Bleecker Street by Bond No. 9

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This is a review that I’ve been meaning to get around to doing for a long while. In fact, I grabbed another sample vial just for this very purpose, and promptly forgot about it for months. But, Bleecker Street, is a scent that needed a write up on this site and I wasn’t going to let the sample Bond No. 9 perfume, lie unused for too long.

So, in this post, I am going to cover the usual ingredients, how it smells, develops, performs, when it should be worn, and if it’s actually worth a purchase.

What does Bleecker Street Smell Like?

Notes include: violet leaf, vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, jasmine, cassis, patchouli, oakmoss

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

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Bond No. 9 describes, Bleecker Street: Art, fashion, seduction, and dessert in liquid form. A warm and sensual aphrodisiac that glides from day into evening. 

The opening of Bleecker Street gives you that initial blast of violet leaf. Violet leaf always reminds me of Fahrenheit by Christian Dior, and yep, that’s a what I experience with this Bond No. 9 fragrance. That outdoorsy almost gasoline kind of aroma, just toned way down, in Bleecker Street and not nearly as aggressive as the Dior.

Nonetheless, it quickly moves off of that beginning and is joined by other notes like cinnamon, patchouli, and oakmoss. It’s a green ‘natural’ kind of scent, sort of sporty, but always clean and fresh.

Looking at the notes, which include vanilla and caramel, I would expect this to be sweeter than it actually is.

However, Bleecker Street never reaches that expected sweetness, as it is controlled by the stronger notes like cassis, which while derived from black currant doesn’t have that sugary quality. It is the same type of thing you find in Aventus.

So, it’s not sugary and the fruit isn’t ‘juicy’, as it is surrounded by dry ingredients.

The whole profile and experience of wearing Bleecker Street brings me to the outdoors, out in the wilderness, and taking in the landscape. At times, it’s completely woody with the overlying natural sharpness of the cassis. Then, a layer of faint sweetness of caramel.

The violet leaf is always present and a bit of warm spice from the cinnamon and patchouli. To my nose, it gets sweeter as it dries down, and moves away from the woodiness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, its of pretty moderate sillage. People will notice it, but there’s no need to go heavy on the sprays, nor is it going to be crazy intense with a normal application. There’s really no need to coat yourself in it, though.

The performance with Bleecker Street’s longevity is very good and while around 8 hours is the norm, it can hit double digits on occasion. It’s not one to die out in the middle of the day and will be just right for almost any time one wears it.

Now, this is listed as a unisex fragrance by Bond No. 9 and I tend to agree. Though, it does lean more towards the masculine side of things.

I’ve said that it has elements of both Fahrenheit and Aventus for men, but this Bond scent, never has that same intensity or overt masculinity.

So, yes, it is safe for women but it does have more of what would usually be considered masculine elements.

Seasonally, I would like to wear this best in the autumn or spring. It just feels right with more moderate temperatures and there’s all of the usual changes in nature taking place. Just the whole clean outdoorsy profile fits these time periods to a tee.

Bleecker is a versatile scent, it can be worn casually, as well as on more formal occasions. It smells really good, but isn’t what I’d call sexy, and isn’t a nightclub beast.

Overall Impressions of Bleecker Street

Overall, do I like Bleecker Street? Yes, this is one of the better fragrances by Bond No. 9. It’s got a pretty unique style and aroma. It is interesting throughout and the notes aren’t what you’d find in a lot of the more common fragrances on the market.

The performance is also great. Is this a fragrance for everybody? Almost certainly not. Some women will find it too masculine and some guys won’t find it bold enough. Though, it is a quality perfume, and one which has found a niche in a lot of people’s rotations.

It’s definitely one of my favorite fragrances from this expensive brand, which can honestly be pretty hit or miss. This one is among the best that they’ve ever put out.

Bright Crystal vs D&G Light Blue Comparison

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It’s been a long while since I’ve written up a ladies’ perfume comparison post. This one is a close matchup between two of the more popular everyday wear fragrances for women: Bright Crystal by Versace and Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana. Which smells better? Which lasts longer? Which is the better scent overall? Continue below for my full take.

Tale of the Tape: Light Blue vs. Bright Crystal

Bright Crystal

Notes include: yuzo, peony, pomegranate, musk, magnolia, iced accord, lotus, amber

Click Here to try Bright Crystal: Versace Bright Crystal Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, 3 Ounce

Read my original review: Bright Crystal Review

Light Blue

Notes include: rose, apple, musk, lemon, jasmine, and more

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue By Dolce & Gabbana For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Oz

Read my original review: D&G Light Blue Review

Opening

Light Blue opens with a blast of citrus notes and apple. It is very upbeat, sunny, and held together by a rose note. Ths D&G scent is very crisp, watery, and refreshing. The rose is a nice floral touch to an otherwise, fruity start.

Meanwhile, Bright Crystal has a really great and juicy pomegranate note on top. Like, Light Blue, it also has a citrus note to start with the yuzo and a prominent floral; in this case, it is peony.

Between the two, I think I prefer the opening act of Bright Crystal. I feel that it is more balanced, unique, and not as sharp as Light Blue. They both share very similar traits, but just on preference, I’d lean Bright Crystal.

Edge: Bright Crystal

Projection

Neither one of these scents is a monster fragrance in terms of sillage. Both are on the light to moderate side of things. Though, I’d say that Light Blue actually strikes me as the stronger of the two. It’s not by very much, but it is still and edge.

I think that the opening sharpness of Light Blue can make it seem like the perfume is projecting itself, more than it actually is.

Edge: Light Blue

Longevity

Again, this is another category where it is a close contest. Bright Crystal usually will give out about 8 hours of solid wear and occasionally more. Light Blue is again, slightly better. It will usually hit double digit hours with no problem.

Both of them, actually work well for just about any purpose, but if you really needed to squeeze out extra time, Light Blue would likely be able to do it more often. Bright Crystal is capable, just sometimes, it doesn’t have that extra gear.

Edge: Light Blue

Versatility

For casual or office wear, both of these perfumes check that box. Ditto, for being able to be worn in the warmer months of the year, and not being entirely out of place in the cold.

However, I think that Bright Crystal, has an edge in terms of its elegance and something that is pretty and sophisticated enough for evening wear.

It is one of those all around scents that can work well across age groups and occasions. Light Blue does a good job of that as well, just not to the same degree. Light Blue is a really great daily wear, but not necessarily one that can venture into formal or evening wear.

Edge: Bright Crystal

Overall Scent

This is a difficult comparison to do because both of these scents are very close with their performance, aroma, and versatility. There is a reason the Light Blue has been a top seller for Dolce & Gabbana for all of these years.

That being said, Bright Crystal has been a winner for Versace, as well.

What’s the better perfume overall? I think I’ll give the nod to Bright Crystal. It’s crisp and pretty. It has a unique composition, while maintaining a complete universal appeal. It’s non-offensive and can be worn in a variety of situations.

Light Blue is another great everyday wear. In fact, if you like the sound of citrus, apple, and rose with an upbeat summery vibe…this is the better selection for you.

This is such a tight competition that it comes down to personal preference and not one scent just outperforming the other in every respect.

Winner: Bright Crystal

7 Best Smelling Wood Scented Colognes

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Often times, in men’s fragrances, the wood notes will sit at the base and play more of a supporting role. However, there are some guys who want these notes to be the stars of the show. They want a clean wood based cologne or something a little more earthy and woodsy. In this post, I want to explore some of the best smelling options for men who want a wood scented fragrance. 

What are the Best Smelling Wood  Fragrances for Men?

Oud Scent

Tom Ford Private Blend Oud Wood Eau De Parfum Spray – 50ml/1.7oz– Oud Wood is a somewhat niche fragrance with lots of fans. While I’m personally not a huge fan of the oud note, some people swear by it, and this is a great example.

This Tom Ford scent opens up with the oud, spice, and warm cardamom. The next wave, is solidified with other wood notes like, rosewood and sandalwood. There is warmth, wood, spice, and some sweetness from vanilla and amber.

The performance wasn’t that great on my skin, but the smell is what a fan of oud would want. But, you may also want to look at Oud Wood Intense, for more power. Oud Wood Review

Sandalwood Cologne

Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule Eau De Parfum Spray For Men 50Ml/1.6Oz– A great sandalwood offering from Serge Lutens. It of course has that great woody note as a base, but it is joined by raw cacao and rose, to give Santal Majuscule an underlying powdered sweetness. It’s very smooth and has a creamy element while maintaining a familiar dry warmth.

This is absolutely one of the best options on the market, for someone who wants a dominate sandalwood note. It is pretty simple and straightforward, with its list of ingredients, but takes those and creates something that it beautiful. It has elements of spice and sweetness and bitterness, at times. Simplicity with depth and is just plain enjoyable.

Light with Sweetness

Bvlgari Man Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 5 Ounce– Bvlgari Man is a woody fragrance that is soft, smooth, and sweet with that bit of honey at its heart. Man is not at all an overpowering fragrance, it is more of one that demands others get closer for a better aroma.

That is not to say that Bvlgari Man is completely weak, it isn’t, it is more subtle, refined, and masculine but use more sprays. I do wish that it was bolder and had top notch sillage, because it is a pretty unique and fine smelling scent.

For a more mass appealing daily wear, I really do enjoy throwing this one on. The smell is great, so, I’ll just spray more than usual when wearing this to get decent performance.  Full Bvlgari Man Review

bvlgari man

Unisex Pine Parfum

Serge Lutens Fille En Aiguilles Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 1.6 Ounce– Wow. What a unique scent it’s full bodied and woodsy with pine note being the main player. It has a dry sort of aroma to it but don’t think, ‘pine car freshener’, as the sweetness of the non-juicy fruits brings an added layer of depth and intrigue.

I really don’t know what to compare this to, but it’s awesome. Fille En Aiguilles gives you a woody blend of fir and pine, with a nice warm smokiness, among some other light spices/fruits. Not too heavy, but something that can change the pace in the autumn/winter months.

Inexpensive Wood Cologne

Lalique Encre Noire Pour Homme EDT Spray, 3.3 oz– A very popular scent that is inexpensive but provides a lot of bang for your buck. Encre Noire is a wood based cologne with cypress, vetiver, and cashmere being the main attractions here.

Of course as the name suggests, it is a dark scent with an air of mystery, and a nice dash of smokiness. It is dry and features a vetiver note that feels a bit unique than some of the others on the market. This doesn’t just give you a ‘woody’ aroma, but provides, a green forest type of vibe as well. Encre still has a cleanliness about it, but its a rugged cleanliness. 

Cedar Fragrance for Him

Dior Homme Eau For Men by Christian Dior for Men – 1.7 oz EDT Spray– I personally wear, the original Dior Homme, but Eau is the choice if you want something woodier. It actually starts off much closer to the original fragrance, then Eau, takes on more of the cedar note than the signature iris.

You get lots of fresh cedar, coriander, some grapefruit, and iris. It has some spice, earthiness, and herbal elements. Not a bomb in terms of its sillage, however, the performance was nice at about 6-8 hours of wear. It’s classy, with a nice powdery iris, blended with the cedar. Dior Homme Eau Review

A Blended Woody Fragrance

Zino Davidoff by Zino Davidoff for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 4.2 Ounce– Zino Davidoff does it’s own thing with notes of sandalwood, rosewood and patchouli as the main attractions. Masculine. with enough sweetness in its vanilla and floral notes. Very well done. This one dates back to the late 1980s and as an affordable wood based cologne, it is top notch. 

Zino has a slightly spicy opening with sage, that is paired with calming lavender. The wood notes are ubiquitous throughout, but cedar and rosewood are prevalent in the early stages. Then, it becomes more of a sandalwood and rosewood scent. However, it isn’t just that, as the patchouli does play a large role in the latter part of the wear. Mature barbershop sort of smell. 

Tobacco Oud Intense by Tom Ford

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Here’s a sample that I’ve had for probably over six months, at this point, and never got around to giving a proper review. Even though, I’ve worn it in the months it’s been in my possession. Tobacco Oud Intense is the flanker fragrance to the popular Tobacco Oud.

It was released in 2017, as a follow up. So, in this post, I will cover my experiences with Tobacco Oud Intense by Tom Ford. How does it smell? What are the notes? How does it perform? Is it worth a purchase?

What does Tobacco Oud Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: oud, tobacco, amber, cedar, coriander, tonka bean, patchouli, sandalwood, labdanum

Click here to try: Tom Ford Tobacco Oud Intense by Tom Ford, 3.4 oz EDP Spray Unisex

My Full Review

The opening of this fragrance, definitely goes hard with the tobacco and oud note. It has a dark and smokey aroma, with a slight spice, which I take is from the coriander. It’s not an intense smell, in my opinion, but there is just a large abundance of those ingredients.

There is a dirty and outdoorsy undertone, throughout the whole wear. I guess, I should just call it earthy, but it is quite noticeable up top before Tobacco Oud Intense transitions to its next stage.

Underneath this initial layer, and what emerges more and more afterward, is an amber/tonka bean combination. This is when, the perfume starts to get good for me, the sweet smooth notes settling things down. Those two notes really makes the smokiness of the Tobacco Oud Intense, much more tolerable, and it sort of has a leathery quality to it.

Also, during the dry down, I find that the oud isn’t as present. Of course, it’s still there, but I get way more tobacco in the last 3/4’s of this fragrance. The other wood notes (cedar and sandalwood) do sit at the base and create a woodier scent, as it moves along, it’s just not that signature oud scent overpowering everything.

Ultimately, I get a smooth ambery tobacco, with a mix of sweet/smokey and a woodsy base. It’s a warm and very smooth aroma, with a definite masculine edge.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it is fairly intense, but it’s not a crazy monster perfume. For the first few hours, you can definitely choke out a room, if you over-sprayed Tobacco Oud Intense. However, after that, this Tom Ford is more of a strong moderate.

While it’s not super powerful, this one does have a thick, almost enveloping aroma. Fairly complex with a density, common in winter fragrances.

The longevity seems to fall within the 7-9 hour range, again, not crazy but still very good. My skin doesn’t ‘eat up’ perfume, so, this probably about what one should expect. It was kind of surprising, as I would have thought that an intense Oud scent, would have gone on for ages.

Then again, the oud isn’t completely dominant here. Nonetheless, it is no slouch. On clothing, it does indeed last longer, than 9 hours.

Seasonally, it’s strictly for the cooler months of the year. This would be a mess in the heat of the summer. It’s a unisex scent, but it leans much more masculine, than other offerings from this brand.

It feels like something that should be worn at least in a semi-formal situation or business attire. Tobacco Oud Intense isn’t a Tom Ford fragrance for casual wear. Nor is it going to be something for the bar/nightlife scene.

It’s fairly niche and going to mostly appeal to oud fans and those who like these sorts of heavy scents.

Overall Impressions of Tobacco Oud Intense

Overall, do I like Tobacco Oud Intense. I like it for what it is, even if it’s not really my style of fragrance. It smells good, even though, I’m not personally a big oud fan. It does have a smoother and slightly sweeter smell versus the original Tobacco Oud.

If you’re a fan of these notes, this is probably one you’d want to consider. If you already have the original, this is close enough, that you probably don’t need it. Go with Intense, if you enjoy more amber and tonka bean, with a bigger dose of the tobacco note.

It’s not much more powerful or longer lasting. So, it really comes down to the level of sweetness, you enjoy.

6 Best Smelling Kenzo Colognes for Men

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Kenzo is a Japanese brand, which kind of flies under the radar, in the world of men’s fragrances. Yes, it is a super successful fashion brand, but the name isn’t well known among the masses. At least, not as well as it used to be in the late 1980s and 1990s. Nevertheless, it is a line of colognes which has plenty to offer those who are willing to step outside of the box of best sellers. In this post, I am going to present my top six Kenzo fragrances for guys, in no particular order. 

 

 

 

What are the Best Kenzo Colognes for Men?

Best Winter Scent

Kenzo Jungle– The rest of the list, is going to mostly go in the opposite direction of Jungle. This cologne does have a standout profile, which is headed by spices, and provides a warm and enveloping sort of aroma.

There’s enough sweetness, to keep it interesting. However, Jungle is all about the exotic feel and spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, and more. The cinnamon in the opening, with some light citrus notes and nutmeg, is really great. 

The final act, brings out some woody notes. Mostly, it’s all about those spices. Surprisingly, it isn’t too heavy or demanding. This is the best option for winter, though, Jungle isn’t limited to the colder months. It does have some well-done versatility. 

Best Summer Kenzo

L’eau Par Kenzo– L’eau Par Kenzo is a delightfully refreshing summertime wear, highlighted by both lemon and yuzu. Yes, the two citrus notes are similar but still remain distinct from one another. The juicy citrus sits on top of a watery aquatic base, with a familiar lotus and lighter musk, coming in the dry down.

Not a huge sillage here, but pretty good longevity for such a light warm weather cologne. The opening act has almost a bubbly aroma, with a crisp cold spiciness, provided by the moderate mint note. 

L’eau Par Kenzo is a clean and masculine aquatic, that can be a joy to wear casually around town, when the heat rises. 

Best Seller

Kenzo Pour Homme– So, Kenzo Pour Homme has been around for decades now. However, it has apparently been reformulated from the original, and lost some of its luster. I’m not familiar with the original blend, but I still think that this cologne is definitely worthwhile.

What you’re going to get is an 80s inspired aquatic scent, that is big on the woody notes. Fir, pine, and sandalwood give Kenzo Pour Homme a cutting freshness. The opening aquatic rush, is actually really great, and there is only a bit of citrus with some herbal aromas from notes, like sage. 

Very interesting and gives you a throwback scent, that is both unique and still very charming. Lots of wood, during the dry down, but can be a great pickup, even with the changes.

Awesome Aquatic

L’eau Kenzo Intense– L’eau  Kenzo Intense is none too complicated, but does bring the wearer quite a pleasant aquatic experience. This one is headed by its marine accord, a nice salty sea water, that is flanked by citrus notes (yuzu and lime).

The next level, brings on lotus, cedar, and basil. The basil is the most noticeable, but there is also plenty of lotus here. Less complex than L’eau Par Kenzo, but has a greater use of the oceanic ingredients, and really has much more of that classic marine appeal. L’eau Par Kenzo is better, in my opinion, but this is the better bet for those who want that oceanic style. 

 

Most Unique Fragrance

Power by Kenzo– Power is a fragrance from Kenzo that has been discontinued, but is good enough to make the list, regardless. Now, it isn’t going to be a scent that appeals to all men, and that’s okay.

Power is rather bold, but takes a different direction from the others on this list. You get a lovely blend of floral notes, spices, and woods. It is masculine without being overbearing and delivers a stylish and somewhat powdery finish. 

Soft and fresh, with a cardamom and coriander spice blend, that gives Power its strength. If you can track it down, at a decent price, it may be worth a shot for the right guy.

Underrated Kenzo Cologne

Kenzo Homme Night– This one adds a unique tropical type of flair, to the mix. Mango with hints of citrus, serve as part of the main attraction. The other, is a very attractive tonka bean note, which actually works in the warmer weather without melting away. 

Cardamom is the lead spice and the one that I could pick up most, when I tried this out once. There was some other vague spices, but my nose couldn’t really distinguish. Kenzo Homme Night is both underrated and can be somewhat difficult to find.

Nonetheless, Night is a very nice performer, with an attractive tropical sweetness and enough spice to give it an edge.