As a lover of men's fragrances, it's rare that I'm drawn to celebrity-affiliated bottles. Without being too cynical, they tend to be cash grabs, with little in the way of olfactory excellence to stumble upon.
Still, I'm nothing if not malleable, and when a bottle of Lionel Messi-branded scent came across my desk, I couldn't hide my intrigue. After all, the diminutive Argentinian is widely – and correctly in this writers humble opinion – regarded at the best football player of all time. Surely he couldn't put his name on any old tat, could he?
Right off the bat, it's clear that there's a masterful touch here. Perfumer Frank Voelkl is behind the scent, and has an enviable rap sheet. According to the fragrance database, Fragrantica, Voelkl has been the nose behind a seriously impressive array of celebrity scents, but also earns high-brow credits from Le Labo and Born to Stand Out.
The woody, leathery notes associated with this fragrance will be standard fare for most men. It's a real staple for men's fragrance, but there's good reason for it – when done well, it's simply divine.
Here, the fresh and airy top notes help to balance the base notes, which are distinctly heavier. Patchouli and Cedar are prominent as the fragrance dries onto your skin, which is easy to wear and really rather pleasant.
It's actually a remarkably similar scent profile to Chanel's Bleu de Chanel. I have a bottle of the Eau de Toillette variant of that, and it's not a million miles away. I'd wager that there's a little more body in the Chanel version, but this definitely gets you in the same ballpark.
Given the £55 (approx. €65 / $75 / AU$115) price tag, that's a very appealing prospect. It's certainly not perfect – the lid is infuriating, and the bottle shape itself is far from ergonomic.
But I can forgive all of that for a good scent – and this really is a good scent. If you're searching for something affordable which won't break the bank or push you too far from your comfort zone, you could do a lot worse than this.
