Victorinox Swiss Army - Swiss Army Classic for Men (1996)

"use it in cold winter days, then, the cold snowy picture of the Alps in your mind will hit you on the face."

Is there any guy who doesn't like the brand Victorinox? We all love their useful pocket knives since from our childhood don't we all? And now, Victorinox hitting the market with its accessories including wristwatches and fragrances for the last 15-20 years. It may look quite a time, but when you think their history then this is quite recent. Anyway, there is no clear info on who actually produces the fragrances for the Vic, but they were made in collaboration with perfumers Harry Fremont, Fabrice Pellegrin and Jean-Pierre Bethouart according to Fragrantica. What we have is the Swiss Army Classic, brand's first fragrance launched in 1996. A woody aromatic but in a very fresh style.

Swiss Army Classic For Men's blend consist of:

top notes: bergamot, green notes, ginger, mint, yuzu
middle notes: edelweiss, lavander, geranium, rosemary, violet leaf
base notes: amber, balsam fir, musk, cedar wood, cypress

For the character, this fragrance is a close reminder of Davidoff's Cool Water, in terms of lightness, and freshness, not in scent. I'm sitting on the fence when it comes to a final decision about it. When I used it for the first time, I'd thought, "this can't be, what a nice, cooling fresh fragrance". But after then ongoing uses, I could never get that powerful opening again, but rather felt the genericness of the notes and disliked it. The blend wasn't on par with the scent. Now, I'm still indecisive. I wish they had worked on this more.

This could have been a great fragrance but it's wasted. When you first spray it on, it gives a very well blended, fresh and chilly scent reminding the cold Alps. Kinda like a more fresh and chilly Cool Water, makes you think "now THIS is the fragrance." A regular fresh, clean, icy but also masculine scent. For a short time this fresh and light scent keep going. Almost makes you feel the cold snow and the ice under your feet, and the sharp, clean, thin mountain air in your lungs. A wonderful experience. 

But sadly, this theme last a very short time, like a few minutes. And then comes an average scent makes you go "meh." And what's even worse it's one of the worst fragrances when it comes to longevity. Kinda like a "I sprayed and it faded in half hour" scent. If they have made this more concentrated with better ingredients, and keep that opening phase as the main character of the scent, this could have been one of the best male fragrances ever, I can easily say.

In summary, after reading this it won't look good I know, but I still suggest you to try it at least with a small sample. Deserves it. Good scent, badly performed blend. And more importantly, if you'll use it, rather than using it on summer as everybody seems to suggest, use it in cold winter days, then, the cold snowy picture of the Alps in your mind will hit you on the face. 

Silage is average, longevity is quite bad. Fades so fast, so you'll need to refresh it a few times in a day. I'd suggest this to users between 16-35 with no red lines. It can suit casual or formal situations, indoors and outdoors. I suggest using it cold outdoors. Mostly in fall or winter. But you can use it any season in the year as its very light and fresh.

Olfactory group: Woody Aromatic
Scent: good 7/10
Silage: average 5/10
Longevity: very bad 2/10
Quality feel: average 5/10
Recommended: No for long term, but maybe yes for a try.

Dolce & Gabbana - D&G Masculine (1999)

"This is a soft, gentle scent, which always gave me an impression of a gay scent for somehow.." 

 

 

D&G Masculine is a soft type woody aromatic scent launched in 1999. It was created by nose Max Gavarry. Not an uber successful nose when we look his creations. This is a soft, gentle scent, which always gave me an impression of a gay scent for somehow. Also mind you, it's now discontinued. It wasn't a very popular, successful fragrance at all.

 

D&G Masculines blend consist of:

top notes: petit grain, bergamot

middle notes: orange blossom, clary sage, mint, basil, jasmine, caraway

base notes: teak wood, fig leaf, musk, vetiver, cedar

Not a too common blend we see here. There's only petitgrain and bergamot on top notes, and then some fig and teak to soften and cream the base notes. The only problem with this is; all the blend smells quite artificial and anharmonic. But to me its the paradox it has, scent is quite feminine, despite bearing a "masculine" tag. And I'm not talking about a slight feminine scent, it's a so feminine scent, a woman could easily wear it. With this and the syntheticness together I found the blends a loser.

Let's look at the scent then. D&G Masculine has a general scent character as a flowery, sweet lemony scent. But either the lemons sweetness and the jasmine's dominancy make the scent overly feminine to a man's acceptance levels. To me, this  sweet, flowery concept would be too heavy event for winter. Some people accept this as the best citrus scent but for me its so far away from that, when I think there are tons of other much better citrussy scents than this. This was a so so fragrance, but as in most discontinued fragrances, users of discontinued fragrances transform them to masterpieces in their minds when its gone, same case here. So don't be hasty or over excited to get one after reading other reviews. 

In summary, it's kinda a harsh, moderately heavy scent with bad synthetic blend. Definitely not the masculine old school men's scent you'd have imagined despite the masculine badge. Rather; a soft, a bit too musky, flowery gayish scent. Modern was it? Yes. Successful? no.

Longevity is under average and the silage is average on my skin. Tends to fade fast. I'd suggest this to users between 25-45 with no red lines. If you like the scent, it can suit casual or formal situations, indoors and outdoors.  I suggest using in second half of the day. Mostly in fall or winter.

Olfactory group: Woody Aromatic

Scent: under average 4/10

Silage: average  5/10

Longevity: under average  4/10

Quality feel: under average  4/10

Recommended: No, I would not suggest this to anybody, there are better options.

Davidoff - Good Life (1998)

" there are much better Davidoff's out there.."

Ok people, here we are with another review. Good Life, Davidoff''s woody floral musk fragrance launched in 1998. This isn't a well known or popular fragrance but also discontinued. Davidoff is generally known better with its much more popular fragrances like Cool Water and Zino which I'll also write reviews of them in future.

Good Life's blend consist of:

top notes: bergamot, grapefruit, black currant, melon, lavander, fig leaf

middle notes: pelargonium, violet, magnolia, amalfi lemon

basenotes: sandalwood, tea, clover, amber, almond

This is kinda a different, original combination of notes with some rare notes of almond, tea, pelargonium. And we can see other notes are mostly light and fresh ones. So, on paper, good life's blend looks quite promising isn't it? but how does it do on real life? Let's see.

Frankly speaking, I'd gotten this frag with high hopes, for a start; this was a Davidoff product. Also top notes looked very delicious. But it deluded me. First of all blend is not in good quality, some notes feels artificial. As you first spray it, a nice fresh lemon scent comes up, but then soon, another scent; which I cannot describe totally -kinda something like a repulsive wheaty scent - begins to spread. I can't make out which of the notes or combination of notes deploys this scent but, I can easily say it doesn't get good with your skin. Sadly, most of the middle and the final phases of the scent smells this combination. This is a very strange combination that you can only find it maybe one in a hundred fragrance. Almost guaranteed to give you a wry face anytime you smell it. In summary, a bad smelling scent. As I look for other reviews of the fragrance, I found most of the review are not bad, maybe it didn't get along with my skin well. I personally wouldn't want to use this fragrance because of that strange scent dominates the fragrance of the the opening, maybe because of the fig leaf or another note. Even, if the problem is my skin, I still do not think that it's scent is successful or authentic enough to seek for. 

Longevity and the silage are average. I'd suggest this to users 25 and over. If you like the scent, it can suit casual or formal situations, indoors and outdoors. This is not your regular wood floral musk. Not that light and floral. It's semi fresh semi masculine/formal. I suggest using in second half of the day, outdoors mostly. Just know that; there are much better Davidoff's out there.

Olfactory group: Woody Floral Musk

Scent: bad  3/10

Silage: average  5/10

Longevity: average  5/10

Quality feel: under average  4/10

Recommended: No, I would not suggest this to anybody, there are better options.