BellaSugar

10 Ridiculously Luxe Beauty Gifts

Miriam Lacey — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:00:08 PST

Ever gotten a $1,000 headband for the holidays, or maybe been surprised with a jewel-encrusted perfume bottle so large that it has a spigot? Well, even if that's not how things usually go around your house, you can still be up on the lives of the wealthy and profligate. The following 10 gifts are some of the most luxurious and costly on the market. Check them out and see if they're worth their price tags.

You Know You Want to Design This Fragrance Bottle. . .

BellaSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:00:22 PST

Perfumer Bond No. 9 makes fragrances that capture the essence of New York's distinct neighborhoods. And last month, this Big Apple-loving company announced that its latest fragrance, Brooklyn, would be encased in a glass bottle with graffiti-style, "street" artwork. They received many strong opinions on what the bottle could look like, so they took it to heart, deciding to offer more options by means of a fun, oh-so-artsy, contest.

Two winners will be chosen in the "Brooklyn Bottle Design Competition," and not only will their designs go into production, but their names will be displayed on the bottles, and each winner will receive one bottle of Brooklyn per month for a full year. Not too shabby. See the rules when you

Create the design to fit within the outline of the Bond No. 9 superstar flacon and to include the circular “token” logo, downloadable on the Bond No. 9 website.
Any style, whether abstract or figurative, will do.
Inspiration should come from any concept or anywhere in Brooklyn.
Any medium is fine, whether watercolor, acrylic, makeup, ballpoint pen, etc.
The contest goes throughout the month of March. Finished designs should be submitted by March 31, 2009 to: contactus@bondno9.com or Bond No. 9, 9 Bond Street, New York, NY 10012. Have fun, and good luck!

Beauty Byte: Bond No. 9 Founder Talks Coney Island

BellaSugar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:17:32 PDT

I love Bond No. 9 perfumes, and I'm particularly smitten with the brand's festive new Summer scent, Coney Island. Like all of Bond No. 9's perfumes, this one pays tribute to a very New York place. So I was intrigued to read this New York Times story where Bond founder Laurice Rahme talks about creating the Coney Island scent.

According to the article, Rahme decided on the latest New York-themed fragrance after numerous customer requests:

“People are coming in here,” said Ms. Rahme, a former Lancôme executive, gesturing around her flagship boutique on Bond Street, in NoHo. “They are saying, ‘When are you going to do Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Brooklyn?’”

She pondered the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights and Williamsburg, and its hotspots like the River Cafe and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, but settled on Coney Island as her first olfactory excursion into the borough.

It's really a fun read if you're interested in how a perfume is developed. Rahme takes us through the scents she decided to evoke, such as margaritas, and the ones she avoided, like hot dogs.

Glam-o-Rama Gal: The Scent

FabSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 07:23:08 PST

Here is a gorgeous glammy thing Glam-o-Rama Gal is sure to have tucked away in her New Years clutch. This Bond no. 9 Swarovski Pocket Spray Box, $195, contains miniature black Swarovski paved pocket sprays containing the following scents: Chinatown, Chelsea Flowers and Eau de New York. With these she can leave her glamorous scent wherever the evening takes her.

Bond No. 9's Blendable Perfumes

FabSugar — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 08:46:07 PST

When it comes to creatively mixed and packaged perfumes, it's hard to beat the extensive line from Bond No. 9. The New York-based perfumer has created 26 perfumes for men and women that pay homage to various Manhattan neighborhoods. Now, the company has created The Perfumista's Custom Blending Box, which is an excellent gift for any scent-obsessed girls on your gift list.

The kit contains a selection of 16 Bond No. 9 fragrances in adorable, individually wrapped spray cans that resemble candies. There's also one empty canister for blending, so perfumistas can mix and match varieties to create a fragrance that is distinctly theirs on any given day. The box also includes suggestions for "recipes" from Bond No. 9. Included in the set are classic scents like Central Park, Nuits de Noho, Eau De NY, Wall Street, and Park Ave, among others. Bond also another gift set, called the Bon Bon Box, which contains 18 foil wrapped bottles but no special mixing features. Both sets cost $240 and are available here.

Bond No. 9 Releases a New Andy Warhol Scent

Jaime Richards — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:31:19 PDT

From Marilyn Monroe to Jackie Kennedy, artist Andy Warhol was inspired by a variety of muses, but sometimes the motive came straight from within. That's just what New York-based perfumer Bond No. 9 wanted to capture when creating its latest Warhol series, Andy Warhol by Bond No. 9 ($180 to $240).

In this sixth scent of the series, the fragrance and packaging are meant to celebrate Warhol's boho-mod life and times. A clean-cut Warhol is depicted on the front and back of the bottle in an old-school photobooth-style photo, paying homage to a Janus-faced design (one looking to the future, and one looking to the past). The '60s-centric brew includes top notes of bergamot zest, peach juice, red rose, and cumin; a heart of honeyed centifolia rose, white patchouli, cistus ambre, jasmine, frankincense, and oud; and a drydown of amber, red sandalwood, mulled plum, vanilla bean, and musk. Get your groove on Dec. 1, when the eau de parfum launches at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bond No. 9 stores in New York, and the perfumer's website.

Where to Find the Best Black Friday Beauty Deals

Jaime Richards — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:10:38 PST

Get ready for some serious sales because Black Friday is upon us, the official kickoff to holiday shopping season. So whether you'll be heading out at 3:00 a.m. for some doorbusting action or snuggled up with your laptop scoping out the deals, there's something here for everyone. To see some amazing deals, just keep reading.

Perfumer Bond No. 9 Captures Essence of Brooklyn

BellaSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:00:35 PST

It's no secret that Brooklyn has become the hip place to be over the past few years, and swanky New York perfume house Bond No. 9 is about to deliver once again with a new scent called - what else? - Brooklyn.

Set for a March debut, the unisex blend was designed to capture the essence of the artistic, ever-changing, and edgy vibe of this city-within-a-city. With top notes of cardamom and grapefruit; middle notes of cypress-wood, geranium leaves, and juniper berries; and bottom notes of cedarwood, guaiacwood, and leather, Brooklyn ($145 to $220) is sexy, spicy, and tender. Or as they like to say in the fragrance biz, it's a woody, spicy-filled oriental.

As for the distinctively-shaped bottle, Bond No. 9's Brooklyn is street art all the way with graffit-esque writing in bold eye-catching hues. Look for the new scent at one of Bond No. 9's four New York City boutiques and Saks Fifth Avenue - but alas, it won't be found in Kings County itself.

Bond No. 9: Bryant Park Reeks of Fashion

BellaSugar — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 04:21:22 PST

Starting today is Fall 2007 Ready-to-Wear New York Fashion Week! The world famous Bryant Park tents will be premiering clothing, accessories and the newest fashion forward fragrance called, Bond No. 9 Bryant Park, $185. This Pucci and late 50s inspired Mod bottle smells just as pretty as it looks.

Created by perfumer Michel Almairac, Bond No. 9's Bryant Park is made of: lily of the valley, rhubarb, pink pepper, patchouli, rose, raspberry and amber. It is hip, distinct, and very wearable. I love that it's not too floral and fruity like other fragrances, it's quite tangy and fun.

For those of you who unfamiliar with Bryant Park, let me paint a little picture of this small oasis smack in the middle of midtown for you.

On 41st Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, lies a tree lined, lush green park amidst high rise buildings, the New York Public Library and the bustle of the garment district. There is a carousel, beautifully manicured flower beds, and WiFi set up for all of those who care to play online while playing outside. It has housed NY Fashion Week for 14 years and is now also the name of Bond No.9's 28th fragrance.

The scent will officially be launching in Bond boutiques, Saks, and the Bond No. 9 website on March 1st and will be available in two Eau de Parfum sizes; 50 ml for $125 or 100 ml for $185.

Summer Fun in a Bottle: Coney Island by Bond No. 9

BellaSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 10:23:00 PDT

Bond No.9 really fancies New York beaches. The posh cologne company has fragrances called Hamptons and Fire Island, and its latest summer launch is Coney Island Eau de Parfum. Smitten with the vintage feel of this amusement park for decades, the creators wanted to make a scent that captures the essence of this Brooklyn mecca, with its rides, beaches, Nathan's hot dogs, and night spots.

The sweet and tangy fragrance contains essences of margarita mix, tequila, melon, guava, cinnamon, caramel, chocolate, vanilla, cedarwood, sandalwood, and musk. The striking blue bottle was designed to capture the essence of the expansive sea and sky, and the gold neck reflects the lights throughout the park.

The timing may be impeccable, since Coney Island is facing threats from condo developers. So this fragrance launch is a fitting tribute to the age-old amusement park. Coney Island the fragrance will be available online in the next few weeks; however you can begin placing your pre-orders online this Tuesday. It will come in two sizes: a 3.4-ounce bottle for $180 and a 1.7-ounce bottle for $125.