Villain Hydra : Affordable Summer Perfume for Men

Good manners and good cologne are what transform the man into a gentleman – Tom Ford

Chilled drinks, barbecue, and pool. These words are sure to relieve you from the scorching hot days of summer. Since the weather has transitioned completely to summer, we all need to update our cologne too. Since the summer lasts for at least 6 months in most regions of India, we need to have a reliable and impressive cologne to cover us for most situations. Just like our clothes, our perfumes too can be classified according to the weather too. To know how read here.

Most perfumes are categorized into three types as per the concentration level of fragrant oils in alcohol or other solvents. The longevity and pricing of perfume are also decided by these concentration levels. While an EDP (Eau De Parfum) has the most concentration of aromatic oils, hence it costs more than EDTs (Eau De Toilette) or Body mists. (Leave a comment if you want an extensive guide on perfumes).

However, we have noticed many Indian small brands that are offering decent EDPs at affordable prices. One such Indian brand is Villain. This dark theme men’s grooming brand focuses mainly on fragrance, accessories, and apparel as per their website. Villain as a brand has a bad boy yet minimalist appeal to it. From the very first impression, it seems mysterious and drives attention. We really like the first look of their apparel and accessories but what caught our attention is the wide range of their fragrances. Their fragrances have a character to them and are branded by different personalities. We stumbled upon Villain Hydra while we were on the lookout for an affordable refreshing summer fragrance. So, here is our experience with Villain Hydra.

First Impression

As per the website Villain Hydra has intense aquatic notes with hints of white musk and a zesty freshness. Before we start with the fragrance, let us talk about the packaging and the bottle. It is a very subtle yet stunning packaging and a well-crafted bottle. The packaging is dark blue which goes very well with the overall theme of the brand, even the bottle has a dark blue color with a complementing cap. The bottle has a heft to it, which is an indicator of good quality glass. So all in all it is a pretty impressive packaging

Fragrance Notes

Villain Hydra is a typical nautical-inspired fragrance with aquatic and citrus notes. You may find it very similar to old-school barbershops or Brylcreem with an after-feel of musk. Here are the fragrance notes of Villain Hydra per the website :

Top notes

• Grapefruit
• Mint
• Lemon

Heart notes

• Jasmine
• Nutmeg
• White flower (vague)

Base notes

• Amber
• White musk
• Cedar
• Sandalwood

The top notes mentioned are quite accurate but a bit high on the lemon. Mint notes are very subtle and so are grapefruit, which definitely makes this a good summer pick. Jasmine and nutmeg are easily identified but we could not spot the mentioned white flower. In terms of base notes, the perfume is high on white musk and cedar but sandalwood notes are again subtle but could be felt.

Longevity

If there is one thing that is unimpressive about this perfume it is the longevity. The brand claims it to be an EDP but in our opinion, it is more of an EDT if judged by the longevity of the perfume. The perfume is quite strong from the very first spray but it does not last that long. A typical EDP lasts anywhere from 8-10 hours, while Villain Hydra stays for 4-6 hours. We have tested the perfume in different situations and the most it could hold on was around 6 hours, in an air-conditioned environment.

Value for money

Villain has priced their perfumes cleverly. Most of their fragrances are priced between Rs 700-900 for 100ml, which is decent. What makes the perfumes even more affordable is the fact that there is always some ongoing discount on the site and even on amazon. We paid Rs 562 for the 100ml bottle of Villain Hydra. It is also available in a 20ml pack but the 100ml pack makes more sense economically. Villain Hydra is a decent everyday perfume for the cost. It is not as long-lasting as any other expensive perfume but that is one trade-off you can easily make. So, we can easily give it a 7/10 in terms of value for money.

If you are looking for an affordable summer perfume for men, Villain Hydra can easily be one to consider. An everyday casual perfume with a nice composition but below average lasting hours.

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