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.

7 Best Smelling Violet Scented Perfumes

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There are a lot of floral notes which get plenty of attention in fragrances. The usual suspects, get their just dues, but violet can often be overshadowed. It plays a support role in many perfumes, but it can be challenging to find a good violet scented one. One, with this flower being the star, at its base. In this post, I want to present seven perfumes which utilize violet to the best of its ability.

What are the Top Smelling Violet Scented Fragrances for Her?

Floral Fruity Option

Insolence By Guerlain For Women, Eau De Toilette Spray, 1.6-Ounce Bottle– A sweet blend of juicy berries and floral notes like violet, iris, and orange blossom. Insolence is long lasting and has a pronounced powdery finish, as is to be expected, when violet and iris get together.

Nonetheless, Insolence isn’t a stuffy or overly-heavy fragrance, the raspberry and other berry notes keep things dynamic. Towards the end, there is a light musk, and a great sandalwood note at the base. This is a great floral fruity wear, rather simple, but delightful.

The violet does rest control of the fragrance, from the other flowers, later on. Insolence is a good example of an option for those who want a mixed kind of blend, headed up by violet.

Fresh Cedar and Pure Violet

Bois de Violette by Serge Lutens– A fairly simple and more of a pure violet offering than some of the others on the list. Bois de Violette a sweet and very lightly powdered violet aroma, that is quickly joined by cedar.

That’s pretty much the perfume. The cedar note, actually balances things out, and gives it a dry freshness which I feel boosts the violet’s effect. It all smells very naturalistic and great. This is a must try for those who love our target floral note.

Bold Bouquet and Vanilla

Bond No. 9 Broadway Nite Eau De Parfum Spray 100ml/3.3oz–  This is a very floral scent that starts out with the heliotrope, rose, and violet notes. That trio is joined by an undercurrent of vanilla and musk.

Vanilla, musk, and iris are of course going to create a pretty powdery aroma. That’s on their own, and when you added violet you’re going to get it in spades.

Broadway Night can be a bit of a bold fragrance, and yes, the violet does have a bit of a greenish smell. A different option from the rest, but has its fans. Notes include: Rose, Honeysuckle, Iris, Aldehyde, Green Violet, Cedarwood, Musk, Sweet Amber, Heliotrope, Vanilla Beans. My Full Review

broadway nite review

Blended Spiced Violet 

Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 2.7 Ounce– A floral/exotic fragrance that is highlighted by, as the name suggests, violet. It’s a soft to moderate blend with a unique sweet/spicy profile that lasts for a long time. Ultraviolet really gets to the star of the show, once it has had time to settle in.

The opening can be a bit intense with the spice, as you get a few different peppers and coriander, coming through. Definitely interesting, though not for everyone.

However, it’s not all spice in the beginning, as there is a nice apricot and some vanilla to help calm things. Obviously, the star of the show comes more apparent in the dry down. You get a fresh, fairly sweet, and powdery violet with some dry undertones.

Clean Garden Bouquet

CREED FLEURISSIMO by Creed for WOMEN: EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY 2.5 OZ– Classy and elegant. Fleurissimo is a bouquet of florals with iris, violet, and tuberose. Fleurissimo has a vintage style and a very garden rich profile.

As it dries down, this Creed scent has more warmth and a soapy/powdery clean quality. This is an all day wear, with excellent longevity. A springtime fragrance. An expensive choice, but a good one for fans of violet and tuberose, in particular. Not for those who want a lone violet ingredient. Notes include: Bulgarian rose, violet, tuberose, Florentine iris.

creed fleurissimo

Violet and Iris

Love in Black by Creed– Another great violet based fragrance by Creed, though, this one is definitely distinct from the one above. This one pairs violet and iris together, with a dark berry sweetness, and a dry mix of spices and musk.

Love in Black is naturally quite a powdery scent, as it is dominated by the two floral notes, but it’s got enough black currant sweetness in the opening to give it added depth. Later, it dries down to be more focused on the violet with musky touches and a woody base.

Natural Violet and Rose

La Violette by Annick Goutal– A fresh violet, which utilizes the flower and leaf. The leaf, has that somewhat greenish watery aroma, which some people may not enjoy. However, this is another one with a very naturalistic sort of violet note.

It’s a strictly floral perfume with some added rose, which adds some extra powder, in the latter stages of the wear.

La Violette is not too heavy, has some sweetness, but is mostly just a clean and low key floral fragrance.

Mankind Unlimited by Kenneth Cole

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Mankind Unlimited is the 2020 release from designer Kenneth Cole and the latest in the long running Mankind series of men’s fragrances. I received a sample of this fragrance within a recently purchased batch and have been trying it out over the past few days. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a buy?

What does Mankind Unlimited Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, sage, sea notes, juniper, black pepper, cardamom, cedar, sandalwood

Click here to try: Kenneth Cole Mankind Unlimited 3.4 oz. EDT, 3.4 fl. oz.

My Full Review

Before I give my full take on this scent, let’s see how Kenneth Cole describes it: Fresh citrus and aromatic notes. Live without limits.

I know that the tag line is: live without limits, but what really struck me throughout, was exactly how limited this fragrance actually is.

It opens up with a blend of mostly sage (some pepper), a bit of citrus, and a vaguely oceanic aroma. However, it doesn’t really go full marine or aquatic to my nose. It is a pleasant aroma, that is fresh with a chilled vibe. Though, it doesn’t really grab my attention.

A bit further into the wear, the citrus gets relegated to the background and I pick up more cardamom and juniper.

The notes fight amongst themselves for temporary supremacy, but it mostly smells like a blended concoction of freshness with a water base. At first, I get sage. Then, there is: a period of juniper, cardamom, and even cedar has a go of it.

I actually do like the latter stages of the scent. I’m not sold on it, but it was a somewhat enjoyable experience.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is that of a lighter moderate fragrance. It wasn’t a total skin scent on me, but it’s definitely not a powerhouse. All in all, a decently projecting warm weather cologne.

I did get around 7 hours of wear from this Kenneth Cole. Not bad, and sure, the last few hours were pretty faint in how they came across. That being said, it wasn’t a complete disappointment with the performance.

Seasonally, spring and summer. This is one to wear around during the daytime when it gets warm out. Within that frame, it has plenty of versatility. Any age group could wear Unlimited and it can go casual or even be worn to the office.

Not one that is going to be offensive and is quite easy to wear. Mankind Unlimited is a fragrance that is competent, while also not really excelling at anything.

Overall Impressions of Mankind Unlimited

Do I like this scent? It’s pretty mediocre, in my opinion. I don’t hate it, but I couldn’t see myself buying a bottle of this fragrance.

The opening act doesn’t wow me, but I do enjoy it a bit more when the juniper and cardamom start to come through. It’s a fresh aromatic with a semi-aquatic vibe to it.

I was expecting a lot more citrus than I actually got from this Kenneth Cole scent, though, I don’t think a bigger orange dose would’ve helped.

If you need an all around fragrance for the summer months, you could do worse than this. By the same token, you could do a lot better. If you absolutely must try it, I’d wait for the discount bin.

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.

Epic Man by Amouage

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In my recent sample haul, I picked up 5 vials of different colognes from Amouage, and as I’m getting close to being through with the current box of fragrances…it’s about time that I do my first review of this high end designer.

Today’s post is going to cover Epic Man, which is described as, “Evoking memories of the ancient Silk Road journey from China to Arabia”. Yeah. Think this one is going to be exotic? You better believe it. Please continue below for my full wear review.

What does Epic Man Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, saffron, patchouli, incense, oud, nutmeg, pink pepper, myrrh

Click here to try: Amouage Epic Cologne, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Review

Based on the notes alone, I was expecting to really dislike Epic, as I don’t personally enjoy many oud scents. However, this one intrigues me, and while I cannot say I loved it, I do think that I got some enjoyment from wearing Epic. It is an ‘oriental’ style of fragrance, it at times reminds me of Opium Pour Homme (with more spice and no vanilla) and Man Amber.

Right out of the gate, you experience the full oud note which is complemented by a very smokey spice mix. The leather, patchouli, incense, and myrrh notes create a very masculine, warm, and smoke-laden aroma that is actually quite nice.

Epic is dry, like a desert heat, and does conjure images of travels through Central Asia along the Silk Road.

After about 20 minutes or so, the smokiness calms down and it becomes more leathery and I begin to notice the pink pepper note. At this stage, there is a less in your face spiciness and a sweet smoother fragrance emerges from the pretty powerful start.

This is a very complex cologne, it takes you on a journey or different aromatic experiences throughout it’s life cycle and never strikes me as boring.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this is a heavy hitter. Epic starts out very strong but does quiet down to a tolerable level of intensity. You won’t have to overdo the spraying with this one.

It also has some good longevity to it, I get 6-7 solid hours of wear, and I can still detect it at the 9 hour mark in a diminished state. Epic is a nice performer.

This is a highly masculine animalistic kind of cologne, so it won’t be for everybody. Late Fall and Wintertime, would provide the best results with Epic. I didn’t really like it, when it was exposed to the heat of August, here in the States.

I’d put this more towards the business/casual side of things, it might be passable for romantic wear for some guys but that’s not how I’d describe it.

Overall Impressions of Epic Man

Would I recommend Amouage Epic Man? Again, I’m not personally enamored with oud scents, they don’t really do anything for me. BUT I kind of like this one, it’s not my style but I appreciated the complexity and quality of the fragrance.

This is probably a niche kind of scent that will appeal most to guys who like smoky/spicy/masculine/oriental colognes, as Epic nails the vibe the designers were going for. Not for everyone, but this will definitely appeal to a subset of the population.