Hey guys! Its Kayden back with another review. Today, it’s time to go way back to the day I got my first perfume, Versace Dylan blue. This fateful day may possibly be what sparked off my interest in fragrances. Let’s hop into it.
Fresh, versatile and affordable. It ticks all the criteria of a young lad starting his journey into the road of no return perfumery HAHAHA. This fragrance was launched back in 2016 where ambroxan was so hot.
Its top notes are: water notes, bergamot, fig leaf and grapefruit
Middle notes: violet leaf, papyrus, black pepper, ambroxan and patchouli
Base notes: Musk, incense, saffron and tonka bean
Scent:
On the first sniff, you will inevitably pick up the ambroxan note. Naturally, what comes to mind is “Not another ambroxan fragrance”. Hold your horses guys. Even though all these “blue” fragrances seem to smell ambroxan heavy, there are quite some differences between them. At least between the more popular ones e.g. Sauvage & Bleu de Chanel.
Pay more attention and best is to smell Dylan blue with Sauvage side by side. You will notice that Dylan blue starts off fresh and citrusy as well. However, the citrus element is different as it includes grapefruit which adds a tinge of sweetness.
After the perfume enters the middle stage, a sweetness that is not cloying starts to come out to play. I attribute this to the tonka bean present in the base notes. At the same time, a speck of dark smokiness starts to surface as well, probably due to the incense and patchouli present.
Towards the dry down, Dylan blue smells largely the same with an added hint of muskiness. All in all, despite the notes listed on Fragrantica, what I pick up is ambroxan, tonka bean, bergamot, grapefruit, and musk.
Longevity and projection:
Longevity is average about 5 – 6 hours and projection is around an arm’s length. In the 5th hour, the fragrance tends to sit closer to the skin. Just based on this category alone, it may seem this fragrance is weak and not worth purchasing. However, if you take a look at the prices online (Don’t buy retail for this, it is not worth it), you can find it for ~70SGD for 100ml in where I live. This price is less than half the price of Bleu de Chanel and Dior Sauvage per ml. After hearing this, maybe this perfume is worthy after all 😉
Seasons and occasions:
I can see someone wearing Dylan blue in the Spring and Summer. 5 to 6 hours of longevity is not perfect but it can last almost a full day of work. If you think that is insufficient, bring along a decant with you and reapply when needed.
However, on colder months, Dylan Blue will not be able to pierce through the cold which makes it unsuitable.
Occasions-wise, Dylan Blue is suitable for casual wear as well as for school/work. Similar to Dior Sauvage, I do not think Dylan Blue should be worn on formal occasions as there are hints of playfulness in it.
Conclusion:
If you are schooling/buying your first fragrance and do not wish to spend too much money, this is it. Affordable, pleasant, and versatile, it is one of the perfect starting fragrances. It does not smell cheap by any means. The quality is comparable to that of Dior Sauvage but Bleu de Chanel smells a little more refined but so is the cost (:
That’s it for today’s Versace Dylan Blue review. Kayden signing off.
