Bond No. 9 – Eau de New York – Freshness comes at a price. 6/10.
Are you willing to pay niche prices for a fresh scent? Does it need to be something special or unique? These are questions I’m left to ponder when evaluating the merits of perfumes such as Bond No. 9 Eau de New York. Without a doubt, this is a well-constructed perfume – a neroli-centric composition. Soapy and fresh. However, does it have enough unique characteristics for the extravagant price? Can it separate itself from the rank and file? Probably not.
Don’t get me wrong, though. Eau de New York has a lot going for it. Green notes, basil, and lemon verbena give it a distinctly herbal, bitter quality. They combine to add another layer of freshness to the citrus and neroli notes. The inclusion of oakmoss and woody notes in the dry-down ensures Eau de New York easily outlasts competitors such as Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino and 4711. I enjoy 6 hours of longevity from this Bond. It turns out I bought my bottle at a discount, as I’d struggle to justify paying full retail for such a perfume. Especially when fragrances such as 4711 provides this sort of fresh out of the shower effect just as well, for a fraction of the price.
YSL – Live Jazz – YSL used to make good scents – 7/10
YSL and all that Jazz, Live Jazz, to be exact. Live Jazz is the 1998 flanker to the 1988 scent, Jazz. It opens aromatic and green with mint, citruses, and rhubarb dominating. Later, coriander, cedar, and nutmeg add a woody, spicy intervention, and the amber and vanilla in the base provide just a touch of smooth sweetness. Unquestionably, I could easily see this scent becoming someone’s signature scent and a very good one at that. Sadly, YSL lost their way somewhere along the line with their mainstream men’s perfumes, pumping out flanker after flanker to L’Homme. It would be nice if they could discover some old form and revert to the quality of their masculine releases from yesteryear. On the other hand, their women’s side of the business is looking a little more positive, as I did enjoy the original Libre from a couple of years ago.
Have you tried these two scents? Are fresh niche scents worth the price?
Note: Images are my own.