Bond No.9's Island

Bond No. 9’s Island opens with a fresh, crisp burst of ginger and mint that comes across almost citrus-like in its brightness, giving the scent an airy and clean introduction with a subtle aquatic undertone. The mint feels cool and refreshing without leaning herbal, while the ginger adds a light sparkle that keeps the opening feeling lively and refined. As it develops, the fragrance settles into a soft green aquatic profile where seaweed and green notes create a natural, rounded coastal feel. The composition becomes smoother and less sharp, maintaining an airy quality while losing the initial crisp edge. It avoids the typical synthetic “blue” aquatic style, instead leaning into a more organic, slightly vegetal freshness with very little sweetness. Into the drydown, a gentle amber warmth begins to emerge alongside soft woods, gradually adding depth without disrupting the overall cool and airy character. A clean musk joins the base, smoothing everything together and enhancing the diffusion, resulting in a balanced blend of green aquatic freshness with a subtle warm, musky-amber foundation. Overall, this is a high-quality and somewhat unique take on an aquatic fragrance, emphasizing a natural green marine feel over a typical fresh blue profile. The drydown stands out as the most enjoyable phase, where the combination of amber and musk creates a smooth and appealing finish. Longevity is moderate at around 5 hours, with a consistent and cohesive evolution throughout. 8/10

I don't care how generic this feels, it is undeniably good. The mint, which subtly reminds me of Heeley Menthe Fraiche, is done in such a perfect way in how it supports the fresh notes. The ginger, basil, and mint create a beautiful, fresh, herbaceous tone, while the green notes add an aldehydic support system without being soapy. Towards the end, the amber and moss start to come out, giving it some masculine backbone. This is NOT unique at all, however, this composition is masterfully done. It's maybe one of the most energizing fragrances I have tried without being citrus-forward. EDIT: I sprayed a card with it last night, and I am revisiting it now. I took a sniff and had a wild flash of Green Irish Tweed pop up. This is like the modern-day take on GIT with added freshness, but only on the complete drydown. I did wear this today and really enjoyed it. I wish it projected a bit more, but goddamn, this just smells so good in such a simple and basic way.

I feel like it is my official duty to come here and tell you how beautiful this fragrance is. This was a blind buy for me based on the fact that I’m somewhat of a Bond No 9 fan and I trust the quality of their scents, and I like freshies regardless. But when I smelled this one- it was an instant home run. This smells like Bleu de Chanel (edt) took a tropical vacation and came back new, improved, and refreshed, ready for the summer and ready for a fun, vibrant, and fresh season. There are a lot of green notes listed, but honestly this is a blue fragrance for me. I don’t know what it is, but I get a strong powdery blue refreshing vibe from this one. My wife is hard to please, but she liked this one as well. Easily one of my favorite Bond scents out of the 5 bottles I own and 6 additional decants I’ve come across. (The other ones I like are Greenwich, Bleeker, Scent of Peace, Hamptons, and maybe Signature).

I have smelled multiple times from a tester decant from the bond representative and I have it on a test strip here’s what I get, it starts of with beatiful white ginger and a citrus scent mixed with an aquatic mint but it is a bit more faint. Imagine you take Ysl Y eau fraiche and you make it more aquatic and use more expensive natural ingredients and add the best smelling amber at the base of it and this is exactly what you get. If you are a fan of fresh summer scents then this is the one for you I can’t seem to find anything bad to say about this one. This fragrance is like the perfect fusion between ysl y eau fraiche and virgin island water. You can expect to get about 8 hours on skin.

Finally available here in Australia and waited a few weeks for my presale purchase. The top notes of ginger, basil and mint blend perfectly. I’m glad it’s not a toothpasty mint as it’s very subtle. It’s a really different freshie for spring and the seaweed note is more like sushi seaweed as opposed to the marine skanky fishy type. Overall it’s very green marine and so long lasting and totally different to any green fragrance I own. Solid amber/sandalwood base rounds it out.Long lasting and very unique in my opinion and also one of the best new Bond releases.

This is my definitive favorite aquatic cologne, and it’s not even close. Others are either just too generic, mediocre scent, awful performance, etc. This one smells somewhat unique while still familiar, and has crazy performance on me.

10/10 opening smells like this prada frag (luna rossa ocean i think) and is extremely versatile edit:smells like dish soap after a while

For sure leans more masculine. It's very aromatic at the opening. The mint is strong at first, but only lasts like 20min. Slight green grassy feel in the undertone to it too. The ginger is at the forefront after the massive mint dies off and this is a really FRESH cut ginger. Not the dry rooty smelling kind...but the freshly cut, bright, piercing citric ginger. It has the ever slightest floral undertone whafting in the background at this point....but again, it's more masculine aromatic than it is floral. And that fresh cut ginger is the star player. The ginger note seems to last a really long time in this. Well into the mids to dry down. The seaweed/oakmoss is detectable...but it's buried under a massive sludge of Ambrox so it never really has that pungent algae sea vibe. The more I smell it, I keep detecting Dihydromyrcenol (molecule that's massively dosed in Davidoff Cool Water) which is probably why it leans so masculine aromatic. Subtle, but there.... Oakmoss does finally come out around the 6-7 hour mark, but faintly as a skin scent. Yes this fragrance does last 7 hours on skin (at least on me it did). As a blind buy, it's pretty good! Although I think the name "Island" isn't appropriate as this doesn't smell like vacation or tropical at all. It's just a typical aromatic men's frag with a fresh-spicy backbone that has a slight ocean (not to be confused with watery aquatic) twist. Scent (Good) - 7/10 Longevity (Good) 7/10 Originality (Meh) - 4/10

Bond No. 9's Island definitely does remind me of a niche level take on Y Eau Fraiche which has already been discontinued for a few years now so this is really a solid alternative to that fragrance if you were a fan of it. It doesn't have that synthetic "plasticy" note that I got in the drydown of the YSL and this smells higher quality overall. The scent trail this leaves behind is truly one of the closest to an actual ocean breeze that I've experienced and you will get noticed within the first couple hours. That said, while I do like this release (the bottle alone made me want it), to be totally honest it's rather basic for the price even from a discounter. No citrus or fruit notes in a summer scent is unusual but it kinda works in a simplified kind of way. The performance seems average on my skin lasting maybe about 5-6 hours at the most. Definitely sample this before you buy as some may find it just too underwhelming but it does its job well enough as a summer scent, and who knows this may come alive in the extreme heat. The ingredients used are high quality however, I have to give it that, but just wish the perfumer had added a lime note or something to make it pop with a bit more interest.

Recently purchased this. Top notes very green, fresh aromatic. The longevity is terrible given the price point. Under two hours. After more wears: Bahamas in a bottle. The best thing about this is the beautiful bottle that reminds you of a tropical island with the hues of green, white and blue. The green, white and blue also symbolize the scent profile of the perfume: herbal green, and fresh aquatic. There is something familiar about the fragrance. It reminds you of the 90s fresh, aquatic classics like CK One and ADG, but modernizes and evolves the scent profile. No discernable citrus notes; but a powerful accord of the herbs, seaweed, ambergris and moss. The scent is quite comforting with soft projection. This is not a room filler but creates an intimate bubble. However, for the price, with such a simple scent profile, this is not a good value. I reach for this on spring and summer warm days and for gym, casual days at home in the other seasons.

This is a super easy to like scent for high heat that sticks to skin (I could smell it after a shower) that is actually pretty unique. It's not super minty or herbal on the openin, and not fishy from the seaweed. The final drydown is really nice and my favorite part of the experience, with the oakmoss, champaca, and sandalwood. I think bond designed this for mass appeal. I'd put it in the same category as Pacific Rock Moss and Millésime Impérial. Easy to wear light aquatic. I think the Creed and Goldfield Banks get a slight edge on quality. If you want get positive feedback in the heat, wear this. If you want something more daring, reach for Wallstreet. ----------------------------------------------- Scent 78/100 Performance 85/100

Starts off Very aromatic and herby with a nice spicy ginger zing and minty freshness, then you get the green slightly salty sea vibes and a nice lightly mossy and woody base. Average performance and overpriced but a nice spring summer scent perfect for hot days. Definitely has an aquatic feel

This to me is Bond's take on Pacific Chill. I would say it's like a combination between Pacific Chill and Greenley. It's minty soapy and appley. It has that Bond DNA that reminds me of Beekman Place or Sutton Place but more dialed back. Might be full bottle worthy

Phenomenal. But there's a problem Lattafa will sell you a $20 version that misses the mark by around 10-15% if you have $300 for this please donate it to a charity and buy the same thing for a fraction.

I smelled this last year so I’m going off memory and I woke vote on fragrantica until I smell this again, but I remember this being a very generic freshie with an aquatic twist that didn’t work too well. It seemed like it was trying too hard to be different in the fresh category, but I didn’t test it on skin so I’m not sure whether there was a difference from tester strip and skin

I really really wanted to enjoy this a bit more. I love everything about the initial spray but the drydown was a bit nauseating. It reminds me of a better version of their Wall Street fragrance, but I just can't stand what it smells like on my skin. I think its the seaweed that's throwing me off. For the price, I don't want a fragrance that I'm limited to wearing on clothes only.

This smells like a cologne in wore in high school (Hollister Jake), it’s nothing special and pretty generic smelling. Opening was nice but the dry down was not great.

Took a couple of days off to recuperate after losing an entire review to some dark hole in Fragrantica's coding, but I'm back today with another Bond No. 9 review. Today we have Bond No. 9's Island; what I'm assuming based on the name to be a fresh, watery type fragrance. As I've stated before, I don't have too much knowledge of the BN9 house outside of the couple I've reviewed, so I'm not sure what to expect with this one; but given that it's such a highly regarded house I have high expectations for it. Let's get into it; Scent: The opening is aquatic, green, and fresh spicy. The primary notes I get are seaweed, white ginger, water mint, and green notes. The strongest of the notes are the seaweed and white ginger. The fragrance opens up with a blast of white ginger; fresh and spicy with a distinct citrusy kick. Following closely behind is the seaweed bringing a salty and slightly ozonic marine accord. Next up is the water mint and green notes. The water mint is easily recognizable as a well-defined minty note nuanced with watery qualities. Lastly, the non-descript green note adds a bit more greenery on the back end. The dry down is ambery, aquatic, and green. The primary notes I get are seaweed, amber, white ginger, and sandalwood. The strongest of the notes are the seaweed and amber. The seaweed still carries the same oceanic, green, salty accord from the opening, just a bit more mellowed out. The amber has risen to the top in the dry down with a resinous, sweet, warmth to contrast the seaweed and add depth. This is followed by the white ginger and sandalwood. The white ginger still confers the same citrusy, fresh spiciness from the opening but dialed back. Lastly, the sandalwood has come out in the dry down to provide some soft, slightly powdery woodiness in the background. There's also a distinct ozonic/metallic quality in the dry down that comes across a bit screechy, similar to Creed's Silver Mountain Water. Performance: Projection and sillage in the first hour are strong. Projection extends out about 6 feet and the scent trail is easily noticeable. After a few hours the projection was about 3 feet and the scent trail was a bit weaker but still noticeable. The fragrance became a skin scent right around the 7 hour mark. When to wear: Bond No. 9's Island is a spring/summer fragrance best suited for daytime wear. This fragrance wears casual and is perfect for wearing to the beach, a poolside party, or just hanging out with friends. Since it feels so casual, I wouldn't consider this appropriate for anything formal or for office wear. Blind buy: This is not what I would consider a safe blind buy. Seaweed is a pretty unusual note and not everyone is going to enjoy it. Couple that with the metallic ozone accord in the dry down, and this makes for a fragrance that is best sampled first. Final verdict: My experience with Bond No. 9's Island started out promising, but ended on a sour note, no pun intended. The opening is a revitalizing blend of aquatic and green notes nuanced with spicy citrus qualities. However, by the time the fragrance dries down it's devolved into a jumble of accords with an overarching screechy ozonic quality. It's the same quality that keeps me from enjoying Silver Mountain Water in its entirety. Moving on, performance was respectable for a fresh fragrance with strong push and scent trails for the first hour and lasting about 7 before fading away. Versatility is average with this being a good pick for anything casual in the warm months, but that's about it. Mass-appeal takes a big hit with the uncommon seaweed note and that screechy ozonic tone in the dry down. I'm sure it goes without saying at this point, but this is a BN9 fragrance I'll be skipping. If you like fresh fragrances with that metallic, ozonic tinge to them like Silver Mountain Water, give this one a sample; you may really like it. But it's not for me. Scent: 5/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 7/10

This smells like Chlorine and Musk are fucking in a hot tub. Whatever my skin did to this scent is terrible.

Story time I purchased this from the official website the day came out. Let me just tell you Bond number 9's customer service is absolutely atrocious. I'm not even a first-time customer. I tried this on. I immediately was not impressed. It just doesn't work for me and it only lasts about 1 to 2 hours on my skin so I contacted them for a refund. They stated that they do not refund items that have been used. The website says that they will return lightly used items. Anyway, on top of that they expect me to pay for the return shipping. This is a luxury company? I don't think I'll ever be buying from their website again. Why would I pay premium price for this garbage service.

Def not unisex. I smell like a man. A dead sexy man, but it ain't unisex. I'm not getting any of the ginger or mint. On my skin, it went straight to expensive men's cologne, and my brain refused to interpret it as anything else. The longevity, though? Outstanding. I've been followed by that gorgeous imaginary man for the last six hours.

Besed on the note brakedown, this could soon be the first Bond fragrance on my collection. Basil, mint, ginger... I see no chance for this to go wrong. High Hopes! May 24th 2025 Tested it last week. The aroma chemicals used here are terrible! You'll Be bathed in a repulsive cocktail of amboxan . 🤢🤮

I have sampled this and it seemed like a light musk to me, with some floral, basil, and ginger notes. Don't worry about the seaweed, I couldn't smell it. I thought it was reminiscent of LV California Dream, though not completely the same. Definitely unisex.

People voting it down before it’s out is out of control.. I mean who hurt you?? This is probably out of your price range anyways... go find a clone of it

For anyone interested, you can find this on Maxaroma for $224 right now, $195 after sign up code. That’s the cheapest i’ve seen it so far.

Looks like the same notes as shelter island Edit: I have a sample and it's similar to sutton place I like it tho

Hey person below me.. why would they pay shipping for something you don’t like? You could have sampled it first

Aquatic, tropical, fresh green. Smells really nice if you ask me. Performance and projections kind of suck tho

The opening first 30 minutes is very vibrant aquatic freshie with green notes. Smell wise a 10/10

More like Epstein’s Island, this smells like kid’s shampoo

Smells like Clinique happy for men if it was an extrait.

great natural manly scent that lasts. 8/10