Bond No. 9 Lafayette Street is a divisive one, hyped by many as a mass-appealing, versatile masterpiece, but dismissed by others as overpriced and utterly generic. It's safe, sure, but whether it smells 'luxurious' or like cheap wet wipes depends entirely on your nose and your budget.

No.709 replicates Bond No.9's bergamot-coriander opening and crisp apple-vanilla heart reasonably well, but the tonka-labdanum-woodsy base lacks the velvety richness reviewers praise in the original. Composed and pleasant, just a size smaller than the New York niche it's inspired by.