Reviewing a fragrance that mirrors another so closely can feel redundant, yet here we are. Chez Bond, a fresh-green fougère, bears an uncanny resemblance to Green Irish Tweed, so I won’t waste time drawing endless comparisons that others have already made. What I will say is this: Chez Bond’s note pyramid? A bit of a sham.
Bond No. 9 relies heavily on synthetic ingredients, with little to no detectable natural materials. Despite claims of tea absolute and sandalwood oil, I remain unconvinced. And frankly, I’m not inclined to sift through Givaudan’s chemical catalog to identify which pricey compounds mimic those naturals. Let’s just say Chez Bond offers up about three distinct notes, only two of which are truly perceptible, and none feel particularly authentic. Yet somehow, it still manages to smell lovely, albeit in a very unoriginal way.
The intriguing part about Chez Bond is its ambition; it tries to fill shoes too large to fit. Like Cool Water, Green Irish Tweed is beyond improvement. It’s a flawless composition of green apple, lemon verbena, iris, violet, violet leaf, esters, sandalwood, and ambergris. Bond’s version, however, highlights just how masterfully Creed blends naturals with synthetics. Green Irish Tweed feels rich, dimensional, alive. It radiates from the skin and never wears out. The interplay of violet and woody green apple acidity atop a smooth Ambroxan base creates a dynamic beauty that Chez Bond simply doesn’t match. Creed’s synthesis of esters with naturals offers depth; Bond’s fragrance, leaning fully into synthetics, lacks that richness.
Chez Bond opens with a sweet violet note mixed with a minty dihydromyrcenol accord reminiscent of Quintessence’s Aspen. This bright beginning clings to the skin for about ninety minutes before settling into a creamy sandalwood and tea base. The violet never really fades, tinting the entire composition with its sweetness, while the tea note blends into the sandalwood until it almost vanishes. This creamy-sweet (rather than green) dry down carries the scent for hours, lingering through a moderate day with around nine hours of wear, though it might fade faster in warmer conditions.
Ultimately, Chez Bond is Bond No. 9 at its simplest; a tight, synthetic structure that tries to replicate the breezy expansiveness of its rivals. It succeeds to a point: it smells good. But it’s a shadow of its predecessor, a pleasant but ultimately unnecessary alternative. If you’re trying to save a few dollars and still want that Creed effect, Cool Water has you covered. Otherwise, just wear Green Irish Tweed and move on.