Fragrance Reviews by Laevus

A great new cologne from my favorite clothes designer, who have a somewhat lackluster track record to scents. I actually liked this one and hated the others. This one is so casual, compared to KC Black that teeters on casual and formal, but failing ultimately (like their designer, who makes great casual clothes, but rather tacky formal wear). Personally, I prefer the green apple top note over the watermelon one, since I find watermelon scents gag-inducing. Luckily enough, it only appears on the initial spray. The dry down, on the other hand, is excellent. Patchoulli + musk + sandalwood = sexy, but not desperate to get some. Crisp and refreshing, an excellent choice for daytime Spring/Summer use. It could have lasted longer though; it disappeared after 4 hours (at least it lasted longer than Acqua di Gio, which smells better, but disappears so quick you'd have to carry the bottle with you). Had this lasted longer, I would use this as my office/school cologne instead of my more expensive Chanel Platinum Egoiste.

First of all, what a funky bottle, so it adds a bit to the rating. Still a full thumbs up without it though. It's not as sweet as people describe, but sweet enough to pass of as a women's cologne. They should have marketed this as a uni-sex scent, since women love it too. I'm one of the few guys that doesn't need to smell like wood, tobacco, and spice all the time to establish my masculinity. This one is a good way of showing you have a sensitive side, it's warm, sweet, and quite sophisticated. Oddly enough, never once did I smell citrus in this; it's more of a floral fragrance. As for the "magnetic wood" part, I won't go with my own interpretation of that since it's rather X-rated, but let's just say, it works, because women tend to love vanilla-ish scents. Cuddle-time galore! Recommended for evening use. Personally, I like to use it during Spring/Summer, since it combines with warm air nicely without resulting into one of those heady, dizzying scents that some colognes become (Fahrenheit + hot weather = passing out, either from the smell, or people beating you for the smell). Don't over spray though; subtletly is this scent's asset.

If there ever is a formal scent, this one is it. It's sexy and sophisticated; sage and cardamom top notes maybe sharp at first, but as it dries down, the scent becomes a deeper, woody-musky combo, which I find very sexy. And my girl loves it as well; this cologne + Armani suit + excellent tango skills = uber-chance of getting laid (at least in my case). Use only on special and formal occassions, since this makes a great "trump" scent; something you should use when people tire of what you usually wear (I mean you wouldn't wear an Armani suit on a casual occassion now, would you?) True rating is thumbs up, but here's the catch: opaque bottle. Come on now, how do we know that we get the amount we bought it for if we can't see it? I mean a 1 oz of this cologne can easily be marketed as a 3.4 oz if they made the bottle bigger and heavier. Sounds like a potential marketing rip-off to me. But really, it's such a great scent you'd really want to keep tabs if you're running low on it.

Ah, the epitome of simplicity and elegance in one bottle. Quite frankly, any cologne that does this is automatically gold in my book. It's one of those unmistakable scents, very masculine. Quite powerful and long lasting too, one spray and you're set. Although the drydown is a bit tobacco-ey; I don't know, it just screams "pack of cigs," which can be quite inconsiderate if you live with smokers who are trying to quit. True rating is thumbs up, but due to it's now rampant "mainstream" popularity due to that stupid makeover show "Queer Eye," I have to give this a neutral, since its not a scent that works with everyone's body chemistry (note to my gym coach: sweat + this cologne = pig smoking a reefer). Perfect for evening use during Fall/Winter.

What a lovely smell! Quite strong on the first application, but mellows out after that. Contrary to what some say, this is only a mid-lasting cologne, about 4-5 hours before traces disappear completely. Great for both formal and casual use, but not so annoying (ahem, Tommy by T. Hilfiger) which makes it quite perfect for school or office work, if applied in small amounts (personally, one spray will do). A must buy if you like deep, masculine scents.

Finally, a nice break from the citrus trend! It's excellent from application to dry down. And it's quite long lasting too (traces still linger up to 4 days if sprayed on clothes). At first, I was wary of buying this, since I figured it will be as tacky as the bottle it came in (really, plaid? thet's the epitome of tacky!) But curiosity killed the cat, and I tried a spray. At first, it was heady, but a few minutes later, it warms down and softens up (though not disappear completely). Very comforting, recommended for daytime Fall/Winter wear.

During the first few minutes of application, it smelled kind of like grape-flavored cough syrup. But as it dries down, it becomes one of the sexiest scents I have ever tried. And guess what? Women go nuts over this, trust me. I guess it is true that schinus (a kind of pepper) is an aphrodisiac. And it lasts long too. Spray this once on your clothes and you'll still smell traces of it 3 days (or 4 if your sense of smell is as keen as mine)later. If you used Hai Karate, this is what the more upscale alternative; the difference is, this one actually attracted women, like its name implied. Perfect for clubbing. Don't overspray though, this is one of those colognes that work subtly. One or two sprays should do you good.