Little Italy (2004)
by Bond No. 9

There is something truly addictive about Bond no 9 LITTLE ITALY. I don't know why. It's so simple, yet at the same time so enticing. I love, love, love to spray this stuff on. I have other orange-centric fragrances--including both of the Hermès Orange Verte versions--but the clean musk base of this one keeps drawing me back, again and again. The composition holds up extremely well in hot weather, without morphing into anything unpleasant, as can happen with some citrus scents. The base has an almost resinous quality, which makes this perfume, to my nose, much more than just another citrus cologne.

I am familiar with civet, which figures in both JOY and FIRST, of which I have bottles. As far as I can tell, there is absolutely no civet in this composition, and my cat, a board-certified civet detector, does not stir when I run a LITTLE ITALY-spritzed wrist under his nose. This is, believe it or not, a foolproof test, working best as he dozes peacefully, stirring slightly only to lick his lips--when and only when there is civet present in the perfume under inspection!

Although with such a fail-safe system in place, I don't really need any further assurance, it is probably worth observing--for the benefit of any skeptics harboring doubts about the accuracy of my civet detector--that the house which created this perfume, Bond no 9, does not list civet as a note. Given the weight and cogency of all of this evidence, it seems not unreasonable to conclude that anyone who thinks that he or she smells civet in LITTLE ITALY would do well to invest in a Neti pot.

1st September, 2011.

Meh!

It opens wonderful, and you think it's going to be a more sophisticated version of Eau D'Orange Verte by Hermès. But... then it's turns out so tangy...

Wait that's what it smells like, an artificial orange beverage for kids. Think more kool-aid than hi-c.

It's not repulsive or offensive by any means. But 200 USD to smell like Crush or Sunkist.... no, thank you.

28th July, 2011.

The first 30 min to an hour is really quite nice but it just drops off after that.
The initial smell is similar to a sweet tangy bitter candy orange. It reminds me of an orange life saver with a hint of spice and bitterness. It really was quite nice but after a while it slowly subdued and it just got rather bland and uninspired after that. If this fragrance stayed the same to its opening it would be very good.

Quite the disappointment, you can find better orange fragrances than this one so save your money. It's not bad but their are definitely better options.

28th April, 2010.

BARELY worthy of a thumbs-up.
Smells delicious, but it feels unfit to stand alone as a fragrance.
My bottle serves to "boost/augment" other colognes that I wear. I recommend this as a base-layer for Chez Bond, Noveau Bowery, Great Jones, Chinatown, Central Park........................try layering with it, and you may find a use for it.

7th March, 2010.

People have noted the similarity between certain Bond No. 9 and Creed fragrances (e.g., Hamptons and Silver Mountain Water). I am a bit surprised that none of the reviewers have noted the similarity between Little Italy and Creed’s Citrus Bigarrade. Both are centered on the same tart citrus theme. Little Italy has a touch more sweetness and smells a bit more synthetic. The drydown is a bit monotonous; no interesting development here. Tania Sanchez in “Perfumes” makes note of a “big dose of civet”. In Little Italy??? Sorry, I don’t get it. Neither did the 20 reviewers before me. What was she thinking? Citrus Paradisi?

28th February, 2010.

This frag is so tart it made my mouth water in a bad way. It's like biting into a fresh lemon, except spicier and slightly more sophisticated. As much as I like bond, this is a disappointment.

8th February, 2010.