Saks Fifth Avenue for Him (2007)
by Bond No. 9 for Saks Fifth Avenue

There is a note in a skunk's spray that I find interesting.
It's actually more attractive than repulsive.
I find it interesting because I'm not supposed to like it, but I do.
There is a note in Saks Fifth Avenue that produces the same effect.
I find it interesting and therefore keep smelling it.
It is the type of note that I feel others wouldn't like (at first).

After I got passed the licorice thing it was incredible. Up until then I wasn't that impressed.

Pepper and citrus. Noting earth shattering here, but actually quiet nice. Opening has depth for a bright fragrance, and has a sort of classy feel to it. I can see wearing this to a presentation I need to feel good to. After about two hours, the scent on my skin is warm. The pepper seems to fuse with an interesting woody note that is not familiar to me. Not sniffing myself, just taking in the projected scent, it smells nice, but a bit generic. On my skin close, I enjoy it more.

Saks Fifth Avenue for Him kicks of with some of the most played-out topnotes in the business, that ubiquitous mix of grape soda, lavender, violet, and aquatic Windex smell that every masculine scent uses when they want to smell like every other masculine scent at the Macys. However, there's a decent wood scent hiding under the laughably common top.

Given about 30 minutes, the silly aquatic grape mess burns off and I'm left with a really interesting mix of lavender and pine that's actually very nice. Sadly, that aquatic note stays in the background, like trying to sniff a top-notch niche perfume while someone spills chlorine bleach next to you. Later, a nice pine tar note comes in, smelling kind of like licorice at first, but ending up smelling like piney leather. Unfortunately, hat Windex/bleach note ends up ruining everything at the end, forming a really cheap-smelling metallic "woody amber" base that overpowers and ultimately destroys the really interesting woody/lavender/leather thing that was happening.

For anyone who's read my reviews, you know any scent with that dumb Windex/chlorine "woody amber" chemical in it gets an automatic thumbs down from me, though to be fair, those lavender/pine/licorice/leather middle notes are fantastic and worth a sniff. For people who enjoy creative aquatics or, well, guys who like mall scents and kind of want to smell like everything else but then they don't but then they do again, Saks Fifth Avenue for Him may be your grail!

I will speak today about a fragrance from the Maison Bond No. 9, which all fragrances are inspired by New York city, where beauty shines through the presentation of the bottles, all in star shapes with specific decorations to each fragrance. But I will speak more specifically about Saks Fifth Avenue for Him,
created by Michael Almairac and released in 2007.

On my skin, the fragrance begins with plenty of freshness guaranteed by bergamot, dominating the beginning of the fragrance. Chili, Black Pepper, on top, as Basenotes says? Not on my skin! Sorry Basenotes, you're wrong. After about 10 ~ 15 minutes, bergamot decays a bit, making the cardamom to become noticeable, however subtly, serving as an excellent transition from the fresh tone from the beginning, to a slightly sweet-woody tone (yes, sweet, but for just few minutes, believe me) guaranteed by a mixture of woody aroma mixed with a light incense which stands out more and more from the dry-down, thereby decreasing the semi-sweet aroma, now leading to a more comfortable level as time goes on, remaining that way until the end.

An excellent casual scent. Perfect for those who likes the suit and jeans style.

In my opinion, the perfect day by day scent for a successful business man that is not so focused on a formal dress. A pleasant classy and versatile smell that offends no one.