AFTERSHAVE: Jimmy Choo MAN INTENSE

Smelling lovely is an addiction, there, I've said it. I'm an addict. Do brands help to wean me off this addiction? No, of course not, and as such I have a raft of of aftershaves new to the ever growing collection and today, with a laser-beam like focus I'll be giving my thoughts on Jimmy Choo Man Intense.

A completely new fragrance on me and I'll confess, would I probably have ever been drawn to this on a shelf? Probably not, after all, Jimmy Choo is more famous for shoes than fragrances. A 100ml bottle has a recommended retail price of £65, but with some shopping around you can pick up all around the web for sometimes as little as £45. Shop around!

Here is what they say about the aftershave:

'JIMMY CHOO MAN INTENSE captures the spirit of the Jimmy Choo man, with model Marlon Teixeira who embodies the essence of INTENSE – an overtly masculine style, refined but with a fearless attitude.

An accent of Black Pepper and a trio of new notes to bolster its Amber base. Honeydew Melon adds a watery freshness whilst Davana oil gives a sensual quality and Tonka Bean brings an almond-meets-tobacco edge that’s warm and intensely masculine.'

The notes to Jimmy Choo Man Intense are:

• Head: Lavender, Honeydew Melon, Mandarin
• Heart: Artemisia, Black Pepper, Geranium
• Dry-down: Tonka Bean, Patchouli

First thoughts were "wow, his is aptly named"! Intense is an understatement actually as this fragrance has the kick of a mule with a pleasant assault on the senses. The lavender and mandarin filtered through onto the nose as a warm, heavy floral scent and it stays intense for hour after hour. That said, within fifteen minutes of applying you are in floral heaven with the pepper and geranium adding more depth while diversifying the range of notes so that it retains that masculine feel, on a par in my opinion with the more expensive Man Rose by Etro.

Based on the head and heart notes I'd reserve this for daywear around the office but it alters dramatically after thirty minutes and does become a touch lighter on the nose. The tonic bean provides a slight sweetness that takes the edge off the mandarin and lavender.

A good ten hours after applying this and I still get asked what that lovely fragrance is - people are even more shocked when I tell them that it's Jimmy Choo. This has staying power that exceeded my expectations.

A little really goes a long way, and if you can shop around to pick up a bottle below the retail price you are getting a brilliant fragrance that contains something for nearly everyone - unless you are wedded to wearing light and citrus I can say with some confidence that you'll find yourself wanting to buy this yourself. Perfect for daywear but not out of place for nights out where you want to get noticed.

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AFTERSHAVE: Platinum Edition EDT by John Varvatos

Two weeks ago I left work with a real craving for lobster (weird I know) and after badgering the other half that we should go to Burger & Lobster for dinner she agreed as she was meeting the lovely PR firm that represent John Varavatos among other brands. As she left her meeting she bounded over with a toothy grin (artistic licence) and presented me with Platinum Edition by John Varvatos, a bottle of aftershave I've been stalking over at Pinterest for what feels like an age.

A 125ml bottle of Platinum Edition is available from Selfridges or Debenhams for £79, so not cheap, but with 125ml to plough your way through and the strength that comes with this means that it'll be in your collection for well over a year making that initial outlay actually rather reasonable. 

This is what they said about Platinum Edition over at Selfridges here:

'Embodying the rebellious yet elegant attitude of the brand, John Varvatos' Platinum Edition eau de parfum is inspired by a man of the same character. Beginning with bergamot and bitter orange before notes of incense and leather are introduced, the fragrance is warmed with a base of amber and white sandalwood.'

• Head: Bergamot, bitter orange, sage, coriander, cinnamon and myrtle
• Heart: Incense, vetiver and leather
• Dry-down: Amber and sandalwood

The notes immediately suggest a very heavy and earthy fragrance and with leather sitting in the heart I confess I didn't have high hopes of liking this at all. As a lover of light and citrus fragrances I gained a little optimism from sight of a citrus note in the hope that this would provide some much needed balance.

First of all, this is strong, just a few squirts from the atomiser and the room is awash with a really sharp yet spicy aroma. Yes the bergamot is evident but the sharpness comes from the orange which feels heavy on the nose. Now that came as a massive surprise to given the freshness of Artisan Blu from John Varvatos (another lovely fragrance worth a sniff). Almost as soon as it hits the skin though this changes and the leather seems to come to the fore taking the edge of the sharp spice. 

As it dries down through the heart notes you can feel this getting warmer on the nose for around fifteen minutes as the incense dries and blends with the leather to create an almost middle eastern vibe on the nose - despite this, and with a good sniff you can still detect the bitter orange. I really liked this touch, and better still as it settled around forty five minutes in this really did calm down - it became much lighter. The spiciness dropped off significantly and the warmth reduced. 

In terms of heaviness I would put this with Fahrenheit. Despite my love of all things citrus and light this has such a unique effect on me and my skin. After applying it at 7.30 a.m. I can still pick this up on myself twelve hours later. It has received universal thumbs up when people have been accosted and asked "whatcha think to this?" once their evident shock subsided.

I would say this is perfect for daywear and I for one will be smelling delightful for the coming months as I waft into work wearing this. It's unique, earthy, screams masculine and lasts for an age, and then some. Looking to treat yourself or someone special then you can't go wrong with Platinum Edition by John Varavatos.

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GIVEAWAY: Ralph Lauren Polo Red

Nearly two years ago now I wrote about Ralph Lauren Polo Red for the blog. In a fit of almost unimaginable generosity I've picked up a gift set of this lovely fragrance recently while out shopping and will be offering it to one lucky reader. 

So why should you enter this giveaway? Well, it's free for a start so what do you have to lose, but even better, Ralph Lauren Polo Red is a lovely aftershave.

‘Polo RED is announced as a ferocious and energizing fragrance which includes ingredients fitting the red color. The composition opens with red grapefruit united with cranberry and Italian lemon. The heart of the composition emphasizes accords of red sage, red saffron and lavender, while the "red notes" in the base are described with red wood, hot amber and fragrant coffee beans! The spicy red composition of woody-spicy character is signed by perfumer Olivier Gillotin, carrying the scent of strength, masculinity and character.'

• Head: Red grapefruit, Italian lemon, cranberry
• Heart: Red saffron, lavender 
• Dry-down: Redwood, amber, coffee

What you can look forward to is a light yet hard-wearing fragrance that is a blend between a citrus and fruity head that dries down to a lovely warm floral with a gritty edge. It should be too light and fruity to be a masculine fragrance with so much citrus and berries within the notes but the amber and coffee balance this out beautifully. 

So what's up for grabs? One Ralph Lauren Gift Set which includes a 75ml bottle and 30ml travel sized bottle of the bottle of the Eau de Toilette.

Any terms and conditions? Well yes, sadly due to postage restrictions this giveaway is only open to residents of the United Kingdom (sorry everyone else, I'll look at doing a global giveaway soon). You must be aged over 16 to enter, or have parental permission to enter as I'll need to contact you to obtain your home address if you win. No cash alternative is available and the winner will be drawn randomly using Rafflecopter.

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The draw will be open until midnight on 4 February 2017, which means that it will be posted out in time for Valentine's Day (just saying).

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AFTERSHAVE: Tom Ford Grey Vetiver Eau de Parfum

Christmas is well and truly over and the pact made with the other half of dodging Christmas presents and instead just going for a single solitary anniversary present (we got married on Christmas Day 12 years ago) fell on deaf ears (thankfully) and instead I was presented with not just a new iPod and a new laptop (she went well and truly overboard) I also received a bottle of Tom Ford Grey Vetiver Eau de Parfum. I’ve been dropping lots of very unsubtle hints about this fragrance for about twelve months and now, finally, I have my greasy mitts on a bottle.

Originally created in 2009 this stuff is not a budget brand and while it exudes luxury it doesn’t particularly have a price tag that puts off us common folk. I would say it’s actually mid-range – it’s not as expensive as Creed let’s put it that way. A 50ml bottle will set you back around £65 and can be picked up at any decent perfume counter. I’m trying to think where I first saw this and I think it was Selfridges in Manchester but I didn’t really fall in love with it until I applied loads in Duty Free at London City Airport and then spent the next twelve hours being refreshingly reminded of how good it smells!

So, what does the marketing blurb to Grey Vetiver say?

‘A fragrance that captures the essence of his menswear philosophy, TOM FORD GREY VETIVER is a masterful new rendition of the cool and intriguing possibilities of Vetiver, an ingredient that Ford says has always been a hallmark of a classic, tailored, and unabashedly masculine man.’

The notes to the fragrance are:

• Head: Grapefruit, orange blossom, sage
• Heart: Nutmeg, Orris root, pimento
• Dry-down: Vetiver, amber, oak moss

So, what do you get for your money? You get a nasal sensory overload experience, that’s what you get. It’s a fragrance that will leave you in a place where you are supremely confident that you smell fantastic and will continue to do so for hours on end. It’s awesome!

The first few sprays, and a few sprays is all that you need result in a citrus explosion in the room. Unlike other citrus based fragrances the citrus is subtle without the sharpness you would expect and the two head notes of grapefruit and orange blossom combine to produce a beautiful light scent that seems to fade in and out over the course of the day.

This fading in and out of the citrus is interspersed with a more masculine earthy note that comes from the nutmeg that after around an hour becomes almost spicy as the pimento note starts to become more dominant. For me though there is no real change in how I feel through the entire dry down process and the solid base of amber and oakmoss provide that perfect balance to such light top notes.

As I sit here sniffing away at my wrists (looking like a complete mentalist) some five hours after using three sprays I can still pick up the scent but it isn’t overpowering at all. Subtle is the key word here.

As always, the first thing I did on my return to work was ask for the opinion of our trusty HR department (it’s the HRT – human resources test) and they have given this a measly eight out of ten, whereas I personally would rate this as a solid nine out of ten as I simply cannot get enough of how it smells.

It’s not cheap, but it’s also not that expensive and I guarantee that if you wear or gift this you be flavour of the month. You can take that to the bank (dodgy reference from 1990 Steven Seagal film Hard to Kill). If you like Silver Mountain Water by Creed you will love this!

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Barbour for Him EDT

Many moons ago the positively lovely BeautyqueenUK was asked to give her thoughts on a new aftershave from Barbour the outdoor clothing and lifestyle brand. When she first mentioned that they had released Barbour for Him EDT my initial reaction was to jokingly say "I bet it smells like a pair of damp wellies" - yes, it's true, I am an unrivalled wit (that should possibly say twit rather than wit). It doesn't smell of old and damp wellies and I genuinely can't believe that it has taken me so long to get around to writing about it. 

Barbour for those unfamiliar are better known for their jackets (which are cool), motorcycle heritage and all things country bumpkinesque (I'm just making up words now). The new aftershave released in early 2016 is available all over the place and retails from between £30-£50 for a 100ml bottle making this in my opinion a mid-range fragrance and to be honest at that price I'd probably use it as a daywear aftershave and save the higher end ones for special occasions and big nights out. 

So, what do Barbour say about the aftershave?

'A warm layer of frosted violet leaves and cinnamon are cast on a bed of vetiver, sandalwood and musk, while a burst of grapefruit and hint of black peppercorn enliven this captivating blend.'

First things first, this is one hell of a cool, yet weighty bottle that has more in common with a glass decanter than an aftershave bottle, and with the amber fluid inside it does look like it could pass as holding a drop or two of the old fire water. It does immediately shout in your ear "country-life" in a Blur-esque Southern accent.

More important than making you feel like some form of landed gentry, the fragrance stands out for itself, and the description of being warm is bang on the money but to my nose the description doesn't really reflect my own experience. I can detect some violets that give a bit of a floral scent for around five minutes but this is almost immediately overshadowed by the sandalwood and musk. The musk is strong in this one, oh yes indeed! The 'burst' of grapefruit was again not identifiable as grapefruit but you can pull out a slight, ever so slight hint of citrus for about the first hour of wearing this.

After an hour you can expect more warmth and it comes in spades as the sandalwood and peppercorn give his more of an an almost spicy edge but again this dries down as the aftershave evolves. After around two hours the whole fragrance is more subtle in terms of detecting notes but the warmth is still there as it steadies itself for the final fragrance which I have to say is rather pleasant. The sandalwood and musk do blend well and when trying to cast my mind back it reminds me of an aftershave my late grandfather wore when I was a child - weird how the memory works! 

Perfect for winter this will have your nostrils convincing your brain that you are not freezing to death waiting for the next bus, but instead make your nostrils feel like you are warm and snug wrapped up in a blanket - I know it sounds corny, but imagine that warm comfortable feeling on a cold day when you don't want to get up and that's how this made me feel. I believe the phrase is, snug as a bug in a rug. Those around you won't be offended by the smell either but for me it's just that little too heavy and warm on the nose to make it an aftershave that stands head and shoulders above it's similar priced competitors. It's a nice fragrance, in the same way that seeing an old friend you haven't bumped into for years is 'nice'.

It can be described as nothing other than a manly, heavily masculine fragrance and for that reason it's not one that will ever become an aftershave I instantly reach for, instead it will be used for daywear and knocking around the house. That said, it's not bad and if you like your fragrances earthy or woody then you really should have a sniff. 

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