manlyscents

MODERN VERSION 2005+

Excellent fresh Spring/Summer green scent. The zesty citrus opening leads to a woody, floral dry-down. Its performance is slightly better than most Summer fragrances, but still nowhere near I'd want it to be. Alongside Trussardi L’Uomo and Armani EPH, this is my go-to on dog days.

Masculinity Level: Magnum PI teaching a hot girl how to swim.

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VINTAGE VERSION (1990-2004)

The vintage is less fresh, and is more suited for Spring and Autumn rather than Summer. The dry-down is richer, woodier, closer to Boucheron Pour Homme.

Masculinity Level: Still Magnum PI, but he’s not at the beach.

It opens with a very natural smelling blend of citrus fruits, lavender, and cloves. Some sandalwood and oakmoss appear in the soapy dry-down.

I'm far from the biggest fan of citrus bombs, but this aromatic is high quality, classy, and has depth. You can forget about getting anywhere close to this level with cheapies such as Victor or Aqua di Selva.

This Cosmair era bottle has higher concentration and projects well for the first hour and a half, and lasts about 5 hours on my skin, which isn't great, but twice as long as I get from the last formulation.

Masculinity Level: Sharply dressed Marcello Mastroianni on hot day in Rome.

I adore the design of this splash bottle. I never keep empty bottles, but will make an exception here when the time comes.

Mila Schon Uomo is a green freshie of sorts. The strong citrus in the opening lasts only a few minutes. Then it's aqueous, briny, slightly herbal, slightly spicy, slightly woody. Everything is subtle. Definitely clean.

The after shave concentration is too light for my tastes - reminds me of a watered down Orlane Derrick. I'd love to try the EDT, but have never seen it priced below €200. I like the scent, but I don't like it *that* much.

Doesn't project, but lasts a long time on my skin.

Masculinity Level: Jude Law in The Talented Mr Ripley.

Opium PH is nowhere as oriental as its feminine counterpart. The notes I get are blackcurrant, anise, and vanilla. It's a tad spicy, a tad creamy, a tad sweet, a tad powdery. I don't like my fragrances sweet and I don't like them powdery. Opium PH is as far as I'll go on those fronts, and I don't reach for it often. Strangely I find the dry-down quite similar to that of Lagerfeld Photo even though they don't share many notes, and both are cloying in the heat.

This 90s bottle projects decently. Longevity is good.

Masculinity Level: Robert Pattinson in Cosmopolis.

Here in Europe, Ralph Lauren's first ever fragrance was not a runaway hit when it was launched in 1978. From what I gather, Ralph Lauren didn't spend that much money to market their products outside the US until the 1990s. Hence why it's harder to find vintage Cosmair or Warner versions around here. What I'm reviewing is the L'Oreal tall sprayer version from the mid-2000s i.e. one of the maligned later versions.

It opens a bit spicy with crisp pine and hay and then dries down to a smoky tobacco soapy leather. It is a powerhouse for the mature man, but very refined, especially when compared to Puig Quorum, which it often is.

Projection is great. Lasts forever.

Masculinity Level: Logan Roy from Succession.