Skip to main content

Bond no 9 Coney Island



CONEY ISLAND is such a quirky, experiential creation that it verily cries out for hermeneutical exegesis. Caveat lector...

The acidic saline citrus opening evokes memories of one thing and one thing alone: the salty rim of a large margarita glass. The frosty blended green slush inside is strong and invigorating and, like an unexpected slap across the face, quickly induces a marked change in view to:

a trip to a white-sandy, wind-whipped beach, where vanilla ice cream cones are dripping faster than children can lick them. The waffle-cookie shells are slightly sweet and crunchy, shimmering in the sun, the outer coating of chocolate dark and sumptuous, softening slowly in the heat. Gleaming golden caramel swirls throughout the bright white vanilla cream, yet somehow the ocean nearby keeps it all still salty, with iridescent frothy waves splashing up on the eater as she prepares to take each bite, light mists of seawater spraying into her mouth.

Later, exhausted by the day's fun, it's time to sit and watch the setting sun, as darkness threatens quietly to descend, when

The volume of noise slowly diminishes as the groups begin to disperse, the individuals now wandering slowly through dimly lit labyrinthine paths back to their beds, where they will fall asleep, forgetting all of their worries and problems for a time. Lingering sweetness and light will fill their heads like a beatific vision, and they will dream only of salty caramels dusted with unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa as they drift gently away to an unreachable realm where there are no Blackberries or cellphones, and no one is asking anyone to follow them on Twitter or counting their Friends. Only little Bo-peeps exist along with infinitely many miniscule sheep dotting the screen of the dreamer's shimmering green visual horizon like tiny white blossoms: bright stars illuminating the vast galaxy beyond...


But what, in the end, does it all mean? you may ask.

Your guess is as good as mine!



Perfumer: Michel Almaic
Salient notes (from
www.bondno9.com): Margarita mix, melon guava, cinnamon, chocolate, caramel, musk, vanilla, cedarwood, sandalwood


(adapted from a review posted at www.fragrantica.com on June 25, 2010)

Comments

  1. LMAO.....I swear, I'm so blue collar-middle class compared to your vocabulary I have to google the definitions to numerous words you use. At least I now know what hermeneutical exegesis means:) ( Remembering the words will be another story....and let's not even consider spelling this come tomorrow and beyond)

    The Bond however sounds pretty good. I still don't know exactly what to make of this house. I haven't really come across anything that screams "buy me" or "Hell no......"...

    Nice post sherapop.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Aromi. I should say that there are plenty of Bond launches which I don't really like very much. Of course, they have something like 60 edps by now, so it would be a financial disaster to like all of them! (-;

    This one, in particular, is so strange that I'm not sure I could use a full bottle ( I have a purse spray). Where to wear it, pray tell? But it's definitely interesting and a good example of some creativity coming out of this house, so often maligned (unfairly, in my view) as a Creed ripoff, etc....

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DK Men by Donna Karan

Citrus, Juniper, Pineapple. Ambergris, Almond. Sandalwood, Lavender, Musk. I felt compelled to revisit DK Men ( Fuel for Men ) after perusing through some older samples and then reading my previous review from 2009. Wearing DK Men again has caused me to revise my original post. I liked it three years ago and have a new found appreciation for this extremely smooth fragrance. My perception of it has changed slightly, but my opinion is still extremely favorable. This time around, I get less of a petrol vibe and much more of a fruit and suede theme. The pineapple note is integrated so well that I am surprised I couldn't previously esteem its deft implementation like I can now. The magic of DK Men is in the blending of chosen notes. The citric opening is very good indeed in spite of its quick dissipation. The pineapple and amber quickly pick up the slack. They are rich, full bodied and manage to keep a respectable presence while offending no one. The volume is intelligent. ...

Newport by Caswell Massey

Bergamot, Mandarin, Lemon, Lavender, Geranium, Muguet, Rose, Ambergris, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk. After wearing Newport by Caswell Massey a few times and then reading what others had to say about this recent formulation, I found some of the opinions harsh. I have no way to compare it to the heralded vintage formula, nor can I use memory as I've never tried the original. Enter the current version. I do agree with some reviews that this rendition does not bring about the sense of beach and salt, but there's a long line of fragrances that fail to represent their depictions. However, Newport isn't so far off the mark that it's a complete misrepresentation. I can imagine wearing Newport ( or something similar ) in a beach setting. It smells classic due to the way Citrus, Lavender and Geranium are implemented. It's assuredly retro, but it seems to have that intangible I like that keeps me sniffing. Newport, at least on my skin, is top heavy in the sens...

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...