I recently picked up a number of designer samples and after some time to test them all properly, I thought I would share my thoughts with the greater Basenotes community.
I picked up the following samples:
1. Armani Attitude
2. Ed Hardy
3. L'eau par Kenzo
4. Narcisco Rodriguez
5. YSL L'Homme
6. Emporio Armani Diamonds
Armani Attitude - This may be the cleanest, freshest scent I have ever smelled. It is a totally agreeable, utterly versatile fragrance. Very well balanced to my nose (I can't really id any individual notes). Wonderful and my wife likes it!
Ed Hardy - A very pleasant, easy to wear fragrance. Pleasant....that is the word that kept coming to mind when wearing this. Nothing ground-breaking, just a very pleasant, woman pleasing scent.
L'eau Par Kenzo - WOW!!!!! This is amazing to my nose. It is so fresh, without coming across as a ADG clone. I would prefer this to ANY other fresh-y scent I have ever tried. WOW! My wife liked it, and it has now moved to the top of my to-buy-list.
Narcisco Rodriguez - WTF!!!??? This is so strange! Not something I would care to ever wear. My wife and I tried to figure out why it smells so "familiar" but we couldn't. The ever present mildewed/moldy dirt smell was UNpleasant. Worst fragrance I have smelled since Hypnose.
YSL L'Homme - This is a sleeper. May be the richest, fullest, top to bottom scent I have ever encountered. Just a beauty from start to finish (lasts ALL DAY). Exceptionally versatile, it is appropriate for a first date (I would encourage it), day at the office, a day working outdoors....the list just goes on and on. It is at the top of my to-buy-list with L'eau par Kenzo. In fact, I would take either and be as happy as a pig in sh*t. My wife REALLY likes this one.
Emporio Armani Diamonds - I really wanted to like this one....but no matter how many times I wore it, I couldn't. The cocoa note is too much. Sometimes it makes my stomach upset, other times it makes my eyeballs ache. But, about 6 hours after I put this on it FINALLY becomes a wonderful scent. The base is lovely, but the top and mid notes are too gross to wait through.
Best to Worst
Best
#1 L'eau par Kenzo
#1a YSl L'Homme
#3 Armani Attitude
In-Between
Ed Hardy
Worst
Emporio Armani Diamonds
Narcisco Rodriguez (Never again)
I picked up the following samples:
1. Armani Attitude
2. Ed Hardy
3. L'eau par Kenzo
4. Narcisco Rodriguez
5. YSL L'Homme
6. Emporio Armani Diamonds
Armani Attitude - This may be the cleanest, freshest scent I have ever smelled. It is a totally agreeable, utterly versatile fragrance. Very well balanced to my nose (I can't really id any individual notes). Wonderful and my wife likes it!
Ed Hardy - A very pleasant, easy to wear fragrance. Pleasant....that is the word that kept coming to mind when wearing this. Nothing ground-breaking, just a very pleasant, woman pleasing scent.
L'eau Par Kenzo - WOW!!!!! This is amazing to my nose. It is so fresh, without coming across as a ADG clone. I would prefer this to ANY other fresh-y scent I have ever tried. WOW! My wife liked it, and it has now moved to the top of my to-buy-list.
Narcisco Rodriguez - WTF!!!??? This is so strange! Not something I would care to ever wear. My wife and I tried to figure out why it smells so "familiar" but we couldn't. The ever present mildewed/moldy dirt smell was UNpleasant. Worst fragrance I have smelled since Hypnose.
YSL L'Homme - This is a sleeper. May be the richest, fullest, top to bottom scent I have ever encountered. Just a beauty from start to finish (lasts ALL DAY). Exceptionally versatile, it is appropriate for a first date (I would encourage it), day at the office, a day working outdoors....the list just goes on and on. It is at the top of my to-buy-list with L'eau par Kenzo. In fact, I would take either and be as happy as a pig in sh*t. My wife REALLY likes this one.
Emporio Armani Diamonds - I really wanted to like this one....but no matter how many times I wore it, I couldn't. The cocoa note is too much. Sometimes it makes my stomach upset, other times it makes my eyeballs ache. But, about 6 hours after I put this on it FINALLY becomes a wonderful scent. The base is lovely, but the top and mid notes are too gross to wait through.
Best to Worst
Best
#1 L'eau par Kenzo
#1a YSl L'Homme
#3 Armani Attitude
In-Between
Ed Hardy
Worst
Emporio Armani Diamonds
Narcisco Rodriguez (Never again)
