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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