The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Monthly Archives: February 2014


by 8 Comments

New Release: Nocturnes (2013) by Caron

NocturnesThis review is based on the 2013 Nocturnes release that is part of the Caron La Selection collection of fragrances.

WHAT I SMELL:  Nocturnes opens bright and beautiful and very similar to one of my all time favorites, Givenchy Ysatis.  It’s bold with florals highlighted by gorgeous ylang-ylang and warmed rose with hints of pepper; although this is perfectly blended so that notes are hard to distinguish on their own.  Soon enough the Ysatis like boldness upon first application starts to retreat and you start noticing the tuberose a bit more.  But it’s a soft tuberose and one that’s rather comforting and pretty.  The fragrance doesn’t change much after this except that the vetiver woodiness becomes more prominent.  Nocturnes is pretty, close to the skin and an overall lovely surprise.

Nocturnes Notes:  Top notes are orange, rose and neroli; middle notes are jasmine, tuberose and ylang-ylang; base notes are sandalwood, vetiver and musk.

Lilting MelodyWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A lilting melody.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE NOCTURNES: uncomplicated, pretty, endearing

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NOCTURNES: Perfume Shrine.  I can only find additional reviews for the older version of the fragrance.

BOTTOM LINE:  I can’t say how this compares to the older version of the fragrance, but this is really quite pretty, but nothing groundbreaking.  Nocturnes is the perfect fragrance for when you just want to feel content and happy as there’s nothing dark about this at all.  It would be perfect for the office, or running errands in your jeans.  I have read some complaints about the new Caron bottles that are part of the La Selection collection where people thought that the bottles were too boring and masculine.  I think they’re better in person than in pictures.  They’re simply designed, heavy in weight and the cap is magnetized so that it won’t fall off of the bottle.   For me, the new bottles definitely work!

  • Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Floral Woody Musk
  • Classification: Feminine
  • Expense: $126 for 100ml EdP


by 11 Comments

Cuir Mauresque by Serge Lutens

CuirMauresque

WHAT I SMELL: Cuir Mauresque opens oddly sweet and tangy, like soured candy sprinkled in sugar and it’s as if that layer of sweet rests on an orange like plastic.  Actually, more precisely, this smells like something sealed in plastic that when the seal is broken, the chemical plastic odors that were trapped inside are released.  After a few minutes, a sour note appears, like ripened apricot.  After a few more minutes, the leather starts to appear.  It’s rather faint and not harsh, but there is a sharp edge to it that makes the back of my tongue curl.  After another five minutes or so, the jasmine takes center stage and the fragrance begins to bloom and thankfully, that helps to push out the sour.  Unfortunately, the sour is pushed out but the sweet comes on very strong.  It keeps building and it smells artificial and manufactured.  Thankfully, after around the 30 minute mark, Cuir Mauresque becomes slightly more muted, but not enough to make me love it more.

From Fragrantica:

Cuir Mauresque (Moorish leather) is a perfume launched in 1996. It represents a blend of leather wrapped up in jasmine and sweet spices to make a true Arabian aroma. Notes: amber, myrrh, burnt styrax, incense, cinnamon, aloe wood, cedar, civet, nutmeg, clove, cumin, musk, mandarin peel and orange blossom.

When I typed in

When I typed in “floral candy” in Google Images, this is what came up. I had to use it as her top, the headband and the cotton candy just somehow aren’t quite right, just like the fragrance.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Floral candy.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CUIR MAURESQUE:  odd, confused, sweet n’ sour

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CUIR MAURESQUE: Kafkaesque, What Men Should Smell LIke, Notable Scents

BOTTOM LINE:  This is one of the Serge Lutens that you don’t hear much about and if it wasn’t for the wonderful Kafkaesque I probably wouldn’t have bothered to check it out.  Unfortunately, this one wasn’t meant for me.  In the end, it evens out, but this is one odd duck that I can do without.

  • Bone Rating: 2.5 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Leather
  • Nose:  Christopher Sheldrake
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $140 for 50ml EdP