Like other animals, smell, including body odour (BO), plays an important role in human interactions. Some cultures have the custom of smelling each other in greeting. And I agree that BO from dirty armpits, clothes, genitals and feet can evoke disgust and are associated with poor personal hygiene, especially in Western culture. But not all BOs are necessarily bad and disgusting. For example, some people smell nice and attractive when they sweat after exercise, sweet and clean, with no acidic or foul notes. Some people smell good to us, and others don't. So next time you're worried about smelling a little stinky around you, don't worry—others will probably love it. I wanted to clarify because I've read myriad reviews that denigrate this perfume. After all, it is reminiscent of BO. Where the bouquet releases BO-like accords, I find it pleasant, clean, and fresh, much less embarrassing than the smell of cumin!
That said, I love the Maroon 5 band, and I have loved the frontman singer Adam Levine's voice since their first debut album, "Songs about Jane". Like many of his fellow singers, Adam created his own line of perfumes and entrusted the mandate to the nose of Yann Vesner, who made several famous masterpieces for LeLabo, Elizabeth Arden, Marc Jacobs and not least, Tom Ford. For this all-male version, the bottle has the shape of a retro microphone similar to the RCA 44 series tape. It contains a light grey liquid with purplish reflections, compared to the more slender female one, with a very clear amber liquid. And the two fragrances are distant from each other. The women's perfume is a woody floral eau de parfum. At the same time, the men's eau de toilette is a woody citrus and fruity.
The perfume opens astringent and tart with an explosion of soapy lemonade and balsamic accords. It includes citrus fruits and aromatic herbs, dazzling. The blend of full-fledged grapefruit, lemongrass, and tangerine is so fizzy it's almost reminiscent of citrus candies filled with fizzy powder. Citrus fruits are raw, nighter depurated, and not refined. A few minutes later, the tanginess of the citrus peels eases as the lemongrass grows more and more with a mentholated and earthy slant. Finally, a hint of aromatic dewy violet and green sage come together after a while without overpowering the other notes. If I had to classify the opening, I would say more citrusy and less aromatic.
I have to wait almost half an hour, after which a sweeter, tropical, and fruitier aroma announces the approach of the heart. Now I clearly get the sweetness of passion fruit and tartness of guava leaves, which are aromatic when mashed and have a similar scent to the fruit itself. The result of the fruity nuance combined with the bitter citrus leftovers lingering in the back is akin to an exotic fruit salad with chopped guava, passionfruit pulp and a splash of ginger juice. Oddly enough, the sulphurous grapefruit top note continues unabated for several hours, which is rare for a citrus note to last longer. The scent remains in the fresh, citrus and aromatic area, with a fruity nuance dominated by the crushed guava leaves. That passionfruit and guava bland is what makes the difference here.
The more it grows, the more it gets musky and salty. The olfactory roster mentions a couple of woods, namely cedar and sandal. Still, I get a little of the two. A hint of creaminess may be there, but the pencil shavings aroma of the cedar is missing. The amber is not the warm and cosy sweet blend. Instead, a salty and somewhat sweaty amber akin to ambergris.
Although it is not groundbreaking or disruptive, it smells fine, and the grapefruit-lemongrass combo gives it a twist. Not a huge performer, but moderate. It's ok; I can reapply it if needed as a daily cologne. Right for the warm seasons, both spring and summer seem good. It has a sporty vibe, so it fits the leisure day, pool, and beach. Something in the out-of-the-shower vibe. The bottom line, I would not strive to grab a bottle of it, but if I came across it, I would buy it as a daily refresher. On those days I don't want to think about what to wear.
I'm basing my review and though on a bottle I've owned since December 2020.
-Elysium
Top Notes 
Lemon grass
Grapefruit
Mandarin orange
Sage
Violet leaf
Heart Notes 
Passion fruit
Ginger
Guava leaf
Base Notes 
Amber
Cedar
Sandalwood
Ergreifend
