KevinGrey

It took three tries for me, but ultimately it convinced me completely.

A noble, serious, mature scent for men over 30.

Woody-spicy. But also with a noble creamy note. However, it is more subtle than, for example, Dior Homme, with which it definitely competes in the same league.

As an EDT, it is too weak on the skin. As an EDP, it has very good longevity. It lasts on me well into the next day.

It is a close encounter scent. It has no projection. It doesn't shout into the room like a party scent. It is the quiet, reserved gentleman who is very aware of his qualities and doesn’t need to draw attention to himself.
However, those who get close enough will experience its true greatness and quality. Once embraced by it, you will never want to let go.
It is designed to make you curious about its closeness. So, the perfect date scent.

Generally suitable for the whole year, but especially for the winter half of the year.

Pairs well with shower gels that contain amber and cedar.

What has always bothered me about Le Male is the cheap-sounding sweet note that develops over time. Otherwise, the scent is brilliant.

In Scotish, I see the same fragrance, but without that annoying sweetness. It might be due to the absence of cardamom. For me, despite the very quickly fading performance, it is the better Le Male. I prefer wearing it over the original (if I may say so, since La Rive doesn't make direct dupes but always creates its own interpretations of designer fragrances).

The only downside to Scotish is indeed the very early retreat into the close-to-skin area. However, it stays there until the next day. So, it’s a fragrance that you definitely have to overapply.

I tested Tough Tonic by Maddox Mills because it is said to be very similar to my beloved Boss Bottled. Others say it smells like Roma, which my father loved very much. I found that interesting because I see no resemblance at all:

It starts interestingly woody-spicy.

After two hours, it becomes fruity-woody, like Boss, but darker and muuuuuch more synthetic. Not Boss Bottled. Rather, it is a completely independent fragrance that only goes in the same direction as Boss.

But it has nothing to do with Roma for me!

From the 5th hour on, it even resembles "Cool Craft" from the same house more. Citrusy-spicy-fresh with still muuuuuch synthetic. Sillage and longevity are also now taking a serious hit.

I don't find it unpleasant, but I still prefer to stick with the good old Boss.

Unlike so many others, I quite like "Horizon." However, it is too weak for me. Therefore, I hoped (and still hope) for an "Intense" version that truly deserves that definition. That could be genius....
When Horizon Extreme appeared, I hoped to encounter a more intense horizon here. And when I saw the pyramid, it could have been even more interesting for my taste than Horizon. Unfortunately, that was not the case!

It starts, as expected, fruity and unexpectedly smoky. That's already interesting.

After an hour, however, a synthetic sweetness develops that, along with the fruity smokiness, reminds me of Rammstein's Black Ash or Diesel Bad Intense. I might enjoy smelling that, but I would never want to wear it. Unfortunately, this sweetness gives the fragrance an increasingly strong "cheap vibe."

After six hours, the performance is then at an end. The annoying sweetness is now gone. In the close-to-skin area, it has become woody-smoky, which makes it very interesting for me. But unfortunately, it's much too late. This is how I would have wished it from the beginning.

Horizon Extreme is, for me, a rather interesting scent in the opening, but unwearable from the first hour onward. It is by no means comparable to Horizon. What a shame!

So I am still waiting for the Horizon Intense.

I don't particularly like the scent. But maybe the "private accord" will be a pleasant surprise, I thought. So I decided to test it:

It starts off spicy-herbaceous with something creamy in the background. That's already interesting.

After an hour, I think: "exciting!" Now it has become woody-smoky, with a distinctly creamy "candy vibe." A subtle gourmand quality surrounds it. I don't really perceive the fruit in it at all.
Something for winter and special occasions. Not elegant enough to be considered a "gentleman scent," but certainly comparable to, for example, "Just Rock!" by Zadig&Voltaire.

It goes well with brown and black clothing, and for the age group 30-60.

Up to this point, I would have definitely considered getting it. But then!
From about the third hour on, it only smells synthetic-sweet. Not a pleasant sweetness, but a cheap-seeming one.

What a pity!