And the winner is...

by Danielle Cooper, 01 March 2007

Forget the recent excitement of the Oscars, we know that you have all been waiting with baited breath to find out who has won our pre-Christmas Bond No.9 sponsored competition. The highly desirable prize is a bon bon box, containing 18 sought after vials of scent from the Bond range presented in mouthwatering sweetie wrappers. The whole sumptuous package is worth $240. So without further ado Basenotes is pleased to announce that the winner is:

Fragrance Name: 1607
Location: Tidewater Virginia
by Lisa Sergienko

Top notes
Apothecaries Rose, Black Pepper, Tobacco Flower, Dried Rushes Accord
Heart notes
Tobacco Leaf, Sweetgum Tree Resin, Virginia Cedar, Nutmeg, Cinnamon
Base notes
Jamestown Cherrybark Oak, Brandy accord, woodsmoke and tobacco smoke accords.

This scent opens with the journey symbolized by Rosa Gallica, a fragrant rose that has the property of keeping its scent even when the petals are dried. It represents the transplantation of a culture (English) to the New World. A spicy blast of pepper announces arrival like a pistol shot - a truth that more than supposed "civilization" came to the shores of what would be called Virginia. Tobacco flower from the cultivated Tabacum variety symbolizes the dream and eventual fruition of wealth from the claimed land, whilst an accord of Dried Rushes, used for thatching, puts a roof on the opening with the claiming of shelter from the land.

The heart notes evoke a hot summer Tidewater day as the Indigenous and English tobacco fields are tended, hence both the Virginian native N. Rustica and the transplanted N. Tabacum (from the West Indies). Newly felled trees sweat sap and resin whilst the smell of breads spices with cinnamon and nutmeg baking in the outdoor beehive ovens of the English settlement waft on an all too fleeting breeze.

The Base of the fragrance calls night to the settlement as the gates of the fort are closed and the officers' house, made of raw oak planks, is steeped in the scent of brandy, and smoke from both the open hearths and from pipes.

Why has this place inspired you?

1607 commemorates the 400th anniversary of the founding of the first permanent English speaking settlement in what is now The United States. I was fortunate enough to have spent some time as a volunteer "costumed" interpreter at the recreated settlement, acquainting visitors with the history and material culture of the early 17th century. Perhaps what inspired this idea of a fragrance most was actually living in the fort after the park was closed for the night and before it was opened to visitors in the morning, sleeping in the recreated buildings on lumpy straw ticks under rush thatched roofs, preparing meals over open fires for others staying the night, sharing a pipe and a glass of strong spirits in a small place without electricity or central heating in November, or finding a spot to sit and cool off during a hot summer day and just soak in the smells of the place. The scent is a celebration of the founding of our nation as well as a celebration of the gifts of the land, too often over exploited and under appreciated

This entry was imaginative, detailed, inspired and wonderfully relevant - 2007 being the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English-speaking settlement in what was to become today's United States of America. A lot of thought and personality has gone into this entry and the notes are described in such a way that they come alive on the page. Congratulations Lisa.

The quality of entries was so incredibly high that choosing a winner has been a tremendously difficult task. There were a number of ideas that captured our noses, our imaginations or both. In order to attempt to do justice to the amount of effort and imagination that so many people put into their entries Basenotes would like to give a special mention to the following five who made up the rest of the shortlist:

Fragrance Name: Straddie
Location: Stradbroke Island, Queensland Australia
by Jennifer Gudel-Honeyager

Notes: ozone, ocean, sea salt, hot sand, heavy wet green notes, light woods, prickly pear, orchid, cypress pine,

I recently visited there and found it to be an incredibly untouched and innocent area where the natural beauty of the rainforest, ocean and cliffs have yet to be spoiled by development and pollution-the area is protected by conservation and isolated but not so wild as to be unliveable - I would love to be able to capture in scent what I was able to capture in photograph

Fragrance Name: The Vienna School
Location: Vienna in the Springtime
by Danielle De Feo

Notes: Cocoa and a touch of Rich Apricot Jam (for the Sacher Torte), Earl Grey Tea, Lilac, Honeysuckle, almond blossom, (all in bloom in the spring).

I was in Vienna in the Spring when I was 18 and it was one of the strongest scent experiences I have ever had of a place...the Honeysuckle and lilac was all in bloom and the easter markets with chocolate and kirsch were in full swing. It brought all the decadence of Klimt's paintings to mind. At the same time as being heady and romantic though, Vienna has a vibrant, real intellectual and avant-garde history that the earl grey tea and dry cocoa elements should bring out...sobering up the heady floral mix.

Fragrance Name: Red Vintage
Location: London
by Brandon Lawrence

Notes: Bergamot, Lemon Peel, Vetiver, Maraschino Cherry, Neroli, Rose, Carnation, /Prominent Red Cinnamon (almost candied, not harsh or sharp)/, Cardamon, Sandalwood, Cedar, Cherrywood, Mahogany, Amber, Labdanum, Tonka, Oakmoss, Russian Leather, Musk, Suede.

Inspired by: Gentleman's Clubs, Red Smoking Jackets, Romantic Conquests, A wry smile, Martinis at 9, Voluptuous sirens.

Fragrance Name: Russian Tea Room
Location: Russian Tea Room
by Marina

Notes: Candied citrus fruits, black tea, rose, honey, Russian leather, vanilla, birch, cedarwood. Russian Tea Room is a sophisticated gourmand fragrance. The ingredients that are fitting for the location its Russian heritage.

I adore the history of the Russian Tea Room. It was opened in 1926 by former members of the Russian Imperial Ballet and became a popular gathering place for Russian expatriates and those in the entertainment industry. It has a bohemian and slightly over the top feel that I adore. It also celebrates the long history of Russian Diaspora's presence in NYC. And, of course, the food is to die for!

Fragrance Name: Sweet China Rain, Location: Chinese bakery and streets on a stormy day
by Katie Jones

Notes: Vanilla, Sugar, Rice flour, milk, Cream-comforting notes to represent the sweet bread & evoke feelings of safety; Lychee & Watermelon-common fruits in China; & a combo of earthy green and floral notes, with a base of musk, to evoke thoughts of humid, stormy summers & wet skin.

Chinese bakeries sell pastel-colored sweet breads that taste somewhat like cake. One day, a friend and I stopped in at one of these bakeries to get an afternoon snack, when it began to rain. Along the 15 block walk to our hotel, the rain turned into a storm. When we finally made it to our hotel, we ate our bread, relieved to be safe.

Thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations again to Lisa - don't forget to report back on the bon bons!

Basenotes would like to thank Bond No.9 for sponsoring our competition with such a generous prize. More information about the bon bon box and the entire Bond No.9 range can be found at www.bondno9.com.

And the winner is...

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