Nomad by Bond No. 9

Nomad is a perfume released by Bond No. 9 New York back in 2021. I recently bought a sample of it as part of a lot and wanted to test out thing scent, to see what its all about. It’s one of the better looking bottles from the brand, but does the contents inside actually match up to the looks? How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

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What does Nomad by Bond No. 9 smell like?

Notes include: quince, blackcurrant, pear, rose, oud, orris, violet leaf, vanilla, amber, sandalwood

Click here to try: Nomad from Bond

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My Full Review

Here’s how Bond describes it: Capturing the free spirit of New York’s dreamy wanderers. A strong, sensual, statement-making oud, with modern fruity notes and luxurious amber.

The opening here is sharp and fresh with a light watery mix coming from the pear and violet leaf notes. Blackcurrant, quince, and rose are kind of a lot to handle all at once. Especially, when they’re amped up to 1000 like they are in Nomad.

Man, this stuff goes on super powerful. Once some of the initial top has burned off, it will be more like a rose water, and much more tolerable.

Oud and rose are going to dominate. On my skin, I get a ton of the oud. I don’t mind it here, even if it isn’t a personal favorite note of mine. I could do without the pairing of it with rose, which has been done countless times by seemingly every designer.

The next phase is a slightly rosy oud with a bit of a powdery orris coming through. Spraying on clothes, I get more powder than on my skin. In either case, it’s only slight.

Nomad is sweeter less sharp, increasingly woody with some sandalwood coming into the picture and an amber base.

That’s basically the tail end of it. Woody, somewhat sweet and rosy, with an amber note having a larger role.

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Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Nomad starts off monstrous with its projection. But, it’ll be quite strong for the rest of the way before declining into a skin scent deep into the wear.

That opening act is massive. Plenty of scent trail left behind, great projection, while not feeling super heavy. The slight aquatic aspect helps it from bogging everything down too much.

Nomad lasts forever on my skin. On a jacket, it’s still projecting a few feet, days after I sprayed it. It’s absolutely awesome with it’s performance. Not sure how long it actually goes on skin, but I’ve easily gotten 13+ hours before I scrubbed it.

Suffice to say, if you enjoy Nomad, you get your money’s worth.

Seasonally, autumn through spring. How deep into springtime, depends on where you live. I wouldn’t want this on, when it gets too hot outside. But, slightly chilly to moderate temperatures is where this Bond seems at its best.

This is also a true unisex. They did a great job a creating balance with appeal for anyone who likes this style of perfume.

It might not be the most versatile scent, due to its strength and the somewhat polarizing nature of oud and rose fragrances. Can be a bit much for the office, when you go beyond a few sprays.

Not super dressy or formal, but Noma has enough substance to be considered well put together. It’d be good for certain nighttime wear, lounges and things like that.

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Overall Impressions of Nomad

Overall, do I like Nomad? Really, it’s not for me at all. Not a big rose and oud guy, but designers keep on cranking out these formulas, so I sort of have to review them.

Nomad is a beast, which can be both good and bad, depending on where you land with this scent.

I like the middle and dry down more. It’s somewhat softer and more balanced, without the harshness of the opening act. That’s when you get the best of everything. Still sweet and fruity, but with a fully developed oud taking center stage and some orris powder.

Nomad isn’t going to be a Bond No. 9 that enjoys a wide mass appeal. For some percentage of people, this is going to be perfect for them. Others, will be overwhelmed. I would suggest getting a sample before committing to hundreds of dollars spent, on a full bottle of Nomad.

A few bucks up front can save you from having an expensive paperweight on your shelf, if it turns out that you hate it.