Hugo Boss Bottled Unlimited

If you mention the words Hugo Boss and aftershave together I automatically get a shudder down my spine. Not in a good way! Since my first foray into Hugo Boss aftershaves (shudder) with Dark Blue which to be blunt was awful they have actually released a number of good scents for men such as Just Different and Man. Trying to put my prejudices to one side, Rachel (Beautyqueenuk) asked me to get my sniffing tackle around Bottled Unlimited by Hugo Boss.

At £60 for a 100ml bottle this bottle, the fragrance launched in 2014 sits in the medium bracket in terms of affordability so I was expecting good things from this in terms of not just fragrance but also staying power and evolution of the notes.

Without boring you with the marketing blurb I’m going to launch straight in. These are the notes for Hugo Boss Bottled Unlimited:

• Head: Iced Violet Leaves
• Heart: Pineapple
• Dry-down: Sandalwood, musk

From this I would have expected a light floral fragrance with the slight bite of the citrus from the pineapple. To be honest, I can’t recall another fragrance that I’ve tried over the last year with a citrus heart note - just seeing this made me more curious as to what it would smell like, and whether indeed it had the decent base on which to act as a hard-wearing aftershave.

So, on with the sniffing….

Spray one and you think wow, this is strong, and by spray three (I spray quickly) you are thinking “seriously, can an aftershave be this strong”. The strength of the fragrance as it leaves the bottle is like an unexpected slap to the face…..from Floyd Mayweather which makes it pretty hard to bring your senses to bear on it. It took thirty seconds until I had my senses back and could indeed detect a strong floral scent, it wasn’t as subtle as I had expected, this was much stronger and it wasn’t for a good fifteen minutes until this dried down a little and the light citrus from the pineapple came through. It is lovely as it's as though the fragrances melted into each other. 

It takes around an hour until this starts to lighten, it’s really noticeable to me as I move around but it loses some of it’s heavy top notes and becomes slightly lighter, yet with a warm finish on the nose. The sandalwood is light so not to overshadow the floral and citrus and the blend is simply amazing.

This lasts for well over ten hours and I think will appeal to those who light their fragrances light and citrus to those who prefer a heavier and warmer floral. With it being so strong a little really does go a long way with only three sprays needed at the start of the day. It’ll last for ages even when worn for day-wear, nights out or those special occasions. Go on, treat yourself to a bottle of Hugo Boss aftershave (no shudder anymore) and take a closer look at Bottled Unlimited by Hugo Boss.

This post is written by Beautykinguk who also happens to be my Hubby.

The five aftershaves I couldn't be without!

Today on Beautyqueenuk, I am bringing to you a guest post from my Hubby whom you can find on:

Twitter

Bloglovin

Facebook

and I would love it if you would go and give his blog a visit.

I’m fairly new to blogging about my beauty experiences. I only set up www.beautykinguk.co.uk in January. When asked to guest post here, I jumped at the chance.  With the guidance that I could write about anything I wanted I put aside thoughts that made me grin wildly, things like ‘top 10 limericks’ and ‘top ten bars I’ve lost nights in’ and instead plumped for something close to my heart, well close to my skin – aftershave.

Over the years I’ve spent an absolute fortune on the stuff – I’ve tried discount brands, I’ve paid through the nose for luxury brands, been pleased, dazzled and repulsed in equal measure. Today however, I’m going to look at my 5 favourites.

The first that I can’t live without is Bvlgari Extreme – it is by far the best aftershave I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning and my collection is never without a bottle.

Extreme is the concentrate of Bvlgari Pour Homme which means that a little goes a long way. With a fresh citrus fragrance the notes of Darjeeling tea, rosewood and pepper blend beautifully to create a fragrance that has people swooning as you pass by.

A 100ml bottle costs around £30 and it is worth every penny. It oozes class and gives the wearer confidence.

The second is another aftershave from the Bvlgari stable, Bvlgari Man. This is fairly new fragrance launched in 2010 and, and has quickly become a personal favourite.

Again, a 100ml bottle is just £30 and a bottle lasts for ages. The oriental woody fragrance has notes of lotus and bergamot. The heart notes of honey really stand out after dry down and while it’s heavier than aftershaves I normally go for the sheer volume of positive comments mean that it is a must have.

In third place I was torn between choosing either Ralph Lauren Polo black or the blue version. In the end I’ve opted for blue.

While not the cheapest aftershave on the market, it can cost up to £50 for a 125ml bottle the fragrance is divine. It’s been around for over a decade and is more in line with aftershaves I go for.

It’s cool and refreshing while it has warm dry down notes that linger for well over 10 years. With a blend of cucumber and tangerine this is a fresh scent that is fruity on the nose.

Wear this and you will get noticed.

In fourth place is Acqua Di Gio by Georgio Armani which comes in at £35 for a 50ml bottle. Again, it isn’t cheap but it’s worth every penny.

Approaching 20 years since it was launched this fell into my collection after I smelt it on my dad.Crisp and cool it's sold as a bracing oceanic fragrance for men. It has an almost citrus tang to it and I’ve written about it on my blog.

The fragrance has a fresh and almost uplifting property to it and the light nature of it means that while you won’t be able to smell it those around you will – and they will adore it.

My final choice was really difficult, but after much consideration I had to pick Dreamer by Versace. A 100ml bottle is just £25 making it good value for money.

This first came into my collection when I was 16 – it was one of the first I owned and as the marketing blurb says, it does combine being fresh with warmth.

It is light, has a citrus aroma that completely disappears on dry down to an almost sensual spicy fragrance. If you haven’t tried it, you really should.

Just thinking about these fragrances evokes some very fond memories and bottles are replaced before they are even two thirds empty.

I hope you enjoyed my choices and thanks for reading - what are your favourites?

Five Among Friends

Welcome to a new feature, Five Among Friends, where myself & some of my closest blogging friends will be linking up for a a series of Q & A's once every month.

We'd love to see your answers to the questions too - Just post your Q & A on your blog and then put your link in the Linky below and we'll be sure to check them out! Don't forget to check out other peoples answers too!

This week's theme is Right now I'd rather be.....

This week's questions were written by Kerry at Lived With Love….

The Questions

1) Right now, I'd rather be sitting….. at the Blackjack table in Las Vegas with Steve, totally relaxed watching people play with fascination.

2) Right now, I'd rather be wearing….my PJ's and be having a duvet day at home watching Revenge, I have become a tad obsessed with that show

3) Right now, I'd rather be eating…. Fresh Lobster with chips by the seaside

4) Right now, I'd rather be listening too... Metallica live on Stage with Kiss as one of their acts

5) Right now, I'd rather be with…. my beloved hubby BeautykingUK at that Blackjack table in Vegas, watching him play (and win).

Don't forget to check out the other girls answers too....

Alex - Bump To Baby

Emily - London Mummy Of Two

Hayley - Sparkles & Stretchmarks

Jessica - Our Baby Blog

Lauren - Mrs Hippo & Me

Louise - Confessions Of A Secret Shopper

Rachel - BeautyQueen UK

An InLinkz Link-up

Introducing Beautykinguk!

Today I am excitedly introducing my beloved hubby and his blog to you all...

Yep here is and you can find him at www.beautykinguk.co.uk and on twitter @beautykinguk and bloglovin.

Steve will be giving his view on the male side of things and will include everything from hair gel and hair wax to shampoo and moisturising cream.

Please do go and give him some support....  thank you!