I know i am not the rant guy, but I am really annoyed at something I saw today. So the two new Bond no. 9’s were released, their new oud scents. They are starting at $600. This is just ridiculous, first we know they are not using real oud and second they are bond!!!! Yes we all have our favorites that we love and many of their bottles are really good, but we can all agree that they are not worth their retail price of nearly 500 already. Almost all of us only buy them at discounters. This along with the recent PDM prices and even the new BDC release, these designers and one step above designer releases are asking too much of us lately. Even my favorite, Tom Ford, is getting out of hand. I have never fully been in the never buy retail camp completely, but I think I am now. I feel like we should maybe make our stand and maybe stop buying from them. I don’t want to tell anyone how to spend their money, but I do want you to maybe think about it. The customers have to make our wishes known, and I know our group is relatively small, but maybe we can spread the word a bit more. You do you bro and sis, but thanks for sticking with my rant.

After wearing the decant I had several times last May/June and vibing with it, I finally found a deal I couldn’t pass up and pulled the trigger on my first full bottle from the house of Argos. First of all, we have to talk about the presentation. The box and the bottle are absolutely gorgeous, and the bottle is very heavy. This feels expensive, and it is. It’s as much art as it is a bottle of fragrance. UPS dropped it off this afternoon and I immediately put it on to head to the gym. Wow, Neptune’s Trident really shines when you’re moving! It opens with a big burst of tea that some may find harsh, but it had settled by the time I got into the gym. The rest of the crisp bergamot, mandarin, and marine opening really cuts right through the sweat, and throughout the workout I kept catching whiffs of the beautiful ambergris. Instant smile and confidence booster every time. I could smell myself, and I knew those around me could as well. It has solid projection and sillage, adding a ton of freshness to a high heat gym session. Outside the gym, this fragrance screams summer when the temperatures are climbing. While it may only be a 6 hour fragrance, it actually performs very well for how fresh it is. Quick comparison: I like this way more than Nishane Wulong Cha X. My sample of Wulong Cha X stayed super linear with a bold tea note that never really evolved. I wanted to wash off several times throughout the wear. Neptune’s Trident dries down so much nicer to me: more depth, more elegance. The plan is to keep this in my gym rotation for the next few months and eventually roll it in as a staple to my summer rotation. Final thoughts: I’m very happy to finally add this to the wardrobe! Would I pay the $350 retail price? No, but if you’re patient, you can find good deals on it. And that bottle, that bottle is art!