ServoStar

Versace Dylan Blue has been in my possession for quite some time, but I have always struggled with a certain dilemma:

The scent is such a good all-rounder that it is hard to find an occasion where it fits 100%. No problem in spring, fresh in summer, great in autumn, and even suitable for winter. Additionally, it is completely independent of time of day and occasion. Office, party, restaurant, everything is possible with this fragrance. However, for those who are in the fortunate position of owning multiple scents, there is almost always one that is better suited to the specific situation. Thus, I found that while I always loved to smell it, the bottle remained largely untouched.

The big debut of Dylan Blue came a few weeks ago when my supervisor and I had to attend meetings in foreign companies relatively often, where representatives from all hierarchical levels, from CEO to facility manager, were present. The other key point about these meetings was that they were not negotiations, but rather almost friendly alignments (here the togetherness).

This is also the reason for the title of this comment. In many meetings, it’s about showing dominance (here the against each other), or possibly even intimidating the counterpart slightly. Here it is completely different: One wants to be remembered positively and pleasantly through their scent, not as tough, eccentric, or intimidating. Furthermore, it should be noted that you are with superiors, and there is no need to desperately try to steal the show with your scent.

So now the perfect occasion for Dylan Blue has been found, and the bottle is gradually emptying. I would warmly recommend it to anyone who either wants to own only one or a few fragrances, doesn’t want to break the bank, or doesn’t feel the urge to smell particularly special. A similar alternative is Dior Sauvage EdT, but you can best test your personal preference in a direct comparison :)

Today I saw it new in the store and immediately sprayed it. The bottle does inspire hope for something majestic, and if not noble, then at least unusual and extravagant. Unfortunately, what follows is the complete opposite.

D&G "K" starts with a very subdued fresh orange, which, for the most part, remains until the end. I can't write much more about it, as the scent is, to put it mildly, boring, characterless, and interchangeable. It strongly reminds me of many fragrances from Zara: short-lived, artificial, and as mentioned in the title, inconspicuous. Additionally, the sillage (at least on me) is very weak; I had to lean in towards the scent right after spraying to identify anything.

All in all, the fragrance is simply unremarkable and does not live up to its crown in any way. One can't even say that it's bad, but for the proud price, there are certainly better options.

If "The One" by Dolce & Gabbana were a person, he would probably be the most reliable guy, the one everyone appreciates having in their friend circle. No eccentric, no hipster, no oddball with flashy clothes, no one who pursues quirky hobbies in their free time.
He would be more the type who is always well-dressed without ever being overdressed. The one who wears his automatic watch with a leather strap while everyone else is showing off photos on their smartwatches. The one who takes the ladies home without having to watch "10 Best Pickup Lines 2019" on YouTube. You wouldn't want to call him a winner, but losing is not an option.

To avoid drifting too much into the personification of fragrances, let's start with the facts:
It's rare to find a bottle that you look at and immediately know how the scent is supposed to smell. Powerful, reliable, simple, brown, dark, seductive. When the little nephew comes over to play, even he knows right away that it's not a toy, but something too valuable to be used as a building block.

The scent follows seamlessly. At first, it's a bit fresh; the grapefruit and orange blossom are excellently done. Alongside, it's quite spicy, but never piercing. And behind it is simply this base of tobacco and amber, which is impressively represented by the bottle. So easy to smell, so confident; no one will ever question this scent. At a black-tie event, it may not be the most standout fragrance, but on the other hand, no one will be whispering about it behind closed doors.

What it lacks for perfection, however, is better longevity. Even the EdP version fades quite quickly; after about 6 hours, there's only a hint left on my skin that something was once there. In those first 6 hours, though, it performs its job par excellence.

I had Valentino Uomo on my wish list for a long time. However, I never wanted to splurge on it since it is relatively pricey, and I wasn't quite sure when I would actually wear it.

Through Parfumo, I came across the supposed fragrance twin Zara 9.0, and I ordered it in a package with Zara 8.0. After all, it only costs 18€ for 2x100ml, so you can't go wrong there. The bottles made of matte glass are labeled with the fragrance notes and look quite charming. I quickly set 8.0 aside and gave myself a spritz of 9.0 on my arm.

The opening almost startled me; it is so similar to VU. Even though you know that 9.0 is a dupe, it still surprises you how closely the scents match. The iris develops just as beautifully as in VU, and only after about an hour do you notice the first differences from the big brother. It simply lacks some of the sweet, vanilla creaminess and the slight coffee note of VU. Valentino just has the more refined scent in the long run.

I find the scent cloud similar to VU, but the longevity is noticeably less. For me, the fun ends after about 5 hours, while the original lasts twice as long.

Still, I can personally overlook the minor shortcomings when I look at the price.

Conclusion: Absolutely good clone, absolutely great DNA, absolutely recommendable.

The first time I smelled BV PHE was with a small sample that came with an order.
After a few days, I sprayed it on the back of my hand for the first time, and it almost knocked me over. The scent is incredibly "dense" (for lack of better words), and you have to process what you’re taking in nasally, at least as a fragrance novice. So it wasn’t love at first sniff; I actually dismissed it immediately as too extreme and unsuitable for me as a young student. BUT: The stuff lingers longer than just a breath on the back of my hand, so I kept getting whiffs of it, and well, from "too extreme" it became "interesting," and from there, it turned into real love.
It somehow reminds me of an evening in a warm, wooden living room with my parents and grandparents, without smelling old-fashioned. It simply creates a very cozy and familiar feeling in me that I can’t get enough of.

The scent is obviously polarizing, especially among the younger crowd. However, I believe you have to give it a chance and let the depth of the fragrance work on you.

Regarding longevity, I can perceive it well for about 5-6 hours, after which it’s only very close to the skin. The sillage, in my opinion, is good, not too overpowering.

Conclusion: I love it, and I’m happy if others feel the same way. By the way, this was my first comment ;)