Bond No. 9 fragrance founder Laurice Rahme creates scents inspired by iconic New York locales. The essence of Park Avenue, Central Park and Chinatown have all been bottled by Rahme, and with the start of summer, she is unveiling her latest destination scent inspired by Shelter Island.
“You have to take a ferry to get there and it’s very rustic,” Rahme said. “Old houses, sailing, salty air. That’s what I captured with this scent.”
“I talk to people. I see what the lifestyle is. The flowers they like and the food they eat. In New Orleans they like to party. Texas is fun, fashionable and spicy.”
The unisex fragrance blends citrus and freshly ground pepper with hints of salt. Rahme added Shelter Island’s sandalwood for a scents that lingers on the skin. It’s a combination she likes especially for summer.
Previous Bond No. 9 beach-inspired scents include the Hamptons, Montauk and Sag Harbor, and although Rahme doesn’t always create a summer scent, she always knew there would be a Shelter Island.
The French-born Rahme rounds out her beachy fragrances in Shelter Island, but you can find her at her Sag Harbor beach house during the summer where she appreciates nice beaches, a relaxing pace and break from a hectic travel schedule.
The up side of all that traveling has inspired limited editions scents based on iconic American destinations, including a red, white and blue Texas fragrance carried at Saks Fifth Avenue. Initially the scent was meant to be a one-time creation, but demand for the sparkling bottle was as big as the Lone Star State.
“There’s a lot of competition for exclusive scents and places get jealous,” Rahme said. Beverly Hills and Las Vegas have scents and so does New Orleans. Rahme doesn’t just throw elements together and hope for the best. Instead, she spends time in the cities before blending a fragrance.
That mix of fun, fashion and spice is immensely popular in Texas, and especially in Houston, where fans of the fragrance have requested a 42 ounce sparkling vitrine of the scent — the equivalent of 14 regular size bottles. It retails for $6,500.
“Every year I have to make more,” Rahme said.
For those who want a slightly smaller version of a Bond No. 9 scent Rahme suggests the seven milliliter refillable pocket sprays.
“It’s enough for your week and leaves you plenty of juice. It’s the right size when flying too,” Rahme said.
To maximize your fragrance, she suggests spraying right after a shower when skin is still moist and then once again in the afternoon, but two sprays a day should be all it takes to leave a scent memory all day long.
Saks Fifth Avenue carries all Bond No. 9 fragrances.
Shoppers will line up at Katy Mills Mall as Primark opens its first Houston area store on November 20.Photo courtesy of Primark/Instagram 