3 bones | The Scented Hound

August 3, 2013
by The Scented Hound 10 Comments

gs02 by biehl parfumkunstwerke

The other day I was lucky enough to receive some samples of the biehl parfumkunstwerke line of fragrances. They recently have been made available in the US market and I had yet to have any introduction to them, so I was excited to check them out. My plan was to provide a review on biehl parfumkunstwerke’s gs03 which is their newest release, but for some reason I was strangely drawn to sample gs02 (released in 2007) instead. Maybe notes like castoreum and descriptors like “erotic” had something to do with it!

WHAT I SMELL: gs02 opens with an herbal orange/citrus note which is clean and somewhat astringent. Quickly, gs02 begins to develop a bit of a sour note and in the background there lurks some castoreum, which gives the fragrance a bit of dirtiness…but it remains in the background. I keep waiting for the leather, but it’s not quick to make its appearance and when it does, it too lurks in the background unwilling to really pounce. After about 15 minutes, gs02 becomes more woody and after almost 30 minutes, the fragrance warms and becomes more radiant. It’s funny, gs02 blends seamlessly and it’s incredibly restrained which makes this a wonderfully mysterious and hypnotic scent.

From the biehl parfumkunstwerke website:

charisma. determination. arrogance can be erotic after all.

head: aromatic, spicy.
the liveliness and elegance of absinth, Campari, orange, thyme, angelica roots

heart: leather perfectly combined with castoreum, rounded off very erotically with

base: ambergris, tonka been, vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A sly fox.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE gs02: sexy, subtle, confident

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT gs02: That Smell (I couldn’t find any others)

BOTTOM LINE: gs02 is lovely and a bit sexy, but very subtle. I believe this would be a good fit if you need a great office scent that would translate well into the after work happy hour.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Leather
Nose: Geza Schon
Classification: Unisex – but leans masculine
Expense: $195 for 100ml EdP

Sample provided by Hypoluxe, official distributor of biehl parfumkunstwerke products.

July 16, 2013
by The Scented Hound 15 Comments

Ambra e Iris by Dr. Vranjes

WHAT I SMELL: Hay and patchouli…its earthy and quickly comes off a bit hippieish with the patchouli which is front and center. Funny, I’m not getting any amber and I’m not getting any Iris, just patchouli! Continuing on, the patchouli becomes even more earthy and bears an almost mushroom like quality, like that of the dirt that is still on a pack of mushrooms in the grocery store. I would venture to say this works better in the winter. I’m afraid to go out in the 95 degree humidity and sun today with this on because I believe the patchouli would explode. Inside in the air conditioning it is kept in line. After about 45 minutes, the amber starts to creep in a bit. This is not a warm golden amber, but instead a more pensive and subdued warmth that may be dried out by the inclusion of a bit of myrrh. It’s only until after a couple of hours that the iris starts to reveal itself in a very light and incandescent way. Ambra e Iris ends up soft, light and pretty. I just wish that it didn’t take so long to get there.

Ambra e Iris Notes:

Top notes: Patchouli
Heart: Grey Amber
Base notes: Florentine Iris and Myrrh

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: My church basement circa 1975…a mixture of oil, polyester, guitars and felt banners.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE AMBRA e IRIS: earthy, grounded, patch-bombish

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT AMBRA e IRIS: Il Mondo di Odore, (I couldn’t find any other reviews!)

BOTTOM LINE: I like where Ambra e Iris ends up but the journey there is a long one. The first few hours for me were just a bit too earthy for my liking. Actually, this shouldn’t be named Ambra e Iris, it should be named Ambra e Patchouli!

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $80 for 50ml Extrait

July 14, 2013
by The Scented Hound 21 Comments

M/Mink by Byredo

WHAT I SMELL: Cedar chips and cat pee; that’s M/Mink’s opening to me. It’s incredibly urinous and surprisingly I’m not offended. There is a bit of honey that tops off the cat pee…maybe that’s what keeps it from being completely repulsive. After a good 20 minutes or so, M/Mink begins to mellow and the patchouli brings a bit of sweetness in. There’s also a tinge of incense that is ever so light that it seems to fade in and out. Beyond that, M/Mink doesn’t develop all that much. I don’t love it and I don’t hate it…this is one of those fragrances that you really have to be in the mood to wear.

M/Mink Notes:

Top: Adoxal
Heart: Incense
Base: Patchouli Leaf, Clover Honey, Amber

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A cat’s litter box that has been sprinkled with litter box freshener.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE M/MINK: urinous, curious, modern

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT M/MINK: Smellythoughts, The Scent Train, I Smell Therefore I Am

BOTTOM LINE: M/Mink is dichotomous in that in sniffing it part of it feels warm and cozy while at the same time there is something very remote about it. M/Mink is also what I call a fighting scent. That means that I would wear something like this when I don’t want to be messed with cause I’m just not in the mood!

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody?
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $220 for 100ml EdP