless). I have 400ml bottle on hand to splash on now and then since it cost $6 at my local Walmart. The opening is a decent citrus with nothing exciting or special. There is some synthetic rose, and finally the faintest musk. Dissipates within a few minutes. A decent cologne, but I would spend a few more dollars and get Roger & Gallet Extra Vieille, Eau de Coq, or something along those lines.

Alyssa Ashley is your basic musk redolent with all the glories of a good laundry detergent and some white flowers. That's about it. AA Musk is basic musk, has no development or discernible dry down, and is cloying. 'Tis a decent musk and cheap, and that's about it.

This is by far the most sickeningly sweet and cloying sandalwood type cologne I have yet try (though the shaving cream is decent). The opening is an indolic blast then creamy woods and super sweet vanilla and tonka bean emerge and stick around for hours.

A dirty, musky concoction that is more earthy than friendly. I did not enjoy much of this scent except the brief opening that quickly digressed to a earthy orris root and musk.

This is a killer sandalwood and by killer, I do mean that it kills--the wearer that is. I tried this in aftershave concentration and it lasted all day and after a shower even and I only dabbed a little on my hand, too. The opening is peppery and medicinal and then the sweet, incense-like sandalwood kicks in.

No. 89 is truly one of the best midcentury scents available. It does have that Georgian-Victorian flair of musty citrus, white flowers, rose, sandalwood, and musk. No. 89 certainly carries Floris's house citrus note in the opening, but that dries down to a beautiful rose that is enriched by spice, musk, and moss. Overall, very nice and I suggest you try it. It will not of course wow anyone because that's not what is was meant to do--it was meant to be dry, conservative, lightly floral, and lightly musky.

A super woody aromatic of great proportion! This is pine, cedar, sandalwood--no, several types of pine and several types of cedar on a creamy balsam base. The dry down is pretty good, but the initial blast of woods is too much for me.

Orange and orange blossom and that's about it. Maybe some green notes as suggested in the name? Great for warm days, but it won't last more than a few minutes. A very modern yet classical approach to a traditional cologne by a house whose eaus we've come to trust.

A nice soapy fragrance with a decent spices, citrus, and ample musk. Too 70s for regular use today unless you of course were in your prime in the 70s.

Simple musk with poor longevity and sillage and nothing more. Super close to the skin and sickeningly sweet.

I must applaud CK for revitalizing the interest in unisex frags, but unfortunately, this is not a winner. The opening is somewhat like a traditional cologne tempered with harsh synthetics and fermenting fruits. Carries a light, musky, fresh base. I pass on this one. Try it at Macy's if you haven't already.

After all the hype about the rarity and excellence of Knize Ten, the heralded old Austrian gem of yore, I decided to try it. I was disappointed. It smells like tar, leather, and more tar. Also, the florals are astringent and overbearing for modern usage.

This is a great musky floral though it ventures into laundry detergent musk territory. The opening is brilliant citrus and neroli followed by petitgrain and rose then by musk and a light wood.

This is the quintessential masculine barbershop scent along with bay rum and Old Spice (the Shulton, not the current garbage). The lavender is bracing and the anise gives it character and smoothness. The musky amber base does soul well,

Your basic bay rum. Nothing fancy, no frills all purpose shave lotion. It's a little sweet and a little spicy for my tastes and burns like the dickens. I would go for Dominica Bay Rum if I were interested in this "manly" Hemingway type genre--it is a pure bay leaf and rum without vanilla or cinnamon.

Kiehls musk is a very and by very I do mean very floral musk. It is a little creamy, but the fermenting fruit and floral musk is overbearing in everything except the coolest of climates. Certainly more funky if you will than Jovan and Alyssa Ashley. If I were to wear a musk of this nature, I would probably choose Alyssa Ashley.

Nothing remarkable. More of a clone of Floris JF, Cool Water, and even Acqua di Gio. I would go with any of the former before coughing up the cash for this one.

Now this was one of the more interesting scents by Anglia I was itching to try. On first sniff it is a basic lavender water, but soon after a great deal of gentle florals emerge tempered by light spices. The base is vanilla, musk, and moss. It is sort of powdery and musty, but such is Russian Water.

Spiced Limes, at least the Anglia version I tried, is no slouch. It opens with a giant lime accord backed by lime blossoms and some spice perhaps cinnamon, coriander, and others. The base is a nice, but short lived patchouli and possibly civet. This is a traditional citrus embellishment.

Special no. 127 is no more than a cheap, rubbery version of no. 89 featuring the Floris house citrus note and a dull, boring drydown of dirty florals like geranium and carnation. Super powdery with the added mustiness of patchouli. This ought to have stayed in the 19th Century with whatever Russian duke commissioned it.

This is a straight English aromatic lavender with a drop of powder in the base and that is all. There are no florals here and probably no discernible musk either. Cheap and usable I say!

Eau de Coq opens with a blast of rosemary, debonair citrus, and bitterness. The bitterness gives way to an herbal heart that is fresh and refreshing. Like an Italian herb garden with the brightness of wonderfully tended citrus fruits as well as their blossoms. Compared to the other traditional Guerlain eaus, this has the most lasting power (except for Eau de Guerlain, but that has musk, moss, and amber though). Very dry and similar to Roger & Gallet Extra Vieille. This is a scent with which Victorian gentlemen may have doused themselves with reckless abandonment. Guerlain eaus are always a good value as well. I'm not wowed, but that's not what Coq was designed to do.

I must say that I am impressed by Chanel’s Eau de Cologne. For me it is almost everything that I want in a traditional or pseudo-traditional eau de cologne. Nevertheless, I am unimpressed by its price tag. At first spray I detect a bright, vibrant citrus opening like so many others—Extra Vieille, Imperiale, Eau de Coq, etc. Then the rose and animal musk (a super expensive musk so says Luca Turin) appear as a brief sweaty herbal accord that gives way to a base of musk, light amber, and oakmoss. I am not certain there is oakmoss, but the base smells strikingly similar to the chypre base of the original Pour Monsieur, which I adore. There is a certain modern edge, but it is hard to find. I say get Chanel Eau de Cologne. Don’t buy your next three and get this instead. A 200ml bottle is $200, but it’s worth it.

As far as I am concerned this is the only suitable masculine lavender. The opening is similar to Jicky and composed of indolic bergamot, jasmine, and of course, lavender. The middle is a conservative floral and the base is a tame powder with a little bit of castoreum for good measure. Although reformulated in the 1970s, it retains most of its Victorian appeal largely to the clove.

While Hammam certainly is the true Victorian oriental of the 19th Century, it is far too dated and far too "old fashioned" in a bad way for the modern nose. The notes themselves are wonderful, but combined create a symphonic dissonance where accord battles accord for dominance. The end result is a stuffy, super powdery, antiquated rose. If this were cleaned up a bit in terms of spices and musks, this would be a wonderful Victorian scent still relevant and impressive today. I prefer Penhaligons Elizabethan Rose, even though it is marketed for women, because it essentially the same scent minus everything that clouds the water so to speak with Hammam Bouquet. The ingredients are no doubt high quality. If you must have a 19th Century floral Oriental, this is the one to get by the way.

EDIT 11/10/2009

I must say that I have fallen for this fragrance in a big way. I am forced to surmise that the neutral and negative reviews here might be for the 2003 fragrance release Dunhill for Men, which is entirely different. Now, on to the fragrance itself. In my opening Dunhill opens with a blast of indolic bergamot, lavender while the heart florals of rose, muguet, geranium, jasmine, and others arise. The opening is soapy, but soapy in a good way. The dry down is composed of musk, tonka, discreet vanilla, leather, and possibly a drop of civet or castoreum for the nuance—but mere nuance—of an animalic note. This IS the pre-WWI masculine Luca Turin is searching for! Citrus on top, flowers in the middle, and a drop of animalic musk to temper the base. Also, even though this is an EdC concentration, it last all day and intensifies if the weather is hot. This is a must buy for any serious perfumer enthusiast and is available online for low prices—look for the cylinder bottle!

By far the most fleeting of the Guerlain eaus, but not bad. Opens with a very citric but also sweet lemon flower not far from Country Time lemonade. Next, some white flowers appear and it dries away to nothing. Much lighter and more airy than Eau de Coq or Imperiale. Lasts ten minutes at the most. Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat has nothing in it of interest, but is neither repulsive.

Smells like a good fresh soap. I think it is nearly the same as William's shave soap. The beginning is strong of citrus and finally dies down to woods and neroli. Lasts no more than an hour, but it is a good traditional cologne.

EDIT 11/6/2009

I now realize that my original bottle off which I reviewed had gone bad as it was from the 1970s and was likely store improperly. The old bottle was harsh and reeked of acetone. Needless to say, I purchased a new bottle and it is quite different. The opening is a strong accord of citrus tempered with a light herbal bouquet. The opening is a tad soapy (yet far less soapy than the bad bottle). Soon after a light floral heart makes itself known with neroli and rose, a crisp rose, not a mucky vanilla rose. The florals give way to light woodsy accord from the neroli. There is no base, yet I wonder what this would be like with a helping of musk. Onward then to Eau de Guerlain even though its caraway note is off-putting. Jean Marie Farina IS what 19th century gentleman doused themselves with—it was glorious and still is.

Dior Homme was quite a disappointment for me. It was built up as being a floral nearly feminine fragrance with powder and iris, but unfortunately to my nose, all it had was a violent floral and sage opening that smelled like a perfumed bubble gum. There are many better choices and I would not recommend this one. What has happened to Dior?

Not terrible, but largely uninspired though. AdG is a typical aquatic with all the usual hallmarks. I do find this more complex and smoother than Cool Water. I suppose every guy under 30 ought to have one aquatic in his collection since the media tells women that this is how guys are supposed to smell. And if you have to have a fruity aquatic, this is the one to get (or Creed Millesime Imperial if you want to splurge for top notch). AdG is relatively cheap but has poor sillage and poor longevity. But hey, everyone else in America is wearing it, so why not?

Imperial is musky, sweaty, and exceedingly French (as to discordantly mask body odors I mean). Nonetheless, Imperial is one of Creed’s best recent launches (vastly inferior to the likes of GIT and RSL), but acceptable nonetheless. The opening is bergamot, some kind of fruit, and musk. Soon after, the ambergris adds distinction to the compositions. Imperial smells incredibly similar to Azzaro Black/Silver minus the pungent caraway seed and with added ambergris. Imperial does have a certain flair of a middle-aged man who still thinks it is the 1970s. I would certainly try before you buy because the musk is very powerful and unbalanced.

This is what a musky, ambery Victorian soap smells like! The opening is heady, brash, and unrestrained so I suggest you hide in the bathroom for thirty minutes after application. The raucous opening quickly subsides leaving a faint, close to the skin powder redolent of jasmine, bay leaf, ambergris, musk, cinnamon leaf, and a dash of lavender. After you get past the opening, this is quite a delicate scent, but dare not over-apply.

Eau de Guerlain is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional eau de cologne with some added caraway in the opening. The middle is somewhat confusing with a menthol-carnation accord, but the base is a superb blend of musk, amber, and moss. This is by far one of the muskiest bases I have experienced. The musk lasts overnight even though the rest of the scent is gone. Big thumbs up!

Not the special, anti-designer fragrance it was toted to be—far from sophisticated. Certainly Amber is not aquatic, fresh, or even citric, but it is rather more of a mish-mash fougere that goes nowhere fast. Most reviewers cite a beautiful, rich, even expensive soapiness from hotel soap. Dare I ask what kinds of hotels they frequent? All in all, a cut above the usual riff-raff of designer fragrances—just not every far above.

Sweat? I think not, but urinal cake, bathroom cleaner, I think so. I disagree with Turin’s assessment that Kouros is the smell of a gentleman wearing a pre-WWI dandified British concoction. This is one of those some love it, some hate it fragrances. I hate it. Even the pointless flankers like Body Kouros and Kouros Sport are better.

Should have been called Gucci Woods. The opening is an aromatic fougere with a generous helping of spices that reminds me of the soapy opening of Safari for Men, but after this, it quickly digresses to a mélange of woods particularly cedar, sandalwood, and pine from which there is no return. The sillage and longevity is immense, which is Nobile’s only positive quality. If only the top notes never faded…

BpH is a nice solid 90s citrus with a rose accord that gives it an Edwardian flair as well as some indolic jasmine and oakmoss that give it a touch of midcentury Roudnitska masterpiece. Boucheron is a quality fragrance that blends the lines between the turn of the century, midcentury art deco, as well as modern designer. A solid fragrance altogether, but the sillage and longevity are poor at least in the EdT version. Buy it if you can!

Monsieur de Givenchy clone with little strength or lasting power. The only thing Armani has on MdG is it lacks the dry, austere rose blast in the opening. Otherwise, I would get Givenchy.

Think of a very synthetic Monsieur de Givenchy coupled with the animalic civet of YSL pour Homme and you have Lacoste for Men. The opening is a nice citrus and herbal accord, but after that synthetic florals and civet take the helm and continue through an unpleasant drydown. Get Eau Sauvage instead.

This is not as good as I expected it would be, but perhaps my perception of musks is skewed. I see little or no progression in this scent whatsoever. The opening is creamy and quite dirty if you will.

VBJ is a simple, very designer-like scent. Nothing special, no frills. The opening is citric with some lavender and eventually dries down to a sickly sweet musk and artificial leather. This is a decent fragrance on the cheap, but nothing more.

Nice try, but no cigar. Compared to the classics like Eau Sauvage, YSLPH falls horribly short. The opening is synthetic and plastic with some sweat and heady spices that dries down to a animalic tar base with more synthetic lemon. Get Eau Sauvage or at least Monsieur de Givenchy.

Exciting? Exhilarating? These are certainly not terms that come to mind when one thinks of Monsieur de Givenchy. This is way too herbal for me. Go with Eau Sauvage or a traditional eau de cologne.

Diorella is vaguely related to Eau Sauvage—just vaguely. Diorella is far too feminine, in my opinion, to be worn by a man. The opening is much too sweet and the fruity notes dominate overwhelming the light floral component. Is there a base? Perhaps we will never know?

Equipage is a classic scent that opens with a blast of pine and soft citrus and progresses to a powdery soft, somewhat medicinal base. I find Equipage similar to the original Polo in its herbal/medicinal accords, but far more expensive-smelling and far more sophisticated. I recommend it highly. I must also add that the resinous, smoky accord in the base is interesting. Longevity and sillage are poor, but if they weren’t this wouldn’t be refined.

Overall Musc Ravageur is a gourmand niche take on musk. The opening is a non-chalant expose of bergamot, citrus, and white flowers followed by a spicy, edible heart of carnation, cinnamon, vanilla, rubber, and possibly nutmeg. The base notes reveal a little bit of clean musk and surprisingly…more vanilla. Decent, but probably not worth the over $100 price tag.

Begins with an old fashioned accord of rich lime oil and progresses to a slightly floral heart of fuschia and rose. Base notes are leather, musk, and moss.

This is an interesting fragrance that seems to combine the traditional cologne with some type of fougere. The opening is a blast of citrus with some modern elements like cardamom and ginger. The heart and base are fairly similar and composed of spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, sandalwood, and musk. AdP Assoluta is certainly longer lasting that the original, but that is about it.

Jicky (EdT)

Jicky is an interesting fragrance that harkens back to the two original schools of perfumery in the late 19th Century—one English and one French. Obviously, Guerlain created Jicky in the genre of the French school and it is a leading example of that thinking today. The EdT is my favored concentration as I find it far more suitable for a man than the EdP and Extrait versions. Jicky opens with a harsh blast of lavender and civet, which is quite indolic for several minutes until the floral and herbal composition of the heart becomes apparent. That heart gives way to a powdery base of vanilla and civet.

ES opens with a blast of lemon tempered with an herbal bouquet of lavender, thyme, basil, and cumin, which lend themselves to a good level of projection and longevity. Sauvage’s opening is a little strong for my taste, but it is a very good fragrance overall. After the opening, the floral heart of indoles like jasmine, rose, and lilac make themselves known in a smooth but edgy floral accord that gives way to a woody, musky, mossy base. ES certainly has something animalic about it—perhaps the cumin, which was drawn from Edmond Roudnitska’s early Eau de Hermes?

This is certainly a bargain fragrance compared to many other English colognes. 74 is sufficiently stuffy and musty with a little English sensibility. It opens with a hint of citrus and aromatic “baby oil” accord like in Hammam Bouquet (which I personally believe TOBS tried to imitate with this fragrance sans rose). It progresses to an indolent jasmine, iris, muguet, and other powdery florals. The base is a little disturbing and far too powdery for wear any time other than winter.

I must say this fragrance is truly wonderful. I agree with Luca Turin that is has an Edwardian flair (since it was introduced shortly after he left the throne). AdP opens with a sparkling, elegant lemon tempered with lavender and a bouquet of Herbs du Provence like rosemary, thyme, and basil. After about ten minutes the floral heart kicks in. This is not a perfumey or powerful floral like Hammam Bouquet, but a conservative, moderately dry field of rich Bulgarian roses blended exquisitely with exotic ylang and a drop of stuffy jasmine. AdP eventually dries down to a light musk, moss, and cedar base. As far as I am concerned, this IS the traditional cologne embodying all the elements of turn of the century perfumery. I high recommend it.

Being a fan of the much esteemed Housed of Guerlain I thought I would like Habit Rouge; however, I found it far too heavy, cloying, sweet, and powdery to be wearable. Rouge opens with a blast of orange and bergamot with the dirty leather, musk, and musty flowers already beginning to become evident. It progresses to rose and geranium balanced with a sickly sweet vanilla with patchouli and possibly a touch of the classic Guerlain civet...

Is it an oldie? Is a new designer scent from 2003? Who knows? Le Dandy seems difficult to place as the benchmark fragrance for dandies at the turn of the century. Dandy is certainly a gourmand fragrance with an opening of bergamot and Oriental spices like mace, nutmeg, cardammom, a touch of ginger, and a dash of cinnamon to warm its composure followed by bourbon, vanilla, tonka, musk, and a sprinkling of powdery florals such as carnation and geranium. Le Dandy is certainly a nice winter scent, but it is spicy, heavy, and sweet. It has all the body of a 2000s something designer fragrance with all the dressings of an Edwardian classic. Le Dandy is a good experience for experienced noses, but heed my advice, experienced as it is a delight, but probably not that wearable.

I must applaud the effort put into this early Hermes cologne. The opening is similar to Caron pour un Homme with creamy lavender and fresh citrus, but soon after the cumin and light woods (possibly pine) creep in and darken the waters. It does smell strongly animal for a few minutes, but this dries down to a light orange and civet, which is bearable and decent.

I decided to try GIT after all the hype associated with it. It is certainly a worthy fragrance that is light years better than its cheaper contender Cool Water. Cool Water and GIT are certainly similar in their openings; however, the similarity stops there. Even from first whiff, Green Irish Tweed smells more sophisticated and more mature. Then after about twenty minutes, GIT begins to shine with Ambergris and violet leaves deepening into a spicy fougere. If you can afford a bottle (or not) I highly recommend this fragrance.

Slightly better than the new formulation of Old Spice--slightly better.

After sampling the acclaimed MdM, I have a few thoughts about its composition. It is crafted no doubt from top quality ingredients and lots of them. First off, I found the opening gusto of civet and lavender to be far too animalic at even the most conservative application and detected a quite fecal or rotting vegetation note of some form. After resisting washing it off for thirty minutes, it did progress fantastically though. The original blast of civet dried down to a creamy, waxy floral that was a tad sweet and a quite deep. It did not last long, but overall I find the benefits of the wonderful drydown not worth the torture of the opening.

Very lovely fragrance indeed although it is not very strong or long-lasting. The citrus opening is debonair and well-rounded. The middle notes are a tad animalic for my taste, but the base is musk, vanilla, and amber, which lends to a very soft, refined feel. Upon first application there is an antispetic note, possibly anise, that quickly softens and gives way to nice, elegant, and delicate fragrance. I find Monsieur Concentree to be similar to Mouchoir de Monsieur and Jicky without all the wonders of animal excrement they embody.

Acier is certainly an interesting scent of whose likes I have not smelled before nor will likely smell again. It opens with a subdued blast of civet, citrus, and creamy florals such as lavender. After the rather unbearable opening, Acier dries down to a sweet musk and vanilla base. Certainly by no means a bad choice, but you could do better.

I must say GFT is one of the most interesting fragrances I have tried as of late. At first I tried the shaving cream and was intrigued by its musk and woods and decided to order the cologne. I think the staying power is excellent lasting until the end of work. The sillage is modest, which is desirable for me and my coworkers. Though the scent is rather one dimensional, it eventually exposes the musk and moss base. Recommended! Now off to try Wellington and Marlborough.

When I read the rave reviews of D.R. Harris's Arlington on other sites, I decided to try it blind. I use the shaving cream, the aftershave splash, and the cologne...now I need the milk! Anyway, Arlington is advertised as a gentleman's scent that is subtle, refined, and under-powering. I think it fills these roles well. It begins with a burst of tamed citrus and neroli and dries down to powder and an ultra light musk. I highly recommend the Arlington range.

This is the exact same formula as the original Old Spice by Shulton except it was marketed to women first (and apparently not very popular considering it became the standard of masculinity for decades...). Buy this if you can find. High quality ingredients.

This is bubble gum at its finest. Sweet, cloying, cheap, and offensive. One would think it sophisticated and aristocratic given its lovely bottle and name, but it should have stayed a mere bath oil.

This is certainly a good fragrance by all accounts, but it is too strong and too cloying. Its silage is monstrous and its longevity indefatigable. The opening bravado if you will of anise, vanilla, and powder, and more vanilla induces headaches.

All I have to say is what a scent! Perfect citrus, perfect woods, perfect spices. This along with Jean Marie Farina is the most natural cologne I have ever smelled. The beginning is overly citric, but progresses to a slight musk with strong, masculine woods. While this is not sexy by any stretch of the imagination, it doesn't need to smell that way. I wish Penhaligons was easier to find in the US though.

Flowers, greens, and woods. I was dissapointed by this fragrance because I expected it to be a rich, luscious, refined floral. Its opening certainly is floral--but too synthetic for my taste. I wish it had some rose or jasmine to smooth it out. I agree with Foetidus that Insense is quite linear; after the floral opening, it dies down to a cedar/fir balsam accord that last all day. I was hoping Insense would be more like floris no. 89, but it is much more of the 90s than I can handle.

Very lovely fragrance indeed although it is not very strong or long-lasting. The citrus opening is debonair and well-rounded. The middle notes are a tad animalic for my taste, but the base is musk, vanilla, and amber, which lends to a very soft, refined feel.

My goodness this is strong and lasts forever. It does smell strongly of incense and pimento. Envy is best in small doses (i.e. one spray maximum). Good evening scent, but it gets cloying.

Way too much vanilla. Smells like a cheap drugstore fragrance with little development over time.

I had the misfortune of trying this at my local drugstore. The citrus and floral bravado is not bad, but it dries down to a dirty, urine-like leather and then vanishes within a half hour.

I know a lot of people like this, but I do not. It smells like some kind of breakfast pastry and does not last long. Thank goodness I bought a mini.

This was my first aftershave in the ninth grade. I liked it then. It is cool, composed, and fairly linear. If you like this try Safari, it is million times better.

Florida Water smells like cheap, watered-down Guerlain Vetiver. It is not terrible though. Good value and not a bad aftershave. Has notes of orange, lime, vetiver, possibly mint, capsicum pepper, and vanilla to my nose. So slap some on in the morning--it burns like no other!

I just ordered a bottle of vintage old spice on eBay and am very excited.

What a bay rum! This is certainly king of spices. It is true that there is little change during the drydown, but that's ok with me. Strong clove, allspice, nutmeg, Cinnamon, etc. Smells a little like Aramis Havana. Versy strong and masculine.

Good scent with lots of herbs, citrus, and musk. Includes oak and tree moss as well as lemon and orange. Only draw back is that is very powdery and stuffy and does not last very long. Otherwise, excellent shave lotion for a bargain! (Available at Walgreens for $6).

Lovely...luscious, spicy scent with a little bit of musk, castoreum, and amber. It is very well layered and changes from a soapy top to a musky and spicy bottom.

Excellent. Just grass, lemon, and a little vanilla. Inoffensive and classy. Perfect for the office.

While this is a nice, neutral office scent, it bears striking resemblance to Azzaro pour Homme except a tad spicier. Sillage and longevity are okay.

Nice spicy, strong opening similar to Azzaro pour Homme, but quickly fades to a monotonous fresh drydown.

Very similar to VCA, but somewhat sweeter and less soapy. Highly formal and extremely strong. A true classic.

Yet another sweet, fruity, cloying concoction that smells identical to so many other such concoctions created in the 90s.

Simply smells like cheap lotion available at the supermarket.

Polo Black is a mixture of some type of room freshener and plastic. Far from the original Polo.

Burberry London for Men is a toned-down version of Givenchy Gentleman, but is still too similar. This initial blast is great, but it dries down to something sweet and gaudy.

I like this scent except as others have said it is basic and nothing unique. While it may be an original in its category, there are many similar to it today, however, imitations lack the excellent woodsy drydown. This is an okay scent for the office or casual events.

Is this the most refined, elegant, smooth fragrance ever? Certainly not. However, to me it seems to be a more mature version of Drakkar and possibly some of the Axe products. It is similar to the original Azzaro pour homme, but sweeter with more fruit. Onyx does have anise and caraway notes present, which resemble the original.

I find Drakkar to be over-bearing and juvenile. It reminds me of the various axes that people think smell good for some strange reason.

Highly formal and classic. Good staying power and silage; but the rose and carnation dominate with a somewhat sour note that smells a tad antique. I like it overall.

This is a little dated (but what classic fragrances aren't? like Dunhill, Aramis, Azzaro, VCA, etc.). The herbal opening is intense and eventually dies down to amber, musk, and a little pine.

A classic and extremely masculine. Aramis smells strongly of patchouli and other spices with a slight green leafy note. At first spray, the bergamot is quite antiseptic and unsettling, but it quickly fades.

This a good fragrance, but not very masculine and very perfumey. The lavender and floral notes dominate creating a somewhat "old lady" smell.

This is a very good, but not very professional or versatile fragrance. I like its over the top rose and floral notes, but its citrus is a little strong. Brit has a very perfumey air about it, but that makes it stand out a little bit.

High quality ingredients and construction, but this smells surprisingly like Cool Water and Drakkar Noir, just slightly better. Extremely fresh and aquatic with poor longevity.

I do not like this. At first application it smells very strongly of civet, which smells much like urine. After an hour or so, it dies down to a powder that smells just like wick's "powder fresh." I don't mind strong scents, but the opening is strong and vile.

I really like this one because it is spicy and woody rather than sweet and green like many of today's newer fragrances. This heralds in the lineage of vintage fragrances not often worn today. While the clove is at first very strong, the citrus, musk, and amber will come out (I believe that in Victorian times people relied heavily on clove and lavender as can be seen in Edition).