Fragrances Review: Trussardi Riflesso, Bvlgari Man in Black

Trussardi Riflesso was one of my first fragrances, I believe it was either the third or fourth fragrance I bought when I started actually looking in to the details of the fragrance world. I saw it recommended in some YouTube video, I can't remember which one, though I do remember it was from GentsScents. Starting with when it arrived, the box and presentation in opening it was decently fun. It wasn't anything special, but it did have a pleasurable flair in the shiny cardboard. The bottle of the fragrance itself is super attractive. It has a design inspired by the pinstripes on many of Trussardi's suits, and the striping is physical, not just drawn on. It ripples over and over, up and down, and is very pleasant to touch. The lettering on the front is very classy, and overall, it's just a very attractive bottle. The atomizer on the bottle is... interesting. I like it in some ways and really dislike it in others. On one hand, the actual sensation of pushing down on it and getting some sort of feedback makes me very very happy, but it actually feels hard to spray in a way because of that. When it does come out, it sprays out widely but not very far. It's like a gust of fragranced air, not a spray of a bottle. You definitely have to hold it close to the target to get it saturated properly. As for the smell itself, it opens up with a very strong sweet green apple and a good amount of bergamot. As it leaves the opening, the middle gets very floral, with a beautiful lavender and geranium mix. The dry down is my favorite part however, as an incredibly potent leather note opens up, along with some sweet tonka bean. The longevity is pretty decent, nothing bad but nothing to write home about. Overall, I highly recommend buying Trussardi Riflesso, as it's very cheap at online discounters.

I won't bother to wait until the end of this review to say it; Bvlgari Man in Black is an incredible fragrance. The smell, the longevity, the projection, it's all there. I bought the fragrance in a gift set with a Man in Black aftershave and a toiletry bag set to match both. The box that contained them all has images of microphones, guitars, and headphones, all in blackish and gold coloring. The toiletry bag is a soft velvet bag, and it's rather nice to touch and look at. The bottle for the fragrance itself is a mixed bag. While the matte grey that covers most of it and the faux gold lettering and accents are both very attractive, I am actually annoyed by its non-glass design. I like to be able to see the amount of fragrance left in my fragrances, so that definitely bothers me. The atomizer is surprisingly bad for how nice the fragrance is. There's no cap to it; instead you twist the atomizer forward to open it for spraying. The push mechanism for it is very stiff, and sometimes I accidentally spray out very little because of that. When I do manage to spray it, however, I'm very happy. You're first greeted right out the door with spicy rum and tobacco, the smell just instantly putting you in the headspace of being at a fancy bar in a restaurant. It's so satisfying, I can't say that enough. The opening alone could be its own fragrance and I'd still buy it for a decently high price. As you enter the middle, you're greeted by a lovely floral and leathery scent, though I can't put my finger on what kind of flowers. As it dries out fully, you're greeted with some vanilla-tonka bean smell and some wood. The longevity does you wonders, it really can last you a full winter night. I definitely recommend getting your hands on this fragrance.