May | 2013 | The Scented Hound

May 16, 2013
by The Scented Hound 10 Comments

Le Parfum Couture by Denis Durand for M. Micallef

WHAT I SMELL: The newly released Le Parfum Couture has a bright opening of cinnamon and tangerine where the mix is slightly medicinal. Quickly the middle notes (rose, orange blossom and honey) circle around in a warm thick haze of oudish gourmand goodness. At this point, Le Parfum Couture is incredibly lovely and I have to say it is my favorite part of the olfactory journey. The fragrance then comes out of it thicket of juice and becomes lighter, with almost a tinge of incense with an ever so slight metallic edge (in this case that’s not bad). The patchouli then starts to reveal itself and what was once exotic now somehow becomes familiar. I think it’s the sweet amber that reminds of me another fragrance, but I can’t put my finger on what. In the drydown, Le Parfum Couture is a nicely sweet woody amber fragrance.

Le Parfum Couture Notes:

Head Notes – Ceylong cinnamon, Italy tangerine

Heart Notes – Bulgaria rose, orange blossoms, honey and animalis

Base Notes – sandalwood, patchouly, amber and white musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A bee drenched in the juice of a honeyed flower.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE LE PARFUM COUTURE: sweet, alluring, inviting

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE LE PARFUM COUTURE: That Smell, Kafkaesque, Chemist in a Bottle

BOTTOM LINE: Le Parfum Couture is very appealing, even though it might be a bit sweet for my taste. It is one of those fragrances that I see as being very versatile in the fact that it is wearable for day or night and in warm or cold weather. Overall, a nice effort from Denis Durand and Martine Micallef.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $190 for 50ml EdP

Disclosure: Sample for review provided courtesy of M. Micallef Parfums.

May 8, 2013
by The Scented Hound 16 Comments

Jinx by Tommi Sooni

Have you ever been attracted to a perfume bottle so much that you weren’t worried about the scent? Tommi Sooni bottles are like a siren song for me. Don’t ask me for an explanation, it is what it is. Jinx is my first foray into the Tommi Sooni line.

WHAT I SMELL: Jinx opens with a large rounded aldehydic opening mixed with fig. It almost seems like there is a tea note in there too (tea is not my favorite, but this blends nicely rather than overtakes the fragrance). Jinx is surprisingly not sweet, nor too fruity and the floral aspects are subdued like they are just warming slightly in the sun. The fragrance is quite linear and does not develop much after the floral warmth. That said, in the end Jinx reveals itself to be a very close hugging slightly green warm floral musk that’s very calming and lightly radiant.

From the Tommi Sooni website (which is well done btw):

Artists fall on the inspiration of a muse to create beauty with passion.

Jinx the eau de parfum by Tommi Sooni, created for celebrated designer Vanessa Leyjonhelm.

Vanessa traces her bloodline back to the islands of Greece, the land of ancient myths where Jinx the perfume was born.

A light touch of Jinx on your skin opens with the full and bursting fruits of a fig tree under a clear Grecian sky.

Shaded afternoon breezes drift through the green vine leaves and carry their scent to the sea.

Fragrant traces of crushed basil on the palms of an adoring father as he embraces Vanessa, the precious child.

A scented arrangement of flowers for our muse, and you, to envelope in: jasmin, lily of the valley, rose and ylang ylang.

For depth and strength of character we introduce moss, vetiver, rock rose and white musk. The flashes of genius we see in Vanessa’s creations are here too in the guise of crystallized ginger.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A warming halo.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE JINX: I’ve never seen a company provide three adjectives as I would to describe a fragrance until now. Therefore, I can’t refuse using their words: original, striking, alluring

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT JINX: The Non-Blonde, Indieperfumes, AustralianPerfumeJunkies,

BOTTOM LINE: Jinx is really lovely and completely understated. This makes me look forward to sampling some of the others in the line. And those bottles? Love them!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Soft Floral/Aldehydic Floral
Nose: Brett Schlitter
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $180 for 50ml EdP

Disclosure: Sample for review provided courtesy of Tommi Sooni.

May 6, 2013
by The Scented Hound 34 Comments

Puredistance M

I’m the first to admit that I am a sucker for luxury; be it high count egyptian cotton sheets and sumptuous towels to high-end luxury vehicles. It’s amazing how elegant and finely tailored products can make you to purr like a kitten when you’re wrapped in their comfort. Puredistance M to me is one of those products.

WHAT I SMELL: M opens with a citrus blast that lasts for mere minutes. It’s a bit of a strange opening like that of a lemon sour cocktail. After a few more minutes you start to detect the cinnamon note. If I didn’t know it was cinnamon, I would say that it’s almost like cumin. This is when it really becomes interesting as M starts to turn up the spice. It’s exotic and mysterious and I keep expecting that at some point I’m going to be hit with a blast of something unknown. But M stays subdued and smooth as silk. True to its luxuriousness, it knows it’s an Aston Martin and not a Chevrolet. I love how M slowly builds. It’s in no hurry to develop and it takes a bit of time but eventually the leather comes forward in a smoky aura. As you know I’m not a big fan of leathers, but M’s leather is so ethereal. It’s like a thin layer at the bottom of the spice. Added to the layers of leather and spice is a slightly sweet patchouli with just a bit of oakmoss to give a dry powdery edge. M is not big on sillage, but hugs close to the skin. But I don’t care, it’s for me, not for anyone else.

From the Puredistance website:

Created in London by Roja Dove, M is a leather chypre of classic proportions… with an unexpected oriental twist. Sumptuous and complex, noble and sophisticated.

M Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Rose, Jasmine, Cinnamon, Mosses, Cistus, Vetiver, Patchouli, Vanilla, Leather, Musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Self-assurance. M is a fragrance for the man who doesn’t need to shout to the world that he has arrived. He never arrived. He was always there.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE M: sophisticated, confident, elegantly-understated

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE M: Kafkaesque, From Top to Bottom – Perfume Patter, Perfume-Smellin’ Things

BOTTOM LINE: M is a quiet treasure. Puredistance has created a fragrance that is elegantly understated for the man who likes the finer things in life. In addition to the beautiful scent, the packaging is exceptional as the 17.5ml cylinder comes in a silk lined box. How much more luxurious can you get than that?

Note to my readers, the wonderful Kafkaesque has teamed with Puredistance to offer samples of M and Opardu to 10 lucky readers of her blog. The draw ends on May 13th, so be sure to give her a visit.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Leather Chypre
Nose: Roja Dove
Classification: Unisex – but leans masculine
Expense: $198 for 17.5ml or $330 for 60ml Perfume Extrait

Disclosure: Product for review provided courtesy of Puredistance.