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Reviews by dreese

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dreese

Baryshnikov Sport by Mikhail Baryshnikov

While not identical to PE360, it is very, very, very similar. The notes are actually better balanced than PE360 and less headache-inducing; lighter and softer.
#124281
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dreese

Gap Blue No. 655 Him by Gap

If you take Polo Blue and remove that overwhelming cucumber, you will get this. Frankly, this is superior to Polo Blue; it is a pure, wind-bown aquatic that is very well balanced throughout.
#123985
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dreese

Nautica Blue by Nautica

A pleasant and simple aquatic, but it still has the same disagreeable note in it that Nautica Classic possessed. I have no idea what causes or produces this note, but it is almost a cabbage-like twang underneath. Worn in the summer when I am not going out. Longevity and projection are nice.
#123923
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dreese

Navigator by Dana

Navigator is a fantastic cologne that combines a musky heart with a strong lime and fresh-air top. It smells lke a very sweet gin and tonic that still possesses a macsculine woody base. Projection and longevity are excellent, staying prominent for 6-8 hours easily. The citrus top notes above the woody base are evident throughout and, as a result, this scent can be worn during any season. If the price were $100 a bottle, Basenotes snobs would be lining up to praise it.
#133177
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dreese

Aqua Velva Ice Blue by Williams

Bought this based on the positive reviews and was underwhelmed. Don't be fooled by its color and notes list; the scent produced very little of the top notes, but a very strong musk and leather base are loud and strong. It is not bad, it just was not for me.
#124280
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dreese

Curve for Men by Liz Claiborne

Agreement with all of the positive reviews here. This is a great scent in all respects; well-blended, layered, longevity, projection, etc. Seems to be a Fall/Winter-type scent for me.
#124283
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dreese

One Man Show by Jacques Bogart

This is a strong and wonderful scent. The initial blast may be a bit yack-inducing, but the blossoming of layers in the drydown is splendid. You can detect every note in the recipe and it projects a confident mix of trees, earth, grass, flowers, and fresh air coming in from the sea. Do not give in to snobbery and be put off by the tacky name or low price. OMS is a complex and undeniably masculine frag that would be raged about if it had a French name or was sold in a $100 flask. In construction, it is very similar to Krizia Uomo, another under-rated and wonderful 80s powerhouse fragrance that I have worn for 30 years. Another bonus is that you will not smell like everybody else.
#123893
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dreese

Horizon by Guy Laroche

Very unique and well-mixed stuff. Usually I associate woodsy, smoky fragrances with Fall and Winter, but this blending of woods and floral elements seems to function better as a Spring/Summer scent. Projection and longevity are great and I am amazed at the manner that the floral notes seem to reach a bit further than the body of the scent. Peculiar and wonderful.
#123894
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dreese

Wild Country by Avon

Smells identical to Brut for me, and that is a bad thing. I agree that there is a wide and varied list of notes that somehow come together to smell really cheap and terrible, like someone who hasn't bathed in eons trying to cover it up with Windex. For good or ill, I would immediately distrust anyone who wore this scent. I might, however, give them some spare change to buy some soup.
#122798
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dreese

Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Beene

An absolute, one-of-a-kind classic. The way the notes come together makes this olfactory absinthe.
#112134
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dreese

Blue Rush Intense for Him by Avon

This has quickly become my favorite and most wearable aquatic. The opening combines freesia, melon, and kiwi and the notes do not change in the drydown. Longevity is wonderful on me and it can still be plainly detected at the end of my day. I also own and love Xeryus Rouge and this is better.
#122565
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dreese

Black Suede Leather by Avon

I have avoided the leather scents after so many bad experiences with the cliche mixture of leather, tobacco, vanilla, and powder. Sweet floral layers in the drydown here keep the leather and woods thankfully in the background. The lack of the cedar or pine does credit to this scent as well. It has made its way into the regular rotation as a wear-anytime casual scent. I would recommend for those who enjoy leather scents.
#122566
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dreese

Michael Jordan by Michael Jordan

This was a recent blind buy and I'm pleasantly surprised. The initial notes are reminiscent of Drakkar Noir mixed with the mild cedar of Aspen beneath and, although I'm not a fan of either, it seems to work for me here. The drydown is where it gets complicated, becoming an interesting blend of citrus and cedar-odd in a nice way. While folks have mentioned problems with a lack of longevity here, I have to say it stays with me much better than most of my colognes. Muted, of course, but still with me. This is pleasant and not synthetic the way the notes list would seem to suggest. As a big fan of value, this cool little $6 bottle makes this an even sweeter find.
#100713
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dreese

IZOD by IZOD

This smells identical to Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue for women, even though the listed frag notes are decidely different. After the intial blast, the middle softens to the fruit, mint, and incense. The drydown leads to a loud incense with a jasmine-bamboo-cedar personality. Very strong and persists even after a shower. After the first couple of hours, seems to morph into bug spray. I wanted to like this, but the notes mixed in an obnoxious way, making me queasy and giving me a headache. I'm also not a fan of repackaging women's perfumes as men's colognes, since I'm a dude.
#69504
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dreese

Perry Ellis for Men (original) by Perry Ellis

I can't believe this was mucked up so badly. In the original formulation, the drydown was a wonderful, sultry blend of roses, leather, and smoke that projected for hours. It was reformulated in the early 90s and turned into a god-awful patchouli-based mess that was less appealing than ammonia. I recently, and regrettably, purchased a bottle and all of its worst qualities live on. I strongly advise against buying it now if you find a bottle still around.
#126214
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dreese

Zizanie by Fragonard

Disliked it at first, with the powder notes being overwhelming. However, the compliments I received from women convinced me otherwise and I stuck with it for many good memories. Similar to Royal Copenhagen but softer. Longevity is average, not great. Projection is subtle. Performs better as a cold-weather scent, since it will expand and choke you in hot weather!
#100399
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dreese

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme by Paco Rabanne

Began using because it's the closest approximation I've been able to find to the now-defunct classic Andron. While the scent is excellent and clearly male, the real problem lies in extremely poor longevity and projection. After the first hour there is no indication you were ever wearing it at all. I have had to frequently reapply in order to enjoy.
Update: I recently purchased another bottle and, much like many of the great 80s scents, it has been reformulated and is now truly awful. Either my bottle was bad or they have stripped the likable ingredients out of it. Be careful and sample this before buying.
#128819
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dreese

Aramis by Aramis

Nothing quite like it! Definitely male and definitely a mature scent, working best on 30+ guys.
#69490
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dreese

Hugo by Hugo Boss

I have to say I did not care for it. The scent seems very thick, with SO many notes all happening at once. Very sweet and sour at the same time. Became even sweeter on my skin and the smell turned to a mixture of flowers and syrup after the first hour.
#69492
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dreese

Joop! Homme by Joop!

This is just a flowery mess. The urinal cake reference was right on, except with an added note of cherry Vicks cough drops mixed in as well.
#69493
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dreese

Bodytonics Soothing by Jovan

Grassy, but nice. I can't find these Bodytonics anymore around here.
#69494
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dreese

Jovan Musk for Men by Jovan

A strange mixture of gruff, antiseptic tones along with the softer lavender and carnation. Wore this alone for about a year and have not gone back since. Likable one minute and slightly nauseating the next.
#69495
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dreese

Lapidus pour Homme by Ted Lapidus

Very big and loud frag with many elements present at the same time. There seems to be more going on in this than is listed in the notes. The overall mix is a different take on men's scents; a strong mix of old-fashioned masculine sandalwood and leather trying to burst out of a very large garden. Prominent notes seem to balance between lemon/pineapple and sandalwood/leather. Difficult scent to pull off; I think the determining factor in whether this scent works for someone lies in how it mixes with one's body chemistry. Received both compliments and wrinkled noses in response to wearing it.
#69496
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dreese

Bodytonics Refreshing by Jovan

The most refined of the Bodytonics. This scent is very similar to several of the aquatic fragrances out there and works better as a cologne than the others.
#69500

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