It's no secret the gourmand scents have taken over the world of men's fragrance in recent months. I've tested many, including Choco Loco and Indecent Cherry, both from Korean outfit Born to Stand Out.
Now, another player is entering the game – and it's doing so with a top note I'll bet you haven't tried before. That's because – as the name should suggest – Juliette Has a Gun's Banana Rush features a top note of ripe banana.
Now, if you're thinking that sounds a little peculiar... you're not wrong. There are some food-derived scents which are really popular, but banana certainly isn't one I've come across in my time testing fragrances. Still, I'm always one for trying something new, so let's give it a go.
From the first spray, that ripe banana is really going to hit you like a Donkey Kong sucker punch. There's really no other way to describe it, and it does leave a real mark on the skin.
Whether or not that's for you is going to come down to your tolerance – personally, I found that it wasn't too bad, and definitely made more agreeable by the sweet maple syrup alongside it. With that being said, it's probably more of an occasional wear than something which you'd use everyday.
Sat beneath that banana split of top notes is a heart of coconut and frangipani flower, and a base of vanilla and sandalwood. All of that adds up to the best bit of this scent – the drydown.
See, while some of that sweet maple syrup sticks around for a while, the banana burns off over the first couple of hours. Once it does, the result is altogether more palatable, and something which could sit on the skin for hours without intruding.
It reminds me ever so slightly of Better World Fragrance House Summer Mink which I tested recently. That one was similarly profiled – albeit without the banana – and sits as a warm, slightly feminine-leaning scent, which can be enjoyed by those of all genders.
Whether or not you opt to buy a bottle of this will likely come down to how tolerant you are of the banana. It'll be a deal breaker for some, but if you fancy something different, this is worth a try.
