The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Category Archives: Random 10


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The Random 10: Shalini Parfum’s Shalini

 

Shalini portrait July 2021You can’t fake passion.  Passion is something that comes from deep inside you and surrounds you and those you touch.  Shalini Kumar, better known as “Shalini,” is passion personified.  From her early days in Bombay, to her childhood spent in exotic locations like Seville, Dubai and Provence, her passion for fragrance developed through the scented memories of these extraordinary settings.  But while her passion to create perfume was yet to be imagined, Shalini was working on her passion for fashion; first creating for Valentino Couture and then creating her own haute couture line of clothing and jewelry aptly named Shalini Couture. 

It was through happenstance that Shalini’s passion for perfume came to fruition.  In 2001, a friend’s introduction to Master Perfumer Maurice Roucel was serendipity.  The two had an immediate connection.  It was at their first meeting that they had a discussion about Shalini’s favorite flower, tuberose.  She said that she wanted a perfume that reminded her of her childhood memories of moonlit nights filled with rapturous tuberose and intoxicating orange blossom.  That meeting led to their collaboration in creating the very first Shalini perfume, simply titled “Shalini.”

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Shalini Parfum Lalique Flacon

Since Shalini Parfum debuted in 2004, Shalini and Maurice’s collaboration has been a continued passion project.  In total, they have created 6 perfumes, the latest being Vanilla Rêve which takes the wearer to the tropical islands of the South Seas.  Each of Shalini’s perfumes seems to take the wearer on an olfactory journey to an exotic location that stems from those wonderful memories captured from Shalini’s childhood. 

All Shalini perfumes are pure parfum in concentration, as such, they’re an extension of her haute couture fashion collection using only the finest of ingredients and are created using the principals of classical French perfumery. Thankfully for us, Shalini’s passion has graced the world with an exquisite collection of the finest perfumes.  I can only wonder where Shalini and Maurice will take us next.

So, let’s find out what else Shalini is passionate about:

  1. I am a hoarder when it comes to… owning multiple bottles of …Bordeaux!
  2.  If I could have one superpower, it would be… gardening – my personal olive grove and a vineyard.  
  3. In 10 years, I see myself …living by the sea painting and writing, growing olives trees and lavender.
  4.  I am most grateful for… all the people whom I love.
  5. The most beautiful sight in the world is… a Provençal scene, any town, any street, any garden…
  6. If I had my way, I wish that perfumers/brands would…use more naturals. 
  7. A guilty pleasure of mine is …reading by the Mediterranean with a glass of cold rosé under the heat of the Riviera sun.
  8. My favorite way to relax is… writing in a café in the morning with a steaming cappuccino.
  9. My favorite holiday is …by the sea, any sea. 
  10. My taste in music leans towards…classical – Chopin, Debussy, Satie nocturnes…

Thanks to Shalini for sharing her passion with The Scented Hound.  You can go to the Shalini Parfum website for more information about these extraordinary perfumes:

shaliniparfum.com

The Scented Hound Shalini Parfum reviews:


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The Random 10: Arquiste’s Carlos Huber

carloshuber2Since launching Arquiste in 2012, Carlos Huber has made himself  a formidable presence in the ever-growing list of niche perfume brands.  His perfumes, created in conjunction with perfumers Rodrigo Flores-Roux and Yann Vasnier are interesting and unique while still being easy to wear and universal in nature.

Huber, originally from Mexico City, moved to New York City in 2006 to study historic preservation at Columbia University.  While in NY, he met perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux with whom he studied and learned about perfumes and the industry which led to the development and launch of the Arquiste brand.  Combining the love for perfume with a love of history has paid off with the brand as Carlos uses historical inspiration for the creation of his fragrances.  Some of his perfumes are aged in time, but his latest two releases, ÉL and ELLA are woven around more of a personal history as they were inspired by the stories that his parents told him of the sun and fun of Acapulco in the 1970s.  Once again, Mr. Huber manages to capture history in a bottle with a pair of perfumes that take you back in time through a beautiful sensorial journey.

So what makes Carlos tick?  Maybe the Random 10 will reveal a little more about that…

  1. My most prized possession in the world is…two first editions architecture treaties by Jacques Francois Blondel, from 1737-38. (“De la distribution des maisons de plaisance et de la décoration des édifices en général”)
  2. The way I prefer to apply my fragrance is to…do six spritzes, two for the back of the neck (each side) two in the front, and two for each forearm.
  3. The most influential person in my life is / was…probably my parents.
  4. I always cry when…I listen to Cat Power’s ‘The Greatest’ or Natalia LaFourcade’s ‘No mas llorar’
  5. My thoughts regarding natural vs. synthetics are …quality is the benchmark: bad naturals are as bad as bad synthetics. Good synthetics can be really good too, but nothing is as noble and alive as an exceptional natural.
  6. I start my day off every morning by …going to the gym.
  7. The most joyous event in my life thus far…probably winning the Fashion Group International Rising Star Awards for Beauty Entrepreneur in 2013. But to be honest, I get pretty excited about pretty basic things on a regular basic. When i’m with my group of friends having fun, it’s as if it’s the best day/night ever! I’m also very close to my siblings, so seeing them happy is really special for me.
  8. The fragrance that I most dislike is…Paco Rabanne 1 Million. I just cannot.
  9. When I’m looking for quiet time, I …watch period movies on Netflix at home.
  10. My fragrance preferences over time have…become more diverse, but I still like my old-school classics.

Thanks for Carlos for revealing a little more about himself with The Random 10.  If you want to hear what music makes Carlos cry, you can by clicking here:  Cat Power “The Greatest” and Natalia LaFourcade “No Mas Llorar”

And check out the latest releases from Arquiste, ÉL and ELLA at Arielle Shoshana and other fine retailers.  For more information about the Arquiste line of perfumes, check out the Arquiste website at:  arquiste.com


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The Random 10: Roja Dove

Roja Dove_Portrait 1_LR

If there’s a perfumer whose name is synonymous with luxury, it’s Roja Dove.  A passion for creating beauty through fragrance using the highest quality and exceptional ingredients makes the Roja Parfums line the gold standard in perfumery.  It’s hard to believe, but Roja Parfums only recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.  Maybe due to the many stunning perfumes in the collection, it feels like the house has been around for many more years.  Or maybe it’s because Roja looms large over the Industry.  In any case, Mr. Dove has been a major figure within the perfume industry for quite some time.  Roja’s perfumed journey started when he fell in love with his mother’s perfume wrapped up in a goodnight kiss.   Professionally however, it began with Roja developing a fragrance-training course for Guerlain.  Learning, crafting and honing his skills, Roja was employed with Guerlain for almost 20 years where his career with the infamous house culminated in his being honored as the Guerlain Global Brand Ambassador, the first time ever in which a non Guerlain family member was given this role.

After leaving Guerlain, Mr. Dove went on to establish a perfumery training and public relations firm – representing luxury brands across the globe.  And then in 2004, he opened the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie, located within the iconic London department store Harrods.  The Parfumerie created the perfect atmosphere for patrons to experience the world of rare and luxurious perfumes in a beautiful and exquisite salon setting.

Roja MidsummerAfter opening up the Parfumerie, Roja began creating bespoke perfumes for clients.  While most would be thrilled to have a bespoke perfume created for them, such a luxury item is out of bounds for all but a few.   In 2011, Roja introduced to the world his own line of luxury perfumes, Roja Parfums.  Since its inception, Roja has created a wide range of classical perfumes for both men and woman, as well as some branded perfumes created for well established internationally known stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods and others.  Roja Parfums latest release is A Midsummer Dream, a rich oriental fragrance that was inspired by  “the belief that perfume can take you to an enchanted place – a dreamland. It can remove us from the reality of the mundane and transport us to temporal worlds of fantasy. Like a lover, scent can touch us, move us and inspire our very being.”  – Roja Dove

What you may not know about Roja is that he was appointed an Ambassador for Great Britain.  An honor bestowed to him as part of the Great Britain campaign in which he and other leading experts in their respective fields represent the nation as one voice to highlight Britain as a haven for creativity and opportunity.  Congratulations to Mr. Dove on his appointment as well as his five-year anniversary for Roja Parfums.  Even though Roja Parfums has only been around for a relatively short time, we have no doubt that this house and Roja’s legacy is here to stay.

So let’s see what Roja’s Random 10 reveals about this incredible talent and creative entrepreneur!

  1. If I wrote a personal memoir, it would be entitled…Life Has Been Kind.
  2. I am a hoarder when it comes to owning multiple bottles of …Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut Champagne.
  3. My proudest accomplishment was …to be made an Ambassador for the GREAT Britain Campaign for my creative work.
  4. My parents always taught me to…to be non-judgmental of people. To be honest. And whenever I used to say I wanted to do something, my mother’s reply was simple – “why not?” She was the person that made me believe that you can do anything. I think too many people spend too much of their time thinking of all the reasons thinking about why they can’t do something – rather than getting on with what they maybe can do.
  5. When it comes to my organization skills, I…cannot abide people who work in chaos. I think that I fundamentally have a very logical, structured, organized mind. I hate seeing disorganization and I don’t like working with people that are chaotic – and themselves aren’t organized.
  6. What makes me smile is…seeing people develop and grow.
  7. My biggest fear in life is …mediocrity.
  8. What drives me most crazy is…injustice.
  9. The song that always makes me happy whenever I hear it is…Louis Armstrong – We Have All The Time In The World.
  10. I am hopelessly challenged by…accountants, lawyers and form-filling.

Thanks to Roja for participating in the Random 10.  Since I was not familiar with the Louis Armstrong recording of “We Have All the Time in the World”, I attached the YouTube link so you too can experience the song that makes Roja happy:  Louis Armstrong – We Have All the Time in the World

For more information about Roja Parfums, Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie and Roja Dove himself, go to:  rojadove.com