Bond No. 9's I Love NY Collection

This review has been a long time coming... my apologies!

Life has been insanely busy recently, but I'm loving every moment of it. I'm currently working on a very exciting re-branding project for my amazing client, which will be incredible once we launch. It's truly such an interesting process, and I can't wait to see everything come together. In addition, I've been busy with all sorts of fun summer get-togethers with loved ones. I just love this time of year.

I'm still enjoying my girly indulgences, and have plenty of things I'd like to write about and review. First and foremost, I need to review Bond No. 9's I Love NY fragrance collection, which I received in early April after winning first place in Bond's New York photography competition. I have to admit, I was absolutely thrilled when I received this package! In the marketing/design field myself, I was in love with the gorgeous packaging before I even reached the products... it's all done so beautifully. The fact that I received all three fragrances was such a special honor, especially since I'm a big fan of Bond.

I Love New York for Her

 Top Notes: Mandarin Zest, Spicy Nutmeg, Blueberry

Middle Notes: Roses, Pink Peonies, Patchouli

Base Notes: Musk, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Leather

This fragrance is the ultimate in femininity. It's sweet and has a lovely dry down, one that will appeal to many women. It's just a very pretty, agreeable fragrance. All things considered, though, I'm not in love with it and don't plan on purchasing it once I go through this bottle. There's something about it that's a bit too generically sweet and powdery about it once it dries down on me.

I Love New York for All

 Top Notes: Bergamot, Muguet, Pepper

Middle Notes: Cocoa, Coffee Beans, Chestnut

Base Notes: Patchouli, Vanilla, Leatherwood, Sandalwood

I love this fragrance. It's just so different than any other scent I own (and that's saying quite a bit, given my vast collection). This one is a true gourmand, sweet and yet complex that develops into a beautiful, warm scent. This will be absolutely perfect in the fall and winter; it just evokes cozy sexiness. My best friend Courtney also loves this fragrance, and it has quickly become a new favorite. She gets so many compliments! It's also a great unisex scent, as a male friend of ours actually wore this out and said he had never gotten more comments from women. Clearly, everyone loves I Love New York for All- myself included!

I Love New York for Him

 Top Notes: Grapefruit Zest, Juniper Berry, Ginger, and an Electric Energy Accord

Middle Notes:Lavender, Geranium, Patchouli, and an Animal Leather Accord

Base Notes: Sandalwood, Balsam-like Labdanum, Musk, and a Modern Amber Accord

I gave this one away the day I got it (since I don't use it myself)... so my opinion on this one is fairly limited. That being said, I was able to snag my guy a number of men's Bond samples about a month ago, and we both love this fragrance on him best. I definitely feel like this one is a casual cologne that is best suited for a younger man. It's just the perfect everyday fragrance for him.

 

Bond's I LOVE NY Contest

 

Guess who took first place in Bond No. 9's I LOVE NY Contest? ;)

2,813 votes. Wow.

While it's thrilling to be recognized for your work in any capacity, this one is especially meaningful. As I posted before, the winning photo was taken on a trip that didn't quite go as planned. It was taken on an early Saturday morning stroll in the city, after a very challenging week last fall. I almost didn't even go on that trip, as it seemed a bit pointless to go by myself... but I did it anyway, and what a great experience I made of it. For the first time ever, I went completely on my own and without a purpose (which was actually one of the many things on my bucket list). New York has always been such a special place to me- filled with such energy and vibrancy- and I loved wandering and discovering it in such a spontaneous way. Winning this contest is just a small validation of that.

 I'm so excited to add these fragrances to my little Bond collection! Since I've won all three of the fragrances in the I Love NY collection, reviews of the I Love NY "For Her" and "For All" are to come. A special guest review for the "For Him" fragrance will likely make its way in here as well.

 

Thank you so much for your votes and support!

Vote for My Love Affair with New York!

My photograph of Radio City Music Hall (taken last fall, see above) has been chosen for Bond No. 9's contest, "My Love Affair With New York." Please vote for me (you can vote once every 24 hours)!

http://www.bondno9.com/yourloveaffairwithnewyork#view/3961/516260

As a little throwback, here's the video I made from that very trip.

Thanks, dolls!

Fragrance Review: Bond No. 9's High Line

Happy Spring! 

... okay, so maybe it isn't officially spring yet, but it IS March. Which for me, equates that winter is certainly on its way out- and a whole new batch of little dresses and bikinis are headed in. ;)

To celebrate "my" springcoming, I set forth towards the Bond No. 9 counter. While my signature is The Scent of Peace (and always will be), I was looking for something springlike and new- something to start fresh with. Spring has always been my favorite season, and I love how it brings a sense of growth, change, and beauty. (Any of this sound familiar? hah.) Call me crazy, but I want to wear a fragrance that reflects that. I went through my massive pile of Bond bonbon samples at home, but none of them really spoke to me. I have a lot of Bond favorites, but I was really looking for something specific. With the help of my Bond SA and my best friend, I found what I was looking for with High Line.

Bond describes High Line as "an androgynous floral-marine bouquet, contrasting the hardy flowers and greens. The scent starts off with a prairie grazing weed—purple love grass-mixed with citrusy bergamot and zesty Indian rhubarb. The perfume’s floral heart is red-leaf rose, Lady Jane tulips, and grape hyacinth. Its lingering base notes combine bur oak with imported sea moss, along with musk and teakwood."

High Line's namesake is the High Line of New York, a public park built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. If you haven't been to the High Line or the Meatpacking District, it's definitely a must-see while you're in New York. Of course, the shopping is killer in the revitalized area- be sure to check out DVF, Scoop NYC, Stella McCartney, and Louboutin while you're there. What makes the area so special, though, is the High Line- a little oasis in an otherwise very industrial spot. Bond's take on this very special part of the city just nails it.

Bond's High Line opens with a very fresh green burst, which then progresses into a very pretty, fresh floral that has a strong emphasis of tulips and hyacinths. It then dries down to a clean, warm floral that is different from any other I've experienced. Soft, comforting, and yet decidedly evocative of spring. The sillage is phenomenal, lingering on me all day.

Highly, highly recommend this one! Bond No. 9 does it again!

Youtube Review: MUFE HD, Bond No 9, Christian Louboutin

  

Review:
Makeup Forever (MUFE) HD Foundation

MAC Strobe Cream
Bond No. 9's The Scent of Peace
Christian Louboutin's Ron Ron 100mm

xx

What I'm Loving Right Now...

J. Crew

 I always enjoy getting new J. Crew catalogs in the mail, but I especially love receiving them this time of year. I'm not a fan of fall itself, but I LOVE weather that supports the combination of jeans/cardigan/tall boots (i.e. my fall uniform). No one does pre-fall like The Crew.

Bond No. 9
 Someone close to me got me hooked on Bond No. 9 fragrances, and now I can't get enough of the samples. The Scent of Peace is my absolute favorite. So pretty and fresh... it's the perfect summertime scent (and perhaps my new signature scent).

 Spanish Cooking
Hosted a Spanish tapas party with my aunt last weekend to celebrate my aunt and uncle's homecoming from a month-long vacation to Espana. I'm not really a foodie (especially during summer months), but I really enjoyed cooking (and making yummy sangria) this weekend. Need to tap more into my Spanish roots. Would LOVE to take vegetarian cooking lessons this fall.

"He About to Lose Me" by Britney Spears
While my taste in music has grown up considerably in the past few years, I'm still a Brit Brit fan. Pop music at its finest; the perfect music for long drives and workouts. Been loving this unreleased Femme Fatale track this week. So chill.

Latisse
I started using Latisse again in May (after using it last fall), and just finished my first bottle. The one month supply actually lasted me two months, and again, I'm SO impressed with the results. My lashes are back to looking like they are falsies, becoming ridiculously long. I began my second bottle today, and I'm curious to see how much longer they get after doing two treatments consecutively. A big Latisse post to come soon (with before/after photos), but I had to include it today.

My Niece
My beautiful niece, Zadie, turned two weeks old today. Hurray! =) I'm already so proud of her, and can't get enough of the photo emails my sister sends. Love my Zadiebug.