2 bones | The Scented Hound

April 29, 2013
by The Scented Hound 17 Comments

Cereus No. 3

WHAT I SMELL: No. 3 had the harshest and most odd opening I have experienced in a long time. It didn’t last but for a few seconds, but it smelled like rubbing iodine. Thankfully, very quickly No. 3 turns into magnolia sweetened by sunshiny lemons. Eventually, this bright and lemony sweet magnolia starts blending with the peony and musk which gives it a bit more of a warmer feel. This isn’t great, but it’s not horribly bad either. However, I think it could become headache inducing. The smell of magnolia can go a long way.

From Fragrantica:

Cereus No.3 is a fragrance built around citrusy accords, refreshing magnolia petals, jasmine and peony in a heart. Delicate flowers are resting on a sensual base dominated by musk.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Lemon Pledge …no, make that Parfum Lemon Pledge because it’s just slightly better that regular Lemon Pledge!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE NO. 3: bright, clean, freshnoxious (fresh in an overly artificial way)

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NO. 3: I didn’t find any other reviews!

BOTTOM LINE: Meh. I see this is a summer scent for some unfortunate woman in Florida who paid too much money to smell like what she believes makes her smell pretty.

Bone Rating: 2.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral
Classification: Very feminine
Expense: $125 for 100ml EdP

February 24, 2013
by The Scented Hound 17 Comments

Daim Blond by Serge Lutens

WHAT I SMELL: I was just at the grocery store and I kept smelling Tide laundry detergent. I didn’t think much of it as I was at the grocery store, but let me explain that I loathe the smell of Tide. I would almost rather not wash my clothes than to have to use Tide because the smell is just nauseating to me. Well, as it turns out, when I got home I sniffed my arm and sure enough what I was smelling was me. Now, I spritzed this on about four hours ago and this was the result.

Let’s look at the beginning of this journey. Daim Blond went on so light that I barely could tell that I had put any perfume on at all. I got an initial whiff of cardamom, but then just a light touch of powder and then almost nothing. After what seems to be about 10 minutes, I started smelling a light sweet flowered apricot. It’s very sheer and almost candied sweet like Sweetarts candy. I don’t mind where the scent is at this point, but it’s so light that you wonder if it yourself that you are smelling or something else that’s in the room. Daim Blond is interpreted as White Suede, but I am not getting any leather whatsoever from this fragrance. But I have to admit that at this stage, Daim Blond albeit wispy is really quite pretty. It’s not until much later that Daim Blond transforms into Tide; which I won’t try to dissect!

From Fragrantica:

The top notes contain hawthorn, Ceylon cardamom; the heart includes iris, apricot kernel, while the base encompasses musk, heliotrope and leather.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Tide laundry detergent, but you already know that!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE DAIM BLOND: faint, sheer, wispy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DAIM BLOND: The Other Scent, The Scentualist, Les Tuileries

BOTTOM LINE: Just one word…NO.

Bone Rating: 2 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Chypre Floral
Nose: Christopher Sheldrake
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Approximately $110 for 50ml EdP

December 16, 2012
by The Scented Hound 17 Comments

Ambre Premier by Jovoy Paris

WHAT I SMELL: On application, Ambre Premier goes on cool to the skin, almost like the feeling when you spray on antiseptic. What is first revealed is almost what I would describe as cocoa/chocolate edge mixed with the coolness of bergemot. It’s lightly warm and a little spicy. On Fragrantica, it says the top notes evoke that of “cotton candy”. Seriously, I am missing that completely (is there such thing as chocolate cotton candy??). As it continues in its development, it become a bit more floral with a subdued rose as the amber starts to take shape. In the end Ambre Premier is amber that is sweetened with a vanilla’d patchouli. It’s cool and warm at the same time with a bit of a tang that lies at its base.

Ambre Premier Notes:

Head: spicy fresh; Heart: pink floral; Background: dominant patchouli, amber, vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: At first, surprisingly a bit gourmand, like a bittersweet box of chocolate orange creams (you don’t really smell much of the cream, but it’s what chocolate covered creams smell like in the box). I feel like my nose is playing a trick on me so I go to my better half and tell him what I think this smells like and he disagreed. He said a box of chocolate covered orange creams smells really sweet and this does not… I reminded him that I said “bittersweet” as in dark chocolate. He still didn’t agree!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE AMBRE PREMIER: cooled-warmth, bittersweet, removed

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT AMBRE PREMIER: I was not able to find any other reviews on this!!!

BOTTOM LINE: This is a different amber in that’s it’s not the typical, warm and embracing cuddly sweater that I love so much in the note. Instead, it’s a bit distant and a bit discordant in the way the notes blend together; I feel like they are fighting with each other. I don’t hate this, but I don’t like it either.

Bone Rating: 2.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Vanilla
Nose: Michelle Saramitot
Classification: Marketed as a feminine fragrance, but I believe this suits both men and women
Expense: $180 for 100ml EdP