Lexington Avenue Bond No. 9 2008

Bond no. 9 Andy Warhol Lexington Avenue has received a number of negative reviews from people who also happen to like Chinatown and/or Bryant Park (also from this line). This disparity has baffled me for quite some time because Lexington Avenue manages to combine fully compatible features of Chinatown and Bryant Park into what, to my nose, is a splendid blend.

The modern chypre quality of Bryant Park appears also in Lexington Avenue, with a textured patchouli interwoven with smooth woods underlying the overall composition. With Chinatown, Lexington Avenue shares the oriental quality, especially the powdery cardamom note, which here is butressed with fennel and cypress. There is also a creaminess to the blend, attributable to the elusive "crème brûlée" note. All of this adds up to major wrist-sniffing potential and a great modern oriental chypre, in my perfume book.

So what's not to like? What do those who disdain Lexington Avenue tend to complain about? The composition is fairly linear, which to some is a demerit. But it has good longevity and medium sillage and seems wearable by women and men. In fact, the longevity of Lexington Avenue is better on my skin than that of Bryant Park, and the latter, being a fruity chypre (with a marked raspberry note), may be too sweet for some men.

In the end, I can only say that if you like either Chinatown or Bryant Park--or modern chypres more generally--Lexington Avenue is definitely worth a sniff. Guys who like this perfume but not the whimsical women's shoe designs covering the bottle can peel the label off to instantly create a sleek black unisex vessel!

So this is supposed to be the little sister of the big Chinatown... let's take a closer look at what this youthful creme brulee temptation has to offer.

The other Andy Warhol fragrances all have their fans and, except for Montauk, they were well to excellently received by me. Especially Andy Warhol and Silver Factory seem tailor-made for me. So, good prerequisites for Lexington Avenue.

Lex. Ave. reminds me a lot of the currently very successful women's fragrances, full of sugar, powder, and fruity notes. Vie est belle, Si, or Eve come to mind. However, the Bond No. 9 scent feels much more mature & beautiful, without losing its youthful playfulness. Compared to the darker Chinatown, it doesn't have as much in common as one might think, aside from its gourmand direction. Iris, rose, cardamom & patchouli truly come together to form a complete package that strongly evokes the heated French dessert. Sweet noses will be fully satisfied. The fragrance is even so beautiful that it sometimes reminds me of some Guerlain exclusives - which is meant as a great compliment. For this reason alone, I cannot fully understand the current commercial lull & disinterest in this fragrance, but perhaps that will change now. It deserves it. LA does seem high-quality, cozy, powdery & fine, but it is much shallower & has less depth, meaning, and finesse than, say, a Tonka Imperiale or a Cuir Beluga. However, due to its uncomplicated nature, LA is certainly a loyal, gladly, often & versatile companion. I usually save the Guerlains for parties and events, for example.

Bottle: whether old (with the shoes) or new in silver - a beautiful star!
Sillage: strong, sweet, but somehow buoyantly naive-childlike & light/shallow.
Longevity: 7-9 hours is a good gourmand average.

Conclusion: it's been a while since my last Bond test... and I really like Lexy Ave.!

Even though it is a size smaller & lighter than Chinatown and I still cannot recognize the often-mentioned Bond No. 9 DNA - you can't go wrong with high-quality sugary fruits on creme brulee with me!

Finally, the Lexington star is in front of me - very simple in black - silver for Bond standards and not at all colorful or playful, which I usually like.
Hm - a somewhat sober outfit.
Is it really a women's fragrance?
I am surprised.
However - the feminine symbol is clearly printed on the side.

But the scent also seems at least unisex to me - if not rather masculine.
I can clearly perceive the dark iris, as well as spicy cardamom and bitter fennel - but where are the promised gourmand notes, like crème brûlée and almond?
There is certainly a certain creaminess to the scent, but I miss the expected delicious sweetness.
This label usually masters that so well!

This Bond is unusually serious to serious - without the charming wink that I usually appreciate about the brand.

Lexington will definitely shine on modern gentlemen and tomboyish ladies - because even my cousin wears it with aplomb, but for sensitive souls like me, it is too bold - even strict.

I will wear Lexington on particularly self-confident days.

My Bond odyssey continues, and now I come to the crème de la crème - more specifically, to the crème brûlée of the Bond universe.
I discovered this fragrance almost a year ago in a travel letter, which was both delightful and slightly overwhelming in its scope. Nevertheless, Lexington Avenue stood out to me very positively at that time. I remembered it as a somewhat different gourmand with the note of fennel and as a good unisex fragrance.

Time passed, my collection of samples grew, and recently I thought to myself that despite my good review, I couldn't remember the scent. As a fixed idea, the feeling that I should test it again wouldn't leave me. So, I did just that, and voilà, the sample was already there.

At first, I was quite surprised after applying it - an incredibly beautiful, delicious, but also absolutely feminine scent greeted me. The opening reminded me a lot of "Chinatown (Eau de Parfum) | Bond No. 9," with its delicious spices, sandalwood, and floral nuances, but a bit quieter and not so "in your face." The fragrance blended with my skin and began to vibrate; suddenly, instead of fennel, the most delicious nuances of crème brûlée emerged, along with something that reminded me of "Dates Delight | The House of Oud," the combination of peony and dates that slightly made my head spin. I had to keep sniffing it and couldn't get enough of this delicious trail. Fennel was not present this time, but there was plenty of almond and patchouli. When the base comes in, all the notes merge into a fine whole that doesn't let go of you.

And so it happens that once again, one of the old Bond classics has captured my heart. However, this scent is different from the Bonds I have; it has long-lasting wear but a very soft, intimate sillage. I perceive it well throughout the day, but only on my skin or when I move my head does that peony, resting on crème brûlée, come back and release its enchanting scent.

I am always amazed at how different perceptions can be; what others perceive as masculine smells absolutely feminine and elegant to me. This time, I will take my time and thoroughly test this beautiful fragrance, as this brand is not made for brief encounters.

Chinatown!
Goes in the same direction! But I like it even less!
However, the bottle is much more beautiful!