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: Jo Malone: Oud & Bergamot Cologne

One gift I received rather unexpectedly for Valentine's Day was a bottle of Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot Cologne, cheers wife. It's the first bottle of Jo Malone fragrance that has entered into my collection and I had high hopes as many friends have for years sworn blind that fragrances from this brand are to die for. Throw into the mix the fact  that the 100ml bottle costs an eye-watering £112 and you kind of hope, no, expect it to reach and breach some high, very high expectations.

This is what they say about the cologne over at the Jo Malone site here:

'Precious oud, reframed. The mysterious, smoky character of this revered wood, central to Middle Eastern fragrance traditions, radiates with the clarity of crisp bergamot and an orange granite accord. Hypnotic. Alluring.'

Head: Bergamot, orange accord and lemon

Heart: Cedarwood

Dry-down: Oud wood

First impressions are that this is a very dry fragrance on the nose - it's instantly spicy, which is something I found weird, yet it's so unique and addictive you can't help but fall immediately in love with it. The bergamot and orange are exquisite and stay evident for as long as the cologne lasts on the skin. That dry sensation gives way a touch after around thirty minutes and then it becomes much more earthy - you cold get the feeling that you are in the middle of a wood in chopping season - wow!

The cedarwood takes some of the shine off the citrus and warmth of the top notes giving this much much more of a manly scent. It then takes around another fifteen minutes before it evolves fully to the final fragrance. Hints of bergamot and the sharpness of orange accord blended perfectly with woodsy notes that provide depth to what could have been a very light fragrance.

Sounds great doesn't it? Well, yes it is, and in terms of expectations for the fragrance I was blown away, but it isn't all good. Five to six sprays give coverage that remains noticeable to you and those around you (people will say they love it) for about five to six hours at most. I would have expected more, especially when forking out so much for the bottle in the first place. As a comparison, Man Rose by Etro costs around the same, has the same type of note construction yet lasts for double the time. Both are amazing fragrances but you have to give it to the fragrance that delivers on value for money.

I'd recommend this to blokes who are looking for something maybe for a night out rather than something hard-wearing to last all day and then maybe into the evening.

It's recommended as it is so unique and such a gorgeous scent, but I just wish it was longer lasting and then for me it would be the highest possible recommendation. At £112 you kinda want something that goes on and on and on. Sort that (and maybe the price) Jo Malone peeps and I'll be first in line to buy another bottle.

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AFTERSHAVE: Man Rose Eau de Parfum by Etro

Last week Beautyqueenuk and I went out on something of a blog event overload. First up was the amazing Ecotools (there is a video of me in the make up chair doing the rounds lol) event in Soho and then onto the Etro Boutique in Mayfair for the launch of Man Rose Eau de Parfum.

To be blunt, after smelling this the other half fell instantly in love with it and while it took me about thirty minutes to really appreciate all of the notes I did find a whole host of other aftershaves from the Etro range but that's for another day. Today is all about Man Rose, a bottle of which will set you back around £105 for 100ml.

The boutique itself stocks super luxury goods and this sits in the higher end of aftershaves in my collection. Sometimes a large price tag doesn't guarantee a lovely long lasting fragrance but in this case nothing could be further from the truth.

The marketing blurbs says:

'Unique and endearing, the Etro ManRose Eau de Parfum was made for a man of timelessness. He is charismatic and gentle, with a deeply beautiful soul. His passion and masculinity blend beautifully together to create the ideal persona for this unforgettably attractive and commanding scent.'

The notes to Man Rose Eau de Parfum are:

• Head: Calabrian bergamot, elemi, pepper and cardamon
• Heart: Turkish rose, geranium, incense
• Dry-down: Patchouli, vetiver, leather, amber and woods

From the notes I would expect a very spicy yet floral scent that has a depth that would keep it on the skin and noticeable for about eight hours. What I actually found was that it starts off with something of a spicy blast but only for a few seconds and immediately the rose and geranium are right at the fore. It becomes incredibly floral I think for around fifteen minutes and it gets really quite warm on the nose. 

After around half an hour this comes into it's own - the floral notes fade back and become really subtle. That takes some of the edge off and the vetiver and amber keep the warmth going. It's a beautiful blend of floral with a masculine base. Without the amber and woods this would have been too feminine for my taste but actually the blend is spot on.

Yes, it has a larger than usual price tag but actually when you consider that it is so potent you'll still be able to smell it on yourself about fifteen hours later then you have a cologne/aftershave that really delivers bang for it's buck. I can see this lasting for months as only a few sprays are needed.

Perfect for daywear or nights on the town it's a fragrance for any time of the day and oozes class.

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