I find the original Eros (2012) beyond horrible! From top to bottom, it smells obnoxious and of poor quality. Its green apple and mint top smells more reminiscent of bubblegum than anything natural. But as it develops, it somehow gets worse. Versace doubles down on the sweetness and cliches, as vanilla and tonka first, and then ambery woods pulverize everything in sight. Some say it’s the modern-day Le Male, but in my book, Le Male is far superior to Eros. Eros smells more like the perfume poster child for everything wrong with current masculine perfumery.
I encounter it far too often for my liking in the wild. The Queensland State Government recently introduced 50-cent flat fares across the mass transit network. So, I’ve been catching ferries and buses more often than usual. I smell this Versace scent everywhere on public transport. It seems one of the go-to scents for young 20-30-something guys in Brisbane. It’s not exclusively a clubbing fragrance, either. On one bus ride, a well-dressed guy in a suit, presumably going to an office job, had seemingly emptied a whole can of Eros onto his person. The scent was all-pervading, even after he had exited the bus. I feel sorry for his co-workers and the bus driver, who probably has to deal with obnoxious folk like that every day.
Despite my disdain, Eros seems to have been a roaring success, spawning many flankers and now their latest, Eros Energy. I didn’t want to try it, but the striking yellow bottle stood out like a beacon, and surely, it couldn’t be any worse than the original. Indeed, it’s far better, bearing little resemblance to its predecessor. Some compare it to Aventus Cologne and Mancera Cedrat Boise. But it’s infinitely better than those scents, too.
Eros Energy begins with a delightful citrus accord of grapefruit, lime, blood orange, and lemon. It’s one of the juiciest, pulpiest, zingiest, and most realistic citrus accords I’ve experienced in a mainstream fragrance. Yes, I’d even go so far as to say it’s energising. Last year, I spoke about fantasy florals, sad in the knowledge that sunflowers had no fragrance. The opening of Eros Energy could be the scent of sunflowers – bright and life-affirming.
Alas, citruses fade quickly. However, Jordi Fernández squeezes every last piece of juice out of the citrus notes in this particular accord. It lasts for a good hour or two. At this point, the smoothness of the takeoff starts to recede, and the ride becomes slightly bumpy and turbulent as we reach our ultimate destination, which is pretty close to the deodorant aisle of your local supermarket. Indeed, it smells quite familiar, but at least in Eros Energy, the woody, mossy base doesn’t smell overly harsh or chemically. And on balance, the smoothness of the opening accord does a good job convincing me that I travelled in business class for at least some of my journey.
I tried Eros Energy the same day I sampled the latest Dior Homme Parfum, and the Versace won the battle. I guess that shows you how far Dior has fallen. In truth, I think Eros Energy would have beaten most things on the shelf that day. It will not go down in history as one of the greats, but it might be worth a spray if you see it in your travels. Drink the water while you can.
Do you share my disdain for Versace Eros?
Note: All photos are my own. Fragrance tested in-store.
