Versace Eros Flame, the Peppery One I Wear When It Gets Cold

Versace was founded in Milan in 1978 by Gianni Versace, and the house has always been built on the same instinct: if you are going to be noticed, be noticed on purpose. The Medusa on the logo comes straight out of Greek mythology, and it still tells you what to expect. Nothing here is subtle. Versace Eros Flame is the one I would hand to a friend who says every cologne smells the same, because it is bold and peppery.

Eros Flame launched in 2018, and the nose behind it is Olivier Pescheux. The opening is bright and a little sharp: mandarin orange, lemon, chinotto and rosemary, with Madagascar pepper running underneath like a low hum. Then the heart turns to geranium, rose and pepperwood, and the base settles into vanilla, tonka, sandalwood, Texas cedar, patchouli and oakmoss. The first hour is the bit people notice. By evening it is warm and woody and quite calm.

The same shelf holds the rest of the family. Eros Eau de Toilette is the lighter strength to start with, and Eros Eau de Parfum and Eros Parfum are the richer ones, the pair I would wear once the weather turns. Eros Energy is the citrus-led one, which is why I would try it for daytime and the gym bag. All five share a family resemblance, which makes a side by side test on two wrists surprisingly informative. I would start with Flame if your weather runs cool, and with the toilette if you are buying for warm days.

Not everything Versace makes is loud, and the older bottles prove it. Versace Pour Homme launched in 2008, created by Alberto Morillas, and it reads like a crisp white shirt after the flamboyance of Eros. The opening is lemon, bergamot, neroli and rose de mai, with hyacinth, cedar and clary sage in the middle, then tonka bean, musk and amber underneath. It is clean, quiet and very easy to wear to an office.

Dylan Blue Pour Homme is the middle road, a fresh, aquatic and aromatic scent, with bergamot and grapefruit on top and black pepper in the heart, that sits between the restraint of the classic and the drama of Eros. Eros Pour Homme Eau de Parfum belongs here too, a good one to try if you like the Eros name and want something to smell next to the classic.

If you are choosing between these three, think about the room you will be standing in. Pour Homme is for meetings, close conversations and hot trains. Dylan Blue is for weekends and weddings, anywhere you want to smell fresh without seeming to have tried. Eros Pour Homme is the one for dinner, when you want something with a little more presence than a plain cologne.

A small test: spray once on the inside of the wrist, not both, and leave it alone for an hour. What you smell after an hour is what everyone else will smell all day.

If Eros Flame appeals for the citrus and pepper rather than the name, there are other bottles in that neighborhood. Prada's Luna Rossa Ocean Le Parfum with lemon and oakwood is the cool, aquatic one, closer to sea air than spice. Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino is a proper citrus and bergamot cologne, bright and clean, and the one I reach for on a warm afternoon.

Maison Margiela's Replica Never-ending Summer is orange and a spritzy accord, light and playful, more like the smell of a holiday than a cologne. Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Beau adds coconut and bergamot for something creamy and sunny. Ralph Lauren's Polo Red Extreme with leather gives you a deeper pull with leather, closer to Flame in mood than the rest. Dior's Sauvage Parfum is the widely known one, fresh and peppery.

Comparing these to Flame is unfair, because Flame is warmer than most of them. But if you enjoy that mandarin and pepper opening, this is where I would browse next.

What I would skip: buying any of these blind from one quick spray on a paper strip. Citrus openings all smell alike for the first ten minutes, and the difference only shows up on skin after the top notes have gone. Wear one for a full day before you commit, and skip stacking it under an aftershave with its own scent.

Choosing between them is easier than it looks. Start with the season. Eros Flame and Polo Red Extreme belong to autumn and winter, when warmth carries. Neroli Portofino and Never-ending Summer belong to July. Pour Homme lives in the gaps between.

Then think about how much attention you want. The Eros bottles ask to be noticed. The older Versace ones let you be noticed if someone leans in. Keep one loud bottle and one quiet one, and you have covered nearly every invitation on the calendar. Apply a couple of sprays to skin fresh out of the shower, one on the neck and one on the chest, and let clothing do the rest. If you find yourself smelling it all afternoon, it is probably too heavy for your day, and a lighter concentration will make you happier.

Eros Flame is the one I reach for when it gets cold, so I kept looking for other bottles that have the same warmth, and this last stretch is where I landed. Versace Eros Najim and Man Eau Fraîche Extrême sit closest to the house. For spice and depth, Tom Ford Noir Extreme and Ombré Leather, Maison Margiela Replica Jazz Club and By The Fireplace are my favorites. Polo Red Parfum and Dior Sauvage Eau Forte are bolder, and Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Elixir is the sweet one. For cleaner days I would pick Polo Blue, Dior Homme Sport or Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme. What I would skip: Gucci Guilty Absolu de Parfum on a short errand, since Absolu in the name points to a stronger bottle. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Versace Cologne and Versace Perfume, Starting With Yuzu, Ice and a Medusa Watching Over It.