Wanna Smell Like NYC?

Not sure why this is a good idea, but this month, a new scent was launched by Bond No. 9 called Astor Place, "a fragrance inspired by New York’s most vibrant arts-and-style intersection."

I'll admit, the bottle—uh, I mean flacon—is quite the artistic achievement, a real beauty. It was designed to "echo the angles and cubes of the Rosenthal sculpture, but renders them in a range of triangles displaying the richest array of colors ever seen in the Bond No. 9 bottle repertory. These triangles also recall Astor Place’s lampposts, curbs and even cracks in the pavement, which are lovingly decorated with mosaic tile shards by local denizens. All this is placed against a golden background, paying homage to the Astor fortune and philanthropy."

Whomever put that sentence together is certainly a master of bullshit, I'd say.

And the scent itself? "An example of when downtown meets uptown. It’s a seductive fresh floral, a freesia-poppy-violet leaf composition that simmers down into the smooth, steady notes of teakwood and musk."

I smell more bullshit.

Astor Place, the eau de parfum, is available in two sizes: 100ml ($220) and 50 ml ($145), and an Astor Place Swarovski limited edition for Mother’s Day, 100ml ($300) at Bond No. 9’s four New York City boutiques, bondno9.com and at Saks Fifth Avenue nationwide. Mercy, that's some expensive terlet water.