Fragrance type: Citrus
Notes: Lime, bergamot, basil, thyme, Italian mandarin, wild lily, violet wood, Indonesian patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver (Basenotes)
Where can I buy it? In the US, directly from Bond No. 9's website (50ml EDP - $160 US, 100ml EDP - $230 US). In Australia, try FragranceX or FragranceNet (100ml EDP - approx. $165 AU).
My bargain buy of 2011...although I may or may not have purchased it in the first week of January 2012...I honestly can't remember! :)
Anyway... ... ...
Back when I started working for Perfume Critic, I was gifted a set of Bond No. 9 bon-bons (ie. samples) by my editor. I was like a kid in a candy shop...except the candy-wrappers concealed perfume vials!!! I remember sitting in my lounge room with my mum, unwrapping each and every one of them ever-so-slowly (so I didn't rip the wrapping). We both smelt each one, and gave our initial opinions on each scent we opened. The two fragrances I remember loving were Little Italy and Nouveau Bowery -- both citrus scents!
Fast-forward to five or so years later - I'm standing in the department store that I work at, and in front of the shelf of usually half-dozen Bond No. 9 bottles for sale... but there was only one left! A 50ml bottle of Nouveau Bowery. AND it was reduced to $68.25!! As Sarah Jessica Parker uttered in the 'Covet' advert, "I had to have it!"
Nouveau Bowery, inspired by the Manhattan neighbourhood of 'The Bowery', is a bright citrus fragrance which focuses on the scent of lime, with slight herbal and floral accents and the base is great as well. But seriously, it's all about the lime!!
I would say this is definitely a unisex scent - both men & women will enjoy this in summer. The closest fragrance that I can compare it to would be Jo Malone's Lime, Basil & Mandain - both have the same main notes, with the crisp lime top notes and herbal accents, and both are from high end fragrance companies. The difference between the two is that Bond's offering has more depth, and definitely lasts a lot longer than its English counterpart. Plus it packs a punch! So if you're wanting a softer summer scent, stay well away from this one! But if you don't mind being noticed (or paying a little more than the average bottle of perfume), I would say go for it!!
While Nouveau Bowery may not be the most original fragrance on the market at the moment, it's definitely one of my favourite summer fragrances, and one I feel will be a go-to-scent for when the weather gets warm for the years to come... as long as I still have some of my heavily-reduced bottle left - because it looks like Bond No.9 won't be sold in Oz anymore! :( Oh well...at least I have my 50ml N.B, plus my sweet little bon-bons! :)
Disclaimer: I paid for this fragrance with my own hard-earned money. I earned no monetary compensation from the company for this review. All opinions are my own.
I never could understand how people choose perfumes for themselves online. I prefer to choose perfume with the help of my sense of smell. Most recently, I found one fine store citrus perfume, they have a lot of different perfumes and very skillful consultants, a master of their craft. I chose perfume for my wife with their help and was very pleased with the smell of perfume, which I was advised.
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