Hero Eau de Parfum by Burberry

Reviews for women’s perfumes are fair—you find real gems. But for men’s scents, 70% just say ‘one of those’ or ‘nothing special,’ even though they’re the same boring stuff everyone’s bought for 5 years. I bet for them, Aqua di Gio, SWY, and the 20,000 JPG flankers feel fresh and dynamic. I think the best term for ‘Hero Eau de Parfum’ is ‘reliable.’ It smells great; the blend of those three woods is gorgeous, and the pine adds a fun finish. The benzoin is a treat—it modernizes the scent and breaks the boring routine. People say they don’t notice the incense… maybe because they shouldn’t; it just adds a smoky touch to the cedar (people complain it’s generic, then want more incense to make it another generic oriental-woody scent). I see it as perfect for the office, dates with your partner, or casual hangouts with someone new if you’re not rocking Nike sweatpants… but it’s true it might lose a bit in more important settings, which isn’t bad; there are already 3,000 grander fragrances for that. People still expect every new perfume to be the Holy Grail, get swept up in stupid trends and biases, and miss out on true, calmer gems like this. P.S. To everyone claiming it has an undeclared sweet, vanilla touch: go read what benzoin actually smells like and how it dries. Here, everyone pretends to be an expert without knowing a thing.

Excellent perfume and, in my opinion, underrated. Solid performance (on my skin) of 7 to 8 hours, with decent projection that creates a noticeable ‘bubble’ up to half a meter for the first three hours, then settles closer to the skin. Its resinous, woody, and amber profile is very attractive (my partner loves it). However, it has prominent incense and pine notes, so I recommend trying it before buying blindly. I consider it ideal for night outs and cool weather, since that ‘bubble’ is dense and heavy, making it incompatible with heat or humidity. Works well for casual or semi-formal occasions, and even at work with air conditioning if you moderate the sprays. In three words: serious, mysterious, and reliable. Personal rating: 8/10.

Woods, woods, and more woods. Very good projection and dry-down. It’s a bit short on longevity, but the scent is worth it if you like woody fragrances.

Tested with two sprays on skin. What an incredible opening. It completely filled my space. I’m increasingly convinced that incense is one of the most beloved notes in perfumery. It feels modern, sweet, and masculine. Best for cold climates. As for performance, it seems weak upfront due to lack of long-term testing. Reminds me of SWY, but this Burberry Hero EDP feels more original to me. Will buy again.

Prominent myrrh aroma with a vanilla touch and lots of Atlas cedar. No better performance than a kaiak by Natura; disappointing.

A youthful semi-formal fragrance that screams vitality, masculinity, and nature through vivid woods. It starts green and almost citrusy, with a rough pine that recalls bygone eras. Then, robust tree woods emerge—nothing like sawdust or old lumber; that youthfulness gives it a very masculine, alive touch. Resins and incense bind it into a creamy, powdery amber, wild and turning the dry-down into the best part: elegant, sweet, enveloping, and sensual. A classic, woody, semi-formal, and relaxed profile, ideal for autumn and winter thanks to that final warmth. Works well during the day or at dusk, and if applied generously, it can even function at night.

Another fragrance joining the trend of sweet perfumes, of which there must already be hundreds, or thousands if we count Arabic perfumery. It’s woods with an undefined sweet note. Does it smell bad? Of course not. Does it bring something new? Neither. If you’re looking for something good and affordable from this house, go for the Burberry for Men EDT instead. That one truly has its own character: elegant, fresh, woody, subtle, and without a generic smell.

A delightful, mysterious, and aberrantly alpha-macho scent: pine, incense, and cedar. An exquisite combination to enjoy outdoors, like walking through a pine forest with a soft veil of incense mist after an autumn rain. Highly recommended. The downside is that it’s a bit pricey, but it’s worth it to own it.

Totally woody. Opens with pine followed by a slightly sweet touch, probably from the benzoin, though I don’t detect frankincense. It keeps the Hero EDT vibe but evolves closer to the Parfum version (or borrows DNA from it). Features very elegant, well-selected woods that allow for semi-formal wear, though all Burberry scents give off that well-dressed gentleman vibe. Handles many daily situations, like going to the office or a coffee shop. Lasts longer in cold seasons, like fall and winter.

Very pleasant scent, perfect for cool days or casual outings. Nothing groundbreaking, but it has its own vibe (you can tell it’s similar to SWY EDT). The only downside is the price, so I’d only recommend it if you catch it on sale. Performance and projection are decent. Rating: 8.5/10.

If you’re looking for something average, classic masculine, and suitable for work or a night out, this could be an option. It has green notes, a slight aquatic touch in the dry down, woods that are hard to pinpoint, and a 2% hint of incense that’s there if you imagine it. If you want pine and masculinity, go for Agua Brava instead; it might seem dated, but it beats this one on value.

BURBERRY HERO IS MANHOOD IN A BOTTLE. I want to make this review short and concise; there’s not much to say, and what little there is is good. It’s a woody fragrance with few notes, all very masculine, especially the amber. It doesn’t seem to compete with ‘sexy’ perfumes or aim for a unique scent, as it shares essence with multiple famous fragrances. It simply seeks to create a masculine and strong scent, somewhat sophisticated for those who know little about perfumes, but simple for us who know they are just common notes well combined. It’s like the stereotype of a man: simple, strong, and brave. The scent remains elegant; I especially recommend it for cold nights and semi-formal attire and up.

I love Burberry, but I had lost track of their recent launches until I tried the Her line—it was instant love. I also liked the Hero for men, so I jumped into the EDP version for its woody notes. What a surprise: although they list three types of cedar, what dominates is an intense, vanilla-like benzoin that sweetens everything. Pine needles give a green touch at the start, but the benzoin covers it up. There’s something undeclared, like spiced leather that reminds me of cardamom on sweaty skin, which doesn’t fully convince me. Then it turns into a dense, ambered, resinous trail, with frankincense and myrrh perceptible as it dries. Overall, it’s pleasant, though not very innovative given similar competitors, and while the spicy part doesn’t win me over, I know many will love it for its excellent longevity.

The Hero EDP is an amber, spicy, and woody fragrance. This new version is heavier on woods and resins than the original. The opening is briefly green, but mostly resinous and very ambered; within minutes, the frankincense rises and adds more ‘muscle’ to the scent. During the first hour and a half, that blend of amber and frankincense brings me vague memories of Loewe 7 Anónimo, though the Burberry version is sweeter. After a few hours, it becomes spicier and woodier, with a close impression of vanilla; I even think there might be a nod to Givenchy’s Gentleman line, but in the Hero, they swap iris for frankincense (or maybe it was just an olfactory illusion). It’s perfect for fresh or cold days, autumn and winter are its seasons, and it suits the office, special outings, or outdoors. Longevity was good, around 8 hours with regular projection. It’s not bad, has interesting phases, but I don’t recommend buying it blindly: test it first and draw your own conclusions.

The Hero EDP is ambered, spiced, and woody. This version has more wood and resin than the original. It starts with a fleeting green touch, then becomes resinous and very ambered, gaining strength with the frankincense. In the first hour and a half, it vaguely recalls Loewe 7 Anónimo, but sweeter. Afterwards, it turns spicier and woodier; up close it seems to have vanilla and perhaps a wink to Givenchy’s Gentleman line, but with frankincense replacing iris. It’s perfect for fresh or cold days, autumn and winter, and works for the office or formal events. It lasted over 8 hours with regular projection. It’s not bad, has interesting phases, but don’t buy it blindly—try it first.