Edifier

Basically RL’s YSL Y EDP. Both by the same perfumer, and both RL and YSL being of the L’Oreal group. The people who wax lyrical about YSL Y EDP (currently sitting at #55 in Parfumo’s top 100 men’s fragrances) trash Ralph’s Club EDP in the same breath. It’s like praising Audi while criticising Volkswagen. I prefer this to the heavy-handed YSL Y EDP. Unless you are a brand snob, just get Ralph’s Club; it’s much cheaper at discounters and you get the same effect as YSL Y.

Bold. Daring. Mysterious. Seductive. And misunderstood. The first time I tested The One EDP Intense, I wanted to scrub it off straightaway because it was so dense and rich. The mistake was to put my nose directly to the skin and I recoiled in disgust. I gave it another test, and was enveloped in a dark leather and bright neroli bubble that was Tom Ford-esque. I imagined The One having a threesome with Ombré Leather and Noir Extreme as Intense smelled to me like elements of those three intertwining as one. The projection and longevity exceed The One EDT and EDP. I think this is the best version of The One and would have been wildly popular if it bore the Tom Ford name. Pick Grey for the daytime, Intense for the evenings, and EDT/EDP for Netflix and chill.

It is sweet and powdery enough for dates and cooler months, yet fresh and soapy enough for work and warmer weather. At times I get whiffs of something reminiscent of a blue fragrance and other times I detect wafts of a distinct iris note à la Dior Homme. Overall, it is an alluring scent.

While not a fragrance that shouts from the rooftops, Code Parfum consistently reminds you of its confident but unobtrusive presence. It lasts at least eight hours on me and I spray only half as much as I do with other fragrances to achieve the same potency. I think this unassuming all-purpose expertly-crafted Code has been overlooked and maligned by those expecting it to be a loud heavy powerhouse.

Missoni Wave has been compared to Chanel Allure Homme Sport and Versace Pour Homme. To me, it is a hybrid of those two - the opening resembles a slightly aquatic version of Versace Pour Homme's opening and the dry down is a dirtier expression of Chanel Allure Homme Sport's dry down. I had sprayed once on my wrist, once to the chest and twice to each side of the back of the neck. While getting pleasant wafts of airy and aquatic Wave, I was also perceiving the contrasting heavier dry down, especially when I put my nose to my wrist. The incoherence was a bit discombobulating. I also expect the dry down to be potentially nauseating in high heat if applied heavily. Wave is nonetheless a good scent, especially for its price point, but I would not say that it is better than either Chanel Allure Homme Sport or Versace Pour Homme.

Light Blue Forever puts all its eggs in one basket - the opening. Much has been said about the "photorealistic" grapefruit top note that commands attention in the opening. Unfortunately, once this punchy opening fades away in the first hour of spraying, followed by a limp middle, all that is left is an emaciated dry down that more accurately reflects the price point of Light Blue Forever. It's 10/10 for the opening and 2/10 for everything else.

I am stumped that this fragrance made it into the top 3 releases of 2021 of one of Fragrantica's expert contributors. According to her, this is better than YSL's La Nuit de L'homme Bleu Electrique which did not make it into her top 3. Surely not. Bleu Electrique is truly electrifying while Light Blue Forever is the emperor who has no clothes. I can only recommend Light Blue Forever if you love grapefruit and intend on carrying the bottle with you to refresh every two hours so that you do not have to experience that pointless dry down.