Cologne Reviews

New York Nights by Bond No. 9

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New York Nights is a perfume which has gained a lot of popularity since its release back in 2017. It’s among my favorite Bond No. 9 scents, especially in the unisex part of this brand’s lineup. I bought another sample of Nights in order to finally do a proper review for the site. How does it smell? Does it last long?

What does New York Night Smell Like?

Notes include: gardenia, carnation, jasmine, patchouli, sea notes, sandalwood, caramel, coffee

Click here to try: New York Nights by Bond No.9

My Full Review

The opening here is interesting, as you get notes from every phase of the wear coming through to add their own statement.

To me, what stands out as interesting are: gardenia, aquatic notes, and the caramel. It’s a sweetish blend of flowers, with a smooth and somewhat thick blend of that caramel/coffee accord, and the freshness of sea notes.

Now, the sea notes here aren’t going to give you seaweed smells, like some of the others from Bond No. 9. However, it along with that caramel give you saltiness and just a general sense of freshness.

For some people, the sweetness mixed with the floral top notes, gives them a ‘banana’ or ‘banana bread’ sort of aroma. I get that somewhat, but on my skin New York Nights is much more of a distinct caramel with some roasted coffee.

That being said, that banana effect does pop up for me, from time to time.

Actually, I tend to get more of a spicy kick from the patchouli and carnation notes. This carnation does come across very much like clove here.

As we get into the middle act, Nights will become more of a standard floral. Most of the spice is gone, as are the sea notes. That’s kind of a disappointment, but I still like the result of this scent.

Gardenia and jasmine with sandalwood/patchouli, and a more equal mix of the coffee and caramel notes. The caramel loses some of its ground to its fellow base note.

The end of the line is a general sweetness with indistinct floral notes. Nothing too much stands out for me, at this point. It’s pleasant and wearable, but it all comes together into a mass.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

To me, this has a fairly strong start. It settles into something that is only a bit above average. But, I get good projection when I spray it on clothes and leave the room. I can certainly detect it from afar and it leaves a scent trail when I wear it.

That won’t be the case for the entirety, as Nights will start to be more of an intimate scent. I never find it weak, it just doesn’t have that beast in it.

On my skin, this will last somewhere in the 7-8 hour range. It seems to land more towards the former, rather than the higher number.

Seasonally, I do prefer this one the colder days and nights of the autumn and winter months. More nighttime, as the name suggests. I think it’s fine for most in the spring, also. I’d stay away from massively humid and hot days.

It’s not so heavy that it’s stuck to cold weather only. You can venture a bit with NY Nights.

This one is listed as unisex, as are a lot of others from this brand. It leans feminine, but still quite wearable by almost anyone. If you don’t like the sweeter scents or florals, then, you can probably safely ignore Nights.

Overall Impressions of New York Nights

Overall, do I like New York Nights? Yes, again, it’s one of my favorites from Bond. However, it won’t be for everyone, even if it is a popular perfume.

For some guys, this may be too feminine. For people in general, you might get too much of that banana and lotion kind of smell, and that could also put you off to Nights.

The performance for the price is decent, but definitely not spectacular. If it were cheaper, I’d recommend that people blind buy this one. Since it isn’t, I’d recommend trying it out if you’re really interested. New York Nights could be one that you absolutely love.

For me, the floral is blended very well with the caramel and coffee accord. Those two, along with the sea notes draw me into that opening act. Some jasmine and carnation are around as well, giving this some depth beyond being a one note gardenia perfume.

This is a really good scent for the right person. It’s still quite mass appealing, but there will always be a sizeable contingent that New York Nights just doesn’t mesh well with. For me, it’s a delight.

Phantom Parfum by Paco Rabanne

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Phantom Parfum is the follow up flanker to the popular, robot-bottled scent, Phantom by Paco Rabanne. This cologne was released by the brand in 2023. I bought a sample of it to test out a while back for the site. How does Phantom Parfum smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Phantom Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, lemon, rhubarb, cardamom, lavender, patchouli, vanilla, geranium, balsam, cedar

Click here to try: Phantom Parfum

My Full Review

To open things up, we get a stronger use of the citrus notes up top. That lemon, bergamot, and semi-tropical aroma is back from the original, longer lasting, and better than before.

With that, you get a rhubarb and cardamom in lieu of the apple note. It’s got a spicy aspect from that cardamom. Once the fruitiness has toned down, this one feels fresher and colder than Phantom.

Slightly greenish undertones, in the early stages. Rhubarb and geranium really add that cold streak to things.

Another part that will be noticed, is the early emergence of the lavender, which will play more of a role later on.

At some point, the fruitiness and much of the sweetness will fade from the top spot. For me, I get a lavender and woodsy mix in the middle act with stronger vanilla as we push further into the wear.

To me, the dry down is a vanilla and woods blend with some latent citrus that is still hanging around. Just like a spritz of lemon juice or something to that effect.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Between this and Phantom EDP, Parfum does indeed have a more powerful reach and heavier sillage. Yet, it’s not that much stronger.

I will say though, Parfum doesn’t lose what power it has quite as quickly and this one will stay in that upper moderate range of projection for longer than the original. Definitely doesn’t decay at the same speed as EDP.

On my skin, I have gotten 8-9 hours of wear out of this Parfum version. It is better than the original, and gives you good, yet not elite levels of staying power. But, it’s still worthy of some praise on the performance front.

Seasonally, this one is still the same as EDP. It’s an autumn and winter wear, that doesn’t hold up all that well in heat and humidity.

Within that context, this still skews younger and feels more like a nightlife wear, even if its fine to have on in the daytime. It’s sweeter side, should have some mass appeal and be able to pull a few complements, even if Phantom Parfum isn’t the best cologne around.

Overall Impressions of Phantom Parfum

Overall, do I like Phantom Parfum? It’s okay. I never was that into the original Phantom EDP, and while this one is the better of the two, it’s not a massively improved fragrance.

The opening is what I liked in the original and Parfum gives me more of that, in a longer and more citrusy style.

The dry down is a big dose of vanilla, some woods, and a now generic sweetness from the top notes. That initial ‘tropical’ sort of smell isn’t there anymore and it has the same vibe as any number of Paco Rabanne scents after that.

If you didn’t care for the first one, this probably won’t do much to sway you to getting on board with the series. If you liked the EDP, I’d say to give this one a try, as it does everything better with some differences along the way.

The performance delivers what you’ll need for almost any situation, so, you do get your money’s worth from that end of things.

If you’ve never come across a Phantom fragrance before. I wouldn’t suggest blind buying this scent unless you get a steep discount. Even Phantom Parfum, seems to be mostly a love/hate release, depending on the person.

Oud Wood Intense by Tom Ford

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Keeping things moving, in my remaining Tom Ford fragrance reviews, we have the flanker scent to the original Oud Wood. Oud Wood Intense, kicks things into a higher gear than its originator, but does it actually smell good? Is the performance great? Is it worth a buy?

What does Oud Wood Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: oud, juniper, leather, cypress, angelica, ginger

Click here to try: Tom Ford Oud Wood Intense 1.7 oz./ 50 ml Spray New 

My Full Wear Review

Before we get into my review of Oud Wood Intense, let’s see how Tom Ford describes it: “Unrestrained. Lavish. Intense. Tom Ford Oud Wood Intense introduces new dimensions of oud at its richest, most luxurious saturation. Often imitated, never duplicated, the classic Tom Ford Oud Wood reveals its full force through bold intensification, ignited by the smoldering grip of angelica roots and cypress.”

Wow. Does this stuff ever hit hard. Upon immediate application to the skin, Oud Wood Intense, hits with a warm spice and leather. It’s not just a fresh ginger, but also an animalistic kind of aroma.

Is the original Oud Wood in there? Sort of. It’ll be closer to the original later on in the wear, but at first, its a completely different kind of scent.

After the original spice, fades a bit, I start to get more of the oud itself. However, it isn’t overpowering the composition. Instead, I get that burning quality from the angelica, and the distinct smell of cypress.

This cologne really does have a dark and as they described it, smoldering, aroma. It’s a smoky wood, but as if it is currently burning, and not already burnt.

From there, what I get is a blend of the oud and cypress, with a less prominent angelica, a leathery smell, and a faint hint of juniper.

It’s a bit smoother, at this point, and has flashes of the original Oud Wood. It’s still got that warm smoldering sort of feeling, but it has really developed into  the cypress/oud hybrid.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this fragrance is a bomb. Seriously, this can project like crazy, and easily be over sprayed. With that in mind, this is also a scent that you don’t want to overspray, because it ruins the experience. Plus, chokes out a room. Keep it to 1-2 sprays.

The longevity is also utterly fantastic. It can go all day, well into the double digit hours on my skin. Not that it’s going to be vital to do so, in most situations, but it is more than capable.

Climate wise, this is a cold weather fragrance. If you live in a tropical area, or if it’s summertime, I wouldn’t even bother. It’d be such a pungent mess, to not even be worth wearing, at this price point.

This is also much more of a niche fragrance, than was the original Oud Wood. It’s use and appeal is going to be limited, as it’s not the crowd pleasing type, and actually lives up to the intense name.

I’d probably say this is more of an evening wear or casual scent, that you’d wear because you enjoy it. Not many others, will agree, but it will have a small number of ardent fans.

Overall Impression of Oud Wood Intense

Do I like Oud Wood Intense? In a way, I actually do. Can I wear this, personally? Probably not.

I’m not a huge oud fan, but this strikes me as much more interesting, than the original. It’s got some real highlight moments, but ends up overwhelming my senses.

This is only going to really appeal to a select group of people. Not only is it prohibitively expensive, but the smell is going cut the number of potential buyers, even further. Oud Wood Intense is fairly niche with its style.

The performance is top notch, it’s unique, and comes together quite nicely. Not a blind buy candidate, but someone out there is going to find this to be an obsession.

Update: This seems to have been discontinued at some point. Not sure if Tom Ford is ever going to bring it back or do a limited run of it. So, you’ll have to track down a bottle online and pay whatever prices people are selling Intense for.

Again, this might not be something that everyone will enjoy. Don’t overpay for a bottle if you’re unsure.

Kalan by Parfums de Marly

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Kalan is a Parfums de Marly release, that I never got around to when it came out back in 2019. I’ve had the sample for a long while now, just sitting in a box, so I figure it’s high time that I gave it a full review. How does this one smell? Does Kalan last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Kalan Smell Like?

Notes include: blood orange, black pepper, spices, orange blossom, lavender, sandalwood, moss, woods, amber, tonka bean

Click here to try: Kalan by PdM

kalan marly review

My Full Review

Here’s how PdM describes it: Intense and subtle at once- Kalan surprises with a sparkling opening, blending black pepper and spices with fresh notes of blood orange. The fragrances is embodied through a heart of orange blossom and lavender, while it evolves as facets of white sandalwood unfold and drape into notes of moss and precious wood.

The opening is a blast of the blood orange note and the spices. The black pepper is going to be the most noticeable under the juicy and sparkling citrus. But, there are some other spices lurking about.

Two other notes that I pick up early are: orange blossom and moss. The mossy aspect of this really comes through in the opening act, on my skin.

The next phase will be a mix of the moss, lavender, and the remaining blood orange influence. For me, most of the spice has dissipated by this point in the wear. It feels like a woodsy floral blend with some sweetness and amber peaking in.

As we move forward in the wear, earthy woods that is softened by lavender, with hints of amber is basically what I get. Lots of sandalwood, moss, and just sort of damp and generic smelling wood notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

With Kalan, I do get a pretty bold start. A strong projection and solid scent trail in your wake for an hour or so.

After that, it stays above average with its performance. I can detect it a good 4-6 feet from where I sprayed Kalan on a t-shirt, after a few hours. It of course will diminish into something more intimate, but it takes a while to get there.

On my skin, this will go up to about 9 hours. It may last a little longer or a tad less than that, but eight or nine is what Kalan seems to be capable of. Not too bad with its longevity.

Seasonally, this could be worn basically anytime outside of the height of summer. It’s fine when it’s temperate to warm out, but the hotter days wouldn’t be ideal for Kalan.

It’s spice, citrus, and woodiness to provide a good blend that can work in autumn and winter, while also being fine when things get somewhat warmer.

With that, Kalan can work in daytime and nighttime, but I don’t find it to be a particularly sexy fragrance. Again, it has the boldness to serve as a nightlife option, but there are better fragrances for that.

It’s not so heavy that it can’t work as an office scent. Though, I’d still go light with it, in that situation.

Overall Impressions of Kalan

Overall, do I like Kalan? Honestly, it’s not for me. It’s a pretty unique scent, isn’t going to have mass appeal, and this PdM isn’t one that I enjoyed wearing. It wasn’t terrible, but I never got into it.

Even as something with a unique style, there’s nothing about Kalan that I liked all that much. The lavender, amber, moss, and woods in the dry down is probably the best part to my nose and even that isn’t too exciting.

The opening feels messy and off-putting. Peppery moss with blood orange, isn’t all that appealing.

The performance does well enough for something at this price point. It’s not amazing, but if you do happen to enjoy the smell, it doesn’t just completely disappear in an hour or whatever.

This is a fragrance that I suggest testing before you buy, to see if you’re one of the people who will actually love wearing this. Most of you can skip it and not miss anything, though. At the high Parfums de Marly price, it’s not really one to blind buy for the majority of people.

Reveal Men by Calvin Klein Review

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Calvin Klein has a ton of fragrances that come and go from the market. Every year, there seems to be new ones which fly under the radar, or might stick around for a bit longer. Reveal Men was released in 2016 and seems to now be discontinued. No worries, bottles are available online. How does it smell? Perform? Is it worth a try?

What does Reveal Men Smell Like?

Notes include: agave, brandy, pear, tonka bean, ginger, melon, suede, vetiver, sage

Click here to try: Calvin Klein Reveal Eau de Toilette for Men, 1 Fl Oz

My Full Wear Review

Before we jump into my review of this fragrance, let’s see how Calvin Klein describes it: Magnetic and sensual, Reveal Men is a woody oriental. A vibrant freshness wrapped in an addictive woody signature. 

The opening moments of Reveal, I would describe as: sweet, boozy, and fresh. Honestly, it’s a very unique smelling scent. That doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily good, but it’s at least interesting.

Upon opening, I get a lot of tonka bean and brandy, with the melon and pear notes floating around. Pear and melon aren’t my favorite fruit notes, so, I’m kind of lost as to how I should feel about this opening.

I will say that, when sniffing the fragrance up close, it feels messy. However, some distance away, and it’s rather captivating. The pear note begins to fall away and then the agave comes in. Brandy and a tequila-like aroma, with a warm fresh sweetness. 

I’m really not sure why they call this one a ‘woody’ oriental. The vetiver note, or maybe the sage, is the only thing close to being woody. Neither of which, is all that powerful within the composition.

Further along, some of the sweetness fades. The melon is still very present, but underneath is an alcoholic drink, with amber, and a nice saltiness. The alcohol and any spices that are here get smoothed out by the tonka bean and very light suede. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this isn’t a complete projecting beast, but it is very good. People around you will notice it and it’s not a weak skin scent. I’d say it’s a stronger moderate cologne with its sillage.

Reveal Men will last for around 8 hours, on my skin. Many Calvin Klein fragrances, don’t have very good longevity, but this one actually does. I could get a full work day from this, no problem.

Seasonally, I could wear this almost any time. Maybe not on the hottest days, but summer evenings? I’m thinking that this would work just fine.  

I just wouldn’t like it on a day with a high level of heat and humidity. Honestly, it’d be at its best during a more moderate day.

I do like this as a casual or nightlife scent. Not really something for formal or serious business wear (it is boozy), but anything else would be fine.

 

 

Overall Impression of Reveal Men

Do I like this fragrance? Yes. It’s got some oddly placed notes, but it is something different and intriguing. Smelling it right against the skin, I’m not sold on it. However, just wearing it around, I really enjoy the scent bubble that it creates.

The performance is good and now bottles are available for super cheap. This is a very nice pickup for guys looking for a value play. Is it the best thing ever? No, but it does plenty, at a pretty high level. For $30 or less, I’d definitely take the chance on it. 

This strikes me as being better than Eternity Flame by Calvin Klein, which I just reviewed. Very fresh, nice sweetness, great agave note, and solid performance. 

Update: Coming back to this fragrance in late 2023, Reveal Men is now discontinued. As such, it’s not going to be a cheapie in most places, if you can still find it. It’s not worth paying a high price for it, but again, under thirty or so this can work well.