DPArtist

As many may know Sauvage is the French word for 'wild' (this is it's most common meaning, it can also mean 'savage', 'feral' or 'uncivilsed' among other things). Apparently 'asad' is an arabic word for 'lion'. Do you see connection here?

I honestly blind bought this fragrance after reading that it was a clone or 'inspired-by' fragrance for Dior Sauvage Elixir, the latest and rather expensive offering from this line by Dior. Unlike the previous versions of Sauvage which I quickly grew tired of, this evolution of the line captivated me, I was surprised by the substitution of the strong pepper notes of the predecessors for a mix of different spices, particularly nutmeg, cinnamon and something similar to aniseed or anise.

I don't allow myself to spend the kind of prices Sauvage Elixir retails for on a fragrance so I decided to take the plunge with Lattafa's more affordable option instead. Well, I wasn't disappointed. Asad was most surely inspired by the Dior, of course it's not 100% alike but there's no denying the similarity. I find the opening of Asad a little less remarkable or 'bright' than Elixir's, but I don't mind this too much as even though some character is perhaps lost, I find the drydown to be the nicest part!

In many ways Asad is like a toned down Sauvage Elixir*, it may not be the 'lion' compared to the Dior but it is in comparison to many other fragrances out there, certainly a little different, a little 'wild'. Anyone who likes spicy masculine fragrances which have both warmth and freshness, scents which have an unusual swagger about them should check this out (try DS Elixir in a store to get an idea what this is about as I don't think it's for everyone).

*Performance is still above average for me.

I've owned a bottle of this for a while now, after previously having a sample, so it wasn't a 'blind buy'. For some reason though I'm not sure how I really feel about it on a personal level, even if I think it is a brilliantly made modern masculine scent. I think it's one of those fragrances that could really divide opinion, the first one which comes to mind is l'Eau Bleue d'Issey Miyake, which while they don't smell the same (l'Eau Bleue is decidedly more herbal and dry) neither is the type of scent everyone will appreciate, they're not crowd pleasers and in an olfactive sense they should appeal to similar tastes (and those who like the original Kenzo pour homme) even if this Kenzo has a slightly more modern touch.

Despite the fact I'm not sure how I feel about Kenzo Intense (as I'll call this), the first time I smelled it I was entranced, I couldn't stop smelling it. It's been the same ever since even though something about it sometimes gets 'too much' at the same time! This is strong stuff, for me a little goes a long way and it's extremely longlasting, particularly on clothing.

Rather than any specific notes Kenzo Intense bombards the senses with a curious mix of fresh salty oceanic air, an exotic touch, some green vibes and woods, it's not light & airy. It kind of comes across as sweet & savoury at the same time, not sweet as in a sugary gourmand scent but, and this might sound weird kind of 'pickle' like! I remember Ash (Gents scents) said in his Youtube review that his wife hated this & said it smelled of pickles, I wasn't sure about that back then, but sometimes it does comes across that way to me too, strangely not in a bad way though! It's an interesting fragrance, I do like it but right now at least can't bring myself to 'love' it as something I want to wear all the time.

The closest description in relation to others scents which I know is; imagine a strange experiment where you mix Azzaro chrome Aqua, Kenzo Homme OG, Fusion d'Issey and maybe even a touch of Lalique Encre Noire you might end up with something like this. Maybe. Kenzo Intense is a modern, powerful scent which won't appeal to all - I think it'll drive some people wild as much as it'll repel others but it's a unique & strong release by Kenzo, definitely in keeping with the 'mood' of the original and much loved Kenzo pour Homme.

D.P. November 2021

PS; the presentation is superb!

I owned this many moons ago a long time before I got into fragrances in a big way and I've recently purchased a bottle to use as a kind of versatile easy reach fresh aromatic scent for when I'm not sure what to wear, don't feel like wearing something too complex or just want a simple easy-going scent.

Make no mistake this is an inexpensive supermarket fragrance found here in France next to the deodorants and shaving foams. I don't think it's an exact clone but it does remind me a lot of Azzaro Chrome but with a more pronounced lavender note which recalls Calvin Klein CK Be. I just really like the way this smells, sure it's not going to win any awards, it's surely not an expensive smelling scent but it's extremely likeable, at least to my nose. Projection soon becomes soft after a slightly boisterous opening and we're left with a pleasant lavender & modern musk maybe with a light touch of nutmeg/cardamom.

Simple, clean and extremely inexpensive (I paid less than 6€ for 100ml), cheapo bottle and packaging and yes it's not a masterpiece for sure but I doubt many would hate this one, could make a decent fragrance for sports (for those who wear scents) and paradoxically something to wear on those lazy days when you just want to put your feet up and chill.

Scent: 7.5 (for a cheapo it's not bad!).
Performance: great for the price, but might need to re-spray after an hour or two to give it more oomph.
Essential?: no of course not but worth a try for the price for a simple informal, fresh but versatile scent.

I've only owned this for a short time but with three full wears I've come to the conclusion I learned all I need to know about this one, because, just as with the other fairly recent Davidoff release 'Cool Water Intense' this is quite a simple fragrance and that's not always a bad thing, even if I'd had hoped for a little more from Run Wild.

First things first I feel this has been kind of unfairly trashed but then again I do understand some of the criticism I suppose. Make no mistake, as with CWI Run Wild is aimed at the more youthful segment of the market. This fragrance is most definitely of the 'now' or (relatively) recent trends in men's perfumery. I've heard people mention a similarity with V&R Spicebomb Nightvision, I don't really remember that one as I only smelled it once but really to me, Run Wild is like a lighter, less sweet/cloying 'Invictus type' scent but with a slight green hue. I think that maybe Clavin Klein's Truth for Men was an inspiration here for that green touch but RW also makes me think of some fruity boiled sweets I've had in the past, but this is definitely not a sugary gourmand fragrance,, it's more like when you smell someone not far away sucking on a green boiled sweet, there's not much to evoke evergreen forests here despite the listed fir note.

I was hoping for a bit more bite with this one, a bit more personality, it's not very memorable but it's at least far from horrible. It's still usually winter weather where I live but the last few days have been strangely spring-like and Run Wild was very pleasant to wear, pretty strong at first but quickly pulls in closer to the skin, longevity seems OK though, especially for a light scent. Strangely on the later dry-down I get a slight vanillic note, kind of like the one in Armani Stronger with You (of course much lighter here!).

Run Wild is far from another classic for me but it's also far from being a complete dud, worth a try for a simple, pleasant, modern/youthful everyday scent on those days when you don't want an invasive fragrance. Honestly I would've been disappointed had I paid full retail but for around 20 euros for 100ml I don't feel too hard done by with this stuff. Nice bottle and cap too.

It's been a while since my last review and for some reason I've decided to write about a fragrance which didn't really move me too much (indeed not enough to keep hold of my bottle) but at the same time I still think it's a solid release by Davidoff.

I don't 'really' want to get into the whole 'it's just not Cool Water is it?' debate as I can see both sides of the argument, but I shall do just briefly! Cool Water Intense could be seen as a re-imagining, a versatile masculine scent modernised for today's perfumery styles (and tastes), or it could be looked at as an error of judgement by the brand when it should really have been given a standalone release. Well, I've got to say, I can understand why the brand chose to stick with the ever popular, numerous flanker spawning CW, which is almost a brand unto itself as this move guaranteed them a lot of interest. Seeing as they didn't give it another flanker name (as with Wave, Deep, Night Dive, Summer and so on) I believe they wanted it to be like a modern interpretation of CW, a popular men's designer scent to appeal to a large new audience, a new generation. They were surely not trying to reinvent men's perfumery here but simply put out a new Cool Water to appeal to fans of the modern so-called 'blue fragrances' as well as the sweeter accents in masculine scents these days.

Well, having owned and experienced CWI I think the brand succeeded in their mission, despite some fans of the original EDT being left scratching their heads somewhat and frankly disappointed. This is a solid fragrance which really doesn't do the Cool Water name a disservice, just that it is a completely different scent which surely won't leave such an impressive legacy as it's grandaddy did in the 1980s.

I really liked the first instants of the opening blast, a sunny, citric brightness which alas almost immediately vanishes just as an extremely familiar (over-familiar?) sweet fruitiness comes into play. I didn't smell any coconut but as some folk have pointed out, it's the coconut water which is listed as a note here and that no doubt gives this a different spin on things. There are surely more than the three listed notes but at the same time CWI does come across as a remarkably simple fragrance, it is a nice one though! A very appealing fruity, amber concoction, extremely likeable with both a freshness and warmth to it. Only after wearing it for a day I realised it reminded quite a lot of the fairly recent L'Homme Rochas, though to my nose that one has a brighter citrus opening and more prominent cardamom, they do dry down to be quite similar.

I would've probably kept this had I bought it a year ago but I'm being very strict with myself these days, only keeping hold of scents which either immediately win me over or I feel might grow on me more. As decent as CWI is, it just didn't wow me and kind of lacked originality (being very subjective here!). I also think it has a lot of competition for the type of scent it is but I recommend trying it out for sure. This could be a solid pick for those just starting out in this hobby or someone seeking a simple, fairly sweet, modern, versatile, people pleaser (no harsh citrus or aquatic touches here!) with good longevity.

Scent (subjective rating) 6.75
Scent (objective rating) 7.5