Beautykinguk: citrus

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Sunday, February 07, 2016

Eau De Cedrat EDT by L’Occitane

With spring just around the corner what better time to give my thoughts on Eau De Cedrat an EDT from L’Occitane. This came into my collection early last year just before it was launched on the market along with other associated goodies from the Cedrat range.

At £42 for 100ml this is priced at around the same level as Eau De Cade, also from L’Occitane (well worth a look if you are into your masculine and woody fragrances).

This is the description over at the L’Occitane website here:

‘With its striking appearance and irregular shape, the cedrat is an eminently masculine citrus fruit. Its skin thick and rough, it embodies the very rawness of nature – just like the man it is intended for.

L'OCCITANE has placed this mysterious citrus fruit at the heart of its new fresh and energizing range for men.

Discover Eau de Cedrat, our new fresh and masculine fragrance, also at the heart of a daily grooming ritual with an undeniable elegance. In addition to its refreshing scent, this rare and mysterious fruit boasts another treasure: a sparkling pulp with energizing properties. Try our skincare range for an invigorated skin ’

I can’t say I have ever managed to get my smelling tackle around a cedrat, but boy, if they have the power and kick that comes from this bottle I have been missing a trick. The first few sprays of this onto my freshly shaved face come with a little sting, but not as much as I had expected but wow, it’s strong. Had I not known about the top note of cedrat I would have sworn that this was a blend of concentrated lime and bergamot. It was so strong on first application I thought the three squirts from the bottle was way too much but actually it was about right as some ten minutes later the strong, fresh smell had faded so much I had to repeatedly sniff around to see if I could pick up the heart and dry down notes. This had blended so well onto my skin that I failed to detect anything but a light citrus and had to resort to spraying more on my wrists.

While I could for a short period pick up hints of the nutmeg and a touch of spice from the ginger this faded again within ten minutes. Even after a liberal amount to my wrists it was a rather faded citrus with a twinge of nutmeg.

Within thirty minutes I was struggling to smell anything again and feeling rather dejected I asked my other half if I had gone mad. She of course looked me up and down and said it happened years ago (thanks love) and after finally stopping laughing at her own (she says hilarious) joke gave an assured opinion that actually yes, she could smell me, and it was good.

Testing the theory again after five, eight and ten hours after first applying this I got the same reaction, although much more muted after ten. It had faded to nearly unnoticeable.

Launched in February 2015 this is welcome new fragrance to the market in my opinion. It has the lightness and fresh zing that comes with fragrances like CK One but dries down incredibly quick to deliver a masculine fragrance that retains it’s citrus vibe. Perfect for daywear this is an affordable fragrance that should make it’s way into the collection of any discerning gent. Personally I would like to see it less strong on first application and with a bit more heart to make it more noticeable say eight hours down the line but you can’t have everything. My grumpy old grumblings aside this is a cracker.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Saturday, May 16, 2015

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.

RECOMMENDED

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Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Gruhme for Him EDT

It was quite by chance that I was offered the opportunity to try out Gruhme for Him, a new aftershave that I hadn’t ever heard of until a brief exchange over Twitter. When the lovely branded box arrived I was not only delighted with the size of the signature fragrance sample (a 100ml bottle) but also the fact that it oozes style and cool.

Opening the box had that "wow" factor and as far as first impressions go, it was a thumbs up from me, but looks can be deceptive so it was seconds before I had this out of the box and sprayed all over. Now my first whiff of this triggered a whole host of feelings until I finally nailed what it reminded me of (you‘ll have to read further to find out what).

Rather than let first impressions cloud my recommendation I have been using this each day since receiving it bar yesterday when I started tested out a another aftershave. Over those weeks I’ve had the chance to not only get a real feel for the fragrance, but it has also allowed me to get the thoughts of friends and family to it.

If you like how the fragrance sounds, and my recommendations hold any weight at all, then you can buy a bottle direct from the Gruhme website here.

So this, is what Gruhme say about their signature fragrance:

‘Sensual aromatic woody accord with top notes of juniper berry, organic black peppercorn, bergamot, lemon and lavender, a heart of patchouli and cedar, on a base of oakwood amber musks interlaced with traces of cumin, celery seed and petitgrain.

What is Petitgrain? Petitgrain oil is extracted from the leaves and green twigs of the bitter orange plant but was once extracted from its green unripe oranges, when they were still the size of cherries, hence the name Petitgrain or ‘little grains’. Petitgrain is believed by many to calm and soothe the mind, while relaxing the body, perfect for balancing our non-stop modern way of life.

The fragrance along with its packaging has been designed and made in the UK.’

The notes to Gruhme for Him are outlined in the marketing blurb above so I won‘t be repeating them here, instead I‘m going to plough straight into how it smells, how long it lasts and whether it had the effect of attracting or repulsing those close to me when wearing it.

When I first applied this I thought it had an identical hit on the nose with a sharp yet light citrus of the lemon as Acqua di Parma does with it‘s orange citrus, but it almost immediately changed and became heavier and reminded me of the new Sanctum Soho fragrance as the peppercorn and lavender provided extra body. It was light and then so much heavier in almost an instant. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement, and understated this fragrance is as it ticks every box.

Within fifteen minutes the heart notes of patchouli really calm this down and the fragrance oozes masculine as the base of musks provide warmth to this lovely aftershave. That warmth evolves ever so slightly to provide a hint of spice after a few hours leaving one hell of an amazing aroma.

Despite having a heavy base of alcohol this aftershave doesn’t dry out my face or neck, and in terms of lasting power it kicks the aforementioned Acqua di Parma into the long grass. Perfect for daywear and social occasions I have found that both I and those around me can still smell this (and love it) over ten hours later. Whereas other fade into the skin this stays strong and suits my skin perfectly.

At just £35 for a 100ml bottle I can’t recommend this enough. It goes ooze class and will make you stand out in a crowd. I have been raving about this since I received it and will continue to do so. It’s an exceptional fragrance with a value for money edge that sets it above the rest.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Friday, January 09, 2015

Acqua Di Parma Eau De Cologne

Another trip to Manchester, another funeral but it wasn't all doom and gloom, a lovely evening out with my Aunt really put me in the Italian mood (Puccini's in Swinton opposite the Town Hall is amazing). A brief shopping trip on the Sunday meant shopping in Harvey Nicols and in turn, me making a beeline for the aftershave section.

Acqua Di Parma was an aftershave I had wanted to try since February of last year after someone on Reddit mentioned in passing that it was their favourite and gave me a run down on the notes.

Fast forward ten months and as soon as I saw a bottle I knew I had to give it a whirl. The fact that I spent ten minutes talking notes with the gentleman with the tester says a lot about my obsession with all things fragrant. Needless to say, one whiff and I was hooked. £53 was parted with for a 50ml bottle.

Marketed as a timeless, refined Eau De Cologne, which is still created in the same traditional method and with the same original composition since it's creation in 1916. The smooth notes of Silician citrus reveal a rich heart of blooming rose and refreshing lavender, the precious woods offer warm base notes to this harmony of more than ten natural ingredients.

A delicate, fresh and elegant Eau de Cologne that embodies the Acqua De Parma brand.

Now my personal favourites in the cologne and aftershave stakes tend to err on the citrus side, with a few exceptions where they have rich and light top notes that dry down to a warm and earthy aroma. Given the patter coming from the salesman I thought to myself that this would be a perfect fit for me and my skin type.

First impressions in Harvey Nicols were that this baby comprised simply all of the citrus zest top notes on earth and they were very strong, really strong, yes it may initially come across as it leaves the bottle that you have just paid £53 for a bottle of orange rinds blended with lemon zest but almost instantaneously it hits the heart notes and within minutes the entire blend has dried down

As it dries down for around thirty minutes you can pull out incredibly subtle hints of the citrus and lavender and it does get a little warmer on the nose as the dry down woody notes come through, but then nothing, nothing I tells ya.

An old favourite of Cary Grant and Ava Gardner (the salesman had every fact in his arsenal) this is indeed a timeless classic with a wonderful fragrance. Yes, I’m in love with the actual fragrance but this is wear it all goes a little bit pear shaped - the staying power. It has none to be blunt and that is a massive disappointment. Within thirty minutes of applying I asked for a second opinion while out and about to be greeted with “are you wearing any aftershave?”. Not good, not good at all.

Still the same some 98 years on the mantra 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' really doesn’t work here. It needs tweaking so that it simply lasts longer on the skin and is more noticeable ten minutes after applying it. At £53 for a 50ml bottle I expect it to still be wafting around hours after application.

Putting all of my cards on the table I love the fragrance for the first half an hour but then boom, a reapplication is needed and taking the price into comparison this just doesn’t represent good value for money. Six to seven sprays and still no signs of the cologne after an hour. This is not good.

If you can afford to work through a bottle quickly then you probably won’t mind this but for me I expect some form of quality to go with the amazing fragrance and this is sadly lacking and therefore it is the first aftershave where I love the smell but can’t in all honesty recommend it.

NOT RECOMMENDED

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Thursday, October 02, 2014

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?!?)

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.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Saturday, April 05, 2014

Ralph Lauren Polo Blue

Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren was always a favourite of mine in my younger days, and so was Polo (the Green version) but as I got older they slipped into the take or leave it category.

Polo Blue by Ralph Lauren however along with the lovely Polo Black are firm favourites. At the time of first stumbling across it I didn’t even know they had released the product - it’s entire existence was news to me so when it came highly recommended my interest was pricked.

The recommendation at the time was that Polo Blue was a fragrance that would turn the wearer into ‘a pulling magnet’, is a 'fit man smell' and in effect Viagra for women.

After reading the online notes and taking into consideration the recommendation, I parted with £30 for a 40ml bottle of the Eau de Toilette (EDT).

The bottle comes packaged in a rather understated stylish royal blue coloured box. As this is an aftershave in the Polo range the Ralph Lauren Polo Player is emblazoned on the front in silver above the word POLO.

The royal blue looks cool on the shelf next to the other bottles in the Polo range.

Polo Blue mixes a blend of Melon de Cavaillan, Basil Verbena and washed suede.

It’s marketed as a fragrance that will set you free with images of blue skies and a feel of fresh flowing water.

Three sprays of Polo Blue left my bathroom awash with a very strange strong aroma.

It was a very strong fresh smell that was light on the nose.

Hints of melon and cucumber became evident immediately. Within moments it seemed that the fragrance had totally disappeared and I couldn’t smell anything on me.

From nearly overpowering it had vanished……..panic!

As I left the bathroom it was pointed out to me that a smelt different - it hadn’t worn off in minutes. Result.

In the interests of research I sprayed the back of my hand and then went about my daily routine.

Again the smell on my hand seemed to disappear, but on closer sniffing my nostrils were filled with a light citrus smell, lemon and lavender. All of which blend beautifully.

Over an hour and the smell became a little heavier making it more noticeable to me, but the actual citrus aroma remained unchanged.

I wore this from 10 in the morning until 10 at night and the smell remained the same after that first hour.

Polo Blue has amazing staying power and yes, I have fallen in love with it.

So, I liked it, but did anyone else? Yes, I wear it regularly to work and have received several compliments from male and female staff alike.

When I mentioned that it was Polo Blue I was hit with a standard response of “Ralph Lauren don’t do a Blue one do they?”

Three sprays of the atomiser made me smell lovely all day, and from a 40ml bottle I can see this lasting for well over 6 months at a time. Excellent value for money.

Polo Blue is an aftershave for all occasions be it work, a night in or a night out on the tiles. This is a fragrance to suit all, it’s wonderful and I’m extremely glad I was introduced to it.

This fragrance is in the fresh vibrant category of aftershaves along with Joop and Acqua Di Gio.

Launched in 2003 Ralph Lauren Polo Blue wasn’t hyped nearly as much as it deserved. This is an amazing aftershave. It smells gorgeous, will last all day and all night and it will get you noticed by the opposite sex for all the right reasons.

Single men, you will pull wearing this aftershave, you cannot fail……

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Thursday, April 03, 2014

CK One

One of the first aftershaves to grace my bathroom as a teenager and still a firm favourite in what I consider the budget range of fragrances - CK One by Calvin Klein.

Launched in 1994 (OMG, when I was sweet 16), CK One was the first fragrance to be released onto the market branded for both males and females.

In a blaze of publicity it was in my humble yet honest opinion the fragrance of the 1990's. It was seen as hip, cool and just that little bit different to other fragrances on the market. Since it's launch and it's overwhelming popularity, a series of variations have followed from Mr Klein, the first being the imaginatively titled CK One B.

Normally I buy 50ml bottles to keep just for when I feel a bit nostalgic, but hooray, I managed to pick up a full 100ml bottle for just £5 - online I would add and not from a dodgy bloke selling from a suitcase on Brixton market*.

Normally a fragrance will provide notes that give a breakdown of the contents along with details how the product should smell, however, CK One, sticking to it's minimalist look and feel does not provide such information.

The bottle, tall but reasonably flat is made from frosted glass enabling the fragrance to be seen. The liquid also has a green tinge to it giving off the feel of a light, fresh citrus aroma inside.

Five quick sprays from the bottle results in my nose being attacked (in a pleasant way) by a light, soft aroma that is a mixture of citrus and flowers.

The spray itself is rather refreshing on first application and although it has flowery undertones, it still on occasion fill me with dread that I might smell as though I was wearing a woman's fragrance.

After being applied the smell does change ever so slightly. It does become a touch heavier and the citrus smell withdraws with the flowery undertones becoming more prominent.

With the fragrance still being evident after seven hours it does in my opinion for something so light and fresh make this the Volkswagen of the fragrance world.

It's not going to set the world on fire but it's within the price range of mere mortals and available everywhere!

As only a tiny amount is actually required on application, a 100ml bottle will last a good 6-9 months making this extremely good value for money.

Due to the change in smell, I would recommend this to all females as a cheap fragrance with a lovely clean crisp smell ideal for casual wear and use on a daily basis, but it's one of those fragrances that even after the consideration of my nose seems a little too cheap for special occasions.

Guys, well what can I say? Personally the flowery undertones to the fragrance were too much for me and the light nature of the fragrance would seriously put me off using this for anything but casual wear. It's a bit too girlie for my liking, but not entirely a lost cause.

Calvin Klein produce a number of other fragrances aimed at men and to be honest, they are all far better than CK One. In my opinion, CK One B is much more of a balanced fragrance.

RECOMMENDED (just)

Do you have a favourite unisex fragrance? Why not tell me what your personal favourite is in the comments below?

*Post note/obscure cultural reference

This is for those wondering WTF a reference to the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and the Trotter brothers who sold all manner of dodgy goods.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Hugo Boss Dark Blue

It’s rare that I end up with a lemon in my aftershave collection as the notes to fragrances tend to give me an idea of what to expect.

Hugo Boss Dark Blue came into my collection as a gift a number of years ago and it’s still there with just a few inches of the liquid gone. Personally I was impressed by the actual look of the bottle, very sleek, very stylish and shaped like an urn. The bottom two thirds of the bottle being dark blue in colour whilst the top third has a metallic finish. The metal top screws off to reveal an atomiser that dispenses the fragrance.

The dark blue colouring combined with the actual shape are unique and give off a Hugo Boss feel of style and quality.

The notes to Dark Blue build it up as a light citrus fragrance with subtle hints of nutmeg, which should make it warm, refreshing and ideal the man about town. Aimed at a younger more sophisticated individual I took my purchase in hand and went to test it out.

The first thing that struck me was that the screw lid was an absolute bugger to unscrew. The design of the bottle doesn’t allow for any grip at all and even slightly damp hands will struggle to actual get at the fragrance inside!

Five sprays later and I was greeted with a sweet, invigorating citrus aroma that was both light on the nose and refreshing at the same time. Although light and sweet, the fragrance immediately after application came out with warm mossy undertones which can only be attributable to the nutmeg extract giving this a manly smell.

Unfortunately and this is the only problem with this fragrance the smell did not stay the same as it was on application. Within an hour the citrus smell had all but disappeared, the light aroma had started to become heavy and the fragrance resembled a cross between cat urine and rotten cabbage. Not pleasant at all, in fact every time I got a waft of the fragrance I gagged it was that bad and washed it off as soon as possible. This was some six hours later so unfortunately it does have staying power!

Whilst wearing there were no compliments and a number of people did comment on that strange smell much to my displeasure. This starts off with an amazing amount of promise and descends very quickly into an instantly forgettable fragrance.

This was a gift and has only been used a few times – for kicks I let mates use it when they ask if I have any aftershave they can borrow before we head out on the town. This bottle has and will continue to gather dust in my bathroom cabinet forever more.

There are better, cheaper fragrances on the market and I’d strongly suggest you try anything rather than Dark Blue.

Hugo Boss Dark Blue is not a cheap fragrance, it may smell cheap and nasty but at £29 for 75ml it certainly isn‘t at the bottom end of the price spectrum . A 125ml bottle will set you back a staggering £36.

Hugo Boss also produce a range of shower gels, soaps and shaving gels based around this fragrance and based upon my experience of the EDT I won’t be trying them.

One word: VILE

NOT RECOMMENDED

Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Bvlgari Aqva

I always associate Bvlgari with quality beyond comparison. Not only are their watches second to none (I have one and it’s the best thing ever).

My first encounter with Aqva (what is their obsession with substituting ‘u’ with a ‘v’?!?) was in Detroit airport. I made several very unsubtle hints about the need for a new aftershave. For the record, do not believe any comments below that suggest I stamped my feet - I didn’t.

$54 for a 100ml bottle at duty free seemed reasonable, however when it came to replacing the empty I was shocked to find that even online it cost between £45-£50 for a 100ml bottle.

From the box, to the bottle, to the actual fragrance this oozes quality and style.

The box is fairly flat and the glass bottle itself is shaped like a smooth flat pebble (similar to a paperweight) which is black in appearance but shimmers green in the light. A chrome atomiser sits at the top and is built into the round shape making it very easy to hold in the hand and spray, even with moist or wet hands. It fits neatly into the palm of the hand.

Bvlgari Aqva is marketed as an aromatic fragrance with top notes that include mandarin and orange tree leaves with additional notes of santolina and the accord posidonia (a type of aquatic plant).

The fragrance after application should dry down to give a warm mineral amber scent that oozes masculinity.

I have to say that after a quick spray in the shop my first impressions were of none of the above however it was exceptionally pleasant and I couldn't wait to wear this for a prolonged period to smell how it would change, how long it would last or whether it would be the runt of the Bvlgari litter.

Application is a breeze, and only three or four sprays are required to fill a room with the fragrance. First impressions are of a clinical strong citrus aroma produced from the top notes and once it has soaked into the skin and settled for around 5 minutes the fragrance alters dramatically. The strong aroma is replaced by a subtle citrus aroma with undertones of lavender which is very easy on the nose.

After around an hour the citrus aroma seems to disappear completely and the fragrance gives a feel and smell of warm yet subtle lavender and reminds me of open fields and running streams. All in all very dramatic and wonderful all the same.

Not only is the fragrance heavenly, the staying power is awesome.

After Aqva first thing in the morning the fragrance still goes strong 12-14 hours later and the subtle warm lavender is still evident.

In addition to the wonderful fragrance, great staying power and cool design of the bottle I have received numerous compliments when wearing Aqva. Personally I used to use this on a daily basis but have found my eye wandering to other fragrances, namely the new Bvlgari Man but still it’s one I go back to when I fancy a change.

I would highly recommend this for office wear, casual nights out and those special romantic evenings in.

Aqva is not my favourite Bvlgari fragrance, that crown is still held by Bvlgari Extreme but it is certainly better than any fragrance produced by any of the other fashion houses and designers on the market that I have had the pleasure to own.

In summary:

Great fragrance
Long lasting
Cool bottle with easy application
Expensive