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Herrera for Men (Carolina Herrera) [fragrance review]

Raul — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:00:35 +0000

While I have been a guest host on Lip Gloss and Laptops a few times (the podcast/blog headlined by my good friend Airdrie Miller), talking mostly about colognes and the male perspective on the cosmetics and beauty industry, it’s been a long while since I wrote about a fragrance. And when I saw a Twitter exchange between Meg Fowler and Amber Naslund about fragrances, I thought about the one that I find unique to me: Herrera for Men by Carolina Herrera.

Normally, when I am sent a cologne for review, I am also provided with a writeup including the high, medium and base notes. In the case of Herrera for Men, I don’t have them, but I’ve read other reviews that mention them. From the product description available on Amazon:

Launched by the design house of Carolina Herrera in 1991, HERRERA by Carolina Herrera possesses a blend of fresh citrus, tobacco, musk and amber.

From the Carolina Herrera website I found the following notes about Herrera for Men: fresh aromatic top notes: natural neroli, lavender and rosemary. Spicy green middle notes. Base notes of sandalwood, tobacco leaves and amber.

A base note of tobacco leaves along with the sandalwood and amber provides the element of elegance and sophistication. While some websites seem to think Herrera for Men is a casual wear kind of fragrance, it’s not. It’s a “night out on the town” or “I have an important meeting and want to smell nice” cologne.

I have reviewed many other colognes on my blog, for a few samples see my reviews of Euphoria for Men (Calvin Klein), Tokyo (Kenzo), La Nuit De L’Homme (Yves St. Laurent), Envy for Men (Gucci) and L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Intense (Issey Miyake) and Eternity for Men Summer (Calvin Klein). But no matter however many colognes I try, I always settle back on Herrera for Me. It’s MY fragrance (it’s the one that makes me feel ME to a T).

Do you have a particular fragrance that defines you?

Envy by Gucci for Men (cologne review)

Raul — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:00:24 +0000

Envy by Gucci for Men is perhaps one of those “I would not believe this is a fragrance you would use, Raul” scents. With a top note of cardamom, a middle note of patchouli and a base note of cedar wood, Envy for Men feels sometimes a bit too floral for me, until it hits the base notes (woody, reminiscent a bit of forests). The middle notes are particularly floral (you can perceive a bit of rose and jasmine), and from my experience, the base and middle notes can smell particularly good on a rainy day (fresh smells coming out).

That’s probably why I have chosen to use it on days I teach – it’s an elegant scent (perhaps suited more for an evening outing), and it’s well fit for a Vancouver rainy day. Envy by Gucci for Men usually retails at $60 for the Canadian market, plus taxes (50 ml bottle).

Disclosure: Every single bottle of Envy by Gucci for Men I have I’ve bought it myself. I just enjoy writing cologne reviews and share my view points with my readers.

Oscar de la Renta Pour Lui (fragrance review)

Raul — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:10:43 +0000

I remember when I would see my brothers head out to their high school and my Mom would spray a little bit of fragrance on them as they would leave the house. My brothers weren’t really keen on wearing colognes, but they really took well with one particular scent: O de la R Pour Lui’s top notes include juniper berries, lavender, galbanum, basil, caraway, sage, anise and bergamot. I wouldn’t use Oscar de la Renta Pour Lui for a summery day, as the top notes are extremely overpowering, in particular the lavender, sage and bergamot. Middle notes in this cologne include cyclamen, carnation, patchouli, cinnamon, vetiver, cedar and geranium, very much on the floral side.

Base notes in this scent include a very strong sense of leather, sandalwood, musk and oakmoss. Contrary to what my brothers used to wear Pour Lui for (school), I have found myself most comfortable using Oscar de la Renta (in general, and Pour Lui in particular) at night. It’s a bit like La Nuit De L’Homme by Yves St. Laurent. An excellent scent at night, even if it was launched almost 30 years ago. Wow, time goes by fast!

Eternity for Men Summer

Raul — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:45:23 +0000

The original version of this post appeared on Lip Gloss and Laptops – you can read it here

While I was completing my undergraduate degree in chemical engineering, my parents helped me decide which cologne would be my ‘trademark’ fragrance, the one aroma that everyone would associate with me. I remember clearly that as I transitioned from the core courses in chemistry, physics and math that everyone doing a B.Sc. would need as a basis for their individual undergraduate degrees, I started taking more chemical engineering-specific courses. These would include Separation Processes I, which was taught by a female professor who (like me) loved perfumes. That semester, I transitioned as well to the next in a series of colognes created by Calvin Klein. I had already tested C.K. and Obsession for Men, and so it was the turn for Eternity for Men. I fell in love with it.

I’ve continued to use Eternity for Men (Eau de Toilette) after graduating, on select occasions. And now that Calvin Klein has released Eternity for Men Summer, I decided to try it out. In contrast to the other CK fragrance I tried, the scent in Eternity for Men Summer does not fix as well on my skin as CK One Summer does. This is kind of sad, as the top notes of ginger and grapefruit (as well as a bit of passion fruit and a slight hint of melon) are easily detectable, but the lower notes of driftwood, amber and musks (creamy) tend to fade after a few hours (which wouldn’t happen with CK One Summer).

I have consistently tried Eternity for Men Summer every day I’ve been teaching, and the fragrance seems to be a hit. It’s a fresh, breezy, sweet and summery cologne and one I can easily recommend, hands down. I just wish it didn’t fade as much after 4-5 hours! Retails for around $ 75.00 CND plus tax.

This is a republished version of my Lipgloss and Laptops review. For the original post, click here.

CK One Summer (fragrance review)

Raul — Sun, 09 May 2010 16:45:37 +0000

This is a republished version of my original review on Lip Gloss and Laptops. You can read the original post by clicking here.

I have to admit I’ve been always wary of anything “summer”, particularly when it comes to colognes. For me summer was usually the period of my life when I would work like crazy (in my chosen field during undergraduate, chemical engineering). Of course, I would work outside of school in my extra-curricular activities but I didn’t think I had enough time to go out and enjoy the summer, let alone try out a new cologne. This summer, I’m trying two. Actually, this spring as a matter of fact. I have recently tested CK One Summer and Eternity Summer for Men, thanks to my good friend Airdrie, whom as you know is the host of Lip Gloss and Laptops. I have done a few cologne reviews here, including my most recent one – Kenzo Power

I am, without a doubt, a CK boy. If you ask my Mom which fragrance did she remember me by, before I settled on Herrera for Men, she would definitely name one of the CK fragrances. I clearly remember I was finishing my 5th semester of chemical engineering when I decided I’d start using Eternity for Men. I’ve gone through all the CK fragrances – CK, Eternity, Euphoria, Obsession, Truth. All. Of. Them.

Before heading out to UBC this past Monday, I tried CK One Summer on my skin. The fragrance itself is definitely summery, light, fresh and entirely free-flowing. As soon as I tried it on, I could feel the top notes (watermelon, lime, pear). The middle notes include verbena and water lily, but it was harder for me to smell them. The base note has patchouli, akin musk and vetiver as well as cedarwood (both of which gives it the ‘masculine’ touch – wooden notes).

I definitely think that CK One Summer is going to be one of my two fragrances of choice this Summer of 2010. They both had a good ability to attach to my skin. It’s a cologne you can wear in the outdoors, to a social function or even to your office. I would feel confident to wear this cologne to UBC, as I am sure my students will enjoy the smell of this cologne these last few days of the term.

The Perfume Shoppe (Sinclair Centre)

Raul — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:41:09 +0000

I think that, for all the hype about the business that the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games are supposed to bring to Vancouver, not many new customers have been dropping by Sinclair Centre, located literally half a block away from the IBC. It always amazes me that Vancouver has so many gems and people keep not knowing about them.

Sinclair Centre in downtown Vancouver (at 757 West Hastings) is the home to a gazillion fantastic little shops. The Perfume Shoppe is one of those gems. Located at the top of the second floor of Sinclair Centre, The Perfume Shoppe is owned by Nazrin, a lovely lady who took the time to show me a variety of very non-standard, rare fragrances. Her shop reminded me of Paris, and its parfumeries. I tried a couple of scents and we discussed the notes of what I like wearing, and I was positively impressed with Nazrin’s vast knowledge of the perfume world.

You won’t find your run-of-the-mill Carolina Herrera or Gucci fragrances here, but you may not want to, anyway. The Perfume Shoppe is a place where I would come to do what it took me 4 years of my undergraduate chemical engineering career to do – to find my perfect cologne. Right now, after having tested a variety of Kenzo, Calvin Klein and Issey Miyake’s, I have decided to go back to my Carolina Herrera for Men. But once I have the kind of cash you’d need to buy these rare, exotic and fantastic perfumes, I will go back to The Perfume Shoppe and ask Nazrin to find me the right scent for my skin.

I would recommend a visit, most of her customers are international and she has a website, but the parfumerie is absolutely exquisite.

Kenzo Power (cologne review)

Raul — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 05:29:25 +0000

This is a review I did as a guest writer for Lip Gloss and Laptops. The original post is here (thanks Airdrie for inviting me to review this fragrance!).

In previous episodes of the Lip Gloss and Laptops podcast when I’ve been a guest host, I have reviewed a couple of colognes alongside Kerry-Anne and Airdrie. This time, I am reviewing Kenzo Power, again another cologne from the Kenzo family that is not the one I normally use (L’Eau de Kenzo Pour Homme) – this cologne is Kenzo Power. The first time I tried it I went out in the evening. As soon as I sprayed a little bit, I was reminded of two other fragrances I have used before: Farenheit 451 and Tuscany (by Aramis). The high notes, same as Tuscany, include bergamot, coriander and cardamom. These aromas alone are enough to overpower any sensitive nose. I’m not someone who is easily swayed away, or overpowered. But I definitely did feel that Kenzo Power was a tad too strong.

When I first used Tuscany by Aramis (which shares the bergamot high note and a coriander middle note with Kenzo Power) I remember I thought of myself as someone powerful and strong. This vivid sensation was re-ignited when I tried Kenzo Power. I tried it a second time for an afternoon gathering, and tried a little bit less of the fragrance. While still a tad overpowering, Kenzo Power was better this time, and I had a chance to smell more in-depth the base notes (which include cedar wood). This cedar-y aroma makes Kenzo Power a great fragrance for outdoors gatherings, as well as quiet evenings at a local modern lounge.

Overall, I probably won’t be using Kenzo Power for my day-to-day, consulting and teaching activities. But I’d be more than happy to use it for an outdoorsy evening, or a night at a club.

This cologne review was not paid for, I have received no payment to write it. I have previously reviewed colognes on this blog, in particular those from the Kenzo house. Should you have any concerns or questions, feel free to inquire via my contact form. Also, if your company is interested in providing samples for review, contact me as well. Please be aware that providing a free sample does not constitute in any way, shape or form an unqualified endorsement nor does that guarantee that I will provide a favorable review. At all times, I retain editorial control.

L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme Summer Glimmer (Cologne review)

Raul — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:12:26 +0000

I am rarely confused when it comes to fragrances, but clearly, Issey Miyake has the ability to blindside me without much trouble. I walked into a retail store recently browsing the spectrum of Miyake colognes (I own L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme) and came across the Summer Glimmer version. However, on the Miyake site, I couldn’t find it.

I am a big fan of Issey Miyake fragrances because I find that they suit my epidermal chemistry, as I have mentioned before. Recognizing the high and medium notes for Summer Glimmer is not that difficult as you can smell a hint of lavender, a substantial component of floral and aquatic, and some citrus notes (green). The beef I have with Summer Glimmer is that it doesn’t really differentiate itself much from say, a Kenzo Pour Homme, or a summery Colors by Bennetton even. Surely, L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme does have the Miyake touch (strong base notes with some wood and substantial freshness in the middle notes) but I wasn’t delighted.

If I were to choose a Miyake cologne, I would still go back to my trusty L’Eau D’Issey (the traditional edition). I grew more and more frustrated with Summer Glimmer as the hours went through because the weather was a tad too hot and I felt my nose overpowered. If I want an all-day cologne, I can always trust any of the Miyake scents but I am slightly wary of using Summer Glimmer again. I had a similar reaction to the Intense version of L’Eau D’Issey.

Disclosure: This review is in no way, shape or form commissioned by Issey Miyake nor any of its affiliates. I love all Miyake scents and I love reviewing products and in particular fragrances that I own or have used. I did not get paid for the review, nor did I get any free samples of the cologne

Writing cologne reviews like a pro

Raul — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:10:47 +0000

I don’t think anyone has written a detailed standard procedure to write reviews of colognes or perfumes, despite the fact that there’s thousands of reviews out there. I have been looking for standardized write-ups simply because I enjoy uniformity and standardization. I would have liked to be able to follow some sort of guideline when I write a cologne review. Since none of the websites I explored provides a specific guide on how to write reviews, I went and researched the elements that I know comprise most cologne reviews – the description of the three types of notes in a scent (high notes, medium notes and base notes). Wikipedia was helpful but not perfect.

The Wikipedia article on perfumes indicates that fragrances should be described in terms of “notes” (which are harmonious with one another, like a musical melody). I choose carefully my base notes as my skin retains scents a lot)

Top notes – the first impression of a scent, right upon application on to the skin.
Middle notes – the smell perceived after a few minutes of evaporation of the sprayed cologne/perfume.
Base notes – the long-lasting scent, usually perceived still within a few hours of application.

I’m not a pro cologne reviewer (although I’ve known this musical metaphor for colognes for a long time now), but I’m just getting more used to finding out description using notes. It’s still quite fun for me to try and find descriptors for the different notes. In particular, while I found the Fragrance Wheel helpful, it sometimes confuses me too. I guess I’ll have to continue reviewing more fragrances with time.

Cologne review: L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme (Intense)

Raul — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:00:20 +0000

Continuing on the theme of passions, I am passionate about fashion, modeling and all things ancillary, including fragrances. I know, they are seen as a luxury article, but I love them, what can I say. The most recent of the Issey Miyake cologne collection I have tried is an evolved version of my trusted, loved and frequently used L’Eau D’Issey. The most recent (and strongest scent) in the Miyake family of fragrances is L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme Intense.

I have to admit that I wasn’t a fan and I’m still not much of a fan. While it still has the same beautiful soothing notes of L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme, Intense has a really strong higher note, one that is almost overpowering. And this comes from someone who does like strong scents.

I would recommend L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme (Intense) to men who like stronger colognes, whose epidermal chemistry and physical properties don’t allow for much adsorption of the smell. My skin, sadly, is relatively oily and therefore, it tends to bond better and preserve the smell molecules for longer. Therefore, a much stronger scent is going to cause people around me to be cologne-tagged (which, as we have seen, is not a very desirable outcome!).

I asked around and found out that L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme (Intense) is retailing at $ 75.00 Canadian dollars plus tax.

Disclosure: This review is in no way, shape or form commissioned by Issey Miyake nor any of its affiliates. I love all Miyake scents and that’s why I reviewed it. I did not get paid, nor did I get any free samples of the cologne

This is Entry # 17 of 49

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Cologne review: Tokyo (Kenzo)

Raul — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:24:20 +0000

Credit: Herrolm

It’s kind of ironic for me to review Tokyo by Kenzo before reviewing my actual favorite from the Kenzo family (L’Eau Par Kenzo Pour Homme). But I had been sitting on these cologne reviews for too long (I most recently reviewed La Nuit De L’Homme (by Yves St. Laurent) and I had already spoken about two of the Kenzo variations (Tokyo by Kenzo and Kenzo Power) when I last guest-hosted for Lip Gloss and Laptops. I had also reviewed Euphoria for Men (from the Calvin Klein house) and have a few other colognes in my draft entries. But for now, Tokyo by Kenzo will have to do.

My first impression when I first wore Tokyo by Kenzo was the feeling that I was in the fast-paced, always bright and shiny capital of Japan. I have to admit, full disclosure, that I don’t particularly love Tokyo. My heart was broken by a historian who formerly studied Japanese Nichiren buddhism and Omotokyo, and who lived in Tokyo for over 18 months, so it’s sometimes kind of hard to disassociate myself from those negative memories.

That being said, Tokyo by Kenzo maintains the freshness of the Kenzo family (L’Eau Par Kenzo Pour Homme, my usual morning-mid-afternoon fragrance is one of the freshest colognes you can find). Contrary to L’Eau, Tokyo is intended to be worn in the evening/night. It has very strong woody notes (the high note was a bit overpowering for me). The middle and deeper notes had some ginger (as advertised on the Kenzo website) but I also found some hints of flowery scents (couldn’t quite capture what it was) and some citrus notes (clearly, keeping with the theme of the energetic city).

While I strongly approve of Tokyo by Kenzo as a night cologne, I definitely doubt I’d be wearing it in the near future. I have a broad range of colognes that suit my epidermal chemistry much better, like Envy (by Gucci), Drakkar Noir, Eternity (by Calvin Klein) and my trademark Herrera for Men (by Carolina Herrera). That said, I would strongly recommend Tokyo by Kenzo if your personality suits (i.e. if you are a man who likes going out at night and be flashy, bold, energetic and fun).

Cologne review: La Nuit De L’Homme (Yves Saint Laurent)

Raul — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:33:42 +0000

One of the things I’ve wanted to do more this 2009 has been to write about colognes. Fragrances are one of the very few luxury items that I really enjoy using, and I’m known for “cologne-tagging” at events. I’ve even gotten to the point where I publicly announce on Twitter which scent I am using by saying “tonight’s cologne tagging is brought to you by [Name of the fragrance]“. This weekend, my friends KA and A (hosts of Lip Gloss and Laptops) invited me to guest-host on their very popular podcast. I thought that I’d review a few colognes and I settled on three: Kenzo Power, Tokyo by Kenzo and La Nuit De L’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent.

I plan to deploy the reviews of Kenzo Power and Tokyo by Kenzo closer to this coming Wednesday, when the next episode of Lip Gloss and Laptops will be hitting the airwaves (you can download it on iTunes and/or listen to it as a pop-up while you are browsing the internet). But as we talked about this particular fragrance, and knowing that this is the one I’m going to be using for the PopVox Awards gala, I figured I might as well put the review online now. Moreover, I’m really fascinated with La Nuit del’Homme as the base notes really meshed well with my skin chemistry. I might actually do a bit of cologne swapping and combine my use of Herrera for Men (my trademark scent) with a few instances of La Nuit De L’Homme.

My love affair with Yves Saint Laurent’s scents began with Jazz. I used Jazz in 7th semester of my undergraduate degree, and it really worked well with my body chemistry and scent. La Nuit De L’Homme is very different from Jazz in that it is a night cologne. I would use it for a gala or a night event that is more or less formal, not throughout the day and definitely not early in the morning. The high notes can be a bit overpowering (cardamom and cedar are omnipresent, with the cedar intensifying as the high note dissipates and remaining in the base notes).

LNDH fits my personality as I am efervescent, ebullient and outgoing, yet I enjoy being dressy at gala events at nights. Cedar (woody) base notes would fit an elegant evening. It has a slight hint of fruit in its composition (possibly in the middle notes), but the remaining definitive base note I found is a sweet vanilla aroma. I previously reviewed Euphoria for Men (by Calvin Klein) on my blog, and I found Euphoria a light, office-like, daily use cologne. In contrast, La Nuit De L’Homme is a non-frequent, elegant, night-time scent. You can test how it smells on me at the PopVox Awards gala.

Cologne review – Euphoria for Men (Calvin Klein)

Raul — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 17:31:35 +0000

A few months back I was talking to my friend Tris about colognes and guest-blogging on one of his sites (Manscaping 101). Ever since, I’ve been mulling over ideas on how to get back into the world of fashion, colognes, etc. Not sure how to do it yet, but my first step was to guest-host on the award-winning podcast Lip Gloss and Laptops, hosted by my good friends Kerry Anne and Airdrie.

When we were recording the show, and knowing my love for colognes and all things Calvin Klein, Kerry Anne gave me a sample of Calvin Klein’s Euphoria. Now, you may not know this unless you listened to the Episode # 124 of Lip Gloss and Laptops, but my parents bought me a new cologne every semester during my whole undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. They knew I loved colognes, and that I had a sense of fashion and style. So, they said “we’ll keep buying you a different one to try every semester (as long as you keep your A+ average) and you’ll end up finding your own trademark fragrance”

They were right. I went through a phase where I used Drakkar Noir, I also went through just about every single Calvin Klein (Obsession, Eternity, Truth) and now my trademark cologne is Herrera for Men by Carolina Herrera. Yes, I did try Minotaure by Paloma Picasso, and no, it didn’t take well with my skin.

So, on to the review. Euphoria is very much a classic Calvin Klein. The citrus-y note that you find in Euphoria makes you feel as though you may have put on one of the fragrances from the summer line of Polo. The latter notes have a feel that almost makes you wonder if you have gone the Oscar de la Renta way (darker notes, a bit woody but not quite).

When I wore Euphoria (which I did for both Best of 604 and Rebecca’s Third Tuesday), I felt a bit “naked” if you know what I mean. I was afraid I was going to lose the scent in a big crowd. Nobody would be able to “feel” I was around. In this case, I would strongly recommend Euphoria for a business meeting, mid-day, a business luncheon or hanging out with friends. I wouldn’t go with Euphoria if you want a night-long, lasting impression of freshness.

Euphoria for Men is a fresh fragrance with some citrus and wooden notes, but in my honest opinion, feels very much like a mid-day, business/casual cologne rather than a night fragrance. I’d buy it for my own personal use, for sure. But I’d probably have a shower and change colognes if I had a night event. It’s definitely NOT a bold and strong fragrance.