Fragrance Reviews by Grottola

Blue Jeans!! Man, does this bring back childhood memories....I haven't been able to find it in ages, until recently I found a bottle at TJ Maxx for 10 bucks. At first, it opened a bit harsh and acidic, but when it dried down a little, that classic scent shined through. It's a pleasant, fresh scent with a touch of sweetness, and it's also a bit powdery/floral. Ultimately, this is a scent for the youth. I'm still fairly young myself, but this is more fitting as a first cologne/fragrance for a teenager or someone in their early 20's. Nevertheless, it still smells great 15 years later.

P.S. It smells a lot better, IMO, from a few steps away rather than up close on your wrist. The aroma it creates in the small vicinity around it is very nice.

This is delicious. It's like a creamy, smooth dessert....almost like a custard or something. It smells like what a dessert tastes like, in a sense. I don't know if this is considered a gourmand or not, but either way; there is not too much Vanilla--the Vanilla is done just right to give it that delicious quality. This is a "food" scent done right. Now, you may be thinking: why would I want to smell like food? But this has just a delicious quality to it that makes it smell good regardless, and it's not too feminine to me. It certainly isn't overtly masculine--this might be able to get away with unisex, but for the most part, this is a masculine fragrance. Yummy.

WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE HATE THIS?!?!

I agree with MDHiggins. Please people, judge the scent based on the scent itself, don't judge it in relation to other scents, the type of scent it is, the house it's coming from, or anything else. I think this is a nice, fresh, citrusy little number with some woody/pepperyness to it. It's great for a spring or summer day....actually, it's fine for any occasion. Ladies like it, too.

This is coming from someone who enjoys classic fragrances, so keep that in mind. While this certainly is not as good as D&G Pour Homme or By for Men, it's still a nice fragrance.

An oldie, but goodie. My dad wore this, my friends in high school wore this--yes, this one is very popular, but that's not a bad thing. This is still a VERY masculine, sexy scent. The transition of Citrus/Lavender to Patchouli (well, mostly Patchouli on my skin, at least) is so smooth. As masculine and strong as this is, Drakkar Noir is not as harsh and unfriendly as other classics of it's day, such as Kouros and Quorum. If you're trying to get into classic masculine scents, this is a great place to start. Drakkar Noir is a smell I've known since I was a child, and I still love it to this day.

Well, well. This, to me, is a very pleasant and approachable fragrance--provided you don't overapply. It can be a bit nauseating with over-application, however, with less than 3 sprays, I find this to be VERY nice. Yes, it is sweet, but not "candy sweet" in my opinion, as some other reviewers have said. That sweetness is a fresh, floral sweetness; a very pleasant one, as I said, and something in this (perhaps the Anise Seed or Barley Water?) gives it a "minty" sort of cool effect....kind of a "pistachio" sort of smell, if you know what I mean. Definitely try before you buy, yes--but this is nice enough, I think, to not cause much damage if it isn't liked. A nice, fresh, subtly sweet gourmand, that is unfortunately a bit hard to find nowadays. Thumbs up.

P.S. Now that I think of it, this reminds me a bit of Gucci Pour Homme II, which is my all-time favorite fragrance. They share a few notes, it seems.

I agree with Words--WHY ARE PEOPLE COMPARING THIS TO CREED? Is it because both scents are from expensive, niche companies in which each scent has a similar bottle? SHEESH! haha.

Anyway, I tried this stuff yesterday, and I love it. This is a fresh, green scent with a little bit of fruity and spicy added in. I love Violet and I love Sandalwood, and everything just blended so nicely on this--in fact, the notes kinda "pop" out at you as with Armani Eau Pour Homme, although this scent smells nothing like that one. My only gipe is that this should be cheaper. This smells very nice, and lasts a while, however, I don't believe it's special enough to go for $150.00 + bucks. Anyway, try this if you can. Big thumbs up.

oooooh boy. To be completely honest, this is one of my favorites. About five years ago, I recieved the all-over shampoo in this scent as a present, and I liked that product--but I was intrigued by it's scent, and since a body wash isn't really gonna do anything on my skin, I had to find a bottle of the juice, and the rest is history.

The initial blast may be a bit harsh to some--citrusy/metallic with "cologney"ness to it; in fact, this comes off to some people I know as a cheap, faux-machismo cologne, and I can understand why. Personally, I find the inital blast to be refreshing, somewhat enjoyable. Once this dries down though, it becomes a very smooth, citrusy/herbal/semi-musky scent on me, and the violet flower (which I agree with scensitivity on the presence of it in this scent about) gives it this nice richness to it on my skin, and the best part is that girls love it.

I honestly think that this is fine for all seasons, all occasions. One main gipe I have is the bottle--they should have done something different with the lid. If you pull off the lid, you find the bottle to be a simple, black, rectangular-minimalist bottle, in the same lieu as the old Bath and Body Works fragrances (which is no surprise to me, as Victoria's Secret is owned by the same company that owns Bath and Body Works). However, that little sprayer needs a lid, and while I can't think of anything off the top of my head that works for it, the lid they gave it just looks weird. It's too out of proportion and just funny-looking. Calvin Klein's Contradiction did that so much better. Oh well, at least they made the bottle and packaging of the rest of the line black. I can't think of another color for this.

This one will always be a favorite of mine, though. The only scent I can remotely think of that is similar is Aqua Quorum. Check this stuff out before it gets discontinued.

It's got that "Creediness" to it--that same Silver Mountain Water/Millesime Imperial accord to it, but that's all I get on my skin, besides the "ozonic" note, which, from what I understand, is attempting to be Sea Salt, but it unfortunately doesn't do so well on me, and I end up walking around smelling like a little bit of Creed, and a lot of urinal cake. 175 bucks, my patootie.

at first I was feeling bad about this stuff--the lemon was ruining it for me, and I found out overly sweet and cloying, and a headache was coming on. but I let it dry down.

after about 15 minutes, on my skin, it turned into a nice, smooth, almost floral gourmand! still a bit sweet, but it's good in its own right.

I tried to be open-minded with the original Quorum, but I couldn't get myself to like it. This one is much easier to work with--it's kind of like Curve, but in a bad way. Aqua Quorum has almost melony qualities to it--up there with the citrus and "cologne"ness. I find it sexy, though.

Actually, it smells just like Very Sexy for Him by Victoria's Secret, only fresher! However, this one came out in 1994....JUST before the aquatic buzz. pehaps Very Sexy smells like this?

It's hard to believe this is Escada. This just doesn't work for me....a synthetic, cloying citrusy mess.

I've known about this one for a while now, but never really took the time to smell it, however, it's very different. On paper, it just seemed bland and spicy. However, on my skin--woohoo! A great peppery/spicy scent that has kind of a "syrupy" quality to it. Kinda like molasses or something. I expected it to be fresh and sporty, and yes, while it does have freshness to it, it's still a scent with character. Not only that, but I got it for Eight bucks.

this and Rochas Man are the only gourmands I have tolerance for. Casual Friday may look cheap, but it sure as heck isn't. Sweet, but man is it sexy. I got so many comments with it....bring it back!!

love it! last a loooong time on me, 6-8 hours. really nice natural-smelling, all-occasions masculine scent. I originally smelled this when I got the shaving cream as a gift, and was pleasantly surprised when I found out they had an essential oil/fragrance of this! check it out!

on paper, it's a fruiter version of Silver Mountain Water/Unforgivable. On my skin, it's a fruiter AND soapier version. certainly not bad, but I've smelled this scent so many times before that I'm beginning to wonder if Creed's giving it away for free. =P

well, it's very masculine and woody. when I first sniffed it (especially paired with the bottle design), it reminded me of a macho man fragrace from the 70's.

*sigh*....so much potential here, and then one note in there....some sort of fruity-citrus-grapefruit note ruins it for me. it just doesn't fit. the same "fruity sweet puff of air" SirSlarty described, except not really pleasant. oh well, the drydown's not bad....for the most part the citrus note begins to dissipate. love the bottle and idea, though.

I absolutely love this stuff--I loved it when it came out, and I still love it today. a very mysterious, musky, spicy & sexy scent. great for cold weather or a night out [or in! ;)]

it is a very different scent....the closest thing I can compare it to is Allure Homme. this scent is proof that a cheap scent doesn't always equal a bad scent. try it.

it's not bad, yes, but Basenotes chose, out of all the hundreds of great-smelling discontinued wonders in their catalouge, chose THIS? I mean, yeah, it smells nice, but it's nothing to write home about. a fresh, fruity-spicy scent (almost aquatic) is what I get.

some scents I recommend Basenotes attempt to bring back, since we're on the subject:

Casual Friday
Dunhill for Men (1934 original)
By for men by Dolce & Gabbana
Nobile by Gucci

very sexy. warm and inviting, good for cold weather or a date. this was one of the first fragrances I purchased. almost oriental, in a sense--peppery, spicy sandalwood with just a hint of sweetness to balance it out. the name is accurate; this is alluring. this will grab people's attention. you don't need a lot of it, and it lasts a while. it lasted 8 hours on me! no matter what age you are, this will smell good on you.

another reason why Chanel is one of my favorite houses.

a little Allure pour homme, and A LOT OF LEMONS!

seriously, this should be "Allure Silver" or "Allure Yellow". haha, good for summer. it's alright I guess.

smells nice, great for fall, just too weak! it doesn't last either!

test this on yourself before you buy it. to me, on paper it smelled like chicken noodle soup, lol.

let me begin by stating that I really tried to like this one. and while reviewers often say that and I'm sure you're tired of hearing it by now, it's true! I really took into account the positive reviews on this one!

however, when I tried it on myself, it just didn't work on me. when I first sprayed it on, it was kinda sweet, and I thought "meh, it's ok" and would save my thoughts for when it started drying down. and boy oh boy, was the dry-down horrendous.

it gnawed at me....a really gnawing, cloying STRONG fragrance. oriental is right, it smells just like the sauce they put on sesame chicken! too sweet, also! it gave me one hell of a headache, and the worst part was that I had this experience at the mall! I certainly got reactions. people giving me weird looks, ha.

bottom line: didn't work for me. definitely try before you buy. and DEFINITELY don't blind buy.

this stuff reminds me of Tommy Bahama for men, a lot. however, it seems a bit sweeter to me. it also has kind of a "minty" effect to it. smells good though, and the tobacco is done well, too. great for fall & winter.

this is pretty much a love/hate for most people, but it's just average for me. it smells more purple to me, actually. like someone spilled juice on an old violet carpet.

also, this has since been one of the premiere scents of flyboys and gangsters around the world--walking into department stores, asking for "Jewp" rather than Joop!

but uh, yeah. it's quite potent, indeed, but it doesn't really do much for me. it certainly isn't VILE, but it's just okay. definitely grabs your attention, though--if the potentness doesn't, the smell will. if the smell doesn't, the color will, and if the color doesn't.....at least the name will. haha.

it was gone within an hour, but it's nice, fresh and sporty. cools too. I use aftershave balm, but still, I'd use this as a refresher of sorts. good everyday wear.

I smell grass.....didn't evolve on my skin.

yeah, it's simple. yeah, it's the smell of an Aveda salon.....I tried to be as open-minded as I could about this one, but I just don't like it. sort of reminds me of Terre d'Hermes for some reason, actually.....but oh well, the notes just collide and don't really do anything by make a mess on my skin. stick with the shampoo, it smells better in that.

my favorite Bay Rum. ever. comes on warm and spicy, and stays spicy throughout--but still retains a sweet, boozy warmth......glad I found it when I did. great all year round, and smells exceptionally fitting around Christmas (: thumbs up!!

this, to me, starts off like burning wood or leaves. like my parents' fireplace when I was a kid. however, when it starts drying down it gets smoother and woodier, still retaining a bit of a spicy edge. I like the bottle, too.

saw this at TJ Maxx, and thought huh.

it looks like Kenzo, first of all, in my opinion. however, it is very fresh. very different, but nice and fresh. not overpowering at all, nice and masculine. I'm glad to have found this little number.

this is RL's best colder weather scent yet, in my opinion. smells just like this men's shower gel I got at Walgreens. it does really nicely with the amber, though. dries down nice, woody and warm, with that amber there for sweetness. excellent for fall, great for winter. even better if you wear it outside in the crisp air.

wooh! smell that citrus in the beginning. when I first sprayed this on my wrist, I immediately had a mental image: a crisp, serene forest in spring, and a tangerine dancing on a patch of mossy ground squirting his juice in your face (please don't take that the wrong way). that Tangerine, Lemon and Basil combo on the top really come together and smell like freshly picked tangerines/clementines. the ones in those wooden boxes. while that citrus stays through the entire time, it gets softer and softer, and eventually becomes balanced with those smooth, sweet mossy-wood notes. good for pretty much any occasion, except a hot, humid summer's day. very nice!!

this is the only Axe fragrance I can stand. all of the others just smell nasty to me. I'm surprised they even have Axe on this site.

I have a cold as I'm typing this, and can't smell. Yet I can smell the Jovan Musk I just put on....and I like it. A lot. Cheap as it might be, it's really nice and potent. It's got a nice musky-spicy quality to it; warms me up inside. Powerful too. Not bad for a scent that's older than me.

very nice! great scent for fall and winter....very masculine. suprised this was released from banana republic....but wow, I really like it.

I can't seem to find this one very much, but I spray it on when I do. it's very warm and inviting....there's a sweet note I smell in the beginning that sometimes puts people off (possibly the "lipstick" note?), but I think this is a very nice fragrance for fall and winter. I love the bottle too. much better than dior homme sport, as well.

bring it back!
I can't find it anywhere now....only occasionally at discount stores like TJ Maxx and Marshall's. it had great quality to it though. nothing like the original as other reviers have stated....a perfect scent for a date IMO. fits other occasions, but it's great on a date. so fresh and mysterious....masculine and seductive.

nice.
this has always been a favorite of mine, don't know why. I just love the scent.
great for warm weather.

y'know, it isn't the scent with the most positive feedback, but I like it. it's very different. it smells just like the beach, and I love it for summer.

just beautiful. one of my all-time favorites. reminds me of a cool stream running down a brisk, woody mountain on a winter's day. it could be a little more masculine, but then again....the sillage is wonderful. just lasts and lasts, and one spray is enough for the whole day.
wish is was cheaper, though. one of my favs.

as with Joe_Frances, I smelled this one at the flagship store in NYC.
I agree with pretty much every other review of this fragrance--a bold, masculine, one of a kind that I wish I could find other places. smells so good. a man's man fragrance and nothing more....I really need to purchase a bottle soon.

it's the most reviewed fragrance on the site.
but to me, it smells like someone peed on a chocolate bar. in my opinion.

regardless of how ubiquitous it is.
regardless of how many people wear it.
regardless of how much it's been talked about and smelled by me,
I still love it, and always will. a great for summer. just love the clean citrus scent of Acqua Di Gio. nothing beats the original.

I liked it as a teenager when it first came out.
nowadays, it just seems a synthetic mess to me. it has no character. it's just bland and stinky, along with all the other Curve's.
well, excluding Curve Connect.

love the fresh, woody pine-kinda scent. another one for all seasons. great anytime, non-offensive wear. again, unlike anything I've smelled before.

my favorite "sports" fragrance. so fresh and clean. great for a summer day, being outside in the sun. it really works wonders.

yep, I can definitely smell that black pepper. goes well with the cinnamon and bergamot. same with the tobacco.
this is a really seductive, nice scent for fall and winter. definitely one of my favorites.

very nice!!
it's got a sweet woody quality that's light and fresh. I'd wear it in all seasons, except for summer maybe. make me happy--very masculine and clean, the ladies like it too.

I liked it when it was Greenbriar. I liked it when it was Green Irish Tweed. I've just become so bored with the scent....it's tried and true, but I've smelled it many times over and I just don't like it that much anymore. it's still a decent scent, though.

it's too weak and "sissy", almost. I just don't like it....doesn't feel like a fragrance to me, doesn't wow me at all.

every note just goes together well--it's unlike anything I've ever smelled, and it is perfect for any season, any occasion. it may not last as long as I'd like it to, but the sillage is wonderful and the scent is so clean.....reminds me of a brand new day. a fresh start. this is my personal favorite cologne.