Fragrance Reviews by Stuffman

I had the good fortune to sample this at Sak's, and I must say it is extremely nice. The floral notes are extremely nice and so well blended that it's hard to fault this fragrance at all, and the subtle ginger counterpoint and patchouli make it extremely interesting. It's not so feminine that a man couldn't pull it off, but I'd love to smell this on a beautiful woman. It'd be hard to keep my hands off of her, though!

I'd have to say I was never really a fan of "green" fragrances, but I've been warming up to them lately. I saw Good Life on sale at TJ Maxx, so I picked it up blind after reading all the good reviews (it was less than $15 after my employee discount). The opening is very green and cool at the same time, and it reminds me of eating a Key Lime Pie on a freshly-cut lawn. The top notes hang on for a while, and eventually smooth out, yet remain full-bodied and rich and hints of florals become apparent.

I suffer from olfactory fatigue badly with this one- at first I thought the longevity was poor, but I received a complement many hours after I thought the scent had disappeared. Overall, this is a very high-quality scent that will see much use in the spring and summer in my wardrobe.

Eh... at least this tries to be somewhat original with it's "Iced Mango" notes and all. Unfortunately, it just never finds its groove and ends up being confused about what it wants to be. What it isn't, though, is "Black." I don't know why they chose the moniker, but it just doesn't fit. Maybe Double Black will be good? I'm not holding my breath...

A very refined, crisp scent for the summer. Very masculine without being in your face, something probably attributatble to its lightness. It's not without fault, however- it's only Eau de Cologne strength, and lasts but an hour and a half on my skin. I was able to find the "Prestige" silver bottle at TJ Maxx for only $20, but it's hard for me to justify spending more on a scent that is so fleeting. Still, if you need to smell great for only a short while, Baldessarini is a great choice.

A terrific woman's scent. Extraordinarily creamy and lush with soft fruit and floral notes. I always enjoy smelling this one on the ladies, and I can't wait to see how the men's version turns out. It's been awhile, but finally a new winner by Calvin Klein.

Great scent, though a bit short lasting. On first spray, there "Citrus Cocktail" notes smell almost exactly like Pledge Lemon Furnature Polish. It's not necessarily a bad thing, since I quite like that smell, but it's very fleeting and lasts but a few minutes. Underneath, there are hints of cinnamon and cardamom, though they are not listed as notes (it may just be the nutmeg and floral notes). The scent is quite light, and very casual. Though it'd be great year round, it seems to shine best in the heat of summer. Oh, and it has one of the best packages I can think of.

If you like Curve, you'll like this one- it's the same thing, but dyed blue and badged as Nautica. You're not missing anything.

This one is interesting on my skin- basically, it just smells like wet bamboo stalks, but in a good way. The other notes don't really ever show up as I'd expect. Sometimes I can make out hints of them (the saffron most of all), but the wet bamboo is always there. It's actually quite nice on a really, really hot day, but otherwise, it's pretty forgetable.

Wonderful scent in an equally wonderful bottle. I absolutely adore the Pink Pepper and Gaiacwood notes in the one, though at times the pepper may be a bit strong. This one is perfect for cool and rainy days, though it works well in most weather. The bottle is a work of art as well, with its laser-etched metal top, wonderful shape, and well-integrated spray mechanism.

Very good scent, and there's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. It's a wonderful blend, and it's very versatile. It doesn't last very long on me, but most scents don't. This one should be in any oriental lover's wardrobe.

Usually the department-store fragrances don't do it for me, but I have a soft spot for this one. It seems like it oculd be a distant relative of Claiborne's Curve and Creed's Millesime Imperial, but it's far enough away that it will never be mistaken for either. There is a strong green apple note (not listed on Basenote's pyramid, but it's most definately there) that is very refreshing, and fortunately it's not a horrible synthetic apple note like DKNY's Be Delicious or Kenneth Cole Reaction. Notes of Lavender make it reminiscent of Curve, but don't worry, this is much better (as if it's hard to be...). The White Pepper, Ginger Root, and Nutmeg are very subtle, as are the woods, but provide a lot of depth to the blend. It dries down to a lovely white musk, seemingly inspired by Millesime Imperial, though it can't approach MI's sublime drydown, it's darn close for a fraction of the price. I was able to pick it up at TJ Maxx for $24 (2.5oz) after employee discount, about half of what it costs at the department stores. Even full price, it's pretty decent, but if you can get it for cheap, then don't pass it up. Excellent for the summer!

A unique and wonderful blend, and a powerhouse in sillage and longevity (especially for an EdT). The blackcurrant note is wonderful and at once avoids the citrus notes we are all used to smelling in nearly every fragrance, yet isn't at all out of place. The spices are strong yet lovely, and the basenotes are subtle yet supply a sturdy foundation. Truly a classic, just don't overdo it!

It's a shame if this one gets overlooked. It's sweet in almost a gourmand way, but also intensely masculine. It's not a sickly-sweet that you get with some scents, but sweet in a cognac and expensive tobacco sort of way. The notes all work very well together to create a unique and sublime fragrance that shouldn't be missed. The best part is that it's fairly cheap and can be found at TJ Maxx and the likes.

This one's in a league of its own. When worn correctly, its gourmand notes are truly sublime, and depending on how much you wear, sure to attract attention. There is a critical issue with this scent, however- the way you apply it determines whether it smells sublime or repulsive. If sprayed too close to the body in small, concentrated "patches," it tends to give off a burnt, putrid smell. If sprayed far away and allowed to cover a large area, the scent will be much more smooth and smell just truly fantastic. If you have a sample vial that doesn't spray, don't even bother- there's no way you can put it on right without spraying it. A little goes a long way, and the scent seems to last forever. Definately something worth checking out.

I saw this on sale at my local TJ Maxx, and saw it had quite a few positive reviews. I picked it up and put it on... and truthfully I wasn't very impressed. It sort of smelled like a cheap aftershave or something from when I was a kid. But I didn't give up on it- within minutes, I started to notice the fragrances subtle nuances, and realized that it wasn't as simple as I first noted. It's really quite complex and deep, though a bit "green" for my tastes. For the price, it's really a quality scent.

One of my all-time favorites. The scent is very dynamic, and wears well in most all weather (though I prefer it on cooler days, along with rainy days in the summer). At times, it can be a very rich and liquidy, and other times dry and woody. Definately a try-before-you-buy type scent, but even if you don't like it, you have to respect it for it's unique aroma.

I don't know, maybe I got a bad sample, but whenever I wear this, it smells like pickle juice and urine. Yet another RL scent that doesn't do it for me.

Let's see... being in the Curve family, you should know not to expect anything groundbreaking. Basically, it's the same old Curve accord, supposedly with notes of green tea, white pepper, and citrus. What it ends up being is a fragrance that smells like bath soap scented with original Curve. You're not missing anything...

Quite a unique fragrance here, and it's hard to describe. I don't really get any grape note per se, but I can "imagine" one in there, if that makes any sense. Magnetism is fairly sweet, but it's also light and works well in all weather. The musky base reminds me very much of Diesel Zero Plus- they could almost be twin twin brothers, the Zero Plus being sharp and spicy, the Magnetism being sweet and somewhat woody. Overall, a great fragrance, and a beautiful bottle to boot.

This is some interesting juice right here. It strongly reminds me of Dior Poison (the original, not one of the countless remakes) for women. It's much lighter than Poison, sort of like the "top half" of it, if you will. This stuff is ultra potent- I couldn't even imagine what an EdP version would smell like. Most scents don't last long on me, but Joop! stays around forever. It's an interesting blend that's not suited to everyone's tastes, but I like it quite a bit.

A decent scent; nice and fresh without those synthetic "fresh" notes that are popping up in everything these days. The problem is, it lasts all of five minutes on my skin. After that, I have to put my nose to my wrist just to get the slightest whiff. If it lasted longer on me, I think I'd consider adding this to my wardrobe.

Oh boy... another Curve. What's new about this one? Not much, other than a disproportionate increase in price to the added depth, complexity, and lasting power of the original Curve. I wasn't a fan of the original, so it's so surprise I'm not a fan of this one either. It is, however, better than the original, though not by much. It's a bit more refined with a more solid base, but unless you are a huge Curve fan, you're not missing anything.

A good scent, but it's something I can't wear. I can't really explain it, but it literally hurts my nose when I smell it- almost like a dagger going through it or something- but at the same time, I find myself wanting to keep smelling it. It's very, very dry in nature and it seems like something that would be good on a very hot, humid night.

What a shame... this fragrance is nearly an exact ripoff of Creed's Millesime Imperial, right down to the "Mediterranean Air Accord." The only difference is that this smells cheap and synthetic, while Millesime Imperial smells natural, and MI's drydown is orders of magnitude better than this. That they would so blatantly rip off Creed is, well, Unforgivable.

Obsession is probably the most deeply rooted fragrance in my memory. I'm a fairly young guy, and my mom was young when she had me. My parents divorced when I was 3, and my mom eventually got back into the dating pool. This was in the mid-eighties, and Obsession was her perfume of choice. I remember being able to smell it throughout the house when she put it on- it wasn't that she oversprayed or anything, it's just that it is that strong and distinctive. I remember smelling it as she'd tuck me into bed, and it would put me at peace and I'd quickly succumb to sleep. That was years ago and really before I had started to develop a "nose." I found a mostly-used bottle stored in a cool, dark closet at home, so I gave my forearm a quick spray. It wasn't the Obsession I remember- in fact, it bore a strong resemblance to my all-time favorite scent, Creed's Acier Aluminum. I knew something was wrong, and it dawned on me that the bottle had been sitting there forever and could use a good shaking up to get everything to mix again. Another spray... yup, that's the Obsession I remember- A heady floral with some powdery notes, with hints of citrus. It somehow manages to a very dark scent without really being really dark at all... I know that doesn't make sense, but it's just the way the powdery florals interact with the other notes. It's hard to explain, but it's really something special. The only downside is that as much as I love this note, if any lady my age were to wear it, I don't know how I'd react... it'd be hard for me to be attracted to it when it so deeply reminds me of my mother.

Stetson is the only thing my dad wears. It's distinctive, but it lacks depth and complexity. The drydown is pretty nice but again, it's pretty simple and really doesn't present much depth. The patchouli seems to dominate the fragrance on my skin, and it's not particularly my favorite scent (but I don't exactly dislike it either). Basically, I'll put it this way: it's a cheap cologne and it smells like it.

Starts off very green, but I'm not envious of this scent one bit. It barely lasts for me (scents don't last long on me in general, so it may not be this one's fault), but I'm not impressed with what I can smell. At first whiff, it reminds me of really "green" smelling basil (probably the coriander, but as coriander it seems a bit "off"), with hints of black pepper. As it dries down a bit, it becomes a bit soapy smelling, with hints of pine. After that, it seems to just disappear on me. I'm just not the sort of guy for this type of scent, but I'm sure many can wear it pretty well.

It starts off with a brilliantly effervescent hit of citrus, but it quickly fades into a weird mix of greenish florals. It's not bad, but just not what I like to smell on women. The creamy basenotes are a redeeming factor, but not enough to pull Happy out of mediocrity. If the citrus lasted more than (literally) 30 seconds, it would be much better.

Hmm... I don't know how I feel about this one. It's top notes smell like cheap peach hard candy set against some green florals. It's a striking contrast, and quite honestly seems confused. The drydown is the only redeeming quality; once the cheap peach note mellows out, it blends nicely with the basenotes and is somewhat pleasing. Overall, it's mediocre and wouldn't be all that memorable if it weren't for the cheap peach note.

It takes a special woman to wear this scent- it's dark and mysterious, and has a sort of magical energy to it. It's amazing the way the berry notes stay throughout the life of the scent, while the base softens to a gloriously smooth oriental drydown. What's more impressive is that this scent can be worn on the coldest of nights and the hottest summer evenings. It's a shame not many ladies wear this one nowadays.

Not bad, but not good either. It's immediatly recognizable as an '80s scent- powerful, something that announces its presence. Once it dries down a bit, it's a nice relaxing scent, but again, it's nothing all that special.

At first spray, the scent always reminds me of what I remember Obsession smelling like when I was a kid (I'm not all that old, obviously), but soon relaxes into a very rich, very decadent aroma filled with sweet tobacco, warm leather, and mysterious fruits and spices. It's very unique and very potent; something I'd reserve for extra-special occasions. Considering you can get this stuff for a great deal online, there's no reason to not have it in your wardrobe.

Wow, what a change of pace! Santal Imperial is a very full-bodied yet linear scent- not that that's a bad thing. The sandalwood is heavenly, and the tonka bean and ambergris linger in the background, smoothing any rough edges and keeping the scent warm and dark. There's something magical about this scent, but I must admit, I don't think it's for me- I'm decades too young for such a sophisticated fragrance. Perhaps when I'm older and much more distinguished, I'll own a bottle. Until then, I'll always keep a small sample to remind me of it's uniqueness. By the time I've matured enough, it's likely this scent will be over 200 years old... now there's something to consider.

I absolutely abhor most of today's "fresh" scents that nearly everyone on campus wears (I'm a college student, obviously), mostly due to the awful synthetic smell that lends this "freshness." Millesime Imperial, on the other hand, manages to be light and truly fresh, with absolutely nothing synthetic about it. The gentle and crisp citrus overlays a salty, aquatic accord that is perfect for those beautiful spring and summer days. The drydown is also a work of art, seemlessly morphing into a sweet, musky base. Its major downfall, however, it that it barely lasts two hours on my skin (but then again, my skin does not hold on to scents well at all) and can stand to be quite a bit stronger as I find myself using 6-10 sprays with nary a reaction from those around me (however, every reaction that I met has been extremely positive and often involves me having to explain the whole Creed thing and why it's worth it to spend $150+ on a bottle of cologne). A masterpiece, fleeting though it may be.

Not bad considering my local TJ Maxx has it for less than $15. It's really more of a "hot" scent than a "warm" scent with all of the spices. It seems really great for those brisk days in the winter, but I'm curious as to see how it holds up in the spring and summer months. The scent is more sophisticated than I expected for such a "cheap" fragrance, and it garners quite a few complements from the ladies.

Wow, what a glorious scent! I was able to obtain two samples of it, one of which I gave to my mother and the other to a lady friend of mine. The scent is intensely floral, yet the smooth sandalwood, vanilla, and ambergris basenotes and orange zest topnotes turn it into something truly sublime. There's something magic about how natural and "real" this smells compared to department-store fragrances. It is so well balanced, with no one note sticking out, and manages to be delicate and deep at the same time- something Creed seems to pull off so well in their line of fragrances. Possibly the best floral I have ever smelled, period.

VERY fruity... too fruity- at least for the first half hour after putting it on. After that, it mellows out a bit and becomes a good deal more tolerable. Hidden somewhere between the fruits (mostly green apple, a lime-like citrus, and perhaps a hint of watermelon) and the smooth sandalwood base seems to be something floral, something like lily-of-the-valley but far too synthetic. I'm impressed that the fragrance is so fruity without being sweet, but this surely isn't one for me. The girls really seem to like it though...

Hmm... kudos for being unique, but too bad the scent is so mediocre. The tester card I sprayed at the store smelled a lot like a mixture of apple- and lemon-scented dish soaps all day. The next day I pulled it out of my jacket pocket and it mellowed out a bit and finally some of the coffee notes came through, and it actually smelled pretty good. I decided to go back and get a sample to wear and see what it was like on my skin- that would be apple and lemon dish soaps that slowly fade to the smell of burnt coffee and dirt. Maybe some of you would have better luck, but this one surely isn't for me.

Not bad, but not something I'd wear. I'm not a big fan of that "fresh" note that's been turning up in about every new fragrance in the last 5 years, and New York certainly has that note. The drydown is pretty nice- woodsy and a hint of amber, but it isn't enough to distinguish it from every other new "fresh" fragrance.

Overall, a fairly pleasant but anonymous scent. Its biggest shortcoming in my opinion is its synthetic nature. Its "technologically recreated" ambergris has nowhere near the depth and complexity of real ambergris. I guess if you haven't been spoiled by, say, Creed's ambergris, it would be fine- Just synthesizing ambrein will give you 95% of the character of real ambergris, but that 5% is what makes real ambergris special. The mint up front is nice, but fades too soon into this sort of nondescript sweetness. The "organic vetyver" (their words and spelling) must have somehow forgot to be added- unless "organic vetyver" just doesn't smell like anything. Likewise, the "moss crystals" (can anyone please tell me what a "moss crystal" is?) are barely noticable in the sea of sweetness. If you can get this for cheap, then it might not be bad for using when going to loud, drunken, college-town bars on weekends, but it's just too synthetic, sweet, and linear for my tastes.

By far, the best Ferrari-branded fragrance. I have been a fan of the Ferrari #1, but it is admittedly not a must-have fragrance, though I do find it quite suitable as my daily scent. The Ferrari Passion, on the other hand, is something I wasn't quite expecting.

Ferrari Passion has very rich leather and wood notes, with subtle hints of a seemingly "dark" citrus. You can almost imagine yourself in a brand-new Ferrari 612, parked somewhere off the road deep in the forest-covered mountains on a crisp autumn day. With this cologne, one can seemingly put on a JCPenney suit and tie, Pay Less dress shoes, and step out of their 1992 Chrysler LeBaron into a party and be mistaken for a millionaire- the scent just exudes wealth and power.

Part of the magic of this scent is how well the galbanum works with the wood and leather notes. The wood is a cypress and cedar mix, but comes across as being much more smooth and mellow because of the influence of the rich leather and mild tobacco leaves. The tobacco itself is hard to pick up, yet nonetheless influences the character of the scent. When I originally sampled this fragrance, I noticed there was a certain unexplainable fresh crispness to the scent, which I now realize to be ozone. This completes the "autumn day" character of the scent without making itself immediately apparent, unlike some ozone fragrances that can be quite obtrusive.

Overall, this scent is very well rounded, and finally one that you don't have to be a Ferrari fanatic to buy (I bought the Ferrari #1 for that reason, but ended up liking it). The only downside to it is that for me (a typical poor college student), there are few occasions that I can wear this without feeling a bit pretentious because of the wealth it exudes.

My roommate last year was crazy about this stuff, and wore it all the time. I just can't say I find anything I really like about this scent; the mellon-like top notes to me are just putrid, though it does settle down quite quickly. After that, it never really evolved into anything special- it wasn't bad, it's just that it didn't seem very distinctive to me (perhaps because everyone in the world wears it). Some people really seem to like it, but I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Truly sublime. This scent at once captures all the basic emotions that make us human, yet never goes as far to offend any of them. It exudes a certain lasciviousness without being overtly sexual (though it comes quite close); it manages to be decadent without being bacchanalian; it is lavish without being overly complex. How a scent could be so powerful, yet restrained from excess and devoid of filigree is what in my opinion makes this scent a magnum opus of the fragrance industry. The top notes are a harmonious citrus and spice, which settles into a dark, sensuous amber and vanilla. The sheer depth of these base notes (especially the ambergris) make one wish it would never fade. I will never be without Acier Aluminum in my wardrobe- it's just that intoxicating.

Anecdotally, I find while wearing this fragrance, women co-workers stand much closer to me while engaged in conversation, and are much more apt to initiate physical contact (a friendly hug or playful belly prod). Very rarely do they mention how they like the fragance, but by the way they stop to take in a whiff around me makes me confident that this scent is something truly magic.

One of the more distinct "drugstore scents" out there. Before discovering "real" cologne, I was a big Axe user, prefering Kilo, Voodoo, and a mix of the two (two parts Kilo to one part Voodoo is a very good combination). My friend who worked at a record store somehow managed to get an entire garbage bag full of samplers of this fragrance (used for some sort of promotion; he must have had at least 500 bottles). There is something captivating about the scent, and though it has grown on me over time, I'm still not a big fan of it. One of the scent components of this fragrance strongly reminds me of that of semen (perhaps why so many people I know find this scent "erotic," "naughty," or downright "sexual"). Compared to a traditional cologne or EdT, like all other "drugstore scents," it lacks the complexity and depth that make scents so enjoyable in the first place. If you like this scent, but want to step up to something a bit more sophisticated, Acqua di Gio pour Homme... though that scent is a bit overrated and overpopular and not to my taste, at least one is able to appreciate the dynamic nature of a real cologne rather than the flat and one-dimensional characteristics of these "drugstore scents"

By far the best of the "cheap" scents I've used. Before discovering "real" cologne, I would wear this scent either alone, or with a touch of Axe Voodoo for a nice added complexity. I've gotten many positive comments from ladies about this scent from ladies, but nowhere near the amount I get when I wear my Ferrari #1 (my daily scent) or my Creed scents. Be aware that these cans don't last very long, and you may be better off buying a good cologne and wearing it conservatively. You will also quickly appreciate genuine cologne's rich complexities in aroma, something woefully lacking in these "drugstore scents."

Before I discovered the wonderful complexity of "real" cologne, I would wear this scent as my daily fragrance. The problem was, being a "drug store" brand, it was ubiquitous amongst my peers at college. I found that wearing this scent along with the Axe Kilo went a long way in improving its complexity (something these cheap scents are nearly devoid of; they don't evolve on the skin and give the impression of being "flat"). It's wrong to say it's a bad scent, but stacked up against any true Cologne/EdT, there is just no comparison in the richness and complexity a "real" fragrance offers. Also, though it may "only" cost a few dollars a bottle, they last but a few weeks of daily use, and may end up costing more than a conservatively-used cologne worn daily.

For me, Ferrari #1 is the perfect daily scent (I save the Creed for the special occasions...). Its evolution starts off very bright and crisp, with hints of lime and ginger. The scent doesn't waft across the room and announce your presence; rather, those nearby can enjoy its energetic bouquet without being overwelmed. For me, the top and middle notes fade within a few hours, and a delightful vannilic oakmoss aroma accompanies me throughout the rest of the day. To me the evolution is reminiscent of a wild party- the bold, energetic notes eventually give way to an intimate scent, as if the dance music from earlier in the evening eventually fades into you and your loved one slow dancing in an intimate caress to your favorite song. To me, this is what makes it so great as a daily scent- it provides the energy needed in the morning, and the relaxing bottom notes seem to melt away the stress after a long day of work.

That, and I've got more complements from women with this than just about any other scent I've worn.