Cologne Reviews

High Line by Bond No.9 New York

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So, I have a ton of fragrance reviews that are coming out over the next month or so, and I figured that I’d kick things off with another entry from Bond No.9. I’ve completed a good chunk of the entire line of scents from them at this point, which is cool, but there’s so many more fragrances to explore.

High Line has been around as a scent for about 10 years now and has developed into a well known Bond scent. Is it worth it? I have tried it, tested, and am reporting back. So, please continue below form my complete review of High Line.

High Line by Bond No. 9 Overview

Notes include: bergamot, grass, rhubarb, rose, hyacinth, tulip, and oak 

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 High Line Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

Right from the jump, while this is classified as a unisex fragrance, High Line lean much more toward the feminine end of things. It’s a green floral/outdoorsy scent, so if that’s not your type of fragrance, this will probably be a complete miss for you.  That being said, High Line is a light, bright, and upbeat perfume.

I do get a mix of bergamot, grass, and tulip at the opening. Now, the grass note isn’t like a freshly mown lawn or anything like that. It’s fresh, green, and feels like a well-manicured garden.

To me the bergamot and oak notes serve as bookends, to keep the fragrance from going completely into the floral space. I like that aspect, because there are other Bond No.9 scents that take things to a full bouquet of flowers, and it kind of gives me a headache.

The floral notes really take over at about 10 minutes in and it takes on a floral/citrus tone, that has a soapy quality. High Line’s notes don’t have that overwhelming or cloying personality to them.

The hyacinth and tulip are very noticeable, I get some rhubarb, but it gets blended away on my skin. It is a pretty dang strong aroma but it’s crisp and not a heavy cloud of perfume.

In the end, it is a grassy floral with citrus hints. Powerful, with a clean, and soapy-like aroma. Hyacinth, grass, citrus, with some remaining tulip.

Sillage, How Long does High Line Last, Versatility

Projection wise, this is as I wrote above, a strong scent. A few sprays is all you will need and anything beyond that is simply too much, in my opinion. At least you can say, that you get your money’s worth, with this loud of a sillage.

The projection power can indeed fill up a room. During testing, I could spray a shirt and pick up the scent easily, from 12-15 feet away.

However, with that sort of projection power, High Line is absolutely an all day wear, just off of those two sprays. It really hung around me for a long time during my testing. You’ll get to the double digit hours in wear, without any real problem.

Seasonally, this has spring/summer written all over it. It would seem out of place during the colder months of the year. It has the vibe of a bright sunny day, not a gloomy, overcast, and frigid one.

I’d call this casual, not really a business scent or a sexy one either. This is the type of perfume you’d wear outdoors, where it really has a chance to blend with the environment. Probably too heavy for the office, not appealing enough for nightlife. A perfume for a spring day, walking about the city.

Overall Impression of High Line

Overall, would I recommend High Line? For some, yes. I’m not a huge floral fan and for guys, this is distinctively feminine. BUT for the floral lovers of either gender, this is a very nice example of a fragrance that is well-blended and gives good performance.

High Line isn’t a scent that I could wear, as it is too powerful, floral, and feminine for my tastes. Nonetheless, it is a good entry from Bond No. 9. Maybe more niche, than some of their more popular offerings, but one that has an audience of fans.

The Dreamer by Versace

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I can’t believe that I haven’t done a review of The Dreamer by Versace, up to this point in time. It has long been a go to fragrance on occasions, when I want to wear something different from the usual fair.

I found a mini bottle mixed in with a box of sample fragrances recently and I had to check the site, to see if I actually had written about this Versace cologne before. Nope.

So, in this post, I want to take a closer look at the 1996 release from this designer and give my thoughts on how it smells and performs.

What does Versace The Dreamer Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco, tonka bean, lavender, sage, rose, cedar, geranium, and more

Click here to try: Dreamer By Gianni Versace For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

My Full Review

The opening of Dreamer can be somewhat intense, compared to the rest of the wear. From the start, the tobacco note is present, it is more of an uncured tobacco than one which has been toasted.

I think that the intensity of the start stems from the sage, fir, and rose notes interacting with the tobacco. It is quite green with a sharp herbal spice and lavender poking through at times. That rose note with the tobacco, certainly lends a green-ish sensibility.

Now, Dreamer does settle down pretty quickly into something that is much better, than you initially get. As it dries, down Dreamer becomes sweeter and more floral. Yes, tobacco still is the top dog here, and will be throughout the entirety.

However, rose, carnation, and geranium show up to flank the tobacco for a really fresh heart. At times, this one reminds me of Burberry Brit. They don’t smell the same, but they share plenty of common notes, and can have a similar vibe. Just Brit, is more of a powdery cologne.

The rose really settles from a greener sort of smell, to the floral note, that we’re all pretty much familiar with. Nice mix of herbal, woody, and floral. Dreamer is such a unique fragrance, especially for a mainstream designer.

The base of this Versace fragrance, is a drier, woody one. There is a solid cedar note, fir, and vetiver. Ultimately, Dreamer is tobacco with a big does of lavender (and tonka bean) with floral/herbal notes supporting those two and a green woody base.

It’s really gets smooth and has a slightly spicy freshness during the dry down. Really great deep tobacco aroma.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on this one starts out moderate, but turns lighter in short order. It’s never been weak for me, but this isn’t a super heavy fragrance. It doesn’t hang close to the skin but rather floats around in the immediate air around your body.

The longevity on this one usually runs 6+ hours, depending on the climate. It can go 8 hours for me, on colder days. Yet, here in this warmer southern climate, I usually will get that 6-ish hours from Dreamer.

Seasonally, this is an autumn through early spring wear. Dreamer isn’t very good at all, in hotter weather, so try to avoid that. It can be worn casually, at work, or even out for an evening.

It is a really versatile and attractive cologne, that women usually enjoy. Not necessarily ‘sexy’, but a complement getter. I’ve worn this as a teenager and as an adult, it does have a more mature air, but is fine for a younger guy.

Now, from what I understand, Dreamer may have been reformulated and perhaps the ingredients were changed up in new bottles. I can’t confirm that, but this mini bottle that I have from a couple of years ago, is the same smell that I remember from vintage bottles.

Overall Impressions of Dreamer

Overall, is the Dreamer worth a buy? Yes, it is. Again, not sure if the newer bottles have been screwed with or not, but the price for a full bottle has been really inexpensive for a long while now.

Update: Also, the newer bottles I think have changed at least some of the notes too. At least from what I’ve read, I haven’t checked out a new bottle as of yet. So, this is a review of the original formulation.

Lots of great fragrances from the 1990s are really affordable, at the moment, and are an awesome way to get both quality and value. This isn’t for everyone, but Dreamer gives you a great green tobacco with floral sweetness and a bit of fresh spice. It’s always worked for me.

It’s not my favorite fragrance ever, but there aren’t too many cologne options like this. As such, when the mood strikes, Dreamer is a great daytime wear for me to have around.

Coach for Men by Coach

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In today’s fragrance review, we have Coach for Men, which was released in the past few years (2017) and has enjoyed some popularity. Note: I’ve updated this page since the initial write up. I have tried it out and will report on all aspects of my experience with this cologne. How does it smell? What are the ingredients? Does it have good performance? Is it even worth a buy?

What does Coach for Men EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, kumquat, ambergris, pear, vetiver, suede, coriander, cardamom, geranium

Click here to try: Coach New York Eau de Toilette Spray For Men, 3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review

The opening of Coach for Men is a blast of the fruit notes consisting of pear, citrus, and kumquat. This is all surrounded by warm amber and some light spices thrown in.

It’s clean and pleasant, but smells totally familiar and like a bunch of other scents that I’ve come across before. It’s very fruity and sort of makes me think of Dylan Blue, with the amber note, but I think I like that one more.

The pear note is the strongest to my nose, in this one, but the citrus and kumquat are quite juicy and so it does have that bright citrus aroma sitting just underneath.

Ambergris is soaking the entire composition and I detect that smooth smell of suede. It’s enjoyably simple and smells quite nice.

As it dries down, it doesn’t change all that much for me. I do get hints of cardamom and coriander, after about an hour, but they aren’t too powerful and get outshined by everything else in here. Coach for Men is fairly linear, but the citrus aspect, does weaken as it moves along.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is pretty moderate for the first few hours, it’s probably noticeable from 3-5 foot range. After that, it is really light and damn near a skin scent.

The longevity is much to write home about, I get about 5 hours on my skin, and that’s it. Meh. Again, only the first two hours have any projection that is noticeable. Really disappointed by the performance.

Coach strikes me as more of a spring/summer scent, but honestly, it can be worn year round without issue. It isn’t heavy and doesn’t seem to turn sour at any time.

It has great versatility and can be worn in seemingly any situation. Aroma wise, it is very safe to wear at work, and is great casually. It smells nice, but isn’t really sexy, and it’s not a club beast with it’s performance.

With better performance, this could absolutely be a daily wear and all-around fragrance, for a guy to own. That’s what they were going for, it just didn’t workout completely.

Overall Impression of Coach for Men

Overall, is Coach for Men good? It smells good. The performance is pretty weak. It smells like a lot of other scents out there. I do enjoy the fruity top notes, the pear and citrus mix is great, and the additional kumquat is a good change up.

It’s pretty much every other mass appeal fragrance of the last decade, with a slightly different blend of notes, to give it some sort of uniqueness.

I find it to be a good wear. However, at its price I don’t think I’d buy a full bottle. It’s performance is concerning and it doesn’t have any uniqueness to really capture my attention.

But, it does have a good level of likeability. If it actually lasted, I’d be higher on this scent.

Maybe, if you can get it on sale, it might be worthy of a pickup. If it were stronger, it’d be a definite yes. As it is, I pass, without a huge discount.

Bad Boy Le Parfum by Carolina Herrera

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Bad Boy was a great success for Carolina Herrera. Thus, they were sure to follow it up with a flanker, which they did with 2021’s Bad Boy Le Parfum. I got a hold of a decanted sample of this fragrance, in order to give it a try, and report back with a review on the site. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a try?

What does Bad Boy Le Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, hemp, black pepper, geranium, leather, and vetiver

My Full Review

First, if you’ve experienced the original Bad Boy by Carolina Herrera, Le Parfum is almost nothing like it. They share the black pepper note and both have citrus up top (grapefruit here versus bergamot).

The opening act of Bad Boy Le Parfum is the grapefruit and pepper note sitting underneath, a somewhat smoky cannabis. To me, it doesn’t smell exactly like a blunt or anything, but very reminiscent of the plant itself, maybe slightly cured.

On my skin, that note isn’t overwhelming, and it smells more like what you’d associate with weed when you apply it to clothing. Le Parfum is fresh, green, with an aromatic spiciness coming through.

The second phase, is where I start to pick up a lot of geranium and the leather (which grows in strength). It goes from being about the hemp note, to a split between those three. The pepper is still there and grapefruit begins to fade.

This is where it stands for much of the wear. Then, the final stage is vetiver and leather. Vetiver at the base is the strongest on me, in the final few hours. That, leather, and geranium. The cannabis is around somewhat, but has pretty much evaporated.

It’s actually a pretty standard fragrance, during this phase, and very familiar. I do like the vetiver and geranium combination, cold and fresh. Fairly intriguing scent, but doesn’t blow me away.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Bad Boy Le Parfum is at the upper end of the moderate range, in terms of its sillage. It has the ability to project itself pretty far with normal application. However, it does settle itself down into something much more manageable.

It’s not an absolute beast, but it does indeed have very nice performance.

On my skin, this Carolina Herrera fragrance hits the 8-9 hour mark, without too much issue. At the end, it isn’t super powerful but it’s there. It does die out before it hits that double digit hour frame. Very good, just short of great.

Seasonally, this one is pretty darn versatile. Le Parfum sits in that sweet spot, where it can smell great in the cold weather, but also hold up well enough in the warmer climates. I’d avoid spraying this in the dead of summer, outside of nighttime, that is.

Bad Boy Le Parfum is a nightlife and casual sort of fragrance. It’ll be a fit for most men up to their mid-30s and for those who just like something outside the norm. Not a scent for the office or for school, the hemp/cannabis note is much too potent, to really venture there.

Le Parfum actually is an attractive, and dare I say, sexy fragrance. Not the most seductive scent ever, but it comes across as masculine and playful enough. For at least part of the wear, it’s going to stand out as a unique cologne, so that can be a big plus.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Bad Boy Le Parfum

Overall, do I like Bad Boy Le Parfum? I enjoy it, but I’m not totally in love with this fragrance. I do like that Carolina Herrera took things into a completely different and unique direction.

It does end up being more of a vetiver and leather fragrance, than it would initially seem, but you do get a bit of a journey.

The performance here is great, even if the use case for many guys will be fairly limited. Again, sometimes you can’t afford to be smelling even remotely like cannabis, if you’ve got a job or are in school.

That being said, I can’t pick out one part of the wear that I didn’t like. The geranium is great, as is that hemp note, and the dry down. You might want to try it out before committing or have plenty of casual occasions to spray it on for.

Fougere Royale by Houbigant

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In this review, I am going to take a closer look at a modern relaunch of a classic fragrance from the 19th century, Houbigant’s Fougere Royale. This is one of the last men’s fragrance samples that I received with my last batch, so, I’m going to have to reorder more stuff to review once I finish with all of the ladies’ samples I have to go through and review.

As usual, I want to cover what it’s made of, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a purchase or not.

What does Fougere Royale Smell Like?

Notes include: oak moss, lavender, tonka bean, geranium, bergamot, chamomile, cinnamon

Click here to try: Houbigant Paris Fougere Royale Eau de Parfum-3.38 oz.

My Full Review

Upon the first sniff of Fougere Royale, I am immediately struck by the oak moss and lavender notes. Also, I notice how much it smells like Azzaro Pour Homme. These two colognes are almost dead ringers for one another. There is definitely a lot of overlap in the notes and the style of both of these scents, so if you like one, you’ll probably be into the other.

Fougere Royale has a very cool and crisp aroma to it that is very soothing and yet wholly masculine. It comes across as a clean and fresh scent that would be great for a more mature man.

There is a small but noticeable level of sweetness and citrus that comes across and supports the main oak moss and lavender tandem. As a fougere, this scent obviously has that green and outdoorsy kind of feel and it doesn’t get detracted from that path by any of the other notes.

Honestly, I’m never really wowed by this cologne but I do find that it is extremely well put together and they did an excellent job in producing this scent.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s pretty moderate. It’s not an overpowering scent, and is towards the lighter side of things, but I wouldn’t call it weak by any stretch.

While it isn’t a huge or powerful fragrance, it does have pretty darn good longevity, I’ve been getting 7-8 hours of use from a few spritzes out of the sample vial.

Fougere Royale is probably best served as a casual or office wear scent. I actually think that it works really well here in the early spring weather and I think it could be pulled off for most of the year outside of the high heat of summer.

Overall Impressions of Fougere Royale

Overall, would I consider this as a buy? It’s nice, if you’re into the ‘green’ or fougere genre of fragrances. It’s not really my style but I think that this is a good scent.

It has so much similarity to Azzaro Pour Homme that if I wanted to buy one of these two, I’d simply go for the cheapest bottle available to me.

Fougere Royale is just one of those colognes that is solid all around, but doesn’t really ever separate itself enough for me to get too excited about it.