May | 2012 | The Scented Hound

May 15, 2012
by The Scented Hound 6 Comments

06 Amanu by Odin

06 Amanu recently won the Fragrance Foundation’s 2012 Fifi “Indie” Fragrance Award. Given such high regard, I had to check this fragrance out. I loved 07 Tanoke, and since this is an award winner, I was sure I was going to like this as well. Hmmmm, not sure what the fuss is all about.

06 Amanu is a light and airy fragrance. It goes on almost a bit salty and then quickly turns floral and lightly sweet. I can smell the blood orange and the jasmine along with a light musk. As time goes on, the musk and amberwood warm 06 Amanu a bit, reducing the original sweetness. This is about as discreet of a fragrance that you can find. It hugs close to the skin and feels very personal, almost bath like in its composition. To me, that means that I could have just emerged from taking a bath with some pretty bath salts and would have smelled the same. 06 Amanu is marketed as unisex, but I do think this leans more feminine. I’m not digging it on me and would have a hard time seeing other men wear this.

For an award winner, I was expecting something more daring. This scent is pretty safe… and not for me.

From the Odin website:

The primitive ambiance of southern Mediterranean peaks combined with the ancient fertility of Anatolian soils brings forth a herbaceous blend of verdant galbanum and raw lentisque. The cortex of Amanu revolves around the woody rusticity of cedarleaf and the heady complexity of jasmine sambac. Rooting textures of amberwood, musk and live moss endow this earthy scent with a lush maturity.

Top: Blood Orange, Green Galbanum, Lentisque
Middle: Aged Cedarleaf, Jasmin Sambac, Magnolia
Bottom: Amberwood, Sheer Musk, Live Moss

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Woody – aromatic
Classification: Unisex but leans feminine
Expense: $125 for 100ml EDT

May 10, 2012
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

Roadster by Cartier

I purchased Roadster for my better half because I love to smell him in it. I think of this as his “power” scent, telling him to wear it when he has an important meeting. Funny thing is that I have never worn it myself so I thought I would give it a spin. Unfortunately, as much as I love it on him, I didn’t find wearing it myself so appealing. Don’t get me wrong though, this is a great fragrance.

Roadster goes on with a fresh blast of mint. This is not a super green mint, but one that’s more tailored. It has a spicy edge that makes is smooth and masculine. Roadster has a wonderfully commanding presence that runs the line between being green yet warm. And to boot, it has great sillage and is long-lasting. Perfect for when you need to wear a “power” scent!

Roadster Notes: Bergamot, Spearmint, Peppermint, Cashmere Wood, Patchouli, Cistus Labdanum, Vanilla

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent Type: Aromatic – Fougere
Classification: Masculine

May 8, 2012
by The Scented Hound 8 Comments

Idole by Lubin

Spicy rum and smoky incense are the first impressions left when applying Idole. The scent is intoxicating in the way it wraps itself around you. That initial opening then starts turning towards the bitter orange. It still a bit boozy, but it now has more of a bite. Still intoxicating. Sometimes, scents with rum as an ingredient can get too thick and will overtake all of the notes. Not in the case of Idole, it accentuates the spices and makes them pop. The real interesting part of this fragrance is that it stays in this boozy, spicy state for a long time, but then hours after wearing it, it does fade and the leather notes are what you are left with. Usually you’ll notice the leather in the scent much earlier, but in this case you don’t find it until the end. And in that end, the leather is soft and warm and very pleasing. So far, this is my second entree’ into the world of Lubin scents and I’m happily surprised. And from the pictures I’ve seen, the bottle is a work of art.