Black Walnut Legend

Thought I would chime in on this charming offering from Banana Republic.... I often frequent the fragrance section in Ross because I can find some great deals on certain selections, if I know what I’m looking for. I owned the regular Black Walnut from BR when it first came out, and I remember having been quite fond of it, so when I saw this 3.4 oz EDP version in Ross yesterday, I bought it, figuring that for $19.99 at least I’d come away with something that I could use to freshen my car or condo with if it didn’t quite suit me. I was, to say the least, pleasantly surprised with the warm, peppery fragrance that graced my skin out of the flask. For me, it is reminiscent of Hermès Terre D’Hermès with the contrast of the black pepper and citrus notes in the head with the lovely Cyclamen/Geranium heart and leathery patchouli dry down. On my skin it is warm, light and quite sophisticated with a good, even dry down sans the usual ‘Old Spice’ staleness characteristic of $20 fragrances. This to me smells much more expensive, and I was happy that I added it to my collection. I concur with other reviews of this that it doesn’t last but maybe 2 hours max on my skin, so the appellation of Eau De Parfum is misleading, to say the least. But as good as it does smell, as others have noted, I can spray more of it without feeling guilty of the money spent on it. This fragrance is definitely good enough for a date night with the girlfriend enjoying a Summer twilight with antipasto on the green by the lake. It’s light enough to be worn in hot weather, and as I stated, this fragrance is very charming and even a little bewitching. I’d say that if one stumbles across this in Ross or another store like it, it’s most definitely worth the money. The flask design is elegant and understated, with a flattened cubical body and rounded edges and a round cap encased in faux leather. The juice is a light grey-blue, with the name printed in elegant stripped down narrow sans-serif typography on the side of the clear glass. A delightful offering all around, for a bargain basement price in today’s world of fragrances regularly commanding a $130-$250 price tag for a 100 ml (3.4 oz) bottle. Nicely done, indeed.

As far as Aventus clones or inspired-bys go? I have Mont Blanc Explorer and Black Walnut Legend (BWL) that were sprayed seconds apart on each forearm for comparison as I type this. I don't really bother with the opening very much on any fragrance for obvious reasons. Comparing the dry down on each, BWL is more masculine between the two... Muskier with a mild pine touch. If I had to explain the heaviness to lightness of the pine by using a color example? It's green like inside of an avocado. To me, it wouldn't be noticable without really looking for it, certainly not a standout, but there. Overall, it's 20 or 25 bucks at Marshall's all the time when you find it there, a little higher online. It's well worth the price, smelling far more expensive than it is, lasts half of an average work day, and is safe to over spray because it's not going to hurt anyone's feelings. It's a safe and high-value buy, especially if you haven't ventured into the Aventus DNA at all, or you can refresh at lunch time if you're wearing it to work. It's an 8 out of 10 in my opinion.

I think this is one of my favorites. Can be found for around $20 at Ross and Burlington fairly regularly. I have 3 bottles of it just in case it gets discontinued. Yes it smells like Aventus and CDNIM but it's really smooth. I had a spanish woman stop me and use her phone translation to ask what I was wearing because she said it smelled really good. Then later the same day a woman stopped me in Marshalls while I was browsing and said "You smell really good".. Obviously it isn't so strong but it is noticed by others for sure, you just may be going nose-blind to it faster than you think. The dry down is really good and masculine without being too over the top. This one is a 9/10 for me, just decant some of it and reapply throughout the day if you wish.

Incredibly solid scent for an absolute steal of a price. Got this at Burlington for $14.99. Has a nice strong bergamot/citrus scent initially and as it settles onto the skin the moss and walnut scent really come through in a sophisticated way. I have never smelled Creed Aventus but it apparently smells very similar and has similar DNA. I’ve heard online that Banana Republic originally had this DNA as this scent came out before Aventus (apparently?) but who knows. It has similar profiles to a Dior Sauvage but more complex and sophisticated. I really like it. Performance is fine, lasts a couple hours, I’d say 4-6 solid hours, settles into a nice skin smell.

I've got to give Banana Republic Black Walnut Legend the credit it deserves. This fragrance honestly smells way more sophisticated than its price would make you think. It has a clean, elegant, masculine vibe that feels refined without trying too hard. What surprised me the most is that it's given me more compliments than some of the bigger designer names I own. People have actually asked me what I was wearing because it just smells that good. It's one of those fragrances that proves you don't have to spend a fortune to smell classy. If you come across it at a good price, don't overlook it. It might end up surprising you the same way it surprised me.

I go super anosmic to this... I'm on my third bottle...it always fascinates me that my wife loves the way I smell when I get back home... meanwhile I have to put my arm practically in my nose to smell it. So...I wear it confidently and Garner compliments even when I myself feel like ...really? I'm almost as confused by the amount of compliments as I am by the....special person who classified this as a woman's fragrance on fragrantica.

I bought this as a gift for my bro-in-law. When he opened it, i was wow....smells really good. It smells expensive. Any not so good looking guy will look handsome on this perfume. At a price of $20 its a good buy. Banana Republic always make nice smelling perfumes. I haven't smell Creed Aventus but they say this is a clone of that perfume. I'm going to buy another box for my son.

I just pulled this one out of the collection, as I haven’t worn in a while and was reminded how much I love this one. Yes, it is one of many Creed Aventus clones, but truthfully it is one of my favorites. Sprayed on skin before bed and could still smell it on my skin 10 hours later...so no slouch in performance. No brainer if you love the DNA. I prefer this over CDN intense man.

Unpopular opinion here, but I prefer this one over the Creed. Performance can’t touch the Creed, but I also don’t really like my fragrances to be loud and noticeable from 6 feet away, especially this sort of scent profile. Scent is similar to Aventus, but this one is more soft and soapy. Plus it costs more than 10x less. I’m not tryna spend $350 to smell like everyone’s dad.

This is similar to Armaf Club de Nuit Intense Man but not as loud with the lemon cleaner scent and it dries down quicker and you get a little hint of woody and walnut notes. Way better than the "non-legend"version of Banana Republic Black Walnut. It would be nice to layer this on top of a stronger woody fragrance if you want to add a little lemon citrus scent.

My dad has this scent and as an absolute fragrance NERD I thought that smells like creed. I instantly bought a bottle and I don't regret it. It is a very fresh woodsy scent. When I say this is 99% the smell of creed, I mean it I can tell ZERO difference. An easy 10/10 so nostalgic and so good.

It is smooth and works in ways you didn't expect, but is more of an ideal than an inspiration. Holds clear depth and nuance behind that veil of accessibility. "You knew what this was..." Sigurd Rossdale from The Paper Store wears this

For $27 Sgd i think it's a good budget very affordable alternative. Over spray before 7am. Still get skin scent at 12pm. But i don't like these squarish bottles. Hard to hold n spray

Yes, this is for men, not women. Currently, my signature scent. a musky take on Aventus. Picked up on the cheap at a rack store. Highly recommend.

Still haven't updated this to men or unisex, I actually think this is one of the better "clones" of Aventus , just piss poor performance

They still haven't changed this to male and also there is ambergris or ambroxen in this

Not a shabby Aventus like fragrance.... Bit cleaner, muskier... The “black leather” isn’t animalic... Perhaps it adds to the musk being amped up a little/ the way the musk comes across... It does come across a bit “watered down”.. But still very pleasant. It isn’t the best performing, couple hours.. spray heavy.. For $20/100ml (rack stores)... It’s a solid pickup. Don’t pay the jacked up prices at online sellers.. not worth it. I’ve seen it upwards of $45-$55.. At that point... Go for ZARA Vibrant Leather or ZARA Rich Leather (I believe they still sell this).. Or maybe even Mercedes Benz Select.. Both would be cheaper.. I do also get a hint of something kinda 80s/90s.. It’s not overly apparent.. But something in the dry down gives it that hint of something from that era. Again, could be the musky quality of this fragrance.

This is a hard one to rate. What do you do when you love the scent and hate the performance? This one smells fantastic. It's pretty linear, but it's so smooth and versatile, and it's good from start to finish. Unfortunately, it finishes too soon. I get maybe 2-3 hours before it becomes not just a skin scent but undetectable. This is an Aventus clone and it's a really pleasant and wearable one. I also have Club de Nuit Intense, which is less pleasant and a bit dirtier than this one but it lasts like a beast. If I had to choose one of the two I'd pick CDNI solely on performance, though I find Black Walnut nicer to smell. Despite the very week longevity, I'd still say this is worth the typical $20 price you'll pay for it - apply generously and often. Wonderful scent that fades so quickly that it leaves me sad.

Bought this because it was $20 at ross and the reviews here seemed pretty good for something so cheap. Idk if its just my bottle but the atomizer is so bad and my hands are drenched in this every time I spray. When I first smelled it the musk knocked me on my ass but calms down pretty fast. As someone who loves Hacivat and doesn't actually like Aventus that much, this smells better than Aventus imo. Very mature scent. Funny enough I thought that I recognized this smell at first and realized that my Dad wore this when I was young! So it has a little bit of a nostalgia kick for me. Regardless, if you are at a big box store and see this for less than $30, grab it, it's very worth it.

Got this at Burlington for $20. Smells nice enough but the scent is gone is an hour. Zero projection. Make this last for even 4 hours and it would be a solid buy. Same story with most of the other B.R. fragrances you find at Burlington and Ross. Nice scent, gone in an hour. Been using this last few days. Really starting to like the scent. I overspray it (12-15 sprays on my shirt) and the smell does last for 4 hours.