1881 Bella Notte Man

I purchased Bella Notte Man last year and part of my Spring cheapies buying spree. I was quite busy last Spring--and picked-up a few gems I had been wanting--so i used this once and it has been sitting on the shelf in the catacombs. Shame! Because I wore this recently and what I pleasant surprise in that I loved this fresh-woody-spicy scent. This is more of a first impression, but it's a very nice fresh-spicy scent that is perfect for the Spring days and Summer nights, but it also has a spicy edge (pepper and cardamom) that makes it well-suited for the Fall as well. Bella Notte Man lasted 6-hours on my skin and projected moderately. Offhand, I may even prefer this one to Cerruti 1881 Men. A definite try for someone looking for an inexpensive spicy-woody fragrance that manages to stay on borderline of being a freshie. Cheers!

Wow, this is such a nice performer for it's price. It might not be for everyone's liking as it smells heavy with cardamom and spices. Has a mature masculine character to it, definitely fit for office or business type setting where you would want to be taken seriously. Hence, it'll be apt for older men. I'm not a big fan of leather or tobacco notes yet love masculine fragrances to wear for office, so it is perfect for me.

Great all around scent, very different than the original 1881, very similar to John Varvatos Platinum!!!

Actually even more similar to Varvatos Dark Rebel Rider, therefore a great value!!!

First impression of 1881 Bella Notte was that of surprise - at the soft, fruity citrus accord at the top. Light, almost candied, and ethereal in its softness. Then the heart notes start climbing out, and I am reminded of the spice elements of Azzaro Visit - mainly nutmeg and cardamon to my nose - but without the woody counterbalance that exists in Visit - not to mention that slight plastic accord that goes along with it in the early going. Instead, 1881 BN goes soft and lightly sweet, and I gotta say I really dig it. I think this could almost be looked at as a flanker to Gucci Pour Homme II - another similarly spicy/sweet gem. Similar linkage to Kilian's Straight to Heaven. Clearly all three go in their own respective directions, but definitely share some stylistic traits. As for mentions of similarities to Bentley - I have to disagree. Not even close. Where Bentley is boozy first, then woody and spicy, this one is more focused around warm, sweet spicy elements, with little or no booze to be found. So there you go. If you like the nutmeg/cardomom notes of Azzaro Visit or Kilian's Straight to Heaven, you'll like this. And if you like the spicy-sweet cinnamon/ginger accord of GPHII, you'll like this, too. Considering its thrifty price, only its poor performance holds it back from a full-throated declaration of love. Smells great, but you'll probably want to apply heavily if you want to even notice it an hour or two later. Second impression: Borderline niche to my nose. Actually more similarities with the Kilian than I originally gave it credit for, though I also stand by my stated comparisons with Visit and GPHII being in a similar wheelhouse. Such a well-balanced, classy spice accord against a gracefully nuanced backbone of woods. I suspect that over time, this one is going to cement itself among my top 5-10 all time favorites on the basis of scent and phenomenal bang for buck value. Again, only performance might hold it back.