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PES123 – :
Opens with a burst of bergamot and to be honest leaves me with a feeling of being nothing special. The bergamot does disappear completely for me and it develops into a lavender fragrance surrounded by plum and coriander, with a faint coffee note. The coriander gives it a distinct spice which I like a lot. To be honest, without it it would be a bland fragrance.
It’s not a bad fragrance, it’s quite nice but not bottle worthy for me, especially for its price. It’s not loud and I couldn’t see it being offensive to many people. Moderate projection. Definitely a cooler weather type of fragrance. Sample before buying this one.
alemana – :
The scent specially at the beginning is dominated by a lavender note which is warm and aromatic; and slightly herbal and bitter. This lavender note is accompanied by a lush fruity note (Plum) and has a boozy facet (Cognac). One note that plays a more important role on my skin than the votes here suggest, is coffee. I think this Lavender combination smells familiar and this concept was used in a few popular mainstream scents in the past.
Overall, it is a nice and pleasant scent and I enjoy it specially in the dry down. But it’s not an original concept and smells a bit generic to my nose. Longevity is OK, but I don’t get much projection after the first two hours. Because of my personal preferences, I won’t add this to my collection. But I would recommend it to anyone interested in a warm lavender scent.
InhefCere – :
Smell Nivea’s moisturizer for men and you’ll never wear Frank no. 2 again.
Sukbar75 – :
A powdery soap. Clean spice. Bergamote and lavender to start. Nice but very unoriginal.
The whole composition is beautiful and moves from one stage to the next smoothly, there’s no clash of notes, one by one all the notes present themselves and leave room for the next.
At the same time this may well pass by an aftershave scent or a CK creation.
Far from memorable.
sergey123as – :
The second entry by Frank Los Angeles is definitely more discussed than the first. No. 2 is a fascinating combination of bergamot, lavender, cognac, coffee, plum, maple, teak, and musk.
The opening certainly focuses on the bergamot and lavender, and the rest of the experience is dominated by the coffee, cognac, and plum, rounded out with teak and musk to give it a smooth finish.
Lanier Smith points out that it’s seemingly an oriental and an aromatic, and I would further complicate it by offering that that lavender makes it a bit of a fougere—certainly not as much as Frank No. 1, but in the vicinity nonetheless.
Performance is decent but is arguably slightly disappointing for its pricing, the same as No. 1, at $130 for 100ml (EDP), so you’d really need like it a lot in order to buy it. While I don[‘t personally know of any similar fragrances (the coffee/lavender vibe is the prominent balance of the discontinued Armani Attitude, for one), several reviewers describe this as being close to Michael Kors’ Michael for Men, though I’m not tried it in recent memory.
Still, this could be a good buy, signature scent, and one trick pony for some men. I’ll have to give it further thought as far as buying a bottle.
8 out of 10
kzc956speagoessenda – :
In my opinion, this has sadly been lost to a bad reformulation. My husband wore this years ago and once his bottle was out, I patiently waited until Luckyscent had it back in stock. I should have known better!! New packaging is great but the scent is not the same. Seems less plush and more synthetic – like a skeleton of the original. I’m sure this would still smell quite nice to anyone who hasn’t smelled the original, but for my hubs, just doesn’t do the trick anymore.
k2 – :
Getting so many compliments with this today ! Love it;)
ph999 – :
I had to delete my review Bc it was a first impression and I didn’t care for lavender much. Fast forward to one year later and a huge niche collection, my nose has really come to appreciate this and mdci invasion barbare. Floris santal also has a similar vibe, but this… This is a great . I find this to be a clean masculine barbershop niche fragrance that’s signature scent worthy.
9/10
NIKO300 – :
At the time of this writing 72 people have voted on this fragrance. That’s simply not enough people weighing in on this fragrance for as solid as it is. There should be many more reviews as well. I’ve tried Frank No. 2 and the original Frank (No. 1). I like both. I pick up a creamy goodness in No. 2. The cognac booziness appeals to me as well.
I was fortunate enough to pick up a bottle from a friend for $75. Glad to have added it to my collection.
Deroxtnzgi – :
I look at the notes for this and think ‘How did it go wrong?’ but unfortunately it does. Something fundamentally wrong with the composition in my opinion, like a mixture of oriental and fougere type elements.
I think the deep, boozy powder doesn’t mix with the fir and lavender in fact the combo is strange.
The opening is very nice and doesn’t really hint at what it’s going to drydown to, it’s bergamot, fir and feels classic and masculine. Then the drydown is…well a bit of a let down. I get a tonka bean type creaminess, musk and lavender which just feels a bit done and reminds me of lots of fragrances.
I hate to naysay this fragrance because it’s okay and I could understand it having appeal but Frank fragrances are very average affairs from the two I’ve tried.
Not daring enough to catch my attention I’m afraid.
Cetcoowlvet – :
Totally disappointed in this one. High marks from a few friends on basenotes and fragrantica, so I bought it blind. It’s very synthetic, almost like some cheap shampoo vibe coming from it. The plum notes come out after a few minutes, but they are sooooooo weak and watered down that the fragrance just doesn’t redeem itself. It feels like someone took a good fragrance and watered it down 3 times and run it through an old shampoo bottle to get that overall crappy, synthetic, grocery store shampoo feel (the kind from the bottom shelf, not even something semi-decent). Non-existing silage and pretty short longevity only make matters worse.
If you want this same plum note, but done 100 times better, stronger, clean and very natural smelling – get John Varvatos (the original, not any of the flankers). It’s what Frank No.2 SHOULD have been, if not better (considering its price, 2X higher than John Varvatos).
I have to go wash my arm, I can’t stand this cheap smell of mediocre synthetic mess. I gave it three tries just to make sure I was getting it right, but this is it. It’s going on the chopping block (for sale).
UPDATE: Sold it.
Nevasily – :
Excitingly assertive initially! Pleasant aromas of Plum and Lavender. After @ 1-2hrs the Fir and Cognac rose to the occasion. Around 6hrs later a comforting powdery yet balanced fragrance of Bergamot and Teak Wood have quieted my soul.
This is a very confident juice. Further disclosure compels me to reveal the application process was at pulse-points via fingertip. I’m applying via atomizer next time and expect a much more defined description with a higher sillage.
Update: Applied via aerator and I must confess it broadened the notes widely. The dry down remained salient as hoped and made me sad when it was over.
Definitely one for the shelf.
конарь – :
Frank No. 2 – Frank Los Angeles is an aromatic fougere that is bracing, smooth, boozy and resinous. This an outstanding fragrance that includes some of my favorite notes: cognac, fir, coffee and plum. Decidedly masculine, Frank No. 2 has signature scent potential. Frank No. 2 is a largely linear fragrance which is fortunate. The plum, cognac and coffee notes blend so well that my nose would be miffed if they went their separate ways. Frank No. 2 lasts 8+ hours with good projection. Frank No. 2 is worthy of more attention. Excellent.
koozma – :
Michael Kors + Allure Pour Homme + plums = Frank No. 2. I really love this scent. The great this to me is that is seems a little “drier”, if that makes any sense, than either of those two. It also seems more wearable as well. Definitely for cooler weather.
darvina14-22 – :
A mess !
Right out the bottle it belts you with synthetic notes. I have a ” wait I’ve smelled this before moment ” then I realize what it is. It’s the same synthetic used in my bottle of Bogart Pour Homme $20. The only difference is the BPH has a nice tobacco and cherry smell to it. Frank 2 is just the synthetic note.
How odd that people rave about this fragrance.
Zero stars from me.
Update:
Finally over an hour later a light mixed berries note shows up. Really low end juice….sorry people.
retter – :
A night of drinks followed by a morning run to a coffee shop for a latte and maple & pecan danish. This is seriously one of the best frags many people have never smelled. It opens up a little sharp(reminds me of the smell of opening a bottle of whiskey) After 5-10 mins it settles into a slight woody/earthy/creamy scent reminescent of a coffee shop counter lined with pastries. The musk and plum add to the creamy sweet dynamic without making it overly sweet as i have noticed wih frags that contain vanilla or honey. It goes from a swanky dark whiskey tavern to a coffee shop on Saturday morning. Delicious frag that isnt overly heavy or sweet making it very wearable and versatile. This the ideal for the fall through early spring but would easily work on a cool summer night. It is warm and inviting and the projection is at that sweet spot where people around yyou smell a whiff an lean into get a better smell. This is my go to scent for the fall .
Scores:
Sillage- 7/10
Longevity- 8.5/10
Versitility- 8.5/10
Quality- 10/10
Value- 10/10
Overall- 9/10
I would love to say blind buy worthy but i would honestly rather keep this on a secret!
lyv902bedyWelty – :
I love this. When I wear it i feel cozy, sexy and a little dangerous (must be that fir / cognac combination). I am absolutely crazy about the spicy plummy woody top note, but when it softens, at about 15-20 minutes in, wow….it becomes a skin hugging scent my chemistry seems made for…which has been an uphill battle for me. This? It’s all warmth and enticing. I love to wear this then take the subway. Every single time the man nearest to me inhales, stops for a second (like it’s something he can’t quite place), then seems to go off into his own thoughts, memories, daydreams. As for what it does for me? I’m transported to a heaven where you find your most treasured friends filled with secret smiles and old jokes, fantastic conversation, good scotch, spiced nog, a crackling fire and freshly roasted coffee all on a warm night with the salty pine air from Big Sur gently blowing in from large open windows. Sigh!
fwo343Negeltzex – :
Man this stuff is good! I mean really?!! At $65 dollars i dare you to take the Pepsi challenge and search for a better deal for a niche product. On the other hand, the bottle design has a debilitate presentation and could prevent one from taking that leap of faith. This is a full bodied musky fragrance that leans completely toward the masculine side of things. Not bad Frank, not bad…
Update: Just found out that frank “remixed” the bottle size. You can now purchase this in a 100ml as opposed to the 65ml.
*BLIND BUY WORTHY AWARD*
andre801 – :
I got to admit that this surprised me. It is very fresh and green, light and unassuming. It feels familiar. Refined and masculine. Worth checking out and very affordable.
lextinshtayn – :
Less coffee and less maple than New Haarlem, but definitely in that vein. Rich and sexy, candlelight, in front of the fire, Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Baby.
Very good alternative for people who don’t want to throw down the cash for Bond NH: in the same league as NH for silage, but not quite the same longevity.
Realmiha – :
There is an angry wind from the north that comes down the canyons of Los Angeles. The wind from the Mohave is as hot as the devils breath and licks relentlessly at windows and doors pushing its sandy heat through any available crack. It has been known to drive men mad and women to wanton acts of murder. It rides on the backs of rabid dogs as they scrounge the dry river beds of the Valley for something to bite. It is relentless and even as it leaves the land scraping over Long Beach, Laguna and Doheny out over the waters of the Pacific, not even the great ocean can cool its searing anger. It is called the Santa Ana and it is something to behold.
From the moment I felt the touch of Frank No.2 by Frank Los Angeles on my skin I understood this fragrance as an old friend. In this unique perfume there are the familiar smells I recall from my youth in Los Angeles. When that old wind begins to howl in the opening it is rich with plum, bergamot and white Lavender, the smell of the fragrant gardens of Southern California. In the heart notes of cognac, coffee, coriander are a boozy mix of the night before as it meets the rich breakfast aromas of the morning. They do their job to enrich this fragrance and give it a creamy liqueur feeling. How about a shot of cognac in your cappuccino sir? Further into the scent the wind begins to build and heat up. The resins in Frank No.2 smell to me of sun burned rocks in the desert. The wind from the Mohave picks up that smell and carries it over the mountains where it marries with the aroma of fur trees and other woods. As it blows out of the canyon you are engulfed by the power and force of this aromatic wind. The dry down is so smoky and comfortable that you just want to linger there for hours.
Frank No.2 is very bold and in your face but in a welcoming open gregarious way that belies its dark noir undercurrent. It is inviting and cozy on the surface but beware the aggressive danger it hides. And indeed though it is listed as a masculine fragrance the plum notes give it a sweet touch that would work well on a woman of urbane sophistication and style that carries danger in her purse like a derringer pistol. It projects well and lasts about six hours on my skin.
This warm wind from the desert has been known to dive men mad and women to wanton acts of murder, so if you can’t be good, then go mad with Frank Los Angeles.
FOUR GOLD STARS ****
Johnny-1973 – :
Love this so much! Reading the description, I was surprised at how much I like it….sometimes sweet notes stand out in my nose but nothing in this scent stands out to me above anything else. I really don’t detect white musk, balsam, plum….or anything else…it’s just blended together into this warm, spicy wonderfulness. I agree with ‘unmistakably masculine’, but at the same time it doesn’t scream ‘dood-fume’ to me….somehow it’s just right. Love it.
seymur456 – :
Frank No.2 is an unmistakingly masculine scent, that IMO is better worn in cooler weather because of the strong cognac and coffee bean notes. It’s a wonderful scent that would be a nice addition to any man’s wardrobe. To my nose it’s a richer, fuller NEMO with more staying power. Good stuff here.