The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.


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Field Notes from Paris by Ineke

A lovely friend sent me a package of goodies this past week.  Of course, I had to check them all out upon arrival, but Field Notes from Paris is the one that struck a chord with me most…

WHAT I SMELL:  Green, refreshing blast that slowly melts away into a beautiful patchouli and tobacco leaf middle phase.  It’s sweet, but what I call an adult sweet, not a kid kind of sweet.  Finally, what is interesting to me is that this fragrance ends up like two fragrances in one.  What do I mean?  When I bring my arm up to take in the fragrance, I get a light leather scent.  The kind of leather that belongs to a well-worn book where the cover has been used thin.  But when I am just enjoying the fragrance on me as a whole, Field Notes from Paris is almost gourmand, like coffee and almond/vanilla cookies (all very subtly dressed together).

Field Notes from Paris Notes:  coriander, orange flower, bergamot, tobacco flower & leaf, patchouli, cedar, tonka bean, beeswax, leather, vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Perfect for today’s rainy weather, Field Notes from Paris does remind me of exactly what Ineke was trying to convey; “sweet-scented Paris afternoons, life measured out in coffee spoons.”  Perfect for hanging out in your favorite sweater and jeans on a Sunday morning while recuperating from your all too fun Saturday night.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE FIELD NOTES FROM PARIS:  comfortable, laid-back, friendly

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FIELD NOTES FROM PARIS: Scents Memory, Notable Scents, EauMG

BOTTOM LINE:  Lovely and subtle; good for a man or a woman.  This may just be the right fragrance for the coming winter when I’m curled up reading a book next to the fire.

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Woody Oriental
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Nose:  Ineke Ruhland
  • Expense: $88 for 75ml EdP


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Seville a l’Aube by L’Artisan Parfumeur

So many words have been used to describe the collaboration and inspiration for the creation of Seville a l’Aube.  Me, I’ll just get to the down and dirty…

WHAT I SMELL: Goes on almost medicinal, then quickly turns green, like cut grass…wait, that lasts for just a minute.  Here comes the orange blossom, lots of orange blossom mixed with jasmine.  I keep waiting for this to become sweet, but it never does.  It rests in this layer of subdued floral, green and orange blossom purgatory.  After about 6 hours, the scent had pretty much faded into oblivion; not that I minded so much.

Seville a l’Aube Notes:  lavender, pink pepper, lemon tree leaves, orange blossom, jasmine, magnolia, beeswax, incense, Benzoin Siam, Luiseiri lavender

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A cross between floor cleaner and sour shampoo.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SEVILLE A L’AUBE: labored, sour, pensive

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SEVILLE A L’AUBE: Second Cherry, AustralianPerfumeJunkies,  Bonkers About Perfume

BOTTOM LINE: As you could note from the reviews above, this fragrance is loved by some, just not by me.  What I do love is the story about the creation of this scent and have to laugh at the thought of what would be created with me as the muse (civit comes to mind!) so I can’t fault the fragrance as a whole.  However, I think I’ll stick with fragrances with citrus and neroli rather than orange blossom (see Orange Star review).

  • Bone Rating: 2.5 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Oriental Floral
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Nose:  Bertrand Duchaufour
  • Expense: $165 for 100ml EdP (limited edition)


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Mitsouko by Guerlain

Every once in a while there is a fragrance that for some reason calls to me like some siren song begging me to check it out.  Mitsouko by Guerlain is one of those scents.   I am certainly not the target market for this fragrance but that’s not going to stop me.  Maybe it’s the bottle, it seems very old-fashioned and stylish, but whatever reason here it goes…

WHAT I SMELL:  Mitsouko goes on herbal and medicinal, it’s very strong and rounded.  It then moves into a warmer phase that is hard to describe,  still herbal, a little sour and eucalyptus like with hints of Jasmine and Peach.  Mitsouko’s drydown sits in this light and powdery spiced peachy understated chypre stage that is soft and subtle.  I have to admit, this is really a hard fragrance to describe.  The blended notes are masterfully composed into a scent that is very unusual and distinct.

From the Guerlain website:

Fruity chypre Mysterious, Balanced, Velvety.  A masterpiece of balance and originality, Mitsouko marries a fruity note of peach with jasmine flowers and May rose. The mysterious dry-down of the fragrance blends spicy notes with those of underbrush and vetiver.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  When I first put this on, for some reason it reminded me of my dentist office growing up.  Maybe someone there wore this or something similar or maybe it is that medicinal edge that first comes out.  But at the time, the dentist office was already an older building from the 1930s so it had this kind of deco feel about it.  Mitsouko also had that feeling of being from a bygone era.  My hubby said it smelled like an old lady.   I don’t know if I agree, but it definitely is a scent for the more mature.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE MITSOUKO: exotic, unique, full-bodied

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MITSOUKO: Bois de Jasmin, I Smell Therefore I Am, Scentsate 

BOTTOM LINE: I will revisit this scent again.  I can’t say that I love it, but I do believe that Mitsouko has stood the test of time for almost 100 years for a very good reason.  It’s not for everybody, but I know that if I wore this on the right day, it would be perfect.

  • Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Chypre Fruity
  • Classification: Feminine
  • Expense: Varied, in EdT and EdP (review based on the EdP version)