Gmmcnair

This is a difficult review to write. Blue Escape for Men is completely mundane, and is representative of about 50 million, fresh from the shower, aquatic body sprays, colognes, EDT's, etc...you get the drift. It smells pleasant, inoffensive, and would be fine for a cheap, casual fragrance for warm days. I would rate it higher in these respects, but Nautica Voyage is around the same price (Blue Escape is actually more expensive when not on sale at Avon) online, and does everything much better. For those reasons, I value the fragrance somewhat lower than I would if it were otherwise. If you want a casual, office scent, or warm weather scent and you can find a good sale, go for it. Otherwise I would choose the Voyage.

Is it ozonic, aquatic, or what? I would like to know, so I can identify it when I am smelling.

My mini-rant aside, Pleasures opens up with a pleasant burst of citrus, nectarine, and green notes, exactly as the Fragrance Notes above say. I can detect the hint of spice from the coriander, pimento and ginger, and I still get lovely woods and a hint (sadly) of oakmoss. Overall, it's still a very pleasant experience. It's fresh, green, with just a touch of spice, and would make a nice daily wear for the right person.

Luca Turin kind of panned this one (3 stars), saying it was "...above average, but could have been so much better." I would have to disagree with him on this one. I love his reviews, and he has turned me on to some wonderful fragrances, but not a lot that were infinitely wearable like Pleasures for Men is. No, this isn't particularly groundbreaking, but I don't see it having to be. The ingredients are above average in this fragrance, it's well-blended and not linear at all (so it remains interesting to my nose), and, in my opinion, represents good value.

Longevity is quite good with a fragrance of this type, me getting 8+ hours on my skin, sillage is moderately strong (but never offensive), and it has an adequate bottle with a great sprayer (typical of Lauder products). This is a great casual that is inoffensive, very wearable, and doesn't smell like a shampoo or body wash. I would give this a strong 7 out of 10.

No, they don't smell that much alike. However, I have a thing for fragrances with a good dose of pine in them, my favorite for many years being (vintage) Ralph Lauren Polo.

My most recent bottle of Polo has not stood up to reformulation at all. What was once glorious pine with wonderful tobacco and mossy notes has turned into pine cleaner and a dirty ashtry to my nose. As a former smoker, that is nothing I want to smell like. Since then, I have had many affairs, looking for someone to fill the shoes of my now lost love.

One Man Show was simply too much. Quorum was too much, and I didn't warm up to it any more now than when I was 16 (47 now). Krizia Uomo is beautiful but didn't do it for me. There's a bitterness on my skin I dislike. Neither did Sung Homme, although I enjoy it now and again. Pino Silvestre is too medicinal to my nose, and Aqua Brava is lovely but too fleeting.

Enter Aramis Devin. Mine is the Gentleman's Collection and is probably a far cry from the original formulation (I know the current Aramis is a much tamer beast). It's still nice, and while it isn't my old Polo, it shares that beautiful dense smoothness when it dries down. That was what I was missing. Granted, it's nowhere near as intense as original Polo, but times have changed. That level of intensity was borderline acceptable in the 1980s and would be really out of place now.

Back to the Devin, I really like the current formulation. Estee Lauder seems to have spent more time and love reformulating their standards, so, while they are no longer the powerhouse fragrances they once were, they're still beautiful, lighter, and incredibly easy to wear (something that couldn't be said of some vintage Lauder frags). They get a unequivocal thumbs up from me for effort, and for results, especially in the face of restrictions. As always, with this kind of fragrance, I recommend sampling before you buy. It's not for everyone.

Unlike Scentemental, I have tried and used the old MEM version (many bottles over the years). It had a bit more potentcy and swagger, along with a nicer leather note to it, along with what my nose picked up as a bit of floral. It was a bit of a "rough tough cream puff" fragrance, and I loved wearing it as a teen.

Today's version is more subdued, but still acceptable. The leather is muted, and the Dana version is sweeter because of it. I still like it for casual wear, and I still get okay sillage and very good longevity with it. Not bad for a drugstore fragrance. I don't use it nearly as much as I once did, but I still pull it out.

I actually like Adidas Sport Field. It appears to be discontinued, but is still widely available at a bargain price. It's basically a typical 1990's green sport fragrance, but the juniper in this one is actually nice, once you get past the initial top notes, which is also typical 1990s blast of everything except the kitchen sink.

Longevity and sillage are average. I get about 4-5 hours out of this one before it's a skin scent. Your mileage may vary. It's fine for casual office wear, since it's not overbearing (if you don't bathe it in). It can be a bit cloying if you overspray, so watch the trigger finger.

I see this all the time for testers and 3.4 oz bottles under the $10 (USA) price point. For the price, it's a pleasant fragrance for a spring or summer day when venturing out to do errands and the like.