Perfume Reviews by Wise Owl

Ferrari (Red) by Ferrari

Ferrari by name, but not by natureUnfortunately a very cheap and generic drugstore style scent which does not reflect the Ferrari brand name. What you get is essentially citrus top notes which then dry down to a woody style base. The notes in the pyramid do look quite interesting, but unfortunately I've not been able to detect most of them myself. On the plus side though it's a pleasant enough fragrance, there's just nothing that stands out enough for me to be able to recommend it. Even at this kind of price point you can do so much better. Ferrari do seem to have moved up a couple of gears over the past couple of years or so with the 'Essence Collection' which seem to be higher quality on the whole. So I look forward to taking those for a spin and hope for better results.Pros: Nice bottle, inexpensiveCons: Very ordinary smelling, poor longevity"

Emporio Armani Diamonds for Men Summer by Giorgio Armani

Essentially a lighter, fresher version of the original with added aquatic notes. Quite potent upon first application but this soon fades after the first hour or so. After which it becomes more like a skin scent and as such it doesn't really project. However, it does linger on for quite a few hours afterwards even if silage isn't the best. Opinion seems to vary wildly on the original and I can imagine that this flanker will get differing reviews in a similar fashion. Like it's older brother though I like it and it would be a decent choice for anyone's summer rotation.

Ed Hardy Man by Ed Hardy

A nice but generic vanilla and musk based scent. It tends to stay very close to the skin which may be a problem for some, but longevity is unfortunately also very poor as well. That said though if you're looking for a pleasant but inexpensive scent that's not going to offend anyone then this could do the job for you.

New York by Playboy

Surprisingly good. A very fresh and fruity budget scent which some say is quite reminiscent of Fierce by Abercrombie & Fitch. Sileage and longevity are also very impressive and I tend to get a good 10 hours worth of wear out of it. Overall a very nice inexpensive scent suitable for the warmer weather. And if you can ignore the crass Playboy image, which I suggest you do in this case, then it is definitely worth a try.

Narciso Rodriguez for Him by Narciso Rodriguez

Very much like an up to date, more refined version of One Man Show. Like the Jacques Bogart creation it's a very cold, very industrial fragrance and the grey box and bottle suit it perfectly. Not a scent that i'd imagine would be a big complement getter, but it does have a certain distant and aloof charm to it. Doesn't quite do enough for me to give it a thumbs up, but if you're looking for a fragrance that's a bit different and slightly out of the ordinary then you can definitely do worse.

Funtastic Boy by Benetton

Like most Benetton scents that I've tried this seems to be very one-dimensional and quite cheap smelling. What you get is a strong lemony smell and that's about it. It is however inexpensive, and longevity is good too which are a couple of points in its favour. I personally see this more as a scent for the younger person. Ideal maybe for someone who's just beginning to show an interest in the world of fragrances. To an older more experienced 'nose' it's just far too simple and linear.

Effusion for Him by Iceberg

A light and airy scent with notes of anise and black pepper running through it. Very much in a similar vein to Lanvin's Oxygene. Doesn't project particularly well, nor is it very long lasting. It is however fairly pleasant and inoffensive and would make a decent office fragrance. Unfortunately it is also nothing out of the ordinary and you can definitely get better for the price.

Lambretta by Lambretta

A pleasant, sweet fragrance which combines top notes of citrus with a floral heart. It is quite linear and it doesn't seem to evolve much with the passage of time. However if you're in the market for a cheap warm weather scent and fancy something a bit different from the usual aquatics then this is a worthwhile alternative.

Notes are as follows: -

TOP - Lemon, Mandarin, Citrus Accord
MIDDLE - Floral Notes, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Sage
BASE - Moss, Incense, Amber Woods

Cadillac Black by Cadillac

Cadillac Black is essesntially an inexpensive, less potent Le Male clone. As such it does stay very close to the skin, but you do get an average amount of longevity from it which is not bad when you take price into consideration. If you're a Le Male fan and are after something similar but cheaper and more subtle then this a good buy.

Citrus & Wood by Yardley

This was a blind buy and I was worried that it might smell like lemon funiture polish. However considering the low price and the very favourable reviews I decided to give it a go and was very pleased with my purchase. What you get is a very refined and very classy smelling fragrance. It may be a 'cheapie' but in no way does it smell like it. Essentially it does exactly what it says on the bottle in the fact that it smells of both citrus and wood. Not a particularly helpful statement you may think, but it delivers exactly what it promises and that is never a bad thing.

Céline pour Homme by Céline

The top notes dominate throughout here giving off a lovely zesty, woody and spicy aroma. However longevity is unfortunately poor lasting only between 3 and 4 hours. Such a shame as it really is a great smelling fragrance which is also inexpensive to buy.

Kiss Him by KISS

Probably one of the best bang for your buck fragrances that you'll ever come across. KISS Him is a very dark, spicy and seductive scent which people would probably easily dismiss due to it being a celebrity fragrance. This is a mistake as it makes a very good scent for the cooler months with the added bonus of impressive longevity. If you can put aside the affiliation with a bunch of aging rockstars, and I suggest that you do, then that this is definitely an enjoyable scent and a worthy addition to anyones collection.

cK Free by Calvin Klein

CK Free is a fragrance that promises so much, yet delivers so little. The notes in the pyramid look absolutely amazing; however the scent in the bottle bears little to no resemblance to those notes. That said it's not actually a bad fragrance. It's clean, light and fresh. Unfortunately it's also very generic and very run-of-the-mill.

Fuel For Life pour Homme by Diesel

This is a scent i'd like a lot more if it was toned down a few notches. The raspberry and anise notes dominate above all else and as a result it's very syrupy, sickly and cloying. The woody notes do come more into play as it dries down, but they seem like only an afterthought and the fruity sweetness continues to overpower throughout. On the plus side projection and longevity are fantastic. So go easy on the trigger finger otherwise people will smell you coming for miles around!

Freedom by Police

If clean smelling barbershop style scents are your thing then Police Freedom is right up your street. In fact it smells exactly the same as the blue bottle of Johnsons Baby Bath! All in all a cheaper alternative to the likes of Rive Gauche PH, but in my opinion nearly as good and well worth a look.

Pole Position by David Coulthard

Very citrusy with the lemon, orange and juniper notes dominating. There's also an underlying warm, comforting vanilla presence there which just does enough to take the edge of it. Longevity and projection are both impressive as well; especially when price is taken into account as it can be picked up for ridiculously low prices.

Electric for Men by Storm

A very warm amber scent with citrus notes and hints of spice. Can be picked up very cheaply indeed and I bought a large 100ml bottle for less than £5. While it's certainly nothing groundbreaking it is a bargain at that price and a worthwhile purchase.

Adidas Blue Challenge by Adidas

A fruity aquatic which is very reminiscent of Aqua Quorum. Longevity is excellent and lasts 7 hours plus on myself. Made even more impressive by its cheap price tag and drugstore credentials. A cheapie, but a goodie and one of the better scents from Adidas.

One Man Show by Jacques Bogart

I bought this blind as it was inexpensive and I was intrigued by some of the reviews that I've read about it. So as a result I was eager to try for myself. OMS is a very 'cold', 'gray' and 'industrial' smelling fragrance with monster silage and impressive longevity. It's a scent which is not for the warmer weather as it'd be too heavy and oppressive. Instead it is best suited for the more cooler, overcast and rainy days of early spring or late autumn. All in all a very unique scent which powerhouse lovers should lap up.

Signature by Avon

A sweet, rich and creamy fragrance which to my nose is very reminiscent of Black XS. It doesn't quite have the projection or staying power of the Paco Rabanne scent; however both are above average and are pretty good when the price is taken into account. A good effort from Avon and a fragrance that punches above its weight.

Black Suede Leather by Avon

This is actually quite nice. Not a scent that'll blow you away by any means. What you do get though is an inexpensive and pleasant combination of ginger, tobacco flower, leather and rich woods. Black Suede Touch is the best of the Black Suede family in my opinion, but this is definitely worth a look.

Jet Homme by Avon

A combination of incense and woody notes make this a fairly decent smart / casual cool weather scent. Stays fairly close to skin, and to be honest longevity isn't the best, but all in all for the price this is a fairly good buy. However as inexpensive as it is there are still better all round woodsy / incense frags to be had for more or less the same price. Zihr Ikon and in particular Celine Fever smell just as good but tend to linger on your skin for longer. That aside though if you're a fan of incense based scents then it's worth giving Jet a go.

Uomo Vetyver by Malizia

If you like your vetiver dry and smoky then this is a must buy for you. It may be vetiver on a budget, but in terms of longevity and silage it can put a lot of scents four or five times its price to shame. Don't let the price or the rather cheap looking bottle put you off either, as what you do get is a quality scent which can stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the better known vetivers from the big fragrance houses.

Inverse - Kylie Minogue for Men by Kylie Minogue

If you're a fan of Paco Rabanne's 1 Million and Diesel's Plus Plus then it's a safe bet that you'll be a fan of this. Inverse successfully combines the spicy, blood orange notes of the former with the fruity milkyness of the latter to create a great smelling budget scent. It's not a very masculine fragrance by any means though; so if you're only into macho powerhouses then this probably isn't for you.