Bond No. 9

I Love New York for Him by Bond No. 9

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For my second review in this series of Bond No.9 scents, I will tackle, I Love New York for Him. This is of course, one of the male fragrances from the ‘I Love NY’ line that came out 5-6 years back. As usual, I am going to cover my impressions, how it smells, how it performs, when it could be worn, and whether or not I think that this cologne is worth a buy or not.

What Does I Love New York for Him Smell Like?

Notes include: patchouli, leather, musk, grapefruit, ginger, geranium, lavender, amber, sandalwood

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 I Love New York For Him Eau De Parfum Spray 50ml/1.7oz

My Full Wear Review

The opening of I Love New York for Him, seems to me to be an intense burst of mainly the grapefruit and patchouli notes, with just a hint of musk. Frankly, I don’t find it to be all that enjoyable. It smells quite acidic and concentrated and too overpowering at this stage for my tastes.

It usually settles down within 5-10 minutes, and becomes a much more enjoyable blend of citrus and spice. Though, I really don’t like that initial part. The ginger note comes in, which makes this feel fresher, along with a light juniper berry ingredient.

The thing that I noticed most about this Bond No. 9 fragrance is how much it smells like Just Cavalli Him. They share the ginger and geranium notes and the Cavalli exchanges the grapefruit for bergamot but, man, there is a lot of overlap here.

I Love New York does have better performance and the patchouli/musk combo sets it apart but these two are definitely related in many ways.

The middle part and the dry down gives you periods of lavender and leather, coming through stronger underneath the citrus. The geranium is still present and kind of sits in the middle of the lavender and leather cycling back and forth between second strongest.

The base is pretty much musk, with some sandalwood. Eventually, what I’m left with is: grapefruit, ginger, lavender, patchouli, leather, and musk. The freshness stays but much of the spice and stronger intensity of the leather is gone.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility 

The projection with this one is rather moderate. Although, I will say I enjoy it more during the dry down stage than in the beginning, it simply isn’t as intense.

I Love New York for Him does have really good longevity and I can detect this cologne all work day. Maybe 9-ish hours, in total. So, it does actually deliver on the performance aspect. Decent sillage paired with the type of longevity that you’d want.

If anything, this cologne is good for casual wear during the warmer months of the year. It is a clean kind of fragrance but I wouldn’t call it sexy in the slightest. But, on these warmer days it does have a pleasant enough aroma to draw me in.

I wouldn’t ever think to wear this scent on a date or out for a night at the bars. I guess it’s more of a casual or perhaps office-type of wear. Rather clean and inoffensive.

Overall Impressions of I Love New York

Overall, is I Love New York for Him worth a buy? I’d say no. It’s not terrible by any means but it’s so generic and simplistic to me. Plus, the price is the usual high end of the spectrum that Bond No. 9 is known for. If you’re going to spend that much, at least get the best colognes of the brand.

The immediate opening isn’t good at all. I do like the citrus, geranium, juniper and ginger laden fragrance that follows. But, with the leather and patchouli, it just doesn’t fully work for me.

Even if you did dig this scent, I’d simply buy Just Cavalli Him for cheap (update: that’s not really an option anymore) and buy some other scents in conjunction with that. Otherwise, I don’t really see a purpose for this cologne.

The performance is good, the smell is decent, but unless you can score a cheap bottle, why? To me, this isn’t among the brand’s best scents and really offers nothing unique. I’ll pass, as I have no real place for it, in my rotation.

Little Italy by Bond No. 9

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With my latest batch of samples, I grabbed a few more scents from the Bond No. 9 collection of fragrances. Today, I am going to be reviewing the unisex scent, Little Italy from this design house. As usual, I am going to cover how it smells, performs, what I like about it, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Little Italy by Bond No.9 Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, grapefruit, neroli, clementine, and musk

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Little Italy by Bond No. 9 For Men And Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.3-Ounces

My Full Wear Review

So, Little Italy, starts out with a heavy dose of citrus provided by the mandarin orange. I really like the orange note in this fragrance, as many others have such a flat and uninspiring orange note in their scents, but this one is highly realistic and juicy.

Maybe it’s the addition of the clementine, giving it some extra support. Either way I find it enjoyable.

Right away, if you don’t like citrus, stay away from Bond No. 9’s Little Italy, because that is essentially what this consists of. It is a fairly linear scent, as after about 20-30 minutes the juiciness fades a bit, and their is a hint of neroli and musk.

Honestly, the floral and musk, isn’t that noticeable. I had to focus myself quite a lot, just to be able to detect it. Pretty much, what you smell initially, is what you’re going to get out of this.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s decent. Thankfully, it’s not a monster in that regard, because I doubt anyone would want that intense of a fruit juice scent. It has all of the sillage that it needs to have.

It stays moderate for the first couple of hours before drawing down to its final close. Overall, not terrible.

The longevity is okay, I got maybe 4-5 hours out of the wear. Nothing special but certainly not incredibly awful. At this price point, it’s not great, however. I would definitely want more from Little Italy before grabbing a full bottle.

This is a casual scent for the warmer months. Not a date night scent or anything of the sort. I don’t think you would even wear it at work. So, it becomes pretty limited with its use case. Understand that going in. Spring and summertime, while just hanging about town.

Even though, it is a unisex fragrance, I don’t anyone of either sex would find this one to be ‘sexy’. It’s bright, upbeat, and quite pleasant in my opinion but not sexy.

That being said, this one does lean much more traditionally feminine. There are plenty of citrus and neroli scents out there with more balance, but this goes more toward a ladies’ perfume.

Overall Impressions of Little Italy

Overall, is Little Italy worth a buy? Not unless you really love orange and clementine. I do like this scent on some level and I think the orange note is very well done. However, it’s also quite expensive, and really simplistic.

The performance is just okay. The sillage isn’t bad, but the longevity is below average. I don’t hate it but it doesn’t strike me as something to run out and buy either.

Mandarin isn’t my favorite citrus note, it’s fine here. I do like the clementine which gives it somewhat of a unique vibe versus some others in this space. Not one of the best from Bond No. 9 and ultimately not particularly worth it.

The Scent of Peace for Him by Bond No. 9

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Today’s review is of another Bond No. 9 fragrance and this time, it’s one from the men’s line, The Scent of Peace for Him. Now, there are a few different Scent of Peace fragrances out there. One for women, one unisex, and this one intended for the male audience.

In this post, I’m going to cover all of the specifics about this scent and how it performs, so read below for my complete impressions.

What does the Scent of Peace for Him Smell Like?

Notes include: cedar, bergamot, pineapple, vetiver, currant, juniper berries

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 The Scent Of Peace Eau De Parfum Spray for Him, 3.3 Fluid Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of The Scent of Peace for him packs quite a punch. It draws a lot of comparisons with Creed Aventus and while they do have some overlap, they really aren’t that similar in my opinion.

The juniper berry note gives The Scent of Peace a juicy fresh fruit scent to go along with the bergamot and pineapple. Whereas, Creed Aventus opens up more like Pine-Sol, and then gets better as it goes along. It’s cold and bright, right off of the bat. It has that similar clean dryness to Aventus.

This Bond No.9 fragrance has a strong use of cedar, which allows for the woody aroma to sit underneath the initial fruits and then take over mores as the top fruit notes settle a bit. It’s honestly, a pretty linear fragrance after the first half hour or so.

What does it ultimately smell like? Well, if you get a close sniff, you can detect separation between the ingredients and the cedar and pineapple do have a certain nice appeal. However, it becomes more muddled as you get further away from where you sprayed, and it starts to smell more like a detergent.

I’m not sure which brand of laundry detergent, I used to use, but there is one the smells exactly like The Scent of Peace for Him. That smell isn’t bad, and especially not when, it’s become faint on clothing that’s been washed.

The thing is, The Scent of Peace at a distance, smells quite a bit like detergent in concentrate form. It’s that sharp pineapple, cedar dryness, and juniper which brings out that smell. But, while there are cheap colognes like Nautica Blue, which have this same issue; it isn’t too awful in this Bond No. 9.

Upon close inspection, I enjoy the musk/vetiver combo and the very nice use of the bergamot note. It just becomes difficult to enjoy when you have on the one hand a bright and lively fragrance and on the other hand, an in your face detergent.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this stuff is really strong. Like, two sprays is enormous, and it clouds your surroundings. That’s not always a bad thing, but it can be too much here. So, it will get top marks from me in terms of its sillage. It lives up to the price tag, with the performance.

Also, the longevity is pretty incredible. I’ve taken soap and water, to where I sprayed it on my arm hours earlier, and I could still smell The Scent of Peace for Him…the next day. Crazy. After wearing this a few times, easily in the double digit hours club, without question. Outstanding.

As far as its seasonality, this just strikes me as a summertime cologne. It feels too strong to be suitable for enclosed spaces such as an office, but might work as a casual outdoorsy fragrance during the warmer months of the year.

It’s not particularly sexy or nightlife worthy, just a fresh and clean sort of scent. Again, I really don’t think that it has the same appeal or aroma as Aventus. It is versatile as a daytime fragrance, but that’s what I’d keep it as.

Overall Scent of The Scent of Peace

Overall, would I recommend The Scent of Peace for Him? It’s not for me, but it’s nice enough. I don’t hate it and the performance is pretty insane. However, it just strikes me in the same vein as Sauvage and Dylan Blue, these bright citrusy colognes with woody undertones.

They’re decent but aren’t impressive overall. Plus, I think I prefer those two colognes to this Bond No. 9 and they are both much cheaper. It’s okay, but that’s about it. The Aventus comparisons, are pretty overdone, as they really aren’t that similar.

Yes, they are somewhat alike, but not complete clones by any stretch.

New York Sandalwood by Bond No. 9

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The second Bond No.9 sample vial that I recently received is New York Sandalwood. It actually came in a spray vial instead of the usual Bond vial, that requires you to dab, and has a cap that’s a pain to take off…which was a welcome change.

Anyways, in this post, I’m going to cover: how it smells, what notes are included, how it performs, who this scent is for, and if it is worth a buy or not.

What does New York Sandalwood Smell Like?

Notes include: sandalwood, orris, carrot, amber, papyrus, musk, fig, cardamom, and oak moss

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 New York Sandalwood 3.3 oz Eau de Parfum Spray

My Full Wear Review

The opening of New York Sandalwood is a blast of sandalwood, amber, and oak moss. It’s a very dry warmth, something along the lines of Azzaro Pour Homme, as the mossy wood aroma quickly reminded me of.

Sandalwood, is obviously the star of this scent, and this fragrance is mostly all about how the rest of the notes fit in concert with that.

What’s unique about this fragrance, is the carrot note. What an unusual note to include and it is actually quite potent throughout. It just smells really odd to my nose, not terrible, but I don’t enjoy it at all either. It’s inclusion just sort of baffles me, as I’ve never wanted to smell like a carrot before.

Anyways, there is a level of spiciness to New York Sandalwood, with the musk and an added dryness beyond the oak moss and sandalwood.

I would attribute it to papyrus, which I have familiarity working with in paper form. It’s a subtle scent but if you know it, you’ll notice that it is there. Also, the orris root tempers everything with its powdery presence.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s fairly strong, but never struck me as overly so. Bond No. 9 did a good job with it’s performance in that regard and also with the longevity. It’ll project itself probably around 6 feet at the max. Then, it’ll draw itself closer in to the skin.

I got around 7 or closer to 8 hours of wear out of New York Sandalwood, which is definitely a plus. Not a complete marathon runner, but close to a full workday of sticking around.

This is a cold weather and casual scent. I couldn’t call this one sexy or something that would appeal to the majority of people, it really strikes me as a niche fragrance. While it’s listed as unisex, this Bond No. 9, leans much more to the masculine side of the spectrum.

Overall Impressions of New York Sandalwood

Overall, would I recommend New York Sandalwood? Maybe to a select few. I personally won’t be wearing it again, since I didn’t find it to be that enjoyable. This smell isn’t awful to me, but I’m not a huge sandalwood fan.

If you are, this would be one to consider, but there are cheaper sandalwood scents on the market that might do a better job. Again, this is a really niche fragrance, both in terms of smell and price. I’m almost completely indifferent towards it.

Chez Bond by Bond No. 9

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Getting further into my Bond No. 9 fragrance reviews, I’m going to take a closer look at Chez Bond, one of the more popular men’s scents from the brand. It came out in 2003 and has been sticking around ever since. In this post, I will present what it contains, what it smells like, how it performs, and whether or not I think it is worth a purchase.

What does Chez Bond Smell Like?

Notes include: sandalwood, tea, citrus, cedar, leafy greens, violet leaf, vetiver

Click here to try: Chez Bond by Bond No.9 Eau De Parfum 3.3 oz Spray

My Full Review

All right, I’m first going to address the similarities that this fragrance has with others. Notably, Green Irish Tweed. Yes, these two are quite a bit alike, and share many of the same notes.

Also, Riverside Drive by Bond No. 9 is quite similar to GIT and L’Homme Libre. So much overlap.

Between the two, I think that Chez Bond has a much smoother aroma, and more of the tea element. Yes, it is quite a bit like a lemon herbal tea with greens and violet leaf.

I don’t know, GIT always came across as having a more earthy quality to it, while Chez Bond is more airy and warm.

The citrus up top is quite bright and really a great smell. From there, the greener notes come through. It’s violet leaf, tea, and some light grassy notes.

I’m not usually a huge fan of a strong violet leaf note, but it works well within this composition, as it gets balanced out.

As it dries down, I still get the tea but less of the citrus notes, and its ups the content of the sandalwood, vetiver, and cedar.  It is a lush green forest  just a way’s away while your standing outside with a cup of hot herbal tea. Is that odd? Maybe. However, it is also quite nice.

The sandalwood and cedar can be pretty strong, during the latter stages of the wear. To me, it has more of the fresh woody smell, and less of the creamy sandalwood aroma. It starts to get dry, as a fragrance, and more of a woods than the herbal tea smell. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Chez Bond is pretty soft to moderate. It isn’t an overwhelming projection beast, by any means. It’ll venture out about 4-6 feet from your skin and a shorter distance, once it settles down.

But, it does have good longevity, it pops up and reminds you that it is still there for 8-9+ hours depending on the day. Very nice performance.

It’s a bit surprising, given how soft it can be at times, but Chez isn’t one that quits early.

This stuff doesn’t remind me of a crisp fall or winter day. More like a cloudy/rainy one. Yes, I would say that it’s best during that time of the year and into the springtime.

Summer, I’d go with something else. On those temperate days, this stuff is really great to put on, and reaches a higher level than it is usually capable of.

Chez Bond is a good casual cologne and beyond. It is refined and stylish, probably best for men in their mid-20s and up. I wouldn’t call this a romantic or sexy scent, it is just pleasant, and definitely not a club beast.

You could also wear it to work, since it is none to offensive. While not super formal, Chez Bond also doesn’t come across as being juvenile. As such, you can get plenty of use out of it, and the versatility is one of this fragrance’s strengths.

Overall Impression of Chez Bond

Overall, would I recommend Chez Bond? Yes, provided that it fits your style. If you’re a fan of Green Irish Tweed, this one will be a scent that you enjoy.

I personally like it, but it really doesn’t go along with my tastes, there is a lot that I’d rather wear instead. That’s not to say it’s bad, it isn’t, and it’s a well blended fragrance. Just not my thing, per se.

I do like the citrus notes, herbal tea elements, and the forest smell. As I said, on the right day, Chez Bond is an excellent wear. Still not my favorite, but it can be very wearable. 

There’s no real weak points with this scent, unless you demand it be super heavy or project like crazy. It’s well above average in every other aspect and I do consider it to be one of the best from Bond No. 9 New York.