Let me tell the short yet entertaining story that led me to owning this perfume. I am sitting in Boston's South Station after a long workday and had just narrowly missed the express line home. I did what any fraghead would and scrolled through my usual discounters and saw one had restocked on London Extrait de Parfum . I had been obsessed with this scent ever since receiving a sample some months prior (a lovely review to come), but never pulled the trigger due to not finding a decent price on it. In my haste I ordered it without hesitation, turned my phone over to music, and awaited my next train.
Fast-forward a week or so and my shipment arrives, much to my joy. I open the box and tear through the wrapping only to see a box with a Brooklyn skyline adorning the front. My heart sinks, I check the receipt, there must be a mistake. Nope. In my haste I had ordered the lesser known sibling of London - New York . Momentary disappointment is replaced with that gambler's high, well let's see what it smells like and then decided if I'm a massive knob or not.
Opening: New York is a chic masquerade gala in its opening. The citruses come out to play with prancing peacock feathers with a juniper berry note that acts like a showgirl beckoning you closer. It's vibrant and playful, but I can see some people thinking it has a bit too much of a Lemon Pledge accord. A sharp citrus that hides a bit of a synthetic side. Besides that, it does it's job, it draws you in, but it isn't anything revolutionary or unique. It's only when you truly pay attention, that New York reveals its true nature.
After about 5 minutes on skin the woods become apparent. The juniper takes center stage and you feel like it's the end of November, careening into Christmas season. There's that cool woodsy smell on the air. It's not a warm scent, despite what the amber in the notes tell you, rather, it begets more of a fresh aromatic that reminds you of colder months. Alongside the juniper, you get a good earthy patchouli blast with its cliche partner, rose, to balance. In terms of roses, this one is subtle and doesn't commandeer the fragrance. People who hate rose will certainly pick up on it, but I don't think they will necessarily hate New York. Another thing I pick up on is the lavender, which shares a profile similar to the transition of opening to drydown of Layton . It's not sharp and aromatic, it's a bit fuzzier and cleaner. It stops the patchouli and the woods from overpowering everything.
Dry-down: The florals begin to bud here as the citruses take their leave. I think this part is the best aspect of the fragrance, as the florals are not at all distinctive, indicating this being blended particularly well. It's like turning a road in NYC and walking headfirst into a flower shop's outdoor display. You can't distinguish much besides just flower. Is that a good thing? Depends on the person. But once you notice the florals you also get the whiff of caramel. I don't personally pick up on it compared to other noses (I can't deny it's there, it's just not as prominent to my nose), but there's a definite sweetness that picks up, but I find it more tobacco based rather than a lactonic caramel. There is definitely a distinguishable synthetic undertone present throughout the fragrance that I can't shake however. Ropanski's review below is a beautiful deep dive into that, so give that a shout.
Performance: I've added this to a regular weekly rotation in the tail-end of September and put it through both warm and cold days. It certainly performs well enough, with a 6 hour projection point at the very least in my office environment, but I can say it does not have much staying power out in public. Either the sillage isn't that great or my skin composition doesn't lend it much oomph. It's very intimate past that point and I don't personally view it as a scent that WANTS to be intimate.
Overall: 7/10. A lovely scent that I am not in the midst of regretting, but isn't an instant grab or must-have. I enjoy it for what it is: a happy accident.
