Question:
i've decided that i need (ok, i want) another fragrance because most of what i have is light and floral (lots of gardenia notes) and am looking for something a little sexier, a little spicier maybe, a little darker. i live in nyc so i was thinking of either going to l'artisan parfumeur or bond no. 9. i'm not exactly sure how to describe what it is that i'm going for, but the fragrances that really interested me so far (on paper) are l'artisan's piment brulant and bond's new haarlem and chinatown. between the two, which perfume house tends to have fragrances with better staying power? any recommendations on particular scents? thanks!
edit: now thinking of adding serge lutens into the mix . . .

Answer:
Lasting power depends on your skin! To make them last longer, please apply the scents on top on the unscented lotion and behind your knees. Out of L'Artisan and Bond #9, there are some fragrances that last longer than others, and my skin/hair tend to "capture" most of the scents, but, to tell you the whole thing about "darker and sexier" -- go for Lutens!


Answer:
welcome, sark!

most people say that bond no. 9 has better staying power than l'artisan, but i have no problem with l'artisan's staying power. they're all expensive, the bonds, i think, more than l'artisan, but chinatown and new haarlem are very distinctive frags - there's not a lot like them (except rochas man, which is supposed to smell like NH, though i've not tried it). all three of the ones you're interested in are nice. since you live in new york, you could test all three in the same day! aedes de venustas on christopher street carries l'artisan, and it's a short walk east over to bond street to test the bonds.

happy sniffing, and let us know what you end up trying/buying.

Answer:
I'm biased towards my winter favorite, New Haarlem. Love the way it smells on me and the women I've known who've worn it. Chinatown is also deadsexy on a woman. Test both (and others) and see which one really makes you feel it.
In case you haven't, try Tea for Two by L'Artisan.
For me, Bond's EDPs have a little better staying power than most L'Artisan fragrances I have tested.

Answer:
thanks for all the responses. do you think you can wear new haarlem year round (at night at least) or only in colder months? i was also looking into frederic malle's musc ravageur if anyone has any thoughts on that one . . .

Answer:
Musc Ravageur is more a cold season perfume, you re not going to wear it in the summer in New York but it 's a million times a more precious and beautiful perfume than New Haarlem (although both created by Maurice Roucel).
I m not a big fan of l 'Artisan nor Bond; if you want something extremely sexy for the summer you must go for Fleurs d 'Oranger by Serge Lutens but I must warn you it drives guys crazy in the city by hot weather!
YOu can also give a chance to Angelique Noire by Guerlain, a sexy dark perfume (only at Bergdorf & Goodman), I wear Rose Barbare from same Guerlain exclusive range, very sexy too but not as dark.

Answer:
Welcome Sark!! You and Quinpus ought to hook up for a girls' day on the town!! Go stark raving bonkers storming Aedes and Bond and sniffing exuberantly and going bankrupt together!!
Sigh.
On this blonde (fair, dry skin - also " of a certain age") living on the Carolina Coast LAP's for the most part are more apt to be fleeting. Adore Chinatown and also Broadway Nites and tend to ignore winter v. summer, day v. nights kinds of criteria. But only your nose and your bod will tell you what's right for you. It's a wonderful journey and you have lots of traveling companions here on BaseNotes - keep us informed!!

Answer:
Originally Posted by Jasmin de Grasse Musc Ravageur is more a cold season perfume, you re not going to wear it in the summer in New York but it 's a million times a more precious and beautiful perfume than New Haarlem (although both created by Maurice Roucel).
I m not a big fan of l 'Artisan nor Bond; if you want something extremely sexy for the summer you must go for Fleurs d 'Oranger by Serge Lutens but I must warn you it drives guys crazy in the city by hot weather!
YOu can also give a chance to Angelique Noire by Guerlain, a sexy dark perfume (only at Bergdorf & Goodman), I wear Rose Barbare from same Guerlain exclusive range, very sexy too but not as dark. that's so funny - i actually tried out the lutens fleurs d'oranger at barneys last week and absolutely loved it on a sampling stick (or whatever you call those things) but wasn't crazy about it on me - it was a cold day though so perhaps i need to retry it when the weather warms up, which it looks like it's starting to!

Answer:
welllll I personally find Harlem very interesting it starts a little heavy but i love the dry down very sexy- i think it would translate both cold and hot weather- some of my gal pals smell great in Chinatown it doesn't work for me- and i think Bond lasts longer L'Artisan has some nice scents but they do not last on me.Hope this helps.
You could also try Tobacco Carmel by Fresh.

Answer:
Hi Sark! Welcome!

L'Artisan and Bond are two of my favorite lines, so this is a tough question for me. Certain scents in both lines have extraordinarily good lasting power for me. Bleecker Street is enticing and seductive. I like it on me, and I love it on my husband (this is how I feel about Musc Ravageur as well). I've experienced positive comments from complete strangers on Bleecker. Lasting power is fabulous - be careful not to overapply! The bottle is so beautiful. In my experiences at Bond counters and boutiques, it seems like everyone "oohs" and "aahs" over this bottle.

West Side is one of the "darker" fragrances, and it really lasts. The first time I wore this, in my excitement, I oversprayed. I went to a hockey game and I think everyone in the Honda Center could smell me. But this is gorgeous - This one has a beautiful bottle, as well.


Have you tried So New York? It has a coffee note, but it's lighter than New Haarlem, so it may be easier to wear in humid, hot weather. It's not "dark" to me, though. In fact, with the possible exception of Nuits de Noho, which is more "elegant" than dark to me, Bond doesn't have anything all that dark?

You may like Bryant Park, too. It's not "dark" but it's surprisingly edgy. It's much more complex and unusual that it sounds when you read the notes. It's a good one for summer nights.

At L'Artisan you may want to try Mûre et Musc Extrême, Jour de Fête, Safran Troublant, Dzing!, Voleur de Roses, L'eau d'Ambre and Bois Farine.

Not a L'Artisan or Bond, but I recommend trying T Takashimaya (at Tak), and Anné Pliska. You can get samples of Anné Pliska from Luckyscent.com. Both are dark, sexy, and mysterious like Musc Ravageur, but have more amber.

Let us know what you choose!