Eau de Cade by L’Occitane

Fragrance, particularly aftershave is such a personal thing, and while I like the opportunity to test out my nose when trying new fragrances (I try and detect the notes before looking them up to see how I’ve done - hours of fun for the family) I have to say that light and citrus head notes (that initial blast of fragrance) in an aftershave usually mean that I’ll be a happy camper with it. Eau de Cade by L’Occitane has turned this on its head.

My 100ml of Eau de Cade was kindly sent to me by L’Occitane along with a number of other products in the male grooming range. Apparently, when asked if I wanted to sample some products my response of “yes, but can I try something that isn’t overly girly” caused much amusement in the PR office.

Rather than lump them all together I have to say my levels of happiness with the products means that it would be remiss of me not to outline each individually. If you read on, I’ll tell you why - yes, I am a tease… 

A 100ml bottle of Eau de Cade is available here from the L’Occitane website here for £42, which makes it a mid-range fragrance in my collection in terms of price, but as with all things smelly, the acid test is fragrance, longevity and how it reacts with skin. 

This is what they say about Eau de Cade in the marketing blurb (the finest piece of copying and pasting on my part that you are likely to see this side of Christmas):

'The Cade - Eau de Toilette is a spicy, woody fragrance that evokes the dry woods, red soil and hot stones found in the sunny Garrigue landscape of southern France. Top notes of bergamot lead to a generous heart of cedar wood and pink pepper. A base of cade wood and citrus linger on the skin throughout the day. Enriched with essential oils of cade wood and pink pepper, this eau de toilette complements all of the products in the Cade collection, emblematic of L’OCCITANE.

For generations, Provencal shepherds have handed down from father to son the secrets of Cade wood, a symbol of a tenacious character and strong values of tradition and generosity.’

Well there you have it, from the marketing blurb this fragrance shouldn’t really appeal to my nasal palette (I really couldn’t think of a better phrase) due to the warm and woody tones but actually, after getting over the incredibly strong first blast from the atomiser it has an almost addictive property that made me sit and sniff away at my wrists as I tracked how it changed over time.

At first whiff this transported me back to the mid 1980s - I can’t put my finger on it but it reminds me of an aftershave my father used to wear when he was still working for the 5-0 (go me with my street slang, I do of course mean the police). I have been wracking my brain for weeks trying to nail this down to no avail. That said, that initial first blast was so strong it actually had me thinking that I’d literally sprayed myself in liquid wood and moss - heavy is an understatement. If I spray this in the bathroom it seeps across my entire flat - potent! 

Fearing that this fragrance would trail after, and gag those around me I waited a good ten minutes before realising that it had faded dramatically and taken on a warmth that would make this amazing as a winter EDT. The bergamot is really over-riding at first but dries down more of a spicy  

I’m sure I can pick up hints of juniper, if anything it made me crave a gin and tonic (and I haven’t had one of those in years).  

After around thirty minutes you can pick up a hint of spice from the pink pepper, and as the heart blends with the dry down notes it takes on a more rugged scent, it becomes lighter and more subtle yet retains the ability to turn heads for all of the right reasons. 

Three squirts from the atomiser and you are good to go - and this will stay on your skin and remain evident to those around you for a good eight hours at least. It had body to it and longevity that makes it a little cracker in my book and actually really good value for money. 

Eau de Cade oozes those deep, warm woody and earthy notes from every fibre of its being (obviously it doesn’t have fibres being a liquid but stop splitting hairs). This screams “I am man” (from a fragrance perspective), remains fresh for hours until turning into a warm and spicy blend where you can certainly pull out the juniper note. 

I like this, I like it much more than I expected to when I first cast my beady eyes over the notes. Not being one for the heavy and warm fragrances I was surprised by how quickly I converted to this, particularly when using it with the Eau de Cade moisturiser and Eau de Cade hair body wash from the same range.

Personally I wouldn’t wear this on a night out, but for daywear this sits up there with Fahrenheit, Gruhme and Invictus as perfect for days in the office. Your colleagues will thank you for wearing it. 

Go on, pick up a bottle, ewe (feel free to groan, I accept that this is a poor reference to the marketing blurb about shepherds) know it makes sense.

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Ralph Lauren Polo Sport

My love affair with Ralph Lauren Polo Sport started in my late teens when living with a cousin. Her boyfriend was something of a designer label freak, even down to the type of bath salts he used. For all his faults he had one thing going for him, no not my cousin, he introduced me to Polo Sport and actually bought me my first bottle - legend.

Polo Sport comes packaged in a lovely white box with the Ralph Lauren logo on and a mock American flag. Instead of stars on the flag however there are the initials RL (not an ego-maniac much are we Mr Lauren?!?) 

Source

Although minimalist in appearance I like the way it stands out in it's plain packaging.

On opening the box you are greeted with the usual notes of the aftershave. A lovely, solid blue bottle topped off with a metal screw top lid. It looks stylish and wouldn't look out of place in any bathroom cabinet.

Unlike most aftershaves I use, the Polo Sport I have isn't the spray version and the aftershave has to be poured out and then applied. 

In the past I’ve always found this a rather tricky process when late for work or hungover in the morning and invariably I always applied far too much. I’m tempted to have a bit of a reminisce about the good old alcohol fuelled days but alas they are behind me.

As soon as the lid is unscrewed the scent is immediately noticeable. It's a very strong and at times (depending on distance from hand to nose) overpowering smell. Whilst overpowering this isn't a bad thing. 

To summarise my initial thoughts I would have to say fresh - that’s fresh and not the hip and street version - Phresh.

The notes to Polo Sport state that this aftershave has a clean and invigorating scent that energises the skin with natural citrus extracts, soothing agents and protective emollients.

After shaving and applying this product burns. Jesus yes it burns so massive tick in the rammed with alcohol box, but in it's defence it isn't as painful as other aftershaves I've used, in fact the burning tends to subside after a few seconds. 

Once one the skin and after the mild cursing has subsided the aroma of citrus extract are a little over the top, but with time this aftershave becomes very much softer on the nostrils and instead of being a touch overpowering it takes on a sweet and refreshing smell that is noticeable for well over 12 hours at a time. As the citrus smell fades a woody undertone was detected, in fact, after three to four hours the citrus is completely gone and it is a sweet blend between fruit and wood that is a fusion made in heaven. 

As the fragrance is after time far more subtle, softer and much sweeter I find this draws attention from males and females alike, and this leads me to categorise this aftershave as a pulling fragrance.

I wouldn't say it invigorates my skin and it certainly doesn't energise it in any way, but it does smell delicious. This is perfect for day or evening wear.

Polo Sport can be purchased from all good retailers represents excellent value for money at under £30 for a bottle. A little goes a long way and to be honest you won’t be disappointed. 

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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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Polo by Ralph Lauren

Confession time, I stink. Yes, I do, today I’m mainly trailing the sweet smell of Polo by Ralph Lauren and will be giving my worldly-wise opinion on it.

Having already established that I’m a big fan of all fragrances by Ralph Lauren I thought today would be an appropriate time to review the first ever Polo fragrance that entered by collection. 

Personally, I picked up my bottles of Polo from a friend who works in duty free, which means a substantial reduction in price for me - circa £15 for a 59ml bottle. In the shops, you can expect to pay pushing £40 for the same bottle. 

The packaging to Polo is styled in a very minimalist way and is a very pale green with a darker green stripe across the front. Although very basic, it looks damn good sat on the counter and even better in the bathroom alongside all of the other bottles in my collection. 

On opening the packaging you are greeted with a lovely Emerald bottle - it looks cool and for some reason I always tend to start humming ‘ten green bottles’. 

The marketing blurb states that Polo has been created to celebrate the tradition of the sporting lifestyle, blended with notes of wood, leather and tobacco to create a lasting, subtle smell that will have an enduring appeal.

Well, the bit you’ve been waiting for! What’s it like?

After shaving I took the glass bottle in hand and then proceeded to struggle with the lid, as my hands were still wet. I dried my hands and had another go. On removing the lid I was presented with a mixed aroma that was heavy, woody and very overpowering. There was a distinct leather smell, which didn’t do much for me at the time!

As the smell was noticeable when just removing the lid I only applied a tiny amount of the aftershave. As soon as it had hit my skin the smell changed quite dramatically. The overpowering heavy smell disappeared and softer woody tones could be smelt. The revolting smell of leather became more and more subdued the longer I wore the aftershave.

Unlike the Polo Sport, Polo does not have a sweet citrus smell and that’s the only reason I do not wear this fragrance when I go out in the evenings. 

It is similar in nature and in some ways smell to Fahrenheit. It will get you noticed in the street, but in a club or bar, this isn’t the aftershave that will have the ladies flocking to sniff your neck! Don’t get me wrong, this aftershave has a distinctive, lovely smell, but it is more for daytime wear and meals with the “in-laws” in my opinion. Not a "pulling" fragrance and for this the aftershave is going to lose points for that!

Would I buy it again?

Yes and I would recommend this aftershave to all who require it. It isn’t too expensive, it has a large bottle, it’s long lasting and the smell is still evident after 10 hours.

My only gripe about Polo is the actual design of the bottle. It does look amazing, but it is a bitch to keep hold of if your hands are wet and I frequently find myself dropping it!

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Calvin Klein Eternity for Men

If you were to buy a bottle of Calvin Klein Eternity you can expect to pay in the region of £30 for a 50ml bottle of the EDT. All Calvin Klein products are widely available from all good perfume counters in most major supermarkets, but you will find it cheaper online, where you can find this scrooge finding new aftershaves for his collection.

Eternity, in keeping in line with other Calvin Klein fragrances comes in very minimalist packaging that is easily identifiable.

The bottle itself is nothing special, made from glass it’s a sign that this fragrances doesn’t have to do anything special to attract attention to itself.

The notes to Eternity describe it as a fresh, yet warm fragrance containing lavender and nutmeg combined with tobacco!

On first application the aftershave smelt extremely overpowering, heavy and musky with delicate spicy undertones. Personally I could smell a combination of the lavender and tobacco and to be honest, the fresh smell did nothing for me.

Due to the strong nature of the fragrance only a tiny amount is required.

The saving grace for Eternity is the fact that the smell changes dramatically after five to ten minutes. It becomes slightly lighter; the hints of tobacco disappear completely leaving a more spicy citrus scent that is very easy on the nose. Lavender and lemon become more evident and a woody undertone lingers.

Although it does become lighter the fragrance is still evident to the wearer and those standing down wind!

Personally I’ve received compliments when wearing this mainly because it has such a lovely long lasting fragrance that lingers for well over 8 hours. Even though I’ve received compliments when wearing Eternity I would class it mainly as a daytime fragrance or one for a more formal occasion, but definitely not for that special date or night on the town. There are better fragrances to get the ladies swooning as you pass by.

A 50ml bottle of Eternity will last an absolute age, making a purchase at £30 very good value for money and the perfect gift for that man in your life.

Eternity was one of the first fragrances launched by Calvin Klein and over the years the successful formula hasn’t changed one bit. It doesn’t need to. Eternity is for those men who appreciate a mixture of fragrances that combine to produce a consistent and long lasting smell.

Not a pulling fragrance but it is recommended.

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