I got bored of my own perfume so I dipped into everyone else’s, but my favourite was this Atkinson’s 24 Old Bond St. which I gave to my dad many years ago. It’s a refreshing blend that’s not aquatic or citrusy but still fresh. The main notes to my nose are cardamom and black tea, with a good dose of ambergris when it heats up a bit. The ambergris adds a saltiness to the tea, and a bit of zing to what would otherwise be a boring aquatic. This is seaside and seashells, but also a bit of musk that helps it last longer, sweetens up the saline a bit, bolsters everything else.
My dad’s review is that this was good but it lost its luster after a few wears.
Did it go bad?
No, it just stopped being good in a way that never happens to the Polo’s and Boss’s.
Personally, I think it’s the ambergris. I find that ambergris fatigues my nose and I can’t wear it very much, certainly not day after day, and I wouldn’t be surprised if my dad’s nose is the same.
Anyway, I offered to take this almost-empty bottle off his hands and he said no way, my daughter gave it to me so I’m wearing every last drop.
If you go on Fragrantica there are some hilarious reviews including one that idealized the British Raj, and no, this does not smell like the best of colonial times regardless of the tea and cardamom notes. I had to read the review out loud to my dad, and we couldn’t stop laughing, and then he said, I guess this what all you perfume writers do. Uh, what?
Anyway, this is unisex with excellent longevity, and it was a pleasure for me to wear here and there. I wouldn’t even mind owning a bottle.
