Chinatown by Bond No. 9

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took about a week off from posting on the site, but during that time, I got to test out more fragrances for review. On of these, is among the Bond No. 9 samples that I recently got a hold of, and a scent that I’ve been meaning to review for a number of years now…Chinatown. Is this Bond No. 9 scent worth a purchase? What does it smell like? How does it perform?

What does Bond No. 9 Chinatown Smell Like?

Notes include: tuberose, peach blossom, bergamot, honey, cedar, cardamom, vanilla sandalwood, guiac wood, and gardenia.

Click here to try: Chinatown by Bond No. 9 for Women – 3.3 oz EDP Spray.

My Full Review

The opening gives you a blast of white floral aroma provided by tuberose and the gardenia notes. This isn’t like some of the other Bond No. 9 floral offerings, which get heavily into the green plant life scent.

Instead, Chinatown has a wonderful fruity/floral mix with the peach blossom and a brief appearance by the bergamot top note. It gives Chinatown a sweetness and light juiciness, that really comes across as pleasant and well put together.

That fruity/sweet aspect, is really around for the opening bit, and then it fades into the background. The peach blossom, gives you a floral/fruity blend of aromas.

I think that the note that sets this one apart from many other floral perfumes, is the inclusion of cardamom. It does give Chinatown that hint of spice and a sweetness that pairs with the vague thickness of honey. I really love a good cardamom in a fragrance, and Chinatown is one which delivers exactly that.

The next main stage of this fragrance, is the creamy/warm floral period. Lots of tuberose, gardenia, and some light vanilla highlights. Mixed with peach blossom and cardamom. The middle of this perfume, is really quite nice, with an easygoing naturalism.

As it dries down, there is more of a noticeable woody/smoky quality that just gives this fragrance an added depth. Part of that, is definitely the cardamom at work. I don’t want to make this out to be super complex, I don’t think that it really is. However, I believe this to be a very well balanced scent, in what ends up being a fairly straightforward life cycle.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d call it a moderate. A moderate that actually performs. It isn’t going to choke anyone out or really overpower a room but it does a good job of having staying power.

The longevity is great, which it should be at such a price point, but we all know that’s not always the case. It’s an all day wear and never really felt weak during testing.

Chinatown is a good casual or everyday wear. It certainly is a beautiful kind of perfume but doesn’t seem all that ‘sexy’, but it’s definitely attractive.

It was pretty cold outside during testing and it seemed to work well in that environment and I think it’d be safe through the springtime. Probably not the best bet for the height of summer, however.

Overall Impressions of Chinatown

Overall, would I recommend Chinatown? Yes, it a really lovely fragrance, and one of my favorite women’s scents from Bond No. 9. Sometimes, I have really mixed notions about this brand, and think they have some downright awful fragrances.

However, Chinatown isn’t one of those. This is a well balanced gem and a unique take on floral perfumes.

This is a scent for those who want a good tuberose or gardenia laden fragrance, but that also has enough sweetness to avoid going full ‘garden mode’. This is one of the best women’s releases from Bond and it shows from the popularity and number of sales it has generated since its release.

La Nuit de L’Homme vs. Versace Eros Comparison

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For this match up, I wanted to do one between two of the top selling fragrances of the past decade, and break down which one that I think is the better scent. On the one hand, we have the ever popular La Nuit de L’Homme by YSL.

Also, we have the upbeat youthful nighttime wear, Versace Eros. I’ve worn both many times and reviewed each for this site, but which one is the better smelling cologne? Which lasts longer?

Tale of the Tape: Eros vs. La Nuit

Versace Eros

Notes of Eros: mint, green apple, tonka bean, madagascar vanilla, vetiver, Italian lemon

Shop Amazon for: Versace Eros Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Fluid Ounce

My review: Versace Eros

La Nuit

Notes include: cardamom, bergamot, vetiver, lavender, cedar

Try it out: Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit De L’homme Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3-Ounce

Read my review: La Nuit de l’Homme

Opening

La Nuit de L’Homme opens up with plenty of cardamom and a light but noticeable bergamot. The latter, gives the fragrance a light citrus touch, at the start.

Then, it is mostly replaced by lavender. The YSL opens as a fresh, warm, and slightly spicy fragrance.

Eros opens with a bold pop of Italian lemon, mint, and apple. It is sweet, warm, crisp, and with a cool spice flowing from the mint note.

In some of the more recent bottles, the lemon seems more prominent. However, in my newer travel sprayer that I purchased it feels more balanced with the mint and apple notes.

Which is better? It’s a close call, in my opinion, but I prefer the start of Eros. It’s power and aroma has always drawn me in from the first time, I ever smelled it.

Edge: Eros

Projection

La Nuit starts off as a moderate fragrance with its sillage, and then, settles down into something that is pretty light.

Meanwhile, Eros is loud from the start, and stays strong throughout. It’s the type of scent that you can easily go overboard with.

Update: Eros is still bold, but not to the same extent.

Edge: Eros

Longevity

La Nuit has always gotten me 6-8 hours of wear, I’ve heard reformulations may have taken a hit to that number, but I haven’t experienced that personally.

However, Eros still easily wins this category, as it will last for over 10 hours with no issue.

Update: So, La Nuit has gotten a few hours worse, as has Eros. But, Eros is still much better than the YSL.

Edge: Eros

Versatility

Neither of these scents is built for the warmer weather. They are both great in the cold and probably through most of springtime.

So, you can wear either when it is temperate or even slightly warm outside.

As an daily wear? I’d say that La Nuit has the edge and would fit in better in an office type environment, but it is also great for a night out.

It has a sexiness and is also well put together.

Eros is much more of a nighttime powerhouse or casual scent.

Edge: La Nuit

Overall Scent

La Nuit de L’Homme is a really fantastic fragrance. The cardamom and lavender blend is excellent and smells great. Then, when the vetiver and cedar kick in, it can be an absolute joy to wear. It’s really no wonder that it has been a best seller for Yves Saint Laurent.

If you want a daily wear, and you’re older, you would probably want to go with La Nuit between the two of these fragrances.

I do like the dry down a lot. It’s got a fresh and powdery scent to go along with the woodsy base.

However, if I have to choose between the two based on the smell and overall performance, I would reach for Eros a majority of the time. I

think that overall it is much more interesting, dynamic, and smells better throughout. Oh, and the fact, that it’ll last all night.

I don’t think you can really go wrong with either, but I give the Versace the win.

Winner: Eros

Michael for Men by Michael Kors

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There are plenty of popular fragrances out there which are light and sweet in their aromas and downright unisex in their application, if not almost completely feminine. Michael for Men by Michael Kors is not one of these scents.

I recently received a sample vial of this stuff and have been testing it out over the past few days, in order to see if I like it and to get a sense of how it holds up throughout the day. In this post, I’m going to relay my findings to you and whether or not I think this cologne is worth a purchase.

What does Michael for Men by Michael Kors Smell Like?

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Notes include: Leather, woods, patchouli , tobacco, sandalwood, fruits, plum

Click Here to Try Michael Kors for Men

My Full Review

The opening notes of Michael for Men strike me as very warm and spicy, in the same way Opium Pour Homme does, only without the prominent vanilla note. Immediately, I thought that this was a cologne built for the colder months of the year.

However, the spicy notes don’t envelop you like a cloud, this cologne has a quite smooth and woodsy undercurrent to it, like a shot of good whiskey. I found it to be quite nice and masculine.

This Michael Kors fragrance also has a layer of sweetness to it provided by the dried fruit notes which includes, plum. To me, the fruits never develop into anything that strong but they do play a nice supporting role throughout its life cycle.

I will say, that, after about and hour or so, the spicy notes begin to take a back seat and the cologne becomes more refined with the scent of leather and woods emerging more to complement the tobacco.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

While Michael for Men starts out fairly strong, I would say that its projection is quite moderate. It doesn’t overpower, but I also got some pretty decent results with it too.

The sillage strength in the beginning, certainly isn’t a total bomb. Nonetheless, it will project itself to form a nice perimeter around you.

It also doesn’t last all day, like some colognes, but it doesn’t fade out after 30 minutes either. In terms, of its performance, I would say this cologne is moderate across the board.

Coming back to it, after a few years, it seems to stick around in the 5-7 hour range. Not spectacular, but quite useable.

Seasonally, keep it to autumn through early spring. It’s at its best in cooler temperatures, but it holds up decently in a more moderate setting. It is a versatile scent, good for an evening out, while being safe for the office.

Overall Impression of Michael for Men

Would I recommend this fragrance? Meh…I don’t hate it but I’m not exactly thrilled with it either, it’s just not really my style. I think this would be a solid option for some men during the late fall and winter months but it’s just not for me.

If you are the type that really likes the smooth, spicy, tobacco type of scents, this would be a good bet. It’s warm, inviting, and classy…I just personally have no real use for it.

I like the tobacco and the plum notes here, I think that they bolster the cologne, quite a bit. Trying this one again, a few years after my initial review, I can’t really say that my opinion has changed on this Michael Kors fragrance. Still good, but not great, with a solid balance all around.

Update: This one got discontinued. There is a Michael Kors Pour Homme fragrance, but it’s different from this older release.

Villain by Christian Audiger (Ed Hardy)

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I have some more samples on deck to review, but thought that I’d get the last men’s fragrance of the lot sorted out first. This entry is Villain by Christian Audiger, under the Ed Hardy banner. What does Villain smell like? What’s inside? How does it perform? Read below for my full take.

What does Villain Cologne Smell Like?

Notes include: cedar, amber, nutmeg, basil, bergamot, cardamom, lavender, sandalwood, musk

Click here to try: Ed Hardy Villain Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Review

I was interesting in testing out Villain, as I had heard that it was supposedly a similar fragrance to The One by D&G. Now, The One, was a scent that I really enjoyed the smell of…it just lasted all of 10 minutes on my skin (the EDT version, the EDP is better). So, the thought of being able to get a cheaper ‘clone’ scent, was intriguing.

My initial impressions from the opening are that Villain is noticeably sweeter than is The One.

Add to that, the bergamot adds this citrus aroma that is much more pronounced than anything I get from the D&G product. In The One, it’s much more blended. It feels almost too sweet to my nose at the start, pretty synthetic in how it is put together.

After about 10-15 minutes, I think that Villain becomes much cleaner and fresh smelling. The amber note begins it warm take over and there is a pepper/cedar blend, which tones down the sweetness, and brings about a slight spice.

This is the smell that I get for the rest of the time that the fragrance lasts on my skin. So, it’s synthetic smelling cardamom with bergamot citrus, which transforms into amber with lighter spice. Pretty basic, not much development, like many inexpensive fragrances.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s strong at first but then fizzles out pretty quickly. It’s not a powerhouse by any means, but I think with the right body chemistry it could potentially be  loud.

On my skin, the longevity isn’t great. Better than The One EDT, but still I could only muster 3-4 solid hours of wear from it. If it could conjure up some more time, actually sticking around, Villain would be a pretty darn good cheapie. Not great, but definitely serviceable.

I’d chalk this up as a casual scent, with a chance to be a romantic wear cologne. I personally think there are better options, but if this is your price range, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. Villain does have an appealing enough aroma to be deemed ‘attractive’.

Overall Impressions of Villain

Overall, would I recommend Villain? Maybe for younger guys, who need something cheap. I don’t think it smells as good as The One or even close enough to be a direct clone of that fragrance, but it does last longer than the EDT (I’d buy the EDP before this, however).

For what it is, I do think it’s a decent buy in the 20-ish dollar range of scents.

It would never be my go to and I’m personally not going to wear it around after this, but I don’t hate it, and can see how it could find a place in a younger guy’s rotation. It’s fresh, warm, sweet/spicy, and smells good enough.

I should really enjoy Villain, but I don’t think the cardamom note, is all that amazing. The spiced and amber are nice, but again, not anything special. Really would only suggest buying at a cheap enough level.

Ralph Rocks by Ralph Lauren

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Moving right through my sample reviews, today we have an entry from Ralph Lauren, Ralph Rocks. This one was released in 2006 and was a part of the ‘Ralph’ Collection of fragrances. In this post, I will discuss: how it smells, what’s inside, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a purchase.

What does Ralph Rocks Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, kiwi, passion fruit, orange blossom, sandalwood, palm leaf, amber, freesia

Click here to try: Ralph Rocks by Ralph Lauren Body Lotion 1.7 oz

My Review

My immediate reaction to smelling this perfume after applying was being intrigued by the tropical aroma. I had no idea what the notes were at the time and thought that there was a vague coconut like note in there.

But not quite coconut. The aroma is very smooth and screams the island life and that main player happened to be passion fruit. Plus, how the kiwi blends with the sandalwood, gives it that slight pseudo-coconut scent.

It sort of reminds me of Virgin Island Water. Not in its fragrance per se, rather, the lotion like creamy smoothness that is produced by Ralph Rocks. What I like about this scent, is that while it is a tropical scent, it doesn’t have a cold oceanic quality to it.

No, Ralph Rocks is warmed by the amber note and provides a lush floral undertone, which ties the whole scent together. It’s all very sweet and enchanting but it doesn’t have that candy-like sugary smell to it.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Ralph Rocks isn’t a powerhouse. It sticks around, but is more of perfume that stays within one’s own personal space. Not a simple skin scent, but within 3-5 feet. Not even the opening act, is all that powerful, it’s a fairly steady scent.

Longevity is seemingly okay, as well. I got about 6 hours of wear from a few dabs out of the sample vial. Not great but not awful either. Even trying it for a few times, this is about what I came to expect with Ralph Rocks. A fairly decent performer, but not elite, at all.

Ralph Rocks is a definite spring and summertime fragrance. As I mentioned before, it is such a nice change of pace from super fruity or super aquatic summer perfumes.

It is simple and inoffensive enough to be worn to work, school, or casually. It’s not really a sexy scent in my mind, but I think that it is quite pleasant to be around.

This Ralph Lauren perfume has really good versatility in terms of when you can wear it, but also, it can fit well with a wide age range. It is a simple fragrance to reach for and spray on, on an almost daily basis.

Overall Impressions of Ralph Rocks

Overall, would I recommend Ralph Rocks? Yes. This is assuming that you can buy a bottle. This perfume has been discontinued, so you will have to find some unsold stock of it online. It might be super expensive.

Though, it appears the body lotion is still available on Amazon, as of now. This is a very nice casual perfume and has a somewhat unique take on the tropical fragrance arena. I like it.

It wasn’t ever an amazing fragrance, though, it is a very good one. Nice smell, good enough performance, and can be worn in many instances. If you do happen upon a bottle, I wouldn’t pay an outlandish price to possess it.