The Cologne Diaries | Jean Paul Gaultier - Le Male Review

The Cologne Diaries | ck one gold -Limited Edition-

11 September 2016

Hey, it's fashion week season but before we get there I really have to show off the new ck one gold Limited Edition fragrance I got last week. It's official release date was today, 11 Sep 2016 and will only be here for a limited time. This scent is bold and super fresh. The exuberant youthful energy is captured by its trendy bottle design and Calvin Klein's current obsession over unisex fragrances that celebrate our radiant spirit.

The fragrance breakdown:

top: fig, bergamot, sage 

mid: neroli, violet, jasmine sambac 

dry: vetiver, guaiac wood, patchouli

This fragrance is perfect for spring and the upcoming summer because it doesn't bog you down for the day. It's a light fragrance that exudes freshness and energy. The vibrancy in the sweeter notes like fig and neroli are grounded by more masculine scents like bergamot and guaiac wood. This is for those who aren't afraid. The famous Ck One bottle is dipped and dripping with gold - it's for those of us who can do no wrong. 

bold. gilded. unapologetic

Thank you Calvin Klein.

The Cologne Diaries - 2 (Calvin Klein) Review

This fragrance has been on my list for some time. Rarely do big houses push out unisex fragrances because in a way, it's harder to market since the demographic might be too big to catch everyone. Watch the amazing campaign below!

The Calvin Klein 2 has been a travel exclusive for a while. I love the visuals - they're fun and refreshing but still modest and not so in-your-face. The duality matches the idea of the fragrance, a perfect harmony of urban and nature. In effect, these visuals perfectly encapsulate the theme and energy of the fragrance. It is about #the2ofus.

The Cologne Diaries - Instinct -Gold Edition- (David Beckham) Review

The first celebrity fragrance for me, and what a great one to start with. Instinct Gold is an exceptionally deep and sensual fragrance for men. The fragrance waffles throughout the night like the bokeh light effect in the ad campaign. The citrusy scent from the bergamot and lemon is backed by some woody notes from cedar-wood which makes the fragrance masculine yet alluring. Perfect as a night fragrance.

The Cologne Diaries - Bang Bang (Marc Jacobs) Review

A modern classic for guys, Marc Jacobs' Bang is updated with a striking blue bottle. With fresh top notes and a woody mid note, the fragrance along with its bottle boasts a confident character. Bang Bang by Marc Jacobs makes a great transition from day to night, opening with a striking and fresh scent and finishing with something more musky.

The most iconic thing about Bang and Bang Bang is of course its bottle design, which almost just tips overs if you're not careful. Bang Bang is a great must-have fragrance, something younger and more playful. The look is confident, cool and a little boastful. Iconic pieces matched up with basics to any summer wardrobe.

1. Emporio Armani Watch   2. Valentino Camouflage Sweatshirt   3. David Yurman Box Chain Necklace   4. Paul Smith Stone Shorts   5. Fendi Monster Backpack   6. Emporio Armani ID Bracelet

The Cologne Diaries - JUST GOLD for Him (Just Cavalli) Review

13 November 2014

Got this in about two weeks ago when it just came out but hello exam period... until now. Just Cavalli's JUST GOLD for Him is a stronger, more sensual scent than JUST for Him. It's a much more mature and sophisticated scent that's not too musky even for summer. According to the designer himself, "Excess is my success," and what better way to highlight this than to have Cavalli's faithful python motif dipped in luxurious gold.

This long-lasting fragrance is much more bold and masculine than JUST for Him and very welcoming because of this. It is a great strong spicy scent and I love the leather base note. It goes extremely well with the ristretto coffee in the mid.

The Cologne Diaries - Davidoff The Game Intense Review

29 March 2014

Winner Takes All. Get Intense.

Extending and building on the foundations of its predecessor, The Game Intense rubs off with a more distinctive touch of luxe and game. For lovers of GQ style, this one is a definite hit. Coty Prestige, with the release of The Game Intense builds on an echo of the classic styles and feel of Davidoff to bring men a longer lasting and sophisticated scent for evening wear.

The fragrance has a medium sillage which is great because it is quite intense and strong. It's something more understated than the overreaching 1 Million by Paco Robanne.

The Cologne Diaries - Bottega Veneta Pour Homme Review

19 March 2014

One of the most exciting higher end fragrances for guys, BV (with exclusive availability at David Jones) is a great scent as a gift. Although some reviews out there say that it is overstated, I disagree and I like it much more than some other 'higher end' alternatives. It's more of a day/morning fragrance in winter (a little musky).

As the first fragrance for men, Bottega Veneta looked towards creating a sensual, raw and sophisticated scent with COTY Prestige. The top note is the most refreshing, with pine and juniper, but I do think that it is an 'acquired taste' in that it would grow on you much more the more you use it. The cologne is a little adventurous like you're in the woods or mountain climbing. The longevity of the scent is hampered by the dormant spicy mid note.

The base note of leather is of course such a key piece for the brand. The leathery note was one of the best among many fragrances in this game.

I loved the marketing for this and the 'specialness' of 'your bottle' because there's a decorative piece of leather on the neck of the bottle. Naturally, every piece of leather has its own distinct patterns and creases - so to use this as a tool is quite ingenious.

The Cologne Diaries - GUESS Night Review

23 January 2014

This fragrance is easily likeable for guys as it's quite masculine and woody. I like the top note - something more peppery but the fragrance itself doesn't last as long as I would like. The middle and base notes are almost not there, or at least I didn't actively notice it after many wears. The pepper is probably most interesting as it's quite a dry and common scent, especially from GUESS - it's similar to GUESS Seductive Homme.

I like my cologne much more interesting because I guess then it becomes associated with me among my friends and I. For a gift, GUESS Night is not a bad choice, going for a safer option.

The bottle design is simple but very interesting. A clear and blue bottle with accents which make it look very modern for a younger market.

The Cologne Diaries - Just for Him (Just Cavalli) Review

10 November 2013

When I heard about the release, I was really excited for it because I love supporting the Cavalli brand. Just Cavalli is great because it's for the younger market with really cool and casual pieces. I love their elaborate casual t-shirts and sometimes dressy shoes. This scent is supposed to be daring and sensual but it's a bit too sweet. I can see ladies liking it more than guys. The best part is the leathery base note. It goes really well with the bottle and packaging design with the snake skin.

It's a good scent and ok for everyday wear although nothing too special. The top note has to be the most recognisable because that's what people smell first. Overall, I was expecting a little more from Just Cavalli. It does look great as a gift however since the bottle and packaging is so great.

I do really like the ad campaigns though. Marlon x Georgia May Jagger. Maybe that's because Marlon is the Chico's bestie (also).

The Cologne Diaries - DARK OBSESSION (Calvin Klein) Review

22 October 2013

Super late entry because uni just got really hectic suddenly (I don't know why, there aren't many assignments due, maybe just the stress of exams). Also, work is quite demanding, I have to go in 4 days a week and the other 3 are at uni. Anyway, I wanted to post this review a while ago.

I really wanted Calvin Klein's DARK OBSESSION when it was released earlier this year because it came with a bag. I think the bag really sold it to me at the time because I needed a holdall and I collect fragrances anyway - but then I missed out. This is my second Calvin Klein fragrance after IN2U for him which was very summery and young. I was interested in SHOCK and I loved the ad for it but I never got it.

For this one, the top note of the scent is quite recognisable and strong. The scent is very masculine. I do enjoy this one but my favourite is probably the mid note. The scent is a bit clearer.

I would have to say that the down side of the fragrance is that the top note is much stronger than the mid. This makes the fragrance feel that it's too strong when you first spray it on but it doesn't last long enough because once the top note is vaporised, the rest is hardly noticeable. To me, it's important for a fragrance to remind me that I'm wearing it. Like having subtle waffles of it throughout the day or at least an hour or two. The lack of longevity of it made it hard for me to write this actually. I wanted to write about it on the days I wear it but I often forget that I wore it or that I couldn't find anything too noticeable about it except its top note. Overall though, it scent is nice - quite fresh and it becomes woody dry.

The packaging is really nice because I love the feel of the matte finish. But DO TAKE CARE OF IT. The bottle got really scratched up by the stuff in my bag (keys and coins etc.) and now I've ruined it :(
It looked really nice with the matte finish before it got scratches all over it. I also like that it's quite flat, so it fits well in my iPad case (yes I often carry fragrances out).

The Cologne Diaries - Spicebomb (Viktor & Rolf) Review

10 August 2013

I was always interested in Spicebomb because of:
1. The bottle design
2. The marketing campaigns and etc.
3. The unique scent.

When I tested it in stores it always felt too different for everyday wear. I love the cinnamon smell but I always thought that it was too strong. But after wanting it for months I got it early this month and wore it today. It's actually sooooooo gggooooooddddd. I'm not exaggerating or kidding at all. I love the uniqueness of the smell now and it isn't overpowering at all or weird, after wearing it the whole day.

The musky-ness is great for winter and I basically recommended it to everyone I saw today. Now the grenade style bottle design is just icing on the cake. A cinnamon cake.

Actually it's like chai latte. I smelled like chai latte. No wait, that sounds bad.. but trust me it's really good. Ok I'll stop now.