Success is the Essence of New York

Andy Warhol Success Is A Job In New York

Bond No. 9 2009

I was a bit wary when I noticed that 'Bond no.9 Andy Warhol Success is a Job in New York' (WAAAY too much of a mouthful for the name of a fragrance!!) contains Cardamom AND Coriander ... two notes I associate with unwashed armpits ...

Curiously, I don't smell either of them in this composition, which comes off more as a creamy white floral than a minor spice-fest.
In actual fact, Success pretty much skips it's entire range of top notes on my skin and dives headlong into what makes me quite weak at the knees in a fragrance ... TUBEROSE ... with great big creamy lashings of Vanilla and heaps of Patchouli thrown in for good measure!! I also get the 'strawberry jelly powder' that some people mention ... but it's a little more tangy than it is sweet and provides a nice foil for everything else here that is completely saccharine overloaded :). This is one of those situations where Tuberose rides completely roughshod over anything else that vaguely resembles another floral, mercilessly thumping them into submission. I LOVE IT!! There ... I've said it ... about a Bond no.9 frag no less ... but it's true!! This is going to haunt me because I still don't think it's worth it's ludicrous MSRP. I'll have to take the advice of some of my learned friends on Parfumo and hunt down a bargain :).
This creation is definitely a diva of the first order ... believe me when I say that the way I spray fragrances I will probably be clearing rooms! The sillage and longevity here are both above average ... some may want to approach with caution :).

I find this frag stupidly named and the bottle quite hideous. Apart from those issues I think I'm going to have loads of fun driving myself crazy with it's procurement teehee ... how exciting!!

I couldn't wait to have a shower and spritz this on. This is only the second Bond scent I've tried, the first being a decant of Little Italy that I received in the spring. As a self-described shop-a-holic I have to confess that the expensive price tag on the Bond No. 9 perfumes are even too steep for me! That's why I only have samples and decants of some of their fragrances. I really wanted to try this one because I'm a big fan of vanilla and I like perfumes that are unisex. I find them less macho smelling which is what I prefer. This scent did not disappoint me. I really like it a lot. It's smooth and expensive smelling and I love the vanilla within. It does smell more on the feminine side than masculine but it's so nice that I really don't care. I'm so grateful that I was able to purchase a decant of this for a reasonable price that I could afford. I will use it sparingly to make it last as long as possible! Beautiful fragrance!

Bond no 9 ANDY WARHOL SUCCESS IS A JOB is a strange creation. It's not really oriental, and it's not really chypre. It's not fruity floral, and it's neither woody nor aromatic. It seems like another boardroom strategy table effort (cf. Bleecker Street) to come up with something--anything--new. That said, I must confess that I like SUCCESS, in spite of itself.

The fragrance opens with the tiniest bit of pepperminty freshness--similar to what I detected before chez Bond no 9, at the opening of WESTSIDE, except that there it was cinnaminty--which then becomes slightly sweet and powdery like its brethren BRYANT PARK, LEXINGTON AVE, and CHINATOWN. This I attribute to the modern patchouli presentation unique to Les Bondeurs. But rather than developing fully into that oh-so-yummy sweet chypre, SUCCESS suddenly veers again to form a complex with a pink powdery aspect. Some have identified this stage as empirically indistinguishable from "strawberry jello powder," a referent phenomenologically unfamiliar to me. The closest thing to this in my experience may be Tums quickpak berry powder. It's definitely not as sweet as pixie sticks, nor the powder accompanying lick'em sticks. It's much closer to, well, like I said, Tums quickpak berry powder.

So here's my take: you need to have fresh breath during your interview for a job in NYC, and then once you've landed one, you're going to need serious Tums to keep it, not to mention the stress of living in NYC, with all that that implies, including $3K monthly rent for a 300sq ft studio fully equipped with the modern kitchen convenience of a hot plate next to the toilet.

Against all objective perfumista criteria, I somehow like this one, too, though I probably won't be adding it to my collection anytime soon.

No Bond, no Warhol glorification in this world can tempt me today into a wordy dessert - today, here and now, sober calculation reigns.

Test location: Kaufhaus des Westens, Berlin.

Method: One grab, one spray, a serious smile to fend off the artificially grinning saleswoman.

The finding: A cakey sweetness, heavily enriched with plum jam. A nectarous cement, more rock candy than anything else. The rose struggles, yet becomes submissive in the fearful grip of the tuberose. What an infamous desire for recognition it has?

Verdict (after an hour of manly shame in the most desolate spot of the homebound double-decker bus): Gourmand.
So Gourmand that one wants to wash it off. I couldn't wait until the end. But the "Success" hibernated under water, soap, and other perfumes, reappeared the next day as a vanilla-drunk side effect, wanted recognition - and got this comment as punishment. I'm sorry if I should now have slipped into emotional defense mode.
It should be 20 percent. And for "punishment," feel free to throw me out of here.

What have I gotten myself into? But your description of yourself hasn't let me go. You promised me fine plums and a beautiful bouquet with my favorite flowers. You call yourself successful, and many have already been impressed by you and won over by your charm. To others, you are the show-off, but I wanted to get to know you, desperately. We only briefly crossed paths once, and even then, you sparked my interest and made sure I could never forget you. Someone else didn't want you anymore, sent you away, probably had enough of you.

I also had a beautiful one from whom I had had enough. Partner swap, that's how you came to me. My first impression during our encounter was a bit mixed. You seemed to have a flashy style and an expensive partner. Do we really match? Let's see what your inner values are like. Will we walk a common path, or will you leave again and disappoint me?

We quickly grew closer. Even the first touch made me realize that you belong to me. No empty promises. You are exactly as you described yourself. A bit temperamental and stormy at first, I am impressed. You entice me with the fruity sweetness of the plum and gift me a beautiful bouquet with the most stunning blooms. You seem to know exactly what I love and need. Tender and warm, our first real encounter ends after many intense and beautiful hours. You have completely turned my head (nose) around. I have fallen in love, new love, new happiness. Many partners before you have been pushed aside, successfully. I won't let you go anymore. To me, you are no phony and no show-off; everything you promised, you have kept. How many can claim that?

And if you ever leave me, I will search for you, and I promise you: I will find you again. But for now, let's enjoy our shared happiness and our successful partnership.
The second Andy who has conquered my heart in a storm; the first has held it firmly for years :).