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Hugo Element 2008 Eau de Toilette

4.7 / 10 122 Ratings
A perfume by Hugo Boss for men, released in 2008. The scent is aquatic-fresh. It was last marketed by Procter & Gamble / Metropolitan Cosmetics.
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Main accords

Aquatic
Fresh
Synthetic
Citrus
Spicy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
CaloneCalone
Heart Notes Heart Notes
CorianderCoriander GingerGinger
Base Notes Base Notes
CedarwoodCedarwood
Ratings
Scent
4.7122 Ratings
Longevity
4.678 Ratings
Sillage
4.463 Ratings
Bottle
5.973 Ratings
Value for money
5.715 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 08/29/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Hugo Element (After Shave Lotion) by Hugo Boss
Hugo Element After Shave Lotion
Starwalker (Eau de Toilette) by Montblanc
Starwalker Eau de Toilette
Steel by La Rive
Steel
Benetton Sport Man by Benetton
Benetton Sport Man

Reviews

14 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Elysium

898 Reviews
Elysium
Elysium
4  
Alchemic Body of Water, Earth, Air, and Fire
Element by Hugo Boss is a mistakenly underrated men's scent. It has been designed around elements that surround men in a big city, and it reminds oxygen, it is a breath of fresh air in a polluted metropolis that resonates like a beating heart. Many people perceive the urban environment in its most negative aspect. Likewise, many reviewers see this scent in its most negative aspect, either. Indeed, the soil, the traffic, the buildings, the pollution are all elements that one associates with the greyness and the daily moroseness.
I recently got a sample of Hugo Element scent. I've already done lots of Hugo Boss reviews on this site, and I've been wearing Hugo Element seemingly a lot over past summers, yet I've never written a word about it, So, I want to outline how this fragrance smells, how it performs and when it could be worn, and whether or not it is worth a buy.

Hugo Element starts with a kind of an aquatic blast for the first few minutes before transitioning into a citrus tied fragrance. I have to say, the citrus notes in this are fantastic, they are fresh and juicy. The opening reveals an intense clarity of a sea breeze, seemingly coming from calone, an aquatic note evoking water with a fruity melon vibe. The overall aroma is quite crisp and aquatic, water is the first out of the four essential elements, which I found to be very attractive, and I was beginning to enjoy this cologne a whole lot.

The second element, the Fire, lies in the heart with scents of ginger root and coriander leaves chords. Freshly cut ginger root and crushed coriander leaves render a piquant and chilly feeling, closely akin to evoke a virtual fire.

Virile woody notes of cedar and musk symbolize the third element Earth with a bedrock of elegance. Last but not least, the fourth element of air is expressed in the unmistakable shape of an oxygen bottle.

Projection wise, Element isn't significant. It is on the softer side of moderate and doesn't seem to want to make its presence all that known. Longevity is also another issue. It quickly becomes a skin scent and only lasts around 4 hours, which is disappointing. I feel like this could've been a lovely spring/summer casual wear, had it been designed with better performance.

Notwithstanding, I like the fragrance itself; it works and has excellent airy and watery notes. With a little-added intensity, this would've been a subtle scent to wear around during the summer. Maybe. That dull performance is the reason for the lousy rating.

-Elysium
0 Comments
Steben

14 Reviews
Steben
Steben
1  
Better as a dupe
I have Divain 257, a dupe of this. It smells exactly like the reviews tell it to be.
Since it is so affordable the appreciation is more gentle. It is an aquatic tool to soften screechy layers. I like the watermelon and ginger aspect. Just needs a kick to be a great aquatic like some herbs and citrus power.
0 Comments
7Scent
Lelion

4 Reviews
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Lelion
Lelion
Top Review 11  
Actually, everything has been said about this fragrance, but..
Yes, as some have already noticed, Element is not exactly one of the most exciting or experimental fragrances the world has to offer. And no, I don't see any reason to acquire it in the near future.

But the harsh criticism it receives here is undeserved. It is clearly designed as a fresh summer scent for young people and stands out positively from the eternally same citrus medley with its Calone note. The spicy notes are also interesting, without pushing themselves too much into the foreground. The longevity is clearly in the mid-range for fragrances of this type and, in my opinion (not to be stoned ;)), it ranks below classics like "Eau de Rochas".

I can understand that a large number of people here would not wear it. As a rather neutral, fresh scent for "beginners" or on days when you want to smell fresh without standing out too much because of your fragrance, it's not a bad choice.
0 Comments
Leimbacher

2873 Reviews
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Leimbacher
Leimbacher
Very helpful Review 7  
"We would say 'Driss' in Cologne
Hugo Boss has a clearly negative track record when it comes to perfumes, even though there are a few recommendable exceptions, chief among them Boss Bottled. The only downside to the rightly ultra-successful Bottled is that it brings in so much money for Hugo Boss that they keep producing new perfumes like Element, which the world doesn't need and which are hardly surpassable in terms of lack of creativity. Boss Soul was a pleasant exception in this regard. Otherwise, one can really forget about Element and many others; there's no need to know them, test them, let alone own them. Boss should really rethink its strategy and produce fewer perfumes, focusing instead on these with their main attention, money, and top perfumers who dare to be bold. If this continues, they will only drag their (still) big name through the mud with their cheap perfume flood.

So much for the preface, now briefly about Element, as this scent is not worthy of many words. It not only looks similar to Hugo by Hugo Boss, but it also has olfactory similarities, just at least one league lower. Gray desolation has now definitively entered the red, bad area. It is a listless mix of cheap citrus strips, some old spices, and there’s a bit of aquatic element as well. Not very pronounced, but if I had to assign an element, it would be water. All of this is not stinky, not challenging, or successful - it is so horrifically boring that you wouldn't stand out positively even in a room full of sweaty Ironman runners covered in mud!

The bottle is typically nice Hugo Boss, but I personally really can't stand seeing it anymore. However, there is still much worse out there. In the bottle area, they do swim with the masses, but there is potential. The sillage is hardly worth mentioning, even unsuitable as an office scent. The longevity is one of the stronger points at 5 hours, if one can speak of strength at this level.

The perfumer was clearly not in their element. Just lame!
4 Comments
TVC15

216 Reviews
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TVC15
TVC15
7  
Just don’t stand out at the office!
The dullness of many Boss fragrances for me is that they are not visionary, but rather cling to any trends. That was the case with "Hugo" and "Hugo Element" continues this lack of inspiration. "Let's do something with Calone," you can almost hear it echoing through the marketing floor, and five minutes later it was packed in a pretentious oxygen bottle. A snoozy synthetic mix that doesn’t even try to hide its artificiality. Whether there’s a bit of cumin in there or not, who can decipher that? And like all fragrances from this corner: After 20 minutes, it’s gone. One could also see that as an advantage.
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Statements

12 short views on the fragrance
2
I like the fragrance. It works and has excellent airy and watery notes. It quickly becomes a skin perfume and lasts only about 4 hours.
0 Comments
6
2
For me, by far the most boring scent I've ever had under my nose. Sorry Hugo.
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2 Comments
4
1
I know at least 20 scents here that are clearly worse and rated 7.5-8. I like this one - a beautiful spring fragrance.
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1 Comment
3
Rediscovered it today at the back of the closet. What can I say? I still like it quite a bit! Seems to be my guilty pleasure :D
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0 Comments
6 years ago
3
2
Your name is Hugo Boss, but you only smell like Hugo. Away with you!
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2 Comments
2
Is it really as bad as it's rated here? Not at all. I think it does its clean aquatic vibe well. I enjoy wearing it in the summer.
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0 Comments
2
A total weakling of a perfume, I only use it for my bathroom. Unfortunately, this perfume has nothing, absolutely nothing. A real flop.
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0 Comments
2
Great, aquatic and cold refreshment for warm days! However, it has zero recognizability ;):)
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0 Comments
1
My very first fragrance. Herb-citrusy, sparkling freshness. There are more refined and exciting ones, but for what it was, not bad.
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0 Comments
1
Boring shower-gel-like designer scent, with poor longevity and sillage.
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