so as you all know, i made a post a while ago talking about my first time trying some basic niche fragrances, dipping ma toe in the water and purchasing some samples from a few higher end stuff, and lafayette street by bond no 9. i mentioned that i did enjoy this scent, even recommending it to someone wanting to try it out. but honestly, after the hype died down for me, i looked more into them as a brand, and started to understand them better… bear with me, im going to say something very controversial. bond no 9 is kind of a massive disappointment. THERE, I SAID IT, AHHHHHHH SORRY (not sorry at all) i went to try out their stuff in person from some stores. felt the bottles, the caps, smelled them, tested them on my skin. and… seriously? this is something that i’m paying 400 dollars for? look i’m a sucker for expensive stuff. i like creed, i like tom ford, louis vuitton scents, big fans of all of them. but for me it runs deeper than just scents. presentation, packaging, storytelling, i mean it all plays a part. creed, i mean, look at those bottles. you can tell it’s meticulously made. handcrafted scents, a beautiful, engraved, heavy cap, fantastic packaging. louis vuitton, a simple, minimalist design with a sickkkkk magnetic cap, tom ford private blend with their chess-style bottles! tom ford private blend is my favorite bottle design. xerjoff, with the iconic egg-shape design, high quality materials with the bottles, and next level presentation. but bond no 9 feels cheap and plasticky. designs are kind of tacky (new york nights is kinda cool), the starfish shape is iconic but odd looking to me, and atomizers are incredibly mid. i KNOW this sounds super nitpicky, like obviously you should care about the actual scent, but packaging and presentation matters to me. this might be my ocd talking, but if i’m going to pay for a premium brand, i want premium packaging and presentation. i want heritage, storytelling, and artisanal quality. if they’re not going to do that with their presentation, so be it, but you’re gonna have to cut those prices down to versace mancera prada levels!

A recent post by @Dave Anderson recently rekindled my interest in exploring the Bad boy line. I have come Herrera in my collection but not Bad boy. So after a sucessfull first Christmas shopping excursion, I nipped into my local and pit my nose on both the Bad Boy Elixir. Before I even had my nose on both the young lady handed over a sample of the new Prada Paradigme for me to try out which was kinda nice I thought. Anyway, although both were nice and enjoyable, the Bad Boy Elixir stood out a touch for me. It's an intense, sophisticated ever so slightly dark with a rich, refined leather and woody profile. To be honest I was sold with the Amber & leather. Hard to believe it was only released this year. The perfumers behind it are Quentin Bisch and Louise Turner. With top notes of Sage and Lavender, giving an initial burst of herbal and aromatic freshness. The heart consists of a gorgeous Leather Accord and Iris The core of the fragrance—a smooth, refined, and slightly smoky leather that shines throughout whilst the Iris adds a touch of creamy powderiness. At the base, Cedarwood and Olibanum, provide a deep, grounding dry-down of warm, dry wood and subtle smokiness from the olibanum. Their is also a touch of cocoa/tonka bean, adding a mild, non-sugary sweetness. As an edp, this elixir actually last real well, I'm getting a solid 8+ hrs on skin. It projects extremely well in the opening,leaving a noticeable scent trail It tends to calm down after the first hour or two, settling into an impressive and noticeable scent bubble. This is extremely versatile and will work well in most situations. But is best suited for Cooler Weather were it's scent profile can truly shine. This is my first and only Bad boy to date, so I can't make any comparisons except that I favoured it over the Cobalt elixir in store. The lightning bolt bottle is super cool, but an awkward fit on my shelf right now. Who knows perhaps in time another bottle or two may be added to keep it company?