Say it ain't so, Joe.
My first ever application of a Bond scent. Because I was rushing out to meet some friends (none of them fragrance fiends, or even gentle fans), I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and go for bird #1) a Bond No.9, a few of which been waiting for me for a while, and bird #2) a scent which I had gathered was pleasant and inoffensive.
Should have known better, right? It's always different strokes for different folks in this world--especially in the world of perfume.
I put it on, whiffed, and yanked my head back. "Eh?" Returned for another sniff. Nope...or rather, yes indeed, that was nearly syrupy sweet floral I was getting. I tried to wait a minute or two, to let things settle a bit, but it then turned into something cloying. Not if I kept my distance, mind you, but any time I leaned in for a hit...WHOMP!, there it was.
No can do. Out for (very) late brunch with the gals, and the last thing I need is a headache. To the sink I went. And then back to the samps. The clock was ticking...I was supposed to be there already. Ah! -- Fresh Index Violet Moss. Much better. Somehow, the sweet that comes with that violet seemed less overwhelming, and was carried in by a fresh breeze, whereas the Chinatown was hanging in the air of a room that had no ventilation and was only going to get warmer.
So, yes, I am a plebe, a naif, an uneducated nose...or, perhaps I just know what works for me. And, given the prices on a bottle of Bond, I'll shed no tears that Chinatown is not on the "it works" list.
Of course, the Fresh Index Violet Moss is not even in production anymore.
Doh!
11 comments:
There's a terrible part of me that just wants a Bond #9 perfume because the bottles are so beautiful. The only way I can persuade myself out of this awful expense is to remind myself that the most disgusting after-dinner liqueurs I have ever been nauseated by usually come in beautiful bottles too... If you want a dark green violety not-very-sweet smell, there's always "The Unicorn Spell" by LesNez, as long as the name doesn't put you off...
You are not the only one who had this experience with Chinatown. Me and Divina both had this one become a scrubber on us (although for totally different issues). This one was akin to mouldy butter and white flowers on me.
Lucy,
I have to try The Unicorn Spell again. It did something weird on me when I last tried it...the drydown smelled like a Choward's lozenge...maybe it'll work better in different weather.
I *did* like Let Me Play the Lion, so obviously, names don't get in my way... ;)
Jen,
So both you and Divina had trouble with Chinatown as well? [relaxes a bit] Isn't that funny, how even though I know I should trust my own sniffer to know what works for me, it still helps to know you're not alone.
Guess that calls into question whether or not I'd mention to the emperor any important observations about his clothes...
I also wasn't that keen on Chinatown and I actually haven't really found a Bond that I want enough to pay their prices!
SO glad I'm not the only one! I got a ml of this in a swap. Put it on expecting...all I'd heard, and, WTF? Candy corn and cotton candy, corn syrup, Karo -- I'm sure you get the idea. Well,my skin does sweeten things. But if there ever was a Poster Scent for "never buy unsniffed, no matter what you hear or read," this is it, for me anyway.
Hi, Rose...let's save our pennies and then play the "what will we spend our money on?" game later... :)
Hello, Olfacta...yeah, that's what I'm saying. And I, too, tend to sweeten things up--I think that's why I was able to like leathers relatively early on--but what happened with the Chinatown was just too much. (For me, of course; there may be someone reading who LOVES it. Write me if so.)
I am laughing (hysterically) at the idea of you approaching Chinatown thinking that it's going to be "pleasant and inoffensive" . . . *giggle*
Every word I've read describes it like it's some hand grenade of a perfume -- a big, whoppin', sweet floriental that explodes from the bottle. My sister loves fragrances just like this, and when I took her into a store and sprayed some on a card, she inhaled and burst into the biggest, happiest smile.
So, yeah. There you go. Now you know you're not the big, whoppin', sweet floriental type. :)
Methinks that there may be more bellylaughs than gentle tee-hees here...
Yeah, where DID I come up with "nice"? Gonna have to track them down. And while I do like an oriental, perhaps floriental is not my thing. (Can I have a "duh"? DUH!)
:)
I have trouble with all the Bonds. The only one I can tolerate at all is West Side. Very much a great idea, the neighborhoods of NYC, and the marketing and packaging, but the stuff itself does not live up to the idea, for me, anyway...
Lucy,
I, too, like the concept, the packaging, and even the ingredients seem fine...it's just, well, the execution, I guess. Sometimes, you can have good ingredients and a good idea, but you end up not liking how it tastes off your plate.
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