IT''S A MANS WORLD: AFTERSHAVE REVIEW - ARMANI & DIESEL

Welcome back. It's an absolute pleasure to be invited back on Lalita's very own site. 

Lalita asked me to review new fragrances; Armani's Eau de Nuit which is not long out on the market, and Diesel's shiny new fragrance;  Fuel for Life: Spirit. Before I begin in earnest, let me just offer a quick disclaimer: I was originally a trained aromatherapist and so I have fairly extensive experience in evaluating scents and fragrances. However, I have resolved to honestly assess each product at face value. 

 And so I proudly give to you my review of the following fragrances...

Giorgio Armani; Eau de Nuit Cologne, RRP £49 for 50ml:

My initial  impressions were excellent. It smelled fantastic and complimented my skin beautifully. 

Eau De Nuit is said to contain bergamot, pink pepper (no, I've never heard of it either) and ceder. The spicy aspect comes courtesy of ingredients cardamom and nutmeg (which I also had in last night's curry). 

Armani intended the scent to be worn at night (hence the name), although in my own opinion it is just light and citrusy enough to be worn in daytime too. 

Although strong when originally applied it quickly dies down to a nice background level which is still noticeable, yet not overpowering and that background level lasts the whole day without the need to reapply periodically, which is often the case with many other products. 

This durability was fantastic, meaning that it adds to the value for money aspect, so long as you don't shower in the stuff. Often the best indication of a truly exceptional fragrance is in the amount of genuinely unprovoked compliments you receive. This happened surprisingly often for me, something which I am neither used to, or expectant of. Even The Missus saw fit to compliment me on my choice of fragrance. 

In my humble opinion I can offer no higher praise than the fact that if it is good enough to impress The Missus, then it will impress most people. So for the gentlemen reading this, and the ladies who are looking to treat their man to something special, Armani's Eau De Nuit has the Kieran Seal of Approval.

Diesel Fuel for Life: Spirit, Available to buy from July 2013 in the UK:

The fragrance makers at Diesel have gone off the deep end with this one. I've never smelled any fragrance like it before. As a result, I have to say that it is one of the most original fragrances I've ever come across. 

It is said to contain grapefruit, incense, amber and orange blossom.  Despite it sounding all Mother Earthy, it is supposed to invoke the essence of masculinity, and act as an aphrodisiac on women, which if true makes this the most precious material on the planet. 

As with all things that push  boundaries, the reaction of the public can be divisive. I suspect that this will be no different. I think this will prove to be a bit of a "Marmite" product - you'll either go crazy for it, or you won't be much of a fan. It also may not suit all men, but for those who it does, it will smell spectacular. 

Unfortunately I am not one of those lucky men, and it didn't seem to suit me. The best advice I would give you for a fragrance like this, or any for that matter, is try before you buy. Find a retailer who offers tester bottles and try for yourself, you may be very pleasantly surprised at what you find. 

Credit must go to the bravery of Diesel for throwing away all convention and thinking not only outside the box, but also outside the planet, and indeed outside most traditional definitions of sanity. For only in trying something totally new can you find genius. Or a lovely aftershave. Whatever comes first.

Kieran x

Check out Kieran at his own blog, Thoroughly Modern Kieran,  here or at Twitter here