Bond No. 9 Harrods

Bond No. 9 has stepped out of their New York comfort zone and gone overseas to London, partnering with Harrods department store for three new fragrances.

Harrods for Her
Notes: neroli petals, mandarin, wild chamomile, tuberose, clary sage, nutmeg, amber, leather, sandalwood, vetiver

Tuberose and leather - doesn't that sound promising! After a light citrussy opening with a bit of spice, we head into a pretty tuberose, not too sweet, not cloying, not too va va voom - just right. The scent is mostly citrus and tuberose for a while, but then there's a surprise - leather. At about the same time the leather comes around though, the tuberose goes all wintergreen on me, which is a bit of a turnoff; thankfully, that effect doesn't last long. The sandalwood/vetiver base is subtle, but not as subtle as the leather. I wish there was more of that note. Overall, a very pretty scent that should please Bond fans on both sides of the pond.

Harrods for Him
Notes: rhubarb leaf, star anise, chamomile, lavandin, pimento berries, violet leaf, birchwood, musk, sandalwood

Harrods for Him, a fougere, starts out with a spicy green top with a bit of lavender. I like spicy and green, but this may be a tad harsh for my tastes (as are most typical men's scents) The brightness is almost spiky to my nose.

The drydown has some softening musk and woods, but it's not quite enough to soften the rather unpleasant sharpness. I like Harrods for Him more than I liked Saks Fifth Avenue for Men, but they're both in the same "meh" category for me.

Both Harrods for Her and Harrods for Him are available in 50ml for $155 and 100ml for $230.

Harrods Special Edition
Notes: black pepper, cumin, amber, myrrh, oud, vetiver

Wait - Bond does oud? Boy, and how! While I can appreciate the often-medicinal smelling oud note, I dislike it in most scents. But it's perfect in Harrods SE, blending seamlessly with amber and myrrh, spiced lightly with pepper, and a bare shadow of cumin. Overall, it has the illusion of rich leather upon which a droplet of rare oudh has been placed. It reminds me of a cousin of 10 Corso Como, which I adore.

Special Edition comes in a limited edition Swarovski bottle for $625. Available August 2.

All Bond Harrod scents will be available exclusively at Harrods, at Bond No. 9's four NY stores, harrods.com, and bondno9.com.