I’ll first try to gather what I can mention positively:
- It comes in a nice, useful packaging, which didn’t have to be. I always appreciate when something like this is included. They could have certainly offered it at a lower price. This tin has served me well as a container for accessories, like test strips. - The bottle is exceptionally shaped, striking, not too quirky, I like it. (The cap didn’t necessarily have to look so cheap, it seemed 3D-printed) - It has a nice color, a nice, fitting name, and it lasts quite well for a freshie. - Jeremy says you get a good, reputable brand for a low price. "For 20$ you are getting a premium brand like Versace, so you feel cool wearing it. POOOWEEER" - The price is low, availability is great, price/quantity is pretty cool and so on. Yeah, but the scent...
The scent... well, what should I do. ^^' Unfortunately, I can’t report positively about it and want to represent my honest view on the fragrance. Maybe I’m saving one or another younger interested party from it or convincing them to try a sample first. Even though it’s so cheap. Maybe I’m too young for it and I’ll try again in 10 years around 35/40. But so far, I’ve only been disappointed; it has never really convinced me even once. I was promised a nice, fresh, adult, mass-appealing (beach) scent. However, for me, adult here somehow got confused with outdated. To me, it really smells old. Yes, blue/green, "fresh," but never refreshing, aquatic, yet always with a negative undertone. It never came across as really clean, tidy, nicely fresh, current, or fun. It can’t shake off its negative undertones throughout.
Visually, I would describe it as an Italian old town. Summer, warmth, an old restaurant, but you go to the even older men’s restroom in the basement and wash your hands with an old soap that has always been there. You smell this soap, you smell the room, you smell aquatic, you smell sewage. The shop owner, who has been doing this for 50 years, smells like that too.
Or like an old towel that has been used in the household for 20 years. The towel is freshly washed, it’s clean, but it will never smell completely clean again. That ship has sailed; it has soaked up too much dirty water. It’s not soft anymore, rather rough, you can see the threads through the last remnants of "fluff."
The scent is not atrociously bad; it’s not a 1/10, I’ve smelled worse. I could wear this, but I would never voluntarily reach for it. There are too many ingredients listed here, and my nose is too untrained to pinpoint exactly what bothers me. I can imagine it smelled different back in the day and was really fitting at that time; I’m happy for those contemporaries. :) In my era, I find it out of place. Older scents can still convince today, see "Cool Water (Eau de Toilette) | Davidoff," great piece! This one doesn’t work for me. At least someone else enjoyed it in the souk.
I got to know this one in my mid-20s, liked it, and wore it, which is why I'm confused to read that it comes across as so "old" (old-fashioned?). I was also surprised by your age classification; I would have associated it with a younger audience than 35.
These days, it sometimes feels a bit too sweet for me. Still, I kind of like it.
I enjoyed reading your review despite this difference of opinion and found it well done. I love reading a good "critique" with such beautiful, vivid descriptions. 🏆
Kouros, Drakkar Noir, Zino, Cool Water, and Tabac are a few older fragrances from that era that I can still remember. But I wouldn't really compare them; they each have their own unique character. I haven't actually smelled those scents during that time, as I've only been into perfumes for about 2-3 years.
I'll try to remember to test Blue Jeans at different times of the year! Hopefully, it sticks in my mind. :P My bottle is already sold, but I can still get testers in stores. ^^ I'm glad you liked my pictures, but let's keep expectations for future reviews a bit lower. :P I definitely don't have enough creativity for fitting images with every review. I often write reviews when the character limit for a statement feels way too low, and I just feel the need to write more.
Yeah, the cap does look like it's from a different perfume. :)
PS: @FeroxEagle. The cap really is a stark contrast to the rest of the packaging. Total budget deluxe! Personally, I find that Cool Water doesn't hold up as well for me, even though I liked it a lot as a teenager. I think it just became too "worn out" for me since so many people wore it. I'm looking forward to more reviews from you. As I said, it was very entertaining, and the conjured-up images were really funny. I had a great laugh. I'm testing it again with the perspective of an "old-fashioned" scent. I've developed a bit of a fondness for actual old perfumes from the '80s, '70s, and even older.
@FeroxEagle, wow, for men around 50, haha. :D
Yeah, okay. Your perception shouldn't be my target for attack. I totally respect your view. I was just really surprised by the age classification. It's an interesting perspective!
But have you ever tried any men's classics from the '80s? Just as a contrast.
If you get the chance to test it over the seasons, give it a shot. For me, it smells different every time. It has its peak times in certain seasons. I just can't remember which ones. I haven't used it in a long time.
Today, it feels musty and deep-spicy to me. Sometimes the citrus stands out, sometimes the bluish sweetness.
The sweetness, when looked at in isolation, has a certain parallel to Tommy Hilfiger's Impact Intense (but only when considered in isolation).
Thanks for your detailed response!
I find the description with the Italian old town and the restaurant very accurate, and the monastery association fits as well. That's exactly how it smells, and I see that as a positive. For me, it's an absolutely fresh, youthful summer scent. Or rather: that's what youthful freshness smelled like in the '80s. Jeremy is just a cocky show-off, not a serious fragrance expert.
I might give it a slight floral sweetness. **But I couldn't compare it to any other scent that shares that sweetness.** Right now, it wasn't appealing or delicious to me. 🤐
Hey Kreisquadrat, first of all, thank you for reading my review! :) And thanks again for the comment and the recognition! :D
I didn't find it sweet at all. In my mind, I associate that kind of DNA with older gentlemen. I wouldn't even place it around 35; I’d think I could understand and accept it more in the 35/40 range. I actually see it more on men around 50 years old. 😅 But that's totally normal and fine. People's perceptions and opinions about fragrances can vary a lot, and that's human-it's a good thing. x) I'm glad you liked my descriptions and even enjoyed the scent! :)
These days, it sometimes feels a bit too sweet for me. Still, I kind of like it.
I enjoyed reading your review despite this difference of opinion and found it well done. I love reading a good "critique" with such beautiful, vivid descriptions. 🏆
I was also glad that a reader took so much time for this!
I'll try to remember to test Blue Jeans at different times of the year! Hopefully, it sticks in my mind. :P My bottle is already sold, but I can still get testers in stores. ^^ I'm glad you liked my pictures, but let's keep expectations for future reviews a bit lower. :P I definitely don't have enough creativity for fitting images with every review. I often write reviews when the character limit for a statement feels way too low, and I just feel the need to write more.
Yeah, the cap does look like it's from a different perfume. :)
Personally, I find that Cool Water doesn't hold up as well for me, even though I liked it a lot as a teenager. I think it just became too "worn out" for me since so many people wore it.
I'm looking forward to more reviews from you. As I said, it was very entertaining, and the conjured-up images were really funny. I had a great laugh.
I'm testing it again with the perspective of an "old-fashioned" scent. I've developed a bit of a fondness for actual old perfumes from the '80s, '70s, and even older.
Yeah, okay. Your perception shouldn't be my target for attack. I totally respect your view. I was just really surprised by the age classification. It's an interesting perspective!
But have you ever tried any men's classics from the '80s? Just as a contrast.
If you get the chance to test it over the seasons, give it a shot. For me, it smells different every time. It has its peak times in certain seasons. I just can't remember which ones. I haven't used it in a long time.
Today, it feels musty and deep-spicy to me. Sometimes the citrus stands out, sometimes the bluish sweetness.
The sweetness, when looked at in isolation, has a certain parallel to Tommy Hilfiger's Impact Intense (but only when considered in isolation).
Thanks for your detailed response!
I didn't find it sweet at all. In my mind, I associate that kind of DNA with older gentlemen. I wouldn't even place it around 35; I’d think I could understand and accept it more in the 35/40 range. I actually see it more on men around 50 years old. 😅 But that's totally normal and fine. People's perceptions and opinions about fragrances can vary a lot, and that's human-it's a good thing. x) I'm glad you liked my descriptions and even enjoyed the scent! :)