Ralph Lauren Polo Red EDT 4.2 oz

The original red-bottle Polo Red opens loud and candied, a synthetic-sweet burst of cranberry and red grapefruit that reads more energy-drink than fresh citrus, which is exactly why it clicks with a younger crowd and grates on some. Underneath, saffron and a touch of lavender add a spicy-aromatic bridge before it settles into the signature amber-woods-and-coffee drydown that gives it a warm, slightly gourmand finish. It is competent and crowd-pleasing rather than refined, and the biggest knock is performance: projection fades to a skin scent within a couple of hours and longevity is only average. A safe, inoffensive fruity-woody designer.