Versace Man Eau Fraiche

Lemon, Bergamot, Rosewood, Cardamom.
Cedar, Tarragon, Sage, Black Pepper.
Amber, Musk, Saffron, Ambergris, Woods.

Talk about numerous reviews running the gamut from horrible to fantastic. It seems many people have at least sampled Versace Eau Fraiche, with the majority having a non-favorable opinion. I seem to fall in the middle due to Eau Fraiche's enjoyable start but lackluster finish. I say lackluster not because the base and drydown are inferior renditions, but because it's rather one dimensional with longevity issues.

Imagine, if you will, a race ready to begin and the one you're focused on looks aesthetically fit and in shape. You expect performance from the visual, but you know that can be deceiving. Still, you're confident as your runner gets out of the gate fast and smooth like expected. The race is a set amount of distance and from what you've seen the first few minutes, the game plan looks like a winner.

How surprising is it then when your runner, seemingly fit, cut and ready to go, begins struggling after only 20% of the race has been executed. What started out as a promising endeavor begins evaporating and you soon come to the conclusion that your choice was ill prepared for the task at hand. Eau Fraiche is not alone in this as there seem to be many releases that deliver something similar.

The opening of Eau Fraiche is actually very nice. It's a citric woody with a pepper note that, while not loud, has longevity throughout the life of the scent. The other spices are blurred on my skin, but do manage to add a little heft. I would have loved a discernible Saffron-Ambergris combination, but that never comes to fruition on me. Musk is what appears during the base and drydown stages along with the lingering pepper and what smells like subtle Cedar. Sillage is moderate at best with longevity approximately 2.5 hours on me. Neutral rating from Aromi for Versace Eau Fraiche and a strong recommendation to sample first.