Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Bond No 9 The Scent of Peace For Men Fragrance Review

bond-no-9-the-scent-of-peace-for-him* Sweet citrus and a hint of pine on the top.

* Projection is really strong on the top – really strong – really, really strong.

* As it starts to come closer to skin, a really artificial fruit mix comes in.

* It’s not that it is unpleasant, it just doesn’t smell inviting.

* The base is two of my least favorite notes – cedar and vetiver fighting for dominance.

Summary:  The bow tie on the bottle is cute.  There, I said something nice.   Some Bond No 9 scents  work really well on me and others really don’t.  The Scent of Peace for Men is in the latter category.  I wore it for a week and I was surprised at how much it projected and how many people commented on it.   People from across the room could smell it and they generally didn’t say nice things.   Cedar and vetiver don’t work on my skin – almost as a rule.  Combining them on my skin for the long-lasting base – yes, more than 12 hours, so longevity is good – is a pretty horrible experience for me.   I wouldn’t say it is as torturesome as Houbigant Fougère Royal but it is not something I would choose to wear ever again.  This scent makes me unhappy and not peaceful, but maybe you will have a different reaction to it.

Bond No 9 Fragrance are available from Saks Fifth Avenue and Bond Boutiques.

Sample received from sales associate.  Image courtesy of Bond No 9 website.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Bond No 9 Perfumista Avenue Fragrance Review

bond-no-9-perfumista-avenue-eau-de-parfum-panella-parfum
* Kicks off strong with a burst of spicy herbal fruit with a touch of honey and hay.

* It feels like an Arabic fruit – which must be the saffron and the rose.

* After that opening, it mellows down to a floral melange – a sharp rose and some jasmine.

* A light patchouli appears with the flower and quietly becomes the focus.

* The patchouli is joined by some clean musk and a slight hint of amber in the base.

Summary:  I kind of have a love/hate relationship with Bond scents.  Either I love them immensely or absolutely detest them.  Perfumista Avenue is the rare Bond scent where I am neutral on it. It’s okay, if a bit generic. I don’t get the Perfumista Avenue theme – it’s saffron, flowers, and a pretty generic dry-down.  It does smell like a Bond Scent – sniffing it, that’s obvious, but there isn’t anything in it that makes it stand out from the rest of the collection.  Longevity is disappointing for an edp as it becomes a close skin scent after two hours, then after four hours, it’s barely noticeable.  There are much better scents in the collection, so I would advise you to try a different one in the collection.  Please note – other reviewers are getting much different results on this scent, so read the other reviews below and test for yourself if they sound interesting.

Other Opinions:

The Scentrist
Man Loves Cologne

Bond No 9 fragrances are available at Nordstrom, Saks 5th Avenue, independent boutiques and from Bond No 9 boutiques.

Disclaimer: Sample provided by department store. Image courtesy of Panella Parfums.

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Bond I Love NY for Holidays Fragrance Review

bond-no-9-i-love-ny-for-holidays* Fruity kick for the intro with berries, plum, and a sweet citrus.

* The berries stick around and are joined by a melange of florals.

* Just as we say fruit salad for a generic, indistinct jumble of fruit smells – ‘melange of florals’ would be my polite way of saying floral salad.

* The florals last for a couple of hours before fading a bit.

* The base is described as vanilla gelato and sensual musk.  Let’s skip the fancy talk and just say the base is vanilla and amber with a light musk in the mix.

Summary:  I haven’t been that impressed with the recent Bond No 9 fragrances (Parfumista Ave and NY musk) but for some reason the I Love NY scents seem to work better on me (and are at a cheaper price point).  I don’t get the holidays from this scent but that is not necessarily a bad thing – because if it was pine, cinnamon and fruitcake – the scent would be TOO specific to be worn for the holidays.  As it is, it doesn’t stand out from many of the designer fruity floral scents that dominate department store scents, but since it’s at a similar price point, has the iconic I Love NY logo on the bottle, and says “holidays” – it makes an obvious gift for anyone on your holiday list.  The compliment I want to pay it is that it is inoffensive and universal – but that sounds backhanded,  which isn’t my intention.  Longevity is good for an EDP, lasting about 8 hours on my skin before it turns into a subtle skin scent.

Other opinions:

Ca Fleure Bon
Man Loves Cologne
GoodSmellas

Bond I Love NY for the Holidays is available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks 5th Avenue and the Bond No 9 Website.

Disclaimer: Sample provided by department store. Picture courtesy of Sephora.

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News

Elements Showcase Part 2 – More fragrance launches / Interesting Products from NYIGF

Not everything fit nicely into themes, so here are more interesting fragrance launches and products that are worth checking out.

Ulrich Lang Lightscape – While violet is often overpowering, Lightscape blends it with citrus and floral for a very wearable and not at all overbearing scent.