Polo Blue Parfum
Ralph Lauren (2022)

Varanis nailed the similarity to AdG Profumo. Especially in the dry down, which is really nice.

Up top it’s very green to me. Less bright than AdG but certainly fresh. And spicy. I didn’t like it too much at first spray but it improved over the course of the day. Especially once the incense kicks in.

This smells “grown up”. It’s got more balls than the others in the line. This could do very well as an easy reach in all seasons. And the bottle is beautiful.

Probably the best performance for a Polo since the OG in ‘78.

*FYI, the picture here shows the wrong bottle.

You don't really need this, but it doesn't suck. I could stop right there if I wanted to be cute, but thankfully I have more to say than dismissive one-liners. Polo Blue Parfum by Ralph Lauren (2022) is basically another stab at Ralph Lauren trying to be Chanel or Dior, by turning its best-selling Polo Blue (2002) line into a full-range, like it had done some years earlier by introducing Polo Blue Eau de Parfum (2016). There wasn't much going on except further refinement and thickening of the overall scent with the eau de parfum, and likewise that is what you get here with the parfum, although the very-2000's ozonic fruity aquatic element of the OG Polo Blue is still here. Personally, I never saw the need for the stronger variants as they sorta take something away in the process of adding heft, outside the Polo Blue Gold Blend (2019) which actually did a neat twist on the original formula.

The opening is much darker than previous Polo Blue iterations, and it's a bit surprising to be honest. With this one, the expected DNA of the dry salty watermelon over leather vibes that remind one of crisp new dollar bills comes only later on, while the opening gets on with beefed up spicy notes of pink pepper and cardamom. The ozonic contingent is clearly there after a while though, and soon, the more-traditional barbershop notes of the gold blend are brought over here to the parfum as well; so expect some geranium, lavender, and sage for a slight bit of aromatic weight. Barring ownership of the Gold Blend flanker, I can see someone using this as the upscale alternative to the old eau de toilette. Base notes are more or less patchouli and norlimbanol, meaning Ralph Lauren is once again gunning for Giorgio Armani's Acqua Di Giò pour Homme (1996). but this time it's Acqua Di Giò Profumo (2015) being aped. Performance is outstanding.

There isn't a whole lot to add here, outside of Polo Blue Parfum effectively being the Acqua Di Giò Profumo of the Polo Blue range, with some remixing between Polo Blue and Polo Blue Gold Blend to make an iterative creation from veterans Carlos Benaim and compadre Pascal Guarin aver at IFF. Yep, you don't need this if you have anything above, and once again, it doesn't suck. Is that really enough for the more discerning buyer these days? No, perhaps not. Although, I'd venture a guess that Ralph Lauren isn't trying to pull in the same sort of customer who knows that options beyond the Macy's counter or their local Walgreen's exist, if that customer in the age of smartphones is still lurking out there like a Luddite among over-informed technophiles. Sample and decide for yourself, but I'm good staying on the bench with this one. However, there is nothing particularly wrong here either, so I give Polo Blue Parfum the go-ahead for fans of the brand. Thumbs up