The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Category Archives: Puredistance


by 2 Comments

New Release: Puredistance Papilio

WHAT I SMELL:  Papilio opens with a soft and serene warmed magnolia that immediately hugs the skin.  It’s enchanting, rather demure and very inviting.  The soft florals blend with just a hint of the vegetal which brings the earth towards the ethereal bouquet.  Blended so incredibly, the perfume at this point is less the sum of notes and is more of an expression of peacefulness with an added layer of fresh dewiness.  Papilio slowly builds in a radiant warmth that seems to born in a soft breeze emanating from the skin as it moves and lifts to the nose.  The perfume then begins to settle in to a light leathered wood that is covered with a hazy powder that sits above the warmed base.  Overall it’s pretty, delicate and light as a feather.  Papilio goes straight to the heart with its endearing beauty.

From the Puredistance website:

PAPILIO is multifaceted, lively and vibrant. Created by Nathalie Feisthauer in Paris. ‘Embrace your true nature’ is the concept of PAPILIO (Latin for ‘Butterfly’). Butterflies come in all shapes and colours and accept themselves as they are – in each phase of their life..

Top notes: Bergamot Oil.

Middle notes: Magnolia Oil, Neroli oil, Carrot oil, Orris, Lily of the valley, Hedione HC, Heliotrope.

Base notes: Cedarwood, Vetyver oil, Amyris oil, Intense woods Ambroxan, Opoponax resinoid, Benzoin resinoid, Vanilla, Touch of Peach, Leather Ambrette, Cashmere, Muscenone.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Butterflies in flight.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE PAPILIO:  soft, uplifting, comforting

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PAPILIO:  CaFleureBon 

BOTTOM LINE:  I think I should be tired of saying that Puredistance has once again graced the perfume world with another magnificent creation.  But here we are again and it’s a wonderful addition to the Puredistance collection.  Sometimes a beautiful perfume is hard to put into words, but instead describing its persona is the best way to give it life in words.  Papilio is incredibly soft and somewhat demure and unassuming, but at the same time it embodies strength and beauty.  And most of all, it’s absolutely gorgeous!

  • Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Floral Woody Musk
  • Nose:  Nathalie Feisthauer
  • Classification: Unisex, but leans feminine
  • Expense: Starting at 175 Euros for 17ml parfum extrait (25% perfume oil).


by 3 Comments

New Release: Puredistance M V2Q

WHAT I SMELL:   M V2Q explodes on the skin with a dry and smooth lavender and an electric pink peppercorn.  In all, it’s a surprisingly big opening.  In quick manner the perfume dries and powders and seemingly expands.  As it does, the perfume starts reaching to the depths with a warmed cinnamon tinged leather and begins to move to the more creamy with the addition of a beautiful jasmine sambac.  I was a little worried from the start because the perfume was so dry that when I smelled it literally constricted my nostrils, but my worries dissipated with the growing creaminess and the beautiful floral heart.  At this stage, the perfume is warm and inviting and increasingly sensual.  The perfume seems to infuse itself into ones’ skin as one making it more of an essence than a layer of fragrance.  As the perfume continues to develop, the cream begins to subside making way for a sharper mix of patchouli and tonka.  Here M V2Q seems to flex its muscle with a nicely masculine beefiness that is not shy in the least.  But once again the perfume seems to roll on out to the smooth and creamy as it settles from the more provocative to the more sublime.  M V2Q is a handsome devil of a perfume.

From the Puredistance website:

M V2Q is utterly smooth and refined. Welcome to a world of soft leather charm. This perfume is comfortable, powerful and bright at the same time. And true to the carefully curated collection of Puredistance, M V2Q is an extrait with excellent projection and longevity.

Top Notes: Orange blossom, Pink peppercorn, Lavender essence 

Middle Notes: Cinnamon, Cypriol, Pine tar, Jasmine Sambac

Base Notes: Patchouli, Vanilla, Labdanum, Tonka, Cedarwood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Daniel Craig as 007.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE M V2Q:  confident, smooth, intriguing

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT M V2Q:  The Plum Girl, Parfumistans blogg, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE:  Puredistance has discontinued their masculine masterpiece M and replaced it in their collection with M V2Q due to the unavailability of some of the ingredients based on new IFRA regulations.  Instead of trying to re-create the magic of M, they decided to work with perfumer Antoine Lie to bring new life to the perfume by modernizing it but within the same vein as the original.  M was inspired by the iconic James Bond 007…M V2Q is inspired by the latest Bond, Daniel Craig.  And it completely works.  For you lovers of the original M, there will be no worries moving to M V2Q.

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Leather
  • Nose:  Antoine Lie
  • Classification: Leans masculine
  • Expense: Starting at 175 Euros for 17ml parfum extrait (28% perfume oil).

 


by 4 Comments

New Release: Puredistance No. 12

WHAT I SMELL:  No. 12 opens with a soft, buttery bergamot that’s infused with citrus and lightly sweetened florals that go on smooth as silk.  From first spritz the perfume is elegance personified as there’s nothing sharp as the now lightly warmed florals seem to infuse into your being as if the perfume isn’t just resting on your skin, but becomes part of it.  The ylang-ylang is front and center initially, but hints of rose peek through every now and then.  After some time, the perfume withdraws a bit, making it rather quiet as a slightly metallic rose makes its way in replacing the ylang-ylang as the center of attention.  The perfume still retains its buttery and silky finish as it starts to become warmer and grows in projection.  After some more time, the butter makes way for the powder which makes the florals all that more feminine.  Continuing on, No. 12 deepens and warms with a lightly weighted mix of amber and softened sandalwood.   Overall the perfume is seamless in its development and its infusion of ingredients.  As such, I’m not sure I’m giving it justice with my description.  So in the end, the best way to describe No. 12 is to envision a beauty descending slowly down a grand staircase at the start of the magnificent ball.  You can’t help but turn your head and take in the radiant grace and warmth of her spirit.  Let the festivities begin! 

From the Puredistance website:

A grand perfume that wraps around you like a cashmere veil… A perfume like no other, in many ways timeless and hard to describe with words. No.12 perfectly embodies the DNA of Puredistance: timelessly beautiful, elegant and very distinctive in character

Top Notes: Bergamot oil, Mandarin oil, Cardamom oil, Coriander oil, Ylang Ylang oil, Narcissus abs

Middle Notes: Jasmin abs, Rose oil, Geranium oil, Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom, Osmanthus abs, Orris Butter, Heliotrope, Hedione HC

Base Notes: Vetyver, Sandalwood oil, Patchouli oil, Oak moss, Tonka, Ambrette note, Ambroxan, Vanilla, Musks.

Lady in waiting of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (wife on Nicholas I) by Gavril Yakovlev, 1850′s.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Royal blue.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE No. 12:  grand, graceful, classic, warm, inviting, rapturous…ok, so that’s more than three words, but I probably could add another 20 and in the end it wraps up to just one word…gorgeous.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT No. 12:  The Plum Girl, PerfuManiac, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE:  No. 12 is the last entry into the Puredistance Magnificent XII collection of perfumes.  And what a way to seal off an already amazing set of fragrances.  With No. 12, perfumer Nathalie Feisthauer has created a classic that harkens back to the day when perfumes were created that were simple in their beauty while also being fantastically grand.  I have always stated that White was my favorite perfume in the Puredistance collection, but I am thinking that No. 12 may have just changed my mind.  No worries though as I can love them both!

  • Bone Rating: 5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Nose: Nathalie Feisthauer
  • Classification:  Leans feminine
  • Expense: Starting at 175 Euros for 17ml parfum extrait (25% perfume oil).