Fragrance Reviews

Fragrance Reviews by CologneJunkie

Showing all 35 reviews

Jaïpur Homme by Boucheron

I'm really surprised no one has compared this to Brit yet. I love Brit, but I think Jaipur is a bit more stuffy and cloying. Brit's more subtle, but still does the vanilla/powder thing very nicely. Jaipur is just way too strong, and it never seems to settle down into something likeable.
05 January 2007

Kiehl's Original Musk by Kiehl's

I'm *really* surprised no one has mentioned the similarity to Jovan Musk yet. I just tried this on the back of my hand & all I could think of was that someone had put Jovan Musk in the bottle. Now, that's not necessarily a BAD thing. I have a bottle of Jovan Musk & I like the smell of it from time to time. And as Kiehl's dried down, it did become just a tad more distinctive and refined than Jovan. But my bottle of Jovan was $5, and they were asking $35 @ the store where I saw Kiehl's. Is it really worth it?
01 November 2006

Tomorrow for Him by Avon

I discovered this one from a scented strip in an Avon magazine. I rubbed my wrist against the strip to see what it did on my skin. It reminded me a lot of Lolita Lempicka au masculin at first. It dried down to something reminiscent of John Varvatos or the old Burberry London. I sprung for a bottle based on how it smelled from the strip. The real juice holds the Lempicka-ish scent longer than on the strip. When it dries down I get more chocolate/cocoa than the sweet fruitiness that I got from the strip. It's still a great scent & I'm really glad I got the bottle. It's not often that you find something that smells so great for so little green.
31 October 2006

Bulgari Black by Bulgari

This is the perfect fall fragrance for me. It's smoky and mysterious, and not just a fragrance, but a sensory experience. I just smell the smoke (and maybe a hint of tar), rubber, and vanilla. And those notes blend together smashingly. I wear this everywhere from work, to running errands, to the club, and I always get compliments on this one. I think it suits my personality, and may eventually become my signature scent. Two thumbs WAY up!!!
13 October 2006

Banana Republic Classic by Banana Republic

An old favorite of mine, Banana Republic Classic will always have a place in my wardrobe. It's citrusy, light, subtle, and sheer. Like others have stated, it's akin to Clinique Happy except without the bright orange blast. If you have smelled Banana Republic M & Banana Republic W, the best way to describe this is that it starts off similar to BR M, and it dries down similar to BR W. It's *not* overly masculine, & I could see women liking this more than men. But if a guy is going for inoffensive rather than masculine, Banana Republic Classic is a good choice. Since the fragrance is so light, I think it's better to wear in the summer. However I have no problem w/ wearing it in the winter.
13 October 2006

John Varvatos by John Varvatos

Not bad! I don't know why I've waited so long to sample this. It smells like a cross between the original Burberry London & Dolce & Gabanna PH. Both are great, intoxicating, & smooth. Hints of fruit and spice. Very nice. A bit sweet though, so a little goes a long way.
09 October 2006

Gaultier² by Jean Paul Gaultier

This...is...SEXY!!! After reading reviews I really didn't think I'd like this that much. The weird thing is...it's EXACTLY how everyone describes it (grape bubblegum at first, sickingly sweet vanilla, feminine, etc)...and yet I LOVE it!!! I just got the 1 x 40ml bottle but I can tell that will last me quite awhile because just a little of this juice goes quite a long way. Great stuff!!!
07 October 2006

Curve Chill for Men by Liz Claiborne

Originarily dismissed this one 'cause it was pretty generic, I recently got a small bottle of this as a filler frag for my wardrobe. It's decent smelling, and I'd even go as far to say it's above average in its price range...but definately not something I'd wear to impress anyone.
04 October 2006

Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin by Lolita Lempicka

I absolutely adore this stuff! It makes me feel like a sexy Good N Plenty :). I know it's all in my head, but I actually feel a bit more confident when I wear this. The scent just oozes appeal. It's sweet without being cloying, and it has great staying power, even after a night of dancing and sweating. Everyone should at least try this one once.
11 September 2006

Gendarme by Gendarme

I can't believe it's taken me so long to get into this scent! It's the epitome of fresh, clean, and soapy. Like others have mentioned, though, it doesn't last that long. That being said though, you really don't need to worry about over-applying :). It makes a great scent to wear to the office or church or any other place where you don't want your scent to be obtrusive. It's also good for snuggle time :). The ONLY negative thing I have to say about this frag is that the sprayer pumps out a really fine and spread out mist. It makes it hard to spray on my wrists or arms unless I put my skin right up to the bottle.
11 September 2006

Armani Mania by Giorgio Armani

I really like the top notes of this one. I love it for like, 5 minutes. Then, the great smell completely disappears. Split. Gone. No more. What's left is a VERY VERY VERY faint musky scent. It's really barely detectable. It's pretty disappointing, I really would wear this a lot if that great smell would just stick around.
11 September 2006

Sweet Honesty by Avon

Every girl should have this at one point in their life. It's the perfect fragrance for a young woman who wants to try wearing perfume. It's sweet, powdery, and pleasant. This was my very first perfume way back in 7th grade and I loved the way wearing it made me feel. This would be an EXCELLENT stocking stuffer for a young teenage daughter, niece, granddaughter, etc.
21 September 2005

Simply by Clinique

This stuff smells different from person to person. I got it 'cause it smelled GREAT on a friend of mine, very fresh. But on me it turned spicy & mellow. Wasn't bad...but it wasn't that fresh frag I thought it would be. I wore it for awhile, always in autumn 'cause that's what it smelled like to me, but finally I had just had enough of it & had to give it away. DEFINITELY try this one on your skin before you buy it!
17 September 2005

Fierce for Men by Abercrombie & Fitch

This is a very sexy frag for 20somethings, it is the epitome of the A&F "image". You'd swear it was invented w/ a clubbing atmosphere in mind. Its cousin, Hollister Drift, smells very similar and is a quality frag as well. This being said...I won't wear either one again. I'm boycotting A&F for personal reasons.
16 September 2005

Burberry for Men by Burberry

This one is sure to be one of my signature scents this fall! It's smooth, mellow sweetness is such a pleasure to the senses! The fruity and vanilla notes blend really well together, kind of like a skin smoothie :). Another bonus: its longevity is AWESOME! This one is a must-have for cooler weather!
16 September 2005

Weekend for Women by Burberry

I didn't like this AT ALL. It smelled like rotten dandilions and I couldn't get this stuff off my skin fast enough. It's not like Burberry to make a fragrance this foul so HOPEFULLY I just sampled a bad bottle
16 September 2005

Brit for Men by Burberry

When I first smelled this I didn't like it at all. But then something always made me come back to it. If I was somewhere that had a tester out I'd spray some on. I just didn't understand this fragrance at first but now I can't get enough of it! On me it turns into the perfect balance of powder, cream , and spice. To me this is more for cooler weather, and I can't wait til fall so I can wear this all the time!
15 September 2005

X-Centric by Alfred Dunhill

I was at Marshall's today checking out their sales & I saw this. I gave it a quick spritz on the back of my hand. BLECH! Way too strong and masculine for my liking. I asked the nearest SA where the bathroom was & she said in the back behind the shoe racks. Well, when I got to the shoes, I found they had several pair of Converse Chuck Taylors, which I adore. So I checked out the Chucks for several minutes before I got to the bathroom to wash it out. Before I took the soap to the back of my hand, I sniffed what the drydown was like. To me, it smelled just like Hugo! Again, blech. So I scrubbed my hand, and of course 3 hours later I can still smell it. Now, it smells like Coast soap.
13 September 2005

Polo Black by Ralph Lauren

I don't like the top notes, but I like the subtle freshness of the drydown. I just wish it lasted longer.
10 September 2005

Soul by Curve for Men by Liz Claiborne

This is VERY good. It's like a deeper, more complex, & more sophisticated version of the original Curve. There is more of a change between initial spray and drydown, as well. It even lasts a bit longer on me than the original Curve does. However, because of the better quality, the price is just about twice as much (if you're paying retail) than the original.
24 August 2005

Ici by Coty

Nice enough, but very sweet. The epitome of a cheap perfume.
19 August 2005

Ghost Myst by Coty

It's the scent that's not a scent. Very light and airy. Pretty generic.
19 August 2005

Preferred Stock by Coty

10 years ago this was what all the guys were wearing...@ my high school. It's a great scent to cut your fragrance teeth on. Very pleasant & unoffensive WHEN USED SPARINGLY.
19 August 2005

Happy for Men by Clinique

One of my very favorite fragrances! This cologne is VERY aptly named, for I can't stop smiling when I smell this! It's the perfect mix of citrus and musk. It's definitely a casual, warm-weather fragrance. Its main weakness is its staying power, which is next to nil unless you really bathe in it. However, this drawback can also serve as a benefit, because its ideal to be a great non-offensive office scent. It's also a great fragrance to wear during outdoor events. This one should definitely be on your "to try" list for the summer!
03 August 2005

Mugler Cologne by Thierry Mugler

This is a very light and subtle fragrance reminiscent of expensive soap. Like, the kind of soap you'd expect to find by the bathroom sink in an elegant mansion during a fancy party. I really, REALLY like the fragrance. That being said, it's not a fragrance that I'd like to smell like. Though the top notes are devine, the drydown reminds me of scented cleaning products. It's not a bad smell, mind you, but I just can't get around that association. I may try this one later on down the line. Hopefully it'll smell better on you all than it did on me.
03 August 2005

Tommy Jeans by Tommy Hilfiger

It took me a few times to "get" this fragrance. I was put off at first by the tartness of the bright citrus notes. However, on the drydown it takes on a fresh, clean smell that's very reminiscent of clean cotton. However, the citrus notes subtly linger through the drydown. So basically, the best way I can describe this scent is fresh laundry w/ a hint of fabric softener :). Also, in my opinion this could be a good unisex fragrance due to the universal appeal of clean laundry.
03 August 2005

Reserve by Perry Ellis

There's no way I can adequately describe this fragrance, but I definitely give it two thumbs high up. It starts out fruity and slowly turns to a clean and musky drydown. I definitely don't buy into the notion this is only for formal occasions. If used in moderation, it's great for all occasions, from office wear to clubbing. I also think it's complexity makes it a versatile fragrance for any weather. Plus, it is easy to find a deal for this fragrance. I got my 1.7oz bottle @ Marshall's for only $14.99!
03 August 2005

M by Banana Republic

There's a time and a place for every fragrance. Banana Republic M is NOT a complex fragrance at all. It's citrus from initial spray to complete drydown. However, I reach for this one every time I want something light, fruity & refreshing. This is DEFINITELY a summer fragrance. Just don't go into this fragrance expecting something complex, and enjoy it's simplicity.
03 August 2005

cK be by Calvin Klein

Ah, the overachieving brother to CK1 :). This seems to be everything that CK1 isn't. Don't get me wrong, I love both fragrances, but this one intrigues me more each time I wear it. The best way to describe it is a very clean musk with just a hint of lavender & fruit. It still has the unisex quality, but I can see how more men would find CKbe more appealing than CK1. The one & ONLY problem I have with this is that it tends to fade quickly so you have to keep reapplying. Lucky this fragrance is a real bargain. On average, a 3.4oz bottle runs around $35.
03 August 2005

Chrome by Azzaro

This one is like CK1 with a more musky, masculine twist. However, even though this fragrance is marketed toward men, I think it is crisp and fresh enough to have a unisex appeal. It also has great staying power, and because of that it's one of my favorite scents for clubbing & going out on the town.
03 August 2005

Curve for Men by Liz Claiborne

This fragrance is one with wide appeal. I wouldn't classify it as a unisex fragrance, but I know just as many women as men who wear this. It's extremely popular, and for good reason. Its woody, ambery drydown is simply devine. You'll forget you're wearing a "cheap" fragrance :). I'd recommend it for casual/office wear. This fragrance is available wherever Liz fragrances are sold. And, like other LC offerings, the prices are very reasonable. This is a must-have in everyone's wardrobe!
03 August 2005

Dolce & Gabbana pour Homme by Dolce & Gabbana

This is a truly intoxicating fragrance. The notes in this fragrance blend together harmoniously and form a rich tabacco/vanilla/musk drydown that's sure to turn heads. Even after several hours this fragrance is still detectable, and to me forms a subtle incense note. There is definitely a reason this fragrance is so highly renowned. This is something everyone needs to sample.
03 August 2005

Reaction for Men by Kenneth Cole

Great complex fragrance for warmer weather. You can actually smell all the notes in this fragrance as it develops on your skin. In my experience, the fruity topnotes are ever present, but they surprisingly mix well with the patchouli, sandalwood, and musk. Because of this, I think this fragrance is very suitable for women also (even though there is a feminine version of this fragrance).
03 August 2005

cK one by Calvin Klein

This is a great scent when you can't decide what to wear. This has to be one of the most versatile fragrances on the market. It's great to wear for most occasions. Because it's so fresh, it appeals to both men & women. It's also "safe" enough for a boy or girl first dabbling in fragrances. To me, the only way to describe this fragrance is "contemporary classic."
03 August 2005

Lucky You for Men by Lucky Brand

GREAT offering from Liz Claiborne. It's a very casual fragrance that is suitable for any weather. To me, the most prominint note in this is the musk. I also detect a hint of mint. The staying power is also very decent, being that I can still smell it after 6+ hours after a modest application. Another benefit is that this fragrance is widely available and will not break your pocketbook. It's a great fragrance for the value.
03 August 2005
 
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