The One for Men

Getting ready to do a deep dive on my youtube about all the reformulations and I tried to acquire all of them that I could. So here are some thoughts in writing. Granted there is a pre release version of the fragrance that ive seen in pictures and people talked about that came out almost a full year earlier that had a leather note. But lets stick to 2008 with its official release and there after. That I can see and was able to get a hold of there are actually 2 versions that came out in 2008. Both with the same ingredients however slightly different and to add to a bit of a conspiracy theory since some people talk about it. The travel size version of the fragrance has 79% on it. Curiously again I can find no real full bottle with this. And even more curious the travel size from when I test it, is stronger and longer lasting. Then in 2013 it was reformulated and they got rid of the orange blossom note. Very easy to see on the packaging as well as the notes are different. In 2014 lilial /butylphenyl methylpropional started becoming restricted so I would assume that Dolce & Gabbana were given a early heads up and thats why it was removed. Curiously nothing to replace the orange floral note, and instead they added isoeugenol to the notes. Which makes sense because at the time the EDP version came out along with this new reformulated 2013 version. And I remember smelling the EDP and I was like.. It kinda just smells like the normal one but performs worse and theres more of a cardamom note almost like they were trying to go off the hype that La Nuit had going in the early 2010s. Which correct me if im wrong but isoeugenol is a part of cardamom oil. So again 2013, reformulated EDT comes out removes orange blossom, adds stronger cardamom note, weaker performance, EDP also comes out which smells even more similar to this EDT as well. Sometime after this a reformulated in France version comes out. I see some people saying it performs better and smells better than this reformulated 2013 version, however testing it myself, I dont smell much difference nor do I get much difference performance I guess the cardamom note is maybe slightly less? But for me at least in my initial testings I dont get anything drastic. And then finally in the past couple years, a NEW EDT and EDP come out. The EDT now is no longer even listed as a amber tobacco fragrance, and instead is actually listed a s a lavender fragrance. Now dont get me wrong I dont think it smells bad, but at this point I think calling it a reformulation is pretty forgiving. Although it does smell similar to a certain extent I think I would be inclined to say its a new fragrance honestly. The EDP is now more different than the EDT. I suppose a glass is half full view would be where as before I didnt see the point of owning both other than if you really love the scent, I guess now you could say they are different scents. That being said, in terms of these 2 new ones, although I do enjoy the opening of the new EDT, if I had to chose I would get the EDP no question. Just as someone who loves snuggley warm scents. This is the way to go, and I found myself constantly sniffing my arm while wearing it. I think it smells great. That being said performance on both are still meh.... In a perfect world, I would say get the original travel size. Or on the off chance you can find a 2008 get that. Other than that, honestly, id get the EDP that is out now.

This has been my "signature scent" for over a decade...might be closer to two. My other is Givenchy Blue Label which obviously hits the other lane that this generally doesn't fill during times of day, year, and situations. I have always loved the cocoa/chocolatey, bourbon vanilla, tobacco smell and the EDT is the perfect blend of that. Though I am aware they seemed to have reformulated it at some point after my current two bottles. I usually stay stocked up on this but had a long time of not needing to be out and about (lockdown included). So I had one open bottle and one unopened bottle in the stash. Both seem to not have as much of an issue with lasting long like others describe, just the projection thing is a factor so this is one I do spray more than my regular 2-3 times when I want to be "noticed". I took one to the Caribbean and wore it at night and was VERY successful at getting attention from women. They're much more "familiar" there and are not afraid to be close to you. Even got some questions from guys asking what I was wearing so they could look for it. Amazing as I was competing well with the Sauvage wearers in their era with something over 20 years old. I would say don't underestimate this in the warmer weather, just pick the right time to wear it and you'll stand apart appropriately. I've even built around this scent profile over the years. I use vanilla scented shea butter as a base (I do generally have to get it made custom these days though cause often there's too many other scents mixed in). Also I use Axe "Dark Temptation" scent body wash and also deodorant (spray mostly but sometimes the underarm instead in high heat) as I think it pairs with this EXTREMELY well. It DRASTICALLY improves the sillage (imo) and projection as they blend. Just don't over do the Axe spray if you already used the body wash. I grew up in the UK for a while as a kid so unlike others that were born and stayed in the US their whole lives, I'm VERY aware of how Axe (known previously as Lynx) is actually surprisingly effective as a weapon against the opposite sex. You just need to know what smell suits your body chemistry and also the right amount to use each time. If you like the EDT (and if it still smells chocolatey/bourbon vanilla/tobacco to you), try at least the Axe Dark Temptation body wash before using this and see if I'm lying.

Maybe my 3rd fragrance into collecting. Got a sample on scent bird and ended up getting 2 samples off scent bird because I liked it so much on first smell. Great versatile scent, one of my favorite dna's of all time, its like a refined orange... that's the simplest and most accurate way to describe it, its not a fresh orange like LV... something I'm not too familiar with the LV scents but theres a mandarin one, the one is on the opposite side of the spectrum where its warm and sweet, yet it can be warn any time of the year aside from maybe summer or if you live in a state like Florida or California maybe only during the night time. Anyway, i love this scent, i could recommend this to any man but don't wear it because I need to be the only one wearing this lol. The edp is better but I don't own it yet but I guarantee its better from the few times ive smelled it, its the same but better in every way, this edt lacks in sillage, depth, projection and longevity for me, in the winter months it can last up to 6+ hours as a skin scent but when it start to get warmer its not making it past the 4 hour mark atleast from my experience if I'm moving at all during the day or if its warm out this usually falls off significantly at the 2hr mark which is a shame because I love this scent so much. Would buy a second bottle and I do recommend this scent but I want to gatekeep it at the same time.

I personally choose fragrances per occasion, and (for me) The One EDT works for a specific purpose only but it does it so well: Wearing it dressed up to a dinner in a fancy restaurant where the food and the female company are the main attraction, with the fragrance completing your presentation- and the whole experience just elegantly and beautifully, with just enough presence and character. I love (and prefer) niche scents with more complex personalities any time and day, but The One EDT is such a quality blend that has enough freshness and spiciness to make you smell (irresistibly) masculine, sexy and elegant in a respectful way, that for the above scenario I choose this over the stronger niche ones, especially if the climate is 20-25c warm. FWIW, as much as I love them, I wouldn't wear the (vintage) Herods and Enigmas to an intimate restaurant opposite your date because on me they are a tad too loud for that purpose. The One EDT has just the amount of volume and fresh & mildly spicy presence to enhance you for a restaurant-scenario, and that's all I can ask from a fragrance in this case. Did I mention that this smells so freaking good? I will wear this over hotel dinners for holidays in Greece. (50ml bottle bought in 2024, batch 01013H1 , 79% vol., Made in Italy, rich and dense scent cloud for 2-3 hours but you can still detect it for days afterwards.)

I don't know why all the influencers rave about the EDP and now the new Parfum. They are good scents, but no flanker will ever beat the original in my opinion. Making something stronger doesn't always make it better. What I love about the original The One is that it's a beautiful blend of dark and fresh which makes it the most versatile in the line. Sure, this is not the first fragrance I would reach for on a hot summer day, but you could still pull it off if you really wanted. Even though the fragrance has a dark and seductive element to it, it's a rare gem that doesn't tie those notes together with an overwhelming amount of sweetness. The One is like dark chocolate while modern mass-appealing amber heavy scents are more like milk chocolate. It's playful, but it's a mature playful done with class. While I do think the EDP is perfectly fine and would probably be the better option during colder weather, it's a little "stuffy" for my taste. If you absolutely need performance, maybe the higher concentrations would be right for you, but don't be quick to dismiss the EDT. It's not the strongest performer, but it's a better scent overall. I give the EDT a solid 9/10. It's not quite a masterpiece, but it got awfully close. Also, with all the sweet/loud scents dominating the market these days, this one has aged like fine wine.