Fragrance Reviews by Renato

I bought Sultan Safran blind, and it does smell pretty good, and has excellent longevity.

However, I am somewhat disappointed because it's really not particularly masculine in any way that I can detect. This may not be the fault of the manufacturer who I don't know ever claimed that it was masculine, but of the internet retailers who pretty much universally put it in the Men's section. To me it's a unisex scent, and I just don't go for them all that much.

As a unisex scent I'd give it a thumbs up. But as a masculine scent my rating is neutral.

Renato

From their website, it's meant to be a marine scent.
But to my nose, I have difficulty thinking of it as a marine scent, since it strongly reminds me of a rich apple version of A*men. It's plainly an oriental, and I find it more wearable than A*men, and it has excellent lasting power.

Renato

It's a nice enough sweet scent with very good lasting power, but Cuba Gold reminds me more of Van Laren's Absolute Musk (which I don't like much) than JPG's Le Male (which I like a lot). To my nose, it smells plainly cheaper than other scents to which it's been compared below (Le Male and Body Kouros)

I gave each of my two nephews a 4 pack of different Cuba Cigars last Christmas. They loved the cigar shape, and curiously, Cuba Gold turned out to be a big hit among their classmates at their respective primary and secondary schools.
Renato

A pleasant ambery woody oriental scent.
It starts off very strongly, but then quickly settles down to something a more subtle.
I liked it a lot more than the original Police scent, which was next to it when I was testing before buying.

Their site describes it as follows
Renato

"Its top notes have the bright, fresh, Mediterranean tones of bergamot and lavender, underpinned by the dark, spicy tones of juniper and blackcurrant.
Its body resonates with the flowery notes of geranium and jasmine, mingled with the woody tones of fir resin and oak moss.
Its base notes consist of the warm tones of sandalwood, vanilla and amber, enlivened by the crispness of vetiver.
An oriental blend sparked by outdoorsy aromatics mingling harmoniously with rare woods, backed up by a long-lasting drydown based on vanilla and musk. "

Luxurious, classy and refined comes to mind when I think of Tiffany for Men. It's supposed to be an oriental, but I've seen other classifications for it. It has excellent lasting power on me.

But I do have a problem with it. When I wear the EDT (six squirts under my clothes) I've never had a comment on it, other than from my wife - who didn't like it much, saying it reminded her of some Tweed scent her mother used to wear.

But when I've worn the equally luxurious Tiffany for Men After Shave Balm by itself - well, positive comments have abounded from women, including the aforementioned wife, who when I pulled her up on the fact that she'd said she didn't like it, said she may have been too hasty in her initial assessment.
Renato

I remember the first time I tested Lavanda Tonica in a shop. I was with a female friend who smelled it and said "Oooo - that's not unisex, way too masculine". I don't think any male need worry about this one being feminine.

It's a sharp, raw lavender scent. It's initially similar to the sharper Atkinson's English Lavender, but smooths and mellows out to something a bit nicer than the latter. It's more masculine than Yardley's English Lavender, which does sometimes seem somewhat feminine to me.

I get about three or four hours out of it, worn under my clothes.

There is something to be careful about it though. I was wearing it one day when it gave me a very calming, soothing effect - and I proposed marriage.
Renato

There's little point describing this scent - it's ubiquitous and is still being sold everywhere in Australia. Although I have a big bottle of the EDT, for some strange reason, I've always been more partial to the slightly weaker version in the underarm deodorant cans.
Renato

Joop Homme EDT has the best longevity of any scent I have ever owned. It has monster sillage which probably leads to a lot of the dislike for this scent - since I frequently smell it all over the place, though plainly it's a going out at night type scent to my nose.

If one wishes to have a more toned down version of this scent, pour some Joop Homme After Shave splash into an atomiser, and spray it on as you would the EDT. It has less sillage and dramatically less longevity - it only lasts about 15 hours - which is still is on par with many of the EDP strength scents out there. (For the record, Joop Homme After Shave Balm is the longest lasting scented balm I've ever come across).

I always have the sneaking suspicion that if this scent hadn't come out when it did, but instead came out now from a niche house, many of it's current detractors would be lauding it as fabulously rich and exotic scent akin to the Lutens' ones, or as a longer lasting reinterpretation of Creed's Original Santal.
Renato

Quite simply, the absolute worst scent I've ever tried.
After spraying it on my hand in a shop, to stop from gagging I found a bottle of Kenneth Cole Black in the store next door and sprayed it all over this foul rubbish. Then scrubbed it off when I got back to the office, using five minutes of soap and hot water to get rid of the stench.

Apparently, this scent has something to do with sex.
If sex smelled anything like this, I'd have taken a vow of chasisty, joined a monastery, and spent the rest of my life contemplating how a good God could have created something so vile.
Renato

Last week I tested the endurance of Neroli Sauvage, Royal Water, Royal Delight and Millesime Imperial on my arms simultaneously. Royal Water lasted about 7 hours, and Royal Delight and Millesime Imperial lasted a few hours longer. However, Neroli Sauvage was pretty near undetectable on my skin after just one hour. I've cited the other three to show that I don't have some kind of weird scent destroying skin chemistry. By way of comparison, I get five hours out of Eau de Rochas Homme, but I only get two hours from Dior's Eau Sauvage - though others claim they get a full day's wear out of it - so I suppose it is possible that some people would get longer longevity out of Neroli Sauvage than what I did.

But at the end of the day, Neroli Sauvage outlasts only one other scent I've ever come across - the ubiquitous 4711. No matter how nice it may smell, its ultra poor longevity on me, disqualifies it as being a scent for me - I'd rate it poorly as an air freshener.

Buying this scent blind on the basis of the reviews here is certainly Not Recommended.
Unless you are happy with buying very short lasting scents that cost a lot of money, you really have to test this one properly before buying.
Renato

To my nose, Original Santal does start out smelling a bit like Joop (and what's wrong with that - Joop Homme is a fabulous scent), though it's nowhere near as sharp. But after the top notes disappear, it's resemblance to Joop quickly evaporates.

The notes in the fragrance pyramid above don't correspond to Creed's description at their site, which states,
"Red Pencil Cedar from Virginia; Benzoin from Thailand; Mandarin from Sicily, plus wild Neroli, Orange Wood, infusion of Vanilla and Ambergris."

I like Original Santal, especially because it has decent enough longevity on me, and doesn't disappear in a few hours like Acer Aluminium, Royal English Leather, Millesime Imperial and Original Vetiver do on me.
Renato

Elements is my best all round scent, it is appropriate for any occasion. But I go off it a bit in the cold weather (as I do most of the very fresh-fougere scents). It is very long lasting on me. The way it's fresh notes hits one's nose, is somewhat reminiscent of the way that Platinum Egoiste does the same. However, one really has to wear this scent to test it properly, as a back of the hand or wrist testing would probably leave you unimpressed.

And it is the one scent that I have received more compliments about, than all the other ones put together.

The woman in the shop said that Time for Energy was plainly a masculine scent. I wasn't too sure, but bought it anyway, as I smelled an interesting blend of citrus and tea, though it seemed unisex to me - not particularly masculine at all.

Later my wife smelled it and said that it just smelt of woods to her, which was the same impression as that of the woman in the shop. Very puzzled, I asked what she meant. She said it was like lemon tree wood, the same sort of smell you get when you pluck a lemon from a tree. She has a better nose than I have.

Certainly worth checking out for a different sort of summery scent.
Renato

An addictive scent. I wore it on my wedding day.
Renato

I like English Blazer. It reminds me strongly of Drakkar Noir, though it's a bit stronger. And it has good lasting power.

I sprayed some Fleur du Male on my wrist to test out. It has great longevity. My first impression was that this was just Le Male with all the masculine bits stripped out of it - but oddly enough, I still liked it. It was also my last impression of it when I sniffed it still going strong 10 hours later before it got washed off.

I gave my wife a whiff of it when I first tried it and several times later during the day. Her response was the same every time - "It's a woman's scent" - and she gave me an "Are you crazy" type looks every time I suggested it might be worth pursuing for me.

The manufacturer's website makes it clear that this is an updated version of the 1931 scent. Despite it's current Basenotes feminine classification, the manufacturer has it unambiguously as a masculine scent.

This is a spicy niche scent, reminiscent of the style of Piper Nigrum or Incensi - but I like it more than those two. Cardamon, peppercorns, cinnamon,geranium,sandalwood, cedarwood and vetiver are in the mix, but the cloves base is what makes it stand out for me. I recently discovered that I'm a bit of a sucker for the few prominent clove scents that are around, like Scannon Ghost, Halston Catalyst, Trumper's Milk of Flowers. Now I can add Parfum D'Adventure to that list.
Renato

The manufacturer's website makes it clear that this is an updated version of the 1939 scent. Despite it's current Basenotes unisex classification, the manufacturer has it unambiguously as a masculine scent.

When I first tested it I didn't know what to make of it - honey and leather is an unusual combination. The scent lasts all of a working day, and the honey retracts somewhat, leaving an extremely pleasant sweet leather scent that keeps wafting nicely. I'm generally not much of a fan of rough leathery scents, but I am a fan of Curion, and now of Piver's Cuir de Russie.
Renato

I've never been a fan of the original 4711, as it has always seemed a bit on the feminine side to me. However, 4711 Ice is a bit less feminine than the original, and lasts twice as long on me - which still isn't all that long.

I'll give this one a thumbs up for smell alone, and won't count longevity in the assessment, since everyone knows 4711 has next to none.
Renato

This is a somewhat puzzling chypre scent. I'd bought the women's one for my ladyfriend and the men's one for me. At first we thought we'd mixed up the two bottles, as the men's one started off smelling like a woman's one, and vice versa. But after about 20 minutes, the men's one started smelling more masculine, and the women's more feminine.

It has great lasting power and put a most pleasant, lively aura around me all day long.

Certainly worth checking out if you are after something rich, a bit different, and on the more masculine side of unisex. But one really has to wear it to appreciate it, as a wrist test doesn't do it justice.
Renato

I didn't think much of this one when I gave it a wrist test - I think because I'm averse to cucumbers. But when I actually wore it, it was marvellous.
A potent, fruity scent with excellent lasting power, great for warm weather.
Renato

This scent has very good lasting power and easily delivers an entire working day of ozonic freshness on me. On any day, I'd rather wear a less complex scent that lasts, to a more complex one that conks out when you most need it.
Renato

Most gourmand scents are pretty loud (e.g. Lempicka and A*men) but Devotion is a good, sweet, long lasting and more subtle oriental gourmand.

This scent was a surprise to me. I love it. It easily lasts all day on me, and it is a bit like a softer version of Boss Elements Aqua. I didn't think much of it when I first sprayed it on my wrist to test out, and so was surprised at how much better it was in the actual wearing.
Renato

Well, I've read all the other reviews and am a bit nonplussed. This is plainly and unambiguously a minty scent to my nose, yet no one else appears to see it that way. I like the scent, but don't often feel compelled to wear it. However, I was amazed that my ladyfriend was totally wrapped in it, and thought it one of my best.
Renato

Extremely interesting and very long lasting citrus scent containing some puzzling notes I couldn't identify (presumably they're the coriander and juniper mentioned in various descriptions of Zipped Sport Spray). I keep a small bottle of it in the office for those hot days when the other ones conk out early, and I keep another at home for general usage.
Renato

B*Men reminds me of a lighter version of A*men without the chocolate. Unfortunately, B*men's lasting power is sub average on me - it's only good for around four or five hours.
Renato

I really like the refined woodiness of Rush, but was disappointed at how short lived it was on me. I mentioned this many times on the Basenotes Forum. Until the day I had to retract it.
This happened after I put some Rush on before spending an entire day at the beach, where I frequently went into the water. Many hours after getting home, I had a shower before going to bed. Much to my amazement, I walked out of the shower smelling of Gucci Rush.
So it's not short lasting, but instead seems to have a fairly variable output on me. The only other scent I've come across that shares this characteristic is Alfredo Domingues' Vetiver.
Gucci sure know how to make a woody scent, the only scent I know that is woodier than Rush, is Gucci Pour Homme.
Renato

Watt in the blue bulb is a very long lasting, lavender, spicy, ambery scent which I sometimes think is okay, and which sometimes strikes my nose as a being a bit harsh.
It's usually sold relatively cheap, but unlike other cheap ones, it's a full bodied one that lasts.
Well worth checking out if you come across.
Renato

To me, Santal seems like a toned down version of Envy, with a few interesting light spicy bits added into it.
Renato

This is one ultra-masculine Vetiver scent. It makes Guerlain's seem girly in comparison.
Renato

To me, Dilmun is a male scent with a strong rose feminine note stuck in the middle of it. So I'd class it as unisex.
My neice thought the same.
My mother and sister-in-law thought it was definitely a feminine scent.
And my brother thought it a very masculine scent.
This is one confusing scent.
Renato

It's a pretty basic musky scent, which isn't all that long lasting on me. It just seems too simple for me. Feel free to e-mail me and tell me what I've missed.
Renato

Michael has one very unique characteristic about it which I've never encountered in any other scent. When I've put it on my wrist to test it out, and then subsequently smelled my wrist, I did not like it much at all. And I repeated this test on several occasions to try and see what people on the discussion Forum were going on about.
But when I actually wear it, it is so much better. Perhaps it's an EDT that requires some diffusion to weaken a harsh note that many people obviously do not like.

If you're after a long lasting, ultra fresh EDT, with some spiciness, check this EDT out. This would be perfect for summer wear, on days when you've gotten tired of citrus scents.

To my nose, this is a delightful, light, spicy oriental with a bit of lasting power. It has one really interesting note, that reminds me of chocolate, but not quite. I asked the sales assistant how one could describe this odd scent. She said "Mysterious" - which could either mean it's mysterious, or she didn't know either.

To me, M7 smells a bit like Opium for five minutes, and then becomes something that reminds me strongly of Diesel Zero Plus.

Eternity is my favourite CK scent. This unique green scent is one of longest lasting ones around - thus it's somewhat easy to over do in application.

Well, every man about town should have a bottle of this. It smells great. It's one of the light summer ones, so it's only good for a few hours.
And women love wearing it too. Think this through - and you will get a bottle of Cold.

Benetton Sport is a moderately priced, long lasting, very citrus scent. It and Chrome are my preferences when I want something that lasts all day during a very warm day (since most citrus ones don't). Benetton Sport is the more casual of the two, I often wear it to the beach.

This is one potent, aromatic, leathery scent which smells Japanese-like, beats me which notes remind me of Japan, since I've never been there, but it does. If you're after something distinctive, but non-oriental, check this one out (Hmmm - a non-oriental Chypre, which reminds me of a country in the Orient). Women seem to smell and comment positively on Basala instantly. It's more a cool weather scent.

My bottle doesn't look like the one posted above. Carven's Vetiver is like a citrusy, drier version of Guerlain's. It's not that long lasting, unless you apply a double dose of it (spray close to the skin, then go back a minute later, and spray over that patch). Then it lasts all day. It's a good professional, warmish weather scent. The after shave splash is way too weak.

A very interesting, fresh, oriental spicy scent. It's not loud and excessively spicy like Opium. And it's like a lot of the newer scents, it doesn't have a high output, but it lasts a long time. It's like Envy in that it seems to only linger around ones personal space. I paid full price for it, and it was the cheapest in the store. Amazing value. It's aftershave balm is a bit different. It comes out of a 50ml spray pack (like shaving foam does). It's not that long lasting, and doesn't quite smell like the EDT does. Still, it was relatively inexpensive.

The scent smells great, just don't expect to get much more than two hours out of it. It's the least enduring Versace scent on me.

After about 40 minutes, to me, Aqua Fitness seems to transmute into a stronger, much longer lasting version of Aqua de Selva. I thought the guy next to me was wearing Aqua de Selva, then I realized it was actually me. Definitely worth checking out for a moderately long lasting citrus scent (but it doesn't last as long as typical Eau de Toilettes).

Equipage is an interesting, fresh, spicy oriental, which reminds me a bit of KL Homme. I didn't like it at first whiff about a year ago. But I guess I'm becoming a more tailored, mature gentleman nowadays, because it grabbed me a year onward. Girlfriend's comment - deep whiff followed by an "Ohhh yummm".

To me, Blue Atoll is a fruitier, more citrusy (lime) version of Escape, which lasted 11 hours in my standard wrist test. Well worth checking out if you're after a light, lively, long lasting warm weather scent.

To me, Pontaccio 21 seems like a richer, stronger version of Aramis. But it's lasting power isn't as extremely long as Aramis's. The first time I tested it, I had one spray on my arm - which for the next two hours seemed to infect every office I walked into.

I like this spicy scent, and others around me seem to like it even more. But by the end of the work day, it starts to cloy on me, and I've had enough of it. It doesn't get a top up when I get home, instead I look for something to mask it. D&G Homme is the other scent that has the same cloying affect on me.
Blv is definitely the longest lasting of the Bvlgari scents I've tried.

The great smell of water and sea-weed. I went from not thinking much of this scent, to it's growing on me, to now thinking it was just too subtle for me to have properly appreciated initially.
Of the various aquatic/oceanic type scents, Kenzo is the longest lasting I've come across. It's unique fresh scent is at it's best after about two hours' wear.
And the Kenzo aftershave balm lasts as long as the best of them (i.e. right up there with Joop and Boss 6).

I bought two bottles of "Hot" - one for my niece and one for a female friend. Here in Australia everyone universally sees it as a female fragrance, similar to one of the Chanel perfumes. If I try real hard, I can sort of imagine why someone might think this is a unisex scent. I even sprayed some on my wrist to see if it changed over time. But after an hour, it had not changed and I got some abrasive soap and washed it off.

Is it possible for there to be an Oriental/Fougere-Woody fragrance? If so, then in my non-expert opinion, I think Xeryus Rouge is it. When I smelled it on paper in the shop, it seemed clearly like an Oriental. But when I wore it, it seemed far more akin to wearing XS or Black Jeans, both of which I also like a lot.