Manhattan

this is one of the most challenging perfumes i ever come across. at first sniff i absolutely HATED manhattan. since i had a bon bon sample i decided to just test it out till the sample was gone. it took me 2 months of constantly sampling and sniffing for its full beauty to hit me....and several months later here i am with a full 100 ml bottle. manhattan is very complex that it doesn't surprise me people will totally write it off at first sniff. there are so many layers to uncover and so many little intricate details along the life of the dry down. one thing is for sure....the plum note stays on till the final stages of manhattan's sophisticated adventure. bond really blended these ingredients with a masterful hand and knowledge. manhattan has monstrous projection and monstrous longevity....two sprays will fill the whole room so watch out for the amounts of sprays you put on! manhattan is so original, so complex, and so dark...people have no choice but to notice you. wearing this perfume will make you the most unique smelling person in your immediate vicinity. this is for sure bond's darkest perfume in their extensive library.....this scent is so dark and brooding that i think it is what a serial killer might put on as he lurks in the shadow of the night lol!

Update: Absolutely **adore** my bottle of Manhattan. I'm telling you guys/gals, I was very on-the-fence about this when the sales associate at Saks sprayed me. I still remember, I had New York Oud on one arm, and Manhattan on the other. Even the sales associate said something about the Oud was horrific on my skin, but the Manhattan, as she said, smelled "Amaaaazing!" At first sniff, it smells almost similar to a bar where too many people have on a ton of scents smoking cigarettes. So much for first impressions! But I was intruiged, it definitely smelled good, sweet, woody and spicy... but I wasn't sure if I could adopt this with the powerful tobacco/smokiness factor I have described. I went back a couple of times, sprayed a few others, but kept coming back to Manhattan. Until I got a sample kept spraying myself. Smelling myself. If you constantly want to sniff it, it's gotta be good. Plus I always get compliments. So I guess the long and short of it is, give it a try, try try! It does grow on you, but it's such a different scent, it takes some time to grow on you. But I see this as such the perfect, different fragrance. Awesome stuff. Definetely a colder weather fragrance or nighttime. Very reminiscent of christmas spicyness, almost a gingerbread feel.

I was perplexed and intrigued by this fragrance, and that's usually a good thing. Having bought a full bottle of the stuff, I feel now is a good time for a review. Bond No. 9 Manhattan opens very sweet and dark-fruity, and you instantly get a tobacco, almost smokey note. The sweet (honey, plum) flavors subside gently, and you're left with a dark fruit, smokey, and woody fragrance that leaves you wondering whether you like it or not. Five seconds later you're sniffing your arm again. Is it spice you smell? Gingerbread? I hesitate to continue naming notes, there are so many; it's a sophisticated scent. After several hours, or days - if you have a sample - you'll give in and go ahead and treat yourself to this magical fragrance. It's very mysterious, without a doubt a nighttime scent. It's playful, and it's complexity (and ingredients, incidentally) are what I look for when purchasing a good bottle of red wine. Probably another reason I enjoy the scent so much. And the bottle is totally cool-looking. Probably one of the better buys in the scent world. It's a truly unique fragrance.

Two sprays to the chest, left my shirt open (since I'm not going out today), and at first there is that raisin-ish element others mentioned, then some florals that have a touch of that hairspray effect (freesia?), then very little of anything. This is "dark?" This is a "spicy chocolate?" This is a "heavy gourmand?" I'd take any one of those! Now it's not bad, but I'm getting a rather indistinct floral/light gourmand from it. I hope this is a case of the first wearing providing somewhat of a false impression, but at this point, even after acquiring a bottle at a very good price, I'm not happy about buying it. I like New Haarlem and I Love NY for All, which seem a lot stronger, but I don't really know what to make of Manhattan. And I'd say it's on the "feminine" side of unisex. UPDATE: After a couple hours the base reminds me a bit of Black Orchid EdP, though with obvious differences. I think I prefer BO EdP, but this isn't bad at all; I just wish that dried florals/freesia type element was weaker and it was more gourmand.

This is Niche quality Dior Addict. I'm not into the girly girl sweet, sugary fragrances but this one in quite pleasantly sweet. Not over the top, not sugar in a bottle, just smooth richness with a cherry on top! Bond 9 Manhattan is the first fragrance I have worn for two days in a row in many many months and I can honestly say that I was not bored by it. There is a nice bite to it's quiet elegance and just enough warmness to create an aura of serenity. I can pull this one off because it separates me from Candy Girl bandwagon and puts me in the "I'm cool like that" groupies status. I can be a grown up and party like a rock star at the same time. I 'll have to find myself some glad rags and hooker heels because in Manhattan, rumor has it, these people Never Sleep!

This is definitely gourmand OUD period. The oud note is very obvious here, blended perfectly with the cacao, plum and vanilla. It brings out the sweet side of oud that not so many people are aware of. To us middle easterners oud is such a luxury! A luxury not everyone (in the past at least) could afford. Did you know that oud is still part of a brides dowry! Along with gold and money! That's how valuable it is to us! It is a real unisex perfume, used by both men and women equally. And depending on the origin of oud, it does have a natural sweet note to it, some varieties more than others. So manhattan to me is the perfect sweet oud, for both men and women alike. I' m definitely treating myself to a bottle or more sooner or later ;>

This is one of those fragrances that doesn’t shout, it is just definitely present, anf it just..settles. On me it quickly unifies into a smooth, boozy gourmand with soft spice, orange and a rich dried-fruit depth (which feels more 'sultana' than sharp spice). It feels plush, warm and quietly confident rather than showy. Heavier than my cosy daytime scents, for me, this firmly reads as an evening fragrance — elegant, comforting and very grown up. A classy going out scent as it is not overly dramatic, it is just consistently good and very well behaved. If you like polished, boozy winter scents that don’t scream for attention, this one is well worth a try.

For some reason, the fragrances I tend to love are the ones with the most polirizing comments and the most dislikes... oh well. I love this, bought a 50ml, have to say, it was almost nervewracking based on the "reviews" but oh the notes... I am glad I went for it. This is a very beautiful scent, a bit animalic, with a touch of freshness. Kinda gourmand but not overly sweet or warm. Perfectly blended to my nose and body chemistry, go figure... I find it fascinating how the perception of fragrances can be so subjective, Its almost like one fragrance becomes 100 different smells based on people's perceptions... Anyways, beautiful.

One of my favorite gourmand fragrances, and very underrated from Bond No 9. The fragrance has a ton of notes, but the main notes I get are the peach, saffron, nutmeg, and gingerbread. The gingerbread comes out more as it drys down. It's a sweet fragrance, but it's not over done and isn't a syrupy sweetness. Very warm fragrance with some spiciness. Reminds me of the month of December. Lasts around 8 or 9 hours on my skin, and performs pretty well too. Perfectly unisex, and works best in cold and cool weather situations. This fragrance isn't for everyone, but I love it. Highly recommend sampling this one. Overall: 8.5 / 10

Wore this last year to a birthday at this one bar in downtown Seattle. A random girl approached me and said “I have been walking around trying to figure out where that smell is coming from. I smelled it wherever I was at. What is it?” I told her what it was and she never heard of the brand. She did tell me it smelled delicious though after we talked a bit. I used 4 sprays and filled up the whole bar. Be careful with the trigger on this one. My top 3 Bonds.

This is one of the perfumes that will surely get "thumbs up" on first sniff. :) I am so in love with Manhattan... and i say LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! It contains all the notes that I draws me to a certain perfume in the first place - citrus, sweet, spicy, warm, woody, smokey- all mixed in one perfect juice that is rich, velvety and luxurious. I love Elixir des Merveilles and Manhattan shares the same spirit as EdM.

While I received a sample of this (kudos 3starmagnum), I am not sure at this time I would pay this much for a frag. But I will say this... it smells amazing. It lasts a long time (8 to 10 hours?) and has respectful projection (arms length). I'll agree with others below that it evokes feelings of Christmas. Can't wait for it to get colder. :)

At first sniff, I get subtle booziness and stale cigarettes, sweetness and chocolate. Marvelous! To me, it smells like Grand Central at 3:00 AM Sunday morning, after a wild night on the town, waiting for the first train home, cuppa java in hand. Will update after further reflection, but it sure gets me back there ...

This, to me, is Christmas in a bottle...don't ask me why but it improves my mood and the compliments come from all directions...really one of Bond No.9's very best for men...if you want the perfect fragrance for the Thanksgiving &/or Christmas holiday season, this IS it! sillage: 8/10 longevity 8/10

This is lovely on me. It's warm and spicy, I can definitely sense the plum, gingerbread, and patchouli. Perfectly sweet and no overwhelming projection. I get a brief whiff of this throughout the day, reminding me how nice I smell right now. Quite possibly could be repurchase-worthy.

For those who miss Bond No. 9 Andy Warhol, this is as good as it gets (unless you just would like to try Boucheron de Boucheron for women eau de toilette for a lot less $$$). Beautiful, unique, complex but clean, and gently sweet in all the right ways.

This fragrance reminds me of vintage Obsession by Calvin Klein, with added sweetness and depth from the chocolate and honey. Yum. I love it! This is a dark sweetness, not sugary or fluffy in any way.

Sugary sweet gourmand overpriced copy of Boucheron de Boucheron. So many Bonds seem like the sugary hot fudge sundae copy of some actual milestone in fragrance history. This is no exception.

Very warm and sweet, smell of cookies and cacao is very intensive. i love it. منهاتن من بوند 9 عطر جيل جدا و رائحته تذكرك بالبسكويت بالكاكاو . عطر مثالي و فريد من نوعه

a really mellow twin of Angel. actually like it better.

I'm very easygoing when I want to review a cheap perfume and try to see it's good points but while reviewing expensive ones,I'm very picky.I think they have to have something more,something that justifies their price tag.Manhattan definitely has that something special Bond no.9 Manhattan IS a sweet scent and it is a gourmand,but, it's not sugary sweet and is not a childish candy or a very foody scents,not by any means..I find it a very complex and very interesting gourmand with a dark vibe.there are fruits(peach and plum)but there's so many other things going on here so I can't name this a fruity fragrance.it's spicy but not in a nauseating way.spices(I can detect ginger,nutmeg and something like cinnamon?)are blending well with sweet notes,I find them very charming and pleasant.chocolate,honey,gingerbread and vanilla are gourmand notes here,I can easily get all the mentioned notes and I'm glad about that..florals and woody notes are for sure somewhere there in the background adding mature vibe to this delicious spicy chocolatey gingerbread but they don't come out of Shadow to turn Manhattan to a mishmash of lots of things.there's definitely patchouli there,also oud and something like a warm Musky suede but although I usually hate all these notes,they're very subtle here.they balance the sweetness and add a warm and dark depth to scent but don't bother me,not at all.I can't smell anything badsmelling in.an animalic way here,so there's no need to be afraid of genet Manhattan is marketed as unisex and I believe it's easily wearable for gourmand lovers,men and women of all ages.I usually can't wear anything masculine or unisex but I see how Manhattan can be deliciously sexy on a woman.it's also one of rare gourmands that can be appealing for mature people also likable by younger ones It's definitely a cold weather fragrance.I can't say about it's projection yet but it's longlasting although I've dabbed a very small amount I can easily smell it without smelling my wrist closely All in all I liked it very much and I'm gonna save money for buying it If you're into strong delicious fruity,spicy honeyed chocolate vanilla scents grounded with dark,warm and sensual base notes don't miss it Even if you're not into gourmands you may love Manhattan because sweet and spicy notes are very balanced with woods and musk.it's not very sweet or fruity.it's perfection in a bottle ❤❤❤❤❤ P.s:I can't see any similarities with flowerbomb or any other perfume

Nopes... This is generic, gutless and, above all, pretentious. The inevitable nowadays oud, combined with the seemingly inescapable chocolate chip cookies and sweet whatnot, because, you know, the market's desires, blah blah blah... Another Bond No.9's trick based on public relations and hype. Catchy names, tacky bottles, a fake Andy Warhol "trendy" vibe, and there you are! Oh, and also suing everyone weaker than their "Majesties", especially small perfume companies, on outrageous claims about perfume names, instead of simply trying to make their perfumes stand out for their quality. Liz Zorn and Anya McCoy from Soivohle and Anya's Garden respectively, could surely share a word or two about it... Now, back to Manhattan and hoping that I shall not receive any court notification for using the name. Is it a nice scent? -Yes madam, I'll take this, since my 15 year old niece seemed to like it a lot. Is it worth buying? HOW MUCH??? Come on, you're kidding me, right? No fear! If she wants to smell like a bombed-oud (not a typo) pastry shop, I think I'll buy her three bottles of Angel instead, to last her through college...

Finally bought it and however it's a half used tester bottle I'm still very happy because it was not a waste of money It's one of those rare perfumes that me and hubby share.it's a great winter nights perfume,long-lasting and well projecting,I love how heavy sweetness of chocolate and honey blends with soft florals,dark fruits,gingerbread and other spicy notes,wrapped in balmy woods and warm skin like musky suede.I find it sweet,spicy,rich,deep,complex and sensual Can't detect oud and don't miss it It's not everyone's cup of tea but if you like it,it won't disappoint you with lots of lovely comments of others,a lot of people are going to ask your perfume's name ❤❤❤❤❤

Had this for a little over a month now and at first I was taken back by the opening since it was a blind buy. I would NOT advise anyone to blind buy it! I did because I’m a New Yorker, born and raised in Manhattan so I felt like I resonated with the name and this brand in general. The fragrance is very strong, reminded me of liquor, and leaned more masculine, but the dry down was so beautiful to me. It's definitely unisex and I ended up enjoying this one more than I expected. The peach and gingerbread notes are my favorite. 7/10 imo

I bought this after testing a bunch of fragrances at Sak's Fifth Avenue. In hindsight, it was cool and I liked it enough, but it did not make my "must rebuy when I finish" list. It's sweet and playful. The best way to put it is a Cookies and Cream gourmand- one of my favorite flavors of all time, but it doesn't necessarily mean I want to SMELL like that. I wouldn't not say there is a lot of complexity here, but it is definitely unique. 7/10 only purchase if you are in love with it after sampling.

Of all the random things one could imagine Manhattan (the actual place) to smell like as nothing more than a giant fig newton descending upon the city, then that would be the remotest justification as to why this perfume would ever be named after it... The concept is better recycled to a concept board for a campy comedy action movie than a serious perfume (WARNING: It’s been done before.. remember the ‘Stay Puff’ marshmallow man in Ghostbusters I?)...

I have the body cream and combine it with other Bond No. 9 fragrances. This scent is like a warm and luxurious blanket on the skin. In addition to wearing it with Perfumista Avenue, I've also tried it with Nuit de Noho. One of my favorite sales associates at Saks, Angela, also suggested wearing it with West Side. Not a day has passed when I've worn it that I haven't received compliments. It's a winner with me!

I don’t know if I just need to give this one time or what...but I have nothing good to say so far. Smells like rotten bland fruit. Something about my body chemistry just does not work with this one! EDIT - six months later and I get it now. It's freaking awesome!! The nasty rotten fruit vibe I was getting initially is gone now. Now I get it. 10/10 only on cold days.

I am envious of all the reviewers who can detect chocolate, honey, gingerbread, saffron, sandalwood, etc., because I get nothing but fruit. Peach and bergamot and that's it. Near the beginning there was some coriander, but that's gone now, too. Not a scrubber, but disappointing. That's skin chemistry for you.

This is very strong to my nose. I was hoping I would be able to smell chocolate, but I smell mostly gingerbread and spices. It's a very warm and comforting scent, but I'm going to have to put my decant away until the weather cools.

I love Bond No 9, but this scent just did not do it for me (at first). The Patchouli and the vanilla in the die down was amazing. I am glad that I gave this the chance to die down as it definitely redeemed itself. At first the rating was 5/10 and the die down is a 7/10

Loved the notes so got it for cheap on ebay but was not a fan and sold it, it's not bad but it's just not an easy wear. love bond no 9 though. 6/10

Personal: 6/10 – It’s not BAD, but I don’t really like it that much. It just smells old. Mass appeal: 7/10 – It’s very masculine and relatively safe, but it also smells like an old guy so not everyone will love that. Performance: 7/10 – Pretty average, but not poor. Value: 3/10 – Hideously expensive for what it is. Some may see this as perfumery art, but I find it far too polarizing to warrant its price tag. Uniqueness: 7/10 – Honey-wood-powder “old money” vibes are distinct, but not in a way that feels appealing. SCORE: 60/100 Full bottle buy? NO, it’s too expensive and it’s just not that good. Blind buy? NO, its honey note and spiciness combined with weird fruits and woods, in addition to the price, means you should absolutely sample before you buy. Recommend? NO, unless you really want to smell like a rich old guy. And even then, I can think of other scents that are just better. Date night? NO, unless your date has a thing for honey cigar smoke in a dusty library. Office safe? YES, technically—it’s not offensive—but people will probably think you smell like their grandpa. Pros: Very masculine, and so “old” I’d call it “classic.” Good if you want to smell like your grandpa. Cons: Smells old, which is a double-edged sword. Crazy expensive and spicy in all the wrong ways. For my ninth review, let’s visit yet another Bond No. 9 that I don’t enjoy (I have yet to like one). Upon first spray I got nothing but gasoline, but it dies down and becomes at least somewhat bearable within about 10 seconds. It smells very old, like an old fragrance that’s been macerating for about 40 years (or more). It’s got that honey woodiness and “old” powderiness that fragrances that sat around forever seem to develop. It’s not offensive but it’s not good. The warm spices and honey and wood are loudest, with some sweet frutiness that creeps in, but isn’t loud at all. On skin, this one may be very different, but on a tester strip, this smells kinda like L’Envol Eau de Parfum by Cartier. It’s fine, but it’s “old money” powdery honey in a way that I just don’t love. It’s art to some, I’m sure, but to me it doesn’t appeal. For something that smells like a slightly damp library where someone was smoking a honey-flavored cigarillo, I think you’ve got nicer options, especially for almost $300. Review #9 in my fragrance journey – this fragrance I own as a decant

#794 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I've spent a lot of time in Manhattan. Almost enough to say I've lived there. My company's investor's relations office, our cyberlab demo center were there. I handled many of our key global accounts from that office. On one side of the ground floor of our building there was a coffee shop/bakery. On the other side a Chinese buffet. I remember the smell of the coffee roasting, chocolate croissants baking, and General Tso's chicken frying first thing in the morning. This is kind of that in a spray bottle. There were lots of late nights out with colleagues and clients where getting out of bed in the morning was a challenge, and walking through that smell to get to the elevators was way too much for my stomach. Bond No 9 "Manhattan" is that experience. It's just way too much first thing in the morning. Kind of an olfactory cacophony. Not sure what they were going for with this 22 note mess, but for me it's a miss. And I have an issue with their prices as their scents are so consistently mediocre. Even for the single one of their fragrances I've actually enjoyed, "Tribeca", it definitely wasn't worth $220. I think they're mostly pricing for the artsy bottles.

bond bond bond when you get things right you get them right but when things go south boy do they ever go this scent was on my list to try since im a fan of the bond no 9 house but once i finally got my hands on this it was all downhill for this one first the positives presentation is on point like most bond bottles one would be blessed to have it displayed on their vanity and this one doesn't disappoint but that was short lived by what came out of this lovely bottle the scent opened with this sickly sweet smell so much so that it was almost cloying off the bat with just a single spray :( whatever this sharp note is that i sense has a heady resemblance to one of many variations of cartier - declaration but in a sweeter more chocolaty / gingerbready way this scent is classified as a unisex but i personally cant see a male wearing this and this is coming from a guy who is open to exploring both male and female scents as long as they appeal but dont let my personal opinion steer you away from trying this at least once unless what im saying hits the nail on the head on to the next

Agreed with the review below, honestly... This is a very confusing fragrance. The notes sound really amazing on paper (because it has a lot of my favourite notes like honey, plum, beeswax, oud, chocolate, peach, and so on), but the reality is that... it has a strange blend that makes the scent so pungent and unwearable to me. I think it smells better when getting whiffs of it in the air, but I just couldn't enjoy wearing this fragrance at all. But, it does last pretty long and it also has a good projection for the first hour or a bit more. I think I just learned that it's always better to try and research before buying something as subjective as fragrances. I'm sorry, but the scent gets a 4/10 from me. It should've been lower than that, but since it smells much better in the air (by "much better", it doesn't necessarily mean that it smells good though), it gets a 4 from me. I have yet to find a Bond No. 9 fragrance that actually smells great, well except for The Scent of Peace for Him and for Her + New Harleem (they smell very good to me). But that's it.

I really wanted to love this fragrance. The composition and the reviews made it sound phenomenal. I received a sample and found an experience that was anything but. The gingerbread, chocolate, and oud were there in a dry, slightly synthetic way that simply wasn't gourmand at all. But worse than that, there is a prevalent urine-like note in the mix that moves it beyond the realm of uninspiring and into the realm of gross. I tried to wear it long enough to get a feeling for its mid and base notes, but I was actually getting nauseated and had to wash it off. Imagine you find a dusty old tin of fudge and gingerbread from last Christmas, which, by the way, the cat peed on. That's this fragrance in a nutshell, at least to my nose. I know many people have had different experiences, but at least proceed with caution.

WTH, what gingerbread and oud? This smells like nothing but a syrupy-sweet fruit juice on me, like peach or white grape. There is certainly no oud here and no gingerbread, not after hours of wearing it and about 8 sprays to my pulse points. There is no sillage at all. I have two samples from Bond. I had to open the second one because I couldn't believe how watery, bland, and uninspired the first one was, so I though there was some kind of mix-up...but the second one smelled identical. So after 2-3 more sprays from the second sample, I just have to chalk it up to this perfume being crap. If you love woods, spice, and perfumes with any personality at all, don't blind-buy Manhattan.

I am generally open minded about trying different styles of fragrance, and always optimistic about Bond No. 9 products, but I just can't find any love for this one. I've worn it 5 or 6 times and I regret it every time. Too cloyingly sweet. A gooey mix of honey and synthetic chocolate cookies with some vague spice note. Is that rose in there too? Blech. Almost a scrubber for me. I tried to hand it off to my wife, but she wasn't feeling it either. She said it reminded her of potpourri. I'll probably give it one more shot around the holidays (and I'll probably regret it again). Oh well. Can't win them all.

Anche questo profumo lo metto nella categoria degli intrugli senza senso abbastanza nauseanti dove c'è di tutto,dal succo di frutta alla carne,dolci,robaccia messa dentro a caso e che non lega minimamente nessuna nota tra loro creando un pasticcio disgustoso. Mentre gradisco abbastanza altri bond n9 questo proprio lo trovo spiacevole e lascia intorno un odore di uvetta sultanina affogata nel succo di frutta. Proprio no.

Citrusy, sweet, warm, spicy, woody - in that order. Not my cup of tea but seems perfect for Christmas time, it's not boring, little bit different, yet not too much. There Is something that bothers me about it though, can't figure out what ..

Bleah. A throw-uppy gourmand. This is the second Bond No. 9 scent I have smelled. There might not be a third. I suspect that they are trying to sell mediocre scents with flamboyant bottles and politically correct themes at Tom Ford prices.

It's sweet for 10 minutes, then it gets dry and cloying. between the dry sandalwood and the dry gingerbread note, I can line a hamster cage with this stuff....gimme my $190 back, Saks.

I read the reviews and got my hopes up, I disliked this one, Unfortunately... Smelled cheap... Like cheap hooker, i duno... Definitely not like a classy couple hundred bucks tho

Not good, you guys. Not good. This smells like the inside of a traditional chinese herbal pharmacy shop. If you've ever been inside one you know that I'm right.

It is interesting to read reviews comparing this scent to the warmth of Christmas. I get a very cold and aloof vibe - like an air freshener in a taxi cab thousands of miles away from home. I wish I could smell any of the amazing notes gourmand listed in this fragrance - maybe it is the plum and patchouli combo that causes me similar sadness when I smell Tom Ford's Black Orchid.

190 The notes looked amazing but all I got was a tiny bit of generic aquatic fruitiness. Did they get the juice in the sample mixed up, because this did not resemble anything like the notes listed? No peaches, plums, spices, chocolate, gingerbread... 0/10-confusing mess

I reviewed Harrods OUD PATCHOULI a while ago, and I had worn the Bond no 9 perfume launched around the same time, MANHATTAN, but it was not until today that I noticed how much they overlap. Or should I say how my direct experience of MANHATTAN overlaps with my memory of HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI? Here are the notes of that perfume, which seem rather pared down, next to this one: Amber, Davana, Leather, Musk, Myrrh, Oud, Patchouli, Saffron, Sandalwood The similarity between the two lies evidently in the intersection of a good portion of what should be their base notes: Saffron, Oud, Patchouli, Sandalwood, and then leather or suede? What's your pleasure? The former is listed for HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI while the latter is listed for MANHATTAN. I apparently prefer suede to leather, but there's more to the story than that. Why else do I prefer MANHATTAN? It must be because of all of the weird foody notes which end up imparting a personality not at all unlike the strangely foody chypre of Hermès ELIXIR DES MERVEILLES. Don't get me wrong: these two perfumes smell nothing alike. But they convey the same general spirit, it seems to me. The foody notes abound in MANHATTAN: chocolate, coriander, nutmeg, peach, plum, gingerbread, honeycomb, vanilla and, of course, saffron. It sounds like a chaotic mess, but somehow the proportions work together to produce a quite likeable oriental perfume. So why do I like MANHATTAN, when I do not really like HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI? I find the blend complex and appealing, and I do not find it too sweet. In fact, in wafts it reminds me of cigarette smoke! This is an original oriental perfume, like none of the others out there, and I do believe that Claude Dir has created something wonderful in MANHATTAN. The foody notes do a good job of tempering the suede note, where I found the leather in HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI a bit too dark and strong. In fact, I would recommend that perfume for testing by people who love heavy leather. Given the panoply of potentially problematic notes in MANHATTAN, this one really needs to be worn a few times to have an idea of whether it will work or not. Fortunately, I have a purse spray, so this was possible in my case. I've seen a wide range of reactions from reviewers, which no doubt reflects our variable sensitivities to all of the various components. I do not personally see much similarity between MANHATTAN and Dior ADDICT, but everything will turn on one's peculiar sensibilities. HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI did not work very well for me, but MANHATTAN works quite well, despite the apparent contradiction that I was reminded of the former while wearing the latter!

Bond # 9 have set of ‘bad penny’ notes. They are identifiers and if they were pleasant, they’d be considered signature notes, like Guerlinade. But this set of ‘house notes’ is unpleasant They seem to fall within a gourmand, oriental, woody ambery range. They have an unsettling quality of hitting a point in your head, toward the back of your sinuses, that feels like a crossroads of the central nervous system. This tone, this confluence of notes manages to assault your physical senses, your mind and your soul simultaneously. To borrow very loosely from ayurveda, it's an affront aimed at your higher chakras. I won’t entirely rule out preference in this case. I do dislike this particular range of neo-gourmandery, but the problem runs deeper. Reliance on the same set of aromachemicals that have a broad common denominator of volume, pervasiveness, legibility/recognition, and force starts to look lazy. As if someone stumbled on a quick fix and is now using it in every situation possible for maximum profit. This tone is less a signature or an olfactory emblem and more of a tendency run amuck, a habit that’s both unrecognized and unbroken. Bond may just have run into a problem that I imagine afflicts many of the bourgeois customers they court: they haven’t ever heard the criticism they need. Nobody ever tells them no. OK. I’ve read Bond and their customers. Easy shot, easy target. Ridiculously so, actually. Makes picking on Creed seem the work of a trained assassin. But the perfume, Manhattan, and the others that fall into this range (Coney Island, New York Musk, Sag Harbor, Nuits de Noho) are flawed. Reliance on this tone and range of notes, let’s call it Bond-ade, or Band-aid if you prefer, has lead to a line of perfumes that all smell the same in the way that all muzak sounds the same. Manhattan has the impenetrable sweetness of a combined musk/fruit/amber/oiliness that, when combined with “spicy notes” (ie a chemo tuning fork held to your head)drive the chakra spear home. The dull, lingering sweetness of the drydown comes as a reprieve after the direct attack of the topnotes.

Manhattan Madness As crazy and magnificent as Tom Ford's Black Orchid. I live in Manhattan in Gramercy Park and of course this does not smell like Manhattan, or does it? I smell bakeries in Manhattan, chocolate shops, florist shops and Chinatown when I smell this fragrance. So in a bizarre way this fragrance captures a bit of Manhattan but you have to have lived in it to really know that. This fragrance starts with intensity in the form of spice notes: coriander and nutmeg. It smells like you're in a kitchen. Then you get out of the kitchen but you're in a restaurant. The whole thing is gourmand stuff for days: chocolate, gingerbread, spices. The floral notes are a bit abstract. I smelled roses and jasmines for sure. I smelled the saffron. But this is hardly a classic or even traditional floral fragrance. It's mostly spicy and gourmand. As the fragrance dries down after hours (I would estimate after 4 to 5 hours) the greenery shows up in the form of patchouli. It's aromatic and a tad like incense. Smoky but not heavily smoky. Not like Yves Saint Laurent Opium. The smokiness is not as big as Black Orchid. There is also tons more woodsy notes: agarwood and sandalwood. There is also animalic accords, very musky very strong very unisex. There's leather and suede. This is not the homage to New York that I wanted. For that I always wear Donna Karan's Donna Karan her first debut fragrance. This one is powerful and beautiful but it's one of those fragrances I wear only from time to time and only at night: date night, Broadway night, formal affairs. It's a modern gourmand aromatic fragrance and if you've gotten accustomed to scents like Black Orchid or even Angel by Thierry Mugler this one would please you.