Bringing Back The Art of High Perfumery: Bond No. 9 Fragrances

Photo Credits: themajika.com

In the book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster, Dana Thomas lets her readers in on the history of luxury products making, and states why they command such hefty premiums-one of which is Perfume. 

In the ancient era, Perfume houses were just small and few, Perfumers were considered as noble artisans, Perfumery was a high art, (it was up there with Painting and Dance) and Perfumes were tantamount to jewelry, hence only a privileged few had the means to purchase them. Back then, perfumes were more personalized: Clients consult privately with a perfumer first, then the perfumer presents them a series of essential oils and compounds and starts building the perfume from scratch. Essential oils, the main extracts of ancient Perfumes were derived painstakingly from rare resources, and required hours of work and expert knowledge to produce. If you will consider all these things, from the ingredients to the process, you will understand why Perfume was only meant for the loaded. Luxury is not just about the product-it's the overall buying experience.

Photo Credits: tripadvisor.com

If perfume houses today remained true to the principles of ancient perfume- making, it is estimated that a bottle would be priced at a minimum of $1000+. Thanks to modern technology, perfumes were made affordable through mass production and the introduction of synthetic oils, oils that mimic the fragrance of pure, unadulterated essential oils. At last, everybody can afford a piece of the luxurious dream. (And this is the part where Thomas laments the death of authentic luxury, from bags to perfumes. Now I won't go into that anymore. Just buy the book. It's an interesting read. :D)

I met with the kind people of Prestige Fragrances last Monday for they wanted to introduce me to Bond  No. 9 fragrances. I always see Bond No. 9's counter whenever I go to Rustan's, but never really bothered checking it out-I've always had this feeling that it's a kiddie perfume line, judging from the looks of the bottles, but lo and behold, it is the most expensive perfume line in the boutique-I never expected that. Bond No. 9's fragrances start at P12,000.+ per bottle, and depending on the fragrance. They have this signature fragrance in a golden bottle that costs P22,000.00, and a limited edition perfume with a Swarovski- studded bottle that costs a whopping P50,000.00. Ah, the height of Donyaism!

So what's up with Bond No. 9? Why are their perfumes priced like that? Click READ MORE and learn more about this new discovery of mine.

I had interviewed the team behind Prestige Fragrances and asked them what makes this brand truly special: Bond No.9 is a New York- based fragrance line, and they got their name from the exact location of their production house, Bond st. in New York. Bond No. 9 is a niche brand- the fragrances are unique in personality, and each of them resonate each famous spot in New York city. 

Founder and President of Bond No. 9, Laurice Rahme originally built the brand as a tribute to this favorite city of hers. Not only that, she also aims to somehow restore artistry in perfumery through it that's why the company remains small, the artisans are given the freedom to interpret the perfumes, and as much as possible, they only use the finest and purest essential oils. It's perhaps one of the closest brands to the true luxurious perfumes of the bygone era.

Here are some of my favorites. Wallet, you gotta keep up with me lol! :D

Wall Street- A career- driven fragrance inspired by money. If you can hit it big in Wall Street, you can hit it big anywhere! It's primarily a unisex fragrance that's more on the spicy, earthy side.

High Line- Formerly a street- level railroad, High Line now serves as an aerial linear park in Manhattan. Inspired by this historical landmark, this namesake fragrance smells totally airy with notes of sunny flowers and greenery dancing in the background.

Astor Place- A two- block street where the wealthiest New Yorkers used to reside before it became a place for factories and warehouses. One word to describe this fragrance: RICH. I got really hooked on this fragrance that I kept on smelling my wrists after I left the counter-and then I found out that it has Poppy. :p

WEST SIDE- Before smelling this fragrance, Astor Place was my favorite. And when I finally took a whiff, I was transported to one of my favorite things, the stage, and musicals and straight plays started playing inside my head! West Side resonates with me perfectly. I know this may sound crazy to some, but I am definitely including this perfume in my to- buy list!

ALL- NEW BOND NO.9 CENTRAL PARK

Joining the line- up is Bond No.9 Central Park, a fragrance inspired by the picturesque and grandiose artistry that is Central Park. I have never been to Central Park, (heck, I haven't even been to New York!) but according to my mom's stories, Central Park is the most luxurious spot in the city: Lavish thoroughfares and buildings with strong undertones of Renaissance, Baroque, and ArtDeco architecture surround this 788-acre place of lush blooms and foliage. As a nature lover and a frustrated garden owner, I think I will love it here. I gotta visit New York soon! :D

Central Park is overall, a creamy, delectable summery white floral. Top notes are Narcissus, Ylang-Ylang and Pink Pepper, heart notes are made with a trio of white petals namely Orris, Jasmine, and Linden, and base notes are Vetiver, Musk, and White Oak. It comes in Bond No.9's signature star- shaped bottle, and is adorned with a pink Rose brooch and bracelet that you can use to add some pizzazz to your outfit.

You can read more about Bond No. 9's fragrances in their OFFICIAL WEBSITE.

Bond No. 9 Central Park retails at P12,700.00 (50ml) and P17,300 (100ml). Bond No. 9 is available in Rustan's Makati and Rustan's Shangri-La.