By Designer

Dior Homme Sport (2012) by Christian Dior

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Today, we’ve got a review of Dior Homme Sport by Christian Dior (2012 edition). This is a flanker fragrance of the fantastic Dior Homme line of scents that has been released over the last decade plus. How does this one rate? What does it smell like? How does it perform? Continue reading below for my full wear review of Dior Homme Sport.

What does Dior Homme Sport 2012 Smell Like?

Notes include: Sicilian Citron, iris, ginger, cedarwood

Click here to try: Christian Dior Dior Homme Sport Eau De Toilette Spray 2012 Edition for Men, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Review

Alright, from the start, I have concluded that this sample I am reviewing from is a 2012 Edition of Dior Homme Sport. There is also a 2017 version which has some differences in the composition, so make sure you know which one you’re getting, before buying…even though, they still are somewhat similar.

If buying from a discount retailer, I would suspect you’ll be getting the 2012, at this point in time and of course that can change going forward. Update: Not any more.

From the opening, I notice how much this Homme Sport edition smells like Hugo Red. They both share citrus and cedar notes of different variations, but they really do strike a familiar chord to one another.

This is great for me, as I enjoy wearing Hugo Red during the warmer months of the year, but the comparison is mostly confined to the opening 30 minutes or so.

It’s interesting because Red contains a metallic aroma and Dior Homme Sport even manages to mimic that, perhaps it’s the combination of citrus and the heavier iris note?

Dior Homme Sport has a very sharp lemon kick and an energetic freshness, which I find quite wonderful. The iris becomes more dominant as the fragrance moves along and adds the floral/green vibe with support from the cedar wood.

So, it moves from heavy citrus and Hugo Red like to something that is more woody/green with a solid presence of citrus. Dior Homme Sport is a very straightforward kind of cologne, not much changes through the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection is quite good for the first hour or two and then drops down to something more moderate and close to the skin, which is disappointing, but not terrible.

Longevity wise, it’s not great but again, not awful. I get around 5 or 6 hours of wear from Dior Homme Sport. Meh.

While I do find this scent to be attractive, it doesn’t strike me as sexy, or any type of club scent. It’s a great casual wear for the warmer months of the year. Outdoorsy, in a leisurely sport kind of way. It’s got class and a nice sense of energy behind it.

Overall Impressions of Sport 2012

Overall, would I recommend Dior Homme Sport 2012? I enjoy it. Again, there are different versions and as I recall this one is different from the original, which I really liked.

If you need a summertime wear for the day, this is a very good choice.

It’s upbeat and clean and pleasant to wear. One might go with the aforementioned Hugo Red, if wanting to save money, since the start of each scent is so similar. Yes, they do end up on different paths, but both are good smelling colognes.

Update: Yes, 2012 was one of the best editions. Much better than both 2017 and 2021 (which is my least favorite so far). If you’re wanting something along these lines, maybe you can still find Luna Rossa Eau Sport around.

Other than that, Sport 2012 is basically long gone, outside of bottles on a site like eBay. Even with those, they are very much overpriced versus what the scent used to go for. To me, it’s not really worth it. Though, this was a great summer wear.

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.

Just Different by Hugo Boss

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For today’s review, I am going to cover another Hugo Boss scent, the 2011 release Just Different. How does this casual fragrance from Boss stack up? How does it smell? Is it ultimately worth a purchase? Please continue reading below for my full wear review.

What does Just Different Smell Like?

Notes include: mint, freesia, basil, cashmeran, patchouli and apple

Click here to try: Hugo Boss Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, Just Different, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Review

Now, naming fragrances can be a funny business. For example, there are many ‘intense’ versions of colognes out there that are actually weak as hell. Just Different by Hugo Boss takes its name and delivers something quite familiar and ordinary.

That’s not to say that this fragrance is bad, just the name really doesn’t fit.

The opening is a really fresh blast of cool mint and along with the patchouli, reminds me of Ice Men. These two colognes are not the same but they do share some similarities.

Where they differ (and where I think Just Different is better) is the light apple note and the herbal spice provided by the basil. I also feel that this Hugo Boss scent shares some DNA with Lacoste L.12.12. White, so I’d put it as a blend between that and the aforementioned Ice Men.

Just Different has a ‘cold’ energy to it. This is a very fresh/clean type of scent and the patchouli seems to give it a bit more body, to an otherwise thin or light cologne. It’s a pretty linear fragrance and what you smell is what you get after the initial opening 5 minutes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection is quite light. It is noticeable but definitely not a heavy hitter. Maybe at the lower end of the range of what could be considered moderate, at its peak.

The performance in terms of longevity is actually pretty decent, I can get up to 6 hours of wear. Not great but not as bad a some others out there on the market.

Just Different strikes me as a casual scent for spring/summer. It’s a change of pace from the usual citrus or aquatic fragrances and takes a bit of different path with the mint note (maybe that’s what’s so ‘different’ about it).

Overall Impressions of Just Different

Overall, this is a very meh fragrance. Hugo Boss seems to have a lot of these over the years, colognes that don’t really stand out and are pretty generic in almost every way.

I mean, it smells pretty nice, but isn’t fantastic by any stretch. What’s the point of owning this? Maybe if you got a really cheap bottle. Even the somewhat close alternatives of Ice Man and Lacoste White, aren’t amazing fragrances.

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.

The Essence by David Beckham

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I have been on a cologne testing kick recently and one of the new scents that I have tried out is The Essence by David Beckham. The former footballer has released many fragrances over the past few years and has created a niche for himself in the inexpensive cologne category.

How does The Essence stack up? What is its composition? Is it worth a buy? Keep reading while I go in depth about this cologne.

What does The Essence Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, tonka bean, pineapple, apple, lavender, kashmir wood, and more

Click here to try: The Essence for Men, 2.5 ounce

My Review

The opening is very fresh and citrusy. I can definitely detect the interplay between the grapefruit and pineapple notes. The apple note is there as well, but I find it to be on a tier below the other two fruits.

It really reminded me of a Nautica scent, somewhere between Voyage and Blue with a grapefruit twist. So, yeah, the opening is quite aquatic-like in character with that citrus accord which works well for spring and summertime.

The citrus notes are very nice, but ultimately kept in check by the lavender, tonka bean, and cardamom notes. It’s got that clean lavender scent, for much of the wear, and the warmth of cardamom, coming in an hour or so into things.

The dry down period is where I think that The Essence really begins to shine. It begins to take on a more earthy/woodsy type of scent and still remains just as fresh but much smoother.

The Essence has a noticeable violet leaf, that mixes with the lavender, and woody base notes. So, at this point, the fragrance is a toned down fresh grapefruit with clean earthy ingredients rounding it out.

Again, this cologne is reminiscent of many other fragrances, like Azzaro Chrome and even somewhat like Drakkar Essence with its grapefruit and lavender notes. Which means, if you’re looking for something unique, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

It’s projection is moderate. At first, the grapefruit opening comes on somewhat strong, before it settles down into something much lighter. Overall, it’s not a beast with its sillage, but it will be very noticeable for at least a few hours.

Also, you’ll get around 6 hours of life on your skin, maybe a bit more than that. Now, this six hour time frame isn’t spend entirely at full strength. The latter half of the wear is going to sit really close to the skin. It’s still there, you may catch whiffs, but not going to feel like a constant.

I would say that it is a safe scent to wear, for just about any occasion, and not offend anybody. Seasonally, spring or summer is when it’ll be at its best. It’s fresh and bright with an upbeat citrus zest.

I’d say this will skew younger. Probably appropriate for men in their early 20s. If older, you can definitely wear it on casual occasions, no problem. It doesn’t come off as a ‘kids’ cologne.

The Essence is clean and subtle. Not really a club type of fragrance or for dates or evenings out. Simple, clean, daily wear.

Overall Impression of The Essence

Overall, is The Essence by David Beckham worth a purchase? Yes, if you’re in the market for a warm weather wear and on a tight budget. It has shades of many other scents, so it is kind of generic. However, for the price it is clean, fresh, and effective.

The overall smell is nice. I like the grapefruit and pineapple notes, the tonka bean, and the lavender. The performance isn’t amazing, but a full bottle is less than $20, so I can’t complain too much. There are plenty of expensive colognes, that don’t even reach this level.

Probably won’t be amazed by this fragrance, but it is a deal, and easily enjoyable to wear.