I was sent a tester of Chinatown and tried it immediately. I’ve heard some good things about Bond No. 9 and was curious to sample their fragrances.
The first whiff of Chinatown is like eating a toffee apple whilst wearing a floral fragrance. The sweet element is so distinctive you can practically crunch the caramelised sugar between your teeth. I’m by no means a fan of sweet fragrances. But there’s something cute about this one. The initial sweetness when it’s fresh out of the bottle is quickly muted by a woody note which is almost smoky.
After wearing Chinatown for a few hours, it becomes a much more sophisticated fragrance. The sweetness vanishes almost completely and it’s more reminiscent of a complex floral like Chanel Nº19. At this stage, catching a whiff of Chinatown reminded me of walking past glamorous women and the magical way that they always smell. This fragrance, for me is somewhat indefinable. It’s unlike anything else that I’ve tried lately and I’ll definitely be revisiting it.