Boss Bastard Aaron Terence Hughes 2020

7.6 / 10 205 Ratings

A popular perfume by Aaron Terence Hughes for women and men, released in 2020. The scent is woody-sweet. Projection and longevity are above-average. The production was apparently discontinued.
Pronunciation Compare

Main accords

Woody

Sweet

Spicy

Citrus

Fruity

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Mandarin orange

Bergamot

Lemon

Heart Notes

Tobacco

Amber

Cedarwood

Base Notes

Cocoa

Musk

Sandalwood Vetiver

Vetiver

Perfumer & Creative Guidance

Aaron Terence Hughes Brand owner, Perfume maker

Ratings

Scent

7.6205 Ratings

Longevity

8.9191 Ratings

Sillage

8.6191 Ratings

Bottle

7.3182 Ratings

Value for money

7.1132 Ratings

Submitted by ExUser, last update on 09/15/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Alpha Man

Reflection Man

Naxos

Bee

Lover Man

Slut (2020)

Reviews

16 in-depth fragrance descriptions

05/24/2021

8
Pricing 6
Bottle 8
Sillage 9
Longevity 7
Scent

Giles
86 Reviews

Giles

3

Dirty Boss Bastard

This is well named. I have all of ATH fragrances released so far and this is one that took a while to like. Don't overspray this otherwise it will smell too dirty. This is not a refind gentleman fragrance rather for the boss having an affair with an employee fragrance. Longevity is great and the price is very good.

02/05/2023

7
Bottle 10
Sillage 10
Longevity 3
Scent

JackHunter33
90 Reviews

JackHunter33

4

Nag Champa Like Incense

From the write up on this fragrance from the creator this was based on the character Jordan Belfort from watching Leonardo Dicaprio in Wolf Of Wall Street. So I imagined tobacco, leather, booze and woods. You know like a gentleman's club with people smoking cigars.

What I got in smelling this was a pungent smelling Nag Champa like incense. It's a smoky green honeyed incense like you have just walked into a New Age shop selling Tarot cards and crystals. Totally different from the write up, but I guess that is due to my past associations with the smell.

It is very beastly and cloying and the longevity, projection and sillage is off the charts. Not my cup of tea unfortunately!

06/05/2023

9
Pricing 9
Bottle 8
Sillage 10
Longevity 10
Scent

Stele
1 Review

Stele

3

Signature scent worthy

This was a blind buy and I made the purchase decision purely based on the notes I saw which are all right up my alley. I was a bit worried about this fragrance only because of the name and I thought it was going to be very harsh and unapologetic. In reality it is a very sophisticated and approachable scent.

The first thing that struck me about Boss Bastard was its mixture of sweet and dark accords. You can definitely smell all the notes where in the opening both tobacco and chocolate are coming forward where the chocolate will take the front seat in the later stages of the fragrance development and it is giving off a powdery feel.

I like to make a comparison to another fragrance I love - Xerjoff Naxos, and I see this one as it's darker brother. Not saying it smells similar but instead of being tonka forward, this is cocoa / chocolate forward and I feel the occasions are the same for which I'd use one or the other.

The longevity is very good for this fragrance, it doesn't push off the skin a great amount but it leaves a very nice scent trail.

It is also surprisingly versatile fragrance and while suited more for autumn days, it can be easily worn in summer evenings too.

The parfumer behind this fragrance has truly did an amazing job, making a fragrance that strikes the perfect balance between all elements.

I am new to the house of Aaron Terrence Hughes and so far have two of his creations in full bottle form, getting samples in the US isn't very straightforward and I'd like to explore more of his work.

Might get a backup bottle of this as they're 50ml.

03/01/2023

8
Bottle 8
Sillage 10
Longevity 9.5
Scent

ScentSlave
245 Reviews

ScentSlave

3

Not quite what I was expecting…

… but fantastic, indeed.

Now I personally LOVE smokey, incense-feeling notes, and maybe that’s why I’m enjoying this one so much. From the very opening, it gives off a very thick, somewhat sweet, ashy/smokey feeling that doesn’t fade. As it dries down, it gets sweeter and sweeter, but it doesn’t shed the burnt, ashy smoke.

I wouldn’t suggest a blind buy because of this, but if you like scents like Amouage Interlude or Swiss Arabian, you would “understand” this, and are more likely to enjoy it.

As for living up to the title??? Hmmm. Maybe if the “Boss” is the one who never listens to anyone who works below him, and doesn’t give a $h!t what they say. I would say a title like “Blazing Bonfire” or “Charcoal Night” would fit better.

Performance wise, you can’t go wrong. Projection? Easy room filler, so be careful. Sillage? Yep. They will know you were there. Longevity? 10+ hours easy.

I’m loving it, and digging to see what my next Aaron Hughes scent will be.

12/02/2022

8
Pricing 10
Bottle 10
Sillage 10
Longevity 10
Scent

CaptainOdour
7 Reviews

CaptainOdour

3

A perfect 10

This one needs to be smelled to be believed. It is perhaps the most beautiful honeyed tobacco (and the most beautiful tobacco period) that I have ever got my nose on. It’s smooth, creamy, masculine and eminently wearable. I think the right person could dress this down for use with a t-shirt and jeans just as easily as it could work with a suit and tie.

The tobacco in this one really is the centrepiece of the fragrance, and it’s a delight. Not as strong as the tobacco in Red Tobacco, nor as sweet as the tobacco in Naxos. The closest comparison that comes to mind is Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille. ATH is a known admirer of Tom Ford, so I’m sure it isn’t an outlandish comparison to make. And much like Tobacco Vanille, this is a very easy to wear fragrance, though perhaps more masculine leaning.

Now, this scent is fairly linear, which seems to be par for the course with ATH. Some people will be put off by that, but it doesn’t bother me. I never went noseblind to it, and would catch whiffs of it throughout the day. This is a real statement making fragrance, and is one I’m very happy to have in my collection.

More reviews