Chinatown Bond No 9 for women and men

I absolutely adore this fragrance. I'm normally not one to go bananas over a fruity floral (I like my gourmands and orientals) but this is exquisite. It's a little peachy with a beautiful tuberose. Once it settles on my skin, it has a distinct jasmine-incense smell. It's very strong, so spray lightly, and it's quite expensive, as are all Bond No. 9 fragrances. I would say this fragrance would be nice in night clubs, since it seems it could counteract with the smell of alcohol and sweat.

I finally got a sample... ;D

It's an incredible and original smell indeed, however I feel Chinatown too masculine for my taste... It happened with Ambre Gris, Tobbaco Vanille and now this one. My last try will be Ambre Narguille ... I hope it will be less woody, more delicate and wearable for women!

This one is not for me- it has too much peach on it...I'd be happy to exchange my bottle for another Bond 9 fragance more floral and powdery like West Side, Madison Soirée, PARK AVENUE, Harrods Rose, Eau de Noho ...Let me know!

The initial whiff was drugstore counter perfume/men's cologne. Then comes a strong powder and spice /sandalwood/cardamon scent. Very masculine to me.
The middle settles into something sweet, floral, fruity and creamy which is quite nice and finally....a sweet woody ending with still the powder coming through. Not worth the giant dollars and I don't get how this is the best of 2011 but it's a nice scent if you can get past the initial whiff.

This one is a very lovely floral perfume. It starts out with cherry blossom of course and some florals and then in the middle I can smell something earthy and herbal. I think it is the patchouli. I put my usual 2 sprays on but with this perfume 2 sprays ends up being really weak. It really didn't last more then a couple of hours before becoming faint even when putting my wrist to my nose. It smells really nice though so it is worth it, it's just when something is this expensive, it should't take tons for it to be strong enough to smell. Thats my only problem with it. Overall it is a great scent. I would lean to it being more feminine then masculine. It is very floral. It is one of those you can wear all year round, day or night so there is another plus for this lovely perfume.

sugar & spice and everythings nice....well umm, NOT with this one. it is appalling. I dislike this one sooo bad. When I sniff, it makes my stomach bad. I feel nauseated, I have no clue why I dislike this one this much but it works terribly with my chemistry
not right for me, dont even buy it before you actually try this on your skin!!!

For me, Chinatown is all tuberose and gardenia. It's a bombshell similar to Fracas or Carnal Flower, but just a bit more subtle and without the musk.

For daytime, I've been mixing it with Brooklyn to tone down the flowers with juniper and cedar and I like the androgonous balance this strikes. I would wear Chinatown by itself for a night out however; it's very pretty.

I smell peaches, honey, cherry blossom, and patchouli, blended to perfection. At first I was scared, as it smelled strongly of pepper. But that quickly went away, and we are left with a nearly edible tuberose-smoked peach.

This is a very good gourmandy-chypre.

UD: this perfume has a note, almost like unclean musk, that shows up after a bit, and I do not enjoy it

I cringe at paying over $100 for a perfume, although I do spend it (Lutens, Tauer) when it’s something I love. There are so many amazing, inexpensive fragrances (Y, Grey Flannel, Cuir, Diorella, Yatagan, Sikkim, Metal, Vetiver, 3me Homme, all of Estee Lauder lines come to mind) as well as the one ounce wonders of the de Nicolai line, and good sized samples (Amouage) that it there seems no need to pay too much for high quality. But for Chinatown I splurged. The instant I sampled it, I knew I wanted it.

I see Chinatown as a floral, fruity chypre. It could easily fall into other categories (gourmand, fruity-floral, floriental) but I see this all-things-to-all-noses bit as a tribute to the creative wealth of the chypre genre. The opening of Chinatown gives it all to you. Flower (indoles from orange blossom,) fruit (dried plum,) bitterness (oakmoss) resin (incense.) In the heartnotes, the florals peel away as the dried fruit becomes dominant. The fruit holds on even as the moss and incense eventually become the key notes. A very simple, tidy progression. I have a strong sense of color when I smell Chinatown. The fruit is a wan burgundy and the base a matte dark grey. I know, doesn’t sound pretty, but it’s beautiful in my mind’s eye.

Chinatown, when compared to other dark fruity chypres (Mitsouko, Femme, Jubilation 25, even Y---all of which I love) reminds me of a point a friend made about computers. When the university where she is a professor switched from Mac to Windows she mourned the loss of the “sexiness” of the Mac. Where the others might be called beautiful , fetching, even sensual, Chinatown is sexy.

(Note: if anybody can suggest a way to edit this last so that I’m not [cringe…] comparing Mitsouko to Windows, please let me know and I’ll make the change.)

got this as a gift ..absolutely hated it ..too spicy and too masculine :( but the bottle is beautiful

It is a truly cinnamon smell. ONLY cinnamon. Sniffed it only on paper, because I hate cinnamon and do not want to smell like one.
I sniffed the truly sandalwood essence in Assuan /Egypt/, and in this scent is NO sandalwood, or a whiff of a bad one. Sorry.

Chinatown, considered a unisex scent, has sensational opening!

This one starts with a sweet/velvety tone guaranteed by peach blossom, accompanied by the delicious aroma of gardenia and tuberose, which over time develops into a gourmand smell, with the emergence of a delicate vanilla, acting only as an adjunct to the floral notes that persist until the end of the fragrance, where the woody tones appears, such as sandalwood, thereby removing a bit of the feminine touch at the beginning and middle that dominates the fragrance.

Finally, a pleasant surprise! I've never been to New York neither Chinatown! But after sampling this scent, I had a great desire! hehehehehe

Sugar and spice and everything nice, as they say, and also some surprises! You know that smell when you open an old lacquered jewelry box? That's in here, along with spicy-cool cardamom, creamy gardenia and tuberose, and a fresh touch of my favorite flower, the peony. I have been wearing Chinatown since the year it came out, and I hope we will have many more years together. The body cream is crazy-expensive, but wonderful.

I like the opening, then it dries a little and remind me of a more subdue Lou Lou, and then cames the wax floor that everybody mention with some peaches in it.I like but don't love it.
Aurelien guichard made this and if I had not smelt his visa Masterpiece before this one I may have like this one a little more. Visa still out of this world gourgeous.

I was looking for a 'heavy on the sandalwood' scent and the associate suggested this. When she sprayed this on my wrist, the Hallelujah chorus began (in my head)! On me, this is a masterpiece!

This is definitely a try-before-you-buy scent. I do have to comment that I was disappointed at how quickly it disappeared; especially for the price. It only lasted 1.5 - 2 hrs. But oh, what a good time!

I didn´t like the initial top notes of this fragrance, they are overly sweet and quite aggressive. As it dried down, it smelled more soft and familiar, like Lou Lou by chacharel without the plum and the violet, and more focus on peony-peach blossom. I didn't notice the tuberose and gardenia.

Chinatown is a good fragrance, but it's not as unique as I'd hoped.

I have not tried a lot of Bond fragrances, and it seems they have quite mixed reviews. I absolutely love New Haarlem, and I actually very very much like Chinatown. From the start till the end, I dont really get a citruses, but a creamy, smooth tuberose, fragrant orange blossom, soft gardenia, wondeful woods, sometimes I have an impression it is almost a gourmand one. All the notes are blended so nicely. The scent is creamy, delicious, delicate, seductive. There is a bit of powderiness here, just as much as I like. I detect a hint of spice, but it is barely there.

I quite like it, and I will gladly use my decant. But I agree with those who say that for this price, you'd expect something more from a fragrance. For half of the price, there is at least a few similar fragrances that stand out more.

oh maaaaan. seems no hypes turn good on me. This is one of the perfumes i had to scrub off after 15 mins. The smell made sick.

I do not get anything gourmand/fruity/sweet/flowery.

What do I get? Well to paint the picture with the utmost reality i feel; would be rude and most probably hurt the feelings of so many admirers of this fragrance.

So i refrain from doing that and say: this smells like cardboard with stale cardamom spilt on.

Bond can say it is Chinatown... this ain't real dragon, just a paper dragon.

It opened extremely sweet with fruity peach and hints of gardenia. I can even feel some kind of coconut which is playing along. I suspect it's from tuberose. After the openining I start to feel fresh bergamot giving some lovely touch to the extremely sweet sypmhony. At the start it's gorgeous, but then it turns to citruses dipped in sugar and yet again this turns too sweet for me.

I was expecting more flowers, more tuberose, more gardenia, but now I'm getting only the bergamot and sugar, no it's not BAD, but it's not great. It's just simply not something enjoy smelling.

At the heart some kind of incense note shows up, so it becomes interesting, but somehow still not IT. It just lacks something for me to enjoy. I seek flowers.

i am an old woman of 52, who remembers a phrase from my 20's that always made me laugh: gag me with a spoon.

i'm upping the ante: gag me with a ladle.

what in the name of every inappropriate word is going on with perfume? this one starts out like it's going to take me to the moon.

i end up in a hot car, with a 3 year old brat having a temper tantrum. it's the same old complaint. she has a disgusting orange lollipop that is thick with her saliva. she refuses to eat anymore because she hates it. but she won't get rid of it, because it's hers. it's 300 degrees, we're stuck in traffic, and my car stinks of drool laden, horrific orange lolli.

it started with angel - mugler, i better never see you in a dark allyway.

but lord love a duck, let it go already.

it is a loathesome, insult to the nose, and another thing. i can only beg those of you who think these bond bottles are just "gwageous" to stay the heck away from interior design as a career. they are appalling.

it is bloody inexcusable to take 2 or 3 minutes of potential greatness and reduce it to used, badly made candy sitting in an enclosed space in the boiling sun. UGH.

I received a sample of this from a lovely swapper and I have fallen in love with it. I have never tried a Bond fragrance before, this is the first but if this is any indication of what they are like then I will definitely try some more! Sherapop and elusivek have described this scent perfectly. It is a gourgeous peach, tuberose, orange blossem fragrance offset by the bergamont note. A real piece of art but wearable too! A must have.

Unusual! It starts out very sweet, bordering on too sweet, then the cardamom first peeks out but then comes straight out into the center. I swear I smell a touch of ginger in there and the sandalwood+cedar give it the most unique aged wood feel to it.

At this point the floral springs forward. Light, bright and sweet. It's artfully juxtaposed with the woods and cardamom.

It's like walking past cut fresh flowers in an outside market, the scent still fresh in your mind then into one of those hole in the wall old stores that sells spices and herbs from the jars lining the shelves/wall that people use for folk/natural remedies and has incense smouldering out of sight.

There is a citrus/tangy note that I can't quite place that also adds to the uniqueness of the blend.

For the first 30 minutes it's a bit sweet for my taste and the floral is cloying but it dissipates and then it's all about the spices and that sumptuous aged wood.

Very unusual and unique

This is very feminine and soft but far from ordinary- the cardamom is well integrated and cozy. I do not find it strong at all just soft and powdery, the patchouli subtle but noticeable. It wears close to the skin and is not at all fruity on me-so glad I got a large decant. Seems there are differing opinions here so it should probably be tested before purchase!

Well, it is downright a good scent. Contradictory, but good.
For me there is almost a fruity-floral sweetness int he composition that is well-known from Juicy Couture or Miss Dior Cherie. Considering- Chinatown is sweeter then M.D.C.(!)
Cardamom is a big gambler here, and with orange-blossom + honey + vanilla it gives a syrupy twist to the tuberose-gardenia duet.
And still! you can not get enough of this. It is sooooo hilarious, soooo mellow,that gives you the sensation of the playground of the angels. And who on the Earth would deny a peek a boo from a cherub?

Iam falling in love with you everyday chinatown , you taking me each minute to a new place .. i love you always

What can I possibly say that Sherapop has not already amply covered in her definitive review? I will just have to wax lyrical about just how weirdly WONDERFUL this fragrance is.

As rare as hen's teeth to sample & purchase in Australia (if you are looking for it, you can find it in DJs Sydney city store), this unusual fragrance is well worth the search.

The inital spray is indicative of the journey but I find it a little challenging in that it is very unusual and exotic. I struggle to identify any of the notes and I am not sure if I like it even though it is scintillating.

But the drydown, oh the drydown is exquisite and totally worth whatever price I would have to pay to own it. Powdery patchouli & very gentle blended spices on a sweet cohesive base. I have never smelt anything like it. Like Sherapop, I find myself catching the scent of myself and admiring my good taste in perfumes.

To my nose, this is not especially unisex, it is very saucy & feminine (not to mention the beautiful pink bottle?!?). When I eventually talk my beloved into buying this for me, I will appropriate a patch of his skin to test my theory.

Bond no 9 has come up with a unique presentation of patchouli common to three of the edps I've tried so far: BRYANT PARK, LEXINGTON AVE and this gorgeous composition, CHINATOWN.

Although CHINATOWN is listed as an oriental, it's half-way to the peculiar Bond variety of sweet powdery chypre, because of the patchouli, which somehow imparts a luscious textured quality that I find utterly addicting. The quasi-chypre is complemented here with star anise and other oriental notes, including vanilla and cardamom. The florals mix in perfectly and overall this hits me as a seamless, medium sillage linear--which I absolutely love.

I've been wearing CHINATOWN while watching films lately, and I sometimes find myself commenting (outloud!) how wonderful I smell. I really love this composition, and I am happy that CHINATOWN, unlike BRYANT PARK and LEXINGTON AVE, has excellent staying power. Anyone who likes any of these three compositions will probably like the other two, as they are closely related, it seems to me. On the other hand, those who are not moved by this particular sweet powdery chypre quality, will probably not be thrilled by any of these three edps.

Although I'm far from being a Bond cultist, CHINATOWN is one of the best of their ever-expanding collection. This one is both unique and beautiful and is truly a pleasure to wear.

Not really impressed. I get mostly spices and something reminiscent of incense. It reminded me of the smells of a chinese restaurant. Or perhaps the smells of a yoga studio, with the smell of healthy food coming through peoples pores as they do hot yoga with incense burning.

I should say that I have the kind of chemistry that needs strong scents as scents dilute very much on my skin. So I find chinatown to light with not enough sillage. Im glad I dont care for this, save myself much $$$$$$$$$

First I smelled the cardoman, which was nice, and then this evolved into a very lovely scent of peonies, orange blossom and peach. To me it is very worthwhile. I bought samples of Bond on e-bay and I was able to get them for a very reasonable price. This alone, is giving me a great investment on my dollar. Some perfumes really need to be bought as samples because they are so expensive, and that is very true of the Bond line.

i have found my "holy grail" (as Kastehelmi says) of perfume! I LOVE this perfume and just bought the 3.4 oz bottle finally, as well as the body silk! I keep coming back to it and for me (with my 200 + perfumes) this is an anomoly. I always want to wear it and my fiance LOVES it on me too!it is an enduring, perfect blend of fruit, floral and SPICE! Perfection!

I was not impressed by this fragrance at first: I found it to be an ordinary sweet floral scent, nothing special that requires such a high price tag. But after i tried it several times, I changed my mind - first of all, it appeared to be very wearable, feminine, and the scent is not cheap at all. I like peach blossom, different flowers and patchouli here. Very likable and I'd even say addictive scent. Maybe the retail price is too high for this creation, but it deserves attention)

Oh wow I did not have high expectations of this and assumed I would not like it. Boy was I wrong! I just love when this happens instead of the opposite! I love this- I smell a moderately spicy floral with a dash of fruit. This smells unique to me! Now I want a full bottle...

I love this perfume the best scent ever .. i bought 2 bottles .. willing to buy this forever .. so sexy , rich soo yummy it Looooooove it

First thing out of the sample vial was what I thought was star anise, which would be perfectly appropriate for Chinatown. Along with that was a mix of strong powder, something that smells a little like wet cardboard or a wet sidewalk, and maybe a little syrupy canned peach. I do get a whiff of patchouli from time to time, as well as the cardamon and possibly cinnamon, but the whole combination shimmers and changes. The sillage seems pretty good to me, at least for the first hour or so. It does have a bit of a drugstore perfume quality, but in a nice way. Three hours after applying the scent I could hardly smell it any more. It's disappointing that there is no drydown to a set of basenotes that are as strong and as interesting as the top. I'll try this again, but am not impressed with its longevity.

Reading about the notes i thought i'd like it but for this scent is gourmand fruity, sickingly sweet,old i do not smell any flowers just a cocktail cherry reminds me of black forest cake

i am finding chinatown very similar to jungle l'elephant though it is lighter. for the price and packaging i would go with the kenzo though neither are completely for me.

So-so.
Based on the wonderful listed notes I expected something more luxurious and enticing, but this one smells just nice and similar to something from Lush.
It doesn't convince me completely. It is very soft, feminine, slightly powdery, not offensive, but nothing really turning my soul upsetdown. Lasting power is ok, sillage very close to skin.

The more I've learned about perfumes during last months the less I agree with -Perfumes -The Guide- authors.

I had such an high expectations to this one. This flowercoctail smells cheap and artificial. Sweet in a bad way.
Will this change if I wait honestly I wouldn't waste my time to this one. Huge headache potential.

It's already gotten cold where I live, so a stronger oriental seemed apropos for the weather - I reached for my little sample of China Town, hoping (again) to love it. I've worn it a couple times before and just found it too strong, especially for the office. This time around, it was a bit softer--maybe I applied less, but still, this fragrance just demands too much of my attention.
Granted, it is interesting and one of the few Bond's I respect in terms of its construction, but, although I like the scent, it's not a scent I can comfortably wear.
I like the peach skin but this perfume almost smolders, especially in the dry down. It has a smokey element that evokes images of an opium den--interesting, exotic, but just too incongruous with normal, daily life. Another scent that has that smokiness to it is Kenzo Flower Oriental. Another interesting scent I can appreciate from afar, but not wear.
I'd still urge everyone to give this a try, if nothing else than just for the experience. But for me, this is something I'll sniff from time to time to escape briefly to the Orient, but that's it.
I do think the bottle is pretty.

I never was in NY, however, Chinatown is close me - when in Poland communism has fallen( 1989), in my country appear mass chine restaurants, free trade begin since street commerce - merchants has exposed articles, also sweetness from west, on field beds. It was possible to buy american perfume. Then there was fashion Giorgio Bevery Hills - stupefying smelling whites flowers. These savors and smells of first days of freedom were wonderful. Was summer - crowds of people have on streets, in restaurants, in street cafés. From chines restaurant came exotic smells, smoke, scent of pece of furniture. Children ate candies, people laughed cordially. I find that time in Bond's Chinatown. For me it's smell of freedom and fun. Exquisite, muddless, sweet and simultaneously piquant. In one drop I have bouquets of flowers , baskets of fruits, bags of sharp seasonings, spices , mass of sweet and cakes, incense. Easy answer on question: what not has in Chinatown?, than : what is in it?. In this perfume is crush and mess , but how there is adorable, color, joyful and sensual. This is work of art. My favorite. My love.

Not one of my favorites. Has the potential to be an interesting, and pleasant floriental. Unfortunately, the sulfuric cloud of stale, cheap Nag Champa incense that hovers over and overpowers, kills it for me.

It'a amazing parfume, it's gift of my friend, it's so pity that in Ukraine it's not possible to buy it!

Got the Swarovski Eition today, July 1, 2009. So glad I got it! I can't get enough of it. Everytime I smell it, I smile. It's sweet, but grown up spicy sweet. Not a candy overload.

Sweet candylike scent but so weak, doesn't last 5 minutes on me! Literally! I am so disappointed in the sillage, what sillage? It is practically like spraying toilet water that has been diluted. But what hint of a scent I can discern is gorgeous beyond belief. Feminine vanilla floral with a hint of spice.
I will keep it for the bottle.
Does anyone think the weakness of the scent is because I bought it from a discount seller from Amazon?

Smells like candy. Luca Turin called it a masterpiece, so I looked forward to testing this one. Disappointed, did not like the sweetness at all, though I admit he did indicate in his review that some find it "too sweet".

I got peach and cedar out of this, with a few cacophonous notes rising and falling in the background. Very pretty.

The first hours with Chinatown is all about gourmand on me... Not at all sweet, cloying gourmand rather a spicy (lot of cardamom), creamy and a little orientalic gormand. Very nice, but not that special. After a good while the flowers finally shows, together with the patchouli making it to a soft, whispering, powdery and very delightful fragrance. This part I like best and it is very pretty, but also unique and exclusive.

I still haven´t surprised my husband with it (he is my very sweet male guinea pig) but I must smell it on him, would be such a fun to see what his skinchemistry do with this...

A must try of course! Longlasting and quite an experience...

Although the frag isn’t gourmand, it’s give me a water mouth. Candy jasmin, lavender, gardenia… beneath this, exist some resinous and solid. This simple components altogether gives me huge headache! Well…it’s a beautiful frag, easy to use every time, everyday… versatility is your fort with small amount.
Have a long lasting… will be your partner for all long day!
^^

I'm a Bond No 9 fan but this one really missed the mark. Out of the 34 fragrances they released, and I've tried most of them, this was the bottom of the barrel absolute worse, so NLS, your review are my "scentiments" exactly! The sweet notes in the opening are fine and pleasing but then in less than a New York minute, WHAM a sudden burst of I don't know what! A smoky, stale incense, unnatural almost hickory-like aroma erupts! It's awful! I tried it twice and it was one time too many. Such a disappointment, Bond No 9 what happened??? :-(

I've given Chinatown a few tries now, and I think it's another one that looks, at least on paper, like a scent I will enjoy, but actually does not smell pleasant on my skin. I normally love gourmands and "loud" fragrances, and Oriental Florals, too, and I was disappointed by this one. (I would classify this one as a gourmand, as I cannot detect any of the floral notes in here.)

Chinatown starts out sweet and almondy, almost like a cookie or pastry. After a few minutes, it quickly turns to a synthetic, chemical, unpleasant scent that is truly irritating to smell.

I really wanted to like this one, but I think I'll have to give some other Bond No. 9's consideration instead. Chinatown is just not right for me, and I feel so strongly about it that I also recommend that others sample it first before purchasing.

Instantly becomes almost entirely base on me with a touch of bergamot. Dry, sharp, not bad but too dry and sharp for me to enjoy. A bit intrusive. I just don't like this one and it gets worse as it dries down.

In a word: yummy! I usually don't like gourmands (and though not so listed Chinatown sure smells gourmand to me!), but this one is delicious! Though peach is identified as a top note on many sites, I do not find Chinatown particularly fruity. Instead it is spicy, rich, creamy, complex, but not busy and never cloying. And what a fun bottle. I love oriental florals in the winter. This one is on my wish list!

a magnificent blend of dusty-woody notes mixed with dark flowers,gardenia and patchouli that gives a smokey kind of drydown...very unique,very sophisticated...veeeery expencive!!

In the first sniff I fell in love with this perfume.
Very fruity beginning (on many websites they were showing peach in the top notes).. Peach and gardenia combination with patchouli base, gave me a perfect feeling.. Starts fruity floral then turns into an oriental perfume on my skin.. It faded a little quick on my skin though, but I will give it a one more try. By the way, surprised to see that this is a unisex fragrance, as I found it quite feminine..