Mont Blanc Explorer Tester

I have owned this for about 5 years now and after losing/forgetting it on the back of shelf for a year or so I decided to give it a whirl again today. I have always liked this scent from day one but jumped down the closest dupe to Aventus rabbit hole for years and was focused on finding the closest to the OG for a long time. So here I am years later, a dozen or so bottles of Aventus dupes have come and gone and have a 2022 batch of the OG to compare. This is basic !!! Basically the most likeable form of this DNA and I now stand on that ground with certainty. I have worn each enough to realize the people around us do not know or care its a designer or niche or clone. They just know you smell nice and this one does the job with more broad appeal to myself and to other around me. Performs for an 8 hour work day and is not stupid loud or pushy. Its just done with good taste and projects a medium bubble for most of its life on skin. Now even more so than a few years ago its a complete value at current prices. Everyday scent dumb reach king! 8.5/10

Editing my review as I have now purchased this. This is a very interesting scent, very masculine and bold. I see many comments about poor projection but 1 spray on the wrist, 2 on my torso projects fine for me for 6-8 hours. It becomes a skin scent somewhere between 6-8 generally and dies off soon after that. Keep it light on the sprays for the sake of those around you as it can be a bit over-projecting at any more than 3 sprays during the opening. It's almost like an apple/citrus cleaner sort of vibe for the first couple mins but that fades fast. I also recommend keeping this one on the wrist and torso, away from the neck if you are headache sensitive, or if you go nose blind to ambroxan easily. Great value of a fragrance if you leave it standing alone, a good value if you're comparing it to aventus. It is less fruity than aventus, but that almost makes it easier to wear. I can't afford/justify Aventus so there may be some bias in there.

This is a great fragrance, top tier designer fragrance as far as I'm concerned. Just wished it lasted longer, the longevity is weak. I don't think it's anosmia or olfactory fatigue either. Sprayed this on a test strip (and just let it sit, not constantly smelling it) and within a few hours could hardly smell anything on the strip, the next morning there was nothing. I've done the same with all my fragrances and this fades far faster than most (to be fair, I am partial to some really strong fragrances and a lot are niche that cost 4 times the price of this so its battling a different weight class). Overspray and/or spray on clothes with this one.

I have no idea how close this is the Aventus, and I do not care. All I know is that I love the dry down of this fragrance. The bright opening is sharp for sure, but the woody, smoky base is addictive and so masculine. I always thought it sounded silly that a fragrance could give you confidence, but I get it now. I find it great for work or play, and in the summer heat I think the opening gets even better, enhancing the fruitiness and almost juiciness of the Bergamot. I love it and my wife compliments it a lot as well. This is a huge win in my book.

It's kind of a generic smell, but in a good way. The pineapple is there even though it is not listed in the notes. It's more of a juicy refreshing kind of pineapple rather than a super sweet one, which I like. This excels in the summer heat and springtime. I don't quite know if it's me going nose blind though, but this thing does not last very long. I put on 5 sprays and can't smell it after 2-3 hours. Again, it could just be me going nose blind. I recommend this for a good daily driver.