Coney Island by Bond No 9

Totally spot-on blind buy. The opening is alcoholic, tequila with lime, give me the salt and toss it for the morning party. After an hour it starts to sweeten and lose that initial sparkle, quite evolutionary. We go from something sparkling and stinging to a sweet musky layer with vanilla and caramel. I wouldn’t place it at the level of Malibu or VIW, but just half a step below. If you can’t tolerate the tequila, run from this, it’s very prominent. Longevity more than acceptable, average projection. Thanks. I think I use it exclusively in heat, but I see it as perfect for mornings and nights.

A rare summer scent, a mix of everything… just for the brave!

As I said before, it’s hard for the brain to break the common aroma schema to ‘taste’ Coney Island fairly. If we smell it under the concept ‘gourmand’, the shock is greater. We tend to synthesise; for example, I made a cake with pineapple, kiwi, cherry, chocolate and rum that people thought tasted like guava jam hehe. Perhaps it was too much info for their palate, but it was sweet and tasty. Coney Island isn’t created to be liked per se, but to recreate an olfactory scene. Under that premise, it’s logical that there are diverse perceptions. I find it charming that someone perceives the smell of salty algae! Sincerely, it’s not boring, it has varied nuances. I’ve tried it on my skin and on others (men and women) and I’m impressed by the diversity. At night, in tropical-humid weather, it’s fabulous. Of course, it doesn’t always work for everyone and some see it as expensive. To each their own. The recent anecdote was a Latin party where I expected a tequila bar. The perfume saved the night! It turned out more delicious and ‘tequila-like’ than the poor-quality liquor they served us. We paid for other drinks and enjoyed the dance. Coney Island was wonderful with excellent fixation. On my skin, depending on the weather and mood, I notice more sweet notes, lemon, liquor, salt or marine. But always with notable quality in longevity and realism.

What’s up with this perfume? Is it serious? I can’t get over it, it’s terrible. I’m tolerable with fragrances, I only have one or two negative reviews, but with this I can’t help it. It starts with a very dense aquatic and salty smell, reminding me of sea algae, sushi, or getting tangled in them while diving, but in a perfume… no, thanks. Also, many citrus notes and the tequila is noticeable, curious though it disappears quickly. I decided to wait to see if it changed, gourmand notes persisted and I thought that would save it, however, the salty-marine-ugly continued and continued. It became a bit sweet, but no trace of chocolate, caramel or cinnamon, it didn’t change anymore. Opening: fatal, middle phase: bad, base: boring. I understand there are difficult perfumes, exotic, heavy oriental, Arab or strong animal ones… but with this, an aquatic with poorly executed gourmand notes and on top of that very expensive, I don’t think I’ll waste my time.

Seductive as always is the opinion of azuriiita. I tried this before her and I still think Fragrantica’s noses have landed on the wrong fragrance; I mean the New Harleem. Bond No 9 has other possibilities distinct to that, which I confess, still doesn’t please me, but I’ll try it again today, I promise. Certainly it’s not a masterpiece, but it has its charm: it’s basically a cocktail fragrance, for going out partying (rave, fiesta, etc.). I associate it with those encounters in restaurants and 5-star hotel bars, which I enjoy so much. I agree with azuriiita: the citrus and alcoholic notes overshadow the gourmand in this fragrance, but it’s its hallmark. I suppose Bond No 9 will have other fragrances where this balance is inverted. Whoever has no prejudices about the brand (remember that the biggest complaint is its price and value for money) will enjoy this fragrance, which by the way I consider more feminine than masculine according to my standards.