Underrated Bond No. 9s...

[MFfan310]

Lately, I've been thinking about the Bond No. 9 line, as I love the concept, and the juices are usually quite exceptional.

However, for all the Wall Streets, Fire Islands, and Chinatowns that get talked about constantly here on Basenotes, there's still a lot of other scents in the line. And many of them get ignored here, so that's why I started this thread.

My pick for an underrated Bond No. 9 scent: the unisex Gramercy Park. One of the original Bonds, it's a smooth green scent with floral undertones and a clean feel in a Mugler Cologne sort of way (even though they don't have many similarities). The lasting power is excellent, too, especially for a green scent.

Anyone else want to share their two cents... I mean subway tokens?

[rach2jlc]

Excellent topic, thanks for starting it. As much bad press as Bond gets (sometimes deservedly), it is also nice to note when they do something right.

My pick for favorite underrated scent is West Broadway.

Has a similar sweet/candy vibe ala Cannabis Santal and A*Men, but still holds its own in distinction and with a definite hint of class in there that makes it more wearable. Also has excellent longevity. I'm down to my last 15mls in my 100ml bottle... don't know if I'll buy another (unless I get a really good deal), but I DEFINITELY don't feel my money was wasted on it.

[ifconfig]

Where was this thread when I was contemplating what Bonds to get? I bought Riverside Drive and Chez Bond. West Broadway sounds great.

[rach2jlc]

Where was this thread when I was contemplating what Bonds to get? I bought Riverside Drive and Chez Bond. West Broadway sounds great.

Yeah, Fred, at the time I didn't know how much you'd like Cannabis Santal and so didn't even think to push full-on for West Broadway. By no means are they clones of each other, but they do have a similar classy, refined yet mature sweetness to them (unlike the more playful A*men). But, I think you'd really like West Broadway if you can find some to try. I wish I weren't down to my last little speck or I'd send you some. It and Riverside Drive are still my favorites.

[Jock_With_Scents]

I like West Broadway as well. I think that Riverside Drive is very classy smelling. But I agree that West Broadway is not talked about alot, but is very good IMHO.

[zr0e]

I think that most of this line is underrated. Especially on this board.

I have Riverside Drive, New Haarlem and Bleecker Street, I think all three are finely made and utterly wearable. I paid retail for Bleecker Street and I think it's worth it, as are the other two.

[Trebor]

Whoops! I think I entered the wrong thread!

Laters...

[Jock_With_Scents]

I like Bond No. 9 for their longevity and quality. I am beginning to appreciate some Creeds too. I am not on the board with an agenda for any house. If it smells good I will wear it. Could care less about Oliver Creed, or Laurice Rahme, Frederic Malle....don't care about marketing strategies, or who has been at this the longest. I smell it..if I like it, cool..if not...I move to next bottle to sniff.

[lsp_NY]

Gramercy Park has always been in my wish list. When I have recovered from my holiday expenses, I will look for a deal for a bottle of this underrated Bond No. 9.

My pick for an underrated Bond No. 9 scent: the unisex Gramercy Park. One of the original Bonds, it's a smooth green scent with floral undertones and a clean feel in a Mugler Cologne sort of way (even though they don't have many similarities). The lasting power is excellent, too, especially for a green scent.

[greyhueofdoubt]

I would consider buying Riverside if I felt that it projected itself a little more.

I bought West Broadway based on the tester at the shop (they use cotton balls in little glass jars). The drydown for this stuff is exceptional- in fact, it has one of the best I know. However (and sadly for me), the opening is night-and-day different from the drydown. I just put some on before I head to the bar, and it opens with gummy-bears. Seriously. Most of the reason that I'm posting here on BN is to bide my time until that sugary confection dissipates and I'm left with the better midnotes. I'm still glad that I bought it, but damn, I wish I had sprayed some fresh stuff into the tester jar before I payed.


Bleecker St. is nice (and it gets RAVE reviews from everyone who approaches the tester), but I always feel like it has a lot in common with the drydown of Visit, which I already own. I kind of like nuits de noho as well, but i suspect that the topnotes would turn me off.


-ben

[MarkDavid]

For me, I've always loved NOUVEAU BOWERY. I've heard many negative things about this, but I've always been a lover of lime in fragrances and this one, for me, is one lime that doesn't disappoint or fade. I love the basil as well.

[Lightninrod]

A very generous Bn'r gave me a sample of New Harlem recently . My first use of one and it's dry-down is nice. Very A*Men-like.

An East Indian woman wears Bond at our office; a LOT of Bond and she smell's wonderful but I forget which one specifically .


Dan

[Tuner_Watson]

I have yet to try one that I felt was underrated.

[rach2jlc]

I have yet to try one that I felt was underrated.

Could you be more specific? I mean, which ones did you try? What about them didn't you like? I'm just asking because I'm trying to figure out if much of the distaste with Bond comes from the order of having tried them.

For example, if I had started with scents like Great Jones, Little Italy, or The Hamptons (all of which I found rather lackluster) instead of West Broadway, New Haarlem, Nuits de Noho, or Riverside Drive (all of which I find pretty great), I'd probably also have a fairly negative view of Bond as well. I was lucky in my early Bond samplers, I guess... or I had recommendations from some trusted noses (unfortunately, none of which speak English, or I'd get them to join us here!)

[zztopp]

For example, if I had started with scents like Great Jones, Little Italy, or The Hamptons (all of which I found rather lackluster) instead of West Broadway, New Haarlem, Nuits de Noho, or Riverside Drive (all of which I find pretty great), I'd probably also have a fairly negative view of Bond as well.

Although I like and own New Haarlem, it is slammed for being too similar to Rochas Man (which I haven't tried)

[rach2jlc]

Although I like and own New Haarlem, it is slammed for being too similar to Rochas Man (which I haven't tried)

I've owned New Haarlem and tried Rochas Man and never really made that connection. Maybe they're in the same universe, but to be honest, I feel it is sort of like slamming a Bentley because it takes the same kind of gasoline as a Subaru. Even for Bond scents that I found boring or like other fragrances (for example, Great Jones reminded me a lot of Quorum), nevertheless they still had a certain refinement lacking in the cheaper, mass market version. Not enough to warrant the price difference, of course, but anyway...

[Tuner_Watson]

Sorry, I was being a little flippant. I think I tried most of their original ones about three years ago at their Madison Avenue shop near Barneys. Some of them seemed nice, but 15 minutes later every single one had gone down hill. My impression was that they were not made to the standards that the staff of the shop had proclaimed. I remember being put off because the staff kept insisting that I needed to buy something because then I would be able to impress the proprietor of my local perfume shop with the fact that I owned one of the fabulous and exclusive Bond No. 9 fragrances.

Within the last few months I have sampled, I think, most of the ones you name, rach2jlc. None of them made much of an impression, except for New Haarlem, which I would definitely consider buying if I wanted to smell like one of those Coffee Nips candies. New Haarlem struck me as a very elegant execution of the Coffee Nips candy concept, which is not a bad thing, just not for me.

[rach2jlc]

My impression was that they were not made to the standards that the staff of the shop had proclaimed. I remember being put off because the staff kept insisting that I needed to buy something because then I would be able to impress the proprietor of my local perfume shop with the fact that I owned one of the fabulous and exclusive Bond No. 9 fragrances.

Fair enough. Self-created snobbery, which we all know is rampant with "niche" brands, really turns me off as well. Luckily, my experience with Bond and most niche brands was outside of the mainstream (first trying them in Japan, with some close friends who had boutiques, then further through fellow Bnoters), so in most cases I've been spared the PR Gestapo. Perhaps much of my distaste with Creed is similar to yours with Bond; unfortunately some early encounters at Neimans and the like with buyers/sellers/Sales Associates of Creed who tried to make me swallow the hype totally turned me off. I didn't want to be one of "those people"... I just wanted to smell good!

[zztopp]

I remember being put off because the staff kept insisting that I needed to buy something because then I would be able to impress the proprietor of my local perfume shop with the fact that I owned one of the fabulous and exclusive Bond No. 9 fragrances.

LOL are you serious ? Thats the most distasteful thing i have heard in perfumery !

[Tuner_Watson]

That's pretty much what they said, and I interpreted it as a silly appeal to snobbery. But maybe some context is in order. I'm sure it came up on conversation where I usually shopped, a place that moves a lot of Creed in this area, and it was around the time Laurice Rahme had launched Bond. I suppose they were hoping to enlist established Creed retailers to carry the line, and thought I might become a missionary. It could even have been Laurice Rahme whom I was talking to, and it's possible she was subject to a noncompete agreement for a time after leaving Creed and could not initiate contact with their retailers.

[MarkDavid]

In 2003, the day Bond set up half of the CREED boutique on Madison Avenue, I happened to stop by. Smelled many, walked out with Riverside Drive. I bought it the day it came out, having heard nothing about this line at all. I was going in for CREED and walked out with a Bond.

Well, inside the boutique that day, the mood was "this is going to be really special, limited quantities, very hard to get, etc."

And now, I don't find that to be the case at all. And while I do in fact love many of the Bonds, I'm beginning to see them in many stores that, by all rights, probably should not be selling them. I don't find that their exclusive anymore. I find they're being shoved down people's throats, frankly.

And whatever, I mean business is business. But I like owning something that no one else has and thats no longer the case.

[Jock_With_Scents]

MarkDavid..based on your argument of Bond pushing their stuff on people and being sold in stores that shouldn't...why do you own Creed then? Their stuff is more commonly found online and in stores than Bond IMHO. Neither of these houses are exclusive in that regard to me. Creed is everywhere, even in some Kmart stores. I don't think I have seen a Bond there yet.

[robyogi]

Could you be more specific? I mean, which ones did you try? What about them didn't you like? I'm just asking because I'm trying to figure out if much of the distaste with Bond comes from the order of having tried them.

For example, if I had started with scents like Great Jones, Little Italy, or The Hamptons (all of which I found rather lackluster) instead of West Broadway, New Haarlem, Nuits de Noho, or Riverside Drive (all of which I find pretty great), I'd probably also have a fairly negative view of Bond as well. I was lucky in my early Bond samplers, I guess... or I had recommendations from some trusted noses (unfortunately, none of which speak English, or I'd get them to join us here!)

I've tried most of them, and actually in the reverse order that you tried them. Out of all of them, Wall Street is my favorite. It's similar to Creed's Imperial, but just different enough to stand on its own, IMO. New Haarlem is one I can also appreciate, but due to the generosity of a Basenoter, I just recently had the chance to compare New Haarlem to Rochas Man, and they are very similar. I like Rochas Man better actually, because it's not a syrupy sweet throughout, it loses some of its sweetness as the coffee (mocha, latte?) emerges. New Haarlem stays too sweet too long for my tastes. It makes sense that they'd smell the same, since they were made by the same perfumer (Roucel).

Otherwise, I was very disappointed with all the other Bond scents. West Broadway was much too sweet, and then generic, ditto Bleecker Street; Scent of Peace smelled like grape kool-aid; and in my mind, too many of the others are too derivative of other fragrances to warrant their prices.

[MarkDavid]

What KMarts are selling CREED?

I never bought CREED because of exclusivity.

Online retailing is a bit different. Everything can be found online within 3 seconds, regardless of how exclusive it is.

I don't know, I guess it just irritated me b/c I now see that it was merely a ploy to get me to purchase Riverside Drive that day - opening day sales tactics I suppose.

Though in comparison, I will always hold CREED on a higher plane than Bond.

[zztopp]

What KMarts are selling CREED?

Oh wow really? Can someone get me some Acier Aluminium and Vetiver '48 from there ?

A few friends just bought various Bond no. 9s on Ebay for $60-$70. I got my New Haarlem off Ebay too ($75) and it smells great. They are slowly but surely increasing in number - as the house of Bond no. 9 ages, old stock will creep online with more regularity.

[Jock_With_Scents]

I like Creed and Bond, and hold both in high regard, but I guess if you are lookin' for a reason not to like something you can always find justification.

Mark David..you never bought Creed for their exclusivity? But you say you like to buy scents for their exclusivity? I am confused.
Oh well....not arguing...just seems like you are contradicting yourself. If you don't like Bond for whatever reason, that is cool. But your argument that Bonds are no longer exclusive is a weak one at best. And you have 8 Creeds in your drobe.

[MarkDavid]

yes, justification was never very difficult for me to find. Lol.

[Jock_With_Scents]

Well at least you have come clean. thanks for the clarification.