This has been a spring of some wonderful green fragrances which have encompassed the feel of the renewal of nature. Now that the calendar is marching towards summer you want the green to stay but to feel more of the heat of those  dog days. The fragrance that is doing that for me these days is Bond No. 9 High Line.

New York's High Line before Urban Renewal

High Line is named for the railroad line which connected the industrial section of downtown Manhattan with the West Side. Since 2002 the High Line Project has been turning the remnants of the rail line into a new urban park.

In June of 2009, the first section of the park opened to the public and it is a magical slice of green open space in New York City. There are wild grasses, flowers, and trees growing all throughout it. I visited the High Line for the first time on a ninety degree August day and I was struck by the milieu of natural fragrances surrounded by the hint of hot concrete and asphalt surrounding me.

When I heard that Laurice Rahme, founder and owner of Bond No. 9 was adding  a new fragrance, High Line to their lineup of New York City themed fragrances I had an idea of what I wanted it to smell like. Laurent LeGuernec was the perfumer tapped to compose this scent of “urban renewal”. M. LeGuernec has created a lovely mix of grass and floral accords over wood and moss. The fragrance has a wonderfully realistic feel to it and it makes wearing High Line a real treat.

 

The opening of High Line is a mix of bergamot, rhubarb and purple love grass. This opening smells just like fresh cut grass. It has a dry feel and is a very green opening. The greenness is alleviated by four floral notes, rose, orange flower, tulips, and grape hyacinth. Outside of the rose these notes are kept on the light side and this also feels more realistic, as this is what you get on a summer day as these flowers have begun to mellow after a few days in the sun.

The heart is identifiably floral but done in a sheer manner. The base is where the presence of the surrounding city makes its presence known. There is an accord like the smell of concrete after a summer thunderstorm. This is most likely due to a combination of sea moss and musk. Along with teakwood and oak this combination makes it seem like the end of a pleasant summer walk.

Bond No. 9 High Line has excellent longevity and average sillage. It should be an ideal warm-weather fragrance.

 There have been times when I have worn a Bond No. 9 fragrance and wondered what the connection was to the neighborhood printed on the front of the bottle. With High Line I have no such difficulty, M. Le Guernec has done an excellent job of capturing a hot August day on the High Line in a bottle.

Disclosure: This review was based on samples supplied by the Bond No. 9 boutique in Saks Fifth Avenue Boston.  

– Mark Behnke, Managing Editor