Basenotes - Reviews by RCavs

Brazil

Showing 1 to 30 of 209.

Hypnôse Homme Eau Fraîche by Lancôme

Reminded me somehow of that gasoline note found in Fahrenheit, although It's obviously fresher and weaker. Not bad, but nothing to write home about.

2nd September, 2011.

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Subtil pour Homme by Salvatore Ferragamo

Violet is the main note here: Subtil is a powdery light floral nothing. I don't ever need to say its longevity is weak.

19th April, 2011.

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Escape for Men by Calvin Klein

Escape is a nice citrusy-"greenish" fragrance. It starts and keeps its freshness and citrusy/green smell until it vanishes. Mixed to it, I detected a light sweet note that reminded me watermelon. Although a lot of people think It's old fashioned, I disagree. It's still modern and wouldn't be surprised if someone linked it to acqua di Gio. Weren't they created the same year?
Longevity is medium to good on my skin and I don't think It's overly harsh or synthetic. Just don't expect any "arctic" or (put your modern frozen lab created note here), but cypress, eucalyptus, fir balsam, juniper and oakmoss do a nice job!

19th April, 2011.

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Very Cool for Men by Tommy Bahama

TB Very cool is another nice casual aquatic fragrance. It starts spicy-peppery (without being too harsh-annoying) and then progressively gets woody and "melony" as if It was an aqua version of claiborne Mambo. When pepper fades, It becomes something like Aramis Cool Blend with a woody tone. It's pleasant in its simplicity although its staying power is really weak.Just for aquatics lovers!

4th April, 2011.

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Green Irish Tweed by Creed

Well, after reading a lot of people saying It's similar to Cool Water, I tested GIT. And They're semi-right. Top notes are almost identycal (I still think CW is a bit stronger in a macho 80s style way). When they started to fade, I realized the difference. GIT gets more floral and slightly sweet (violet?), as If It was a calm-chill out version of CW.
GIT is nothing to write home about. But I prefer it to Cw's "loudiness".
Staying power is weaker than CW and I'd say It's too expensive for what It delivers.
It's a nice fragrance though.

4th April, 2011.

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Soul by Curve for Men by Liz Claiborne

Well, from Curve line, this is the first one I've tried, so I can't compare with the original curve etc.
Soul is a bright refreshing fragrance, based on green apple/bamboo at the opening mixed with some fig leaves, which brings me a nice cold sensation. I paid 15 bucks for a 100ml bottle, so I got more than I expected. It's like Davidoff's Good Life poor cousin. Weak longevity, although while the top and middle notes are exuding, they smell good.
When the base notes took control, I realized the problem: It's exactly the same earthy/herbaceous base from Claiborne Sport! Is it a Claiborne's strategy to save money in formulating the fragrance? Maybe that's why It's so cheap!

3rd November, 2010.

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ExciTED by Ted Lapidus

Bogart and Ted Lapidus do a great job creating nice fragrances for a reasonable price. Their fragrances usually have something different that distinguish them from boring mass-marketed scents. You just have to smell Lapidus pour homme, Altamir, Bogart Signature and One man show to understand what I'm talking about. I mean: you won't pass through the experience showing indifference.
Ironically, This one is the most suitable fragrance I've ever tested from these brands.
It's probably their approach to the aquatic mania that has dominated fragrance industry these days. But as I said, even being less distinctive, It's still good enough to worth a purchasing. The maritime pine and kumquat notes give an unique smell to the fragrance: It's fresh and at the same time classy. As if you had the green smell of pine combined with marine notes in a light way. These notes stay even at the drydown and also make a good mix with some woods.

25th August, 2010.

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Good Life by Davidoff

Definetely the best Davidoff's fragrance. Green, refreshing, simple. Nothing stuffy. The greatest figgy composition I've ever smelt. Also slightly sweet, but completely different from any nowaday's aquatic scent. It exhales some class. Maybe that's why It has never attracted younger crowds. I had owned a bottle back in 98 and decided to buy It again. The only thing I can complain about my new acquisition: The bottle's cap seems cheaper than it used to be. And It doesn't bring Davidoff's signature printed anymore.

15th July, 2010.

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Lanvin L'Homme Sport by Lanvin

When I first sprayed it, a delicious lemony note intoxicated me and suddenly it became a bit sweet, not tutti-frutti sweet, a darker sweet smell. But It was just for some minutes, maybe an hour. Then, a powdery note took place (Always surrounded by the lemony note) and I could smell the base notes, more formal, where the moss and patchouli could be perfectly noticed. I agree that It's not exactly sporty: Moss and Sage's notes gives it the nice formal aspect I said above, while lavender, lemon and bergamot notes brings us a refreshing and modern smell which combined produces a versatile fragrance, as If you could mix Armani pour homme with Z Zegna.
A nice work from Lanvin's house!

1st June, 2010.

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Polo Modern Reserve by Ralph Lauren

In "Pre Acqua di gio's time" I used to wear Polo and It was one of my favourites, although I always had some issues with its super potent smell. After some time, a lot of minor facturers started producing knock-offs and other fragrances "influenced by Polo" and its ubiquity was the cause of my decreasing interest from that time on. With Modern Reserve launch I was affected by some nostalgia and found the perfect excuse to revisit a classic. And I'm delighted! They really made a nice work here! It's greener than the original one (in some sort of minty way) and has a cleaner spicy character without excluding the pine note. MR is more wearable but still potent: lasts hours and has great sillage. And I understand perfectly the resemblance some detected with Polo Crest.

8th April, 2010.

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Usher for Men by Usher

Just as bland as its celebrity partner: Paris Hilton Heir. It's another light non-original and a bit sweet fragrance. Synthetic, It smells like drugstore scent. Maybe a success between teenagers but definetely a failure as a decent cologne.

27th December, 2009.

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Ferrari Racing by Ferrari

The strongest fragrance in Ferrari's line. I wouldn't recommend it for those who don't like Fendi Uomo, YSL Kouros and other similar 80s scents.
It's very spicy in an old fashioned way and carries a bunch of notes that united, create a thick and well done powerful fragrance. The con, in my case, is exactly this strength (not so nice in hot weather) and lack of freshness.

27th December, 2009.

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Quiksilver by Quiksilver

A cheap smelling generic green scent. Too much green combined as if It was a single note. Reminded me of, at least, a dozen drugstore fragrances.

11th August, 2009.

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Bulgari Aqua pour Homme Marine by Bulgari

Aqva marine is more wearable than the original, but this condition has a price: It's a less distinctive fragrance. The main difference is that the original's spice character is absent here. They concentrate their efforts in the seaweed note and added the (nowadays) common "refreshing powder" accord. The melon or whatever note remains the same in the start but is subdued quickly by the notes described above. I didn't notice any increase in sweetness and the longevity is weaker but acceptable.
I prefer the original and its spicyness (that somewhat reminds me of a less pungent Fendi Uomo).

11th August, 2009.

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Envy for Men by Gucci

Gucci Envy is one of those fragrances that calms me down. It's green, a bit spicy and has that confortable sweet and powdery drydown. Everytime I wear it I receive a bunch of compliments. And curiously, I don't think it's a masterpiece or a ground breaking scent. But It's so well made in its simplicity that I can't help keeping a bottle of it in my wardrobe. If someone asked me for an advice about fragrances, I'd recommend Envy without a doubt. It's the type of fragrance that won't offend anyone. Even if overapplied. Just don't take it as a disadvantage. I've smelt a lot of envy's imitations/rip offs and all of them have a problem or two, what drives me to conclude It's a well crafted composition. In fact, I'm surprised it contains opoponax (that probably gives the powdery effect) without being a powerhouse, as for instance, Lagerfeld Classic.

26th June, 2009.

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Chrome Legend by Azzaro

This flanker really let me down. The fragrance is just about sour orange. But It's not like Terre d'Hermes or even Moschino Friends. Its sourness just doesn't work. I put it on my skin on a hot sunday morning and It suffocated me. Well, It's strange, because It's supposed to be a refreshing fragrance.
Looks like It was made to be as generic as possible.
In my opinion, the worst azzaro's release ever.

17th June, 2009.

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Z Zegna Extreme by Ermenegildo Zegna

To my nose, Extreme is a combination of sour/acid orange bark with a toned down version of the original's Z fruity sweetness. Well It's a bit woody too, what makes it dry and can fright some aquatics' fans. Longevity is average and the bottle is cool.

21st May, 2009.

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CK In 2U Him by Calvin Klein

Great surprise from Mr.Klein! Refreshing and reffined at the same time, this fragrance starts with a sweet fruity smell that gets slightly powdery in some minutes and lasts 6+ hours. Don't buy it as if it were one of those non-original summer fragrances. If you do it, you'll regret. It's versatile. Great for daily use and for informal night hangouts.

21st May, 2009.

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Z by Ermenegildo Zegna

Fresh, in a clean smelling way, sweet in a fruity way, Z is one of the best aquatics I've smelt recently. Longevity is medium, but It's ok for a casual fragrance. Acqua di Giò Fans that have issues with its slightly sour note, will be delighted with Z's sweet fruity freshness.

21st May, 2009.

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Black by Kenneth Cole

In my opinion, this is the worst KC's fragrance. I own Reaction and New York and although they're both simple scents, they smell nice while they last. With this one, I can't feel the same. It's also quite simple, but I can't see any beauty in this
vulgar formula. Mint, mint and mint. The same smell of a minty bubble gum.
Looking at the pyramid I see so many notes...And the combination results in a common sweet and slightly floral smell. All hidden under a powerful synthetic
minty cloud... A minty bubble gum with a sweet note. And It's called "Black"...
I just wonder why it was necessary to allocate 2 perfumers to produce such an uninspiring fragrance.

30th December, 2008.

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Davidoff Adventure by Davidoff

Well, I bought this one blind after reading somewhere it as refreshing, revigorating and all that "bla bla bla"... It was cheap and even though I knew the risk I was taking, I decided to get it. My impressions are far from others basenoters ones. For me it's pretty similar to Burberry (the old one, that was once called London).
It's really close, just fresher, less pungent. I'd say it should be called "L'Eau de Burberry". I don't recommed it for the ones that dislike pepper. Although Adventure can be classified as a refreshing fragrance, its spicy character is stronger than its freshness.
it's for sure, non-original, but still an enjoyable casual fragrance.

4th December, 2008.

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Heir by Paris Hilton

Well, Paris Hilton's fragrances are definetely going downstairs... The first one was a daring fruity scent and although It wasn't groundbreaking, at least It had some character, something different from the casual fragrances sold in the market. The second one, 'Just me', was a nice synthetic take on Acqua di Giò. Common and deja vu, but a wearable non offending type of fragrance. But this one, 'Heir', is a complete let down. I'd say It reflects the lack of respect of some fragrance houses with their customers. Heir is totally crap! The scent is similar to the ones found in fragrances sold at any drugstore near you. It really smells cheap. It seems to be 99.5% composed by Alcohol! Where's the 'essence'?? After 30 minutes you can barely smell it, and during the time you can, It's so boring, you will ask yourself what's the point of this single note fragrance...
If I were the perfumer responsible for this fragrance, I'd be ashamed.

20th October, 2008.

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The One for Men by Dolce & Gabbana

It's nice but It smells like a lighter version of Michael Kors!
I can smell the same fruity accord, but this one supressed the pipe tobbaco/patchouli combo. Seems more modern than Kors, but definetely less rich.
Longevity is good, 6 to 8 hours on my skin.

20th October, 2008.

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Michael for Men by Michael Kors

Distinct, classy, luxurious! Modern and at the same time old school, this one combines a fruity accord with tobacco and patchouli, becoming a truly rich fragrance! It lasts more than 8 hours on my skin and I'd recommend it for special occasions. Recently Dolce & Gabbana launched 'The one', which seems to be a less heavy copy of this one.

20th October, 2008.

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Obsession Night for Men by Calvin Klein

I think I'm against the grain here, because this one DO reminded me of the original one. Unfortunately, It semmed to be a faint version, a wrong attempt to make the original one more modern...They took the clove away and put something that smells like coconut. The fragrance lost power and It's now just another regular designer fragrance.

18th September, 2008.

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Unforgivable by Sean John

Well, I don't like Sean John, his songs, his ideas, his life style but I liked this fragrance. It's nothing outstanding and in fact, It's pretty common, pretty casual. Light, subtle, stays close to my skin and starts with an efervescent citrusy accord, a bit acid, turning after a few minutes to something more sweet, with some melon and a hint of powder (very, very weak, maybe just to give some strenght to the scent).
As It stays close to the skin, maybe people can think It's poor lasting, but It reached 5-6 hours on me. It's definetely a fragrance to casual events. I didn't see the advertising but if It's being sold as a sexy, sensual fragrance, forget about it. There's nothing sex appealling here. It's just the opposite: a fine fragrance to relax, a happy hour type of fragrance...

18th September, 2008.

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Lacoste Elegance by Lacoste

NIce fragrance! Finally a mainstream scent with a well developed amber based composition! I liked a lot the combination of mint, amber and chocolate. It also vaguely reminded of MPG Ambre Precieux, what is a good thing. Thumbs up!

19th August, 2008.

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Apparition Homme by Ungaro

Compared to Ungaro's previous trilogy, this is a pale, really pale launch. After those marvellous creations, this casual, light and refreshing scent will shock a lot of people. It's simple in its composition: basically green tea and pepper. The combination of these two notes produces something like ginger, just a bit less spicy and somewhat reminded me of CK Euphoria, just better. I can notice the anise really far in the opening and for a few minutes but couldn't smell any sweetness as I thought I could find due to the liquorice. I see it as a nice sunday fragrance, the same feeling I share with Cool water.
After all, It's more of the same, very uninspiring.

14th August, 2008.

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Dirty English by Juicy Couture

Dirty English is another dark, heavy and a bit sweet kind of fragrance. I detect some incense that vaguely reminded of Etro's Messe de Minuit. Smells dated and although it's not an aquatic, It's not original either. Gucci pour homme follows the same line but is better...

29th July, 2008.

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Fahrenheit 32 by Christian Dior

Ouch! Renperd is right: What a horrible spicy/sharp smell is that at the first hour?! It's nauseating... F32 was one of the few fragrances that made me feel ill after sampling. When it dries down, however, It gets better: turns to a powdery vanilla type of scent.

29th July, 2008.

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