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Thinking about doing my first huge purchase : Brooklyn Bond No9

post #1 of 43
7/8/09 at 6:01am
Thread Starter 
As you can see in my wardrobe I haven't shelled out anything that this bottle will cost me. I've never thought of spending over $100 for a bottle, but perhaps it might be time. Brooklyn has my eye for some reason, but the downfall is that it would be a blind buy, so obviously I'm kinda stepping back on the purchase. Even the bottle is sexy as hell, perhaps you guys can help me out, either a website to send me a small sample of it, or perhaps some imput. Maybe looking at my wardrobe you might see what I have now and see if it's my style or not.
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post #2 of 43
7/8/09 at 6:25am
Thread Starter 
I found a bottle for around $145 taxes in (american) online, which is 100 ml, is that a good deal ?
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post #3 of 43
7/8/09 at 6:38am
I wouldn't recommend spending so much on a blind buy (though I agree it's a killer bottle). There must be high end department stores in Canada that carry Bond, and if not see if Bond will send you a sample. I know they sell sets of 6 samples for $15 but I don't know if they ship to Canada. You can also try ebay.

Brooklyn is not an especially compelling fragrance, and if you're going to make a big purchase you should be happy with it. There's probably plenty of pricey items that you will treasure.

My .02
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post #4 of 43
7/8/09 at 6:44am
You definitely need to try before you buy.

I did not like Brooklyn, and would never consider purchasing it.
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post #5 of 43
7/8/09 at 7:23am
Brooklyn left me pretty underwhelmed. It's a pretty nondescript woody fragrance. It's a nice scent to use for layering with something else, but I wouldn't recommend blind buying it, especially since it's your first pricey bottle. You should make that first one count!
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post #6 of 43
7/8/09 at 7:59am
Brooklyn is nothing special, as far as the scent goes, the bottle is pretty cool though. The Perfumed Court has samples of the Bond fragrances. I would definately try before you buy.

Other Bond no.9 scents I like include: Nuits de Noho, Central Park, New Haarlem, and Great Jones.
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post #7 of 43
7/8/09 at 8:05am
I've also been considering buying a bottle of Brooklyn. I went through a sample vial of it several weeks ago and found it fantastic. The less than stellar reviews here on Basenotes, I must admit, have held me back somewhat from taking the painful €175 plunge. So far, that is.

In contrast to many comments about Brooklyn, as in this thread, I found its dry mix of juniper and grapefruit, followed by a dusty, peppery woody drydown, quite unusual and enticing.
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post #8 of 43
7/8/09 at 8:12am
Check the sale board. I've got a 50 ml bottle (almost full) for sale now. PM me if interested.
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post #9 of 43
7/8/09 at 8:34am
If you are dead set on getting Brooklyn check the marketplace sale boards as they do come up for sale from time to time. I sold a bottle a couple weeks ago and it went for about half price and was practically new. Test this first - compare it to other fresh aromatic scents around to see if it is worth more money than good fragrances you pick up at Sephora. It is a nice bottle though.
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post #10 of 43
7/8/09 at 8:44am
I love Brooklyn - possibly my fave BondNo9 of them all!

However, I would personally never shell out that kind of dosh for something Ive never smelled. Even when making my recent vintage Vol de Nuit extrait purchase, I made sure to sniff a modern version beforehand.
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post #11 of 43
7/8/09 at 8:47am
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Definitely do not do a blind on a "first huge purchase" that may leave a scar.
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post #12 of 43
7/8/09 at 10:29am
yes, try it first or at least by "pre-owned"
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post #13 of 43
7/8/09 at 12:58pm
Brooklyn is soft and green that last about 3hrs. don't waste your time
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post #14 of 43
7/8/09 at 1:43pm
Brooklyn smelled like an overpriced, but smoother Burberry the Beat pour homme to me. Worth passing up, Hamptons and Chez Bond are such superior fragrances. Do not blind buy such an expensive fragrance friend, don't you have a Saks anywhere near you to sample? If I happen to get to one of the few near me in the next week I'll snag a sample of Brooklyn to send to you.

If you do buy it, get it eBay for fuck's sake. Here is 3.3oz bottle of Brooklyn priced much lower than retail. I've bought both of my Bond's from these people before, 100% authentic juice. They also have a 1.7oz for sale.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BOND-NO-9-BROOKL...lenotsupported
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post #15 of 43
7/8/09 at 2:43pm
Noo! Get a sample big enough for several wearings first, or if you can't get a sample, turn to something where you can get a sample. (Perfumed Court seems to have almost everything I ever want, but, for some reason, I don't see Brooklyn there right now.)

Getting your first really expensive fragrance as a blind buy is a situation with excessively high odds for disappointment. And, frankly, most of the Bond No. 9's register with me as nothing more than "nice" - I don't think that the potential payoff is nearly enough for the gamble.

Crayfish
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post #16 of 43
7/8/09 at 2:44pm
Bonds are very modern scents, it seems that those who prefer more classic, loud scents do not enjoy them. But those of us hip to today's groove ( ), appreciate their subtle beauty rather than having hydrocarbons chucked up your nasal cavities.
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post #17 of 43
7/8/09 at 2:53pm
I love the house of Bond9, but Brooklyn is a waste of money to me. Bleecker, Riverside, Westside ,Hot Always and New Harlem are way better selections to me.
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post #18 of 43
7/8/09 at 2:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sokkou View Post

Bonds are very modern scents, it seems that those who prefer more classic, loud scents do not enjoy them. But those of us hip to today's groove ( ), appreciate their subtle beauty rather than having hydrocarbons chucked up your nasal cavities.

Hmmm - interesting point of view. But I guess that makes sense since hydrocarbons are banned from high schools.
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post #19 of 43
7/8/09 at 3:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmax View Post

I love the house of Bond9, but Brooklyn is a waste of money to me. Bleecker, Riverside, Westside ,Hot Always and New Harlem are way better selections to me.

The man knows what he's talking about. Especially Bleecker, Riverside, and New Haarlem.
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post #20 of 43
7/8/09 at 3:38pm
Its rather odd that the two European respondents to this thread (ebear and myself) both hold Brooklyn in high regard, whereas all the American members find it lack-lustre. An interesting exercise perhaps in European vs American fragrance appreciation.

Whatever the case L"Homme, such polarised reviews should be a good indicator that you ought to try before you buy.
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post #21 of 43
7/8/09 at 3:42pm
To be fair though Dimi, I haven't tried it yet.
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post #22 of 43
7/8/09 at 3:44pm
I was referring more to those whove responded that have And, yes, you must try!
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post #23 of 43
7/8/09 at 3:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sokkou View Post

Brooklyn smelled like an overpriced, but smoother Burberry the Beat pour homme to me. Worth passing up, Hamptons and Chez Bond are such superior fragrances. Do not blind buy such an expensive fragrance friend, don't you have a Saks anywhere near you to sample? If I happen to get to one of the few near me in the next week I'll snag a sample of Brooklyn to send to you.

If you do buy it, get it eBay for fuck's sake. Here is 3.3oz bottle of Brooklyn priced much lower than retail. I've bought both of my Bond's from these people before, 100% authentic juice. They also have a 1.7oz for sale.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BOND-NO-9-BROOKL...lenotsupported

Be very, very careful when buying cologne on Ebay, because most are fake !! Look at the prices, if they are too good to be true, then they usually are.
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post #24 of 43
7/8/09 at 4:31pm
Definitely try before you buy.
Brooklyn is complete rubbish.
Its not worth $10 a bottle.
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post #25 of 43
7/8/09 at 4:40pm
Just echoing what others have said before here, but don't blind buy an expensive bottle. I am speaking from experience here.

I wouldn't suggest blind-buying anything, really. I've had such bad luck with blind buys...
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post #26 of 43
7/8/09 at 4:47pm
Skip Brooklyn and go for Coney Island. It's a great citrus.
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post #27 of 43
7/8/09 at 4:52pm
I disagree with my countrymen. I tried Brooklyn last week in Atlanta and it's on my short list. I'm no Bond noob, I've owned probably a dozen of them.

Is it groundbreaking? Nope. But it does smell very nice. $80 at most, though.
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post #28 of 43
7/8/09 at 5:33pm
I have heard plenty of negative about Brooklyn.

But even if I only heard stellar comments I would advise you (or anyone) to SAMPLE FIRST.
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post #29 of 43
7/8/09 at 6:14pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys for all the help ! I really appeciate it, I will look into samples and will also look into what else Bond offers too.
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post #30 of 43
7/9/09 at 12:21am
I know brooklyn is not exactly well received around here but I do like it. Its not a sillage monster but it does have some and I get at least 5 or 6 hours from it. I think the problem that most people have with it are the white musk notes. laundry detergents/fabric softeners supposedly have white musk in them and a lot of people have that association. Then of course some people just dont like this house period. Also Bonds seems to have some sort of house note that is found in a lot of their fragrances. I think they must reuse a lot of accords.

I must admit when I first smelled the Bond No. 9 line I was not impressed. To my nose they all smelled harsh, very synthetic and very very strong. All of the ones I've sampled anyways. The SA gave me samples of the majority of the line anyways and I kept smelling them from time to time. As time went by a few of them caught my attention and slowly grew on me. Even though I own about 10 bottle I cant say I love this house. I'm 99% sure that the bottles have alot to do with the reason I buy them. the only one I seem to reach for lately is Brooklyn. I don't buy them at retail when they can be had so easily on eBay. I think at retail they are way overpriced but sadly this is true of a lot niche houses at the moment (kilian, creed, jar just to name a few)
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post #31 of 43
7/9/09 at 4:28am
I own and love Chez Bond. However that being said, Bond is a fairly expensive house with far too many misses to ever consider a blind buy. Please acquire samples before you commit to a full bottle.

I sampled Riverside Drive, but to my nose, it was so much like Chez Bond I could not cost justify owning both.

There are other Bond fragrances I will sample, but if I seek to acquire another Bond fragrance, the fragrance must be priced at a considerable discount to cost justify Bond.

There are simply so many other really exquisitely executed fragrances for the same money, so in my opinion, the Bond house places itself in a highly competitive fragrance arena.

TJ
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post #32 of 43
7/9/09 at 4:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimitri View Post

Its rather odd that the two European respondents to this thread (ebear and myself) both hold Brooklyn in high regard, whereas all the American members find it lack-lustre. An interesting exercise perhaps in European vs American fragrance appreciation.

Yeah, maybe because there's been less hype about it here? In the case of Austria, no hype would be more accurate.

I agree with others, though, that testing beforehand is an absolute must for anything in that price category.
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post #33 of 43
7/9/09 at 5:12am
Hi there, I don't know where in Canada you are, but Holts has a limited selection of Bond scents. The flagship stores in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal have a fuller selection. What many people don't realize is that Bond sells a smaller format version of their juice. It isn't in the collectable bottle, it is in what is like a giant tester spritz bottle (.25 fl. oz., .6 ml) and Holts has some at $40.
Definitely try before you buy. I like Wall Street and Gramercy Park, which are nice green scents, and Eau de New York is a lovely neroli cologne.
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post #34 of 43
7/24/09 at 6:51am
i recently received New Harleem as a gift, but i also tried Brooklyn a few times. I ffound the scent changed very much. It starts out smoky,almost like the New Harleem, but with time is really softens up, yet remains very persisten. I also found it changes in weather or from wearing it indoors do outdoors. I sprayed some on my sleeve and I can't seem to get enough of it. In fact, I think it will be my most recent next purchase unless I fall in love with something else more, say Guerlain's SDV or Tom Ford's Tabac Vanille?
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post #35 of 43
7/24/09 at 9:23am
Way to expensive for a blind buy...try find samples...or smaller size atomizers like at TPC
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post #36 of 43
7/24/09 at 10:31am
Bond does not worth its price.
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post #37 of 43
7/24/09 at 10:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pug911 View Post

Be very, very careful when buying cologne on Ebay, because most are fake !! Look at the prices, if they are too good to be true, then they usually are.

Incorrect.
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post #38 of 43
7/24/09 at 11:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pug911 View Post

Be very, very careful when buying cologne on Ebay, because most are fake !! Look at the prices, if they are too good to be true, then they usually are.

Im sorry but I find this to be a terribly incorrect generalisation.

What you should have said is "If it is on a Buy It Now price and the price is genuinely too good to be true then there is a greater chance that this product may be fake"

The same could be said for any website selling any product.

I would never say "most are fake" I think that there is more genuine product than counterfeit on ebay.

On Topic...... well $145 is a good price considering that this sells for £175GBP (approx $280 US) over here but after being stung on a cheaper blind buy myself (£80 GBP) I will always try before I buy.

The only exception to this recently was Roger & Galled Extra Vieille EdC but I knew what I was getting with that.
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post #39 of 43
7/24/09 at 11:25am
Absolutely positively sample this first. That'll be quite a heartache if you blind buy and don't like it.
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post #40 of 43
8/6/09 at 1:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimitri View Post

Its rather odd that the two European respondents to this thread (ebear and myself) both hold Brooklyn in high regard, whereas all the American members find it lack-lustre. An interesting exercise perhaps in European vs American fragrance appreciation.

Whatever the case L"Homme, such polarised reviews should be a good indicator that you ought to try before you buy.

I like Brooklyn very much. I have a sample that I am going through and I just may have to get some!
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post #41 of 43
12/2/10 at 1:15am
While there is more than likely some white musk in here used to extend the juniper/cypress accord, I think that juniper (especially in combination with cypress) often gives the impression of white musk and a "synthetic" quality, because I often see juniper heavy scents being labeled heavily synthetic, whether they are or aren't. That's not really all that surprising as juniper smells fresh and clean, but still a bit 'scratchy' - aka, the same odor profile as many cheaper white musks.

I'm quite sensitive to a number of musks and Brooklyn doesn't bother my nose at all. Now, that's not to say this is not highly synthetic, but I must say that it doesn't have that synthetic "feel" to me that many scents do. The juniper here seems authentic (and why not, juniper is cheap), as does the cedar. I think the geranium is real but also bolstered by some synthetics as it is far stronger than normal geranium and lasts longer, too. It's a great and fresh geranium oriented woody fragrance. It's like a simpler and more versatile take on Terre d'Hermes to me, and smells more natural to boot. I think TdH is the more artistic fragrance, but I like Brooklyn on my skin far better.
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post #42 of 43
12/2/10 at 3:58am
I owned full bottles of Brooklyn twice. IMHO, it's just not that great. Sold it both times.
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post #43 of 43
12/2/10 at 4:02am
The dry down is proving to be a bit lackluster, after all. I feel that Givenchy Play's is similar but has more depth and body. It's a shame, too, as the opening and heart notes were excellent.
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