Mr Blass
Bill Blass (2009)

I think DrFishopolus and Foetidus have nailed the scent description extremely well. No need to rewrite all that.

It does remind me of Yatagan as well, although more civil and much more wearable. It is blended superbly, seems very well balanced and is available for a very modest price. I dislike almost all scents with incense; but, sure do like this one. Highly recommended to try should our descriptions appeal to you.

This is remarkably well constructed, with decent longevity and sillage for the price. That said, it doesn't do anything to stand out from its position in a very crowded genre of 80's style orientals.

Opens with a citrus accord reminiscent of Yatagan but minus the vegetal basil note, rendering it much more "polite". The citrus lasts quite a while into the heart of the fragrance, which is entirely vetiver, cypress and Iso E Super incense. A mild tonka sweetness and synthetic musk shows through and brings a nice balance to the party, and it dries out quite linearly from there.

Much is made of this scent on the various fragance boards due to its quality / price ratio. It definitely has that going for it, a 4.2oz bottle can be found under $20. That said, there are some amazingly interesting fragrances around this price point that stand out from the crowd in ways that this one never will.

I bought this with high hopes because of the reviews I'd read and because I loved the simple, elegant shape of the bottle. And it's nothing one couldn't wear. However, inexpensive though it is, I felt it was less a leather scent than an incense scent that seemed to suggest a head shop in a half-empty derelict mall that no one really visits anymore. At this price point, I much prefer my drugstore standbys (Brut, Old Spice, or Clubman), and if I want a truly good leather scent, I'll pay $10 more for a bottle of Aramis. But in these times so dominated by aquatics and gourmands, my hat's off to those at Bill Blass for trying to offer something different.

I purchased this as a blind buy based on the reviews and the fact it was a very good deal. If you like the 70's/80's frags then this should be right up your alley. It took about two weeks of on and off again wearing to fully appreciate this one. When first applied, there is a strong resemblance to Pierre Cardin, but the Sandlewood note fades very quickly (just walking away from the mist is enough). The remaining Leather, Incense and Vetiver is quite nice. I'm moving this from a Thumbs Down to a Thumbs Up. Just took a little while to warm up to this one.

Nice fragrance. Deep, rich cypress / vetiver / amber, construction spiced up the nutmeg, smoothed out with Leather and musk, and highlighted by incense. It reminds me of some of the ‘80s powerhouses, but that not really the case: Mr. Blass doesn't have the typical development through pyramid levels… it is basically linear. Its aroma is more of a ‘90s composite scent – difficult to separate out the individual notes. The linear accord, itself is composed of lower-key materials which seem to be less synthetic than the typical ‘90s designer offering. And finally, Mr. Blass doesn't come close to having the longevity of the old powerhouses, which is one of the main drawbacks of some linear fragrances.
This is a very pleasant fragrance and it is offered as at an extremely economical price. Good one.

Bergamot, Nutmeg, Cypress, Amber, Vanilla, Leather, Incense, Musk. ( ****accord listing courtesy of fragrantica**** )

Allow me to say I'm not convinced the listing of notes is exactly on the money. I can also say that, in the end, it's not of the utmost importance that the accords be completely accurate since what matters most is the overall quality of this particular scent. I prefer to start describing Mr. Bill Blass in reverse only because it suits me to do so. The thing that disappoints me the most during my wearings is the abysmal longevity I experience. 'Such a shame because I like everything about its aroma, but alas, Mr. Bill Blass the perfume evaporates ( on my skin ) much like the ever-present smoke emanating from the cigarettes of Mr. Bill Blass himself.


Within a meager 20 minutes, what starts out as a very promising retro-contemporary frag seemingly melts into a literal skin scent. It could perhaps be my absorbent skin, but I doubt that even my skin could drink the heavy sprays I applied and leave me wondering what the hell just happened?

Now, with negatives out of the way, allow me to describe what I enjoyed about my wearings of Mr. Bill Blass the perfume. The opening is an excellent bitter citric accord that encompasses smooth and edgy at the same time. The tuning of what I perceive as bitter orange and spicy woods is at once a throwback and yet suitable for the modern man. This has its roots in other notables from bygone days, but skirts the trappings of being a dated masculine. This opening, at least to me, is very enjoyable and fuels expectations for the remainder of the ride. The blending also keeps the significant players forefront while blurring the others and employing them as supporting elements.


What doesn't come to fruition during my wearings is conventional Oriental, Leather, Incense or Vetiver notes. What does transpire in the background is the suggestion that they are there and I have to admit to liking this interpretation very much. By this transition however, the volume and presence of Mr. Bill Blass is already waning and if you're not careful, you may just miss the soft and wispy tobacco note that intermittently graces the nostrils.

Like a new and beautiful Softtail Harley that's equipped with an undersized gas tank, Mr. Bill Blass glides down the road with the intent of stopping every 7 miles to refuel. The ride feels and looks great, but it's over so damn fast you check to see if there's a leak somewhere in your fuel line.

In spite of all this, a thumbs up from SS for Mr. Bill Blass and his premature ejaculating cologne. Even though it's over quickly, it's worth the sprays.