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New Haarlem Question (or perhaps a general gourmand question)

post #1 of 24
10/25/11 at 12:35am
Thread Starter 
Here's the scoop.

I want to blind-buy Bond No. 9's New Haarlem because, well, I LOVE coffee. The aroma alone just flows from my nose and straight to the mood chamber in my brain and, quicker than it takes to kill a single shot of espresso on a chilly winter's morning, fills my whole body with warmth.

My girlfriend just bought Fancy Love by Jessica Simpson. It smells quite delicious on her and fits her personality pretty well.

And to sweeten the pot, my girlfriend works at a coffee house.

Now, here comes my concern. Is New Haarlem too sweet to be around another fairly sweet scent? For instance, what would happen if the both of us were taking a three-hour road trip? Too much?

Reading reviews, I keep finding that it generally "smells like a fresh brew of cappuccino with a serving of warm French toast topped with sweet maple syrup and velvety vanilla whip cream."

What does it REALLY smell like? Is it a christened vial of Mrs. Buttersworth's personal syrup mixed with a vanilla latte? I get that it may make you feel like you're about to indulge in the most perfect breakfast in the history of mankind to start the day. Metaphors aside, how does New Haarlem affect your nose, and is this an everyday-scent/certain-occasion type of fragrance?

I apologize for all of the questions and even more so appreciate any help with picking out my new fragrance. Again, I absolutely do love coffee, and I hope this is the scent I've been looking for.

Momentarily deprived of caffeine and cologne,
Jeff
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post #2 of 24
10/25/11 at 1:59am
To be honest with you, I don't get as much coffee out of this as a lot of other people talk about. I get a lot more maple syrup and sugary latte than anything. It doesn't really smell like a coffee shop to me. However, I have only tried this once a while back so take it for what its worth. I just think it's worth mentioning that there are other fragrances with coffee as more of the primary note. Seems to be more in the background in NH. I've also never smelled Fancy Love, so I'm not sure how it would mesh with your cologne choice. I think you would be fine though as long as neither of you bathe in your fragrances. Good luck on your endeavor!
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post #3 of 24
10/25/11 at 2:07am
It is a must try before you buy as it is so expensive. I think NH is like having thick maple syrup poured onto my skin and a teaspoon of coffee sprinkled ontop.lol..... It makes me feel really uncomfortable.

For me Rochas Man is so much better as it is lighter without the thick maple syrup feeling and way more affordable.
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post #4 of 24
10/25/11 at 2:34am
smells like cotton candy
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post #5 of 24
10/25/11 at 3:27am
It's not sweet but it is heavy. You don't want to buy this one without trying believe me. It's quite good and unique but it need to be sampled before you buy it.
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post #6 of 24
10/25/11 at 6:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

For me Rochas Man is so much better as it is lighter without the thick maple syrup feeling and way more affordable.

Agree.
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post #7 of 24
10/25/11 at 6:57am
From my experience, its sweetness level depends on how you apply it on your skin. With my official Bond No. 9 sample/decant, which I dab on my skin, it turns really sweet and and a little bit offensive. On the other hand, when sprayed from the actual perfume bottle to my skin, it's never too sweet nor too loud -- I guess, like most eau de parfums, this is how New Haarlem is meant to be worn and how it's meant to develop.
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post #8 of 24
10/25/11 at 10:43am
It's a great scent, but definitely get a sample (online, if need be) before buying it. I'm a huge coffee lover, and I don't get much of that note from it; it's sweet, thick and yummy, but doesn't have the faintly bitter bite that I associate with coffee. This is one of my favorite fragrances, but I just don't see myself wearing it frequently enough to justify its astronomical cost.
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post #9 of 24
10/25/11 at 1:28pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks so much for your replies! That helps me out a BUNCH.

I won't be buying this until I try a sample.

One last bit of curiosity: Can New Haarlem be sensual or sexy to women if worn by the right man?

Thanks!
Jeff
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post #10 of 24
10/25/11 at 1:40pm
I blind bought it and love it, but that was the chance I took. For the high price I would advise to try before you buy. If your a fan of rochas man or givenchy play intense, your going to love New Harrlem. With that said I'm not a fan of any other Bond NO 9 scents...
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post #11 of 24
10/25/11 at 3:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiberije View Post

It's not sweet but it is heavy. You don't want to buy this one without trying believe me. It's quite good and unique but it need to be sampled before you buy it.

I find this scent to be extremely sweet. I prefer I <3 NY for All, much less sweet / lighter version of gourmande by Bond
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post #12 of 24
10/25/11 at 6:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MonkeyBars View Post

I find this scent to be extremely sweet. I prefer I <3 NY for All, much less sweet / lighter version of gourmande by Bond

Yes - I've only worn that one once, but I REALLY enjoyed it. Hate to make your choice more difficult, Jeff, but this is a strong competitor to New Haarlem, IMO.
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post #13 of 24
10/25/11 at 6:30pm
1. Don't ever blind buy anything, especially one so expensive. Seems you've come around and are going to smell it first. Bravo!
2. I don't get "sweet" from New Haarlem at all. Yes, it has a maple smell; but not sugary maple, more like an unprocessed maple smell layered over coffee. Think the sap, not Mrs. Butterworth's.
3. I think anything can be sexy. If a woman likes you and associates a pleasant smell with you, she'll think it's sexy. And New Haarlem is definitely pleasant -- I get more compliments on it than any other I wear.
4. Totally agree with Checker. This is the only Bond I enjoy. Caveat: haven't yet tried I Love NY for All.
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post #14 of 24
10/25/11 at 9:22pm
Thread Starter 
You've all convinced me to snag a candy-wrapper sample of New Haarlem off eBay tonight. I seriously cannot wait for it to get here!

I've decided that if I don't like it, I'll move forward and get a sample of I Love NY For All. Thanks for the tip!

And barclaydetolly, I really hope I smell what you smell out of this. That's what I'm looking for. And if it wasn't for your thought-provoking Rule #3, I wouldn't have even ordered a sample based on those sugary reports. Thanks.

Jeff
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post #15 of 24
10/25/11 at 10:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JBarry87 View Post

To be honest with you, I don't get as much coffee out of this as a lot of other people talk about. I get a lot more maple syrup and sugary latte than anything. It doesn't really smell like a coffee shop to me. However, I have only tried this once a while back so take it for what its worth. I just think it's worth mentioning that there are other fragrances with coffee as more of the primary note. Seems to be more in the background in NH. I've also never smelled Fancy Love, so I'm not sure how it would mesh with your cologne choice. I think you would be fine though as long as neither of you bathe in your fragrances. Good luck on your endeavor!

This. I imagine it as pure maple syrup, and a very toned down coffee note that hides in the background.
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post #16 of 24
10/25/11 at 10:46pm
haha I don't get much coffee out of it ... mostly french toast w/ syrup lol
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post #17 of 24
10/25/11 at 11:32pm
I get tons of lavander in New Haarlem and I don't find it to be "gourmand". It's not to sweet, it's not projection monster (that's a good thing). It's a verry classy perfume and elegant. I personally don't like it because of lavander. It's not worth the money
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post #18 of 24
10/26/11 at 5:21am
While I've only owned it for two weeks, this is what I get. When I smell it I don't really get coffee BUT if I drink a cup of coffee with a vanilla flavored creamer and then smell the empty cup about 30 minutes later, it has some similar notes to New Haarlem. So to me New Haarlem doesn't smell like vanilla coffee but vanilla coffee smells like New Haarlem (I know this doesn't make sense). I don't get fresh ground coffee bean smell.

It opens up sweet but the dry down is not as sweet and the coffee note seems to decrease. At first the fragrance is gourmand and then for me it turns into a semi gourmand. Other notes appear on the dry down. Could be the patchouli, cedar, and vanilla.

I would sample and not buy blind. I love this scent.
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post #19 of 24
10/26/11 at 9:24am
If you ever had mocha coffee or caramel macchiato from Starbucks -- that's how New Haarlem's dominant notes smell like.
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post #20 of 24
10/26/11 at 10:13am
i don't get much coffee vibe from it either, at least not the bitter fresh ground coffee bean scent.
But about 3 -4 hours later, I do get a creamy vibe that is very similar to latte or creamy coffee, still not the bitter kind.

projection is moderate for the first 2-3 hours and to my skin, it gets fairly close after 5 hr mark, which is a shame because I think 5hr till the end is the best stage with the coffee creaminess.

staying power is very good; i usually go 12+ hours, but the later half is pretty close to the skin.
but it's an excellent frag and i love it!
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post #21 of 24
10/26/11 at 2:41pm
I own it and it's a very good fragrance, but the coffee note isn't the prominent note I smell. It's more in the opening and it becomes sweeter (like maple syrup) during the heart and drydown. Buy Rochas Man first because they're very similar and some prefer it over New Haarlem.
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post #22 of 24
10/26/11 at 2:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MonkeyBars View Post

I find this scent to be extremely sweet. I prefer I <3 NY for All, much less sweet / lighter version of gourmande by Bond

I don't like NY for All at All. It's nicely made scent but not my type.
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post #23 of 24
10/26/11 at 3:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

It is a must try before you buy as it is so expensive. I think NH is like having thick maple syrup poured onto my skin and a teaspoon of coffee sprinkled ontop.lol..... It makes me feel really uncomfortable.

For me Rochas Man is so much better as it is lighter without the thick maple syrup feeling and way more affordable.

Exactly how I feel, get Rochas Man great price great scent.
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post #24 of 24
10/27/11 at 8:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by soccerhero View Post

One last bit of curiosity: Can New Haarlem be sensual or sexy to women if worn by the right man?

Thanks!
Jeff

Old Spice can be sexy if worn by the right man. It's a nice scent, but yes please, sample it. In our passion for scents, some of us get a bit ovely flowery in our descriptions of a frag. That description is your original post here is a bit over the top.
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