Fire Island

I've generally been kinda harsh in my criticism of Bond fragrances - I find that most of them are uninspired and overpriced. They tend to be quite assertive and long lasting, but that reflects the use of strong chemical fixatives more so than quality ingredients. All that said, I really like Fire Island. It seems to be one of the few Bonds in which the final product actually matches the underlying concept. This fragrance really does resemble the scent of high-end sunscreen, but it is so subtle and charming that you can't help but smile. Who wants to smell like sunscreen, right? It's true that Fire Island isn't all that versatile, but it works very well in the warmer months of the year. It's a very floral scent, being almost at the meeting point between a creamy tuberose and a breezy jasmine. Despite its floral nature, it can be worn by a man as easily as a woman. A little dash of cardamom keeps things interesting, though this isn't among the most nuanced fragrances around. A disclaimer - I snagged a small bottle of this at an excellent price, so my opinion may be slightly jaded. At retail price, Fire Island is a hard sell - its value is just too limited. But at the right price, this can be a great summer scent that evokes the feel of a classy beach resort.....without the fear of sunburn.

Keeps me wanting to sniff. A lovely watery fresh beachy scent. I had no idea it had patchouli in it when I first smelled it and tried it out. It is very very mild because - I cannot distinguish it as a patchouli fragrance. I probably would not have purchased this if it smelled like a "patchouli" scent. As far as the Suntan lotion debate - To me I do not smell Fire Island and think it smells of sunscreen/suntan lotion (Coppertone brand or Ban de Soleil)- no, not at all. What I do smell - is aquatic, summery, beachy fresh and is something lightly floral about it. I think maybe tuberose, or neroli? (I am sniffing on me -- as I write this) It is very well blended. As for smelling like Bobby Brown Beach - yes it does - and it is almost identical. However, that said, in a side by side Bobby Brown vs Fire Island test off -- Bobby Brown is the loser, as it is lost on Fire Island. Fire Island is stronger, longer lasting and all around smells better. Test for yourself and you will see. Edit - I have been wearing for 3 days straight now - and it has gotten 3 compliments - 1 each day by different people. Each different person was shocked that it was perfume - and all three had the same comment, "you smell very nice and fresh." Glad I purchased!

Although I've never actually been to Fire Island (I wish!); when I smell this I am immediately reminded of Euro sunscreens such as Ambre Solei: the association is undeniable. Growing up in Australia, we were always exposed to every type of sunscreen protection there was to offer, and Fire Island smells almost exactly like an expensive European sunscreen. There's nothing tropical here; no coconut or Tiare Flower, just the sense of a really lovely sunscreen. For me, this almost has too much tuberose, but thankfully, once it dries down, I'm left with very realistic representation of sun kissed skin and body lotion. Despite the above this is a wonderful fragrance, and for me, quite a departure from Bond No 9's usual fruity, patchouli/amber/oud scents. This reminds me more of what L'Artisan Parfumeur used to be about; quirky fragrances that absolutely reminded you of a particular place or thing. I really love this because of the association with my youth and growing up in Sydney. Its very tenacious though and lasts for ages; so if you want to be transported back to the beach, be prepared to stay for a while. 2 thumbs up and 5 stars!

A tonne of reviewers have said that this is all about that Sun-Tan Lotion vibe, but I respectfully disagree slightly, because it offers us quite a bit more than just that.... I find it to be an offering featuring more prominently the notes of Neroli and white musk....... While it may not be the sun-tan vibe I'm getting unlike so many others, I'm still nevertheless left with a feeling of being transported to Wasaga beach just relaxing and observing others doing their thing. The Neroli is really really well done here and not screechy or over-the-top like a couple of other Bond No 9 offerings. As a side point- if you really really wanna be blown away- just layer this in double proportion with Daniel Josier's Tubereuse {Golden Tubereuse}....... [For every 2 sprays of F.I, use 1 spray of D.J's T].......... Reflecting now, this does have very subtle DNA connections to Sun By Jil Sander [WOMEN], but SUN is far far more of the sun-tan Lotion vibe...... Do yourselves a favour, throw this little gem on, and take all your friends and those around you on a comforting afternoon by the seaside.......

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. It fights for the top spot in my all-time perfume list, along with Montale's Aoud Lagoon and JPG's Fleur Du Male. As you can see, I have a thing for beachy unisex florals, so you can take this with a grain of salt. But if your tastes are similar to mine, then this is gonna be fantastic for you! This is a summery, beachy floral that's fairly soft, gentle and watery, and yet surprisingly resilient and long-lasting. It doesn't blast through the room and smack you in the face like the other two perfumes I mentioned, but it's definitely surprisingly 'there' for such an airy, watery scent. It also lasts about 10-12 hours on clothes and even 3 hours on my skin (which is a fragrance black hole that sucks up everything immediately). It really has an 'oceanic' vibe in it, like you can smell the sea breeze...it's not just sand, sun and sunscreen lotion. Dreamy and transporting.