Versace Man Eau Fraîche Cologne Review: A Summer Fragrance For The Beach

Released in 2006, Versace Man Eau Fraîche is a wildly successful men’s cologne that has received an almost cult status within the fragrance community. Curious as to whether it’s worth the hype, we decided to give Eau Fraîche a full review using our Fragrance Formula.

In this review, you will discover Versace Man Eau Fraîche with a focus on the following topics:

• Fragrance Overview
• Blend & Fragrance Strength
• Tested 3rd Party Feedback
• When To Wear The Cologne
• Presentation & Value

You can use the links above to jump ahead or just scroll down to read it all!

Overview

• Brand: Versace
• Fragrance: Man Eau Fraîche
• Concentration: Eau de Toilette
• Introduction: 2006
• Olfactive Fragrance Family: Woody Aquatic
• Related Fragrance: Ralph Lauren Polo Blue
• Price On Amazon: From $45 [Buy Now]
• Price On FragranceX: From $38 [Buy Now]

Following the success of their spicy and oriental concoction, Versace Man, in 2003, the Italian house sought to create a fresher summer version. Therefore, Versace approached Olivier Cresp, who is known for his crisp fragrances. His previous work includes Paco Rabanne Black XS, the 2017 Givenchy Gentleman formulation and most of the Mercedes Benz and Kenzo Eau ranges for men.

Firstly, the use of the term “Eau Fraîche” is somewhat ambiguous. Usually, Eau Fraîche is used to identify a weaker and refreshing fragrance that only contains about 3% of aromatic compounds. However, make no mistake that Versace Man Eau Fraîche is actually an eau de toilette and therefore should be stronger.

Download the Versace Man Eau Fraîche Fragrance Formula as a PDF.

Learn More About The Bespoke Unit Fragrance Formula (BUFF)

Versace Man Eau Fraîche’s Composition

With notes of rosewood and cedar set against calone and ambergris, Eau Fraîche is a distinctively woody aquatic fragrance. In fact, this sums up the fragrance’s character very well. However, let’s explore it in further detail.

Head Notes

• Bergamot
• Lemon
• Rosewood
• Carambola

Eau Fraîche opens on zesty bergamot and lemon as its first notes before revealing some powdery rosewood. A particularly intriguing note in the head was the carambola (star fruit), which was particularly appealing and tart rather than overly sweet.

Heart Notes

• Green Apple
• Calone
• Terragon
• Pepper

We very quickly dive into the heart where notes of crisp green apple follow up from the carambola. In the meantime, we experience some terragon herbs with sharp pepper for some refreshing aquatics. During this, a touch of calone emerges to provide a decidedly aquatic theme.

Base Notes

• Melon
• Ambroxan
• Cedarwood

As Eau Fraîche dries down to the base, the green apple is phased out in what is more reminiscent of melon. However, the most vivid notes here are some powdery cedarwood as well as aquatic notes of ambroxan.

Rather than ambergris, I’m going for ambroxan here as we still get those notes aquatic pipe tobacco musk but it feels quite synthetic.

Eau Fraîche’s Life-Cycle, Wake & Strength

Overall, Versace Man Eau Fraîche’s life-cycle is pretty conventional with a typical dry-down. Nevertheless, it’s quite fleeting and we get to the base notes in a very short space of time. Although they aren’t overly immersive notes, we can pick out each one with a little work.

In terms of wake and strength, the sillage performs relatively well. However, the projection is a tad weak given that these are quite light notes. Finally, the longevity is quite disappointing and provides less than four hours of scent.

Therefore, if you’re looking to wear this, it’s probably worth packing a travel atomiser for some touch ups throughout the day. This is even more important in hot weather as perspiration will accelerate the scent’s evaporation.

What Do People Think Of Versace Man Eau Fraîche?

Firstly, it seems that Eau Fraîche is quite a safe fragrance in general. No-one overly dislikes it and pretty much everyone who tested it feels that it’s an inoffensive and light fragrance.

As mentioned in the introduction of this review, eau Fraîche has a strong following within the fragrance community. The so-called “fragheads” consider Eau Fraîche to be an unforgettable contemporary classic that is a “compliment magnet” for a day on the beach.

In other words, wear this in summer and you’ll leave a trail of women in your wake.

However, I admit that I was surprised at this after testing the fragrance. It’s very weak and I’d be amazed if somebody could easily smell it on a passer-by in the heat.

Overall, women who tried it found it to be charming, fresh and inoffensive but certainly not the “beastmode” fragrance that many people claim. In fact, people generally found it quite pleasant but otherwise uninspiring and quite banal.

When To Wear Versace Man Eau Fraîche

Firstly, Eau Fraîche is an unabashedly summer fragrance. Wearable from mid-May onward, it wouldn’t be a fragrance that would have much of an effect during the colder months. However, it would be an appropriate fragrance for during or after your workout.

In terms of the time of day, this is very much a daytime scent that would be perfect for the weekend, a day at the beach, a picnic or even a barbecue with the lads.

As for the age range, this is a fragrance that best suits younger men from their teens up until the mid-twenties. Similarly, it’s a definite casual fragrance that couldn’t really be worn at the office or anywhere formal.

Finally, the masculinity is relatively moderate and bordering on mild. Being a faint and fleeting fragrance, it’s refreshing without being pushy.

Presentation and Value For Money

Like its contents, the bottle isn’t very exciting. The glass is clear blue with zig-zag details across the edges. On top is a metal plate, which houses the atomiser and an acrylic cap clips onto it.

As for the atomiser, it performs very well and provides a nice, thick mist when applied properly.

Meanwhile, the packaging is actually much more interesting than the flacon itself. The fragrance is presented in an alligator-leather style cardboard in the same light blue colour as the bottle. Silver lettering decorates the surface with a reflective blue band that represents the bottle’s cap.

Finally, the value for money is reasonable but not overwhelming. Whilst Versace Man Eau Fraîche used to be hard to find and quite expensive, it’s become quite affordable. On Amazon, 100ml (3.4Oz) can be picked up for just under $45. Meanwhile, it costs just over $38 on FragranceX!

Nevertheless, remember that this a weak fragrance so you’ll be applying quite regularly to ensure a decent scent.

Closing Thoughts

A refreshing and uplifting fragrance, Versace Man Eau Fraîche is otherwise quite uninspiring and let down by weak performance. In fact, the name is quite apt as its longevity resembles that of a genuine Eau Fraîche.

Nevertheless, this is still an excellent choice if you’re looking for a casual fragrance to wear at the beach, by the pool or at the gym. If you’re looking for something this summer, we’d say it’s worth considering. However, do check out our recommendations of the best men’s summer colognes while you’re at it!