Description
The new fragrance by Sean John exudes “unstoppable strength and sensual freshness” and was announced as a refreshing, sexy fragrance with a dangerous composition that accelerates the pulse. The composition is vibrant and dynamic, created of citruses, vibrant floral notes and fresh accords of tonic. At 3AM anything is possible, according to the brand!
“It’s 3 AM. When the world is at its most raw, and people their most uninhibited. This is when you do everything that’s wrong because it all feels so right. This is the moment when your emotions are the most real, your nerves are exposed, and your guard is down. Being out at 3am is nothing but random, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
The sexiest things happen in the dark. Dangerous situations. Yes, there will be consequences: but
when life is this hot, steamy and unexpected, you can’t even think about tomorrow.”
Top notes of 3AM offer a blend of mandarin, bergamot and cardamom. The heart is full of vibrations provided by orange blossom mixed with geranium and aromatic fig leaves. The base contains smoky suede, tonic accords and cold leather. The perfumer of the composition is Ilias Ermenidis, who said the following on the occasion of launching the fragrance 3AM: “When I met P. Diddy and his team, it was perfectly clear that there was only one way to go: absolute freshness and sexy. 3 AM is truly unique—there’s nothing else like it on the market, it has a rich signature, and is addictive to the extreme. At 3AM, you want to be devoured or you’re going to sleep. That’s it, there is no in-between.”
The flacon of the fragrance was designed to suggest various aspects of the night which might affect us. It is shaped like an ice block with red details on the neck and spray. It arrives as 30, 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette accompanied with body care products: 100 ml aftershave, 150 ml shower gel, 15 0ml aftershave balm, 75 gr stick deodorant. The 3AM Collection arrives on the market on June 1, 2015.
conductor – :
Really underrated for a cheapie. Mainly wear it for work but it would be good for casual settings. Good for a beginning collector or a dumb reach cheapie for designer lovers.
vec013Bessinepome – :
I avoided this like the plague when it was released because aquatics and me mix like oil and water, and I assumed that the tonic water note was actually some variation of the calone that always makes me queasy.
But when it was noted below that it’s very close to the original Very Cool formulation I HAD to try it, because it turns out that VC was one of the very few summer freshie citrus aromatics that I learned later that I loved, and not buying the wood-cap original release was always one of my great regrets – though not a strong enough regret to pay the high prices the vintage release fetches on ebay.
After reading those comments I strolled down to the Macy’s near me which still has 3AM testers and lo-and-behold, it sure enough was very, very close to that original Very Cool.
I can now quash those regrets – and even better, it has my beloved fig leaf as prominent middle and drydown note (be still my beating heart)! Soned’s review is right on the money. This is a summer freshie for people who don’t like most summer freshies.
Isgoy-leray – :
@Soned you’re right haha
light queen margo – :
So I tested this one and I tought…..”wait a minute, this smells exactly like the original wood cap Tommy Bahama Very Cool for Men!”. Decided to test them both, and yep…..very close, but 3 AM is a bit more smooth. Then came here and checked the notes and they are similar but not identical. Until I checked the perfumer for both and, long and behold, is the same one!!!!.
So if you miss the original Very Cool for Men with the wooden cap ( not real wood actually), then you are safe buying this one.
KAMBAS – :
There is only a small handful of fragrances utilizing the gin and tonic note. All of them are in the opening except for this one: Sean John’s 3AM has it in the base. Picked it up for around $5 for a 15ml bottle on eBay with free shipping. Check this one out. After Abercrombie & Fitch’s First Instinct, I started to seek fragrances that contain this note. 3AM also has a cardamom accord that rides with fig leaf notes and are lightly complimented with orange flower blossom. There is a light leather note also in the base. I gotta test this some more but I like it. Longevity doesn’t matter because it’s $20 for a 3.4 oz and I could happily reapply all day and night. This one is sexy spicy and clean if that makes sense. The citrus is short just to grab your attention. Like only a few minutes if that. It’s entirety is like a less complex TF Grey Vetiver. Like Steven from Redolessence said, this bottle has one of the best sprayers, if not the best sprayer in the game. I wish all of my frags had this sprayer. Cough up the five bucks and try this. Any season. Almost any occasion.
gaga777 – :
It’s not that it’s a bad fragrance, cause it’s not. It’s very forgettable though. It’s initial spray is a lot more pleasant than its dry down.
romachke-85 – :
So, I totally get the citrus part. But for the life of me, I can’t stop thinking…
It smells just like when I got a pet hamster and busted open the brand new bag of cedar chips to spread into the bottom of the cage.
So with that, and comaprison to Unforgivable and Sean John colognes, this one is a no go…
lesik – :
I agree with the reviewers that state that this is a pleasant sent but nothing mind blowing. I get that nice citrus opening that quickly morphs into the gin & tonic, fig note. I love the dry-down as it turns nice a warm, close to the skin. I would like it lot more if it had better projection, but the longevity was fine. It is certainly worth a try and I will finish the bottle for sure, but not one that will become a permanent fixture in my collection.
Scorpion64 – :
Smells like le labo noir 29 . It pretty good . Not mind blowing but smells nice
DarralkireGap – :
I always gotta support my boys, but puff you took my money on this one and didn’t give anything back. This juice was gone before I could even lace up my Timbs. I don’t know puff, ain’t right when the juice disappears quicker than a shot of Remy.
No dislikes, but definitely can’t give to the puff bankroll after this one.
romashkadru – :
I personally love is scent ! I do really like the opening as it’s very fresh,invigorating and boozy but unlike a lot of reviewers my favorite part of this is the drydown
As this dries down it loses that initial freshness but becomes more boozy,and smooth as the fig leaves and leather take over but the freshness is still in the background giving this some edge. Once it finishes drying down I get a boozy,coconut vibe with citrus in the background. I did get a compliment from a lady in my apartment complex and she said she loved this scent and it smelled like her favorite tanning lotion and I can totally see that.
A lot of people were complaining about performance issues but this lasted on me 5-8 hours and had good projection for 1 hour and then the duration of the fragrance I get a nice scent bubble.
Overall rating — 8 out of 10 ! I’d have to say this is easily under rated and goes into my fragrance cheapie but goodie hall of fame ( I bought a 3.4 oz tester for 12.99 including shipping on eBay )
Andrey_ya78 – :
Sean John 3 AM does not land where Diddy wants it to land. I don’t see where it is really that sexy and represents what a woman would want to do you at 3:00 AM in the morning. I just don’t see it. What I do get is a weird crossbreed of two different scents. Pitbull Man, especially on its open and then a less boozy Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Men like say Trump Empire as it dries down. This is so much of a letdown knowing the amazing nose behind Jay-Z Gold in Illias Ermenidis made this kind of generic letdown.
The open for 3 AM is pretty much the generic Pitbull Man mandarin orange, bergamot and cardamon open that Adidas Deep Energy also has (see my Pitbull Man review.) That said as the scent turns from citrus into a more virgin Gin & Tonic, it goes into a weaker 212 VIP Men, 212 VIP I do like better than Pitbull so I must say this is where this scent shines. 3 AM isn’t as spicy but rather floral as compared to 212 VIP Men in its (3 AM) mid, more like Trump Empire. As the scent hits its base, 3 AM fully becomes 212 VIP with its gin mid and leather base through the tonic and leather notes.
3 AM is not very strong sillage wise. I would rate it soft honestly. Maybe at best moderate. It isn’t as strong as I would say other scents like especially 212 VIP is (which I list as “heavy”) which normally isn’t a problem, but this is one you basically need to stick to your nose. So perhaps this is good for close encounters rather than a bar. 3 AM lasts about four hours on my skin and that is being a bit generous. This is because the citrus and cardamon open lasts about 45 minutes before turning into the 212 VIP/Empire like mid and base. Once it kicks into this base, I honestly like the scent while it lasts for the next three hours.
I feel 3 AM is an Axe bodyspray rather an eau de toilette. 3 AM to me is that scent you use to freshen up with while your significant other is in the bathroom before you engage in a close encounter. Its length of scent and sillage seems to play into this whether it is by chance or design, I’m not sure. I find 3 AM is good for spring to fall use, especially in night-time. That said, it is light enough and not boozy enough to work as a day scent. It don’t smell like you got splashed with a Gin & Tonic, maybe just a virgin one at worst.
Before anyone asks, I don’t hate celebrity fragrances. On the contrary, I actually love them. Most have great smells at low prices. Out of my top five scents, three of which are celebrity scents. Those being the aforementioned Jay-Z Gold, Antonio Banderas King of Seduction and Rihanna Rogue Man. Michael Jordan, Usher and even Puffy released some other celebrity gems too. That said, I think the only scents I’ve smelt that last less than this scent is Playboy Hollywood and Playboy Play It Wild. Both are virtually Axes in edt bottles with the Playboy logo, but I digress…
3 AM is a scent that barely gets a like. For my rating, anything below a 6, gets a dislike. 3 AM I have to give a 6. As I said, there are a good number of negatives, none of which are related to Puffy himself but I think the goods like its dry-down scent and how it is perfectly designed for close encounters along with the clear 212 VIP Men bottle meets a Dior Homme bottle, slightly outweight the negatives.
sghe2009 – :
NOT ONLY BEAUTIFULLY MASCULINE…BUT UNIQUE!!!
GENIUS and amazingly well-done mix of 3 main things here. I’ll make it real simple for you guys. It’s that gin-like tonic water note, citrus notes, and a very noticeable leather/suede note beautifully mixed together.
I cannot get over how awesome this stuff is. To anyone coming to this page and being turned off by the ratio of dislikes versus likes above…do not read too much into that. This fragrance is AMAZING!!
I have certainly never smelled a fragrance that smells like this to make it even more interesting. It’s so unique. Sean John did an amazing job with this one and I’m sure this is getting a lot of hate simply based on his name alone.
Make the deal even sweeter?? I bought the biggest bottle available (100ml or 3.4 oz) for like $25 on Ebay, brand new, sealed, in box. And…I got 2 compliments from strangers on my 1st day wearing this.
DO NOT LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO THROW HATE AT CELEB FRAGRANCES BECUASE THEY’RE SNOBS AND/OR DON’T LIKE THE NAME ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRAGRANCE. I beg of you all. You’ll be throwing away the opportunity to have some real treasures in your collection if you do. This is a prime example.
jicsBarachVah – :
I generally don’t care for citrus/bright or sharp cologne. I like spice, orientals, warmer notes. But this one by Sean John surprised me. And I got my first compliment on it today. So if you are into warmer, orientals, spice or ? maybe this citrus-y choice will really resonate with you too.
5055795 – :
I wonder why so much bad and negative vibe about this fragrance or juice, its good and smells good to, and its not only a 3 am juice but rather any time you want to ware it, summer and winter your choice, and this is a real and honest review, you will get compliments and you don’t need a niche fragrance to feel confident about your juice because its that good…..
krikun – :
Ross @19.99 i am very happy, at that point i will repeat by again and again, the gin tonic which is very pronounced makes this a great social scent.
fotodizserg – :
The citrus tonic opening on this is absolutely wonderful…too bad it only hangs around for a minute or two max.:/
After the very brief opening, I mostly get a slightly creamy fig dominate smell…this note reminded me of the sweet fig in Kokorico By Night(minus the patch and cocoa in the JPG of course:)
And that’s where the scent stays for the duration of it’s life…sweet fig scent, a touch of spice with a hint of leather and orange blossom to back it up. Longevity is average for me at about 4-6hrs
It’s kind of fun to spray this and have it do a complete 180* in like 60 seconds…very entertaining!(note: sprayer puts out the most amazing super fine mist!) Good scent from Sean John, but then again I’m not surprised. I think Diddy puts out well above average juice when compared to other celeb houses.
misha17 – :
Though I have yet to make it to Macy’s myself to try this (my smaller college town area gets very few of even the most major mainstream new releases) I have found all of SJ’s fragrances (including the few flanker I got a chance to sample) at least satisfactory; if not above, as far as performance, bang-for-buck and quality go…
Bottle style is definitely reminiscent of Paul Smith’s Story but the scent sounds easily as intriguing as it can be, in a crowd of wan metrosexual eaux. I totally “osmagine” a bracing colognic opening, a robust Vegetal spine with spicy and musky floral notes wrapped in an effervescent leather and smoky suede accord. Is this daft of me???
Does it really sound (read…sniff?) like what one might expect 3 am in the city to echo?! I remain cautiously optimistic. Fingers and nostrils crossed!
Thanks so much to those who have sniffed this, and voted accordingly by note strength, for your input.
How salient, I wonder, is the SMOKY SUEDE note listed above (in the text) but not shown (in vivid new pictures or to vote upon its presence)??
Upon my next trip to the City I shall endeavor to try this; despite its humble department store origins. Many of my favorite “Misunderstood Masterpieces” were-while they were on the market-considered failed “one of’s” from designer fashion houses or beauty brands. So I never judge any song by its singer (before I know writer and producer) or a book by its cover…or editor!!
I say “You GO, Diddy!”. 😉
NB The only reason I was on the SJ page was to find Empress (mum got it its pretty good stuff, yo!) to vote LIKE and read that sometimes fame and perfumery make strange bedfellows… but that’s not always a bad thing.
Smell swell & be well
YaryA1 – :
I got a sample of this at macy’s and wore it last night opening is a fresh citrus then it creeps into a fantastic warm spicy but after about a hour i really couldnt smell it much,typical designer quality. why even buy designer when you can buy niche and get a whole day of longevity on 1-3 sprays verses 3-4 hours of most designer with 5 sprays smh.
klarafil – :
I smelled this out of the bottle today at Macy’s and it did not smell too bad. For the right price, I would probably get it. If it lasts longer than 4 hours than it is worth a try. Very Dior Homme Cologne like bottle.
amac-68 – :
When I sprayed this on, I was surprised! it smelled REALLY great and I was thinking to myself: damn… do I like a boring, non-niche cologne? The answer is “no” because by the time I got home, I was in the shower washing it off! It’s opening is very promising but the dry down is not very good. I agree with the Aqua Di Gio reference, not because it smells like it but it’s in that ambiguous collection of sorta smell fresh but sorta not colognes that definitely smells synthetic. If you’re a Creed guy like me looking for something to make you NOT deplete your supply, I don’t think you will be sold.
attaskeme – :
Smells just like a cold fizzy gin tonic with lemon on a hot summer day. Usually this kind of scent would turn me off, but this is quite refreshing. Totally unisex and easy to wear. Expecting garbage, but I’m pleasantly surprised by this. Thumbs up.
Faus – :
The opening shows promise of a fresh citrus scent but is quickly negated by a strong leather smell that does not mesh well with the opening. Once it dries down it becomes very regular and like an aqua di gio type thing. The opening is the most interesting part but it quickly fades
jonlin – :
This smells great but projection is rather weak. Different but fresh than the average designers. A must try.
maxpavin – :
tried it at the mall and was fresh and clean but not what i was expecting. I was expecting more. All I hear is performance issues with this one. I will pass. Maybe a good gym scent if thats your thing. Puffy needs to come back with a scent as good as unforgivable but, add strength to his fragrances. Sad they lack it as for many others
Серёга 2700 – :
How come fresh and clean can be exactly sexy?
vl_vic11 – :
I ran into this 3 AM fragrance at Macy’s so I sprayed some on a paper strip to see what this new Sean John fragrance is all about.. 3 AM opens up very fresh and ozonic due to the citruses and most likely the tonic water note.. After that fresh ozonic citrus blast calms down a bit, I began to detect a lot of fig leaf.. Fig leaf is a very big part of this fragrance, and I just happen to love fig! Orange blossom adds a hint of sweetness to this scent which is nice.. Once 3 AM begins to dry down some more the fig falls a bit into the background and a nice leather and suede take over.. I am sure I would get a better feel for this fragrance on skin but this is just my first impression.. Overall I found it to be a pleasant scent.. This is not really my style at all but I think it smells good! I definitely recommend this scent to those who like very fresh ozonic or aquatic type of scents but want to try something a bit different..
andrey3128 – :
I’ve learned never to go by the comments on this site before purchasing a fragrance. I do however look for the notes. With that said, kudos Sean Combs for this fragrance, you didnt let me down! It smells good to me. This is a good summer fragrance for me. At $55 dollars plus tax why not. I’ve smelled fragrances that cost way more that didn’t deserve to be bottled. The longevity isn’t all that great. About six hours for me. But hey, if your wearing this at 3 AM for a rendezvous,6 hours is plenty of time to prove your point and shoot your shot.
UPDATE: In order to get the max longevity you’ll have to give it about 5 to 6 pumps, but that’s nothing with the way the sprayer mist into a small cloud. I worked 12 hours and could smell it through out the day and still had a hint on my t-shirt that evening.
nura – :
What could one possibly be doing at 3 a.m!?!?! For Diddy, ‘the party has just gotten underway’- must be nice!!! Seriously though, this is my 3rd or 4th sample of a Sean John fragrance and all I have to say is: Brother, you have to STOP pirating other perfumers creativity & success. When you read the note breakdown and actually experience the fragrance, there’s a HUGE disconnect…. It’s cheap and frivolous and when I saw the racy promotional ad with his fiancée, it all made sense…… His fragrances are sample worthy at best, 0.7-2ml is all you will need to thumb down!!! All that being said, the one thing I will give it is: it really does have a nice fig note- most likely its combination with that rose-like geranium……..
mallstorm – :
Opening was really nice, but gone in less than a minute. Dry down is regrettable – like something you’d do at 3 AM, so it’s pretty poetic I guess. BEST sprayer I’ve ever sprayed, though. Still not bottle worthy.
Gusqpdjm – :
the I Am King series is one of my fav designers and Unforgivables were solid as well, I tried this at Macy’s and COULD NOT wait to get it off my skin. VERY disappointing because I enjoyed SJ’s other offerings.
failoobmen – :
HORRID!
tamir147 – :
Tested this out today and I’ve got to say I’m not impressed at all and was turned off to be honest.
Best description I can provide is that it smells as if someone tried to mix Dior Homme Sport(wonder where the bottle inspiration came from??) with Paco Rabanne’s 1Million. Sounds interesting but trust me its not worth the drive or even walk if you live down the street. Has a slight synthetic note that turns the whole fragrance into an odd smelling fragrance, and not in a good way.
Perhaps do what works PDiddy, copy other niche fragrances.. it worked well for Unforgivable(i.e Creeds Original Santal)
viktorius1234 – :
Whether you like this fragrance or not depends on what you are actually use to wearing obviously. This is not a scent that is going to blow anyone away but its a nice fig scent. Im only commenting on it after only wearing a sample. It opens with a bright orange citrus . But the citrus fades from being so dominant to hiding behind the fig and cardamom.The orange blossom is always there pushing the fig and spice. The tonic and light leather note are there just to balance rhe fragrance. This can be a pleasent office scent.
atfhovupeh – :
Sampled this today. Vile, putrid, ultra synthetic trash. Easy to tell that no effort went into this. You get citrus for about 10 seconds and then probably the worst note ever to be in a fragrance lasts the entire rest of its life. I had to start scrubbing. Stay far away from this.