By Designer

The One Luminous Night by D&G

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The One is a series of fragrances that has spun of a bunch of flankers, including the ‘Night’ special editions. Luminous Night released in 2021, is one that has gotten a lot of attention out of those three, to the point where finding a bottle is an expensive proposition. Is it actually worth it? How does it smell? Does it last long?

What does The One Luminous Night Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, basil, black pepper, dates, amber, incense, sage, geranium, sandalwood

luminous night review

My Full Review

Here’s how D&G describes it: Inspired by the captivating contrast between the deep blue night sky and the blazing gold stars set within it, The One Luminous Night conjures the magic and splendour of a star-studded Arabian night.

When I first saw the notes, bottle, and concept of The One Luminous Night I was excited to try it. The blue bottle looks great.

However, since it was a limited edition and not sold in the US, I kind of forgot about it for a while.

Forgot to the point that bottles became scarce, and I had to secure a decant of it for testing. Knowing that, I would probably plop down the near $200 for a bottle off of eBay if I loved the fragrance.

Upon spraying, I do get the contrast between cool and the warm notes. The early part of this scent is fresh with the sweetness of the dates lurking underneath.

Sage and basil are the stronger of the spicy notes to be. I don’t get all that much black pepper and only a faint peak of the geranium note. The pepper is mostly around for the first 15 minutes, then is pretty much gone.

It is interesting, the style here reminds me of one of the L’Homme Ideal flankers, even while they don’t smell the same. Smokiness, warmth, spice, with a nice fruit providing a sweet heart.

The initial freshness will subside. Sage sticks around, but it will fall down the chain of importance.

Dates, amber, incense, and wood. Expect that to be the main event for basically the rest of the wear. The dates are nice, more of a dried fruit aroma, than anything hyper-sweet or juicy.

Slightly smoky dates sitting in a pool of amber is how I would describe this one. In the middle act, the geranium while still not heavy, does pick up somewhat. Once that pepper is out of the way, I can get more of it.

Update: Now that I have a full sized bottle of Luminous Night, I’ve noticed that it does present somewhat differently, on any given wear. Sometimes, the sage is massive. Other times, this is much more of the warm and sweet aroma led by the date note. When the sage is super heavy, I enjoy this less.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this isn’t a powerhouse. Actually pretty moderate, at its height and then more intimate, without being a complete skin scent. The opening can indeed pack a punch, however. For me, that is a pretty short-lived experience.

The projection runs about 2-4 feet off of the skin for much of the wear. I do notice it on me throughout, just not a complete monster.

It lasts somewhere in the 7-8 hour range. Again, it’s not a strong fragrance, but it does stick around. It’s one of the better The One fragrances, in terms of performance. Which, isn’t one of the series’ strong suits.

Seasonally, this is best in autumn and winter. But, as a nighttime fragrance, if it isn’t too hot and sticky out…you can wear it whenever. Definitely avoid wearing Luminous Night, during the day in spring and summer, especially. Can be a pretty cloying cologne, in that situation.

It’s very attractive and well put together. Semi formal or even formal social situations would be fine. It can absolutely be worn dressed up, while still having its sexy side as a date night go to.

But, that being said, I do prefer this as more of a casual or ‘going out’ nighttime fragrance. The sweetness and warmth feels more in line with that versus being a pure formal play.

Overall Impressions of Luminous Night

Overall, do I like Luminous Night? I do enjoy it. I think that is smells very good, but it isn’t a total love for me. I don’t know if I’m going to get a full bottle for myself (I might still), since that would run me $200 or so.

Update: I did get a bottle, once I found one for around $100. Still sort of feel like I overpaid, but wasn’t too terrible of a deal.

That being the case, it is one of the best The One releases. Better performing than the EDT, even if I enjoy the smell of that a bit more. Plus, I do have a full EDP bottle too.

I actually really like that opening act, with its burst of freshness to contrast against the warmth of the rest of the wear. Basil, pepper, sage, and geranium with a bright bergamot is great. The date note is also very attractive.

I really like everything about this release. I’m just not floored by it. When I compare it to another expensive release I purchased a full bottle of, Noir Extreme, it just doesn’t hit me on the same level.

Update: That sage note, can be somewhat annoying depending on how it shows up on any given day. Sometimes, it just smells overwhelming versus the date and even other spicier ingredients.

I recommend it. If this were a more available scent, I’d probably tell everyone that it’s one to pick up. At $200? Maybe not for everyone. But, it also is a safe blind buy based on the smell and performance alone.

Scarcity made this one go from a sure thing, to something you may want to track down decants of before committing to the entire thing.

Wall Street by Bond No. 9

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I’ve got a ton of fragrance reviews that I need to finish writing up and a lot of samples that still need to be tested out. So, over the next month, there should be a whole slew of new reviews posted up on the site. Today, I’m going to delve into a unisex offering from Bond No. 9 New York, Wall Street. This scent has been a pretty popular one over the past decade plus, but is it actually worth a purchase?

What does Bond No. 9 Wall Street Smell Like?

Notes include: cucumber, seaweed, lavender, lemon, caraway, vetiver, leather, ambergris, orange, musk, and more

Click here to try: Wall Street By Bond No. 9 Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Wall Street is a heavily aquatic citrus scent that is reminiscent of one of the Bvlgari Avqa line of fragrances (I can’t remember which). It is a strong blast of cucumber and lemon mixed with that pungent and salty seaweed note that conjures up memories of the shore.

I’m not sure what any of this has to do with Wall Street, the actual location, or the investment banking style. I guess it is technically close to the water. Would’ve been much more appropriate for one of their NY beach fragrances.

This fragrance can be quite divisive. Some people really love these types of aquatics and the seaweed note is part of the appeal.  For me, while I like going to the beach, I don’t want to smell like sea life.

Apparently, other people get less of this type of aquatic smell and Wall Street comes across as fruiter and salty. I do get the saltiness, but seaweed is a massive note in this to my nose.

As it dries down, however, more of the vetiver and lavender emerge which gives Wall Street a nice undertone to it, that is somewhat enjoyable to my nose. However, that gets offset by the bitter orange note (my least favorite citrus scent).

I was expecting more leather out of this one, when I saw it in the notes list, but honestly, there’s not too much here.

Ultimately, the cucumber dominates and the seaweed note becomes less noticeable as it wears on. This mixes with the citrus notes and that is aroma that will sit on the skin for the rest of the wear.

Cucumber with citrus, lavender, vetiver, and a musky finish? That part is a lot better than the super oceanic opening act.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I found Wall Street to be strong. It wasn’t insane or anything but it’s one that you’ll definitely notice is there throughout the day. The opening few minutes can be fairly intense, but this Bond fragrance, does settle down a bit.

With the longevity, it does last all day. So, if this is one that you enjoy the smell of, you do get great performance at this rather high price point. It can hit double digit hours, quite easily.

Due to Wall Street’s aquatic nature, I would put this down as a warm weather scent. It’s not sexy or something that would appeal in the nightlife scene.

I’d call it a casual fragrance, maybe for business wear. It is a unisex scent and as such has a bit of a feminine air to it. The cucumber note is quite like a crisp body lotion. Wall Street has a very watery and fresh vibe

Overall Impressions of Wall Street

Overall, would I recommend Wall Street? I personally don’t enjoy it. That being said, there are a lot of people that do, and this is a best seller for Bond No. 9.

I like the latter stages, more so than the early and heavy punch it can pack. Lavender and vetiver, made it more tolerable to me, when I wore it. Cucumber is a note that I can take a liking too, not my favorite but not terrible. I do mostly hate seaweed, though.

The performance aspect is great, but it’s a fragrance that definitely needs to be tried out to see, how you react to wearing it. If you’re not a fan of cucumber or seaweed, I’d say stay far away from this. If you like oceanic scents, this might be one for you.

It’s really a niche perfume for the warmer months. If the idea of seaweed doesn’t sound appealing to you, I would for sure go with something else, from this designer. This is a very unique take on this style of fragrance, as I can’t think of another one that smells quite like Wall Street.

Le Beau Male by Jean Paul Gaultier

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I’ve got a ton of samples that I need to do write ups and reviews on. One of these samples, if the subject of today’s post, Le Beau Male. This is a flanker fragrance from Jean Paul Gaultier of the classic, ‘Le Male’. It was released in 2013. How does this one stack up? What does it smell like? Is it worth a buy?

What does Le Beau Male by JPG Smell Like?

Notes include: mint, lavender, wormwood, orange blossom, musk, sage

Click here to try: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau Male Spray, 6.8 Ounce

My Full Review

Jean Paul Gaultier has come out with more than a few flankers and special editions of the original ‘Le Male’ fragrance. This entry called, Le Beau Male, starts off with a very crisp and cool mint note. Actually, it takes a minute to really settle in, much like I experienced with Guerlain’s L’Eau Boisee.

Le Beau Male is wholly different from the original. Sure, it shares a few of the same notes but this is nothing like Le Male or Ultra Male. The mint note is the dominant player throughout, but the wormwood top note gives it a slightly herbal feel, which lends itself to Le Beau Male’s vibrant ‘greeness’.

Wormwood is used in absinthe, so, if you’re familiar with that aroma; it’s essentially what you’re getting with this JPG cologne. However, it is paired mostly with the sage note, at its peak.

It’s much less spicy than the other scents in this line. The mint and the sage are the only real spice to it and it’s further calmed by the lavender.

Overall, the composition is actually quite floral/herbal but it doesn’t ever take on a feminine quality. The orange blossom is a subtle touch and reminds me of L’Homme Intense.

The end of the wear is an herbal, floral, and somewhat musky finish. The musk is present mostly at this stage, but it doesn’t ever take on too much of a major role here. At least, on my skin it doesn’t.

Mint, wormwood, lavender, orange blossom, and musk; at varying degrees of strength.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I like the way it starts. It’s strong but it quickly becomes a skin scent, within a few hours, which is disappointing. It’s not entirely weak, but it has so much potential, if it only had that power behind it.

At first, I thought that I was getting something that sits in between Le Male and Ultra Male, in terms of sillage. It eventually drops below the original Le Male and doesn’t enjoy that long of a peak.

The longevity isn’t that great either, somewhere in the 5-7 hour range, and most of that is spent as a skin scent. Is that terrible? No, if it could maintain its sillage, I wouldn’t be disappointed by it at all really. Especially, if I could pick up a super cheap bottle.

The really cold mint seems like it’d be best on a warm day, just to break up the usual vibe of citrus and aquatic fragrances during that time. It’d be good as a casual scent in this scenario.

If it had better performance, I’d like to wear it as a summer evening cologne, because I really like the mint note here. Also, with the floral aspects it would sit well, in the humid night air.

I suppose, it still could be used then. However, I would probably still use it on those warm days, when I want something simple and non-offensive.

This one does skew younger and is a nice option for guys of high school and college age. Youthful vibe while not being completely immature.

Overall Impressions of Le Beau Male

Overall, would I recommend Le Beau Male? On clearance, maybe. I actually enjoy the aroma and even though it has little to do with the original Le Male, I think it could stand on it’s own. This is one of those where I’m let down by its performance, but like everything else about it.

The mint and orange blossom are the highlights for me. Wormwood adds some interesting elements to this one, but it never hits an absolute level of greatness. It’s all fine and quite wearable for what it is. Good freshie with enough substance to be useable.

I enjoy the Le Male lineup, so, Beau isn’t going to be a complete mess. It’s a cologne with plenty of potential, but doesn’t fully live up to it.

Update: Other options from this line, like Airlines are better. But for warmer weather options this is probably a better pick than In the Navy.

Though, Le Beau came out in 2013, and isn’t readily available in most places. So, it probably won’t be worth it for most guys nowadays. It’s a good scent, but was never going to be the best Jean Paul Gaultier cologne.

It’s not an amazing scent, but it is damn good and can be a nice change of pace for the summer. If you can get a cheap bottle, more sprays should help overcome the weakness, and make it a solid addition to a fragrance collection.

Code Profumo by Giorgio Armani

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I was quite pumped to get a new batch of sample fragrances to try out recently. I hadn’t heard anything about Armani Code Profumo and so had no expectations about it, nor even knew what notes made up this scent. I just figured that since it was from Giorgio Armani, that it might be a decent buy.

In this post, I want to give my impressions of this cologne, how it performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not it is worth picking up a bottle. Update: This originally came out in 2016, I have since added more to the review, as I gained more experience with this scent.

What does Armani Code Profumo Smell Like?

armani code profumo

Notes include: leather, amber, tonka bean, cardamom, lavender, and nutmeg

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Code Profumo had me hooked after the initial spray. I like fragrances that are sweet, warm, and smooth and this one delivers on that amazingly well. To me, it is some close relative to The One by Dolce and Gabbana, 1 Million by Paco Rabanne, or even Versace Eros (the tonka bean). Plus, an added dash of Kouros Body.

The One is one of my favorite smelling colognes, it just has a problem with longevity on my skin, and it happens to share the amber and cardamom notes with Profumo.

The opening is mostly a mix of the warm amber note and the creaminess of the tonka bean. It’s sweet and somewhat candy-like in it’s presentation, sort of like 1 Million, without that grape bubblegum kind of smell that the Paco Rabanne cologne opens with.

There are two fruit notes here: mandarin orange and apple. I don’t personally pick up any apple, but the orange is there, it’s just subdued and not the usual bright citrus that you’d be used to.

As I’ve spent more time with Profumo, I’ve noticed that the sweetness here takes on a soda-like fizziness, it’s like a cream soda type of smell.

It kind of makes sense when you think about tonka bean, nutmeg, and cardamom blending together and how that would play itself out. It’s much warmer, less fruity at the top, and it doesn’t have the same amount of leather as the original Code.

The nutmeg note gives it a bit of spice which is smoothed out by the masculine leather. This is a new release for 2016 from Armani and I really think they hit a home run for people like me who love this kind of scent.

The opening is so sweet that it might scare some folks off, but the dry down is really great. Amber, leather, and tonka bean; these notes sit perfectly in the night air on a cold winter’s evening. Warm, enveloping, and inviting.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

It isn’t a very heavy fragrance but it does project itself pretty darn well. It isn’t a complete beast in that regard, but it does its job and doesn’t quit.

Code Profumo is more of a moderate fragrance that hangs around you, but won’t blow the doors off of people. It’s a cozy and sweet warmth, which is quite nice on the colder evenings.

Longevity is yet another plus sign for Code Profumo. This is an all day wear, that will hold long enough for any occasion that you may need to wear it. Seriously, the longevity is great, I could wear this on night’s out and hit double digit hours with it still going on my skin.

Update: Yep, this is a 10+ hour wear for me. Always got great performance out of Profumo.

I’d say this is a distinctly Fall/Winter fragrance and one that is great for nights out on the town. Code Profumo is a dark and sexy type of cologne that can also be worn on casual occasions and not feel out of place.

It doesn’t have the same bold almost in your face feeling that 1 Million can have and it isn’t weak like The One is. I like to wear it in a more dressed up situation but if I’m also out at a bar or something, in a relaxed atmosphere, Profumo gets the job done.

Overall Impressions of Code Profumo

Overall, would I rate this cologne a buy? Absolutely. I’m totally digging this scent right now, it’s great. Now, will every guy like it? Probably not, but most will. Like I said, if you don’t like warm/sweet fragrances, Code Profumo isn’t for you.

Update: Code Absolu has now been released and it is a slightly better version. You wouldn’t need both of them, so, I’d pick Absolu over Profumo, now.

Update 2: This one has been discontinued, so, you’ll have to find it a discounters nowadays. Still very much worth it, assuming it isn’t insanely priced.

Also, if you want something for the warmer months of the year, go with something else. However, if you need a new cologne for those crisp days and nights during autumn/winter, this should do the trick.

It’s got a great composition and performs super well. Code Profumo is safe enough to wear just about any time during the colder months, because it isn’t as loud or in your face as some of the other colognes on the market. It’s well balanced and a total joy to wear.

Brooklyn by Bond No. 9

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So, I’m back to the site, after taking more than a month off from reviewing anything. I noticed that I hadn’t finished with all of my Bond No. 9 samples from a few months back and decided that I should get back to business. Today’s scent is Brooklyn, a unisex scent from the brand. How does it smell? What’s inside? Is Brooklyn worth a purchase? Scroll down to find out my complete take.

What does Brooklyn by Bond No. 9 Smell Like?

Notes include: gin, cedar, cypress, juniper berries, grapefruit, cardamom, leather

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

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Brooklyn starts out with a really dry blend of cypress, cedar, and leather. It is an interesting combination and strikes me as somewhat different than many other woodsy scents.

A few minutes into its life, those notes are met with an outburst of juniper berry and gin. This creates an herbal/boozy/woody triumvirate that is surprisingly fresh and unoffensive.

From there on out, Brooklyn is a pretty linear fragrance. There isn’t much change that I noticed while wearing it. This particular blend of notes seems to give off a fizzy drink aroma, as if you added seltzer water to gin and berries. Brooklyn is a very clean type of scent with a zesty kick to it.

Cypress and the mixed drink element, really dominate this scent, and if you’re not into that Brooklyn isn’t the right choice. It’s kind of an odd choice to represent Brooklyn with, but that’s basically what you get here.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Brooklyn isn’t the best. I sprayed 3 times on my forearm and couldn’t detect it unless I moved my nose particularly close. It’s fine that it’s not a beast, but it does seem kind of weak, on my skin at least.

Update: Coming back to this again, it is pretty middle of the road. Even the initial sprays aren’t all that powerful and Brooklyn is going to stay quite close to the skin. 3-6 feet at its maximum.

In terms of its longevity, I got about six hours out of it as a skin scent. Not amazing but not the worst that I’ve ever encountered either. Update: Yep, still getting about six hours out of this. It’s just not a formula that seems to last all that long.

Brooklyn is a unisex scent and I would say that it leans more to the masculine side of things. The dry woods being balanced out by boozy fruit, makes this one a solid spring/early summer wear, in my mind.

Still, women can easily wear this one too. It’d be a nice change of pace from the usual fruity and floral fare.

Very casual scent not one that would feel particularly sexy or engaging. Just pleasant. Dry and then fizzy, with a nice crisp feeling. You could wear this at night or around town during the day. I don’t know that you’d want to smell like gin at work, so I’d probably skip wearing it as a daily.

Overall Impressions of Brooklyn

Overall, would I recommend Brooklyn? I think the fragrance is decent. I just wish that it would last longer on my skin. I’m definitely not blown away by the scent, in the slightest. Though, I do appreciate what they were going for and its certain level of uniqueness.

Update: Coming back to this one after a few years, this does have a lot of the same style as Vodka on the Rocks by Kilian. Obviously, Brooklyn came out in 2008, so it is more original. However, I was really reminded of that newer fizzy boozy perfume. This one has the leathery accord and that cypress sticks out. 

I like the gin, cypress, and leather notes. It’s not my favorite alcoholic aroma (prefer rum or cognac scent), but it’s nice enough overall.

The problem of course, is its pricing. If the cost doesn’t bother you, I’d say try it out, if it appears intriguing. If it’s a stretch for you to afford, I’d skip this one.

It’s going to appeal to a certain niche segment of fragrance wearers. For most, Brooklyn is completely not necessary. It’s fresh and interesting, just not amazing, in any way.