April | 2012 | The Scented Hound

April 11, 2012
by The Scented Hound 7 Comments

Wazamba by Parfum d’Empire

Wazamba is a hard fragrance for me to review. It’s exotic nature and unfamiliar notes make for a scent that is for me very distinctive, yet difficult to describe. According to some information I found on the web, a Wasamba (spelled with an S) is a West African instrument made of wooden sticks that is used during circumcision and initiation rites. Now the description above is not going to help describe this scent, but I found the definition pretty interesting upon itself.

So what does Wazamba smell like? When applied its spicy, dry and a little bitter. To me it has almost has hints of Indian curry with a slight dry fruitiness. As time goes on, this becomes even dryer and closer to the skin and a bit sharper. I found that as I wore this throughout the day, it didn’t overwhelm me, but would occasionally rise to surround me at various times. I love this scent, but am not sure how often I would wear it. I would say that it works for both day and night and leans towards the masculine although it would work well for women as well.

Bottom line: Hard to describe, lovely to wear, exotic and distinctive!

Wazamba Notes:

Somalian incense, Kenyan myrrh, Ethiopian opoponax, Indian sandalwood, Moroccan cypress, labdanum, apple, fir balsam

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $75 for 50ml EDP

April 5, 2012
by The Scented Hound 4 Comments

Tom of Finland by Etat Libre d’Orange

Yesterday was my partner’s birthday and I gave him a present of Tom of Finland Eau de Parfum. This was a fun gift. For those in the know, Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, created erotic illustrations primarily revolving around gay leather and hyper-masculine men. I think that it’s ironic that this caricature of masculinity has been turned into an Eau de Parfum, but that’s part of the fun with Etat Libre d’Orange. So one would expect a rough and tumble scent based on the inspiration. What you get instead is a lovely, sweet and soothing suede composition.

The first thing you notice is that in the bottle, Tom of Finland is a very bright and artificial orange color. I wonder if this is a new formulation since all ads show a clear composition. Upon application, you immediately smell burnt rubber, pine and lemon. The pine and lemon quickly dissipate and you are left with the rubber and an introduction of leather. At this point, it’s a bit harsh and you wonder where besides a smoky dive bar you would wear this. However, as the dry down occurs, the leather turns to suede, with vanilla and a touch of powder. It turns out to be rather sweet and intoxicating and surprisingly luxurious. Now, I’m not a fan of leather scents, but this is a fragrance that I would wear.

From the Etat Libre d’Orange website:

This is a fresh, pure water that can wash away the sins of the night. Clothing becomes merely ornamental, an insignificant wrapping paper that only serves to cloak the true erotic power of the flesh. This is a man who wants to play, to love, to ravish, and to be free of all inhibitions. Tom is sex.

Tom of Finland Notes:

Aldehydes, lemon, birch leaves, pine, safraleine, pepper, cypress, galbanum, geranium, vanilla, tonka bean, orris, vetiver, pyrogened styrax, suede, musk, ambergray…

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Classification: Masculine
Expense: $80 for 50ml EDP

April 3, 2012
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

Indochine by Parfumerie Generale

Intrigued by the name and intrigued by the description of this scent, I knew I had to give this fragrance a try. Indochine is as exotic as its name. Sweet in the bottle and initially sweet on the skin, the far east is emboldened in what I would imagine a Vietnamese Buddhist temple would smell like. Honey, vanilla and incense are the primary notes combined with a smoky haze. I’m a fan or oriental scents, but the incense, as mild as it is, is not a favorite of mine. Bold, without being overpowering, I would recommend this to anyone who likes deep and rich almost gourmand incense fragrances.

From the Parfumerie Generale website:

At once sweet, vanilla-scented, resinous, powdery, milky and spicy, Benzoin Siam is a resin of great olfactory richness that is rarely used as a central theme in Perfumery. Drawing on rare notes such as Kampot Pepper, Burmese Tanakha, or Laos honey, Pierre Guillaume orchestrates a luminous, smooth and airy perfume, delicately reproducing each and every facet of the unprocessed balsam. This sepia-tinged balm infuses Indochine with the radiance of platinum…

Indochine Notes:

Wood, Fresh Spice, Sweet Amber, Powder, Benzoin Siam Resin, Kampot Pepper, Ceylon Cardamom, Burmese Tanakha, Laos Honey.