Caron | The Scented Hound

July 18, 2014
by The Scented Hound Leave a comment

A Hound CaFleureBon Post: Perfume Review: Caron Paris En Avion + Celebrating Amelia Earhart Day July 24, 2014 Fountain Fragrance Draw

77 years ago, Amelia Earhart disappeared while trying to fly solo around the world. Caron’s En Avion was created in celebration of the original adventuresome pilots from the 1920s and 1930s. Check out my new CaFleureBon post about these women and enter into the draw for a 7.5ml Caron fountain bottle of En Avion Parfum Extrait! Sorry, the draw is only open to readers in the U.S. Read the full article by clicking here!

En Avion became a summer staple for me this year. I originally gave it a four bone rating…but it’s creeping up to a 4.5 these day! You can find my original Scented Hound review by clicking here.

June 23, 2014
by The Scented Hound 4 Comments

Farnesiana by Caron

WHAT I SMELL: Farnesiana opens with a thickened warmed mimosa that smells like woody plastic. The mimosa floral is dryish at the beginning only to open up to become rounder in a couple of minutes. There’s a subtle sweetness about Farnesiana that seems to be derived from a light almond like vanilla. It’s very dreamy early on and it feels very fluid. After around the 15 minute mark a hay like dusty quality makes an appearance which brings the fragrance more down to earth. At this point, the fragrance has an almost Play-Doh smell about it which sounds like something you wouldn’t want in a perfume, but it’s not full on Play-Doh, it just has a similarity. On top of the hay, there also seems to be a light layer of incense, which gives just a slight bite to the fragrance as it seems to waft in an out ever so slightly. After around an hour, the mimosa really comes full force and Farnesiana blooms into this very comfortable and pretty Mimosa bouquet that has a bit of projection, but not too much. Like many of the Caron parfum extraits, it takes a least an hour for the fragrance to settle into its beauty and when it does, its stunningly pretty.

From the Caron website:

Created in 1947, Farnesiana was, at the time, one of the most exceptional and unique interpretations of mimosa on the market.

Sweet acacia is a lesser known variety of mimosa, whose Latin name “Acacia Farnesiana” provided the inspiration for its name. It is reminiscent of Rome’s Farnèse Palace and the art of sweet, refined Mediterranean living.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A Roman beauty.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE FARNESIANA: subdued, classic, original

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FARNESIANA: I Smell Therefore I Am, The Non-Blonde, Pink Manhattan

BOTTOM LINE: Farnesiana is very different; I can’t say that there is another fragrance out there to which I can compare it to probably because I’m not familiar with Mimosa as a primary note. In any case, it is a stunner for sure.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $100 for 7.5ml Parfum Extrait

June 2, 2014
by The Scented Hound 8 Comments

Tabac Blond by Caron

WHAT I SMELL: Tabac Blond opens with this really pretty floral iris that quickly becomes ensconced in a light leather. Funny, the word “blond” really does feel appropriate as it conveys a woodyish, blond like aura. The fragrance is rather cool and aloof, yet approachable. Like many of the other Caron fragrances, there is “pretty” surrounded by an edge of something naughty. Here, the leather, albeit light, is rather tough and slightly aggressive. When initially applied the projection is incredible, but the fragrance begins to settle down as the spice of the carnation makes its appearance. After around ten minutes that carnation and spicy clove moves the lighter initial florals to the back. After some more time, the tobacco comes in full force, drying out the fragrance making it more woody and rather masculine. But just as soon as you believe this will go full on manly, Tabac Blond starts to become powdery and the spicy florals become center stage again. After around an hour, the patchouli comes into play bringing this very earthy and musty like aura to Tabac Blond. After a couple of hours, the fragrance reduces to an earthy patchouli skin scent that reminds me greatly of Dr. Vranjes Ambra e Iris.

From the Caron website:

In 1919, to mark the dawn of women’s liberation, Caron made the bold move of dedicating a deliberately provocative fragrance to the beautiful androgynous women, nonchalantly holding their long ivory and mother-of-pearl cigarette-holders.

Notes listed in Fragrantica: leather, carnation, lime blossom, iris, vetiver, ylang-ylang, cedar, patchouli, vanilla, ambergris, musk.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A dried flower arrangement with lingering floral hues and dusky earthiness.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TABAC BLOND: self-assured, earthy, grounded

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TABAC BLOND: Kafkaseque, The Perfumed Dandy, The Scent Detective

BOTTOM LINE: The first few hours of Tabac Blond are wonderful. It’s complex and hard to pin down as it seems to change and morph continuously. The final drydown stays with you for a considerable time, but I find it just a bit too earthy for me. But no problem, I’ll spritz on some more!

Bone Rating: 4 for the first hours, 3 for the final drydown (out of 5 possible bones)
Scent: Floral Leather
Classification: Feminine, yet rather masculine
Expense: Review based on parfum extrait. $100 for 7.5ml.