3 bones | The Scented Hound

June 22, 2013
by The Scented Hound 19 Comments

Tableau de Parfums Loretta

WHAT I SMELL: Loretta opens with candied tart sweetness. It’s bright with just a tinge of sour. Quickly it moves into grape soda. Really??? Then quickly again, the grape soda is met with a light powder. Loretta is a tease. Am I going to like this or not? So far it’s different; not bad and not good. Thankfully, the grape soda is met with a bit of warmth that helps to anchor the sweetness. The plum (which to me smells like grape soda) completely dominates and therefore makes it hard for me to pick out additional notes even though I know they’re there as the fragrance starts to even out. Finally, Loretta settles down some to reveal a lightly sweetened patchouli woodiness tinged with a bit of what seems to be some coriander.

From Fragrantica:

The fragrance is a composition of sensual white flowers, dominated by tuberose and accompanied by jasmine and orange blossom. Dark ripe fruit like plum give the composition additional sweetness with velvety rose also on top. The dark side of the character is captured by notes of patchouli, ambergris, leather, sweetened orris root and woody – resinous tones.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Surprise…grape soda!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE LORETTA: fruity, persistent, unique

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT LORETTA: The Muse in Wooden Shoes, Fine Fragrants, The Candy Perfume Boy

BOTTOM LINE: Loretta confuses me. I don’t hate her and I don’t love her and am struggling with when I would want to wear her. I keep reading about the tuberose in this, but that is completely escaping me. Finally, besides grape soda, Loretta reminds me of what the penny candy aisle at the Ben Franklin store used to smell like. Not for me, but I could see someone else digging this for its uniqueness. One thing I do love though is the bottle…it’s perfection!

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Andy Tauer
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $160 for 50ml EdP

June 16, 2013
by The Scented Hound 21 Comments

Naomi Goodsir: Cuir Velours & Bois d’Ascese

Cuir Velours

WHAT I SMELL: The initial opening of Cuir Velours is cool and slightly astringent, but this lasts for a microsecond before it moves into a boozy rum and almost chocolately suede. It’s ever so sweet and gourmand and to me it feels like a layer of brown sugar on top of a really fine layer of suede. I love this phase, it’s completely yummy. After a bit, a light incense comes forth which pares down the light sugar. At this point Cuir Velours becomes ethereal and translucent like a light sheen of leather floating in the air. In the final drydown, Cuirs Velours gets a bit sweeter in an almost fruited way, like sniffing a full-bodied fruity red wine. Unfortunately, Cuir Velours disappears all too quickly on my skin and that’s a shame.

From the Naomi Goodsir website:

A deep & textured perfume, that evocatively encases the skin like soft velvet suede. A tobacco atmosphere supported by notes of rum, cistus labdanum, incense & fleur d’immortelle.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The prettiest pony.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CUIR VELOURS: soft, sugared, comfy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CUIR VELOURS: Persolaise, Smellythoughts, Perfumeniche.com

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Leather
Nose: Julian Rasquinet
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $150 for 50ml EdP

Bois d’Ascese

WHAT I SMELL: Bois d’Ascese opens smelling like wet burnt campfire wood. There is just a hint of cinnamon and whiskey to give it a bit more rounded sensation. Bois d’Ascese doesn’t transform much. The smoky incense dominates and pushes everything else to the back. To me, this needs a little more whiskey and cinnamon and less smoke. Most surprising to me though, in the end I found this very much to be a comfort scent.

From the Naomi Goodsir website:

A captivating & reassuring smoke. Notes of tobacco & whisky, are supported by cinnamon, amber & cistus labdanum. Oakmoss, smoked cade wood, almost burnt, prolong the incense of Somalia with power & elegance

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A KOA campground circa 1968.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE BOIS D’ASCESE: smoky, linear, woodsy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BOIS D’ASCESE: Now Smell This, Sorcery of Scent, The Scentualist

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Incense Woodsy
Nose: Julian Rasquinet
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $150 for 50ml EdP

BOTTOM LINE: I had not heard of Naomi Goodsir prior to Freddie from Smellythoughts providing me with these samples. Both of these fragrances are very unique in their own way and their quality in composition makes me curious about the 3rd offering this house is launching, Nuit de Bakelite, which the Naomi Goodsir website says is coming soon. BTW, the website and the packaging are par excellence.

February 9, 2013
by The Scented Hound 30 Comments

Les Exclusifs de Chanel: Coromandel and 1932

COROMANDEL

WHAT I SMELL: Coromandel opens with an initial sweet citrus which then turns slightly herbal with a strong presence of patchouli. It’s not loud, but dreamy and almost minty in the beginning. After a bit, its warmed by a light amber. After about 30 minutes or so the incense and benzoin notes adds depth and dimension giving Coromandel more weight and volume. Coromandel is elegant with a masculine edge.

From the Chanel website:

A voluptuous Oriental fragrance — an olfactory depiction of the lacquered Coromandel screens Mademoiselle cherished. Created by CHANEL Master Perfumer Jacques Polge in 2007, the elaborate scent unfolds in undulating detail, starting with an amber vibrato, followed by dry notes of Frankincense and Benzoin, then, soulful woody notes that add elegance and depth to the sensuous accord’s striking trail.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: This is what an oriental fragrance should smell like. This is how I think the bygone era of “ladies who lunch” should have smelled like. I would tend to think that in that era they wore perfumes that were very large, but they should have been wearing this.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE COROMANDEL: woody, dimensional, understated

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT COROMANDEL: The Non-Blonde, Kafkaesque, Another Perfume Blog

BOTTOM LINE: I am tempted to open my wallet now to purchase myself a bottle. I’m not quite sure if I’m there yet, but you could easily twist my arm!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Nose: Jacques Polge
Classification: Marketed as a woman’s fragrance, but this could easily be worn by a man
Expense: $130 for 75ml EdT

1932

WHAT I SMELL: 1932 has a big opening of aldehydes. It’s “bathtastic” as it smells clean and fresh. It’s a bouquet of flowers, dominated by jasmine, ylang-ylang and carnation that is finished off with a slight warmth. I was a bit worried that 1932 wouldn’t mellow, but after around 45 minutes it seemed to tame a bit and become less obtrusive and more pretty.

From Fragrantica:

The composition is powdery – floral with a focus on jasmine. It opens with fresh citrusy flavors that include aldehydes, bergamot and neroli. The heart is a heady floral, composed of jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, lilac and carnation. The base is sweet, woody and resinous with notes of vetiver, orris, sandalwood, opoponax, incense, vanilla, coumarin, ambrette, musk and iralia molecule which possesses the character of iris and violet.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Bathtastic in my mind is not a great thing. It reminds me of how the bathroom smelled after my mother just got done taking a bubble bath which is a good smell, but not something that I would like to smell like throughout the day, nor would I want someone else to. That’s what soap is for.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE 1932: My new word…”bathtastic” (feel free to use this at will), heavyish, obvious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT 1932: Kafkaesque, The Alembicated Genie, Now Smell This

BOTTOM LINE: I don’t believe 1932 is a bad fragrance, it just not for me. I like feminine fragrances, but this is a bit too old-fashioned and floral for my tastes.

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral Woody Musk
Nose: Jacques Polge
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $130 for 75ml EdT

A special thanks to Sal from Kafkaesque for providing me with these samples!! If you haven’t already, please check out her wonderful blog!