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Visit Cooper Square

 

I have to admit, even though I grew up in NJ and have been to NYC a thousand times in my life, I've never heard of the Cooper Square neighborhood.  Apparently, it's where the East Village meets NoHo and the Bowery and the "new" downtown begin.  Who knew?  Well, apparently Bond No. 9 did because that's what they've named their newest scent.  They describe it as "intense but contemporary" and it sounds really, really interesting.  It has notes of cognac, juniper berry, lavender, myrrh, olibanum, patchouli, cashmere wood, musk, vetiver, Ciste Labdanum and timberwood.  (I have to admit, I don't even know what three of those things ARE, but I have yet to meet a Bond scent that I didn't immediately fall in love with, so I'm willing to bet I'll feel the same about this one).  I guess I know what I'll be searching for this weekend...  

Montauk

Every summer Bond No.9 creates a fragrance that highlights the hot spot for that season – this year highlighting Montauk.  Bond No.9 goes where the New Yorkers go, and sets the trends for around the country!  Montauk is the 5th in the Bond No.9 series of Warhol collectible fragrances and the bottle design displays Andy Warhol’s iconic Sunsets, dating back from 1972 (one year after he discovered Montauk).  His Sunsets series consisted of 632 unique screen prints but for this project, they chose FOUR designs from his collection to feature.

I am super excited to try this scent.  I love Bond No.9, but by far my favorite of their fragrances are the beach ones.  (Which is kind of hilarious because I actually hate the beach.  The sand that gets everywhere in my car, the fact that I always get sunburned no matter how much SPF I put on, the fact that salt water makes my eyes burn... I can count on one hand the amount of times I've laid out on the beach in Los Angeles in the years I've lived there).  And yet, Fire Island and Hamptons are my favorite two Bond scents with Coney Island a close third, so I'm sure I'm going to become obsessed with Montauk when it launches on Memorial Day.  And seriously, how stunning are those bottles?  I want to collect them all and keep them in a place of honor on my dresser because I feel like they'd cheer me up when I'm getting ready since I'm definitely not a morning person.  Just another reason to be excited for Memorial Day!  

The Scent of Peace

How great is this?  Starting today, and for the next thirty days, 10% of the proceeds from the sale of Bond No. 9's The Scent of Peace will go to The American Red Cross to help out the communities impacted by the earthquake in Haiti and provide urgent relief.  What a perfect excuse to get yourself a new fragrance and do some good, all at the same time.

Bond No. 9 Scent of Peace is available at their four New York City stores, bondno9.com and Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide.

Success Is A Job

Bond No. 9's new eau de parfum is called Andy Warhol Success is a Job in New York.  (Andy's first assignment in the 1950's as an illustrator was for a Glamour magazine article called "Success is a Job in New York.")  The bottle is really cool - it's one of Warhol's famous dollar sign images in two different colors - coral on the front, bright blue on the back.  I think the scent is as dramatic as the bottle - it's a unisex fragrance, warm and spicy.  Bond No. 9 describes it like this - "Just like money, it lures and intoxicates all who give it a sniff.  Its spicy-citrussy top- notes—coriander, cardamom, mandarin, bergamot—lead into a throbbing heart of jasmine, tuberose, rose, plum and pimento (of all things) that eventually segues into an oriental base of vanilla, patchouli, and amber."  That's a ton of description, but to me, the word that instantly comes to mind when I smell it is "rich."  (And not because there's a dollar sign on the bottle!)  It's a really different fragrance - it's strong, so if you usually wear light scents, this one might not be for you.  But I really like it - I'm a big fan of oriental scents and the vanilla and amber definitely stand out on me when I wear it.  It's definitely more of a colder weather scent (I feel like it's the perfect fragrance to wear while snuggling up on the couch in front of a fire reading a book and drinking hot chocolate).  And I really love the bottle - I have a secret fantasy of owning all the Bond No. 9 scents and lining them up on my dresser because the bottles are all so gorgeous (and the one I already own looks so lonely all by itself - it needs friends!)

Success is a Job in New York will be available starting on October 1, 2009 at all four Bond No. 9 stores in New York and at select branches of Saks Fifth Avenue.      

No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn

I have a confession to make.  Even though I grew up in NJ and have been to Manhattan a million times, I've only been to Brooklyn, uhm, twice.  And I think once doesn't count since we were driving through and I never even got out of the car.  But now that Brooklyn's all hip and trendy, I keep meaning to get there to check it out (it's going to happen next time I'm on the east coast, I swear!)  In the meantime, I'm going to just wear Bond No. 9's new Brooklyn Eau De Parfum.  It's totally different from any other fragrance I've tried lately (I'm usually partial to the clean scents) but there's something about it that really intrigues me.  It's a unisex scent, so that might be it, since it's definitely got a masculine edge to it.  Bond No. 9 describes it as "a woody, spicy-filled oriental that mingles cardamon, geranium leaves, and cedarwood while grapefruit and juniper leaves accelerate the scent, and South American guaiacwood and leather bring a tender, beckoning touch."  It's definitely spicy, but I think it's the grapefruit that I'm responding to - it somehow makes it a little softer and more interesting.  (Maybe it's because Jo Malone's Grapefruit Cologne is one of my favorites).  I think it might be the kind of scent that you need to smell for yourself to decide if you like it.  For me, it's a nice alternative from the scents that I usually wear.  I don't think I'd spritz it on every day, but it'd be a nice change every once in a while, especially during the winter.  (It seems more like a cold weather kind of fragrance to me). 

Brooklyn will be on counters this March.  In the meantime, you can read about other Bond No. 9 fragrances at Bondno9.com.  

Holiday Bond(ing)

I'll always have a special place in my heart for Bond No. 9 because all the scents are named after NYC neighborhoods, so no matter which one I spray myself with, I'm always reminded of home.  (Plus, Fire Island is THE perfect summer scent).  This season, they're introducing a recession-proof Holiday 2008 collection with all new, glamorous, NYC-inspired gift ideas.  Your favorite city girl will want all of them!  Here's what Bond No. 9 has to say about the collection:

 All-Around-Town Pocket Sprays
For those who crave a mini-miscellany of Bond No. 9 scents, we’re introducing a box of eight pocket spray flacons, each containing a different New York neighborhood eau, and each delectably twist-wrapped in our award-winning signature foils.  These are small enough to slip into an evening clutch bag, with plenty of room to spare.  Plus, they’re refillable.  $130.

The Perfume “Token”
We’ve re-imagined Bond No. 9’s nostalgia-laden circular “token” as a solid-perfume compact, containing your choice of six of our most sought-after eaux de parfum.  Stashed in its own perfect little white leather zipper case, it’s so street-smart it’ll glide through any turnstile.  The compact’s refillable; the zipper case will lead a double life as a carry-case for rings, earrings, and lapel pins (with or without the American flag). Andy Warhol Union Square, Chelsea Flowers, Chinatown, Nuits de Noho, The Scent of Peace or Wall Street: $85.

The Soapbox
Dressed in our colorful signature foils that display delectable pleats and the Bond No. 9 NYC logo as a centerpiece, our guest soaps are clever “token” imposters that will have you wondering if they should be unwrapped at all?  Nah, better to let the dinner guests go with unwashed hands.  The soap boxes—displaying a field of Bond No. 9 “tokens” on an ivory background—are beguiling in their own right.  A set of four (Chelsea Flowers, Chinatown, Eau de New York and The Scent of Peace): $95.  A lone soap bar, available in six of our best-selling scents (the boxed foursome, Nuits de Noho and Wall Street):  $35.

The Voyager Candles
We are justifiably praised for the fine-ness of our scented candles, which smell every bit as exquisite as our eaux de parfum.  Now we’re introducing traveler candles, sized to stow in a suitcase.  Think of them as ambiance-enhancing New York neighborhood souvenirs.  A five-pack of our most popular scents (Chelsea Flowers, Chinatown, Eau de New York, Nuits de Noho and The Scent of Peace), each bearing the Bond No. 9 “token”:  $95.

I totally have my eye on the Perfume "Token."  How cute is it?  Although the candles look fantastic, too.  And the soaps would be perfect in a guest bathroom.  Okay, fine, I want them all!! 

You can find the collection at bondno9.com.

Photos courtesy of Bond No. 9

Summer Scents

Now that summer is almost here, I'm on my yearly quest for a new summer scent.  While some of my old favorites are still in the mix (Bobbi Brown's Beach is one that I come back to year after year), my current obsession is Bond No. 9's Fire Island.  Described as smelling like "freshly bathed skin, doused with a coating of premium Euro-sunscreen then warmed up by a midday siesta on the beach - and the sensual stirrings of a body in heat," it's the perfect summer scent.  (As a side note, how brilliant is that description?  It makes me want to be on a yacht in the Mediterranean drinking something fruity instead of stuck in the valley during a heatwave). 

Union Square Smells Delightful

When I heard the name Andy Warhol, I used to only picture an amazing artist.  Now I picture the second perfume in the Andy Warhol collection by Bond No 9.  Andy Warhol Union Square is a beautiful fragrance that contains notes of lily of the valley, sweet blue freesia, green stem, and amber, as well as others.  I initially thought this would be a floral scent, but not at all.  This alluring, sexy scent reminds me of Bryant Park (for those of you Bond No. 9 buffs like myself) but is really delicate considering the amber and musk that are in it.  Once it hits skin, you smell the lily of the valley and it quickly relaxes into the most beautiful springtime scent.  When I wear it, I constantly get asked why I smell so good (some say shower?  Others say Andy Warhol Union Square).  What is especially wonderful about this Bond No. 9 is that the staying power is out-of-control great.  End of day, I still smell delightful.  How many people can say they still smell good after sitting in a cubicle all day?

Let's Go To Chinatown

I know I am WAY behind the curve on this since it's been out since 2005, but I've fallen in love with Bond No. 9's Chinatown fragrance.   (Actually, I've fallen in love with a few of their fragrances, but this is the first one I'm writing about, so stay tuned!)  Being from the tri-state area (okay, fine, New Jersey), I love that all the Bond fragrances are named after neighborhoods in New York.  It just makes me smile when I use them because I remember all the good times I've had in those places.  I'm not usually a floral scent kind of girl, so I was surprised at how much I liked Chinatown.  It has a topnote of Peach Blossom, midnotes of Peony, Gardenia, Tuberose and Patchouli and base notes of Cardamom and Dark Woods.  It's floral, but it smells somewhat spicy as well, which I think makes all the difference for me.  It's original, not something you're going to smell on every other woman at a party, so you can really stand out when you wear it.  And how can you not love the bottle?  The inspiration for it came from a porcelain ginger jar from the Ming Dynasty (which totally takes me back to AP History).  It's the perfect fragrance for right now since the budding plum tree design is supposed to signify the first sign of spring after the cold winter.  (Although it's kind of hard to talk about winter when it's 87 degrees out in March!)  In fact, I was wearing it today when I signed for a package and the Fed Ex guy actually asked me what perfume I was wearing.  I figure he must smell dozens of women a day, so that's got to be a good sign! 

Bond No. 9 perfumes are available online at SaksFifthAvenue.com and BondNo9.com.

Photo courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue   

Spring in New York

On March 1, Bond No. 9 will launch its newest fragrance, Andy Warhol Union Square. It's the second in their Warhol series, and appears on that date because Warhol once said, "My favorite smell is the first smell of spring in New York." (I love that scent, too. Not as much as I love the scent from those damn hot candied peanut carts in the winter, but close). It's described as "a seductive green floral... an ambi-sexual, daringly balanced mix of sweet and cool," which definitely intrigues me. Also, how gorgeous is that bottle? It would put all the other perfume bottles in my collection to shame. Consider this one officially on my wish list!

You can buy Andy Warhol Union Square at any of Bond No. 9’s New York boutiques, Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide, and online here.

Photo courtesy of Bond No. 9