Mica76

Okay, let me say this upfront, if you’re a man who doesn’t like these extreme fruit basket bombs, you should steer clear.

However, if you enjoy this type of fragrance, then "The Hunting Man" is an absolutely successful dupe.

The scent is fresh-fruity, and very (!) noticeable, with above-average longevity and sillage.
For the darker months, it’s less suitable; I wore it last summer and received positive feedback.

For about €7 ... it’s a good fit :-)

Another La Rive cheapie that I consider to be among the better ones.
Right off the bat, Sauvage smells a bit better, and also different, and the first few minutes of Extreme Story are marked by a brutal alcohol cloud, but after about 15 minutes it becomes pleasant, you smell spicy-fresh, and not necessarily intrusive.

In short, I like the scent, even though I find it hard to describe it tangibly.
Definitely suitable for everyday wear if you just want to smell fresh, and at the usual €6-8 price range, it's certainly not a bad purchase.

Unfortunately, I find the longevity and sillage, although okay for the price, not very pronounced for me. This leads to me hardly noticing it at work after 3-4 hours.
There is certainly a subjective component at play as well.

Edit:
I have slightly adjusted the rating upwards.
Our perception of scents is known to be subject to certain fluctuations.
There are lengthy, good explanations about how neurological changes occur with scents that we smell more often, leading to a weaker perception, etc.

In short: After a longer break from "The Essence", my perception of longevity and sillage has increased somewhat, which has prompted me to make this correction for the sake of fairness.

Don't get me wrong: Performance is still not a highlight, but not as horrendously bad as described below.
I now tend to say: "rather mediocre".
I would still prefer "Classic Blue" from the same brand.

Nevertheless, "The Essence" was not a bad purchase for 10€ .

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Original version before the edit:

After being quite taken with "Classic Blue" from the same house regarding its pleasant scent and good longevity, I thought I would give "The Essence" a chance.

That was undeserved. More than undeserved.
The scent itself is quite pleasant, smelling a bit like "Classic Blue" after a few hours (mind you, directly after spraying!).

Sillage / projection, however, is a disaster with "The Essence"; you can barely smell anything even right after application, almost only up close.
I have never experienced such weak perfume perception, not even with the worst dupe failures, and I've had quite a few duds before :-(

Even with a very generous "perception is always subjective" bonus, I unfortunately have to advise against "The Essence", sorry.
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I believe I received my first bottle in the early 90s from my parents, for Christmas or my birthday.

I liked the scent a lot, and I still do, even though almost 30 years have passed.
It is essentially a fresh aquatic, perhaps "the" fresh aquatic of the late 80s / early 90s, not particularly exciting or outstanding on its own.

But:
There are a handful of timeless creations, of which only one comes along every 10 years, and which, as "timeless" already suggests ;-), actually always work.

"Cool Water" is one of them.

If it were a video game, it would be "Civilization" or "Doom" ;-)
If it were a movie, it would probably be "Jurassic Park"
If it were a piece of music, it would be "Sexy" by Westernhagen

... just a part of history.

This is my first review here, please be forgiving ;-)

I had tried this fragrance several times in a drugstore, but I could never really bring myself to buy it, even though I always found it pleasant.

However, after seeing a very good offer for the 90ml bottle online, the EdT ultimately found its way into my collection.

It is a classic shower gel scent, with a floral note, that comes across as a bit strong and alcoholic right after spraying, but becomes very pleasant to wear after a few minutes.
You smell fresh, without the fragrance drifting into overly intrusive territory.

This is more suitable for spring and summer; for the darker months, I usually prefer a less floral scent.
In summer, "Classic Blue" works for me every day, for pretty much any occasion in daily life.

Sure, you can tell that you are not in the "50€ for 30 ml" class, that goes without saying.
But I didn't want that either, and I generally feel little urge to pay such inflated prices just so Johnny Depp can afford his next villa, right, "Sauvage" ;-)

Longevity is very good for this price range, sillage is okay.
Sprayed in the morning, I can still detect it very faintly after 12 hours, although there is also a subjective factor at play.
The bottle is mediocre, not a highlight.

Done :-)