Queens (2014)
by Bond No. 9

Doesn't smell bad but it leans feminine to me. Fizzy berries with a very light and airy feel. Has the "hairspray" smell.

Average projection but lasts all day.

Bn9 New York Amber smells great, but Queens' combination of berries and amber doesn't work. I don't know what the obsession with Bn9 has with berries, but they usually clash with an otherwise nice fragrance. Definately feminine. Berries, amber, lipstick-wax. Bn9 has more fragrances that I've had to scrub off than any other company.

I loved this one as soon as I smelled it in the Bond shop.

It is more feminine than most of the fragrances that I wear, and like Francop, the more I wear it, the more I love it.

The berry notes are entirely lost on me- I don't sense them at all. Maybe a hint of cardamom but otherwise no top notes. I'm enveloped by tuberose straight away, which gives way after a time to patchouli and amber.

Perfect for a Bridal Shower, Easter or Church. It has the attributes of a scent that an older lady would wear, without being cloying or heavy.

I've always stayed away from Bond because of the vulgar packaging, but i think this one is a winner. Sillage and Longevity are strong

Queens smells to me like a butterscotch hard candy, but topped with berries and made fizzy with aldehydes. It dries down to a patchouli-laced pink pepper base, but the butterscotch candy lasts from start to finish.

It's important to note that Queens, while sweet and reminiscent of candy, really doesn't feel like a gourmand. The hints of toasted almonds and vanilla are equally matched by sandalwood and a patchouli that's more grass than caramel, so it achieves a nice balance that manages to smell sweet without smelling dumb.

Personally speaking, I prefer my ambers dark and smoky, but this might be great for someone raised on One Million and candy perfumes, but on the lookout for something a step up.

A berry note - I get hints of blackcurrant and blackberry mixed with cardamom - forms a delicious and quite original core of the opening phase. The drydown turns distinctly floral, on my skin dominated by a gentle and well-integrated tuberose, with touch of osmanthus added. The base notes are different again, based on wood notes - mainly sandal with a hint of cedar on me - with a pleasant light amber note emerging towards the end. These three phases - berry->floral->woodsy amber - make for good development in this scent that is never boring. Sillage is moderate, projection is good, and the longevity a very good seven hours. Great spring scent, and one of Bond No.9's most original compositions. 4/5.