Man EDT by Hugo Boss

I have a kind of mixed bag history with Hugo Boss aftershaves. I love Just Different but simply could not stand Dark Blue. Thankfully, today I get the chance to write about Hugo Boss Man, an aftershave that has been in my collection for just over two years (it entered the collection as a Christmas gift in 2013).

In the interests of openness and transparency I will at this stage point out that my bottle (pictured below) was getting a bit low and had sat in my wardrobe for some time. Fragrance Direct offered me a sample and I jumped at the chance, receiving a 40ml bottle. Not only could I get my nose around something a bit fresher than my own, it also allowed me the opportunity to test the longevity when stored away for months on end. 

You can buy a 125ml bottle (I have a 100ml bottle) with a gift (it’s a Hugo Boss branded portable speaker) from Fragrance Direct for just £32 here. Until 5 February 2015 you can also get an extra 10% all Hugo Boss products at Fragrance Direct by entering the promotion code BOSS10. 

£32 however puts this squarely in the budget category as far as my aftershave collection is concerned and to be honest, considering how good the fragrance is you can’t ask for better value for money. 

Personally I alternate my aftershaves, I find it a bit dull to wear the same fragrance day in and day out but my bottle took a pounding for a good year and there is still about a fifth of the bottle left - a little goes a long way.

The notes to Man read like a fruit salad, with apple and grapefruit sitting at the top - my initial expectations were of a fresh and light fragrance that warmed on dry down. The full notes are:

• Head: Green apple, Grapefruit and Bergamot
• Heart: Jasmine, Geranium, Lavender and Patchouli 
• Dry Down: Musk, Fir Balsam and sandal

Man dries down quickly so trying to pick out notes and how they blend is quite tricky, you can’t instantly pull out either the apple of grapefruit when it is first applied. Yes, it’s refreshing and the absence of burn when spraying it on is always welcomed, but the fragrance had me puzzled - don’t get me wrong I like it, but if I had to liken it to anything it’s like burying your head into a fruit bowl and taking a long deep smell. If anything, the bergamot provides the over-arching blast of sweetness to counter the citrus.

The balance of the top notes was welcome, but as I said, it dries down almost immediately - after that initial blast you only just get hints of the lavender, making it smell and feel slightly warmer. As it warms you get a very earthy floral aroma for just minutes until it settles down to the lovely fragrance that will last hour after hour. The musk really kicks this into masculine territory and the woody base notes in my opinion could only be improved slightly with a touch of amber.

An utterly unique fragrance, I can’t liken it to any others (which is rare) - it is warm, earthy with hints of a floral fragrance. Nice!

Unlike some of the more potent aftershaves Man will not leave a massive scent trail behind you - yes people close to you will be able to smell it, and from experience 99% of people like it.

So how did my new sample differ from the bottle that has sadly been neglected? They are exactly the same, my 100ml bottle hasn't deteriorated in the slightest, which means that you can have this in a collection for years without the fear that the day you come to use it the smell will leave you gagging. 

Hugo Boss Man is a lovely fragrance that dries down to be uber-subtle making this perfect for daywear, nights out and romantic occasions. It would make a great gift and I am yet to find someone who doesn’t like the fragrance when I wear it. 

The sample was gratefully received, it reminded me of everything that I used to like about Hugo Boss Man. I have a number of favourite aftershaves that I have to decide to chose from each morning - Man has just made my decision making even harder. 

RECOMMENDED

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Givenchy Pour Homme Blue Label

Givenchy Pour Homme Blue Label came into my collection of aftershaves as a gift. Personally I had never heard of this fragrance but I assumed that it did indeed rival the "fit man smell" of Ralph Lauren Blue and Joop. 

Having owned previous Givenchy offerings and personally finding them all to be of a high quality I had no hesitation in trying this out.

I didn't buy my bottle, but you can expect to pay around £22 for a 50ml bottle and £33 for a 100ml bottle of the EDT. 

In brief this is one of those ‘nice’ fragrances in my opinion, it is nothing special to write home about and certainly not an aftershave I would be shouting a recommendation for from the rooftops.

The packaging to the fragrance looks rather refined, but once the bottle has been retrieved the first thing that strikes you is that it looks extremely tacky made up from clear chunky glass and melted down blue biro's. 

The blurb for Givenchy Pour Homme Blue Label states that:

An aromatic homage to the traditional gentleman, reinterpreted for the modern man of action. This fragrance embodies the energy, style and attitude of today's man. It goes on and on, but basically the fragrance should be cool, mixed with spices with woody undertones to give a warm manly scent.

The notes are:

Head: Grapefruit, hedione and bergamot;

Heart: Cardamom, davana and pepper;

Dry down: Olibanum, vetiver and cedar.

When I think of that description of a fragrance I think Fahrenheit with it's warm woody tones and before trying I actually thought this might simply be a rip off of the Christian Dior fragrance. 

One spray of the atomiser dispenses a large amount of the fragrance, and first impressions are of a light citrus fragrance that is easy on the nose and ultimately unique and refreshing - you really can pick out the grapefruit tang. 

It should be noted however that the refreshing feel is replaced by a severe burning sensation - Christ, this burns more than other fragrances when applied after shaving due to the high alcohol content.

After settling the citrus fragrance vanishes completely with warmer undertones coming to the fore. The cardamon and pepper really make this warm and spicy, and I swore that I could detect hints of tobacco and amber. 

Given an hour to settle and this certainly does become more of a manly, warm and rugged spicy musk smell, although it isn't overpowering in the slightest. It's masculine but exceptionally subtle. The fragrance remains faint but is noticeable on clothing and when stationary for well over eight to nine hours.

The actual results of applying this fragrance were not unpleasant, I do like the smell, however I just don't think it suits me personally. 

Initially this is a light and refreshing fragrance but this fades too soon for my liking and I am not a big fan of deeply woody fragrances, they remind me too much of Old Spice. 

Although my wife liked this when she purchased it, she went off it very quickly and it now is only used for casual wear and for around the office during the day, I certainly wouldn't be spraying this on myself if I was embarking on a romantic evening out, there are better fragrances that guarantees the right type of attention. 

At most, only two sprays of the atomiser are all that is needed to give good coverage making the actual product very good value for money. 

All in all Givenchy Pour Homme Blue Label is not an offensive fragrance that will have people walking past holding their noses and judging by the price and bottle design it isn't trying to capture the crown of the more exclusive male fragrances on the market. 

I'll continue to wear it until the bottle finally runs out but I won’t be rushing to replace it. 

If you are looking for a fragrance that is fairly cheap, long lasting and spicy/woody in nature this is for you. 

If you are looking for something light, refreshing and will make you stand head and shoulders over everyone look elsewhere.

RECOMMENDED………….at a push

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Joop! Jump

Launched in March 2004, Joop! Jump was one of the first of the new range as they sought to capture a greater share of the fragrance market. 

Joop being one of my favourite fragrances means that I’m guaranteed a bottle at every special occasion. However back in the day for some strange reason rather then the warm purple bottle of the original Joop I was gifted the warm Royal Blue bottle of Joop! Jump and to be honest I had no idea how it would smell. 

What I did have an inklings of was that it would be a light and fresh fragrance in the same way as the original. 

Source

Available in both 50ml and 100ml bottles of the EDT or aftershave, prices range from £30 for the 50ml and £40 for the 100ml bottle. Joop! Jump can be purchased online or alternatively from most perfume/aftershave counters where I’ve found that you do have to search it out. 

Marketing for Joop! Jump was slack to say the least when first released and I have to admit this isn’t a fragrance I have seen on TV or in magazines. 

The marketing blurb states that this is the fragrance to make you jump out of your suit, established yet unconventional providing a cool sensation yet a uplifting and refreshing fragrance. OK…. 

On closer research I was amazed to find that Jump! Jump actually contains the fragrance of frozen vodka. Result, you too can smell like a pickled hobo on a wet Wednesday! 

The full notes to the aftershave are:  

• Head Notes: Rosemary, thyme and grapefruit 
• Heart: Frozen Vodka, coriander leaves and heliotrope 
• Dry-Down: Tonka bean oil, vetiver oil and musk oil. 

My first impressions on application were that this was a very cool fragrance, after shaving there was no noticeable burn, which is always nice! The lack of burn on application was welcomed as it also meant that any subsequent rash from the burn was therefore not forthcoming. 

Turning to the smell, well that perplexed me for weeks as to what the actual smell was. It reminded me of sweets as a child and the grapefruit and citrus undertones were the most powerful of the main notes. 

Only a small splash of the aftershave was required for good coverage and the fragrance quickly fills the room in a very good way. 

The head notes are evident for well over 30 minutes until it begins to react with skin and alter, and boy does it alter! The coriander brings a warmer sensuous fragrance to the fore in mixture with the light citrus which does fade leaving it noticeable, but not in an overbearing way. 

Again, after a further hour the citrus fades even further, and the heart note of musk oil begin to give the fragrance that added manly smell. 

Mixed with the very faint citrus of the grapefruit, hints of coriander and musk this remains very light but warm making it extremely unique and completely different to the original Joop! 

As only a small amount is required due to the strength on first application, a 50ml bottle when used every day will last for months making it very good value for money. 

In terms of longevity Joop! Jump is exceptionally hardwearing and is still evident after 12 hours. 

I personally loved this fragrance when first released aged 26 (yes, I am sobbing like a baby for my lost youth) but my tastes have changed over the years. Don’t get me wrong, this is an amazing aftershave.

Thankfully the hints of frozen vodka do not leave you smelling like an inhabitant of Wetherspoons leaving Joop! Jump as a fragrance that can be worn for work, on nights out and special occasions. This is another stunning addition to the Joop! family of fragrances.

Despite my own personal tastes changing this gets a high recommendation from me. It’s the perfect pulling fragrance, is hard wearing and doesn’t cost the earth. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

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