Bond No. 9
Bond No. 9
767 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The mineral notes arrive first, almost sharp and metallic, cut through immediately with white pepper that feels freshly cracked rather than dusty. Within moments, Drenzlor adds an unexpected floral-green quality that prevents the opening from feeling purely austere—it's intriguing rather than aggressive, pulling you closer.
The vanilla and cedarwood emerge gradually, softening the mineral edges as the fragrance warms against skin. The vanilla is restrained, almost savoury when filtered through the dry cedar, creating a creamy-woody sweetness without sugary excess. By the second hour, the interplay between these notes establishes the fragrance's true character—a subtle tension between warmth and restraint.
The tonka bean absolute deepens the vanilla into something almost powdery and vintage, whilst white musk provides a second-skin quality. The cedarwood persists as a grounding thread, but the overall impression becomes increasingly intimate and intimate—the fragrance contracts rather than projects, becoming a whisper only those closest can fully appreciate.
Bond No. 9's Chinatown solid perfume presents a paradox: a fragrance that announces itself with mineral-sharp pepper and an almost metallic quality, yet settles into something almost lethally creamy. Pellegrin's composition is inherently contradictory—the opening mineral notes and peppery spice (76% accord strength) suggest something austere and architectural, but the heart immediately softens into vanilla and cedarwood that feel less like woody refinement and more like dusty amber warmth. The vanilla-cedarwood pairing is crucial here; the cedar provides structure, preventing the vanilla from becoming gourmand, whilst the vanilla itself tempers any austerity the cedar might carry.
This is a fragrance for those who enjoy olfactory tension. The tonka bean absolute in the base, combined with white musk, creates an almost powdery sweetness (52% powdery accord) that feels vintage—think 1970s departmental store cosmetics counters rather than modern gourmandise. There's something subtly nostalgic about the drydown, suggesting old suede gloves, incense residue, and faded silk.
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3.7/5 (124)