The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: 3 bones


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Crépuscule Des Âmes by Atelier Des Ors

WHAT I SMELL:  Crépuscule Des Âmes greets the skin with a warm and sparkling opening which quickly moves to the more herbal.  The perfume is lightly spiced and incredibly inviting.  As the perfume develops, it starts to take on a urinous note which turns the perfume from comforting to intriguing and lightly naughty.  Underneath the naughtiness is just a shimmer of sweet that keeps the perfume in the perfect place.  Eventually a light incense weaves its way in to add another dimension of mystery.  After some more time, a wonderful patchouli helps to once again draw out the lightly sweet.  Here the perfume perfectly resides…comfortable enough to wear on many occasions, but interesting enough to make it just that more exciting to wear.  Crépuscule Des Âmes is not a powerhouse, but it’s not shy either.  Instead, it’s a perfume that is distinct enough to draw others in wondering where the exotic elixir is coming from.

Crépuscule Des Âmes Notes:  Mandarin, cardamom, clary sage, hysope, incense, pimento berries, hyraceum, patchouli

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A 1950’s mink stole.  Lightly warmed…perfect for the cool of the evening.*

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE CRÉPUSCALE DES ÂMES:  naughty, intriguing, retro-modern

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CRÉPUSCALE DES ÂMES:  Colognoisseur, The Plum Girl, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE:   There is something very chic about Crépuscule Des Âmes.  It’s a modern twist on a classic base.  Very wearable, the perfume is lovely with just the right amount of naughtiness.

  • Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Woody Aromatic
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $225 for 100ml eau de parfum

* The Scented Hound does not endorse the use of fur for fashion.


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Cartier – XII L’Heure Mysterieuse

WHAT I SMELL:  L’Heure Mysterieuse has a strange opening that’s full of smoke and tar as well as a heavy patchouli that is thick, chewy and rather like paste.  The smoke rises off of the skin like some kind of industrial component.  This is a very bizarre as I can’t see how the opening brings promise of anything beautiful or gentile….or something that represents “Cartier.”  Thankfully, after a short time, the tar and heavy smoke begin to lift.  A dried flatness of incense appears instead and the perfume starts to belie a more gentle persona.  But don’t get me wrong, there’s a strength to the perfume in that it has a fighting energy buried beneath the smoky subdued radiance.  After quite some time a light floral appears, once again softening the former intensity.  To me, L’Heure Mysterieuse is a hard perfume to describe, but I can tell you that it has a classic old world heart that reminds me of fragrances from the 1970s.

From the Cartier website:

Silence was on the prowl. You could hear it breathing, lurking like desire. The calmness felt only temporary. Drowsiness gained life, slowly jasmine and heavily PATCHOULI. This was the time for listening to your own pulse at the edge of abandon, like a reverse countdown, a voyage into the intimate where everything both takes shape and disintegrates. Withdraw into yourself, escape and focus your mind on your inner self, reaching that point where self-awareness resides. Was it elemi gum, CORIANDER day? Was it incense, FRANKINCENSE night? Soon you must leave the juniper darkness… but not quite yet. First, savor L’HEURE MYSTÉRIEUSE for just one hour – no longer, that’s a promise – extracted from deep within, and rediscover your own personal roots.

La Liberté guidant le peuple. Eugène Delacroix. 1830

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  La Liberté.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE L’HEURE MYSTERIEUSE:  smoky, intense, retro

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT L’HEURE MYSTERIEUSE:  AustralianPerfumeJunkies, Bois de Jasmin, Katie Puckrick Smells

BOTTOM LINE:  L’Heure Mysterieuse Is a like and not a love for me.  The opening is weirdly interesting, but the drydown redeems the perfume as it turns into a retro classical scent.

  • Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Oriental Spicy
  • Nose:  Mathilde Laurent
  • Classification: Unisex (but to me it leans masculine)
  • Expense: $285 for 75 ml eau de parfum


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Juliette Has A Gun – Moscow Mule

WHAT I SMELL:  Moscow Mule kicks off with a zesty, but subtle bergamot which then amps up to a wonderfully delicious ginger and lime. It’s like a little bit of happiness in a spritz.  I love this opening so much that I wish the perfume would remain in this realm forever, but unfortunately it continues it’s journey past the zesty jubilance.  But no worries, Moscow Mule continues its progression to reveal a green apple note that keeps the perfume bright and light.  There’s just a hint of a hairspray note on top of the apple, but it’s not enough to overpower or take away from the green fruit.  This is where the perfume resides and wonderfully so as it’s fresh and breezy and an easy wear.  A bit of ambroxan gives the perfume a little depth beneath the apple, but the overall star is the apple.  Finally after quite some time, a clean and cottony woodsy musk wraps up the fruitful journey. 

From the Juliette Has A Gun website:

Moscow Mule’s olfactory trail hypnotizes its audience, as if it were inviting everyone to share, over a glass of something, a timeless moment, where tongues are loosened and bodies scolding hot. A twist of ginger for the sexy side, a zest of lemon for the punch! A limitless pleasure to be consumed without moderation.

Top notes: Bergamot, Ginger, Lime
Heart notes: Apple Essence, Jasmine
Bottom notes: Ambretolide, Ambroxan, Norlimbanol

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Moscow Mule is a happy mule.

THREE WORD S THAT DESCRIBE MOSCOW MULE:  refreshing, delightful, positive

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MOSCOW MULE: CaFleureBon, EauMG, Colognoisseur

BOTTOM LINE:  Moscow Mule is a great summer splash of a perfume.  It’s completely unisex and is perfect to wear as an everyday fragrance.  The only downside is that the perfume wears into a rather generic woody musk, but that just means you just have to spritz more of it on which would be just like having a second cocktail.  And is that such a bad thing?

  • Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Floral Citrus
  • Nose:  Romano Ricci
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $100 for 50 ml eau de parfum