bond no.9

Central Park West by Bond No. 9

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Most of the Bond No. 9 samples that I received were of women’s perfumes, so I’ve got about four more of these or so that I’ll be posting as soon as they’re written up. For this one, we have Central Park West. In this post, I’ll cover what in this perfume, how it smells, how it performs, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Central Park West EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: ylang ylang, narcissus, gardenia, black pepper, jasmine, linden, orris, musk, white oak

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Central Park West Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

Wow. The opening of Central Park West presents you with an absolute floral bomb. I get a lot of gardenia and ylang ylang with an underlying muskiness and just a hint of black pepper kick.

From the start, I will say, that you’ll only enjoy this perfume if you’re a pure floral lover. It honestly gives me kind of a headache during the opening while it’s on my skin, it so overwhelming to my sense of smell.

The florals are however, clean and pretty sweet. As it dries down, I tend to get more of the narcissus and the black pepper becomes more prominent to my nose.

The dry down period was a much better aroma in my opinion, not as intense and smoothed out by mainly the jasmine note, I think. The oak also becomes a factor and gives it a solid non-floral background.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s very strong. You won’t need more than a few sprays, as Central Park West is utterly powerful juice. Probably one of the best from this designer, in terms of performance.

It also lasts a long time, I could smell it for over 10 hours while wearing, which is kind of funny as a guy walking around smelling like gardenias. But if you love white floral blends, this one has excellent performance.

This is springtime in a bottle. Mostly a daytime wear, that is good for casual or more dressy occasions. I don’t find it to be sexy at all and I wouldn’t classify it as something that should be worn to a bar or club. It has a certain classiness to it without being too stuffy.

Overall Impressions of Central Park West

Overall, is Central Park West worth a buy? I personally don’t like hyper-floral perfumes, but those who do, will most likely love this one. It’s well blended and nuanced with extreme staying power.

It does get better, the deeper into the wear you get with Central Park West, but I really disliked the opening 15 minutes. If this sounds like your thing, you might do well to check it out.

You will at the very least get your money’s worth with how long it lasts and its heavy sillage. You’re just going to have to really enjoy heavy gardenia and jasmine.

Nuits de Noho by Bond No.9

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I’m still working through writing up all of my Bond No. 9 sample reviews, and I think all but one of the last of them, are ladies’ fragrances. Today’s review is no exception, Nuits de Noho for Women. As usual, I want to break down what’s in this scent, how it performs, what it smells like, and whether or not is should be considered for purchase.

What does Nuits de Noho Smell Like?

Notes include: pineapple leaf, mandarin, bergamot, patchouli, musk, jasmine, rosewood, and vanilla

Click here to try: BOND No 9 Nuits De Noho, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Nuits de Noho immediately reminds me of another Bond No. 9 fragrance, I Love NY for Holidays (which is also similar to Mugler’s Angel). While that one, opens up with a blueberry/mandarin baked goods type of aroma, Nuits de Noho, takes on more of a blend of pineapple/vanilla.

Both of these scents are patchouli bombs and share the mandarin orange note and overall fruity profile. However, Holidays has a praline note that makes it even more of a gourmand while Nuits de Noho goes in a bit of a different direction.

The patchouli and musk are rather strong from the start before it settles in about 10-15 minutes after application. It’s rather intense and I don’t particularly enjoy the perfume at that point but it does settle down into something sweeter and more pleasant.

While the pineapple leaf is there during wear, it doesn’t feel too strong in my opinion. The vanilla note takes up position behind the patchouli and musk combo and adds the sweetness.

Then, the jasmine note emerges with its familiar clean/powdery/smoothness. The floral aspect of Nuits de Noho is what most separates it from I Love NY for Holidays and it gives the scent a very ‘green’ feel underneath the warm sweetness/spiciness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it felt pretty strong. Not completely overpowering but I always knew it was there while wearing. I’d rate the performance as very good, in those terms.

Longevity, 7-ish hours or thereabouts, is what I was able to manage on my skin. Again, not crazy good but definitely a solid wear. Update: Coming back to this scent again, yeah, 7-8 hours seems like what it is capable of achieving.

Taking a look at the notes, it could seem like a spring/summer wear, but how they’re structured actually makes it the opposite. Nuits de Noho is a cold weather scent. In fact, I think it’d get kind of messy in the heat of summer.

I’d say that it has good versatility as an everyday wear during the cold parts of the year. It could be worn casually, at the office, dressed up, or even on a date (though, it’s not super sexy or anything like that).

Overall Impressions of Nuits de Noho

Overall, is Nuits de Noho worth a look? I’d say yes, for some women. If you like Mugler’s Angel perfume, this will be something you might enjoy even more, as it is a slightly different and I’d say more refined take on that.

Patchouli, vanilla, musk, floral, and pineapple is what you should expect, so, if that’s not appealing to you…go ahead and skip this one.

However, it does smell good and gives a nice performance, so this one should appeal to a decent amount of people.

I Love NY for Holidays by Bond No. 9

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The march of rating I Love NY fragrances from Bond No. 9 moves on. Today, we have a supposed unisex scent from the brand called, Holidays. This is an interesting gourmand scent suitable for the cooler months of the year. In this post, I am going to go over how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does I Love NY for Holidays Smell Like?

Notes include: apricot, pomegranate, mandarin, praline, leather, musk, patchouli, freesia

Click here to try: Bond No 9 I Love NY Cologne, Holidays, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of I Love NY for Holidays hits immediately with a fruity blend of the apricot and mandarin orange notes. This is flanked by a noticeable combo of praline and patchouli. The instantly reminded me of Black XS, except that the fruit notes are much better than the Paco Rabanne lemon that ends up smelling like a candied strawberry.

It is interesting that Holidays also takes on a different kind of fruity aroma, almost a blueberry feel to it. The freesia gives it a nice little floral scent, as well.

Holidays further takes on the appearance of another popular fragrance, Angel by Thierry Mugler. It seems that Holidays is sort of skirting between Black XS and Angel, which isn’t terrible company to be in, but it will have a rather set appeal with people.

This fragrance is very sweet and gourmand with a distinctive impression of patchouli. Holidays was actually marketed as a unisex fragrance but this leans much more to the female side of things. I could wear it, but it honestly doesn’t seem to fit with me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Holidays is pretty powerful stuff not super intense but you’ll know that it is there throughout the day, and so will others. I would put it on the upper end of the moderate range, in terms of sillage.

It also does have really good longevity, I’m getting 9+ hours. After testing it out multiple times, it can hit over 10 hours on the right day. But, it seems to fall in that 9-10 time frame. On the performance side of things, Holidays actually does deliver.

Again, I’d treat this more as a ladies’ scent than something that is unisex. It would work well in cold weather but would probably turn into an abomination in the heat. Casual and perhaps romantic wear would work but go lightly with it, if wearing at the office.

Overall Impressions of Holidays

Overall, is I Love NY for Holidays worth a buy? It might be the best smelling of the I Love NY line, in my opinion. It actually performs well and smells good. I’m not too thrilled with the patchouli and praline combo, Black XS is okay, but I never wear any from my bottle.

If you’re a fan of Angel and want something similar but slightly different than this one might be up your alley. This is a very solid offering from Bond No. 9

Madison Avenue by Bond No. 9

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This is the final review from the last batch of sample fragrances that I received a few months ago. It is also the last of a line of Bond No. 9 scents that were included in that batch. Today’s entry is Madison Avenue, a ladies’ perfume, that blends fruit, sweet, and floral notes.

In this review, I will cover my full experience while wearing it and give my thoughts as to whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Madison Avenue by Bond No. 9 Smell Like?

Notes include: blackberry, praline, apple, patchouli, jasmine, rose, magnolia, bergamot, ambroxan

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Madison Avenue Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

 

My Full Review

The opening of Madison Avenue reminds me of two separate fragrances. First, the men’s cologne, Black XS. This men’s fragrance shares the patchouli, fruit, and praline combination that Madison Avenue also has.

Though, I will say that Madison Avenue is done much better and doesn’t share the same strawberry/lemon candy aroma that kind of makes Black XS a mess.

The second fragrance, is La Petite Robe Noire Couture by Guerlain. This seems to represent more of the feminine aspect of Madison Avenue, with its shared notes of patchouli, rose, and bergamot. Though, the two berry notes are different, these two scents are closely related.

Madison Avenue immediately hits with its fruity mix of blackberry, apple, and citrus. I think that it smells quite amazing from the jump. It is crisp, juicy, and fresh with a very vibrant and upbeat tone. This is a very sweet perfume but I don’t think that it is overdone.

There is enough punch from the patchouli and amber undertones to give it a more refined profile.

As it moves along, more of the floral notes emerge in Madison Avenue. For me, the floral notes never breakthrough completely and I think that this one retains much more of its fruity sweetness, which is aided by the praline.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Madison Avenue is strong. That’s great news, at this price point, as you will get a performer. However, it also means that it can be over-sprayed, if not careful. One really wouldn’t need more than a couple spritzes.

I also got really good longevity out of this fragrance, easily 7+hours of wear. Not elite, mind you, but still very usable for almost any purposes.

Madison Avenue feels to me like a very versatile scent. It can of course be worn casually but I also find it quite appealing and would love smelling this on a woman that I was dating.

It has its own level of flirty sexiness. Madison Avenue would be most at home in the warmer months of the year but honestly could be worn year round without much issue. Ideally, late spring and into the summertime.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Madison Avenue

Overall, would I recommend this perfume? Yes! This is a great entry from the Bond No. 9 line. There have been many others from this brand, that I haven’t been too keen on.

Madison Avenue, checks all of the boxes for a really good to great scent. This is especially true if you’re a fan of fruity perfumes.

The Scent of Peace by Bond No. 9

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I recently got a hold of about 10 Bond No. 9 fragrance samples, so, now I will be posting proper reviews on each over the next little while. The first up to bat is a highly popular fragrance for ladies, The Scent of Peace.

In this post, I’m going to explore what’s in it, how it smells, how it performs, and whether or not it is worth a buy.

What does The Scent of Peace Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, black currant, cedar, lily of the valley, hedione, musk

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 The Scent Of Peace Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 Fluid Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The Scent of Peace gets a lot of comparisons to Light Blue by D&G. With Light Blue, you get: apple, lemon, and musk. While with this Bond No. 9 fragrance, you get: grapefruit, black currant, and musk. So, while they share the musk note, the juicy fruits within the composition are different but create a similar effect.

Which one is better? I think that The Scent of Peace gets it right. The grapefruit note with the delicious smelling back currant is a much more enjoyable aroma than the already nicely scented Light Blue.

Anyways, the opening of this fragrance, is all about those vibrant and juicy fruits. It is a very fresh and bright aroma that has me smelling the spot on my arms I sprayed, again and again. Just catching a waft of this stuff is quite and enjoyable experience.

The black currant is the leader of the pack, without question. Obviously, pairing this note with further citrus, can make the beginning of the scent quite sharp. Some might find it to be too much, though for me, it’s not bad at all and actually enjoyable. 

As it moves along, the floral notes begin to emerge, but never really seem to take over the scent. At this point, I am fully getting the summer’s day vibe from The Scent of Peace. Lily of the valley is the floral note of choice, but it really remains light, and flanked by the musky ingredient. 

With the underlying cedar note, the lily of the valley, creates a ‘green’ outdoorsy aroma that is undeniably beautiful when blended with the fruit. It’s fresh, clean, bright, with a bit of a biting sharpness. 

The whole wear isn’t all that complicated. It’s an easy to put on scent, with minimal development, but an attractive and refreshing smell. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this one is pretty light to moderate, which I think is a good thing in this case. This perfume doesn’t need to be an absolute bomb and would take away from how good it already is.

It is light, yet noticeable, before turning into a skin scent that sneaks up on you, lest you have forgotten that you were wearing it.

Longevity, is good, however. Around 7 hours of solid wear and maybe a few more, where it is still detectable on my skin. It could probably go longer, in the right circumstances. It does its job for a daily wear or casual type of scent. It could be a bit better, but it’s certainly solid. 

I would say this is an ideal spring/summer fragrance. As a casual daytime wear or one that is worn to work or school. It has an upbeat but not overly youthful vibe, it doesn’t have that ‘teenager’ super sweetness, but seems right for women in their 20s and up. Think beautiful but not necessarily sexy.

It’s a really nice and refreshing sort of wear, that will sit beautifully in the temperate or warmer climates. Once the black currant settles in a bit, things still feel a bit crisp, but The Scent of Peace is an altogether smoother experience. 

Overall Impression of The Scent of Peace for Her

Overall, would I recommend The Scent of Peace? Yes, this is one of my favorite Bond No. 9 fragrances for women. It is delicious and oh so pretty.  It is great for those who are looking for a casual scent that will garner complements, be enjoyable to wear, and won’t overpower a room.

Obviously, the Bond No. 9 lineup can be pricey. However, this is one that I think is worth the purchase. Not everyone will be enamored with it, it will mostly boil down to the grapefruit and black currant combo. Though, I think that most, will find this to be a very nice perfume to spray on during the spring and summertime.