The guys say: Spring breeze, bath bubbles, old lady
Marc Jacobs' fruity fragrance boasts notes of blackberry, grapefruit, pear and jasmine to capture "the boundless spirit of daisies and blue skies." Though this female editor was immediately won over by the adorable flower-adorned bottle, the male reviews were mixed on the scent. One Crave staffer who rated Daisy Dream highly compared it to a "spring breeze" and "bath bubbles." But several other testers said that it smelled old-lady-like and too strong. Consider our bubble burst.
Photo courtesy of Marc Jacobs
The guys say: Subtle, mature, fresh, sunny
True to its name, this new fragrance was light and clean -- which our male testers appreciated. "It's lemony and fresh," said one Crave staffer. Another complimented the scent's subtlety. At the same time, they thought Clean Air was a bit "old school" and "mature." In other words, this polarizing fragrance sounds perfect for anyone who wants to come off as sunny and bright -- but still wants to retain an air authority.
Photo courtesy of Clean
The guys say: Fruity, teenager, soapy, clean
Some reviewers pegged Oscar de la Renta's romantic new fragrance as fruity (maybe too fruity), while others likened it to laundry and soap. There was also some disagreement over whether this perfume smelled more like a "young teenager" or a "hip grandmother" -- so we'll split the difference and interpret this to mean the scent's appropriate for all ages.
Photo courtesy of Oscar de la Renta
The guys say: Girly, summery, evening-appropriate
Burberry's new floral perfume takes second-place honors, thanks to its feminine but not-too-frilly fragrance. "This was the most feminine and least old-lady-like one," raved one reviewer. Though another tester called it "mature, musky and evening-appropriate," nobody uttered a word about teachers or grandmas, which feels like a huge endorsement by omission.
Photo courtesy of Burberry
The guys say: Feminine, beachy, tropical, mornings
The classics are not lost on men. Our testers all selected the all-American Ralph Lauren fragrance as either their favorite or second favorite, crediting the clean, fruity and bright -- yet understated -- notes. "I like perfume to be really, really subtle. You shouldn't be able to smell it from more than a foot away," said one Crave staffer about his top pick. There you have it. Apparently the moral of this story is that women should been seen and not smelled -- or at the very least not in a way that evokes images of the elderly.
Photo courtesy of Ralph Lauren