3 bones | The Scented Hound

October 3, 2016
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

Berdoues Oud Wa Ward

WHAT I SMELL: Oud Wa Ward jumps out of the bottle with a sweetened patchouli and luscious bold and juicy red rose with a soured and lightly biting oud. There’s a bit of a metallic edge to the perfume, but overall it is what it promises to be… a rose oud perfume…well, maybe add just a hint of incense to the mix. After quite some time, the sweetness begins to dissipate and a lovely understated woodiness takes over making the perfume a bit more grounded. But what used to be bright and free-spirited in the beginning after 30 minutes turns to the more serious and the perfume gets bigger, bolder with the honeyed, smoky and slightly dirty oud now fully in charge. But overall, Oud Wa Ward delivers a nice rose oud and patchouli sweetened fragrance that’s not too heavy, but with just enough sexy and exotic to make this a fun and easy wear.

Fragrance Notes: Patchouli, Turkish Red Rose, Oud

Skateboarding Shia LeBeouf – pic: Just Jared

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A smooth, easy and rather sexy perfume that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE OUD WA WARD: sweetened wood, kickin, fun

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OUD WA WARD: None to be found.

BOTTOM LINE: Oud Wa Ward takes you on quite the ride although it doesn’t do it in short sprints; instead it really takes it time. The perfume starts off fun and carefree, but in the end you’re left with something that’s much more serious and a little bit dangerous, but still incredibly beautiful. This is a perfume that begs to be challenged with a cool attitude. Oud Wa Ward is a hip perfume at a reasonable price to boot. What’s not to love?

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Woody Oriental
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $140 for 100 ml eau de parfum

September 12, 2016
by The Scented Hound 8 Comments

New Release: Mandrake by Parfums Quartana

Parfums Quartana’s collection of perfumes, Les Potions Fatales explores the treacherous beauty and intriguing lore behind nine of the world’s most poisonous flowers. At once tantalizing and perilous, these mortal fleurs have been used to nefarious ends throughout history. These flowers and the aptly named perfumes are seductive on the outside but are ultimately dark, sinister, and dangerous. The poison that wooed me and called my name was Mandrake.

WHAT I SMELL: Mandrake opens with a snappy bergamot which quickly turns to more of a ripened red apple which swiftly moves into a Bazooka bubble gum accord. But that soon turns to a soft and sweet floral that’s creamy smooth and completely comforting. The sweetness never hits a high pitch and as it develops it levels itself out, but there’s just enough sparkle to make this really delightful and engaging. The perfume begins to linger in this lightly sweetened, cotton candy and bubble gum creamed state for quite some time. That’s not a bad thing and don’t think because it’s has the bubble gum accord that this is for teenagers; it’s not. After quite some time, a bit of leather appears along with a muted spice and a light incense. At this point, the perfume is irresistible, sexy and overwhelmingly enticing. In the end, the perfume melds into a wonderful sweetened patchouli and it reminded me of Dior’s Gris Montaigne…which is a good thing!

From the Parfums Quartana website:

In biblical scripture, mandrake was referred to as ‘the love plant’ and was through to have male fertility enhancing properties; as such it was mentioned by Shakespeare in “Midsummer Night’s Dream” as a cure for erectile dysfunction. Long used in Wiccan ritual, its roots were thought to emit a fatal, supersonic scream when dug up. Because mandrake actually smells of strong red apple, we gave the fragrance a red fruity heart but grounded it with birch leaf and birch root to suggest the roots of the flower dug into the soil. We also gave the fragrance a sharp aromatic note to suggest its infamous, deadly shriek.

Crisp Apple, Pomegranate, Birch Leaf, Birch Root, Bergamot, Mandrake Flower Accord, Rhubarb, Cardamom, Sueded Leather, Deadly Addiction Accord, Patchouli, Madagascar Vanilla, Sandalwood, Tonka

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Yesteryear cowboy…rather clean cut with just a little rugged and lots of handsome and sexy.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE MANDRAKE: inviting, tempting, satisfying

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MANDRAKE: Colognoisseur

BOTTOM LINE: The full line of the Parfums Quartana Les Potions Fatales perfumes are each interesting in their own way and completely different and varied, from the strange and unique (Bloodflower, Wolfsbane and Midnight Datura) to the more traditional (Hemlock, Lily of the Valley) with Mandrake fitting somewhere in between. I highly recommend checking them out!

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Leather
Nose: Carlos Vinals
Classification: Marketed as masculine, but I found this to be very unisex.
Expense: $145 for 50 ml Eau de Parfum

Sample courtesy of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary. Opinion my own.

September 7, 2016
by The Scented Hound 11 Comments

Les Exclusifs de Chanel Gardénia

I am lamenting the fact that it’s now September which means that summer’s glow will now start turning towards the fall and the cooler weather. I have to admit that I am more of a summer perfume person…I will happily take florals and light and breezy citrus fragrances over the ambers and vanilla perfumes that are more suited to the cool weather. Today it was nice and sunny out and a bit cooler than it has been, which meant that it was time to do some cleanup in the yard…and the perfect perfume for tackling this chore was Chanel Gardénia. Yes, I’ll admit to wearing perfume to work in the yard!

WHAT I SMELL: Gardénia hits the skin with bright aldehydes that are quickly met with a smooth green lushness and radiant white florals. The perfume is so creamy and full of life and full of unending joy. Gardénia can’t help but lift your spirits when you put it on. The gardenia, formed with the roundest of tuberose, sparkles as if the dew is bouncing off of the waxy white pedals of the flowers. As it develops, the perfume begins to dry out and a woody base that’s warm and radiant begins to hover underneath the white flowers and I find it now to be incredibly pretty without being overly feminine. As it continues to develop, Gardénia really begins to sweeten… but I’ve noticed that how sweet the perfume becomes depends on the temperature, humidity, etc. In the summer, this sweetness melds wonderfully with the moist air, but in the winter it could easily become cloying. Overall, Gardénia hits the spot for raising my happy quotient and I like that.

From the Chanel website:

Mademoiselle Chanel liked white flowers, so well-defined, so sensual…and yet her emblem, the Camellia, has no scent. But the Gardenia, which it so closely resembles, fills the air with fragrance. Gabrielle Chanel and Ernest Beaux evoked this flower magnificently: its green notes, its creamy heart, and a trail full of fantasy.

Sue Lyon post Lolita

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Simply ’60s – the traditional years that were easy, simple, uncomplicated and a bit square.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE GARDÉNIA: pretty, joyful, easy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GARDÉNIA: Bois de Jasmin, Olfactoria’s Travels, The Non-Blonde

BOTTOM LINE: Gardénia doesn’t get the love or respect that other Chanel Les Exclusifs do, and I understand that. Gardénia is a rather safe and unpretentious perfume…but when I wear it, I wear it solely for myself and no others. I just wish the longevity of the perfume was a bit better…as it is, I am doing a lot of spritzing throughout the day…but I’m fine with that too!

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Classification: Leans feminine
Expense: $160 for 2.5 oz eau de toilette. Also available in parfum extrait.