Bond No 9 Central Park West Review: A Different Floral

I've been using the new Central Park West perfume for almost 2 weeks now, and I fully admit to being at a loss when I try to describe it. Still.

This is definitely floral. But, it isn't the "normal" white floral that you're used to. It is very heavy in Narcissus for me, but it is warmer than usual, in large part because of the Citrus middle note. The 2 are very prominent on my skin and mix together to be floral, citrus, a little bit sweet and just... cozy? I feel cozy in this fragrance. I really can't describe it any better.

Notes
Top: Narcissus, Ylang Ylang, Black Pepper
Middle: Velvety white Gardenia, Jasmine, Citrus, Orris
Base: Vetiver, Musk, White Oak, Treemoss

Note that on me, the fragrance was the same at the beginning as it was hours later, there was no burn off. It lasts all day, and while it was noticeable, it isn't an overwhelming fragrance. It is just... there. Warm and sweet and floral and just inviting. I've been wearing this for home, for work, for running errands... it would probably be a bit out of place for a night at the bar, but it is perfect for a romantic date night. Can you smell it inviting you closer?

Bond No 9

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Bond No. 9's Gramercy Park

I've been just a bit "fragranced out" lately as I've been inundated with samples to review for Mother's Day. I needed a serious break. Thank goodness for Gramercy Park! I needed a "palette cleanser" between florals, something light and fresh. I was craving a green fragrance to try out.

Gramercy Park is just that, a light green scent that Bond created to envoke the Gramercy Park neighborhood. To me this sounds like the hidden gardens in the movie Notting Hill, a private gated haven of green grass and trees that is only accessible to those that live in the buildings around the park. A private oasis of greenery in the middle of the city.

In the bottle I smell primarily the green notes such as the Fresh Greens and Crisp Leafy Tones. But, after about an hour or so these brighter notes fade a bit to reveal a bit more of the deeper notes with a bit of English Ivy with some very light floral notes from the Cyclamen and I swear I smell a bit of Lily with a small touch of Lime in there as well. It really does smell like you're in a spring garden which is just what I was craving!

Top notes: Fresh Greens, Crisp Leafy Tones
Middle notes: White Muguet, Cyclamen, English Ivy, Lily of the Valley
Base Notes: Sheer Woods, Crystal Musk

On another Bond related note, remember the Swarovski Star Bon Bons that I posted about? Well, run over to Blogdorf Goodman! Annie saw them in person at Saks, and her pictures are just amazing! I thought they were cute before, but judging from Annie's pictures the "official" Bond picture did not do them justice! Amazing! If you're having problems finding the post, here's a link to the comments on the post, you can click back to the blog and it will take you to the post.

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Mother's Day with Bond No. 9!

If there's a mom in your life that loves fragrance, this is a great option for a Mother's Day gift! This is a set of three mini Swarovski Stars Bon Bons, they are filled with some of my favorite Bond Scents: Bryant Park, Bleecker Street and Nuits de Noho. Each Bon Bon contains 6 ml of scent.

Available in May at Bond No. 9 and Saks Fifth Avenue

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Bond No. 9's Bleeker Street

Sometimes I recognize the name of a note, but have no clue what that is.

For example, Cassis. What is that? I'm not really sure. But, I do know that I like it, as it is the prominent note on me in both Bleeker Street and Jo Malone's Wild Fig & Cassis. It is an interesting note: at once light but also with a lot of depth. I think it is fairly feminine, especially in combination with a floral!

Bleeker Street is just that: Cassis with a white floral. In the bottle I smell pretty much only cassis, none of the other notes come through. But, once on me the Cassis does fade a bit (don't get me wrong, it is still the most prominent note), but the Jasmine combines with it in an amazing way! The two really seem to balance each other well.

Top Notes: Cassis, Thyme
Middle Notes: Jasmine, Cedarwood, Cinnamon
Basenotes: Oakmoss, Suede, Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla

Bleeker Street is a fragrance made for a very trendy area in New York, filled with "hot" spots such as Marc Jacobs and Magnolia Bakery. I think this fragrance suits that area well!

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Bond No. 9's Eau de Noho

Bond No. 9 has a secret, and I'm going to let you in on it. There is a little known fragrance, one that should be well known by all. It should be their top seller. But it isn't. Instead it's a little known treasure. And, I absolutely love it. It is my new favorite Bond Fragrance, and I think it should be your new favorite too!

Eau de Noho is a soft floral that is well balanced by greens. In the bottle I smell the Cashmere Woods and Mandarin, but these quickly burn off. What is left behind is the Violet Leaves, fresh but somehow also warm and friendly. The Mimosa comes out for a few hours, but is gone by the end of the day. The Mimosa is a particularly fresh smelling note, but when it leaves toward the end of the day the Amber comes out a bit more. The result is a slightly darker, deeper scent. I love all of the evolutions of this fragrance. I would love any one of them alone, but together this is a masterpiece!

Top Notes: Mandarin, Watery Greens
Middle Notes: Mimosa, Violet Leaves,
Base Notes: Cashmere Woods, Green Moss, Amber

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Bond No. 9's Nouveau Bowery

After testing Roxy's new scent last week, I have to admit that I was not in a very "perfume" mood this weekend. I definitely wanted something, but I didn't want to smell too floral, I wanted to be very subtle. Well, I ended up pulling Nouveau Bowery out of my Bond Sample Box, and low and behold- Bond calls it the "anti-perfume!" It was truly perfect for me this weekend!

Nouveau Bowery is a unisex, very subtle scent. It really fits the description of "anti-perfume" since it really smells more like a great smelling lotion or shampoo. Or, like you "just happen" to smell that way!

In the bottle I get a lot of the lime note, which is definitely what initially attracted me to it. The basil compliments the lime very well, and with time the lime fades very slightly with the Wild Lily, Basil and Thyme coming out just a bit more. It is a very fresh and spring-like scent, absolutely perfect for this time of year!

Top Notes: Lime, Basil, Thyme
Middle Notes: Wild Lily, Violet Wood
Base Notes: Patchouli, Oakmoss and Vetiver

Bond No. 9.com

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Bond No. 9's Andy Warhol Union Square

I was incredibly excited to try out the new Andy Warhol Union Square, and I can tell you that when my little sample vial arrived in the mail last week I was practically tearing the envelope open with my teeth! My love for Bond No. 9, white florals and most especially for Bond's Andy Warhol Silver Factory made my expectations for this fragrance very high. I have to say that I was not disappointed.

In the bottle and on me, this is most definitely a white floral lover's dream fragrance! The Lily of the Valley is very nicely balanced by the Green Stem, while the Musk keeps it from being too overwhelming. Once I have the fragrance on, the Freesia comes out quite a bit more making the most prominent notes the Freesia and the Lily of the Valley. The Musk is still apparent, keeping the whole scent balanced nicely.

Top Notes: Lily of the Valley, Green Stem
Middle Notes: Sweet Blue Freesia, White Birchwood
Base Notes: Amber, Silver-Cloud Musk Accord

I felt very spring-like wearing this fragrance. It is perfect for those first days of spring, when the snow is melting and you have seen the first of the spring flowers breaking through the ground!

Bond No. 9.com

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Bond No. 9's H.O.T. Always

I thought it might be good to review a Bond fragrance that really is meant for men, rather than just being unisex. I was digging through my Bond fragrances (I have a cute little Kate Spade box that is full of the little samples), and I pulled out something called H.O.T. Always. Huh? I thought that all Bond Fragrances were named after areas of NYC.

It turns out that this fragrance is an ode to the guy who is a romantic at heart, and the areas in NYC that he would frequent during a relationship: the boutique hotels, the romantic and out-of-the-way restaurants and bars, museums like The Frick and El Museo del Barrio. I do have to say that this fragrance seems to me to be absolutely perfect for those locations. In the bottle I smell the leather and cinnamon notes, but I think I pick up a bit of a white floral note as well. On me, it takes on a warm and soothing scent with primarily the bergamot and sandalwood scents lingering lightly with a hint of the cinnamon.

While meant for a man, I can definitely see myself wearing this in the cold winter. With a big wool sweater and a fireplace, it seems just perfect for those cold winter days as the warmth of this fragrance just seems to envelope me.

Notes: Cinnamon, Bergamot, Russian Leather, Civet, Patchouli, Sandalwood

Bond No. 9.com

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Bond No. 9's Madison Soiree

With last night's Oscars, I felt that this was the perfect time to review Madison Soiree. This scent pays tribute to Madison Avenue, which by day is a street filled with New Yorkers and tourists, rushing to expensive boutiques or museums. But, at night the street changes completely. It quiets down, and the locals come out on their way to the Soiree. The woman is always elegant and feminine, this scent is the perfect choice to go with that dress!

In the bottle I can smell mostly a very clean, floral scent. To me, Oakmoss always reminds me of soap (is it just me? I feel very clean in Oakmoss scents), and this is definitely prominent with the honeysuckle in the bottle. Once on, the Jasmine comes out more, while the Oakmoss recedes to the background. Overall, this is a clean, floral scent that has great depth but is simple and elegant at the same time.

Top Notes: Jasmine, Gardenia, Honeysuckle
Base Notes: Oakmoss

Bond No. 9.com

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Bond No. 9's Andy Warhol Union Square

This week, the fragrance gods have worked to help me out. Somehow knowing that I haven't been able to smell anything for about five days, and that it would basically be impossible to review a Bond scent and do it justice under such circumstances, they had Bond announce a new Andy Warhol fragrance!

I really loved Andy Warhol Silver Factory (it definitely ranks in my top 5 fragrances), so I'm especially excited to see what Bond has created for us this time!

Union Square was the location of the Warhol's Factory until 1984, and it was there that he created these pop flowers. This scent will be unisex, and is a green floral. Just take a peek at the notes:

Top Notes: Lily of the Valley, Green Stem
Middle Notes: Sweet Blue Freesia, White Birchwood
Base Notes: Amber, Silver-Cloud Musk Accord

I definitely am a bit of a Lily of the Valley sucker, I tend to like anything with an amber base note, but what is this Sweet Blue Freesia? I'm very excited to smell that note in particular!

Check out those bottles! I've only shown six of them here, but there will be ten (10!!) all together, each with different colors. What interests me even more is the limited edition bottle to be released in April, 100 ml of the fragrance along with a limited-edition Robert Lee Morris Warhol-inspired Flowers necklace in sterling silver. (I haven't seen a picture of the necklace yet, but my 5 year wedding anniversary is in May. This may be on my list of potential presents!)

Union Square will be available March 15 at Bond Boutiques, Bond No. 9.com and Saks Fifth Avenue.

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Bond No. 9's Central Park

This weekend I picked some lemons and oranges from our backyard, and I have been in a citrus mood ever since! (The joys of living in Southern California!)

If you are in a spring time or citrus mood, definitely pick up Central Park. This scent really feels like spring time to me, with a definite "green" scent and the lime note, I felt right at home making my homemade meyer lemonade tonight!

Top Notes: Basil Verbena, Mandarin Leaf, Bergamot, Lime Blossom
Middle Notes: Bulgarian Rose, Muguet, Water Jasmine
Base Notes: Blue Cedar, Balsa Wood, Cashmere Musk, Patchouli

In the vial, I primarily smell the Lime Blossom and Basil Verbena and just and overall sense of "green." However, once it is on me, the scent deepens with a bit more of the bergamot and cashmere coming out while the lime blossom blends into those scents. Overall, it is a very fresh scent with just enough of the lime blossom to make it different.

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Bond No. 9's Fashion Avenue

In a few days fashionistas from around the world will converge on Bryant Park for Fashion Week. In this group will be a lot of beauty bloggers that I know, and I wish I could be there! I "have" to be in Hawaii for work, but I can tell you that the invites to fashion shows that I've received are basically killing me (especially the three invites I got to the Project Runway Finale!). I'll be there in spirit!

In celebration of Fashion Week, I thought this would be a great time to showcase Bond's Fashion Avenue. The real signature of this scent is the Ylang Ylang note, which combines with the Cashmere Musk note (and a hint of mimosa) to really capture the essence of 7th Avenue. This scent can only be described as sexy and sophisticated. The scent doesn't really change between the bottle and my skin, except that the Ylang Ylang does come out a bit more with time. I absolutely love it!

Top Notes: Dewy Greens, Fresh Citrus Notes
Middle Notes: Mimosa, Ylang Ylang
Base Notes: Blackcurrant, Sandalwood, Cashmere Musk

My amazing husband has promised me I'll make it to Fashion Week sometime, and you can bet that this is the scent I'll be wearing to my first show!

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Bond No. 9's Wall Street

Things have become completely and utterly crazy for me at work this past week, and I was feeling the need for a bold fragrance that would make me feel as though I could take charge and sort a few things out. (As well, I needed to be able to wear it for those long call day/night/day shifts I do and still have a little something lingering).

I was searching through my Bond Fragrances for one that fit those requirements and could still be reviewed for Bond Monday. (I have a little green box that I keep all of my Bond sample vials in, I was having a great time opening them all and picking one out!) I tend to not look at the names on the vials, let alone the list of notes, when I pick out a fragrance. About 4 vials in to carefully opening the vials I came across Wall Street and new I had found my winner!

In the vial there is a hint of citrus, something fresh (like cucumber) and a touch of musk to keep you from smelling like Bath & Body Works exploded on you.

Top Notes: Citrus, Cucumber, Sea Kale
Middle Notes: Ozone, Lentisque (balsamic, hinting of leather, from the pistachio tree), Lavender, Bigarrade (from the bitter orange tree), Thyme
Base Notes: Musk, Vetiver, Ambergris

With time this scent only gets better! The cucumber fades a bit while the citrus, lavender and a bit of the musk come out. The really surprising note is the Thyme, which is what offers a great depth to the scent.

I really think that this is the longest lasting of the Bond scents I've tried. Literally, I still had collegues at work asking what my fragrance was at 3 am. I had applied at about 6 am the day before! This scent is a great combination of musk and citrus with a bit of thyme and cucumber to lighten things up.

I definitely felt stronger and more energized wearing this scent. I think this will be perfect for events like public speaking and job interviews, when I need to feel strong and confident! This is a fairly androgynous scent, so you may want to split a bottle with the man in your life!

Bond No. 9

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Bond No. 9's Fire Island

I've never been to Fire Island, but I've certainly heard a lot about it! Bond tried to capture the essence of this beach town with the scent of bronzing oil! I love it, and wearing this scent makes me more excited for my trip to Hawaii next month (for work, but still... Hawaii!)

In the bottle this is a very musky scent, but once I've worn it for a while it becomes more subtle, the musk fades in to the background and the Cardamom and Tuberose come out a little bit more. In addition I believe the ozone becomes more prominent, because it really does start to remind me of Bain de Soliel. Hawaii, here I come!

Top Notes: Cardamom, Ozone
Heart Notes: Neroli, White Musk
Base Notes: Tuberose, Patchouli

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Bond No. 9's So New York

Ok, admit it, like me you are likely a chocolate lover. So, why not try a calorie-free version and wear it in your perfume? Really!

Honestly, I did not pick out the chocolate note in this fragrance until I found out that it was there. It's definitely not prominent, but it's definitely there! In the bottle I smell mostly patchouli, with hints of amber and bergamot and what I think is lillies of the valley (the notes listed below are the only ones I could find listed). As time goes on it deepens, the chocolate comes out slightly and I can smell more of the amber and less patchouli. I think that this is a warm, slightly woodsy scent that I could definitely wear every day!

Notes of Mirabelle, Espresso Accord, Cocoa Powder

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Bond No. 9's Bryant Park

Bryant Park is one of the most glamorous of Bond's location inspirations. This is the site of New York's Fashion Week, and Bond describes this fragrance at "a rose-patchouli concoction with pink pepper added for dissonance."

For me, this is a great everyday scent. I'm not sure that I could ever tire of it! It is a simple, refreshing white floral scent that deepens very slightly on me as the rose and patchouli come out slightly. Over and over I find myself reaching for this scent, and whenever I wear it I receive compliments.

Top Notes: Lily of the Valley, Rhubarb, Pink Pepper
Middle Notes: Rose, Patchouli
Base Notes: Raspberry, Amber

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Bond No. 9's New York Fling

With all of the heavy cranberry and cinnamon scents wafting around this time of year, I really wanted to try out a lighter scent for this week's Bond Monday. I think I definitely picked the correct scent for that this week, I loved the fresh, clean scent of New York Fling. It was a perfect break from all of the Holiday Scents, and you can bet that I'll be turning to this scent over and over this spring!

In the bottle I get whiffs of Clementine and Basil with a bit of Cardamom, and with wear I still smell mostly the Clementine and Basil but the Freesia and a bit of the Amber come out as well. Overall this is a clean, fresh scent! I got a ton of compliments on it, and I think that the Bond counter at Saks in South Coast Plaza can expect a mini-rush on New York Fling!

Top Notes: Bergamot, Clementine, Cardamom

Middle Notes: Peony, Basil, Muguet, Freesia

Base Notes: Musk, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Jasmine Absolute, Amber

Bond's Bon-Bon Box Gift Set
If you're in need of a last minute gift idea for a fashionista or glamour girl, don't forget Bond's Bon-Bon Boxes! There are 2 collections, each of which come with 16 different fragrances! You have until December 21st to order from Saks.com for Christmas delivery, so you still have a few days!


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Bond No. 9's Chinatown

I think I have found it, my favorite Bond No. 9 Fragrance! I was honestly a bit afraid to try out Chinatown, mostly because I love the bottle so much. I honestly thought my love of the design on the bottle would skew me towards the fragrance! But, when I heard that it is their #1 seller, I knew I had to try it out!

This fragrance is nothing like any fragrance I have tried before. I've been trying to figure out how to describe this fragrance all week, and the best description that I have come up with is warm and spicy. This fragrance is inviting and just seems to envelope you.

In the bottle you smell the Cardamon quite a bit, which really is the secret behind the spicy warmth. There's a bit of fresh lightness that keeps it from being too heavy, and I believe this is the Peach Blossom. This scent doesn't change very much on me, surprisingly enough. I get just a hint of the peach blossom, and with time the Cardamon deepens and becomes a bit more prominent.

Top Notes: Peach Blossom
Middle Notes: Peony, Gardenia, Tuberose, Patchouli
Base Notes: Cardamon, Dark Woods

If you have to find a present for a fragrance lover, definitely check this one out! I strongly recommend looking at the limited edition Swarovski Crystal Bottle, it is beautiful!

Buy Bond No. 9 New York Chinatown Fragrance
Bond No. 9

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Bond No. 9's Nuits de Noho

Nuits de Noho is one of Bond's most popular fragrances, and I'm betting that the reason is the Patchouli note. I did a quick Google search this morning to look for a breakdown of the notes by base, middle and top. I couldn't find a breakdown of the notes anywhere (odd, since it's usually easy to find this), but what I did find was page after page of comments about how great the Patchouli note is! It is described as voluptuous, heady, divine and irreverent. I found page after page of raves for this Patchouli note!

Notes: Jasmin, Creamy Vanilla, Sheer Patchouli, Musk, Bergamot, Rosewood

In the bottle I smell primarily Patchouli, Bergamot and a bit of Rosewood and Jasmine. Once I've applied the fragrance, it deepens even more to primarily Patchouli and a bit of musk with a small hint of Rosewood. I saw the word voluptuous all over to describe this Patchouli note, and I definitely think that this is an accurate description. I have to say that with this scent you need to have a light hand, I think with the deepening of the scent it became stronger. A bottle of this would go a long way!

Also available this holiday season in a limited edition 3.4 ounces crystal vial.
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Bond No. 9's Chelsea Flowers

For this week's review of Bond Fragrance, I thought I would step outside of my typical Bergamot, Amber and White Floral scents. I picked Chelsea Flowers because honestly it struck me as just being different from all of the other Bond Scents.

Top Notes: White Peony, Mimosa, French Tulip

Middle Notes: White Hyacinth, Magnolia and Rose

Base Notes: Musk, Sandalwood, Vetiver and Tree Moss

When I smelled this fragrance in the bottle, I could just smell a lot of florals, most prominently I could pick out White Peony (I know, I know, another white floral, but at least I was leaving out some of my other favorite notes!).

In the bottle, there's actually an overwhelming floral scent to this fragrance. But, don't let that fool you! Once on, this fragrance changes quite a bit. This is a fairly subtle floral scent. Once it has been on for a while, I can smell the Tulip and Hyacinth, with a very faint background of something that I'm fairly certain is the Tree Moss.

While I still love my bergamot and amber, I have to say that this scent was a refreshing change from my other scents. Plus, as an added bonus, my husband loved this one!

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