Arquiste | The Scented Hound

October 6, 2014
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

The Architects Club by Arquiste

WHAT I SMELL: The Architects Club opens with a bright juniper and a soured lemon, like the fizz of a gin and tonic. It’s snappy and sparking, like a lively conversation between friends. Soon enough a woodiness develops, but the wood is sleek and it’s lightened with air making it feel rather like a balsa wood airplane. After some more time, the vanilla sweetened guaiac wood takes center stage. However, the fragrance never becomes heavy and throughout The Architects Club’s development, it maintains its bubbly personality. The fragrance doesn’t change much past this point, but retains this air of just the right amount of a “devil-may-care” attitude.

From the Arquiste website:

Cocktail time, March 1930, London.

A group of architects gather for cocktails at Mayfair’s smartest Art Deco smoking room. As they settle in the warm interior of dark woods, leather and velvet, London’s bright young things burst in, frosted martinis in hand, surrounded by a cloud of laughter, white smoke and fine vanilla.

Notes include: Juniper berry oil, Angelica root, Lemon peel oil, Bitter Orange, Pepperwood, Guaiac wood, Oakwood, Vanilla Absolute and Amber.

Cocktails Anyone?

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Arquiste’s official descriptor above fits the fragrance perfectly.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE THE ARCHITECTS CLUB: sophisticated, bubbly, snappy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE ARCHITECTS CLUB: CaFleureBon, irideScents, Chemist in the Bottle

BOTTOM LINE: What I like about this fragrance is that it feels like it doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s light, airy, sophisticated and quite handsome and it could be worn with a tuxedo just as well as a comfortable pair of jeans.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Woody Amber
Nose: Yann Vasnier
Classification: Leans masculine, but can easily fit a woman.
Expense: $190 for 100ml Eau de Parfum

July 3, 2014
by The Scented Hound 14 Comments

New Release: Arquiste L’Etrog Acqua

WHAT I SMELL: L’Etrog Acqua opens with a fresh dewy lemon on top of a light cedar. It’s a relaxed and happy smell and rather dreamy and It radiates lightly off the skin. The fragrance soon moves into this semi sweet cedar with a light lavender, but it really is hard to distinguish notes as they blend so nicely. After around the 15 minute mark, the labdanum comes in to lower the tone of the fragrance making it warmer and more grounded. After a while more, the fragrance starts to dry out, becoming more woody, but thankfully still retaining this slightly sweetened tinge which gives it just an extra something special. L’Etrog Acqua does not project a great deal, but it’s one of those fragrances that when someone gets close in to you they’ll let you know that you smell incredible.

From the Arquiste website:

Early Morning, October 1175, Calabria, Italy. The cool night air dissipates under the sun’s first rays. The ripe citrus in the field has absorbed all the water of the morning dew and the farmers are ready to work on the misty green fields, speckled by the bright yellow of the citron. They leave their woody cabin and take a deep breath…

Notes include: Myrtle leaf, Calabrese Cedrat, Sicilian Lemon, Italian Mandarin, Petitgrain Citronnier, Bergamot, Mediterranean Lavender, Labdanum, Cedar wood, Vetiver.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Flirtation. There is a subtle sexiness about it.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE L’ETROG ACQUA: easy, gentle, comfortable

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT L’ETROG ACQUA: CaFleureBon, Chemist in a Bottle, Colognoisseur

BOTTOM LINE: L’Etrog Acqua is a nicely done and easy to wear fragrance that is perfect for when you’re in the mood for a no fuss, no muss, easy to wear perfume. I do like it better than the original L’Etrog which I found to be a rather undistinguishable citrus scent. This has the citrus, but it also has just a bit of something extra to make it a cut above the original.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Citrus Aromatic
Nose: Rodrigo Flores-Roux
Classification: Unisex, but to me leans more masculine
Expense: $190 for 100ml EdP

October 20, 2012
by The Scented Hound 16 Comments

Anima Dulcis by Arquiste

WHAT I SMELL: I was worried as I applied this and my better half said that I smelled like a cup of Starbuck’s Caramel Machiatto. I guess that’s as good as a description as any as Anima Dulcis goes on strong and sweet…very sweet. It’s sharp vanilla and thick chocolate goodness surrounded by smoky light incense. I didn’t see this as going in the right direction, but as time goes on and as it dries down Anima Dulcis hugs close to the skin, it’s spiced cinnamon vanilla infused cocoa is ever so slightly sweet and very comfortable. The overpowering sweetness at the beginning, makes way for a light and pleasant layer that seems to sit a millimeter off of your skin.

Anima Dulcis Notes: Cocoa Absolute, Mexican Vanilla, Cinnamon, Chili Infusion

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: What a great coffee/chocolate store in the old world was like as you could smell the wonderful foods mixed with the old smell of the building with wide planked wood floors and the rich sweet tobaccos smells that that were wafting in from the crowded streets in town.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ANIMA DULCIS: old world, gourmand, aged

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANIMA DULCIS: Bois de Jasmin, Australian Perfume Junkies, Now Smell This

BOTTOM LINE: I do have a bit of a hard time with the initial phase of this fragrance and how it’s just so sweet at the beginning. But after 30 minutes or so, Anima Dulcis really does become a beautiful fragrance and one that might end up on my FB list as it’s so different from anything else that I own and may be my perfect new cold weather companion.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Vanilla
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $165 for 55ml EdP