One of the things on my to-do list in New York was to visit the flagship Bond No.9 store in Soho. Of course it was number 9 on Bond Street and I walked into a fantasy living room of faux old furnishings in what looked like a flamboyant library of perfume bottles.

I had mixed feelings about Bond No.9 when it first got my attention — the perfumes are named after famous streets in New York City, which is bodaciously tacky or brilliant genius in terms of branding, depending on how you see it. But the crux of the matter at the end of the day is, do they make really good perfume?

And after sniffing sample vials in Tokyo department stores, my conclusion was a big resounding yes. The complex layering and unfolding of ingredients in each scent definitely makes it a serious perfume brand and there isn’t a hint of cheapness even if you may not like any of the Bond No.9 scents.

My faves are Chinatown (the bottle is so pretty it’s to-die-for; read review here), Andy Warhol Lexington Avenue, and Saks Fifth Avenue For Her, in order of preference.

I didn’t buy a thing but I’m still considering if nabbing a bottle at the flagship boutique is something I should do. A 50ml bottle is USD150 and a 100ml bottle is USD210 and that’s a lot to spend on perfume, even for me. Sigh, decisions decisions.

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