Smirky

Anka opens with a bright, fresh and heavily metallic scent which I found to be quite unpleasant. As it dries down, the metallic accord begins to retreat somewhat but it's always present in the background throughout the life of the fragrance. On top of this is a dull woody-spicy-ambery type of mix. I couldn't really identify the spices; more like a dull, nondescript type of scent. Also struck me as very synthetic. It wasn't so bad to be a scrubber and I wasn't put off by it - after all, I did wear it the entire day. Anka is something I'm not going to wear again. It's definitely a masculine fragrance.

If there is someone who thinks he might like it, you'll be pleased to know that the performance is phenomenal. Longevity is forever and projection is quite powerful. Too bad the scent isn't better.

Cactus Azul is a very unique scent. I've never smelled a freshie like it. It's very linear and stays the same as it opens, from beginning to end. It smells fresh and watery with a very subtle touch of green. I've classified it as fresh, aquatic and green, but have to qualify. Aquatic in this case is not like the ocean nor salty. It's like fresh water (i.e. no salt) without any hint of staleness. The green touch is not very strong but very subtle. I'm assuming it's due to the mint note but the green is not minty but a leafy plant type of green, very subdued.

I was quite impressed by the uniqueness of Cactus Azul. Unfortunately, in the performance department it was at aftershave strength. After the first hour, it hung very close and by the second hour it was gone. Too weak to bother with it.

This is a joint review of the following four Narciso Rodriguez fragrances:
For Him Bleu Noir EdT
For Him Bleu Noir EdT Extreme
For Him Bleu Noir EdP
For Him Bleu Noir Parfum

Testing these four was a valuable experiment for me. I determined two things:
1. I don't like strong cardamom scents
2. I don't care for very powdery fragrances.

Since three of these four fragrances have these two characteristics in varying degrees, three were rated lower while a fourth was rated better. Now, let's get into the specifics of all four.....

For Him Bleu Noir EdT was the most cardamom forward of the four fragrances but also fairly low in the powdery attribute. The strong cardamom, which was evident from the start, really caused me to immediately dislike it.

For Him Bleu Noir EdT Extreme did not have cardamom and wasn't powdery. Surprisingly, as a flanker, it went off in a totally different direction. It is a nice freshie. I'd describe the scent as fresh, woody and slightly green. Pleasant to wear but not an outstanding fragrance that would induce me to buy a full bottle.

For Him Bleu Noir EdP is an in-between fragrance. The cardamom note, although still quite noticeable, was toned down compared to the EdT but the powdery attribute was dialed up. The scent clearly sits between the EdT and the Parfum. Because of the still strong cardamom, I didn't care for it.

For Him Bleu Noir Parfum dials the cardamom down even more than the EdP but significantly dials up the powdery attribute. I did not care for the strong powdery aspect.

If I had to choose one, it would be the Extreme which I certainly wouldn't mind wearing.

Regarding performance, all four were rather moderate in the projection department after the first hour. Longevity was a mixed bag. The EdT and EdP had very good longevity even though they hung close to the skin. They were still noticeable after 12 hours. The Parfum dropped out after about 8 hours while the Extreme has the worst performance. It was gone in about 6 hours.

My recommendations would be as follows. If you're looking for a strong cardamom fragrance, definitely go with the EdT. If you want a very powdery fragrance, go with the Parfum. If you'd like something more in between, go with the EdP. If you want a freshie, there are a lot better options than the Extreme.

This is a joint review of the following four Narciso Rodriguez fragrances:
For Him Bleu Noir EdT
For Him Bleu Noir EdT Extreme
For Him Bleu Noir EdP
For Him Bleu Noir Parfum

Testing these four was a valuable experiment for me. I determined two things:
1. I don't like strong cardamom scents
2. I don't care for very powdery fragrances.

Since three of these four fragrances have these two characteristics in varying degrees, three were rated lower while a fourth was rated better. Now, let's get into the specifics of all four.....

For Him Bleu Noir EdT was the most cardamom forward of the four fragrances but also fairly low in the powdery attribute. The strong cardamom, which was evident from the start, really caused me to immediately dislike it.

For Him Bleu Noir EdT Extreme did not have cardamom and wasn't powdery. Surprisingly, as a flanker, it went off in a totally different direction. It is a nice freshie. I'd describe the scent as fresh, woody and slightly green. Pleasant to wear but not an outstanding fragrance that would induce me to buy a full bottle.

For Him Bleu Noir EdP is an in-between fragrance. The cardamom note, although still quite noticeable, was toned down compared to the EdT but the powdery attribute was dialed up. The scent clearly sits between the EdT and the Parfum. Because of the still strong cardamom, I didn't care for it.

For Him Bleu Noir Parfum dials the cardamom down even more than the EdP but significantly dials up the powdery attribute. I did not care for the strong powdery aspect.

If I had to choose one, it would be the Extreme which I certainly wouldn't mind wearing.

Regarding performance, all four were rather moderate in the projection department after the first hour. Longevity was a mixed bag. The EdT and EdP had very good longevity even though they hung close to the skin. They were still noticeable after 12 hours. The Parfum dropped out after about 8 hours while the Extreme has the worst performance. It was gone in about 6 hours.

My recommendations would be as follows. If you're looking for a strong cardamom fragrance, definitely go with the EdT. If you want a very powdery fragrance, go with the Parfum. If you'd like something more in between, go with the EdP. If you want a freshie, there are a lot better options than the Extreme.

This is a joint review of the following four Narciso Rodriguez fragrances:
For Him Bleu Noir EdT
For Him Bleu Noir EdT Extreme
For Him Bleu Noir EdP
For Him Bleu Noir Parfum

Testing these four was a valuable experiment for me. I determined two things:
1. I don't like strong cardamom scents
2. I don't care for very powdery fragrances.

Since three of these four fragrances have these two characteristics in varying degrees, three were rated lower while a fourth was rated better. Now, let's get into the specifics of all four.....

For Him Bleu Noir EdT was the most cardamom forward of the four fragrances but also fairly low in the powdery attribute. The strong cardamom, which was evident from the start, really caused me to immediately dislike it.

For Him Bleu Noir EdT Extreme did not have cardamom and wasn't powdery. Surprisingly, as a flanker, it went off in a totally different direction. It is a nice freshie. I'd describe the scent as fresh, woody and slightly green. Pleasant to wear but not an outstanding fragrance that would induce me to buy a full bottle.

For Him Bleu Noir EdP is an in-between fragrance. The cardamom note, although still quite noticeable, was toned down compared to the EdT but the powdery attribute was dialed up. The scent clearly sits between the EdT and the Parfum. Because of the still strong cardamom, I didn't care for it.

For Him Bleu Noir Parfum dials the cardamom down even more than the EdP but significantly dials up the powdery attribute. I did not care for the strong powdery aspect.

If I had to choose one, it would be the Extreme which I certainly wouldn't mind wearing.

Regarding performance, all four were rather moderate in the projection department after the first hour. Longevity was a mixed bag. The EdT and EdP had very good longevity even though they hung close to the skin. They were still noticeable after 12 hours. The Parfum dropped out after about 8 hours while the Extreme has the worst performance. It was gone in about 6 hours.

My recommendations would be as follows. If you're looking for a strong cardamom fragrance, definitely go with the EdT. If you want a very powdery fragrance, go with the Parfum. If you'd like something more in between, go with the EdP. If you want a freshie, there are a lot better options than the Extreme.