Last week I hit up Saks for some Bond No. 9 sniffage. I wanted to revisit New Haarlem, but I got distracted by So New York and a hope that the overwhelming gardenia in Saks Fifth Avenue for Her would die down (it didn’t). Now I want to revisit both New Haarlem and So New York. I think it’s safe to say that I’m slightly obsessed with coffee notes at the moment. It’s a relief that the patchoulli that frequently coexists with coffee isn’t usually discernible as a smell in its own right.

 

New Haarlem: Coffee, vanilla, patchoulli

So New York: Mirabelle, espresso, cocoa powder

If I can track it down easily, I’d also like to give Serge Lutens’ Borneo 1834 another go. I smelled it in a rush one day, and even though I’m pretty sure I didn’t like it, I’d like to know for sure for sure. When a smell is officially described as “library” it has got to be kinda good.