One of the things on my to-do list in New York was to visit the flagship Bond No.9 store in Soho. Of course it was number 9 on Bond Street and I walked into a fantasy living room of faux old furnishings in what looked like a flamboyant library of perfume bottles.

I had mixed feelings about Bond No.9 when it first got my attention — the perfumes are named after famous streets in New York City, which is bodaciously tacky or brilliant genius in terms of branding, depending on how you see it. But the crux of the matter at the end of the day is, do they make really good perfume?

And after sniffing sample vials in Tokyo department stores, my conclusion was a big resounding yes. The complex layering and unfolding of ingredients in each scent definitely makes it a serious perfume brand and there isn’t a hint of cheapness even if you may not like any of the Bond No.9 scents.

My faves are Chinatown (the bottle is so pretty it’s to-die-for; read review here), Andy Warhol Lexington Avenue, and Saks Fifth Avenue For Her, in order of preference.

I didn’t buy a thing but I’m still considering if nabbing a bottle at the flagship boutique is something I should do. A 50ml bottle is USD150 and a 100ml bottle is USD210 and that’s a lot to spend on perfume, even for me. Sigh, decisions decisions.

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The minimalist lines of the bottle remind me of the early stripped down nineties. Remember Calvin Klein’s CK One?

But I’m sure the juice will be completely different. Apparently A Scent is green and I adore fresh green scents especially in hot weather.

His classic signature fragrance made 17 years ago didn’t sit well with me. I had to possess it, but being the foolish teen I was, it was too late when I realized the oceanic (or “watery”) notes just didn’t suit my sweaty skin in humid Singapore.

The only downer is this gem is not available now: it will be available in August for a short while, and then it launches officially in October.

Waiting with bated breath,
Yu Ming

PS: There is a moving excerpt here about Issey Miyake’s experience of Hiroshima when it was bombed in WWII and why he’s speaking out now. Powerful, indeed.

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Instead of downgrading to a cheaper brand, why not trade something you don’t want for something that you do? It’s not a new concept to beauty addicts, so I’ll just talk about my experience.

As I was cleaning out my closet after I returned from my Sydney holiday, I couldn’t help but feel guilty about practically full bottles of fragrances that I didn’t adore as much as before.

I was like, “I’ve got nothing to wear…” But in my heart, I knew it would be frivolous of me to buy more of something that just evaporates into thin air.

Then, I remembered an excellent article from one of my favorite perfume blogs, Now Smell This, which gave a comprehensive guide on swapping fragrances at popular beauty forum, Makeup Alley. I had been a lackluster member of Makeup Alley, so I dived back in and spruced up my profile (I’m astrorainfall there, by the way).

I discovered a world of barter trade — from bags, to shoes, to lip gloss. Whatever could be dug out from a woman’s closet, you will find it here.

That’s not to say swapping is as easy as shopping online. It’s a long drawn-out process where it takes time to find a match for what you want and what you are willing to give up.

I was lucky to have 90 per cent full bottles of unique perfumes and these are what I got in return:

Lolita Lempicka Midnight (this is my favoritest perfume right now!) and Juicy Couture (I’m kind of regretting this as the watermelon note is a little… overpowering)

I’ve still got a Diptyque perfume on the way which I’m dying to lay my paws on.

So far, I swapped with very experienced swappers and their feedback profiles were flawless (they are called “tokens” on MUA). They also included very thoughtful extras like body cream samples, Greek tea bags, decants of Hypnotic Poison, the original Lolita Lempicka, and Donna Karen’s Cashmere Mist.

What I love about swapping is, it feels like you’re getting a lovely present when your parcel arrives but all you did was to pay for postage to give someone else something she wants.

I wasn’t in a hurry to get rid of my stuff and was careful to make equal swaps. Sometimes I would trawl the swap section for people who have things on my wish list as a way to pass time.

I would definitely encourage you to put up your wares but do have realistic expectations in terms of time and effort. On a last note, here is a fascinating story about a Canadian guy who started off swapping a red paper clip and ended up with a house at One Red Paperclip.

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On my way back from Bali to Singapore, I thought I was in for an awful journey as I was next to a talkative couple on their way to Los Angeles on Singapore Airlines.

The husband, in particular, could not stop making comments and complaints, so I couldn’t wait for take-off and plug into the 98 channels the plane had to offer.

To my dismay, my TV system was not working. I sighed inwardly and resolved to focus on a copy of Newsweek and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the whole seven-hour flight.

“Excuse me, miss,” chirped an air stewardess. “We are very sorry that your TV is not working, so here is a Kris Shop voucher worth USD75. So sorry for the inconvenience!” Who needs TV when you can get a gorgeous pressie for yourself like this…

Miss Dior Cherie Blooming Bouquet is an Asia-exclusive release :O I was sniffing this at the duty-free shops and was dying to get this so it feels like kismet that this landed on my lap.

The opening notes are fruity, which is probably due to the mandarin essence but the dry down exudes a creaminess that makes you sigh and think of spring. The other main notes include peony and white musk. Sometimes in cold weather, I like to spritz on something light to lift the sombre mood of grey skies and incessant drizzle.

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