Diesel Only The Brave | Still Packing a Punch after All These Years?

Today I'm sharing some thoughts on an oldy but a goody. The Only The Brave by Diesel, an Oriental Woody fragrance for men. Only The Brave was launched in 2009. Only The Brave was created by Alienor Massenet, Olivier Polge and Pierre Wargnye.

Fragrance Notes:

○  Top: Amalfi Lemon & Mandarin

○  Heart: Cedar, Coriander & Violet

○  Base: French Labdanum, Amber Styrax, Benzoin & Leather

The Hype:

Only the Brave is the iconic men’s perfume by Diesel, a modern aftershave for a self-assured leader who achieves his dreams with conviction. Its emblematic bottle, a clenched fist, conveys the brave values: masculinity, power and self-confidence.

The Bottle:

Its flacon is a real sculpture of glass, shaped like a fist, coloured in smoky-greyish nuances, with a silver ring with an inscription of the Diesel brand. Let's face it, this bottle is a head turner. Now does it look good on a shelf for a man in his mid-forties, 100% no. Unless every other bottle is also a novelty, male-genitalia shaped, bought from Great Yarmouth High Street etc.

The Opening:

The perfume opens with masculine and modern notes of leather. I'm getting the real hit of Amalfi Lemon. I'm transported to the cobbled markets in Sorrento. The drive through the gulf of Napoli and the mist that encircles Mount Vesuvius acts like a halo in the distance.

The Settle Down:

I get enveloped in the middle notes of Violet, Virginia Cedar and Coriander. I'm taken all the way back to the kitchen. My now wife is making her famous eggs shakshuka. She overdoes the coriander, but that's fine. It's how I like it. I'm led down a path of warm accords, there is amber along with leather nuances (styrax and labdanum).

I can see why this perfume for men has been a staple in many collections for years. It continues to impress me with its distinctive scent and long-lasting allure.

The Drydown:

I returned after 30 minutes, the base notes were very creamy and exotic. It has all the unusual undertones of rugged masculinity. Amber, Leather, Benzoin, etc. I'm somehow not sure where I want to be anymore. In my mid-twenties, confident, in shape, my skin with all its elasticity. Can handle any hangover, excited about being on a billboard somewhere, sometime in the near future. This scent is a young man's game that old men like me still like to play. Do we still have it? Too late for a comeback?

Word on the street:

Definitely a younger man's scent profile( teens and 20s).....although I'm in my mid 30s, I still enjoy it. Nothing groundbreaking, great for out of the shower or running to the store type of a fragrance. - Fragrantica.