Bond No.9 • New Haarlem • Fragrances

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sillage on 5/3/2013 3:35:00 PM more reviews by sillage

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

One of the best by Bond No. 9 and a must-have for a gourmand lover, I think, which I am. This is a warm creamy sweet golden gourmand coffee with flavored syrup -- and to me, it's more about the flavored syrup than the coffee itself. It's like sweetened coffee with cream and then a touch of golden syrup ... and maybe hazelnut syrup? .. and maybe vanilla syrup? ... and maybe caramel syrup?. I don't know what flavors have been added -- a few, it seems -- and the overall effect is just warm, sweet, and delicious.

It's a fairly light gourmand -- not thick, deep, dark, heavy, or resinous (Bond No. 9's I Love New York for All and So New York have darker coffee notes). Can be worn year-round perhaps, but it's really mostly a Fall-Winter fragrance. Reminds me a bit of Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau (although JdP is way more syrupy-sweet).

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MeganHan on 4/15/2011 4:11:00 PM more reviews by MeganHan

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is one of my top 3 favorite perfumes of all time.. It smells amazing, and the scent just gets better throughout the day. It reminds me of the holidays.. smells very warm, almost reminds me of cinnamon and vanilla. I believe it may also be unisex, but it doesn't necessarily smell masculine.. It was the first Bond perfume I ever purchased and I continue to purchase it. All it takes is 1-2 sprays and you will be good for the entire day. It does not wear or fade off like other fragrances.. but at the same time is never overwhelming. Bond perfumes are expensive, but a little goes a long way.. My most current bottle of New Haarlem was purchased in December and I still haven't even put a dent in it!

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*TOP REVIEWER* lemonlye on 8/28/2010 4:43:00 PM more reviews by lemonlye

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

Yum! Delicious! Last time I was chatting with the proprietor of Knows Perfume in Seattle, I mentioned liking the smell of coffee but not always having luck with it in fragrances. She pivoted, pulled a sample of New Haarlem from her cupboards, and handed it to me. And from first sniff, it's pretty much been a "yum!" for me.

One time years ago, at Garden Botanika, I mixed my own perfume spray from their available fragrance oils. I used coffee, vanilla musk, and mint, and I think that was all. I was no pro at it, but I must say the resulting mix smelled pretty good. Well, New Haarlem smells like my early attempt done ten times better--that is, done right by professionals.

It's interesting to see that it's such a difficult scent for some people to wear. It's strong, yes--only takes a drop or two to keep me pleasantly scented for the majority of the day--but it's an approachable and comfy scent for me. Makes me think of a Saturday morning: coffee, brunch treats like pain au chocolat or cinnamon French toast, a hint of manliness like my husband's shaving cream and/or deodorant, even a suggestion of newspaper ink. It also puts me in mind of an airport concourse, in a good way: the coffee and food and new-magazine scents, along with the clean-and-cologne-doused travelers wandering through. In short, New Haarlem carries that mix of "cozy yet exciting" that I adore finding in a perfume. Smells great on me and would be fabulous on a man too. Keeper!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Deandra on 3/13/2010 1:03:00 PM more reviews by Deandra

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

New Haarlem is the only Bond gourmand I can find that doesn't add florals into the mix. As a result my boyfriend gave it the okay and vetoed Nuits de Noho, which has jasmine as a major player. With New Haarlem at first I worried that I smelled too much like pancakes covered in maple syrup with my morning coffee, or like a fancy Starbucks concoction. It's definitely a warm smell, probably more suitable for cold weather than hot weather, and definitely unisex. Amazing staying power. It lingers on your skin the next day. Bond reps advise layering Little Italy with it to brighten it up, which is a nice combination that cuts down the syrup factor, but if you don't want to buy Little Italy you can cheat with another orange fragrance you already own - a lot of people seem to have Jo Malone's Orange Blossom and I had good luck layering that - just do it sparingly. Bond No.9 Lists the notes for New Haarlem as Coffee, Vanilla, Patchouli. Basenotes.net identifies these notes: Top Notes: Lavender, Bergamot, Green Leaves: Middle Notes: Coffee, Cedarwood; Base Notes: Amber, Vanilla,Tonka. This is smoother, more wearable, and more predictable in the drydown than Angel, imho.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tessture on 10/7/2009 9:37:00 AM more reviews by tessture

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Lovely resinous, woody patchouli with coffee notes. As it dries, I get hints of vanilla and lavender, but those fade into dimension rather than presence and in the end it's a fantastic dry, foody scent that it just wonderful. It reminds me of Aomassai without the sweet candy-caramel notes. Others say this is definitely a men's scent, but I don't agree. It's not sweet, floral or fruity in any way, but that's it's strength. But it's not pretty or perfume-y either. This is more of a feeling described in scent and I love it for that. I wouldn't wear it to a job interview, though, as it's also avant garde enough to maybe put off straight-laced interviewers! I really wish it wasn't so expensive! May have to find a decant...

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idressyou on 9/30/2009 10:34:00 PM more reviews by idressyou

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

God this is a flashback in a bottle! This is my grandfather's radio station in 1974. It smells of stale ashtrays, office coffee, copy machines, album covers, warm turntables and cheap men's cologne on sweaty DJs. Seriously, it smells exactly the way I remember it. Would I wear this to smell good? No. Would I like to keep a sample around to whiff and take me back in time? Sure:)

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seaotter21 on 8/10/2009 3:30:00 PM more reviews by seaotter21

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

New Haarlem definitly smells like a man's cologne, and if you also happen to like a chocolate, musky scent, then this may just be the fragrance for you. I've read the comparisons to Angel and while the notes are similar, to me these two fragrances smell nowhere near alike; Angel is more feminine and just smells nicer. Touted as a unisex fragrance, New Haarlem seems better suited for the guys, especially in the drydown of the scent. Again, I applaud any woman who can pull it off because I can't. I think Bond did an excellent job with New Haarlem but I gave it three lippies because it smelled masculine and it is expensive. On a man, I think New Haarlem would smell intriguing.

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Redmosaic on 6/27/2009 11:23:00 PM more reviews by Redmosaic

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Yum yum yum yum yum' I loved Angel and this to me way surpasses that incredible scent. This is to me, heaven: rich dark mocha with exotic hot spice, very strong and heavy and so rich it is on the verge of unbearable; not unlike painful sexual desire , sorry to be so graphic... If you like feminine florally girly scents ( which I like sometimes too) this is NOT for you. This has heft and weight and gloss and rich dripping honey spiciness, a bizarre scent like something from Morocco or Mexico or Africa. My number one. I bought the big bottle and have already used way too much, I want to save and savor it. Really intense, and not for the faint of heart.

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*TOP REVIEWER* karelin7 on 6/17/2009 10:10:00 AM more reviews by karelin7

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Coffee--brewed, with lots of milk and sugar, then vanilla, and something else I can't name. After ten minutes on the skin it becomes a near exact replica of Serge Lutens's Ambre Sultan. Go figure.

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coastfansocal on 6/2/2009 3:37:00 PM more reviews by coastfansocal

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Nasty, coffee, cinnamon and chocolate, only buy if you want to smell like a Cinnabon

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crob on 1/14/2009 11:57:00 AM more reviews by crob

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Oh this is gorgeous! After years of ruefully wondering why none of the fragrances I was smelling in places Fragrance houses smelled as delicious as the bowls of fresh coffee beans placed to clear the head between sniff, I have finally found one.
To me it smells of the most beautiful mix of coffee, caramel and lavender. Heavenly! I just wish it wasn't quite so expensive.

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glassofwater on 11/21/2008 2:20:00 AM more reviews by glassofwater

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Maxwell House opening, an Eggo accord, and a Mrs. Butterworth dry- down. Not my cup 'o tea, er, coffee.

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*TOP REVIEWER* MaryEllen on 10/23/2008 10:58:00 PM more reviews by MaryEllen

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I'm on the fence about this scent. I find it wonderful at first--sweet but grounded, very edgy and sexy, almost mesmerizing. But in the long-time drydown (over 12 hours), all I can smell is coffee. Coffee that's been on the heat for a long time. Not an inviting coffee smell, mind you, but a smell like a cheap greasy spoon restaurant in the middle of the night. I have a sample and will use all of it (I need very little to be thoroughly scented), but I would not purchase.

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bugbee on 10/13/2008 7:54:00 PM more reviews by bugbee

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

OOh, this is so wonderful and sexy; It's a unisex scent, but definitely has a masculine edge - which is what makes it so interesting to wear as a woman. I adore the coffee note - which IS prominent, and so well done. Chandler Burr was captivated by New Haarlem, and so am I! This is a fantastic fall/winter scent - very comforting, and SUCH a nice break from the ghastly amount of fruity florals/predictable mass-market scents. Great sillage and longevity. If you're a coffee lover, give this a try.

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*TOP REVIEWER* BlackAmberMoon on 8/28/2008 10:21:00 PM more reviews by BlackAmberMoon

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

My favorite sort of fragrance - weird, edgy, daring, androgynous. I don't swoon over it, but I find myself craving it. I can understand people who say this fragrance "hypnotised" them. I wear it on the days I'm feeling sexually aggressive and a bit masculine. It's a mood fragrance for me. If you like it, also try Dolce & Gabbana's By - very sexy as well.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ltgee on 8/4/2008 1:27:00 AM more reviews by ltgee

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

beautiful bottles-works of art! smell? GASP! my girl pal ran away from the test card. thats all i have to say....something like, if a chocolate bar married a cup of coffee and then they got drunk. the end.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tempest322 on 7/8/2008 8:02:00 PM more reviews by tempest322

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

I thought New Haarlem might be right up my alley as a coffee scent, or at least very interesting! But I CANNOT wear this stuff. To paraphrase a reviewer below, it smells like coffee crossed with some very strong generic men's cologne and I could not WAIT to scrub it off. (Its lasting power, on me at least, was unfortunately superb.) I MUST be missing something, given some of the positive reviews here and on some of the perfume blogs I read. Maybe it's just that my skin chemistry and New Haarlem are like an unfortunate accident. I like the idea of it, and if I could get past the opening typical-men's-cologne fumes to the coffee and patchouli only, it could be good. But those opening fumes never die down on me.

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AuroraGoryAlice on 7/6/2008 5:17:00 PM more reviews by AuroraGoryAlice

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This is AMAZING! Sweet, sort of oriental scents (is this oriental, or gourmand? It's not too foody, but very sweet) smell best on me, and this is right up top. I get alot of coffee from it, and then vanilla and a touch of caramely sweetness. It contends with Chinatown as my favorite Bond fragrance. Lasting power is decent on me, usually lasts most of the day.

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*TOP REVIEWER* suggrr on 3/17/2008 10:07:00 PM more reviews by suggrr

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I've worn a sample of New Haarlem twice, and I do kind of like it. I'm not really getting coffee from it; I'm getting a stack of pancakes covered in really sweet syrup with something a bit more sharp and decidedly non-edible in the background. I can understand the coffee with whiskey impression if I breathe deeply, but my first impression of pancakes is what I think of more often when I smell this. (And the syrup could be more sugary were this fragrance a little more to my liking. I admit it- I do like some foody scents.) I get no chocolate or Angel impression from this, though I can see how some can. The Bond No.9 website lists the notes as "chocolate, vanilla, patchouli" and I guess I really wish this was more vanilla and less patchouli. If I had to guess, I would say this does skew a bit more masculine, but a woman could absolutely wear this one.


Lasting power on me is not incredible- six hours later and I have to breathe deeply and concentrate just to smell this on my wrist. It's softer and less masculine (and syrupy) as the hours go by, though that masculine note (the patchouli?) never entirely disappears on me. Interestingly, it almost smells like cranberry scones have joined the mix sometimes. That part of the scent comes and goes. Something powdery and fruity..?! New Haarlem is nice and inoffensive with not a ton of personality with my physical chemistry. I don't think I'm going to pay US$125 for 1.7 fl. oz./50 ml at Saks Fifth Avenue for a full bottle of this, but it was nice to wear a few times. I'll give it 3.25 lippies.

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alym702 on 2/29/2008 10:29:00 PM more reviews by alym702

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I completely agree with the reviewer a couple of slots down from mine. I don't know what to do with this scent!!! Its mind boggling. I can't stand the smell of Angel on myself anymore and just swapped my new unused bottle away. This smells similar to Angel, but more grown up and refreshed tweaked. I wore my decant last night before turning in ( I know sounds crazy but if you were perfume to bed you have better/more vivid dreams IMO). I had the most exciting, weird dream I was the glamorous star of a futuristic film noir, dashing men, chases thru the airport, then whisked off by my handsome distingushed protector into a Bentley. Yes, imagine waking up and that's your first memory of your dream. Wowee!!! In bed typing this now, and of course I'm wearing again. Lol.
Now to the fragrance coffee, chocolate, patchouli, vanilla sweet but in a masculine way. I don't love this fragrance, but I think I need it!!!! I'm addicted to this scent. I'm actually contemplating throwing down big bucks at Saks for this....or at least a large decant at www.theperfumedcourt.com this scent is strangely addictive. I think they should change the name from New Haarlem to Strangelove!!!!
Edit-brokedown and went to Saks and bought the 1.7 oz bottle. FBW
editing my edit- i have been wearing this almost every day and this scent just keeps evolving for/on me now upon application it starts out green fresh and then in comes the cedar, wood smokey scent, then after wearing for a whle it transforms again to a sugar patch scent, this is my new HG! i love this scent!!!!!

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