First Instinct Blue

It's funny when I find a fragrance I like by blind testing it in a shop, it usually matches up to the notes I love the most. I found this yesterday while looking for free samples (Testers) in Bern again. Never experienced A&C frags before so I thought I'd give this one a go. And for me it was love at first whiff! Maybe it's because I'm not jaded by buying whatever was trendy over the years. I've stuck with my Azzaro PH and classic Lagerfeld for decades. But something in FIB caught my nose. Was it the frozen apple? Not sure. But something like the wintergreen essence of Root Beer, or what reminded me of Root Beer caught my attention and stayed with me all day long. It was extremely enjoyable but not sugary sweet the way many young men's frags are these days. I've read a lot about this one being a cheapy, or just not having any longevity. But here in Switz. we are not a huge consumer culture like it the U.S. So unless you buy it online the price is a steep 91 dollars in a shop. Though I found it online for half that price. And I am not sure about sillage since everyone is wearing masks these days. But the fragrance lasted on me for a good 8 hours. No Joke! I don't know if it's my skin type. But when I test a new frag I always shave and moisturize my face and neck. it makes a difference for me. I will be asking for this for Christmas and wearing it often for assorted occasions. It leans towards being a bit sporty and outdoorsy. But I think you could wear it for some formal occasions as well. It also seemed a bit linear on me over the whole day, but I enjoyed it immensely. This is definitely a "just for me" fragrance.

BODYWASH-DEEP/DARK BLUE/BLEU-LIGHTLY SWEET-AQUATIC (Aromatic) A&F First Instinct Blue is a great blue designer frag, smells very similar to Versace Dylan Blue; starts off with that blue bodywash shower gel accord but the fruits adds a tad bit of sweetness, then pepper+rosemary+cardamom adds dense fresh spiciness, the sandalwood, amber, and tonka bean aren't overly done (but are still detectable in the base, especially the more it dries) and rounds the fruit sweetness with a hint of warm creaminess; very well composed fragrance especially for the price and for a "blue/bleu" fragrance, mass appealing while not being just another 'run of the mill' generic blue frag, very versatile can be worn day &/or night spring summer fall (not on the level of Bleu de Chanel but i'd put it on the same level of Versace Dylan Blue). A&F got another 1, they just keep producing great smelling fragrances; Projection/Sillage' is GOOD, not super loud (can apply liberally) but it's aromatic and noticeable in the air, provides nice scent bubble radius 1-2 feet for 1-2 hours, then becomes more of in-close scent. . Performance/Longevity is GOOD, last about 6-7 hours, light enough that can be applied liberally to makes it last

Glad I got this, paid the extra $3 to get a 1.7oz over a 1.0oz bottle at Ross ($18 vs $15) Its projection is a bit weak, solution is to toss on a extra spray. Hence why I went with the larger bottle. Off the atomizer it doesnt even smell like ambercrombie, smells musky,spicy, woody and a tad of citrus AND chemy. Smells very unique. After spraying middle notes are similar of that of first instinct together minus the fruity smell/grape. Drying down smells aqua/blue/woody/slight powdery. Further drying down hour or so later smells like first instinct together minus all the extra fruity notes. Like this cause its not too strong where you constantly smell it on yourself but you'll get a whiff here and there. Im sure if your skin chemistry is right like mine itll fire up if you start to sweat or if your out in a spring/summer day moving around. I love blue scents and this is right up my alley. Wish I would've bought this at the other ross location first instead of hollister free wave, but this worked out for the better got a bigger bottle at this ross that the other location didn't have. Will report back with any updates after more use.

This was my first ever Fragrance. I love the smell of it. It is probably one of the best-smelling fragrances in my collection. It is also very versatile. However, the longevity and sillage is disappointing. I bring the bottle with me just because of it. If I can't smell it anymore, I would ask someone if they can. If they don't, then I respray. Fixed! I would rather have a better-smelling fragrance than a longer-lasting one. This is why I would prob give this an 8/10 overall. I might be biased since it is my first fragrance, but I think the smell is amazing. If the Longevity had been better, then I might have given this a 10/10. If you don't like the idea of respraying, then don't get it. Otherwise, this can be a signature fragrance worn casually and in the office. Love it!

Soapy and clean, a little spicy. Typical "shower gel" type of frag. Definitely shares a similar tone with Dylan Blue, MB Legend, and many other popular blue scents, but this one is still unique and easy to like. It's a warm weather scent that could really be used any time you want to smell clean, a perfect "gym bag" cologne. It smells "young" as in "vigorous" or "sporty" but not in a juvenile or immature way. I'm pretty sure this performs well, but it seems like I go nose blind to it every other time I wear it. If you have plenty of blue fragrances, you probably don't need this one. But if you're looking for one on the cheap, this one smells awesome, and you can get a tester for around $20.

At first spray I thought “not this again...” thinking that it resembled all other scents released in 2018... the sauvage effect. Or is it the invictus effect? Anyway - within 5 minutes I was digging it. I absolutely get the original out of this - it’s more of a buttoned up version of the original - dare I say...more adult-ish? Don’t get me wrong - this isn’t encre noir - but it’s not squidward juice either. For all the people who loved the first one - there’s simply no reason not to love this one. In fact - I strongly prefer this over the original. The melon note seems to be gone or lessened.I think Abercrombie does a nice job with their fragrances and this is no exception. 7/10

On my second day of smelling this, I noticed that it is very similar to Versace Dylan blue but in a lighter sense... It definitely carries a note of ambroxan mixed with the spices that smell very nice... I definitely noticed that it is very weak, but at the beginning you get some silage and my maximum duration was about 2 hours or 3.... That said, it is selling at discounted prices, obviously I think it's worth it if you can find it for twenty dollars.... If this had a force of eau de parfume, It may have been worth a second buy and abit more popular.., but it is very weak EDT.... I give the aroma itself the scent an 8.0/10 and the Strength/Longevity a 6.0/10......CIAO

I found this for a very good price at a TJ Maxx store. The first time I sprayed it on, 2 hours later it was still projecting around me and smelling really quite nice. I know that this is nothing new to the game, and doesn't have great performance, but it does perform just as well as much of my collection. It reminds me of Nautica Life (also a cheapie) and Coach for Men. A fresh fragrance with prominent note of apple and citrus. This will serve me just fine as a warm-weather dumb reach that will certainly lift my spirits.. it does have an energizing affect. If you can find it at a Ross or TJ Maxx or Marshalls.. go for it.

The opening is insane and almost worth the price of admission, there is something there that has this unique sparkle that just grabs you, electric, citrusy, juicy, peppery, a hint of sweetness. With that said the opening does not last, 15 minutes later it turns into familiar Dylan Blue profile or at least hints of it, not as strong or projective, its more so into generic blue territory, I do not pick up too much of original Fierce in this, its an ok casual cheapie scent for those who dont buy many bottles.

This fragrance here in my opinion smells so similar to YSL Y Eau De Parfum, ive seen both notes and they seem to share the same notes but with this one here being more spicy that YSL Y, to me i would definitely purchase again it smells really great and for the price i picked it up at my local ross for $19.99, but highly recommended it, only cons is it last between like 5 hours on my skin with 5 sprays. I give this fragrance a 8/10.

I was in dilemma whether I should buy this or not. Watched review on YouTube #Perfume Emotions. I immediately bought it. Yes, it is really a great scent. Perfect office wear. Has longevity issues, but at this price it's no brainer. Opening is citrus, dry down gives same feelings like Montblanc Legend. Sillage and projection is minimal , so it is less likely to get compliments. In conclusion, it's worth to buy, but not a blind buy.

Surprisingly solid freshy (scent wise). I really like the opening and dry down. I say it’s perfect for running quick errands, the gym and hell it’s even more perfect for a business/office setting. Just make sure to take the bottle with you or a decant if you’re planning on reapplying cause unfortunately it doesn’t last which makes me sad 3-4hrs max even with overspraying . But it smells niceee

You really cannot complain about this fragrance. I don't understand the hate on this one. Maybe because its a blue fragrance? Probably. Will you regret buying this when you like blue fragrances? Maybe. But probably not. 3 hours is pretty good for a gym frag. You'll be the best smelling dude at your local gym. Worth the $20 for the 3.4 oz. I recommend.

Ive had a chance to compare this to the original long discontinued Victoria's Secret Sexy For Him, and it does have many similarities for sure. First Instinct Blue does feel more modern and stronger "blue" vibe, Sexy For Him has a slight old school and cologne'y vibe. Still, this could be a good option for the relic replacement.

This is a compliment getter. Clean, fresh and crisp. It starts sweet & becomes spicy & woody. This reminds me of Versace Dylan Blue. If you want an affordable yet a quality blue fragrance then look no further. You will smell great and will get you compliments. 8/10

Was in dilemma buying a and F. But this turn out to be great. Purchased after watching review on Perfume Emotions. Really it is three in one Although performance is average, at this price point it is a great perfume.

Fierce with Dylan blue is what I get. Less water notes though. Very very nice stuff. No it doesn't perform long range but it's cheap so re spray and don't complain.

I LOVE this scent, let’s be very clear, yes, it smells like a black axe body wash, very fresh and clean. But there’s a complexity to it. I love it

Bought it for my 17 year old son. It reminds me of VPH Dylan Blue and YSL La Nuit De L'Homme combined. Really nice scent.

this stuff is good, like, REALLY good. can’t wait to use this this summer whilst in Florida. ciao

Fresh, sweet, dark and sexy. The magic happens in slightly cool air during the dry down.

First Instinct Blue = 50% Versace Dylan Blue + 50% First Instinct (Original)

Compare it with Coach for Men. Smells almost the same.

Juicy apple plus a powdery barbershop scent: after the success of First Instinct EDT, here we see a more confident step from the moose brand. It goes back in time, aiming for a youthful yet classic fragrance, a blue perfume reminiscent of the early 2000s. Here we have a juicy green apple, accompanied by classic bergamot that lends a bright tone, and in the background, a fleshy cardamom that gives the apple a three-dimensional quality. After about an hour, lavender takes over the fragrance—powdery, minty, and herbaceous thanks to the rosemary note—culminating in a base of sandalwood with a truly imperceptible amber. Blue is a favorite for many, and I understand why. It's a fragrance that evokes nostalgia, like those powdery, safe, classic hairsprays and barbershop scents—that blue scent that has defined generations. It has no notes; that's what it smells like: a barbershop with apple freshener in the air, the best of two worlds, both well-known in the world of men's fragrance. As its name suggests, Blue is a versatile, adaptable, masculine fragrance with a touch of spice. It works in almost any situation and for virtually any age. It's the most adaptable fragrance in the entire First Instinct line, lasting five hours with moderate projection throughout its lifespan. It creates a light, enveloping presence, a more casual and seductive quality. It's a 2/4. This type of perfume is certainly a soul-stirring experience, but it clearly has room for improvement. The base is practically nonexistent; you have to imagine the sandalwood and amber to detect them. The longevity is weak, and even if you overapply, that won't change. The apple is delicious, but if you have a discerning nose, you might pick up the synthetic notes. Mind you, I'm not saying it's a bad perfume, not at all. For the price, it's a commendable option, but certainly, in today's market where people appreciate "beast mode," Blue might fall low on many people's priority list. Of course, I recommend it, especially if you're a fan of these enchanting lavender perfumes. You can't hate them, but A&F was certainly somewhat conservative with this release, which leaves it far from surpassing the EDT in my opinion. However, it still comes in a very respectable second place, behind the EDT. It doesn't try to copy anything in particular, but it doesn't discover anything new either; it's a lavender that's very present in perfumes like Armani Code or Layton by Parfums de Marly.

I want to start by saying this is a good fragrance for what it is. I can see the comparisons to other blue fragrances but to me, off my skin, it does not smell like any of them. I has some of the elements of other blues but it is its own thing. It is very much a "blue" A&F fragrance. Has that A&F DNA with the bergamot and cardamom off the top with the rosemary in the mid with the sandalwood in the base but with some of those aromatics from the lavender mixed with the spicy nature of the black pepper and the amber in the base. Like if firece had a blue flanker but only faintly tied to that DNA. The only issue I have is the lack of performance. If I'm lucky, its a 4 hour fragrance. BUUUUTTT I kind of have grown an appreciation for that in some fragrances, especially cheapies. Its perfect for running an errand, to the gym, hanging out at the house or for bedtime. Loud for maybe 15 minutes and stays kinda close after that. Very pleasant and inoffensive and if you like that A&F DNA then its a safe blind buy, especially for the price you can find it for at the rack stores.

Doesn’t remind me of Dylan Blue, but I can see the comparison to MB Legend. The opening and first hour has a slight sweetness that is reminiscent of John Varvatos x Nick Jonas Blue, but only the sweet aspect, which is underneath other stuff going on. Kinda green, kinda blue. Maybe a touch of Bleu de Chanel in there. Performance has been decent for me, if not surprisingly better than expected, it’s not as bad as others are saying it is here. This is based off two wears. I imagine I’ll like it more once the bottle has sit around for a couple months to macerate. Overall impression: fairly generic clean cologne scent. Doesn’t stand out, but I like it. Better than A&F FI Together, which has better reviews here.

Makes me feel like I'm a 20-something dude again, haha, it's great. This has the blue vibe as expected. The Abercrombie DNA is not overpowering. Unfortunately, it is heavy on that synthetic ambroxan smell. I'm not a big fan of the ambroxan smell because I recognize it as the perfume counter kind that can get annoying and cause nose blindness. Although, I kept this off my neck, and so far it's doing okay. It's a fun fragrance. Similar to Tommy Bahama Maritime for Him, but First Instinct Blue has less of that warm and slightly cloying amberyness. Now I just need to find some vintage Abercrombie clothes to complete the vibe.

I agree with the comment saying this smells like Dylan Blue (80%) + Fierce (20%). I picked it up for $18 at Marshall's, and I think it's COMPLETELY worth it for that price. I prefer Dylan Blue because of it's performance, but FI Blue does the trick when you just want something for 3 hours (gym, weekend lunch with friends, etc). I spray it 7-9 times and wait 15 mins. On first spray, it smells clean, fresh, and soapy/shower gel. The lavender, green apple, and rosemary are most prominent notes to me. Very few people will dislike this scent.

Smells great, your average blue fragrance. Smells very showergel-esque. Can't really hate it, just nothing too special. Very versatile fragrance, peformance is a bit poor however, i think i get around 2/3 hours of performance after that it's a barely noticeable skin scent. Great for short activities, not so good for longer ones. I use it when i go to the gym or groceries. For it's price it's quite worth it for those activities (got it for around 20 euros). If you want longer lasting blue scents i'd recommend searching for another one.

If you can find a bottle of this for $20 or less, you won't be disappointed. If you paid more than that, you may be upset. It opens like a less soapy Dylan Blue. As it dries it starts resembling Aqva Atlatiqve. But it never gives off "clone vibes". It's not much of a projector, and the longevity isn't anything to write home about. But it smells good, it smells clean, and if you can get it for cheap, it's got it's uses. I'll use it as a casual scent, or a work scent for warmer days.

Masculine, fresh and seductive. A wonderful deep blue fresh for the price. Like any cologne from A&F get the larger bottle and overspray a bit to get the most longevity. A&F colognes are timeless and are seldom hard not to enjoy. They made a solid scent here that captures a little extra, goes into a deeper blue and smells less so non generic in the world of blues. This scent will definitely work better on hot skin but could be worn almost all year round and not be shunned out.

It is a nice Fresh Spicy Fragrance, Clean, Crisp and Modern , A Blue Style Perfume without Ambroxan. The Rosemary and Lavender notes are dominant in this perfume. It opens up with like fresh spicy, citrusy, green and spices notes in the background then dry down is warm spicy woody. This is perfect for the spring and summer, l really enjoy it and I like it. I bought it blind-buy after reading the positive comments with reasonable price. Longevity is Average. Rating : 7 / 10

Very versatile, aromatic, and full of life! This is cheaper at Ross than any discounter. Blind bought it, knowing I loved First Instinct Extreme, with hopes that it would not be redundant with anything I have. Unfortunately, the Fierce DNA is super alive here, and the whole MB Legend now performs better than this. Price wise, this is better per mL than the others. This works for every situation, and is great to smell, spray around.

This is your average blue scent. It is a very good one in my opinion but it is still nothing special. I own ysl y edp and it doesn’t resemble it much at all. The opening is nothing close. The dry down does but it’s similar to most blue frag dry downs. Blind but safe, dumb reach, good for the gym, performance is average for blue frags. Can’t go wrong buying this for like 20 bucks at Burlington.

Really good atomizer. Nice apple and cardamom on the open, shifting into a peppery herbal (rosemary?) lavender ambroxeny heart before settling down to a smokey sandalwood amber base. For what I expected to be a diversity gym cheapie blue (100ml for $25 rack store find) it ended up being pretty good. I think it's rather wearable and would be a good mid-day refresher fragrance as well.

Smells like a fresh mens shower gel. The apple & bergamot stands out. Nice & inoffensive. Doesn't last long tho. Maybe an hour. For $20 not bad. I layer this with Fila mens fresh edt. Scent - 7/10 Light fresh shower gel esque scent. Sillage - 3/10 2 hours Packaging - 7/10 Nice sturdy bottle. Overall 7/10 Good gym scent or a light pick me up.

Fierce that smells blue. Nice and useful. I came across it by chance. I use it mostly during sports activities. A pleasant scent. Fierce DNA wouldn't be wrong. It has a strange aromatic apple scent. The first five minutes of the perfume's opening smell a bit synthetic, then the Fierce DNA immediately makes itself felt.

This stuff is really good, for the price it is most definitely a step up from some of the middle eastern freshies or the other rack store pickups. It is totally impressive for the price and while it's very linear and "basic" it just smells good. Wanna smell good? Snag this from Ross for 25 bucks.

I really like this fragrance. Fresh and clean, great dumb reach. Very young frangrance tho. Only downside is that it lacks longevity, and in the beginning of wearing it i could sometimes get headaches. Doesnt happen anymore tho and i really like it.

I like it. Modern blue mens fragrance. I get tone of lavender in the opening after initial opening I get fresh bergamot and the juicy fruity apple. These three are the main notes I get. Most likely a compliment getter and very pleasant.

Smells exactly like Coach Platinum & Ed Hardy Born Wild For Men Christian Audigier.. The notes are almost identical Does NOT smell anything like Mont Blanc legend or Abercrombie Fierce, this scent is a dark warm scent not a citrus

Smells pretty similar to Dylan's Blue with a touch of Fierce. I actually get average performance, it's not as bad as suggested. Its not as good as the original First Instinct but it is still very wearable and nice.

If you can get it for cheap like I did ($18.85) it's a great value fragrance. Better off with something like Dylan Blue if your spending much more however it smells closer to Fierce than Dylan Blue.

Honestly best scent for the gym or going out for a little. Slightly sweet blue fragrance and I cannot lie, its fantastic. Lasts maybe 2-4 MAYBE 4 hours if you spray alot but its really really nice.

Great for its price. Out of the shower Blue masculine mass pleaser. Similar to Dylan Blue, except for the salty notes, which makes it freshier for me. edit: cheap looking label on bottle tho :/

bought it for $20 at a Marshall's along with The Dreamer and Artisan Pure.. I tested them on my arm and hand i kept smelling this over the other 2 I was getting that ooo what's that smell lol

It's blue, it's value priced. Plastic cap gives it a very cheap barber shop vibe to the bottle. Although decent enough easily replaceable and forgettable. 6.75/10

Great blue frag with a really nice spicy drydown. I quite enjoy this out the shower! Very masculine scent! Tad old school vibes. 7.5/10

After shower special. Wife loves it. But mainly just spray when I’m staying in. Terrible longevity

Not for a fragrance enthusiast. More like a low maintenance 20 year old no Brainer cologne