Union Square is a lovely fragrance. Billed as a seductive green floral and The Sweet (and Cool) Smell of Pop Art it sneaks up on you as you wear it.

I am sampling it from a vial, so I am not spritzing it.

I think the idea of sweet and cool in fragrance is today’s trend. I don’t want to call it a modern trend, because other fragrances which I would consider modern, don’t always have this dichotomy of sweet with cool. It’s as though sweet is too sweet and cool is too cool, but combining the two together, so long as they don’t cancel each other out or end up a mishmash, gives a balance that those who desire neither alone (or at least on particular days) find intriguing.

When I first wear it, it reminds me of Miss Dior Cherie which also has a sweet and cool thing going on. Or M by Mariah Carey.

The notes are:

Lily of the valley (in a deliciously impudent frame of mind, they write), green stem notes (uncorruptible), sweet blue freesia (having it’s 15 mins of fame); white birchwood (our very own Nature Girl); Amber (decadently mellow); Silver-Cloud Musk Accord (that’s sultry on the outside, cool and collected on the inside).

Lily of the valley and greens give it the sharp coolness. The fragrance has movement, but still the notes are distinct, yet blending. My kids like it on me. That is always a good sign.

The bottle is fuchsia, red and yellow, popping from a two-dimensional plane. I quite like it.

For those wishing to recycle their bottles, Bond No 9 or anyone else’s, they can be recycled at either SAKs or the NY Bond Boutiques. (As a way of thanking you, they will give you a refillable pocket spray with any purchase.)

There is, however, a niche for those who are bottle collectors. If bottles are kept long enough, are interesting enough, or are rare enough, empty (or not) bottles can fetch a pretty resale price.

I think Bond No 9’s concept of the same bottle, but different designs is clever packaging. I only wish they were refillable, that would be really going green. I could see a shelf full of these empty lovelies as a design theme — or still filled with fragrance if kept from light or heat.

Karin

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Categories:

Amber, Bond No 9, Greens, Lily of the Valley, Perfume review, Perfumes, Woods