Chinatown by Bond No. 9

took about a week off from posting on the site, but during that time, I got to test out more fragrances for review. On of these, is among the Bond No. 9 samples that I recently got a hold of, and a scent that I’ve been meaning to review for a number of years now…Chinatown. Is this Bond No. 9 scent worth a purchase? What does it smell like? How does it perform?

What does Bond No. 9 Chinatown Smell Like?

Notes include: tuberose, peach blossom, bergamot, honey, cedar, cardamom, vanilla sandalwood, guiac wood, and gardenia.

Click here to try: Chinatown by Bond No. 9 for Women – 3.3 oz EDP Spray.

My Full Review

The opening gives you a blast of white floral aroma provided by tuberose and the gardenia notes. This isn’t like some of the other Bond No. 9 floral offerings, which get heavily into the green plant life scent.

Instead, Chinatown has a wonderful fruity/floral mix with the peach blossom and a brief appearance by the bergamot top note. It gives Chinatown a sweetness and light juiciness, that really comes across as pleasant and well put together.

That fruity/sweet aspect, is really around for the opening bit, and then it fades into the background. The peach blossom, gives you a floral/fruity blend of aromas.

I think that the note that sets this one apart from many other floral perfumes, is the inclusion of cardamom. It does give Chinatown that hint of spice and a sweetness that pairs with the vague thickness of honey. I really love a good cardamom in a fragrance, and Chinatown is one which delivers exactly that.

The next main stage of this fragrance, is the creamy/warm floral period. Lots of tuberose, gardenia, and some light vanilla highlights. Mixed with peach blossom and cardamom. The middle of this perfume, is really quite nice, with an easygoing naturalism.

As it dries down, there is more of a noticeable woody/smoky quality that just gives this fragrance an added depth. Part of that, is definitely the cardamom at work. I don’t want to make this out to be super complex, I don’t think that it really is. However, I believe this to be a very well balanced scent, in what ends up being a fairly straightforward life cycle.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d call it a moderate. A moderate that actually performs. It isn’t going to choke anyone out or really overpower a room but it does a good job of having staying power.

The longevity is great, which it should be at such a price point, but we all know that’s not always the case. It’s an all day wear and never really felt weak during testing.

Chinatown is a good casual or everyday wear. It certainly is a beautiful kind of perfume but doesn’t seem all that ‘sexy’, but it’s definitely attractive.

It was pretty cold outside during testing and it seemed to work well in that environment and I think it’d be safe through the springtime. Probably not the best bet for the height of summer, however.

Overall Impressions of Chinatown

Overall, would I recommend Chinatown? Yes, it a really lovely fragrance, and one of my favorite women’s scents from Bond No. 9. Sometimes, I have really mixed notions about this brand, and think they have some downright awful fragrances.

However, Chinatown isn’t one of those. This is a well balanced gem and a unique take on floral perfumes.

This is a scent for those who want a good tuberose or gardenia laden fragrance, but that also has enough sweetness to avoid going full ‘garden mode’. This is one of the best women’s releases from Bond and it shows from the popularity and number of sales it has generated since its release.

Best Men's Colognes

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.