so as you all know, i made a post a while ago talking about my first time trying some basic niche fragrances, dipping ma toe in the water and purchasing some samples from a few higher end stuff, and lafayette street by bond no 9. i mentioned that i did enjoy this scent, even recommending it to someone wanting to try it out. but honestly, after the hype died down for me, i looked more into them as a brand, and started to understand them better… bear with me, im going to say something very controversial. bond no 9 is kind of a massive disappointment. THERE, I SAID IT, AHHHHHHH SORRY (not sorry at all) i went to try out their stuff in person from some stores. felt the bottles, the caps, smelled them, tested them on my skin. and… seriously? this is something that i’m paying 400 dollars for? look i’m a sucker for expensive stuff. i like creed, i like tom ford, louis vuitton scents, big fans of all of them. but for me it runs deeper than just scents. presentation, packaging, storytelling, i mean it all plays a part. creed, i mean, look at those bottles. you can tell it’s meticulously made. handcrafted scents, a beautiful, engraved, heavy cap, fantastic packaging. louis vuitton, a simple, minimalist design with a sickkkkk magnetic cap, tom ford private blend with their chess-style bottles! tom ford private blend is my favorite bottle design. xerjoff, with the iconic egg-shape design, high quality materials with the bottles, and next level presentation. but bond no 9 feels cheap and plasticky. designs are kind of tacky (new york nights is kinda cool), the starfish shape is iconic but odd looking to me, and atomizers are incredibly mid. i KNOW this sounds super nitpicky, like obviously you should care about the actual scent, but packaging and presentation matters to me. this might be my ocd talking, but if i’m going to pay for a premium brand, i want premium packaging and presentation. i want heritage, storytelling, and artisanal quality. if they’re not going to do that with their presentation, so be it, but you’re gonna have to cut those prices down to versace mancera prada levels!

So many that I love this week, if I had to pick a favorite, Decision is the winner.