Boss Orange for Men by Hugo Boss

Incredibly underrated fragrance. Its only flaw: the trail and projection are very contained.

Red apple and coriander notes, closing with a discreet vanilla. I don’t know how, but they work brilliantly. It smells very soft, clinging to the skin. ‘Boss Apple’ would suit it better.

Red apple is one of my favourite notes, so I tried this. Its name is misleading: ‘Boss Orange’ could be called ‘Boss Red’. The bottle is pretty, reminiscent of Britney’s Radiance but masculine, though it could also be feminine; we are the ones who give it gender. The scent is vanilla and red apple; I don’t consider it gourmand, but almost, it’s on the edge. It projects quite well and has good projection for a Hugo Boss EDT. It’s the first perfume from this brand I like; I’ve tried most of them. The pepper and incense are very present. It reminds me of ‘This is him’ by Zaig & Voltaire, but a fruity version. Ideal for spring and autumn. At times I like it, at others I think it’s too simple; I still don’t know, I must keep trying it because it smells frankly well. The question is: do I feel identified? I still don’t know. I have to wait for the fireworks.

I had it and after reading this I’m valuing it again. Excellent EDP in terms of price-quality for 2023. What a pity they changed the packaging for a generic one; it takes away from its potency. I hope to write about it again soon.

For people in Argentina… if you’re looking for a BBB alternative for this perfume, look for BENSIMON URBAN. It’s a bit more citrusy but maintains the essence of Boss Orange.

To me, it’s basically a night version of Boss Bottled.

I’ll tell you after having it for over 6 or 7 months. When I bought it in spring, it seemed pleasant but nothing special, and since it didn’t last more than 4 or 5 hours on the skin, I set it aside. Until this week, with freezing temperatures of 0 degrees in southern Chile, I wore it for three days in a row and it lasted over 12 hours! In the cold, that opening apple note (which doesn’t smell synthetic) is magnified and soon turns into a faint incense between the vanilla, changing with every hour. I think it has excellent value for money, perfect for wearing under a mask during the pandemic and sure to get compliments.

My experience was this: Mati, is this the Dolce Gabbana One? He replied that no, it’s the Hugo BOSS Orange.

The perfume is pleasant, youthful, and seductive. When it launched, synthetic fruity scents were in fashion, and this followed that route. It’s synthetic, with a vaporous, fresh apple note that evolves into an exotic woody aroma with a touch of vanilla. It gets confused with similar ones but is versatile and suits any style and time of day. The bottle reflects a man’s six-pack abs; I found it amusing when it came out. Perfect for work, leisure, and night. The downside is that its performance is moderate, but it allows for over-application and has a good price. Very apt for Christmas gifts, it hits the mark with current tastes and isn’t outdated. A friendly fragrance with a sexy touch.

For some reason, it’s easier for me to review a perfume from 30 years ago than one from 10, especially if I only recently got to know it in 2020; I don’t know why this wonder passed so far from my radar. Obviously, the previous decade sought to move away from the sweet/floral scents of the 2000s and headed towards balsamic, vanilla, woody, and spiced notes. Although it shares points with Spicebomb Extreme (drier and spicier) and Fan di Fendi (more formal and ‘accord’), it stands out for its versatility: it can be worn by someone in their twenties for a night out or by someone in their fifties for a formal meeting. The climate range is wide: autumn, winter, and spring (it can be overwhelming in summer), and above all for its longevity; it’s rare for people to say it ‘doesn’t last’. My brother and I tested it, and it persisted for over 12 hours. Yes, it’s quite linear; the very sweet apple opening lasts a short while and appears below the coriander, which, along with the Sichuan pepper, gives that citrus touch that confuses many with orange. The pepper in the second phase is more noticeable than the incense and lasts longer, just like the vanilla that appears below the prolonged sweet woods. Anyway, 2011 was intense (personally, a difficult year), but now I can add this little gem to the column of few good things that happened, alongside Biophilia by Björk, Arabian Horse by Gusgus, and Scintilli by Plaid.

It’s an overlooked gem. The opening is synthetic, but within minutes it changes on the skin: you notice the pepper, vanilla, and incense, which smells like myrrh or burnt resin, with wax and a woody base, almost oriental. On clothes, it becomes sweeter, skipping the sweet, juicy red apple, vanilla, and wood. It’s versatile, suitable for day or night, casual or formal, and even in summer due to that fresh touch, better than the Boss Bottled ones that give me a headache, but with that Hugo Boss seal. The longevity is low and the trail moderate on skin. I bought it blindly for my boyfriend and he liked it; unlike Feel Good Summer, which lasts less, is very summery, and smells of bitter orange.

It’s a good proposition. It starts fresh, thinking of sporty aromas, but evolves gaining presence from the vanilla and woods, which give it the right consistency and intensity. Quite intense, suitable for daily use, and versatile. Different from the rest of the house, I like it, but I think it lacks longevity, like many current fragrances. It’s a valid option: original scent, modern, and normal price for a designer.

It’s one of the ones I use most in my collection these months, although not so much anymore due to the strong heat. Let me clarify a misconception I see often (more so on English websites): this perfume doesn’t smell of orange, despite the name. For some it should smell of orange, but it doesn’t. “Boss Orange” is a subdivision of Hugo Boss, a clothing line like Boss Green or Hugo, and this is its fragrance. This happens with Armani (Emporio, Exchange), Versace (Jeans, Versus), D&G, etc. I hope this helps those buying thinking of that citrus note.

A delight! After the good results and conquest with Hugo Boss Bottled, I decided to look for another from the house expecting the same, and I found this little gem that conquered me at first sight and I bought it. The opening is citrusy and very sweet-fruity; the vanilla and spices bring out a beautiful sweet orange scent. A fruity fragrance that complements with a subtle touch of vanilla, apple, orange, ideal for warm climates. After 15 or 20 minutes, a subtle vanilla is felt that gives creaminess and a refreshing woody touch. It’s formal, classy, sophisticated, and intellectual, almost on par with Boss Bottled, but with a small flaw. Ideal for work or enclosed places; capable of changing the mood just with its scent. It goes well at any time, except for that “small” flaw: its trail and longevity are scarce, perhaps 1 or 2 hours at most, until you can’t even perceive it. If it were like Boss Bottled, it would be a masterpiece. When applying it in the morning, I close my eyes and I project myself being in the countryside squeezing fresh oranges from the dew, freshly cut, serving me a delicious and fresh natural juice.

Rich but lasts nothing. It’s a flash of good taste that fades into the background in 2 hours and then disappears.