The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Monthly Archives: August 2012


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Seville a l’Aube by L’Artisan Parfumeur

So many words have been used to describe the collaboration and inspiration for the creation of Seville a l’Aube.  Me, I’ll just get to the down and dirty…

WHAT I SMELL: Goes on almost medicinal, then quickly turns green, like cut grass…wait, that lasts for just a minute.  Here comes the orange blossom, lots of orange blossom mixed with jasmine.  I keep waiting for this to become sweet, but it never does.  It rests in this layer of subdued floral, green and orange blossom purgatory.  After about 6 hours, the scent had pretty much faded into oblivion; not that I minded so much.

Seville a l’Aube Notes:  lavender, pink pepper, lemon tree leaves, orange blossom, jasmine, magnolia, beeswax, incense, Benzoin Siam, Luiseiri lavender

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A cross between floor cleaner and sour shampoo.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SEVILLE A L’AUBE: labored, sour, pensive

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SEVILLE A L’AUBE: Second Cherry, AustralianPerfumeJunkies,  Bonkers About Perfume

BOTTOM LINE: As you could note from the reviews above, this fragrance is loved by some, just not by me.  What I do love is the story about the creation of this scent and have to laugh at the thought of what would be created with me as the muse (civit comes to mind!) so I can’t fault the fragrance as a whole.  However, I think I’ll stick with fragrances with citrus and neroli rather than orange blossom (see Orange Star review).

  • Bone Rating: 2.5 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Oriental Floral
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Nose:  Bertrand Duchaufour
  • Expense: $165 for 100ml EdP (limited edition)


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Mitsouko by Guerlain

Every once in a while there is a fragrance that for some reason calls to me like some siren song begging me to check it out.  Mitsouko by Guerlain is one of those scents.   I am certainly not the target market for this fragrance but that’s not going to stop me.  Maybe it’s the bottle, it seems very old-fashioned and stylish, but whatever reason here it goes…

WHAT I SMELL:  Mitsouko goes on herbal and medicinal, it’s very strong and rounded.  It then moves into a warmer phase that is hard to describe,  still herbal, a little sour and eucalyptus like with hints of Jasmine and Peach.  Mitsouko’s drydown sits in this light and powdery spiced peachy understated chypre stage that is soft and subtle.  I have to admit, this is really a hard fragrance to describe.  The blended notes are masterfully composed into a scent that is very unusual and distinct.

From the Guerlain website:

Fruity chypre Mysterious, Balanced, Velvety.  A masterpiece of balance and originality, Mitsouko marries a fruity note of peach with jasmine flowers and May rose. The mysterious dry-down of the fragrance blends spicy notes with those of underbrush and vetiver.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  When I first put this on, for some reason it reminded me of my dentist office growing up.  Maybe someone there wore this or something similar or maybe it is that medicinal edge that first comes out.  But at the time, the dentist office was already an older building from the 1930s so it had this kind of deco feel about it.  Mitsouko also had that feeling of being from a bygone era.  My hubby said it smelled like an old lady.   I don’t know if I agree, but it definitely is a scent for the more mature.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE MITSOUKO: exotic, unique, full-bodied

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MITSOUKO: Bois de Jasmin, I Smell Therefore I Am, Scentsate 

BOTTOM LINE: I will revisit this scent again.  I can’t say that I love it, but I do believe that Mitsouko has stood the test of time for almost 100 years for a very good reason.  It’s not for everybody, but I know that if I wore this on the right day, it would be perfect.

  • Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Chypre Fruity
  • Classification: Feminine
  • Expense: Varied, in EdT and EdP (review based on the EdP version)


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Interlude Man by Amouage

You can’t mistake an Amouage fragrance.  There is no doubt that they possess incredible presence and quality.  Unfortunately, for me, Interlude Man wore me and not the other way around.  I know, you’re thinking to yourself, “you need to go easy on the application with an Amouage scent”.  True; but I followed that rule.  I just found that after wearing this all day, it just really wore me out.

WHAT I SMELL: A quick splash of bergamot and Juniper berries which quickly moves into smoky incense that weaves in and out of a warm amber and a heavy creaminess.  Interlude Man stays in this state for quite some time while the smoky incense remains dominant over the other notes.  This fragrance has a powerful and commanding presence.  After many hours what I was left with was dry and woody incense; ever-present, ever potent.

From the Amouage website:

Interlude for Man is a spicy and woody fragrance inspired by chaos and disorder masquerading an interlude moment of harmony in its heart.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Oregano, Pimento Berry Oil

Heart Notes: Amber, Frankincense, Cistus, Opoponax

Base Notes: Leather, Agarwood Smoke, Patchouli, Sandalwood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  What I envision a Victorian opium den smelled like.  The setting is heavy, dark and thick.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE INTERLUDE MAN: smoky, serious, weighted

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT INTERLUDE MAN: The Candy Perfume Boy, Chemist in a Bottle,  Parfumistan’s Blogg

BOTTOM LINE:  I am having a hard time thinking about when and where I would want to wear this fragrance.  It does not comfort, it controls.  That scares me!

  • Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Oriental Woody
  • Classification: Masculine
  • Nose: Pierre Negrin
  • Expense: Approximately $215 for 50ml EdP