Description
The hectic city that never sleeps is getting a new fragrance in September 2012, which is launched by the niche house of Bond No9. It is the scent of Manhattan that reflects night colors of the central city island next to the Hudson River and uses the neon blue shades of night lights to emphasize street commotion, crowd and dynamic of the world’s capital.
Bond No9 inspired by Manhattan created the new fragrance with an oriental-gourmand composition. The fragrance abounds in spices. From the very beginning it flirts with nutmeg and saffron, dried flowers notes, coriander and juicy peach. The heart of the composition develops into gourmand aromas presented with sweet honeycomb made of flower nectar mixing with dark fruity aromas of plum, warm and seductive chocolate and tasty gingerbread. The only flower in the center of this fragrance is Moroccan jasmine evoking scent of ripe bananas and juicy pears. The base is warm, velvety and creamy – composed of sandalwood combined with patchouli, vanilla and sensual musk, offering velvety, soft and very pleasant nuances on the skin.
The bottle represents perfectly the new fragrance Manhattan. Midnight blue with laser-engraved logos bright in bright pink, scattered across its surface give a characteristic view of the midnight sky over the city. In sensual way, the starry bottle presents the combination of darkness and bright neon details which seduce with contrasts and hide a new gourmand oriental perfume. The fragrance is available as 50 and 100 ml EDP, accompanied by scented candles and body lotion.
BMP88 – :
Un miscuglio di odori alimentari messi a caso e poi mescolati.
Non c’è logica olfattiva, non si capisce cosa stai sentendo.
Io sento anche odore di wurstel in mezzo al succo di frutta alla pesca e odori di animali.
Stomaca e nausea.
hover202 – :
I’m trying a sample of this and it seems very similar to the spice & flavor of Indochine during the rich spicy opening. It dried much more polished and airy than I thought it would..
It really smooths out.. it’s aromatic but subtle & polished for a spicy wood gourmand scent. It has a unique balance of earthy and polished, like the pirate is all cleaned up for the ball.
Gusroazm – :
For some reason, the fragrances I tend to love are the ones with the most polirizing comments and the most dislikes… oh well.
I love this, bought a 50ml, have to say, it was almost nervewracking based on the “reviews” but oh the notes… I am glad I went for it.
This is a very beautiful scent, a bit animalic, with a touch of freshness. Kinda gourmand but not overly sweet or warm. Perfectly blended to my nose and body chemistry, go figure… I find it fascinating how the perception of fragrances can be so subjective, Its almost like one fragrance becomes 100 different smells based on people’s perceptions…
Anyways, beautiful.
777alix777 – :
I have just ordered it from Amazon. As a huge Christmas fan, I was looking for a Christmas scent. In a few review they say, it is a nice Xmas holiday scent. Very very excited about the smell, was a blind deal…
Sabotage74 – :
Great smell, especially for winter! I have a huge bottle let me know if you’re interested
ALEX2327 – :
I get mostly Oud, spices, and possibly some dried fruits. The Oud is ever present, but as a grounding base. I normally cannot stand agarwood, but here it’s not in your face. It’s calm … just a grounding note that deepens the scent.
I feel this is 100% “unisex,” whatever that means. It is sweet, but it does not feel at all like a dessert.
I wanted gingerbread, but I do not get that here. I also do not get cocoa.
However, my boyfriend smelled my wrist (he also has a great nose), and said “It almost smells like sheer gingerbread.”
There’s something that almost felt “aquatic” for a second, floating around the edges. It might read coca cola or ginger ale, if that makes sense.
The spices are ever present.
I do not get any jasmine, or any flowers at all. It’s just a sheer but *very* tenacious scent that is pleasant and grounding and lightly spicy. And the only Oud I’ve ever tried that’s bearable.
I have said sheer once or twice, but let me be clear: this is not “oily” smelling or cloying or strong, but it stays on your skin for a long, long time and is hard to wash off. So, it’s not a weak scent, but it’s not “oily” like Chinatown and doesn’t have the sillage of, say, Back to Black.
re sweetness, I actually found New Harlem and Bond “for All” to be sweeter than this one, but it could be a chemistry thing.
While this is nice and, I feel, well blended, it’s not for me.
fial16 – :
I simply love it. Mixed with nectarine & honey blossom is even better.
strahxxx – :
Finally bought it and however it’s a half used tester bottle I’m still very happy because it was not a waste of money
It’s one of those rare perfumes that me and hubby share.it’s a great winter nights perfume,long-lasting and well projecting,I love how heavy sweetness of chocolate and honey blends with soft florals,dark fruits,gingerbread and other spicy notes,wrapped in balmy woods and warm skin like musky suede.I find it sweet,spicy,rich,deep,complex and sensual
Can’t detect oud and don’t miss it
It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but if you like it,it won’t disappoint you with lots of lovely comments of others,a lot of people are going to ask your perfume’s name
❤❤❤❤❤
IVAN-MAN – :
I’m very easygoing when I want to review a cheap perfume and try to see it’s good points but while reviewing expensive ones,I’m very picky.I think they have to have something more,something that justifies their price tag.Manhattan definitely has that something special
Bond no.9 Manhattan IS a sweet scent and it is a gourmand,but, it’s not sugary sweet and is not a childish candy or a very foody scents,not by any means..I find it a very complex and very interesting gourmand with a dark vibe.there are fruits(peach and plum)but there’s so many other things going on here so I can’t name this a fruity fragrance.it’s spicy but not in a nauseating way.spices(I can detect ginger,nutmeg and something like cinnamon?)are blending well with sweet notes,I find them very charming and pleasant.chocolate,honey,gingerbread and vanilla are gourmand notes here,I can easily get all the mentioned notes and I’m glad about that..florals and woody notes are for sure somewhere there in the background adding mature vibe to this delicious spicy chocolatey gingerbread but they don’t come out of Shadow to turn Manhattan to a mishmash of lots of things.there’s definitely patchouli there,also oud and something like a warm Musky suede but although I usually hate all these notes,they’re very subtle here.they balance the sweetness and add a warm and dark depth to scent but don’t bother me,not at all.I can’t smell anything badsmelling in.an animalic way here,so there’s no need to be afraid of genet
Manhattan is marketed as unisex and I believe it’s easily wearable for gourmand lovers,men and women of all ages.I usually can’t wear anything masculine or unisex but I see how Manhattan can be deliciously sexy on a woman.it’s also one of rare gourmands that can be appealing for mature people also likable by younger ones
It’s definitely a cold weather fragrance.I can’t say about it’s projection yet but it’s longlasting although I’ve dabbed a very small amount I can easily smell it without smelling my wrist closely
All in all I liked it very much and I’m gonna save money for buying it
If you’re into strong delicious fruity,spicy honeyed chocolate vanilla scents grounded with dark,warm and sensual base notes don’t miss it
Even if you’re not into gourmands you may love Manhattan because sweet and spicy notes are very balanced with woods and musk.it’s not very sweet or fruity.it’s perfection in a bottle
❤❤❤❤❤
P.s:I can’t see any similarities with flowerbomb or any other perfume
antituiviar – :
Sweet flowers lightly dipped in…..honey???? It’s not bad and it’s not “oh my goodness ” My girlfriend got it when Saks did the buy 2 get 1 free. I told her not to buy it lol…. but she got it anyway and it just sets there like an ornament
accickGeark – :
Manhattan Madness
As crazy and magnificent as Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. I live in Manhattan in Gramercy Park and of course this does not smell like Manhattan, or does it? I smell bakeries in Manhattan, chocolate shops, florist shops and Chinatown when I smell this fragrance. So in a bizarre way this fragrance captures a bit of Manhattan but you have to have lived in it to really know that. This fragrance starts with intensity in the form of spice notes: coriander and nutmeg. It smells like you’re in a kitchen. Then you get out of the kitchen but you’re in a restaurant. The whole thing is gourmand stuff for days: chocolate, gingerbread, spices. The floral notes are a bit abstract. I smelled roses and jasmines for sure. I smelled the saffron. But this is hardly a classic or even traditional floral fragrance. It’s mostly spicy and gourmand. As the fragrance dries down after hours (I would estimate after 4 to 5 hours) the greenery shows up in the form of patchouli. It’s aromatic and a tad like incense. Smoky but not heavily smoky. Not like Yves Saint Laurent Opium. The smokiness is not as big as Black Orchid. There is also tons more woodsy notes: agarwood and sandalwood. There is also animalic accords, very musky very strong very unisex. There’s leather and suede. This is not the homage to New York that I wanted. For that I always wear Donna Karan’s Donna Karan her first debut fragrance. This one is powerful and beautiful but it’s one of those fragrances I wear only from time to time and only at night: date night, Broadway night, formal affairs. It’s a modern gourmand aromatic fragrance and if you’ve gotten accustomed to scents like Black Orchid or even Angel by Thierry Mugler this one would please you.
Dilliorse – :
I don’t get the reviews here. .. On my first impression it smells heavy on the florals with a little sweetness.. Not a sugar sweetness but more of a honeyed floral light fruit smell.. Its a sweet floral fragrance to me. More on the feminine side in my opinion. What I am smelling doesn’t really match anything on this page, was there a reformulation?
kononovniko – :
The initial spray from a sample I had had a strong poop smell from the genet. After it toned down it was an OK scent. Reminds me of a more resinous GIT. This was the first time I truly understood animalic notes…..to the point that I googled “does Manhatten has civet in it,” I was close. Genet and civet are pretty close relatives.
user_424c53 – :
The initial spray from a sample I had had a strong poop smell from the genet. After it toned down it was an OK scent. Reminds me of a more resinous GIT. This was the first time I truly understood animalic notes…..to the point that I googled “does Manhatten has civet in it,” I was close. Genet and civet are pretty close relatives.
xyq083JeomiWogkig – :
bond bond bond when you get things right you get them right but when things go south boy do they ever go
this scent was on my list to try since im a fan of the bond no 9 house but once i finally got my hands on this it was all downhill for this one
first the positives
presentation is on point like most bond bottles one would be blessed to have it displayed on their vanity and this one doesn’t disappoint but that was short lived by what came out of this lovely bottle
the scent opened with this sickly sweet smell so much so that it was almost cloying off the bat with just a single spray 🙁 whatever this sharp note is that i sense has a heady resemblance to one of many variations of cartier – declaration but in a sweeter more chocolaty / gingerbready way
this scent is classified as a unisex but i personally cant see a male wearing this and this is coming from a guy who is open to exploring both male and female scents as long as they appeal
but dont let my personal opinion steer you away from trying this at least once unless what im saying hits the nail on the head
on to the next
Lissa17 – :
Incense, gingerbread, berries. Its cute at first but after a while, it gets annoying.
Sli_shad – :
This fragrance reminds me of vintage Obsession by Calvin Klein, with added sweetness and depth from the chocolate and honey. Yum. I love it! This is a dark sweetness, not sugary or fluffy in any way.
ufk252speagoessenda – :
I am generally open minded about trying different styles of fragrance, and always optimistic about Bond No. 9 products, but I just can’t find any love for this one. I’ve worn it 5 or 6 times and I regret it every time. Too cloyingly sweet. A gooey mix of honey and synthetic chocolate cookies with some vague spice note. Is that rose in there too? Blech. Almost a scrubber for me.
I tried to hand it off to my wife, but she wasn’t feeling it either. She said it reminded her of potpourri.
I’ll probably give it one more shot around the holidays (and I’ll probably regret it again).
Oh well. Can’t win them all.
i1r9us9se3 – :
For me this Bond No. 9 smells very similar to a spicy Guilty by Gucci… It has all the sweet seductive honey of Guilty, but the spice of the gingerbread. It lasts ALL DAY on me and my skin is a fragrance eater. Its definitely more appropriate for the cooler weather.
Nigintige – :
This is very strong to my nose. I was hoping I would be able to smell chocolate, but I smell mostly gingerbread and spices.
It’s a very warm and comforting scent, but I’m going to have to put my decant away until the weather cools.
buhar58 – :
Very warm and sweet, smell of cookies and cacao is very intensive. i love it.
منهاتن من بوند 9 عطر جيل جدا و رائحته تذكرك بالبسكويت بالكاكاو . عطر مثالي و فريد من نوعه
georgiy.63 – :
I am envious of all the reviewers who can detect chocolate, honey, gingerbread, saffron, sandalwood, etc., because I get nothing but fruit. Peach and bergamot and that’s it. Near the beginning there was some coriander, but that’s gone now, too.
Not a scrubber, but disappointing. That’s skin chemistry for you.
Meajc330bedyWelty – :
At first sniff, I get subtle booziness and stale cigarettes, sweetness and chocolate. Marvelous! To me, it smells like Grand Central at 3:00 AM Sunday morning, after a wild night on the town, waiting for the first train home, cuppa java in hand.
Will update after further reflection, but it sure gets me back there …
serega-bobruisk – :
This is not a well balanced gourmand at all. I know some people are not into gourmand per se, but there are some good ones out there, and this one clearly isn’t. It is a mish-mash of every possible warm home and festive notes, it could be called eau de Grandma, it even reminds me of Botrytis by Ginestet, but that one is way more interesting. I guess the problem with this house is that they never use any bolder notes, as if trying to be politically correct at any cost. Boring!
2 out of 10
n241091 – :
While I received a sample of this (kudos 3starmagnum), I am not sure at this time I would pay this much for a frag. But I will say this… it smells amazing. It lasts a long time (8 to 10 hours?) and has respectful projection (arms length). I’ll agree with others below that it evokes feelings of Christmas. Can’t wait for it to get colder. 🙂
bartleby – :
This is my first review, but I felt compelled to write it to answer Sherapop’s own further down. Sherapop, you are always my go-to reviewer.
It’s funny, but from memory, I also thought that HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI and MANHATTAN were very alike. Today, though, I am testing them side by side, and they actually are different. Manhattan shows a much more floral and woody aspect than OP. It is also more dynamic, it morphs between resinous, floral and woody, whereas OP is rather linear.
OP is much stronger, the oud turns the patchouli into a hazelnut-like cream.
Both have above average longevity.
vitaliy1972 – :
Nopes… This is generic, gutless and, above all, pretentious. The inevitable nowadays oud, combined with the seemingly inescapable chocolate chip cookies and sweet whatnot, because, you know, the market’s desires, blah blah blah… Another Bond No.9’s trick based on public relations and hype. Catchy names, tacky bottles, a fake Andy Warhol “trendy” vibe, and there you are! Oh, and also suing everyone weaker than their “Majesties”, especially small perfume companies, on outrageous claims about perfume names, instead of simply trying to make their perfumes stand out for their quality. Liz Zorn and Anya McCoy from Soivohle and Anya’s Garden respectively, could surely share a word or two about it… Now, back to Manhattan and hoping that I shall not receive any court notification for using the name.
Is it a nice scent?
-Yes madam, I’ll take this, since my 15 year old niece seemed to like it a lot.
Is it worth buying?
HOW MUCH??? Come on, you’re kidding me, right? No fear! If she wants to smell like a bombed-oud (not a typo) pastry shop, I think I’ll buy her three bottles of Angel instead, to last her through college…
Mishin – :
Bond # 9 have set of ‘bad penny’ notes. They are identifiers and if they were pleasant, they’d be considered signature notes, like Guerlinade. But this set of ‘house notes’ is unpleasant They seem to fall within a gourmand, oriental, woody ambery range. They have an unsettling quality of hitting a point in your head, toward the back of your sinuses, that feels like a crossroads of the central nervous system. This tone, this confluence of notes manages to assault your physical senses, your mind and your soul simultaneously. To borrow very loosely from ayurveda, it’s an affront aimed at your higher chakras.
I won’t entirely rule out preference in this case. I do dislike this particular range of neo-gourmandery, but the problem runs deeper. Reliance on the same set of aromachemicals that have a broad common denominator of volume, pervasiveness, legibility/recognition, and force starts to look lazy. As if someone stumbled on a quick fix and is now using it in every situation possible for maximum profit. This tone is less a signature or an olfactory emblem and more of a tendency run amuck, a habit that’s both unrecognized and unbroken. Bond may just have run into a problem that I imagine afflicts many of the bourgeois customers they court: they haven’t ever heard the criticism they need. Nobody ever tells them no.
OK. I’ve read Bond and their customers. Easy shot, easy target. Ridiculously so, actually. Makes picking on Creed seem the work of a trained assassin.
But the perfume, Manhattan, and the others that fall into this range (Coney Island, New York Musk, Sag Harbor, Nuits de Noho) are flawed. Reliance on this tone and range of notes, let’s call it Bond-ade, or Band-aid if you prefer, has lead to a line of perfumes that all smell the same in the way that all muzak sounds the same. Manhattan has the impenetrable sweetness of a combined musk/fruit/amber/oiliness that, when combined with “spicy notes” (ie a chemo tuning fork held to your head)drive the chakra spear home.
The dull, lingering sweetness of the drydown comes as a reprieve after the direct attack of the topnotes.
77211 – :
I really wanted to love this fragrance. The composition and the reviews made it sound phenomenal. I received a sample and found an experience that was anything but. The gingerbread, chocolate, and oud were there in a dry, slightly synthetic way that simply wasn’t gourmand at all. But worse than that, there is a prevalent urine-like note in the mix that moves it beyond the realm of uninspiring and into the realm of gross. I tried to wear it long enough to get a feeling for its mid and base notes, but I was actually getting nauseated and had to wash it off.
Imagine you find a dusty old tin of fudge and gingerbread from last Christmas, which, by the way, the cat peed on. That’s this fragrance in a nutshell, at least to my nose. I know many people have had different experiences, but at least proceed with caution.
KuRbat – :
This, to me, is Christmas in a bottle…don’t ask me why but it improves my mood and the compliments come from all directions…really one of Bond No.9’s very best for men…if you want the perfect fragrance for the Thanksgiving &/or Christmas holiday season, this IS it!
sillage: 8/10
longevity 8/10
Servant – :
a really mellow twin of Angel. actually like it better.
erardimiBeism – :
This is definitely gourmand OUD period. The oud note is very obvious here, blended perfectly with the cacao, plum and vanilla. It brings out the sweet side of oud that not so many people are aware of. To us middle easterners oud is such a luxury! A luxury not everyone (in the past at least) could afford. Did you know that oud is still part of a brides dowry! Along with gold and money! That’s how valuable it is to us! It is a real unisex perfume, used by both men and women equally. And depending on the origin of oud, it does have a natural sweet note to it, some varieties more than others. So manhattan to me is the perfect sweet oud, for both men and women alike. I’ m definitely treating myself to a bottle or more sooner or later ;>
Ramzes 01 – :
I have the body cream and combine it with other Bond No. 9 fragrances. This scent is like a warm and luxurious blanket on the skin. In addition to wearing it with Perfumista Avenue, I’ve also tried it with Nuit de Noho. One of my favorite sales associates at Saks, Angela, also suggested wearing it with West Side. Not a day has passed when I’ve worn it that I haven’t received compliments. It’s a winner with me!
oleg1234569 – :
It’s sweet for 10 minutes, then it gets dry and cloying. between the dry sandalwood and the dry gingerbread note, I can line a hamster cage with this stuff….gimme my $190 back, Saks.
Roolezz – :
Spicy cashmere wood/saffron/nutmeg hits my nose hard up front, backed by an intense powdery musk (sandalwood/patchouli/musk), with the animalic undertone of oud and whatever animal essence they’re mimicking. Also a good dose of florals I can’t pick out separately and some discreet honey notes.
This one struck me as beatiful, rich, and complex in the first 10 mins or so, then it went to a more typical spicy musk.
Also is it just me or do all Bond’s perfs tickle the nose?? Always feel like I’m on the verge on sneezing with these! Because the oils are so concentrated, perhaps?
131po25 – :
This is good!!! Christmassy spicy ginger chocolate smell. And incense. It actually smells alot like ysl belle opium ( purple bottle) !!! I thought of belle opium right away and I can’t get it out of my mind when I smell Manhatten. This one is a little nicer and more complex. It’s certainly a winter nighttime sweet spicy gourmand perfume. This is strong stuff, you only need 2 spritzes .its comparable to Lexington Ave just stronger and louder really.It is very grown up but in a fun way. It might be my next Bond purchase!
tollib – :
this is one of the most challenging perfumes i ever come across. at first sniff i absolutely HATED manhattan. since i had a bon bon sample i decided to just test it out till the sample was gone. it took me 2 months of constantly sampling and sniffing for its full beauty to hit me….and several months later here i am with a full 100 ml bottle.
manhattan is very complex that it doesn’t surprise me people will totally write it off at first sniff. there are so many layers to uncover and so many little intricate details along the life of the dry down. one thing is for sure….the plum note stays on till the final stages of manhattan’s sophisticated adventure. bond really blended these ingredients with a masterful hand and knowledge. manhattan has monstrous projection and monstrous longevity….two sprays will fill the whole room so watch out for the amounts of sprays you put on!
manhattan is so original, so complex, and so dark…people have no choice but to notice you. wearing this perfume will make you the most unique smelling person in your immediate vicinity. this is for sure bond’s darkest perfume in their extensive library…..this scent is so dark and brooding that i think it is what a serial killer might put on as he lurks in the shadow of the night lol!
tolayn – :
Bleah. A throw-uppy gourmand.
This is the second Bond No. 9 scent I have smelled. There might not be a third. I suspect that they are trying to sell mediocre scents with flamboyant bottles and politically correct themes at Tom Ford prices.
DypeKexasse – :
I really enjoy this scent, though admittedly I did not at first. I don’t know what made me change my opinion of it but after a few wearings it really started working for me. It’s so lovely and different. Definitely a fall/winter scent but I also enjoy wearing it to bed.
Fearinuarraks – :
This is one of the perfumes that will surely get “thumbs up” on first sniff. 🙂 I am so in love with Manhattan… and i say LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! It contains all the notes that I draws me to a certain perfume in the first place – citrus, sweet, spicy, warm, woody, smokey- all mixed in one perfect juice that is rich, velvety and luxurious. I love Elixir des Merveilles and Manhattan shares the same spirit as EdM.
vovafutbolist – :
I Love this Wintry scent by the House of Bond no 9 in NYC.
The scent is made of a warm olfactory seductive cocktail of gourmand notes: nutmeg, saffron, coriander, peach, plum, gingerbread and vanilla.
The scent is very comforting and potent and will keep you interested and wrapped up for hours; the bottle is also beautiful.
If you would like to try the candle and the body silk, you will also fall in love with them in an instant.
Great longevity and sillage!
Thumbs up!
Zulus – :
My absolute favorite gourmand. Ever. It smells positively lovely on me and my husband goes wild for it. But, I’m also a TM Angel and Tom Ford Black Orchid fan, so I guess strange frags compliment me.
At first, I definitely get that cigarette/smokiness, but it dries down nicely to a warm and toasty chocolate gingerbread oud. The suede also stands out to me in this one. I find this to be a very sexy and complex fragrance.
azak – :
I reviewed Harrods OUD PATCHOULI a while ago, and I had worn the Bond no 9 perfume launched around the same time, MANHATTAN, but it was not until today that I noticed how much they overlap. Or should I say how my direct experience of MANHATTAN overlaps with my memory of HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI? Here are the notes of that perfume, which seem rather pared down, next to this one:
Amber, Davana, Leather, Musk, Myrrh, Oud, Patchouli, Saffron, Sandalwood
The similarity between the two lies evidently in the intersection of a good portion of what should be their base notes:
Saffron, Oud, Patchouli, Sandalwood, and then leather or suede? What’s your pleasure? The former is listed for HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI while the latter is listed for MANHATTAN. I apparently prefer suede to leather, but there’s more to the story than that.
Why else do I prefer MANHATTAN? It must be because of all of the weird foody notes which end up imparting a personality not at all unlike the strangely foody chypre of Hermès ELIXIR DES MERVEILLES. Don’t get me wrong: these two perfumes smell nothing alike. But they convey the same general spirit, it seems to me.
The foody notes abound in MANHATTAN: chocolate, coriander, nutmeg, peach, plum, gingerbread, honeycomb, vanilla and, of course, saffron.
It sounds like a chaotic mess, but somehow the proportions work together to produce a quite likeable oriental perfume.
So why do I like MANHATTAN, when I do not really like HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI? I find the blend complex and appealing, and I do not find it too sweet. In fact, in wafts it reminds me of cigarette smoke! This is an original oriental perfume, like none of the others out there, and I do believe that Claude Dir has created something wonderful in MANHATTAN. The foody notes do a good job of tempering the suede note, where I found the leather in HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI a bit too dark and strong. In fact, I would recommend that perfume for testing by people who love heavy leather.
Given the panoply of potentially problematic notes in MANHATTAN, this one really needs to be worn a few times to have an idea of whether it will work or not. Fortunately, I have a purse spray, so this was possible in my case. I’ve seen a wide range of reactions from reviewers, which no doubt reflects our variable sensitivities to all of the various components. I do not personally see much similarity between MANHATTAN and Dior ADDICT, but everything will turn on one’s peculiar sensibilities.
HARRODS OUD PATCHOULI did not work very well for me, but MANHATTAN works quite well, despite the apparent contradiction that I was reminded of the former while wearing the latter!
Dimos13 – :
WTH, what gingerbread and oud? This smells like nothing but a syrupy-sweet fruit juice on me, like peach or white grape. There is certainly no oud here and no gingerbread, not after hours of wearing it and about 8 sprays to my pulse points. There is no sillage at all. I have two samples from Bond. I had to open the second one because I couldn’t believe how watery, bland, and uninspired the first one was, so I though there was some kind of mix-up…but the second one smelled identical. So after 2-3 more sprays from the second sample, I just have to chalk it up to this perfume being crap. If you love woods, spice, and perfumes with any personality at all, don’t blind-buy Manhattan.
cas13rus – :
This scent was great from the first spray, all of these fabulous notes mingling and swirling together. It ended to soon….on my skin, after 10 minutes or so, I just get a very strong jasmine scent…that’s it…just jasmine. Maybe I will give it another try and see what happens…
hly237Negeltzex – :
Update:
Absolutely **adore** my bottle of Manhattan. I’m telling you guys/gals, I was very on-the-fence about this when the sales associate at Saks sprayed me. I still remember, I had New York Oud on one arm, and Manhattan on the other. Even the sales associate said something about the Oud was horrific on my skin, but the Manhattan, as she said, smelled “Amaaaazing!”
At first sniff, it smells almost similar to a bar where too many people have on a ton of scents smoking cigarettes. So much for first impressions! But I was intruiged, it definitely smelled good, sweet, woody and spicy… but I wasn’t sure if I could adopt this with the powerful tobacco/smokiness factor I have described. I went back a couple of times, sprayed a few others, but kept coming back to Manhattan. Until I got a sample kept spraying myself. Smelling myself. If you constantly want to sniff it, it’s gotta be good. Plus I always get compliments.
So I guess the long and short of it is, give it a try, try try! It does grow on you, but it’s such a different scent, it takes some time to grow on you. But I see this as such the perfect, different fragrance. Awesome stuff. Definetely a colder weather fragrance or nighttime. Very reminiscent of christmas spicyness, almost a gingerbread feel.
jefas – :
I usually love Bond No 9 scents, but this one was a bit overwhelming even for me. There seems to be too much going on in this fragrance and all the notes bombard you at once stampeding you to an early death by suffocation. All the florals and gourmand accords are over the top which makes this scent unwearable. I think the gingerbread and some of the floral notes should have been scaled back just a tad. Wearing Manhattan gave me a massive headache and I dont plan on wearing it again. Final verdict . Not a good one Definately PASS on this fragrance
verruch – :
This is Niche quality Dior Addict. I’m not into the girly girl sweet, sugary fragrances but this one in quite pleasantly sweet. Not over the top, not sugar in a bottle, just smooth richness with a cherry on top!
Bond 9 Manhattan is the first fragrance I have worn for two days in a row in many many months and I can honestly say that I was not bored by it. There is a nice bite to it’s quiet elegance and just enough warmness to create an aura of serenity.
I can pull this one off because it separates me from Candy Girl bandwagon and puts me in the “I’m cool like that” groupies status. I can be a grown up and party like a rock star at the same time. I ‘ll have to find myself some glad rags and hooker heels because in Manhattan, rumor has it, these people Never Sleep!
Beeklymaymnltxnr – :
I was perplexed and intrigued by this fragrance, and that’s usually a good thing. Having bought a full bottle of the stuff, I feel now is a good time for a review.
Bond No. 9 Manhattan opens very sweet and dark-fruity, and you instantly get a tobacco, almost smokey note. The sweet (honey, plum) flavors subside gently, and you’re left with a dark fruit, smokey, and woody fragrance that leaves you wondering whether you like it or not. Five seconds later you’re sniffing your arm again. Is it spice you smell? Gingerbread? I hesitate to continue naming notes, there are so many; it’s a sophisticated scent.
After several hours, or days – if you have a sample – you’ll give in and go ahead and treat yourself to this magical fragrance. It’s very mysterious, without a doubt a nighttime scent. It’s playful, and it’s complexity (and ingredients, incidentally) are what I look for when purchasing a good bottle of red wine. Probably another reason I enjoy the scent so much.
And the bottle is totally cool-looking.
Probably one of the better buys in the scent world. It’s a truly unique fragrance.
Серый – :
I read the reviews and got my hopes up, I disliked this one, Unfortunately… Smelled cheap… Like cheap hooker, i duno… Definitely not like a classy couple hundred bucks tho
arny – :
I went on my lunch hour yesterday and sampled the bonds, I loved this on