The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Monthly Archives: September 2012


by 32 Comments

Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle

If it had not been for the wonderful Undina, I would have probably never have thought about sampling this fragrance.  Thankfully, she sent me a vial of this wonderful jewel.

WHAT I SMELL:  Portrait of a Lady opens with an herbal and minty full-bodied musky rush.  With the name, I would have thought that this was going to be an over the top big floral.  What a surprise.   It start off very masculine and medicinal.  I had no idea where this was going.  After a while, out comes a very dusty and understated rose with black current along with a tempered cedar woody note.   There are many notes at play here, fruity and somewhat jammy mixed with wood in a way that’s all very subtle and really lovely.  I find that it’s proper and refined and seems like something from another era.

From the Frederic Malle website:

Portrait of a Lady is a new breed of oriental rose, a baroque perfume. It is based on an accord of benzoin, cinnamon, sandalwood and, above all patchouli, musk and frankincense. It takes off with an excessive dosage of the best Turkish rose essence that Dominique Ropion linked to the rest of the formula, thanks to a red berries and spice accord.

After hundreds of trials needed to balance such an excessive formula (Portrait of a Lady is undoubtedly the perfume containing the strongest dosage of rose essence and patchouli heart), a rare symphonic perfume appeared:  a new oriental rose, a sensuous beauty that attracts people like a magnet, a modern classic:  Portrait of a Lady. 

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Gillian Anderson in “The House of Mirth.”  Yes, I know this is fragrance is based on a Henry James novel, but The House of Mirth is what popped up in my mind!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE PORTRAIT OF A LADY: subdued, discreet, controlled

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PORTRAIT OF A LADY: Scentsate, Katie Puckrik Smells, 1000 Fragrances

BOTTOM LINE:  This is definitely full bottle worthy.  I just wish Frederic Malle’s perfumes weren’t so on the high-end of cost.  And don’t let the name fool you, this can easily be worn by men or women.  Thank you Undina for this wonderful discovery.

  • Bone Rating: 4.5 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Oriental Floral
  • Classification: For women, but I believe this is easily unisex
  • Nose:  Dominique Ropion
  • Expense: $225 for 50ml EdP


by 15 Comments

Sombre Negra by Yosh

I received this sample yesterday and I believe a little of it leaked out of the vial.  As soon as I opened the package, I was greeted by this incredible scent… so of course I had to sample it right away.

WHAT I SMELL: Out of the bottle, I got this warm, spicy and smoky patchouli scent.  But when I first applied it I was greeted with a smoky incense and a dry woodiness.  I thought, this was going to take me down the road via L’Air du Desert Marocain which I know many people love, but is not one of my favorites.  Luckily, that dry woodiness was matched with the warmth of the patchouli and pepper.  Sombre Negra starts to grow and become rounded; lightly sweet and lightly spicy.  The funny thing is when I first started wearing this is that when I sniffed my wrist, I would smell incense and wood…but as I was driving my car, and smelling the scent from a distance, what I was smelling was the patchouli sweetness.  I love schizophrenic fragrances!  As time wears on, Sombre Negra becomes a warm, close to the skin scent; one that you find entices you to keep sniffing your wrist as the day goes on.  Can this really be a vetiver fragrance??

Sombre Negra notes:  vetiver, patchouli, cedar, olibanum (Frankincense), pink pepperberry, black peppercorn, clove, juniper, citrus, nutmeg, cumin, tonka and orris root

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  What the beginning of Fall smells like, only a bit more exotic!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SOMBRE NEGRA:  comfortable, metamorphosic, easy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SOMBRE NEGRA: Notable Scents, EauMG, Smellythoughts

BOTTOM LINE: This may be a keeper.  I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about this at first, but it’s really growing on me.  I just wish my tester hadn’t leaked so I could have more to play with!

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Woody Vetiver
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Nose: Yosh Han
  • Expense: $130 for 50ml EdP (2011 reformulation)


by 14 Comments

Weekend Quick Reviews

It is definitely harder to write about something that you don’t have strong feelings about.  If you either love or hate a fragrance it seems that the words just flow.  As the following scents will be put to rest in my samples box because they don’t invoke love or hate, I thought I would try something different and so some very short reviews.  I’m not sure how helpful they may be, but let’s give it a shot!

HOTHOUSE FLOWER BY INEKE

WHAT I SMELL: Ineke’s Hothouse Flower opens with a burst gardenia and green tea.  The fragrance then blooms into a warmer gardenia with hints of fig.

Hothouse Flower Notes:  Earl Grey Tea, green foliage, cypress, gardenia, galbanum, fig, frankincense, guiaiacwood, musk, corn silk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: very grandmotherly

  • Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Floral
  • Classification: Feminine
  • Expense: $95 for 75ml EdP

SANTALUM SLIVERS BY KEROSENE

WHAT I SMELL: Kerosene’s Santalum Slivers opens with sweet juicy orange, like orange concentrate orange juice.  It then turns to more of an orange/lemon cleaner like composite.

Santalum Slivers notes: vetiver, musk, sandalwood, bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, orange, rose, pepper, hay, cucumber and cedar

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: a very clean house

  • Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Citrus Aromatic
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $140 for 100ml EdP

GERANIUM POUR MONSIEUR BY FREDERIC MALLE

WHAT I SMELL: Frederic Malle’s Geranium Pour Monsieur opens with a blast of camphoric mint…strong, strong mint.  It’s very powerful and overwhelming at first, almost toxic in its volume.  When it dies down it becomes a bit spicy and warm.  It’s a familiar scent that seems powered through chemicals.

Geranium Pour Monsieur notes: mint absolute, peppermint oil, Chinese geranium oil, rhodinol, anethol and floralozone, CO2 and cloves oil, white musk, ambroxan, sandalwood, resinoid incense and Siamese styrax benzoin

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  classy barbershop tonic

  • Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Oriental Floral
  • Classification: Masculine
  • Expense: $240 for 100ml EdP

BOTTOM LINE:  All of these are semi-interesting compositions that just don’t work for me.  Hothouse Flower is not for men and Geranium Pour Monsieur would not work for most women.  Santalum Slivers is nice, but there is something there that leaves me a little cold, but I do love Kerosene’s artful bottles!