Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Absolu Instinct – This is better than last year’s flanker, Absolu. It is still a wishy-washy woody watery scent that does little to add to the legacy of the original Acqua di Gio Pour Homme. Thumbs down.
Davidoff Cool Water Intense – This is one of the disappointments of the year thus far. I was so looking forward to this intense version of the original classic. Everything was lined up for it to be a success, Annick Menardo at the helm, the classic structure of the original to play with in Eau de Parfum form, but it goes horribly wrong. It smells nothing like the original. The listed notes are coconut, mandarin and amber. I don’t get any coconut, all I pick up is a generic sweet Invictus like clone that mercifully disappears from skin in a couple of hours. A miserable fail.
Salvatore Ferragamo Urban Feel – This works better on my skin than any of this range so far. It gives me a fizzy ginger-ale vibe in the open, before inevitably and unfortunately ambroxan takes over and it becomes another faceless blue freshie. Shame.
Guess 1981 Los Angeles – The same awful synthetic mint present in Versace Eros is present in this Guess release. I hated Versace Eros, and I hate this. Big thumbs down. It lasted forever on my skin, 10 plus hours.
Joop Homme Absolute – Must be something in the water over at Joop. Their Wow release for Men and Women was excellent. Joop Homme Absolute is also a commendable release. It does not resemble the original sugar bomb from decades ago. Rather this is a sophisticated grown up scent featuring incense, black pepper, ylang-ylang, vetiver and tonka. Classy bottle, and a somewhat similar scent profile to Zadig and Voltaire This is Him. Recommended. Longevity is an issue though, as I only enjoyed 6 hours on initial wearing with soft projection.
Victor and Rolf Spicebomb Nightvision – Clearly Victor and Rolf are at the end of the line with Spicebomb flankers. None of the original Spicebomb is recognisable in this poor release. This is a fresh fragrance along the lines of Y from YSL and Armani Acqua Di Gio Absolu. Cheaply made, boring and forgettable.
