Sexy Scents: Andy Warhol Silver Factory

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Bond No. 9 Andy Warhol Silver Factory

Lavender, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Incense, Iris, Violet, Jasmine, Resins, Cedar, Amber

It might not make sense to post about fragrances that have been discontinued. But as it turns out, most of the perfumes I love the most have been taken off the market. I can't post about things I haven't smelled, and I'm not the kind of person who has to experience the latest frag as soon as it hits the shops. I'm old, not trendy. Anyhoo, it's quite sad that Bond No. 9 discontinued Andy Warhol Silver Factory because it was a stunning unisex floral amber, and one of the sexiest perfumes I've ever smelled. 

We all have differing opinions on what is sexy. For some, sexy might involve lacy lingerie, voluptuous floral scents, vanilla notes. For me, it's incense, amber, and the twist of violet. Aurélien Guichard is the nose behind this scent, and he's pretty sexy stuff himself. Though Warhol himself preferred the old-school florals of Estee Lauder's Beautiful (and allegedly had a bottle of it buried with him), Guichard created something very different, evoking Warhol's famed aluminum-foil-papered 47th Street studio, nicknamed "the Silver Factory."

While I consider Silver Factory sexy, I'd consider it a cool, not warm, fragrance. The silvery incense is responsible for a lot of that sensation, but also the lavender, citrus, and iris. But underneath that veneer of not-quite-metallic chill is the subtle warmth of amber. I don't know if other people smell it this way, but some non-sweet amber notes smell like olives to me. For example, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan is very much a giant, oily, kalamata olive. Silver Factory has some of that going on, and it merges so well with the incense. I think people who are into "sexy church" fragrances would probably enjoy this quite a bit. But if Bond No. 9 hadn't discontinued this beauty, it would be hideously expensive--as all their scents are. (A couple years ago, I popped into the flagship shop at 9 Bond Street to have a sniff of the umpteen frags they've put out in the decade or so that had passed since I last shopped there. I asked the SA why their perfumes were so expensive. Her reply, "to give the impression of exclusivity." There you have it. They're expensive for the sake of being expensive.)

Other folks who loved this scent rejoice: there's an Etsy seller called ScentvillePerfumery that makes a pretty damn near identical dupe for a tenth of the price, $30 for 50ml. Since Silver Factory is no longer made, I figure recommending a dupe is ok. 

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.