The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.


by 15 Comments

Gaiac by M. Micallef

WHAT I SMELL:  Goes on herbal and astringent to the skin.  It smells of bergamot and light jasmine and an almost brown sugar sweetness that’s slightly spiced by the clove.  Gaiac to me is a very different fragrance and I’m sure that I am smelling the gaiac wood, but I’m not familiar with what that smells like so I can’t say for sure, although as it starts to dry down a bit of sourness comes forth, almost oud like in its composition. Gaiac is a vetiver fragrance in its best form in that it’s not green, but more woody in its dryness.  After a good 45 minutes Gaiac completes its transformation and what you’re left with a sweet honeyed vanilla that is incredibly pleasant.

Gaiac Notes:  bergamot, jasmine, cloves, gaiac, vetiver, vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A medieval forest tinged with sunlight.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE GAIAC:  ancient, otherworldly, sweetened

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GAIAC:  I Smell Therefore I Am, Confessions of a Perfume Nerd, Nathan Branch

BOTTOM LINE:  This was a very pleasant surprise.  I could see this as a future full bottle purchase.  And if you’re not a big fan of vetivers like myself, this restores my faith in the vetiver note.

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Woody
  • Nose: Martine Micallef
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $90 for 30ml EdP


by 11 Comments

Umbra by Ramon Monegal

WHAT I SMELL:  Opens with a surprising sweet, almost citrusy (although there is no citrus listed in the notes) vetiver that warms quickly into a peppered musk.  I’m not a huge fan of vetivers, but I like this because it’s not too green.  The pepper and musk ground this, making it a bit more earthy.  And hidden behind this muskiness is a sweet mossy woodiness that give this some life and depth.  As pleasant as this fragrance is, it pretty much disappeared from my skin after a few hours…and not just became faint, it really disappeared.

Notes: Haitian Vetiver root, Yugoslavian Tree Moss, Madagascar Black Pepper, Bourbon Geranium leaves, Canadian Fir Balsam and Tonka bean

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  What I believe women want men to smell like.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE UMBRA:  safe, comfortable, easy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT UMBRA:  Olfactoria’s Travels, Parfumistan’s Blogg, Bois de Jasmin

BOTTOM LINE:  Umbra is a nice and pleasant vetiver and a good one for those who don’t lean towards liking them.  I just wish it would last longer on my skin.  Although this is considered a unisex scent, I do believe it leans pretty masculine.

  • Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Fougere – woody – spicy
  • Nose: Ramon Monegal
  • Classification: Unisex, leans masculine
  • Expense: $185 for 50ml EdP


by 24 Comments

Trayee by Neela Vermeire Creations

I hope that all of my U.S. friends managed to get out and vote today.  I don’t care who you voted for, but just that you did.  Me, I can honestly say that I was the best smelling at my voting precinct thanks to Trayee.

WHAT I SMELL: Goes on like a sheet of incensed fruit and full bodied florals with just a hint of leather.  The fruit is juicy and succulent and reminds me of pineapple; very edible and gourmand.  The floral aspects of this are sweet, but not in an overpowering way.  I admit that I’m not sophisticated enough to pull out the notes for identification.  In other words, they are blended together so masterfully that they come together in a rapture of perfumed life.  As Trayee develops, I get less of the fruit and a bit more of the floral sweetness.  When you take a close sniff at this point, the sweet smell coats your nose and throat in a manner that embraces rather than repels.  At the end of this olfactory journey, you are left with a light woody incense that floats off your skin in an airy and translucent layer.  I did notice that there was a difference in spraying vs. dabbing.   When I sprayed it on this morning, it started with a bit of incense unlike when I dabbed and it immediately went into the fruit and floral phase.

Trayee Notes: Blue ginger, elemi, cinnamon, ganja accord, blackcurrant absolute, basil, jasmine sambac, Egyptian jasmine, cardamom absolute, clove, saffron, Javanese and Haitian vetiver, incense, Mysore sandalwood oil, patchouli, myrrh, vanilla, cedar, amber notes, oud palao from Laos, oak moss.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Trayee is like a magical day in the heart of India.  The day starts off with lingering temple incense from the night before.  As the sun rises, the land comes to life with the color of the land and flowers which are blended in a fragrant symphony along with ripening fruit.  This day is gloriously happy; a celebration of the world around us.  As dusk approaches, the day begins to settle and once again, the incense in the temples begins to rise throughout the emptying streets.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TRAYEE:  luscious, joyous, fragrant

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TRAYEE:  Olfactoria’s Travels, Eyeliner on a Cat, The Scentualist

BOTTOM LINE:  If you can’t tell already, I am in love with this fragrance; the quality and complexity is evident and incredible.  Trayee in the final drydown, does remind me of one of my other loves, Kilian’s Incense Oud.  However, Trayee’s incense is much lighter and more delicate than Kilians.  In the end, this is one review where I am finding that it is difficult to put my thoughts into words.  I can only recommend that everybody give this wonderful fragrance a try.

  • Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Oriental Spicy
  • Nose: Bertrand Duchaufour
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $260 for 55ml EdP

Thanks to Neela Vermeire and for Birgit from Olfactoria’s Travels for my sample of Trayee which was won in a random draw on Olfactoria’s Travels.