Shelter Island is one of the summer fragrance entries from Bond No. 9 New York. One, which goes more into the aquatic camp, with its use of seaweed. It was released in 2014.
I bought a sample of this a while ago, for testing and to see how I actually got along with a that marine note, that I generally dislike. How does Shelter Island smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?
What does Shelter Island by Bond No. 9 Smell Like?
Here’s how Bond describes it: quietly daring, sparkling-clean, unisex, rife with nonchalant beach-time exotica.
Shelter Island opens fresh and bright with a spiciness via the black pepper. The lemon is a light spritzing on top of the marine accord that features seaweed.
The aquatic aspect isn’t overpowering here. Sure, it’s dominant, but balanced out by its surrounding notes. I’m glad I didn’t get a massive seaweed note, that makes you smell like some sort of marine life.
The lily will come in with its waxy aroma, which pairs with the emergence of the resinous myrrh and amber notes in the base. These three, really seem to keep the seaweed in check, and don’t allow this to be just a salty oceanic fragrance.
The lemon and black pepper basically fade completely. This is an aquatic and beachy oud-floral in the middle. Starting to get musky and taking on a bit of a sun tan lotion scent. At this point, it’s more like sitting by the shore than being in the water itself.
That will continue, as this becomes woodier and muskier in the dry down.
Still somewhat aquatic, with a mix of the woodsy notes, a musky aroma, and that amber and myrrh still a bit detectable.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
This Bond fragrance opens up with plenty of initial punch. It’ll leave a slight scent trail and project well enough off of the skin. It’s definitely above average in the first hour or so.
Thereafter, Shelter will be much more moderate, before lightening up in the back half of the wear.
While it isn’t a massively projecting nor heavy sitting fragrance, Shelter Island does a good job at sticking around. On my skin, I can still detect it up to about 9 hours. Which is plenty for what most people are going to use this scent for.
Seasonally, this is a spring and summer wear. Mainly, for the warmest days. A good change of pace from the pure citrus perfumes which usually inhabit those months. A solid marine and wood aquatic for something different.
This is a unisex fragrance, maybe leaning slightly masculine, in the early stages. But, that will balance out, as you move further into the wear.
It’s a niche and fairly casual fragrance for daytime wear. Shelter Island isn’t going to be one that you’re very likely to wear for dates, nightlife, or formal occasions. For those outdoor summer events, it can be a fine choice.
Overall Impressions of Shelter Island
Overall, do I like Shelter Island? It’s pretty good. I never thought that I’d be the target audience for this Bond No. 9, once I saw the seaweed and oud notes together.
However, I was sort of surprised that I wasn’t indifferent towards Shelter Island, and that it had its enjoyable moments for me.
The seaweed, really came through here. It’s front and center, but doesn’t overpower everything else. Very fresh and marine done right, where so many other scents with this note have fallen flat.
The longevity is also great, especially for a summertime scent. Sure, it’s not a massive beast of a fragrance, but this one doesn’t quit early on you either.
The downside? Well, the price for the largest bottle, is currently $300 as of writing. As such, Shelter Island probably isn’t a perfume that most are going to want to buy on a whim.
If you want a beachy aquatic with sun tan lotion vibes, this Bond does a good job at hitting the mark. Find a way to get a sample of this stuff, if that sounds like something you’re after.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
Bond No. 9 was launched in 2003 as a boutique fragrance line that gives scent to New York City. Each fragrance represents a particular part of the city by neighborhood, beach, uptown, midtown, and downtown. Bond No.9 is also for being pricey, as you won’t really find a bottle for under $100 and in fact it’ll probably run you closer to $200-300+. That being said, this house has a great array of scents for both men and women.
Since each fragrance takes on the particular character of the place it represents, it is a great way to find a scent that might match the certain attitude of the person wearing the scent. I have chosen what I think are the 11 best Bond No. 9 cologne options for men. Also check out: Best Ladies Bond No. 9 Fragrances
What Are the Best Bond No. 9 Men’s Colognes?
Classic Clean Bond
Bond No.9 Chez Bond Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 Ounce
Violet, sandalwood, and various citrus scents make this one a winner. One of the better scents from Bond No. 9’s collection. Chez Bond is fresh and clean, plus, works well on both males and females. Very similar to Green Irish Tweed.
Chez Bond has an herbal tea-like opening with its actual tea note plus lemon and leafy greens, adding further depth to the arrangement. It feels airy and warm just like a cup of tea.
As it dries down, Chez Bond’s more substantial notes come into play. It’s a forest sort of smell with cedar and sandalwood elevating to the top to join the tea. This one is suited for everyday wear. Casual or at the office. Read my Full Chez Bond Review
All-Around Daily Wear
Bond No. 9 Lafayette Street Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.3 Ounce– Lafayette Street opens up aromatic with a fruity aroma wrapped up in the warm embrace of vanilla and amber. However, there is also a freshness up top coming through with the coriander note.
It’s a sweet/fresh mix of citrus and apple notes, with the smooth vanilla/tonka bean, sitting on top of a woody base. The citrus note is much more noticeable than any crispness coming from the apple, but it pairs well with the amber especially during the dry down.
A bit floral, but I don’t find Lafayette Street to be too heavily weighted with those sorts of notes. Mostly, citrus, vanilla, coriander, and amber. Not super complex, but a very nice and rather unique entry from Bond.
Hamptons opens up with a pretty sharp citrus combo of lime and bergamot. However, it’s pretty unique as it is flanked by floral notes, mainly jasmine.
Hamptons is also a unisex scent, so don’t expect something overly masculine. It’s a very clean and soapy kind of scent with a slight herbal air about it. As it dries down, the sharp citrus calms down and you experience a green garden freshness surrounded by woods. It’s a low key fragrance. Good for casual, every day use. Hamptons Full Review
Best Oud Bond
Bond No. 9 New York Oud Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Fluid Ounce
An under appreciated Bond scent, I think, because it is so niche. A highly sensual and rich fragrance designed to conjure up feelings of love and romance, as it was released on Valentine’s Day. This one is something special for the right guy, but definitely not for everyone.
The opening of New York Oud is heavy and brash. The plum note especially is super tart and is joined by rose and the agarwood. It’s very layered. So, you’ll get the plum and orange. Then, the floral notes. The the strong oud and animalistic musk.
This Bond fragrance, is an absolute monster in terms of sillage and longevity. It doesn’t quit and sticks to your skin. Honestly, most guys shouldn’t consider this one, as it can be too overwhelming. My full New York Oud Review
Most Popular Bond Fragrance
Bond No 9 New Haarlem Cologne, 3.4 Ounce
This bold scent was one of the originals released in 2003 and still maintains it uniqueness to this very day. Lavender, bergamot, coffee, and cedar notes is a great choice for those who like to cause a stir. New Haarlem opens with that calming lavender note in the lead position.
It is then joined by the sweet triumvirate of coffee, vanilla, and tonka bean. It is built for the cold weather months, with a super sweet composition that is aided by a rich ambery warmth.
This one has a bit of thickness to it, but never felt overly heavy to me. A good amount of sweetness and spice in the mix, at times it’s got a cinnamon baked good like aroma, then it’ll hit with the coffee.
Nights with a Chocolate Spice
Chelsea Nights by Bond No. 9– This perfume starts out with cacao and hazelnut coming on powerfully. This time, the cacao is stronger, and it for sure goes in a different direction than its compatriot.
Chelsea Nights isn’t a sugary chocolate bar, though. It’s got great touches of saffron, oud, a light rose, and myrrh. Yes, it’s sweet but it has a cinnamon sort of kick that comes through, warmth, a bit of smokiness floating underneath.
The end has a good deal of suede and vanilla. But, this comes across a leathery with the saffron note still being in the mix. It has settled down in terms of both spiciness and sweetness.
Smoother and creamy. Chelsea Nights hits so many different levels with its depth and is well worth checking out. Nice performance. Another one that is decidedly unisex, but may not fit everyone’s style.
Sexiest Bond No. 9 Cologne
Bond No. 9 Hot Always by Bond No. 9 For Men. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.3-Ounces
Probably the most masculine of the bunch and is designed for men, specifically. This cologne is sexy and a great bet for those who enjoy a more mature and refined scent. The leather infused notes beg to be worn by a man who exudes confidence.
The other end of the the fragrance is highlighted by patchouli. So, you’re going to experience a back and forth between leather and patchouli. Underneath that will be mostly sandalwood smoothness, along with cinnamon spice.
Bergamot, and civet round it out. It’s not all that loud of a cologne, but it has very good staying power. Warm, smooth, with some sweetness to boot. H.O.T. Always has a very interesting, old school character.
Bleecker Street is interesting in that it has a unique profile and has outdoorsy and somewhat sweet elements. It starts off fresh with a good deal of the cassis and the violet leaf. I’m normally hesitant with violet leaf scents, but I’ve always liked how it worked in Bleeker.
This Bond has a slightly aquatic freshness with clean, green, and a fruitiness. Beyond the aforementioned cassis, there is a blueberry note in the first 45-60 minutes that is great.
The sillage is moderate but it gives very good performance in terms of its longevity. It’s clean while being sporty and quite attractive for daily wear. This might be a reach at the current price levels, but if you can get a sample before, you might find out that this is the Bond for you.
Great Springtime Option
Bond No. 9 Riverside Drive by Bond No. 9 For Men. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.3 0z
An attractive scent, though not my favorite. It’s a great blend of spice and fruit notes that can be worn during the day but still versatile enough for some evenings out, though, it isn’t really a nightlife cologne. This seems to really be enjoyable to some women. Also similar to GIT by Creed.
The fragrance starts out with a basil, violet, and oak moss blend. It’s quite dry and the pineapple top note here really isn’t juicy, more along what you’d find in Creed Aventus.
Riverside Drive is sort of an amalgamation of multiple fragrances. The two Creeds and also YSL L’Homme Libre, due to the prominent basil note. It is a moderate sillage casual cologne, best worn in the spring/summer. My Riverside Drive Full Review
The cardamom is also present at the beginning, but, it settles into its woody and lightly musked finaly form in due time. Great Jones is a throwback to another era. Simple and clean but performs very well.
The complete notes are: bergamot, sweet orange, cardamom, cedar, vetiver, oak moss, and musk.
Creamy Incense Scent
Bond No. 9 Governors Island Eau de Parfum/3.4 oz.– Governors Island is one that Bond No. 9 brought to market near the end of the last decade. It’s probably not one of their most popular fragrances, but it is a very good one.
It does indeed have some similarities to Luna Rossa Black, though, that one has a vanilla note that really comes through. Governors Island is a resinous and slightly smoky perfume with a creamy finish.
It is a somewhat spicy and very woody base covered in a resinous amber, with some sweetness that comes through. The latter stages feature a greater use of musk. It is a bold and long-lasting scent, but maybe a bit too niche for daily wear.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
I’ve got a ton of fragrance reviews that I need to finish writing up and a lot of samples that still need to be tested out. So, over the next month, there should be a whole slew of new reviews posted up on the site. Today, I’m going to delve into a unisex offering from Bond No. 9 New York, Wall Street. This scent has been a pretty popular one over the past decade plus, but is it actually worth a purchase?
What does Bond No. 9 Wall Street Smell Like?
Notes include: cucumber, seaweed, lavender, lemon, caraway, vetiver, leather, ambergris, orange, musk, and more
The opening of Wall Street is a heavily aquatic citrus scent that is reminiscent of one of the Bvlgari Avqa line of fragrances (I can’t remember which). It is a strong blast of cucumber and lemon mixed with that pungent and salty seaweed note that conjures up memories of the shore.
I’m not sure what any of this has to do with Wall Street, the actual location, or the investment banking style. I guess it is technically close to the water. Would’ve been much more appropriate for one of their NY beach fragrances.
This fragrance can be quite divisive. Some people really love these types of aquatics and the seaweed note is part of the appeal. For me, while I like going to the beach, I don’t want to smell like sea life.
Apparently, other people get less of this type of aquatic smell and Wall Street comes across as fruiter and salty. I do get the saltiness, but seaweed is a massive note in this to my nose.
As it dries down, however, more of the vetiver and lavender emerge which gives Wall Street a nice undertone to it, that is somewhat enjoyable to my nose. However, that gets offset by the bitter orange note (my least favorite citrus scent).
I was expecting more leather out of this one, when I saw it in the notes list, but honestly, there’s not too much here.
Ultimately, the cucumber dominates and the seaweed note becomes less noticeable as it wears on. This mixes with the citrus notes and that is aroma that will sit on the skin for the rest of the wear.
Cucumber with citrus, lavender, vetiver, and a musky finish? That part is a lot better than the super oceanic opening act.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
Projection wise, I found Wall Street to be strong. It wasn’t insane or anything but it’s one that you’ll definitely notice is there throughout the day. The opening few minutes can be fairly intense, but this Bond fragrance, does settle down a bit.
With the longevity, it does last all day. So, if this is one that you enjoy the smell of, you do get great performance at this rather high price point. It can hit double digit hours, quite easily.
Due to Wall Street’s aquatic nature, I would put this down as a warm weather scent. It’s not sexy or something that would appeal in the nightlife scene.
I’d call it a casual fragrance, maybe for business wear. It is a unisex scent and as such has a bit of a feminine air to it. The cucumber note is quite like a crisp body lotion. Wall Street has a very watery and fresh vibe
Overall Impressions of Wall Street
Overall, would I recommend Wall Street? I personally don’t enjoy it. That being said, there are a lot of people that do, and this is a best seller for Bond No. 9.
I like the latter stages, more so than the early and heavy punch it can pack. Lavender and vetiver, made it more tolerable to me, when I wore it. Cucumber is a note that I can take a liking too, not my favorite but not terrible. I do mostly hate seaweed, though.
The performance aspect is great, but it’s a fragrance that definitely needs to be tried out to see, how you react to wearing it. If you’re not a fan of cucumber or seaweed, I’d say stay far away from this. If you like oceanic scents, this might be one for you.
It’s really a niche perfume for the warmer months. If the idea of seaweed doesn’t sound appealing to you, I would for sure go with something else, from this designer. This is a very unique take on this style of fragrance, as I can’t think of another one that smells quite like Wall Street.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
So, I’m back to the site, after taking more than a month off from reviewing anything. I noticed that I hadn’t finished with all of my Bond No. 9 samples from a few months back and decided that I should get back to business. Today’s scent is Brooklyn, a unisex scent from the brand. How does it smell? What’s inside? Is Brooklyn worth a purchase? Scroll down to find out my complete take.
The opening of Brooklyn starts out with a really dry blend of cypress, cedar, and leather. It is an interesting combination and strikes me as somewhat different than many other woodsy scents.
A few minutes into its life, those notes are met with an outburst of juniper berry and gin. This creates an herbal/boozy/woody triumvirate that is surprisingly fresh and unoffensive.
From there on out, Brooklyn is a pretty linear fragrance. There isn’t much change that I noticed while wearing it. This particular blend of notes seems to give off a fizzy drink aroma, as if you added seltzer water to gin and berries. Brooklyn is a very clean type of scent with a zesty kick to it.
Cypress and the mixed drink element, really dominate this scent, and if you’re not into that Brooklyn isn’t the right choice. It’s kind of an odd choice to represent Brooklyn with, but that’s basically what you get here.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
Projection wise, Brooklyn isn’t the best. I sprayed 3 times on my forearm and couldn’t detect it unless I moved my nose particularly close. It’s fine that it’s not a beast, but it does seem kind of weak, on my skin at least.
Update: Coming back to this again, it is pretty middle of the road. Even the initial sprays aren’t all that powerful and Brooklyn is going to stay quite close to the skin. 3-6 feet at its maximum.
In terms of its longevity, I got about six hours out of it as a skin scent. Not amazing but not the worst that I’ve ever encountered either. Update: Yep, still getting about six hours out of this. It’s just not a formula that seems to last all that long.
Brooklyn is a unisex scent and I would say that it leans more to the masculine side of things. The dry woods being balanced out by boozy fruit, makes this one a solid spring/early summer wear, in my mind.
Still, women can easily wear this one too. It’d be a nice change of pace from the usual fruity and floral fare.
Very casual scent not one that would feel particularly sexy or engaging. Just pleasant. Dry and then fizzy, with a nice crisp feeling. You could wear this at night or around town during the day. I don’t know that you’d want to smell like gin at work, so I’d probably skip wearing it as a daily.
Overall Impressions of Brooklyn
Overall, would I recommend Brooklyn? I think the fragrance is decent. I just wish that it would last longer on my skin. I’m definitely not blown away by the scent, in the slightest. Though, I do appreciate what they were going for and its certain level of uniqueness.
Update:Coming back to this one after a few years, this does have a lot of the same style as Vodka on the Rocks by Kilian. Obviously, Brooklyn came out in 2008, so it is more original. However, I was really reminded of that newer fizzy boozy perfume. This one has the leathery accord and that cypress sticks out.
I like the gin, cypress, and leather notes. It’s not my favorite alcoholic aroma (prefer rum or cognac scent), but it’s nice enough overall.
The problem of course, is its pricing. If the cost doesn’t bother you, I’d say try it out, if it appears intriguing. If it’s a stretch for you to afford, I’d skip this one.
It’s going to appeal to a certain niche segment of fragrance wearers. For most, Brooklyn is completely not necessary. It’s fresh and interesting, just not amazing, in any way.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
For my second review in this series of Bond No.9 scents, I will tackle, I Love New York for Him. This is of course, one of the male fragrances from the ‘I Love NY’ line that came out 5-6 years back. As usual, I am going to cover my impressions, how it smells, how it performs, when it could be worn, and whether or not I think that this cologne is worth a buy or not.
The opening of I Love New York for Him, seems to me to be an intense burst of mainly the grapefruit and patchouli notes, with just a hint of musk. Frankly, I don’t find it to be all that enjoyable. It smells quite acidic and concentrated and too overpowering at this stage for my tastes.
It usually settles down within 5-10 minutes, and becomes a much more enjoyable blend of citrus and spice. Though, I really don’t like that initial part. The ginger note comes in, which makes this feel fresher, along with a light juniper berry ingredient.
The thing that I noticed most about this Bond No. 9 fragrance is how much it smells like Just Cavalli Him. They share the ginger and geranium notes and the Cavalli exchanges the grapefruit for bergamot but, man, there is a lot of overlap here.
I Love New York does have better performance and the patchouli/musk combo sets it apart but these two are definitely related in many ways.
The middle part and the dry down gives you periods of lavender and leather, coming through stronger underneath the citrus. The geranium is still present and kind of sits in the middle of the lavender and leather cycling back and forth between second strongest.
The base is pretty much musk, with some sandalwood. Eventually, what I’m left with is: grapefruit, ginger, lavender, patchouli, leather, and musk. The freshness stays but much of the spice and stronger intensity of the leather is gone.
Sillage, Longevity, Versatility
The projection with this one is rather moderate. Although, I will say I enjoy it more during the dry down stage than in the beginning, it simply isn’t as intense.
I Love New York for Him does have really good longevity and I can detect this cologne all work day. Maybe 9-ish hours, in total. So, it does actually deliver on the performance aspect. Decent sillage paired with the type of longevity that you’d want.
If anything, this cologne is good for casual wear during the warmer months of the year. It is a clean kind of fragrance but I wouldn’t call it sexy in the slightest. But, on these warmer days it does have a pleasant enough aroma to draw me in.
I wouldn’t ever think to wear this scent on a date or out for a night at the bars. I guess it’s more of a casual or perhaps office-type of wear. Rather clean and inoffensive.
Overall Impressions of I Love New York
Overall, is I Love New York for Him worth a buy? I’d say no. It’s not terrible by any means but it’s so generic and simplistic to me. Plus, the price is the usual high end of the spectrum that Bond No. 9 is known for. If you’re going to spend that much, at least get the best colognes of the brand.
The immediate opening isn’t good at all. I do like the citrus, geranium, juniper and ginger laden fragrance that follows. But, with the leather and patchouli, it just doesn’t fully work for me.
Even if you did dig this scent, I’d simply buy Just Cavalli Him for cheap (update: that’s not really an option anymore) and buy some other scents in conjunction with that. Otherwise, I don’t really see a purpose for this cologne.
The performance is good, the smell is decent, but unless you can score a cheap bottle, why? To me, this isn’t among the brand’s best scents and really offers nothing unique. I’ll pass, as I have no real place for it, in my rotation.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
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