Sunday, September 28, 2014

Fahrenheit by Christian Dior

After nearly a month I’m back - I’m not sure if it was a lack of energy or just the fact that I’m simply overwhelmed with the sheer volume of things I have to write about. Needless to say, let’s ease back into this gently and by casting my thoughts on an old school favourite of mine.

Fahrenheit by Dior is one of those staple aftershaves, it stems from a period in my life when I had a job that allowed everything I wore to be made by Dior, Valentino or YSL.

Christian Dior oozed class to a younger, less wiser Stephen, although I have to say their shirts still scream quality and to this day retain an air of distinction.

The packaging is very dull. If I was out shopping, the packaging and the bottle itself would probably put me off trying this at all. The bottle comes wrapped in burnt red box and the bottle bears the same colouring. 




The notes to Fahrenheit state that this is a warm sensual fragrance with hints of hawthorn, honeysuckle, sandalwood, cedar and patchouli (whatever that is).

After applying the product I found the smell to be very warm with an earthy and strong woody overtone. 

As the smell stayed on my skin it changed becoming a distinctive honeysuckle smell that was delightful, it lightens and becomes softer but you are never far away from the warmth striking your nostrils.

I always find that aftershaves that suit me aren't noticeable after being applied. This basically means I can't smell it. Fahrenheit, after about an hour is one of those fragrances and only a tiny amount was required for good coverage.

Although this is marketed as a sensual fragrance I wouldn't say that it's one of those aftershaves that will make heads turn (not unless you put too much on) in the street but it is very pleasant. 

Personally I wear this fragrance to work. If you're looking for a "pulling fragrance" and if you pardon the pun, it won't have temperatures rising. For that, you are much better off trying Joop or CK Truth, they have softer notes that leave a far sweeter smell fragrance after time. 

In my opinion this is an aftershave for a man‘s man, but it's not one of those smells you'd prefer on a night out. OK for daywear, left on the dresser for big nights out. 

Despite that, it is a quality product and you can do a lot worse.

Fahrenheit can be purchased in 30mls, 50mls and 100ml bottles. A 50ml bottle will set you back £17.99. At that price it represents excellent value for money and is well worth a look. 

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Tuesday, September 02, 2014

Elements Aqua by Hugo Boss

Launched in 1996 by Hugo Boss, Elements Aqua was a fragrance I never had any intention of buying and therefore I was a little disappointed when I opened a gift from my mother to find this instead of the Bvlgari aftershave she knows I love.

Whilst my bottle of Element Aqua was a gift it can be found in most high street shops and can be purchased online at numerous retailers however I would add a note of caution. The price of Elements Aqua can vary wildly and I would always recommend that you shop around should you wish to buy this. Actual prices range from £15 for 50ml of the EDT up to a whopping £30.

Marketed as a classic fragrance I was very apprehensive about using this as I personally hate Hugo Boss Dark Blue and am not a big fan of sharp and woody fragrances. Despite my reservations I did eventually use Elements Aqua (the name itself suggests a clean and light fragrance) and all in all I wasn't overly disappointed although I will reserve complete judgement just to make you read the rest of my rambling lol.

The bottle to Elements Aqua is plain glass, moulded in a wavy design with a pale blue colouring it looks more like a stylish bottle of coloured water rather than an aftershave. Granted, the wavy bottle design does make it exceptionally easy to grip, and the atomiser does give very good coverage without using much of the fragrance.


Elements Aqua by Hugo Boss


The notes to Elements Aqua are surprising:
  • Head Notes: Lavender, pineapple, spearmint, wormwood;
  • Heart: Coriander, freesia, pepper, tea;
  • Dry-Down: Vetiver, patchouli, sandal and vanilla

Reading the notes to Elements Aqua left me feeling rather upbeat and less apprehensive about using the fragrance. From the notes I expected a heavy, cool spicy fragrance that dried down to a woody yet fresh undertone. I also expected the lavender and pineapple to be overbearing notes leading me to believe that it would have a citrus tang if nothing else.

As stated above, a few squirts of the atomiser were all that was needed to get a liberal spread of the fragrance. Despite not shaving prior to using this did on first application sting a bit, and it is clear that alcohol is a major ingredient within the fragrance.

Indeed, as expected when I first applied Elements Aqua the lavender and pineapple were evident, as was the spearmint giving this a very strong fresh smell that was more oriental than actual citrus. The head notes only remained for around 10 minutes before they started to alter and the freesia and tea started to become the overriding fragrance making the overall aroma heavier and warmer. Gone was the fresh sensation and I would describe this as more of a manly masculine fragrance on a par with Fahrenheit.

The heart notes were the strongest of the fragrance, remaining evident for well over an hour and I was surprised by the delay in the emergence of the dry down notes. When they did start to become clear, the freesia was still there lingering however in the same way as nutmeg as a note brings out woody notes, the patchouli and sandal combined wonderfully to make this a very light almost woodland fragrance.

It was clean and crisp yet still warm and the dry down notes were still noticeable well over 12 hours after application.

Despite the fact that I don't tend to like woody or heavy fragrances Elements Aqua was something of a new sensation and a very unique fragrance that I really did like much more than any other that fall into the same category. Personally I use Elements Aqua for office wear due to it's excellent staying power and clear defined smell, however I wouldn't say this is something you would want to wear on a date or at a special occasion.

All in all, only a small amount of the fragrance was needed on a daily basis, and due to the affordable price tag I would say that Elements Aqua is very good value for money. It is not my favourite and will never replace the lighter fragrances in my collection, but it is one that is handy to have around for a change.

I wouldn't go out and buy another bottle, but I also wouldn't be disappointed if I received this as a gift again in the future.

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