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.

If this lasted more than an hour it would be the best cheapy Aventus inspired scent around. The opening is remarkable but is gone in record time. It is musky, deep, smokey and rich scent that is more masculine than most Aventus clones. Makes sense it's listed as a female scent here, WTF?? Longevity is nothing short of horrible. Atomizer and bottle are pretty sub par as well.

Gave it a 4 based on scent quality, but performance just isn't there. I mean I am able to re apply at work driving but normal circumstances would be annoying. Similar to Aventus yes, smoother than CDNIM but just doesn't perform well. Worth $20? I think so, I will use it. Probably quickly lol.

It is a an aventus clone. It has an amazing pineapple citrus and birch opening. It lingers for about 5 minutes then dries down to a skin scent that lasts about 1-2 hours and it can not be oversprayed in my opinion. It is probably more similar to Montblanc Legend in the form of an aftershave.

Very nice, earthy, woodsy, lightly sweet and spiced. Nothing too great but nothing off putting either. Great grab for anything you want to use it for. It is NOT however a female scent. It would take a female lumberjack to wear this for the ladies. 😂😊

Aventus Clone, closest to Aventus I've seen on the dry down. Imagine Aventus with like no pineapple. Staying power is pretty weak, i sprayed like 20 times once and it didn't last very long, smells pretty good though. For 20 bucks, sure, go for it.

This fragrance smells as if you were teleported into a pine forest and you take a deep sniff. The incense and pepper are overpowering and remind you of wood. Scent: 7/10 Projection: 6/10 Longevity: 7/10 Value: 8/10 Overall: 7/10

Staring at my $300 bottles of colognes wondering why I didn’t just buy all Banana Republic. Great freshie with a slight mature vibe. Universal for all occasions and seasons. Only a psychopath would find this fragrance offensive.

It's a great subtle cologne. It can be used for professional environment, casual lunch, dinner date. It will not offend anyone. Yeah the longevity lacks but for the price it's a great buy! 7.4/10

Found at my local ross for 20 bucks..smells great but doesn't last more than 2 hours on my skin..better than CDNIM. For 20 bucks why not? I'll wear this to gym and out the shower

This is quite nice. It smells like Aventus but a tad fruitier. Well worth it if you can get for $20 to $30 at discounters. Don't hesitate.

Leathery aventus with aquatic undertones, wish it lasted longer. Scent profile: 9/10 Longevity: 4/10 sillage: 5.5/10

I'm pretty sure this is a men's fragrance. This is a flanker to Black Walnut.

Good and safe. In the vain of aventus but only lasts an hour or two.

Both the most impressive and frustrating fragrance in my collection. If we're to judge Black Walnut Legend by smell alone, it is an incredible clone of Creed Aventus. What I like about this one compared to other clones (such as CDNI), is that the materials used in this smell are high quality, there is no screechy sharp opening, no cheap smelling aroma chemicals in the dry down. Sounds great, right? But there is one major issue with this fragrance... This fragrance has zero performance and longevity. I'm not someone who needs every fragrance I wear to be a beastmode projector, but the performance on this fragrance is the worst in my collection (right up there with 4711). Lasts maybe 15 minutes before it becomes a nearly untraceable skin scent. I can spray it 20 times and I'll barely be able to pick it up, even with my nose dug into my wrist. The only way I'd recommend this is if you were able to buy a bottle for dirt cheap. But even then, you'd be just as frustrated with the performance as I am. Smell alone - 4.5/5 Performance - 0/5 Total score - 1/5. This could've been so much better.

Picked this up almost two years ago at TJ Maxx, my initial thoughts as I had Mont Blanc Explorer at the time was this had a more smoky aroma to it. I’d say this is just a throw away scent. I don’t wear it much but I do have it on today on my way to Church. The Leather and Citrus are the most recognizable notes at first spray. Doesn’t really last too long I chose 3-6 hour rang, however for context 3-4 is more accurate. doesn’t project much at all really about 20-30 mins. I can’t remember having any compliments on it (if that’s your thing). Overall I would say Explorer, CDNIM or any of the other inspired by or clones are probably the better choice in this category. You can wear it anytime but the Leather would shine in the evenings more so. This is just good not great not wow but oh this is good it’s nice. 5.5 out of 10 as it’s not bad but there are just much better options for less than I paid. I have CDNIM coming today and I paid $26 for that where as I paid $34.99 for this.

This was gifted to me. I knew nothing about Black Walnut. I will say it smells like the King Creed Aventus. It’s cheap after I looked it up. If you’re not willing to spend the money on Creed, this is one of the many clones that smell good.

Typical Aventus clone that smells nice but also typical Banana Republic frag and has absolutely no staying power. Returned to the rack store the day after I bought it. Will reach for CDNIM when I want to wear something like this.

First of all I think too many reviewers have unrealistic standards for fragrances. Not every scent is supposed to be a high performing beast mode fragrance. Second I think body chemistry plays a huge factor. If your skin is naturally oily. The scent stays longer. If you are moisturized the scent stays longer. Your bodies natural smell also dictates what notes work best with your skin. Some people wear Santal and they get that dill pickle smell. Others wear it and never have that issue. When you wear also is a huge factor. Versace eau fraische smells great but it doesn’t perform well in cool weather. It’s not meant for that. It’s a 90f fragrance. You can also be nose blind to the scent. You can be told you smell amazing but you don’t smell it personally. I have that issue with dolce light blue. That being said let’s get to the black walnut legend. Similar scent to Creed Aventus. The big difference is this has orange instead of pineapple. It smells amazing for the price. Club de nuit intense man extrait is a better fragrance in terms of longevity and projection. However this isn’t a bad alternative. It’s definitely a compliment getter. An if we are being real with ourselves Aventus isn’t a projection monster.

So, for people complaining about performance, I sprayed this on, 5 sprays, two in front, two sides, and one back. I then went shopping. I was frustrated cuz I lost trace of the scent after 15-20 min. but I now understand that this is one of those drags that you can become blind to, where your nose shuts down, because I was about an hour into shopping and a girl walked by me and said “Oh WOW you smell good!” to which I said Thank you! of course, but that just goes to show that other people can smell it no problem even if you don’t think it’s there, it’s still there. I now give this frag an 8.5/10.

This probably the best Creed Aventus clone out there. Only problem the shape of the bottle is soo horrendous that if you have small hands you have to becareful when spraying. Other than that it smells very close to Creed but it's very very weak projection and sillage. I still think it's worth it and much better than L Aventure. I think the black pepper is the magical touch here.

Weak fragrance but for the price you can go heavy on the sprays without feeling bad. Super good for the price. Definitely similar to aventus in a way. If you see this at a rack store and like the aventus dna pick it up

Redundant but smells nice if you already have aventus Mont Blanc explorer club de nuit intense and perry ellis America then you don’t need this

For women? *eye roll* this is an Aventus clone lol. One of the butchest dnas out there.