Bond No. 9
Bond No. 9
203 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Black pepper sparks against citrus peel with an almost electric brightness, immediately undercut by a cool, mineral aquatic wash. The marine quality isn't clean or tropical—it's more like the scent of weathered rope and barnacle-crusted pylons, sharp and slightly briny.
White lily emerges with an oddly soapy floralcy, whilst the algae note introduces something genuinely strange—vegetal, slightly bitter, unmistakably synthetic but intentionally so. The oud whispers rather than shouts, adding grey mineral depth like wet slate under morning fog.
Sandalwood and amber create a subdued warmth that never fully dries out, maintaining a skin-like salinity from the musk. The myrrh adds resinous, almost medicinal touches, whilst everything settles into a woody, slightly waxy finish—like sun cream absorbed into driftwood-weathered skin.
Shelter Island is Bond No. 9's love letter to the windswept shores of the Hamptons, where salt-scrubbed driftwood meets unexpected botanical intrusions. The opening crackle of black pepper against sharp citrus zest creates an immediate marine brightness, but this isn't your typical aquatic—there's a peculiar, almost sci-fi quality to how the algae note mingles with white lily in the heart, producing something between tidal pool and laboratory specimen jar. The synthetic accord isn't trying to hide itself; instead, it lends a deliberate, high-gloss sheen to what could have been simply beachy.
The oud here plays an unusual supporting role, never dominating but adding a subtle mineral quality that echoes wet stones rather than the typical resinous darkness. It's this restraint that makes Shelter Island compelling—the sandalwood and amber provide warmth without turning the composition tropical, whilst the myrrh adds an incense-like dryness that cuts through the aquatic wetness. The musk grounds everything with a skin-like salinity.
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3.6/5 (562)