Astor Place by Bond No 9

systeme_d

I had to laugh at my2scents' review.

Astor Place is where Astor Barber is located. Astor Barber is one of the most famous hair salons in NYC.

Perhaps the freesia/shampoo scent was intentional!

my2scents

I often put a bit of a fragrance on the back of my hand to sniff during the day at work and sample. Today, I decided to grab a random Bond out of my desk drawer at home – I grabbed Astor Place and thought I’d give it some more attention since I’d only briefly smelled it in the store up til now.

When I first put it on, I got a pleasant, but not exceptional plummy fruit note. It seemed nice enough and I thought perhaps it could be something the GF would like when she wanted something light or girly. By the time I had gotten to work, it had fallen flat. I’m not sure exactly what the culprit is, but it’s turned into the smell of shampoo. I lived with a number of girls one year in college, and this is the smell of their just-washed hair while getting ready to go out for the night. I think the freesia may be to blame, but I can’t be certain. What I get now is nothing more than wet Pantene hair. Every now and then, I get a pop of citrus, likely the mandarin sticking its head out for a breath of air.

I wrote most of this earlier and then headed to a meeting. Astor Place did evolve some, but not much. There were a few minutes that I felt like it was going to turn into something better, more tart – but then it settled back into a shampooed head. The juicy mandarin is smothered with the hammering freesia and white florals.

I’m left pretty disappointed for the most part. It’s a pity – the bottle is quite a sight, and the real location seems to be very cool. Perhaps that intersection has a lot of recently washed heads of hair.

APassionateJourney

I would say this smells very tuberosish! It reminds me a lot of Jadore. My best friend agreed with me. She loves this, and she Loves Jadore!

Kankuro

Very nice, very floral and fresh, but it is VERY similar to Paris Hiltons first fragrance and J'adore, which is annoying.

debbborra

There's something about this fragrance that hits between the nose and throat. The smell diminishes when you put your nose right up to your skin - when you do that you get a huge whiff of the mandarin and flowers. Beyond the mandarin, which is nice and very much at the forefront when this goes on, there is a quality that reminds me of walking into a shop that sells soap or candles.
I've come to the conclusion that the violet leaves are what elevate this fragrance above the mundane and keep it from being just another nice fruity floral.

On me the longevity is about four hours, but my skin can eat fragrance.

SedNonSatiata

How do you convey a sense of humor and a sense of danger at the same time in a single piece of public art? Well, start by building a 2500 pound metal cube, then mount it on one corner, and allow passersby to make it spin.

That's my reaction to Rosenthal's "Alamo" (a.k.a.
"The Cube"), the sculpture that inspired Bond. No. 9's newest NYC tribute, Astor Place.

I was hoping that the fragrance construction would echo the Cube's playful, gravity-defying structure. The notes are promising: fresh orange, cool violet leaf, earthy iris. Poppy provides the humor: the flower has no scent as far as i know. Equally invisible is what should be a sturdy base of musk, teak, and amber. If the fragrance tips over, blame it on the freesia: strong, long-lasting, overpowering freesia.

By overshadowing the base notes with a heart note, I suppose Astor Place does engage playfully with its sculptural inspiration. In the end, it is funny but dangerous. If you don't like BIG freesia, watch your step.

mariotgomez

The last time I stop by Bond No.9 counter at SFA at Union Sqaure in San Francisco, I spay some of Astor Place on a Bond No. 9 Blotter and a little on the back of my hand.

It opens up with the most beautiful floral blend and has a sensual warm down of teak wood & amber.

I am using the blotter as a bookmark. I get a waft of this EdP, which has a "feminine" feel to it. Each time I open my book to read, the smell of Astor Place puts a smile on my face.

I so enjoy this scent. I will buy the candle once it comes out so I may be able to fill up a room with this beautiful scent from Bond No. 9.