Issue # 18 - Reviewing Ralph Lauren's "Big Pony"

Issue # 18 - Reviewing Ralph Lauren's "Big Pony"

Ralph Lauren: A worldly name that symbolizes class, style, culture, and sophistication. A name that has been around for years, and has lived past its expectations time and time again. From clothing to candles, Ralph Lauren co. has excelled in everything it touches, and fragrances are at the forefront of that statement.


Ralph Lauren's newest line of men's fragrances is called the "Big Pony Collection", inspired by the "Big Pony" line of shirts that were hugely successful. I caught these bottles outof  the corner of my eye, because they are simply too vivid to miss. Very rarely to men's fragrances go off the deep end in terms of colour, they usually stick to many tones and darker colours or blues. But this line uses vibrant oranges, greens, reds and blues, and alternates them on the 3 different design aspects of the bottles. It's quite appealing to the eye and right off the bat, the bottles tell you that these scents will be different.


The line released 4 different fragrances, all distinctly different and all to suit a certain mood/personality. There is "Sporty", "Seductive", "adventurous" and "Stylish" (from left to right in the picture). Notice how the colours of the bottles almost tell you which one is which without even knowing? I love it. The fragrance in review today is #2 - Seductive.


Upon seeing the new line, I HAD to test them. They were too inviting not to sample almost immediately. I sprayed each one on the tester cards provided (which allow you to tear the corner to remind you which was which, ingenius) and put them in different pockets so they wouldn't mix. About 5 minutes later i took them out and smelled them. They are ALL fantastic scents, so it was hard to choose which one to start with, but alas, i chose #2. In a red bottle, with a Yellow logo, and a bright green 2 on the back, it certainly does stand out amongst my collection, but what's inside stands out more. It's warm and subtle, and almost edible. It has sweet notes of dark chocolate among a bright citrusy opening, and settles into an inviting powdery tone. It's not overly manly, nor is it overly light. It truly is hard to describe and is a complex scent. Being the "Seductive" scent in the lineup was a good choice...it's almost as if it's sweet opening lures in your prey and the masculine dry down seals the deal.


The writer who reviewed this fragrance on "Now Smell This" (http://www.nstperfume.com/2010/08/03/ralph-lauren-big-pony-fragrance-collection-fragrance-reviews/)   is quoted as saying:  "Big Pony No. 2 seems like a young man’s idea of a “sexy” and dressy fragrance with its ‘edible’/foody notes mixed with light, non-confrontational musk.".  While I cannot confirm nor deny this since I am not a young man, (they referred to this scent as "Prom Night Special") I do not see a reason why grown men should deny themselves a scent of this complexity. And while i disagree with his/her opinion categorizing this as a fragrance for the young, I do agree that it is not a formal scent. To me it's somewhere between every day casual and semi-formal; Being light enough to wear daily if desired as a signature scent, or formal enough to wear on occasions that require a great scent accessory, but not a formal event. Did that make sense?


All in all this fragrance is definitely a stand out, both in appearance and scent. I personally can't wait for the chance to wear it out, and I am even more excited to try the other scents! From my memory of testing them, I would put #3 as my next purchase, #4 after that, and although you know i am not a fan of 'sporty' scents, #1 would be my last purchase just to round out the group.


Until next time Gents!
S.G.