By Designer

Nomad by Bond No. 9

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Nomad is a perfume released by Bond No. 9 New York back in 2021. I recently bought a sample of it as part of a lot and wanted to test out thing scent, to see what its all about. It’s one of the better looking bottles from the brand, but does the contents inside actually match up to the looks? How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Nomad by Bond No. 9 smell like?

Notes include: quince, blackcurrant, pear, rose, oud, orris, violet leaf, vanilla, amber, sandalwood

Click here to try: Nomad from Bond

nomad bond review

My Full Review

Here’s how Bond describes it: Capturing the free spirit of New York’s dreamy wanderers. A strong, sensual, statement-making oud, with modern fruity notes and luxurious amber.

The opening here is sharp and fresh with a light watery mix coming from the pear and violet leaf notes. Blackcurrant, quince, and rose are kind of a lot to handle all at once. Especially, when they’re amped up to 1000 like they are in Nomad.

Man, this stuff goes on super powerful. Once some of the initial top has burned off, it will be more like a rose water, and much more tolerable.

Oud and rose are going to dominate. On my skin, I get a ton of the oud. I don’t mind it here, even if it isn’t a personal favorite note of mine. I could do without the pairing of it with rose, which has been done countless times by seemingly every designer.

The next phase is a slightly rosy oud with a bit of a powdery orris coming through. Spraying on clothes, I get more powder than on my skin. In either case, it’s only slight.

Nomad is sweeter less sharp, increasingly woody with some sandalwood coming into the picture and an amber base.

That’s basically the tail end of it. Woody, somewhat sweet and rosy, with an amber note having a larger role.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Nomad starts off monstrous with its projection. But, it’ll be quite strong for the rest of the way before declining into a skin scent deep into the wear.

That opening act is massive. Plenty of scent trail left behind, great projection, while not feeling super heavy. The slight aquatic aspect helps it from bogging everything down too much.

Nomad lasts forever on my skin. On a jacket, it’s still projecting a few feet, days after I sprayed it. It’s absolutely awesome with it’s performance. Not sure how long it actually goes on skin, but I’ve easily gotten 13+ hours before I scrubbed it.

Suffice to say, if you enjoy Nomad, you get your money’s worth.

Seasonally, autumn through spring. How deep into springtime, depends on where you live. I wouldn’t want this on, when it gets too hot outside. But, slightly chilly to moderate temperatures is where this Bond seems at its best.

This is also a true unisex. They did a great job a creating balance with appeal for anyone who likes this style of perfume.

It might not be the most versatile scent, due to its strength and the somewhat polarizing nature of oud and rose fragrances. Can be a bit much for the office, when you go beyond a few sprays.

Not super dressy or formal, but Noma has enough substance to be considered well put together. It’d be good for certain nighttime wear, lounges and things like that.

Overall Impressions of Nomad

Overall, do I like Nomad? Really, it’s not for me at all. Not a big rose and oud guy, but designers keep on cranking out these formulas, so I sort of have to review them.

Nomad is a beast, which can be both good and bad, depending on where you land with this scent.

I like the middle and dry down more. It’s somewhat softer and more balanced, without the harshness of the opening act. That’s when you get the best of everything. Still sweet and fruity, but with a fully developed oud taking center stage and some orris powder.

Nomad isn’t going to be a Bond No. 9 that enjoys a wide mass appeal. For some percentage of people, this is going to be perfect for them. Others, will be overwhelmed. I would suggest getting a sample before committing to hundreds of dollars spent, on a full bottle of Nomad.

A few bucks up front can save you from having an expensive paperweight on your shelf, if it turns out that you hate it.

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.

8 Best Smelling Acqua di Parma Fragrances for Men

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Acqua di Parma has been around for a long long time now. They have a wide range of scents that bring forth the smells of the Mediterranean, particularly citrus notes native to the region. In this post, I want to break down their catalog into 8 colognes for guys, that I consider to be the best of the bunch.

Now, I have included some unisex entries on the list, as Acqua di Parma has plenty of those and they do indeed rank among their best.

What Are the Best Acqua di Parma Perfumes?

Best Overall Acqua di Parma Scent and Summer

Acqua Di Parma Blue Mediterraneo Fico Di Amalfi Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 5 Ounce– This one gives you that familiar Blu Mediterraneo burst of citrus notes, including grapefruit and bergamot. Then, the outstanding fig note comes along as the dominant force, to create a sweet and unique experience.

The grapefruit and lemon are strongest at the top, but it leans more grapefruit, than the other perfumes on this list. Once the citrus settles down, it plays very well off of the fig, and light cedar base.

I don’t always like fig in fragrances, but this has to be one of the best examples, of how to do it right. Fico di Amalfi is a fragrance which can be worn by absolutely everyone, very unisex, and a magnificent summer perfume.

Best Winter Fragrance

Acqua Di Parma Blue Mediterraneo Mandorlo Di Sicilia Eau de Toilette Spray, 5 Ounce– One of the unisex entries on the list and while it does sit slightly more toward the feminine side, it is still a very nice scent for the cold weather.

Almond and vanilla are paired to create a warm and lightly enveloping aroma, that has a sweet candy-like quality.

This one reminds me of these little root beer candies, that I ate sometimes, as a child. Orange, almond, and the vanilla come together to give it a sweet, somewhat nutty, fizziness.

Akin to carbonation. Mandorlo is fresh and dries down, mostly as vanilla, with a powdered sugar quality. The sillage is fairly light, but it can last for 6-7 hours, on my skin.  My Full Review is Here

Most Popular Men’s Cologne

Acqua Di Parma Essenza Eau De Cologne Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce–  A shockingly clean and refined composition of citrus and herbal/floral notes. Essenza screams class.

With it’s fantastic performance, this is one to reach for during the warmer months of the year, and shares a lot of similarities with Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino Forte.

In this one, you get plenty of orange, grapefruit, and bergamot. Naturally, this is put together with neroli, as is so common in summertime scents. The citrus at opening is juicy and somewhat sharp, then, it dries down more into a soapy sort of scent.

Especially later in the wear, you can pick up rosemary and oakmoss, but Essenza is very well-blended and can be difficult to decipher. Nonetheless, you get yourself a classically styled unisex perfume, that is highly attractive though not heavy-handed.

Classic Fragrance for Him

Acqua Di Parma Cologne Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce– The original which traces its roots back to 1916. Features citrus with notes of rosemary and lavender. A classic clean with woodsy undertones, Colonia is sharp and well put together.

Colonia can be pretty strong with the lemon at first, but it needs a few minutes to settle, and have the lavender note come out fully. This has that old school barbershop type of character, with light musk in the dry down, and the rosemary peaking through at times.

This isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea; however, Colonia can still bring a pleasant experience after all of these decades. This is going to be for guys, who want a change of pace from the more modern or unisex fragrances on the market.

Most Underrated Acqua di Parma Perfume

Acqua Di Parma Blue Mediterraneo Arancia Di Capri Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 5 Ounce– A super citrus blend of oranges, grapefruit, and bergamot. Arancia di Capri, is a breath of fresh air and energy when applied, and enjoys such a naturalistic feel.

Clean, upbeat, and vibrant. It opens up, with those juicy citrus notes at the top of the composition.

These are the dominant notes for the first 20 minutes and are paired with, a light musk. Then, a sweet caramel note begins to emerge and join the mandarin orange note, as the main attractions. The other citrus notes fade quite a bit.

The fragrance smells absolutely wonderful. However, while the sillage starts off pretty powerful, it becomes a skin scent shortly thereafter. Not the best performing (on my skin, anyway), but definitely one of the best smelling Acqua fragrances.   My full review of Arancia di Capri

Best Masculine/ Intense Cologne

Acqua Di Parma Colonia Intensa 3.4 oz Eau de Cologne Spray– A woody and slightly spicy flanker of the original Colonia. This also shares the citrus notes but has a blend of leather, cardamom, and ginger which gives it that bit of kick.

It opens up with that same familiar blend of citrus notes, plenty of lemon, with lime coming through.

This is joined by that warm spice of cardamom and the fresh/cool spice of ginger. As it moves along, the leather and woody notes, take on a more prominent role while the citrus falls back.

It’s fresh, rich, dark, and full of a spicy edge. Leather, woody, spice, with an amber tone, and the citrus still hanging around somewhat.

Fizzy Clean

Chinotto di Liguria– Just reading the notes, before trying this out, I was afraid that this would be similar to Versace Eros Flame. Since that also features an opening of mandarin orange and chinotto notes.

But, this is actually quite different and has none of that overwhelming amber note, which drives me nuts with Flame.

The opening has a nice burst of orange, but that’s overshadowed by the rosemary and chinotto. It’s kind of fizzy, fresh, and has an herbal aroma. Which, usually plays very nicely off of a citrus note.

Less of a sweet fragrance, having more bitter highlights throughout. The base is a soapy clean musk, with the fresh greenish ingredients giving this one life. Not the best performance, but a really nice fragrance for the right guy.

Leather Goods

Leather by Acqua di Parma– Leather is a release that came out much more recently than others on the list. If you want a rich and quite realistic smelling leather note, from your fragrance, you can give this one a go.

Like Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford, you get a raspberry note up top. But, in this one, it is flanked by two citrus notes. It’s also much woodier and floral than the Tom Ford offering.

While rose and citrus play roles here, this isn’t always a clean leather scent. It can be dark, rough, and even has an earthy/dirtiness/smoky aroma as you get to the middle of the wear.

Not an option that will appeal to everyone, but this could be the top pick of the bunch, for some of you.

Riverside Drive by Bond No. 9

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This is going to serve as my inaugural review of a Bond No. 9 fragrance and I hope to cover them all in the future. However, since I’ve gotten a new vial of Riverside Drive wrapped in the bon-bon style this house’s samples are famous for, and it is fresh on my mind after wearing around…it’s time to write this out.

Riverside Drive is classified as unisex but it is slightly more towards the masculine side of things, though not overly so. In this post, I want to give my impressions of this scent, what it smells like, how it performs, and whether or not it is worth a buy.

Update: This is an older review from many years back. I’ve come back and made changes to it since. Also, Riverside Drive is now back in stock, after being gone from Bond’s lineup for a time.

What does Riverside Drive Smell Like?

Notes include: oakmoss, basil, pineapple, sandalwood, and violet

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Riverside Drive by Bond No. 9 For Men. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.3 0z

riverside drive

My Full Review

The opening of Riverside Drive immediately strikes me as familiar. It is crazy how much this is like a blend of Creed’s Green Irish Tweed and L’Homme Libre by YSL.

On the Creed side of things, it’s the violet note and pineapple (GIT has lemon), which gives it a similar vibe…it also sort of seems like an Aventus style fragrance. Not the same, just a comparison.

So, off the bat, if you like any of those scents, you’ll probably like Riverside Drive. The basil note is quite prevalent as well, which is why Libre comes to mind.

I’d say it’s most similar to those fragrances in the initial phase of wear, the basil/woodsy/floral notes hit pretty hard at first, and then this Bond cologne mellows out into something fruitier. It does have a slight vegetal aroma, in the early stages before it dries out completely.

The oakmoss is more at play from the start and then becomes more of a background player. Riverside Drive just comes off as a very dry smelling fragrance (ala Azzaro Homme, which shares the oakmoss note), as the pineapple isn’t a ‘juicy’ scent when combined with the other notes.

A fresh and still somewhat mossy sandalwood with a light patchouli and violet earthiness underneath. The basil isn’t too prevalent, towards the end, but the pineapple’s effect does seem to stick around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it strikes me as a moderate. It isn’t a heavy fragrance, more than intimate though, and definitely noticeable. Maybe a 3-4 foot radius around you, after it has settled down.

It also has very good longevity and sticks with me as the day wears on. Maybe 8-9 hours of wear, in total. Not completely amazing, but I wasn’t disappointed with how Riverside performs, as you’ll get plenty of time with it.

Riverside Drive is a good scent for the warmer months, it really doesn’t have that nightlife appeal, however. I like it as a daily wear option for spring, mainly. Maybe the early part of the autumn too.

It is an attractive scent and girls seem to enjoy it. Again, I’d wear it during the daytime in more casual situations or for work, versus it being something to wear out on a date.

Overall Impressions of Riverside Drive

Overall, is Riverside Drive, worth a buy? That depends. I enjoy the scent but much like GIT, it isn’t really my style. As such, I don’t want to pay for a full bottle.

However, plenty of people would really like this stuff. It is a fine fragrance in my opinion and if any of the aforementioned colognes are one’s you really enjoy, I’d say go for it.

The smell itself is nice and if this is your style, you should at least like it a lot, if not love. The performance is good and this can easily become a signature fragrance for the right guy.

5 Best Smelling Joop! Colognes for Men

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Joop! isn’t a high end fragrance designer and honestly can be pretty synthetic smelling in lots of their scents. That doesn’t mean that they don’t produce some good under the radar fragrances for guys, though.

Joop! actually has some very solid buys at an extremely attractive price point (usually under $25), which can be an absolute steal for men who want something different but don’t want to break the bank in the process.

In this post, I want to present five options from this designer that are the best that they have produced.

What are the Best Smelling Joop! Fragrances for Men?

Note: Joop! has apparently been somewhat busy with new releases over the last five years. Flankers of Joop Homme have come out and sound really nice, in the abstracts that I’ve read. However, they also seem to have only been released in Europe or other select markets. As such, I’ve yet to try them (as of this update).

The 80s Joop

Joop Pour Homme Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Fluid Ounce– The original namesake fragrance, that is still a best seller among inexpensive colognes, decades after its release.

It opens up like an absolute bomb. Cinnamon and patchouli guide the way, with only touches of the citrus top notes. Thick with a syrupy sweetness, that will be present throughout, and gain more of a foothold in the middle to late stages.

Spicy, floral, and powdery with a sweetness provided by the honey note. This pink/purplish juice can be loved or hated but I fall on the side of generally being a fan. My Joop! Homme Review

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Clean Nights

Joop Nightflight By Joop For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Oz.– Nightflight is a departure from the spiciness of Joop! Homme, it is highlighted by a pineapple note with a clean/soapy vibe provided by the lavender.

A moderate scent with good longevity, Nightflight came out in the early 1990s and had a long run as a daily wear sort of cheapie.

Almond, sandalwood, and rosewood come through in the middle and tail end to create a unique and memorable fragrance.

Update: This has been discontinued it seems. Prices are now pretty absurd online. Worth it, only if it’s like $40 or less.

Wow!

Joop Wow! for Men– Released in 2017, Wow isn’t exactly new anymore. But, it is one of the newer scents that you can fairly easily find around the world. There is also an Intense and Fresh version, that I would like to try (if I can ever find them). Intense sounds great, based on the notes.

This one is a great blend of spice and woods. Plus, there’s a creaminess courtesy of the vanilla, cashmere, and even that spiced cardamom top. Has a warmer quality to it, yet remains fresh thanks to those woody touches.

The violet leaf, is usually one note that I stay away from, but I didn’t find it to be intrusive in Wow!

It’s not as cheap (in the US), as some of the others on the list can be. But, this is a very nice cologne which flies under the radar of grabbing mass attention…from the buying public, it gets attention from its scent.

Joop! Go By Joop! For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4-Ounce– Probably my least favorite of the bunch, but that’s because I don’t really care for bitter orange as a note.

However, it is still pretty nice and has a sweet juicy/fruity type of aroma up top with that orange and some rhubarb.

Later, fir, violet, and geranium help to change things up. It feels more like a clean and green kind of aroma. Fresh. Been a long time, since I’ve come across this one, personally. Though, it still seems to be around for a pretty affordable price.

Wild Times

Joop Wild Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce– Wild is such an odd duck to me. I like it, but with notes such as rum and tobacco, you’d expect something dark and heavy.

Wild, however, is sweet and a loud nightlife kind of fragrance with a definite boozy smell. The rum and tobacco notes are of the sweeter variety and it is mixed with pink pepper.

That pink pepper opens up with a bang. But, Wild does settle into something more moderate, an hour or two in. Spicy, boozy, woody, and tobacco. Comes together rather unique.

Interesting to say the least and worth a look for the price. It’s really become a very popular scent from this brand, but probably still behind Joop! Homme in terms of sales.