Gucci "Made To Measure" is it as expensive as I think it is? ^Featured

You can see the product page here and my review which basically boils down to "I really like this but I can't afford it". Well I decided that I'd really test this so I went to Boots and spent (too) long choosing a men's EDT to test longer term and really really decide if it's worth staying with one more expensive fragrance. The choice eventually boiled down to Made to Measure (at £97 for 100ml) and Boss Orange (£48.50). You can see the product page the the Boss product here.

I like both of them but as you can see the price is pretty much double for the Gucci product and I'm going to start with that one. The idea is that I'll use it as my everyday fragrance both at work and home and see how long it lasts in terms of the bottle (50 ml), how it develops over a long time and whether I get bored. I'll buy the Boss Orange another day (month!) and do switch over to that one.

Okay let's start with some background. From the Gucci site:

"Inspired by the success of Gucci Première, Creative Director Frida Giannini created Gucci Made to Measure, an exacting fragrance for the man who demands the very best.

A contemporary legend in the making, Gucci Made to Measure draws from the House's eponymous line of custom suiting to create a distinctive scent tailored to the modern connoisseur. Assured and sophisticated, Made to Measure never fails to make a truly memorable impression, distinguishing the wearer as a man apart.

Gucci Made to Measure is a spicy oriental fragrance tailor-made to create an unforgettable impression.

Meticulously constructed from prime ingredients sourced around the world, the sophisticated scent recalls the luxury and  rigorous craftsmanship of a Gucci Made to Measure suit.

A masculine counterpart to Gucci Première's elegant flacon, the Gucci Made to Measure bottle exudes authority and sophistication.

Presented in an understated slate and pearl grey palette, the bottle is crafted in stately haute parfumerie quality glass and bears a individually finished hand-brushed metal cap in the shape of the House's iconic Horsebit detail. Drawing from Gucci's heritage, the box is adorned with the Diamante pattern and a gold and gunmetal version of Gucci's signature Web stripe."

The bottle

Sorry I'm just not that keen. Yes it's great quality and I do like the colours but the bottle top is just not for me. I know bottle design shouldn't be a big issue but for me either it needs to be simple and easy to use or interesting and easy to use. This one is neither (to be fair the bottle does feel like quality). The "hand-brushed" metal cap is heavy and well made but when it's removed you can see and feel the quality of the bottle far more. It's heavy and feels worth the money in your hand but the spracy nozztle is imprecise. I like the slightly strange tint to the liquid in the bottle, subtle but again suggests quality. 

The notes

Top:

• Calabrian Bergamot - Bergamot orange is a not edible and is cultivated for production of its essential oil. Its scent is fruity-sweet with mild spicy note.
• Tunisian Orange Blossom - A fresh and sweetish floral note coming from citrus aurantia tree (bitter orange tree).
• French Lavender - provide a dry and balmy base.
• Anis Seed - An herbaceous plant native to the Mediterranean and Southwest Asia. The fragrance is similar to licorice, fennel or tarragon.

Middle:

• Sri Lankan Nutmeg - A spicy sweet facet with earthy and more pungent base notes.
• Water Lilly - Floral subtle sweetish flower scent.
• Plum - Lush sweet fruit scent.
• Cinnamon - Sweet and bitter.
• Juniper Berry - Fresh and lingering.

Base:

• Cistus Labdanum - A deep powerful leathery scent note derived from the rock rose derived from a rockrose.
• Patchouli - A sweet earthy dark woody scent from a bushy herb from the mint family. 
• Leather - Derived from birch tar.
• Amber - A sweet and warm scent.

 First week

I really do like this fragrance when I first spray it on but I've tried all sorts of things this week to try to make sure it develops fully and is noticable throughout the day but I just can't seem to find anything that works. Oh well I'll keep trying!

 First month

So it's been an interesting month and it has firmly established me in my thinking that I like the fragrance but it really does need reapplying frequently throughout the day if you want it to have any impact. I've settled on applying it to my shirt cuffs as well as on my skin so that I could at least be reminded that I was wearing it.

I still have at least a month to go before I finish the bottle and try the Boss Orange and I'll be sad to see the bottle empty but I must admit I'm unlikely to buy Made to Measure again - well probably!

Time to move on

So I haven't actually finished the bottle of Made to Measure but I've decided to buy the Boss Orange Man Eau de Toilette this weekend anyway! Basically I've given up, I used the last of the bottle to make my ironing smell nicer - no idea if that's bad for the iron but...

The product page for this one is here. "Like BOSS Orange Woman, the new male fragrance is driven by a comforting vanilla note signifying the free-spirited optimism that characterises the brand; however as the 'brother' scent it is blended with a more masculine woody note which gives a smooth dry-down."

• Top Notes: Red Apple Corriander
• Mid Notes: Incense, African Orange Flowers
• Base Notes: Sandalwood, Olive Tree, Vanilla

You can see from the product page that I first reviewed this one in 2012 and I basically liked it (but I wasn't convinced by the orange). Over the last two years I've really grown to like this one and so I decided to try it as the cheaper option in my longevity trial.

 The first two weeks

Instantly you get more longevity for your money with this one. It lingers on the skin as well as clothes but it doesn't dominate. It's incredibly hot at the moment but the scent doesn't break down during the day. I do apply it fairly densely but even so (and especially given the price) the level in the bottle doesn't seem to be going down very fast. I like the simplicity of the bottle and of the spray but I can really see (and feel) the difference in quality with the Gucci one. Is it really worth only half as much? Well let's see...

 Half way through the bottle

 Okay so how are things going? I still really link the scent and it's certainly lasting longer than the Gucci both in terms of lasting on my skin and using less of the bottle. Even so I'm still not convinced that the longevity is good enough for a product that costs this much.

It is unbearablely hot at the moment so in all honesty I'm not sure if this is currently a fair test as I've thought before that both the Gucci and this one are better suited to autum and spring rather than summer.

On to the second half of the bottle!

Okay, so I'm down to the last quarter of the bottle so it's time to round up (and end this blog!). I really liked both of these but I must admit that I like the Made to Measure more but it's too pricy and just doesn't last long enough. The Gucci is nice and certainly less expensive and it does last longer but somehow neither of them are going to win for me. I'm just going to have to find another two to compare!