Mkpunk

Playboy New York is a nice cheapy but common clone scent but taken in a direction it has never been before. This is Abercrombie and Fitch Fierce, Axe Apollo or Ed Hardy Skull & Roses, and countless other fragrances. But it is one of those with a twist that don't exist in any of that corner of the mass market chick-magnet scent. While it does open like them a lot, in the mid and base, it is as if it was ever combined with Hugo Boss Boss Bottled but in a summery way like say Boss Bottled Tonic or Unlimited. It is an interesting twist on Fierce.

I have to give props to whomever at Playboy fragrance came up with that idea for this scent. I know most times Playboy is sweetened if not gourmand takes on popular fragrances (that are or aren't already sweet scents) but this is really good stuff. It takes Fierce into a new direction and unique enough to not be a straight up clone or dupe. That said the notes to copy Fierce are interesting and very New York with vinyl and aledhydes replacing for fir.

From there, it goes into a nearly Boss Bottled direction with the apple and some slight pepper. This gives it a slight feel of the apple and cinnamon you get with Boss Bottled and its various flankers or smell-alike. It is cemented with a vanilla and tonka bean base. The vanilla and Tonka bean continues the feel of Boss Bottled.

Playboy does a pretty good job while it lasts. Due to the fact that it is Playboy, you get about six/seven hours of longevity but it only projects maybe two hours at a moderate to soft level. A bit lacking considering Fierce. That said it is a lady pleaser while it lasts. My ex-girlfriend loved this on me.

Overall I can give Playboy New York a 7.3 out of 10. If it lasted, it would be awesome because it took a common style scent but twisted it in its own way. It is the best of the Playboy scents I've used honestly. A best of the best in the cheapies.

Angel Men, A*Men, call it what you want, it is good. I originally loved it. Then sadly I found out the Emperor is naked. What I mean is that A*Men has so many similar scents that do it better than A*Men. A*Men is very much a scent that a lot of gourmand copied in some way. Michael Jordan Legend, Cuba Paris Cuba Prestige (Gold), Ralph Lauren Polo Red, Rocawear Evolution, Davidoff The Brillant Game, Salvatore Ferragamo Uomo, Valentino Uomo, Reyane Tradition Wild II, Animale Animale for Men, and a long list of other scents offer what A*Men does in some way. I own all of them so it makes my A*Men kind of redundant. The bottle sucks unless you just get the glass. The rubber "flask" is hard to spray unless you modify it. Also as the more I use it, I find it abrasive. Not with the infamous tar accord like many, but it just comes off super balsamic to me. Rocawear Evolution I find balsamic, but not to this level.

That said, I would say of you are looking for something unique, Amen is just that. Amen is a mix of many different gourmand so it may get you compliments at parties or dates during cooler months, about October/November through April. It's still a powerhouse and lasts at least 10 hours on your skin without showering.

That said it isn't for me and I love sweets scents honestly. Animale Animale for Men is a less gourmand A*Men, Cuba Prestige is a less abrasive A*Men, Tradition Wild II while a near perfect clone of a flanker is very capable in most situations you can use A*Men, Polo Red is less cloying and intimate, Ferragamo Uomo is more welcoming, MJ Legend is very work friendly. You get the point.

I think this is a good purchase if you don't have similar scents to it. It has the unique factor, it has the performance factor, but for me it is too much. And don't get me wrong, I do really like aspects of A*Men

I tested Azarro Wanted and didn't really like iy. Smell wise it was to me the opening of Invictus with the mid of Versace Eros. It is heavily sweet on the base, something I don't find in traditional Invictus.

Performance was the real issue with this fragrance to me. I didn't get great projection nor longevity with Wanted to be quite honest. Wanted instead was a dud after about three hours worth of projection and dies off as a skin scent after seven hours tops.

Overall Azarro Wanted gets a 6.8 out of me. It does what Invcitus and Eros does but nowhere near as good. I rather get either or even both of those over Wanted.

This is a pretty perfect dupe of Invictus. It is a little more Invictus Aqua, but it still is a nice fragrance to wear if you don't want to use up all of your Invictus collection.

The fragrance is said to have only aquatic and woody notes but I swear there are some citrus notes and some jasmine like Invictus but it is obviously synthetic. I also notice basil replacing bay leaf like in Invictus.

Cuba Winner suffers from some typical performance issues with Cuba fragrances. That being less projection and slightly less longevity than the comparison scent.That said if you can find Cuba Winner wherever, try it or buy it even if you can't test it.

Overall I rate Cuba Winner a 7.6 out of 10. It is a solid Invictus dupe that performs more inline with Invictus Aqua. I wouldn't say replace Invictus Aqua for this but it can work as an alternative option to it like Hawas.

In a few places I have heard that this is a Versace Pour Homme or Chanel Allure Homme Sport clone, but this really isnt. If it is close to anything it is Allure Homme Sport Cologne with a little bit Perry Ellis for men 2013, but even still, it is a bit of a stretch.

The fragrance opens up with some of the most bitter orange (which isn't a listed note) you will ever smell. It is super off putting and for some reason it just don't go away until it becomes a skin scent. From there after the blast, it dies away to a skin scent that smells alright but is common place for similar scents.

I normally love Cuba fragrances, but this one is horrible IMHO. It is one that should be skipped and I wonder why it was even made in the first place.