Perfume Reviews by Chasing the Dragon

Tonka Impériale by Guerlain

Nice fragrance, but on my skin it turns to full-on marzipan. Way too sweet for me!

Gianfranco Ferré for Man by Gianfranco Ferré

A pleasant surprise, this little gem. Dark yet polite. Fairly dry, but reminds me a bit of the scent of (dark) chocolate-covered orange sticks. Very happy with this discovery.

Aramis Cool Blend by Aramis

Not bad; smells surprisingly similar to the original Aramis. Sort of a lighter, more citrus-infused version. Worth checking out if you are a fan of the original and would like to experience it from a different angle. Between the two, I prefer the original.

Power by 50 Cent

Nice enough, but could've been SO much better. I'll give 50 Cent credit for trying something different in the designer market, but if he had taken the extra risk and tweaked it just a bit more by adding, say, a petrol note (such as that of Fahrenheit), this scent could've been stellar. Instead, it's a fairly ho hum, somewhat generic mall scent. Different, but not all that interesting.

D&G Masculine by Dolce & Gabbana

Inoffensive but boring lemon scent. Unthinkable that D&G would discontinue By Man in favor of dross like this. Whatever. It's a decent office scent. I was complimented on this by a stranger in a supermarket, for what it's worth.

Opium pour Homme Eau d'Orient by Yves Saint Laurent

Opium, jr. Basically a lighter, somewhat more citrus-y version of the original. Like an "Opium Summer", or something. (Not that that's a bad thing, by any means). Nevertheless this is so close to the original that I have to wonder why YSL even bothered. It is a very nice scent, to be sure, but unless you'd like an only slightly lighter version of the original, this is probably not essential. This is good, but I prefer the original.

Euphoria Men Intense by Calvin Klein

Euphoria Men Intense is wonderful. Its predecessor Euphoria Man is totally underrated. I think people get too hung up on the Calvin Klein name and legacy, and so dismiss any scent with Calvin Klein on it as impersonal, uninteresting, etc. Well that may or may not be so, but if so, sometimes that's exactly what you want! Sometimes "American Psycho" is sexy, right? This is one in particular is very nice and I think it should be evaluated on its own terms. I love it. Sorta reminds me of Baldessarini.

Live Jazz by Yves Saint Laurent

If you're looking for a dirty citrus, this is the one to get.

Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent

When I wear this, I feel like a multi-billionaire Greek shipping magnate circa 1981. I should be on a Mediterranean yacht with at least three Studio 54 chicks in 'For Your Eyes Only' - style bikinis, Grace Jones 'Nightclubbing' playing on the radio and mounds of cocaine supplied by my mafia friends. This is the ultimate badass scent.