Diesel Only The Brave Eau de Toilette

Are You Brave Enough

I have more than enough aftershaves and really am not in the market to be buying any more until I have got through the bottles I already have. However when I receive a bottle as a gift I am not going to say no to it.
I received a bottle of Diesel only the brave as a gift from my sister when she visited New York. I like Diesel clothing and own a few of their jeans and tops but I had never until then actually smelt any of their fragrances and my first impressions were quite good.

The Bottle

Normally I am drawn to more clean and classic bottle designs and this bottle couldn't be further away from that aesthetic.
First I need to explain that my bottle of only the brave EDT is actually a limited edition and differs from the original bottle in colour only.
The bottle is desinged to look like a clenched fist with a 'knuckle duster' ring on it's two middle fingers that has the diesel name on it. It is certainly striking and looks nothing like any other bottle of aftershave on the market.

The original only the brave comes in a grey/blue bottle but the limited edition one I have is red and the 'knuckle duster' ring and the lid are both gold colour.
Apparently it is supposed to look like Iron Man from the Marvel comics and I can definately see this in the design.
Although it is nothing like my normal style I think it might actually be my favourite bottle as it just stands out so much inbetween all my other plainer bottles and it just looks so young and fun that I can't help but to smile when I look at it.

Notes

The top notes in the fragrance are modern leather, lemon, mandarin and coriander.

Heat notes are labdanum, violet leaves and rosemary.

Base notes are amber and cedarwood.

The Smell

Only the brave is supposed to be a clean fresh scent like so many other aftershaves these days. It does certainly have a fresh smell to it but there is also something decidedly artificial about it. I personally don't find this too be a problem as if I wanted something that didn't smell artificial then I would use essential oils.
I can definately smell the lemon but this is nearly drownt out by something more spicy and woody.
The scent is definately masculine and there would be no way of not knowing this was a male fragrance which makes a nice change from a lot of modern aftershaves that I own where you would be hard pressed to think they were particulary masculine.

I find it to be quite a versitile fragrance and feel it could easily be worn as either a day time scent or for a night out. It would be as at home in the office as it would be in a nightclub.
I do think it smells very young and can imagine it will be ver popular with teenagers. It also comes across as a bit generic and there are at least 5 other aftershaves it smells similair to. Again this isn't a big problem for me as there is a reason that these types of scents are popular and that's because they smell good.

When you first spray the EDT you are immediately hit with just how potent the scent is. I like a strong smelling fragrance and have been known to practically douse myself in aftershave until I am able to smell the fragrance I am wearing. With this aftershave I don't need to do that and just a couple of sprays is enough for me to be able to smell the fragrance for the entire day.

Longevity is fantastic with this fragrance and those two squirts of the bottle are enough to last an entire day and well into the evening without losing too much of it's potency. Due to the fact that it is so strong you will only use a small amount and this means that the bottle will last for much longer than some other aftershaves that aren't as potent.

Price and Availability

As I received my bottle as a gift I didnt like to ask exactly how much it cost my sister but afer having a look online the original bottles of only the brave are selling for around £30 for a small bottle of 35ml and up to £50 for a 75ml bottle.

As well as the EDT there is also a shower gel which is around £20 for a 200ml bottle, an aftershave balm which is £27 for a 100ml bottle and an aftershave lotion which is around £30 for a 100ml bottle

My Verdict

I would definately recommend Diesel only the brave EDT as I find the scent to be fresh and enjoyable to wear. I appreciate it's strength and longevity and I will definately consider buying a new bottle when my one is finished though I don't expect that to be for a long time.

The price for a bottle is about average for a designer fragrance but because it lasts so long I personally think it's better value than about 80 per cent of the other fragrances on the market because this one will last for so much longer.

Because the bottle is just so damn cool only the brave would make a fantastic gift for any young men out there for birthdays or christmas but if you are looking for a decent modern aftershave that will get you lot's of compliments but won't alienate people when this could just be the one for you.