Picked this up as a sample, having tried Mugler's Pure Malt and Havanne in the past - and greatly enjoyed both. This one fell somewhat short of expectations, from the note listing, I was anticipating something with a more prominent dark chocolate note - which has not really materialised at all. What I have got, is a pleasant enough peppery, oriental vibe, a slight hint of spice, and the sage is detectable through the middle. It's fine, there is nothing in there that is going to offend or upset anyone, and would likely make a safe fall/winter office wear - but ultimately a bit - meh.

I’ll be attending a family funeral at the end of the month, my first funeral since I’ve developed an interest in fragrance. Any suggestions on a fragrance for such an occasion? Google suggests BDC or Sauvage, which are doable.

Day off and planned a big sesh in the gym, went for something a little easier than my normal stronger scents. This is actually a nice fragrance, needs some heavy spraying, but smells rather good. First released 23 years ago by the legend Pierre Bourdon, whom you might know as the guy behind Cool Water, Kouros & Green Irish Tweed. It's said to resemble Original Santal by Creed, despite being released 2 years beforehand and a hell of a lot cheaper. As an Oriental/woody fragrance its remarkable clean despite the heavy note combos. It opens with a blast of freshness led by mint & lavender. A slight sweetness is added with pineapple which I'm not a fan of, but it's not on your face and it only plays a minor role. There are more notes listed, but to pick em out is a struggle. What you get is a synthetic, laundry clean opening.The Heart turns floral/spicey with Orange Blossom, Violet, Geranium & Jasmine. The base is where the magic happens. A raspberry & vanilla notes appear giving the fragrance a sweet, creamy vibe that many like a good fabric softener. Why it won't take over CK One as my go too gym scent, it's definitely a viable alternative, clean and fresh it will work well in most situations, perfect for spring or autumn. Performance, remember it's an edt, I'm at about 4hrs max with about 12 sprays. Projection is noticable up close, but won't fill the room. It does leave a nice scent trail. I picked this up for about €20 a bargain if you ask me. My Rating 6.5/10 Scent 2 Longevity 2 Sillage 1.5 Y/N 1

Attending an infrastructure and investment conference - need to go in with business-head on, conveying competence etc. This one hits the mark for me in that regard, fresh, clean, projects just enough and on me - has decent longevity too - one of my favourite clones!

#sotd... Drakkar Bleu by Guy Laroche... So this is an update review. Drakkar Bleu has been sitting for 10 months now with hopes of it improving in the performance category. I absolutely love the scent profile on this. So, my verdict after the 10 months of sitting! Nothing has changed! So disappointing... Still a great scent but with only 4 hours of performance. Sometimes the short longevity is all you need. Super fresh and clean fragrance. The spearmint and Bergamot together gives it an excellent fresh spiciness. Even with poor performance I give this a 9 out of 10 for the scent profile itself plus cheap enough to keep reapplying when needed.