First Instinct Extreme

If you wanna have a Hot Boy Summer this is the one. Straight off the top, this fragrance is sweet yet sophisticated. I don't really get the pepper, but the Starfruit and Mandarin leaf come right through for me. Something about it smells really tropical to me, and it's really nice! Not too adventurous, but it's definitely a winner ;) On the mids, this fragrance gets a little sweeter, a little citrusy, but some of the spicy notes start to come out, like the cardamom and such. The mids here are a little interesting because the fragrance actually gets more citrusy. Unexpected, but nice! The dry-down is actually quite unpredictable sometimes. On some occasions, this dry-down is just pure sexy, loud musk. Other times, the dry-down is almost like a nutty vanilla for me, which is presumably the coconut and cashmeran. Regardless, both dry-downs make a bright statement. Longevity doesn't seem to be a problem with this fragrance, it's average for me. Sillage is also pretty good! you can definitely fill a room with 4-5 sprays. This fragrance overall is pretty interesting, and it's definitely a safe option for anyone out there. I would recommend this as a great summer blind buy for anyone in their teens or 20's. Definitely not the most mature scent, but I will be wearing this one a lot this summer! Overall, I'd have to give this one a solid 5/5. I'll definitely be refilling when this one is gone.

Such an underrated scent and it totally gives me a mid-2000’s mall vibe just like Fierce does. I’m guessing it has to do with the type of musk that A&F uses in so many of their fragrances. You can still find the full size 100 ml bottles at random Ross stores, but it is becoming increasingly rare. For $20 this is a bargain and an absolute hidden gem. This a true “extreme” iteration of the original, everything is amped up here. The opening is gorgeous with that starfruit and the pepper adds a masculine touch. This does not smell old to me at all, if anything this smells like a solid starter scent for a high school kid just getting into fragrances, it definitely has a sexy youthful vibe, and anyone in my opinion can wear this. I can see how all the pepper used could give off a body odor smell but thankfully it doesn’t on my skin. Just spicy, fruity and musky. Performance is kinda mid, it doesn’t necessarily project much but it leaves a really nice sillage for maybe 3-4 hours, it’ll get you noticed and can see this pulling compliments. Perfect for a cool evening out. I gotta say the bottle is a work of art and looks fantastic on the shelf with the other First Instincts. Overall a solid cheapie which has a nostalgic yet sexy vibe. Totally worth a blind buy If you can still find this.

I picked up a 100ml bottle for $20 at Ross. This is such a good frag for the price. Its an EDP too. This is a very spicy frag in the opening. The black pepper and Sichuan pepper are at the forefront along with the sweetness of star fruit and the greenish florals are in the background. This last for about 60-90 mins. The spices will make this frag very present to those around you. Its a very masculine opening. Then the spices dissipate gradually when it dries down. This is not too say that the other notes are not present. They are just there in a subtle way. In the dry down you are then left with all the base notes. The dry down is so smooth and creamy and somewhat tropical due to the coconut milk. If you are expecting a strong sweet coconut scent look somewhere else. Nonetheless the coconut milk blends so subtley well with the ever present musk (not too projecting but still present) and the amber, cashmirwood, and suede. Someone in the comments said that this frag works best in the summer evening heat and I couldn't agree more. Such a great frag for an outdoor summer date, outing. There is a sensual scent from the dry down to this when it heats up and radiates off the skin.

Being a college student, this is an easy to reach casual fragrance. I found a few bottles at TJ Maxx a few months back, and I pulled the trigger on a 100 ml for $30. Haven’t smelled the original first instinct, but I can say this is quite nice. Nothing mind blowing nor ground breaking, but this is very pleasant. It’s been a casual grab when I don’t know what to wear or when I’m in the mood for a freshy with some balls to last in cooler weather. Great for the younger crowd (anyone can where whatever they choose, though). I get a solid 45 minutes to about an hour of strong projection, with a moderate silage following the initial blast for the next several hours. Longevity on my skin is amazing for a cheapie: 7-9 hours consistently, even in New England winter weather. The opening is ozonic, musky, fresh, and a little fruity, and it’s quite linear (smells similar, if not the same in the dry down); if anything, it gets more musky, but that’s about it. It’s a clean musk, more of a fresh out the shower type of smell. I was glad to see a bottle pop up at a rack store after it was rumored to be discontinued. If any of this sounds interesting, go and blind buy it at a rack store.

This fragrance is a true edp/intense/extreme version of the original. It takes much of the original DNA and enhances the performance and richness of the fragrance. While at first smell you make think it is around 90-95% the same, when you actually do a side by side, the opening for Extreme is much more citrusy than the original. The original is a semi-sweet, aquatic melon opening where Extreme has a sweet, citrus, spicy opening. If you are familiar with the smell of star fruit, you will definitely recognize it in this fragrance and that fact it is used in place of the melon from the original. To my nose, the fragrances are more like 80% similar. I am a huge fan of the original, but I only find the fragrance appropriate for hot weather daytime parties. Extreme has a touch more maturity and richness so that you can wear it out at night or slightly less casual events year round. If you are a fan of the original, I would highly recommend this a complimentary night time, cold weather version of First Instinct. Also, the presentation is absolutely gorgeous...