Bond No.9

I was keen to try this fragrance because it sounded a lot like one of my favorite discontinued Bond no. 9 scents, I Love New York for All, which was part of their lower-cost "I Love NY" line. The line was discontinued and I've longed for the day when Bond or another company would release something similar, a slightly nutty, vanilla, cinnamon-y gourmand that's got enough sandalwood, patchouli and floral notes to give it an earthy tone so that it doesn't smell like a bakery. What do you know, New Bond St has all of those notes, and is about 98% the same as I Love New York for All. It's slightly sweeter, but not overly cloying to me. The main difference is the price! New Bond St is twice the price of I Love NY for All, which perhaps isn't surprising because the I Love NY line was an anomaly in terms of price for them. So, price aside, I'm glad to have access to this scent again. But I also note that its lasting power isn't very good; I barely smell it a couple of hours after spraying. And the bottle...sigh. This might be my least favorite one of the line; fire engine red with leopard spots, which I don't think really matches the mood of the scent. But if you were in the same boat and missing ILNY for All, this pretty much it!

Bond No.9 has always been a hit or miss on my skin. This one is a success I think as I get a lot of compliments from friends whenever I wear it. Unfortunately, I don't find it exciting enough to warrant a full bottle and 'yummy' - though nice- is not how I wish to be remembered for the rest of my life, especially at this price range. So New York is politely yummy on my skin. It is more mellow, calmer and rounded than my other yummy scents but also less cozy. I get all the well-known Angel elements from it and even that A*men Pure Coffee structure. However, while A*men was a 100 in its strength, So New York is a 5. Although known as a coffee scent - as it is what it is- I feel I find its opening more interesting. The mirabelle plums here are not jammy or sticky. They are light, sweet but airy - with a clean patch supporting the lightness I think. Just the right amount on my skin, or it would be a mess. My favorite bit about so New York is the powder smell I get from it. It doesn't suffocate the coffee but it is very clearly there and it is a clean powder which I think adds a bit of interest to the story. Altogether, a pleasant fragrance but I don't miss it badly when I don't wear it for a while. 3.5

Not peaceful on me. Starts as harsh citrus and sharp wood with herbal cedar and something that smells like BO, then goes sharply Gaiac Wood alcohol and I had to scrub. Nasty, harsh, unsettling.