Thursday, January 18, 2007

Byrant Park by Bond No.9

Bond No 9 is about to release Bryant Park, The Scent of New York’s Frenzied Fashionistas Descending on a Lush Oasis of WiFe’ed Greenery Just One Block from Times Square. Inspired by the park in the heart of midtown Mandattan, the current home of the New York Fashion Week, the scent is said to be Bond No 9's "most fashion-oriented eau de parfum: a rose-patchouli concoction with pink pepper added for dissonance".

Not so demure lily of the valley. Rhubarb too feisty for a fruit pie. Nearly sneeze-able pink pepperthat undercuts any hint of sweetness. Rose, for a dose of undiluted femininity. In your face, insolent patchouli. Tart and decadent raspberry. Soothingly sensual amber.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Bryant Park (bottle shown above) was inspired by the scene in midtown’s Bryant Park, long the home to New York City’s twice-yearly Fashion Week. It is due to launch in March, and has notes of rose, patchouli, pink pepper, lily of the valley, rhubarb, raspberry and amber.

I did not expect to like Bryant Park — patchouli rarely pleases me, and I am about done with berries in perfume — but in the event, I find I like it more than West Side. The rhubarb adds a nice tartness to the top notes, and while the patchouli is not heavy (this is not L’Artisan’s Voleur de Roses), it adds an earthy buzz that along with the pink pepper, counteracts the sweetness of the raspberry and florals. As Marina put it in Perfume Smellin’ Things, it keeps things from “going all girly-swirly, cutesy and Barbie-esque”. As with West Side, in character it is not quite a rose fragrance; you will notice the rose, but it isn’t the center of attention.

The ambery musky base is similar to that of West Side, but where West Side’s sandalwood and vanilla lend an almost comfort-scent vibe to the dry down, Bryant Park retains a more vibrant, energetic edge. Traces of the rhubarb and raspberry last well into the dry down, where (happily) they remain quite dry; you will not, as you will with so many fruity florals, be reminded of lollipops. To my mind, Bond has yet to best 2005’s Chinatown, but I am betting that Bryant Park will find lots of fans, and hey, that bottle won’t hurt.