Nuit d’Issey Blue Astral by Issey Miyake

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Still working my way through a huge box of sample fragrances to do review on. Today, I have an offering from Japanese designer Issey Miyake: Nuit D’Issey Blue Astral. How does this one perform? What does it smell like? Is it even worth a purchase? Read my full take below.

My Verdict

Nuit d’Issey Blue Astral is a dry, fresh, and masculine fragrance that opens with lime, bergamot, coriander, and an underlying blend of woods and leather. The citrus never becomes overly bright, giving the scent a darker, slightly smoky character with a refined edge.

As it dries down, coriander, amber, ambroxan, leather, and woods become more prominent. The scent is fairly simple, but it feels distinctive enough to stand apart from the usual modern blue fragrances.

Overall, Blue Astral is a pleasant and inoffensive fragrance with a classy masculine presence.

🌌 Nuit d’Issey Blue Astral by Issey Miyake — At a Glance
Fragrance Family Fresh Spicy Woody Leather
Key Notes Lime, Bergamot, Coriander, Leather, Amber, Ambroxan, Woods
Season Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Occasion Casual Wear, Work, Dates, Summer Nights, Formal and Semi-Formal Events
Longevity Around 6–7 hours before fading away
Sillage Moderate for the first few hours, then becomes lighter and stays closer to the skin
Rating ★★★★☆ 7.4 / 10
Quick Verdict A dry and refined citrus-woody fragrance with lime, coriander, leather, amber, and a subtle smoky quality. It has moderate projection, reliable 6–7-hour longevity, and excellent year-round versatility. The scent is pleasant and somewhat distinctive, but it never becomes impressive enough to feel essential. Best considered as an affordable alternative for someone seeking a fresh, classy, and masculine everyday fragrance.

What does Bleu Astral Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, amber, coriander, lime, wood

Click here to try: Nuit D’issey Bleu Astral By Issey Miyake For Men Edt Spray Vial

My Full Wear Review

Man, I really didn’t like the original Nuit D’Issey, that Bleu Astral is based off of (maybe I’m in the minority opinion). It was a cologne that I truly found terrible to wear, and as such, I was really in no rush to try this flanker fragrance out.

However, I will say from the start that I like Bleu Astral much better than the original. So, my apprehensions were unfounded.

The opening gives me a fresh bergamot on top of a woody base sprinkled with some coriander. It’s actually quite a simple scent. It has a smoothness to it provided by the wood and the leather note which begins to emerge after a while.

It also has a sense of class and elegance, as the citrus note never gets too far out ahead of the rest of the composition. Definitely not a bright and sunny type of citrus, it has a darker depth and a hint of smokiness to it.

As it dries down, I tend to pick up more of the fresh and soft spiciness of the coriander, the warmth of the amber, and that familiar leather aroma. The bergamot takes more of a supporting role at this point. It’s all a rather dry affair.

The amber also isn’t a pure amber, more of the ever so often used, ambroxan. Here, it actually works well.  During the latter stages, it can have more of an earthiness to go along with that dry leather and wood.

Not sure what the name Bleu has to do with this, but, I think anything with ambroxan nowadays gets tossed into a blue bottle…seemingly, anyway. Still, this Issey Miyake comes off as being a pretty unique smell. Familiar, yes. Though, one that can for sure stand on its own.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it really doesn’t feel all that strong to me. I would say it’s more of a moderate, as you probably won’t choke out a room unless you go overboard, and it’s not a airy skin scent either. Just not a heavy monster of a fragrance, by any means.

3-6 feet from the skin, depending on which part of the wear you’re in. The opening is pretty good. Again, not powerful, but it brings a nice kick.

On my skin, I get about 6-7 hours of wear out of Bleu Astral before it begins to fade away. A few hours with that moderate sillage. Then, the rest of the time it becomes much lighter.

Testing a few more times, it seems that the 6-7 hour range, is all that this one is capable of.

What I like about this scent, is how versatile it is. Bleu Astral can seemingly be worn in any weather condition and even holds up in the heat of the summer. It can also be worn casually, out on a date, or formally. I wouldn’t call it sexy, this is more fresh and refined.

Nonetheless, it is going to offend anybody. Also, it doesn’t feel too youthful nor too out of date. So, a wide swath of the population can wear this, if they so chose.

Overall Impressions of Bleu Astral

Overall, do I like Bleu Astral? It’s decent. I find it to have a rather unique and inoffensive smell. Nuit d’Issey Bleu Astral has a classy masculine presence and an ability to be worn in many occasions. If you can get it at a fair price, it wouldn’t be a bad addition to a man’s collection.

I do like the opening with the lime note and the underlying wood and leather. Though, if I’m going to go with a citrus and wood blend, I’d probably just pick up a Bleu de Chanel bottle way before ever getting to Nuit d’Issey.

But, this can be an affordable replacement. In terms of style, not smelling like a total match of the Chanel.

It doesn’t wow me, however. I have the feeling that I won’t remember it in a few months, even when smelling it directly, it’s not super impressive…but it’s pretty good. I still like the original L’eau D’Issey the best from Issey Miyake’s line of fragrances.

It’s fresh and the leather and coriander is somewhat interesting in the dry down. I could wear this on summer nights and probably enjoy it somewhat. Blue Astral is not something I’m clamoring for, even while I have no real complaints about any aspect of it.

Acqua di Gio Profondo Lights by Armani

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Acqua di Gio flankers have become routine, especially as of late. Armani quickly followed up the release of 2020’s popular Profondo, with this year’s Profondo Lights. Being a fan of the series, I was excited to give this one a go and see if it was a worthwhile cologne to own. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is AdG Profondo Lights worth a buy?

My Verdict

Acqua di Giò Profondo Lights takes the familiar Profondo style in a greener, woodier, and more herbal direction. The opening combines mandarin, cypress, cardamom, and marine notes, but it comes across as messy and slightly vinegar-like before settling down.

The fragrance improves once rosemary, lavender, cardamom, and cypress become clearer. This middle stage is the highlight, creating a fresh green blend with woody, herbal, and aquatic qualities.

Overall, Profondo Lights is pleasant once it reaches the middle of the wear, but it does not improve upon the original Profondo. It may appeal to someone who wants a greener version of that fragrance, though it makes the most sense at a substantial discount.

This one has been discontinued, however.

🌊 Acqua di Giò Profondo Lights by Giorgio Armani — At a Glance
Fragrance Family Fresh Green Aromatic Aquatic
Key Notes Cardamom, Mandarin Orange, Marine Accord, Cypress, Rosemary, Lavender, Vetiver, Cedar, Patchouli
Season Spring, Summer, Warm Weather
Occasion Casual Wear, Daytime, Work, Around Town, Semi-Formal Events
Longevity Usually around 4–6 hours, with some wearings ending near 4–4.5 hours
Sillage Moderate at its peak, reaching roughly 4–5 feet before becoming a skin scent
Rating ★★★☆☆ 6.8 / 10
Quick Verdict A greener and more herbal variation of Acqua di Giò Profondo, blending cardamom, cypress, rosemary, lavender, woods, and marine notes. The messy mandarin-heavy opening is its weakest stage, while the smoother middle offers the fragrance’s best combination of freshness and depth. Moderate projection and inconsistent 4–6-hour longevity are disappointing for the price. Worth considering mainly for Profondo fans who want a woodier interpretation and can find it heavily discounted.

What does Profondo Lights Smell Like?

Profondo Lights

Notes include: cardamom, mandarin, patchouli, cedar, marine accord, vetiver, lavender, cypress, rosemary

My Full Review

I’ve said that Acqua di Gio Profondo was a green-ish blue scent. Well, Profondo Lights is much more toward the green end of the spectrum, with a touch of marine notes for its ‘blue’ aroma.

Cypress, cardamom, mandarin, and the marine notes open things up. I’m not a fan of the initial act of Profondo Lights, it’s bright, and reminds me of a smoother apple cider vinegar. Not nearly, as harsh and it fades away, but I really don’t like that smell.

Note: coming back to this review two months after the fact, the messy opening still doesn’t appeal to me. I gave it a chance to grow on me, but that never did.

I understand that they’re going to use the citrus note, but I think that the mandarin distracts too much here. Once it’s burned off some, you start to get the woodsy/herbal/aquatic blend and that’s when Profondo Lights shines as a standalone fragrance.

Rosemary, cypress, cardamom, and lavender to smooth things out. It’s woody, but not overly so. The herbal notes and the lavender really clamp down on making this overly fresh. At this stage, I really start to enjoy what Lights has to offer versus Profondo.

The cardamom is great on its own, separated from that initial mandarin burst. I would’ve liked it to have more of the focus, it would’ve been a smoother and more enjoyable experience.

This middle act lasts for an hour or two and what your left with, is a lighter version of Profondo. Really, the dry down is near identical, on my skin just a different intensity. Which is fine, as I like wearing Profondo.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty moderate for much of the wear. Then, it’s closer to a skin scent. The projection never seems to go beyond 4-5 feet, even at its peak. Not terrible performance, it’s okay, and worse than Profondo.

Update: Yep, that’s what it seems capable of. I’ve sprayed in on t-shirts across the room and on my skin…and it’s consistent in that range.

Profondo Lights lasts for 5-6 hours on me. That’s the extent of what it seems capable of. Both Profondo and AdG Profumo outdo it here. Really, kind of disappointing for the price you’re probably going to pay for a full bottle.

Update: Going through a few samples of Profondo Lights, the longevity really isn’t that great. Sometimes, I’ll get around 4-4.5 hours and occasionally it stretches to the full six. The part that really sucks, is the latter stages are the most enjoyable part, and it often doesn’t get the time to shine completely.

Seasonally, like Profondo, Lights is a spring and summer fragrance. Casual to semi-formal wear, mostly during the daytime. It’s really not any different from its predecessor in this regard.

It’s really going to have a limited use case for 4-6 months out of the year, for most folks. It’s not particularly sexy, but some people will find it to be attractive enough, and it obviously has some level of mass appeal with the AdG DNA.

Overall Impressions of Profondo Lights

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I like it, but I don’t love it. I do appreciate a greener take on the formula, but I hate the opening act, and it doesn’t add the much of a different vibe to be worth it…at it’s higher price at least.

The best part of the wear it the second wave, once the cardamom gets more of a chance to shine on its own. I like the pairing with the cypress and rosemary. Fresh, green, herbal, with an undercurrent of marine impressions.

It does end up favoring Profondo significantly, but it doesn’t surpass that one, in my opinion. Also, the performance is okay, but really not up to the same level. I’ve compared them head to head, multiple times, and it’s the same results.

This might be worth your time, if you like aspects of Profondo but want a woodier/green version of the scent. Maybe, if it makes it to the discounters at a more reasonable price, other guys could go for it.

Update: This one got discontinued pretty fast. You can still pick up AdG Profondo and the newer Profondo Parfum

As it stands? It’s fine, but nothing incredible. I tested this one thoroughly over two months and the needle never moved from my initial impressions of Lights. It’s pretty good, fairly expensive for what it is, and probably won’t be a must own for very many guys.

St. Kitts for Men by Tommy Bahama

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St. Kitts has been my personal favorite from the Tommy Bahama line of men’s colognes for a long while now. But, it’s also been some time since I’ve tried it, and I’ve never written a full review for the website. Let’s change that. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is St. Kitts for Men, worth a buy?

My Verdict

Tommy Bahama St. Kitts is a light tropical fragrance built around star fruit, mandarin, lime, musk, and subtle saltwater notes. The opening is easily the best part, with a fresh and somewhat unusual fruit combination that gives it a sweet island character.

As the fruit fades, the scent becomes more balanced between musk, ambergris, watery notes, cedar, and driftwood. It stays fairly linear and simple, but remains pleasant and easy to wear in hot weather.

Overall, St. Kitts is my favorite fragrance from the Tommy Bahama line and a good casual option for spring, summer, vacations, or workouts.

🏝️ St. Kitts for Men by Tommy Bahama — At a Glance
Fragrance Family Fresh Tropical Fruity Aquatic
Key Notes Star Fruit, Mandarin Orange, Lime, Sea Salt, Watery Notes, Musk, Ambergris, Cedar, Driftwood
Season Spring, Summer, Hot Weather
Occasion Casual Wear, Vacations, Around Town, Beach Days, Workouts
Longevity Around 6.5 hours, although the fruity opening fades much earlier
Sillage Moderate for the first 1–2 hours, then light and close to the skin
Rating ★★★★☆ 7.3 / 10
Quick Verdict A light and refreshing tropical fragrance featuring star fruit, mandarin, lime, saltwater, musk, and soft woods. Its distinctive fruity opening is the main attraction, while the later dry down becomes simpler and more musky. It is an easy warm-weather scent with acceptable longevity, but weak projection and the fading of its best notes limit its overall performance. A worthwhile purchase when heavily discounted.

St. Kitts by Tommy Bahama Overview

Notes include: mandarin, star fruit, lime, sea salt, watery notes, musk, driftwood, and more

Click here to try: Tommy Bahama St. Kitts Men Eau De Cologne Spray, 3.4 Fl Oz

My Full Review

I bought a giftset of St. Kitts over the holidays for $15. It included a full bottle of the cologne, aftershave balm, and a body wash. For the price, it’s a pretty great deal. It had been a while since I’d tried this Tommy Bahama scent and figured it was time for a full review.

It opens up with the star fruit and citrus blend. The star fruit leads the way, with mandarin second, and that same lime note found in St. Barts bringing up the rear. Many other fragrances have variations on the citrus opening, but this combo is pretty unique and really is the selling point with St. Kitts.

The fruits are light, fresh, and give it that sweet tropical aroma. One thing I noticed here, is that the musk note seems stronger than I remember. It’s going to play a bigger role in the cologne versus the aftershave balm which is the pure fruity smell.

With the musk, comes an ambergris. It’s not too prevalent versus the musk, either.

Underneath that, water is the next main note, salt water to be specific. Not heavy or super oceanic smelling, but it does lend to the island vibe we’re looking for with this sort of fragrance.

Finally, some cedar and driftwood. These two notes are pretty light in this iteration. Almost like they flipped with the musk note. Still, very enjoyable.

St. Kitts is a rather linear cologne. The development is the fruits fade in strength and it becomes more balanced with the musk, ambergris, water, and salt.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty moderate. At the start, it’ll project itself 4-6 feet with a decent amount of sprays. That’ll last an hour or two, and then, St. Kitts for Men is a much lighter scent. It’ll stick close to the skin.

It’s probably my main gripe with this fragrance, it’s eau de cologne strength. I wish the concentration could’ve at least been an EDT, or even better, and eau de parfum. That would’ve beefed it up and give Kitts better performance.

The longevity, though, isn’t terrible. The scent will stick around for about 6.5 hours on me. Much of that original opening will be gone, but what’s left is still definitely there for the duration. Again, I want that to be different.

Seasonally, spring and summer all the way. This is a very nice casual cologne for a hotter day. I will wear it around town, on vacation, or maybe even for a workout.

I personally have too many other fragrance options for this to be my daily wear, but it could have a spot for someone who wants something understated.

Overall Impressions of St. Kitts for Men

Do I like this cologne? I do. It’s my favorite from the Tommy Bahama line. St. Barts is number two. I absolutely love the citrus notes in this, which is probably why I enjoy wearing the aftershave balm more than my bottle of the cologne itself.

Those fruity notes are an amazing combination. I love them in this, but they’re kind of not being used to their full potential either.

This is a pretty simple fragrance, without too much development. Tropical fruits, watery notes, musk, and a beachy constitution.

I actually like the aftershave balm more, as you get a better version of the scent without the alcohol. The eau de cologne concentration isn’t great with these Bahama fragrances.

The performance is a weak point. The sillage doesn’t maintain its strength for very long, and while it does technically last 6.5 hours, most of the best part is non-existent by then.

Still, this is an easy one to wear, and a scent that I’m going to enjoy breaking out when things start to heat up. For $15? It’s a buy. Full price? That’s up to you.

Dylan Blue Pour Homme by Versace

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This is my third entry of my one time wear reviews while traveling in Europe. Today, I am going to give my impressions of Versace Pour Homme’s, Dylan Blue. This has become a very popular fragrance.

In this post, I’m going to discuss how it smells, performs, my impressions, and whether or not I think that it is worth a buy.

Note: I have updated this post a few years after my initial impressions, after spending more time wearing this scent, and having a better feel for it.

My Verdict

Versace Dylan Blue is a youthful citrus-aquatic fragrance that opens with grapefruit, bergamot, fig leaf, and a watery freshness. That opening is the strongest part of the scent, giving it a bright and appealing character that stands apart from its later stages.

As it dries down, ambroxan becomes much more prominent alongside black pepper, violet leaf, woods, and a subtle touch of smoky incense. The result is pleasant and crowd-pleasing, though it starts to feel more familiar and less interesting after the first hour.

Overall, Dylan Blue is a versatile and affordable choice for younger men who want a simple, compliment-friendly fragrance for warm weather, dates, or nights out. It smells good and offers solid value, but it does not bring much originality if you already own similar modern blue fragrances.

What Does Dylan Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: black pepper, violet leaf, grapefruit, bergamot, tonka bean, ambrox, fig leaf

Click here to try: VERSACE Pour Homme Sealed Dylan Blue Eau de Toilette, 3.4 Ounce

🌊 Versace Dylan Blue — At a Glance
Fragrance Family Fresh Citrus Aquatic Woody
Key Notes Grapefruit, Bergamot, Fig Leaf, Ambroxan, Black Pepper, Violet Leaf, Incense, Tonka Bean
Season Spring, Summer, Warm Weather
Occasion Casual Wear, Daily Wear, Dates, Night Out, Clubs, Social Events
Longevity Consistently around 6–7 hours
Sillage Strong at first, then settles into average projection
Rating ★★★★☆ 7.4 / 10
Quick Verdict A youthful and versatile citrus-aquatic fragrance with grapefruit, bergamot, fig leaf, ambroxan, pepper, and light incense. The bright aquatic opening is the highlight, while the later ambroxan-heavy dry down becomes more familiar and basic. It offers strong initial projection, consistent 6–7-hour longevity, and plenty of warm-weather versatility. A solid affordable choice for someone seeking an easy, compliment-friendly scent, though it is not especially original.

My Full Review

Upon first sniff of this fragrance, I immediately want to place in the same realm as a fragrance such as Acqua Di Gio Profumo. It’s different mind you, but, it seems to belong to that same class of citrus/aquatics.

Between the two, Dylan Blue is a more youthful and lighter cologne, but as it dries down the similarities between Profumo fade and the ambroxan of Dior’s Sauvage begin to emerge.

Dylan Blue really is kind of an amalgamation scent of the aforementioned colognes, mixed with maybe one or two others, that I cannot think of at the moment.

Dylan Blue is aquatic at first, with the grapefruit and bergamot notes, sitting on top of that watery base. Plus, there is the ambroxan note, which is nice and warm but gets stronger as it moves along.

The fig note and citrus pairing at the top is actually quite good. I think it might be my favorite aspect of this Versace release. While the citrus and ambroxan, bring to mind Sauvage, this one isn’t nearly as spicy as the Dior. Plus, the fig and aquatic notes set it apart.

The initial burst is fairly short lived, less than an hour, and the Sauvage-esque spirit takes over. At that point, it seems much weaker than it had been, but the longevity isn’t terrible.

Not as bad as another grapefruit citrusy cologne I just reviewed, Lacoste Jaune. My biggest complaint with Versace scents is how chemical they can smell.

I liked the original Versace Pour Homme well enough but that has the same kind of faux-citrus smell.  There is also a woody-fig note that gives it another layer but it isn’t all that complex of a scent.

As it dries down, I start to pick up more of the ambroxan, some black pepper, and even a little bit of violet leaf. The citrus has settled somewhat and Dylan Blue becomes more wholeheartedly ambroxan based.

I should also mention the slight smokiness from the included incense note, during its latter stages. It’s a great little touch, that I picked up on the more I wore around the contents of my mini bottle of this cologne.

Sillage, How Long Blue Lasts, and Versatility

Projection is good at first and then dies out a bit. It’s pretty average overall. Though, the sillage can seem heavy at first.

The longevity of Dylan Blue has been consistently 6-7 hours on my skin. Seemingly no more, no less. It’s actually kind of weird, how quickly it goes from a nice amount of power to just completely gone.

At least, it consistently hits that mark, and I know what to expect from it beforehand. That’s not a short amount of time, but it’s not a monster, in that regard.

I think that where Dylan Blue shines is in its versatility. I think it’d be appropriate for almost any summer or warm weather occasion. It would also be more appropriate for young men, sub-25 years of age, and is sexy enough for date night/club wear.

This is one that will get positive attention out of it. It’s not an offensive scent and is generally crowd pleasing. Dylan Blue is popular and so it’s going to have plenty of fans, in public spaces.

It’s a really nice scent for younger guys, who want something stylish, and that can fit in a wide variety of situations. The performance isn’t top notch, but it is good enough for most purposes.

Overall Impressions of Dylan Blue

Overall, is Dylan Blue worth a buy? Not for me, BUT I could see how it could work for some guys. If you need a summer scent that is pretty basic and will draw complements, I don’t think you would go wrong here.

For me, it doesn’t really offer anything different from scents that I already own or have samples of…so it’s kind of pointless. I certainly don’t hate it, in fact, I have come to like it a good deal more than I had initially.

Mostly, I like the opening hour or so. Thereafter, Dylan Blue just seems kind of basic to me. Not particularly interesting or all that attractive. Decent.

I just with I got more time to enjoy the fig note and the initial citrus blend, that’s actually one great aspect of this cologne.

However, at it’s price point and with it’s versatility, it would be a solid pick up for someone who wants a simple no-brainer. I like the aroma for the most part, not my favorite, but it does smell good.

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?

 

My Verdict

Bond No. 9 Chinatown is a warm, creamy floral fragrance that opens with tuberose, gardenia, peach blossom, and a brief touch of bergamot. The fruity sweetness fades fairly quickly, allowing cardamom, honey, vanilla, and the white florals to create a smoother, lightly spiced middle.

As it dries down, a subtle woody and smoky quality gives the scent more depth without making it overly complex. The composition remains fairly straightforward, but it is exceptionally well balanced and offers a more distinctive take on the usual tuberose or gardenia perfume.

Overall, this is one of my favorite women’s fragrances from Bond No. 9. It is especially well suited to anyone who enjoys white florals but wants enough fruit, spice, and sweetness to keep the scent from feeling overly green or garden-like.

Bond No. 9 Chinatown Overview

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.

🌸 Chinatown by Bond No. 9 — At a Glance
Fragrance Family Warm Fruity White Floral
Key Notes Tuberose, Gardenia, Peach Blossom, Cardamom, Honey, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Guaiac Wood, Cedar, Bergamot
Season Fall, Winter, Spring, Cooler Weather
Occasion Casual Wear, Daily Wear, Work, Social Events, Dressier Occasions
Longevity All-day wear with consistently strong staying power
Sillage Moderate — noticeable and persistent without overpowering the room
Rating ★★★★☆ 8.3 / 10
Quick Verdict A warm and creamy white floral built around tuberose, gardenia, peach blossom, cardamom, honey, and soft woods. It is sweet and lightly fruity without becoming overly sugary, while the spicy and smoky dry down adds depth. Moderate projection, all-day longevity, and excellent balance make Chinatown one of the stronger women’s releases from Bond No. 9.

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.