3 bones | The Scented Hound

November 11, 2012
by The Scented Hound 11 Comments

Umbra by Ramon Monegal

WHAT I SMELL: Opens with a surprising sweet, almost citrusy (although there is no citrus listed in the notes) vetiver that warms quickly into a peppered musk. I’m not a huge fan of vetivers, but I like this because it’s not too green. The pepper and musk ground this, making it a bit more earthy. And hidden behind this muskiness is a sweet mossy woodiness that give this some life and depth. As pleasant as this fragrance is, it pretty much disappeared from my skin after a few hours…and not just became faint, it really disappeared.

Notes: Haitian Vetiver root, Yugoslavian Tree Moss, Madagascar Black Pepper, Bourbon Geranium leaves, Canadian Fir Balsam and Tonka bean

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: What I believe women want men to smell like.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE UMBRA: safe, comfortable, easy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT UMBRA: Olfactoria’s Travels, Parfumistan’s Blogg, Bois de Jasmin

BOTTOM LINE: Umbra is a nice and pleasant vetiver and a good one for those who don’t lean towards liking them. I just wish it would last longer on my skin. Although this is considered a unisex scent, I do believe it leans pretty masculine.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Fougere – woody – spicy
Nose: Ramon Monegal
Classification: Unisex, leans masculine
Expense: $185 for 50ml EdP

October 14, 2012
by The Scented Hound 28 Comments

Tom Ford x 2: Tobacco Vanille and Noir

TOM FORD PRIVATE BLEND TOBACCO VANILLE

WHAT I SMELL: Tobacco Vanille opens with rich creamy tobacco and spice, with what I find to be almost a slightly nutty honeyed apple clove like layer, but you have to get near the skin to find that effect. This scent stays pretty linear to me although it sweetens after a bit and then becomes more woody as the drydown continues. Tobacco Vanille opens as time goes on and becomes more robust. Don’t let the quiet opening fool you and keep spritzing, because in no time you’ll feel the full effects of the fragrance.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The reason I wanted to test this is because I heard that it was similar to A*Men Pure Havane. Sure, there is a similarity with some of the notes, but I think they’re very different. Pure Havane is a party in Cuba; it’s fun and it’s festive and raw. This to me is very much a 1980s fragrance, sophisticated, big and maybe a bit dated. I find this very nostalgic.

Tobacco Vanille Notes: top notes are tobacco leaf and spicy notes; middle notes are tonka bean, tabacco blossom, vanilla and cacao; base notes are dried fruits and woody notes

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TOBACCO VANILLE: mature, sophisticated, powered

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TOBACCO VANILLE: Olfactoria’s Travels, Notable Scents, Scentrist.com

BOTTOM LINE: The first time I wore this, I liked it better than the 2nd time I wore it which made me feel a bit like I was walking around with a “Yankee Candle Company” candle hanging from my neck. For those of you not in the US, that’s not a good thing.

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Spicy
Classification: Unisex – leans masculine
Expense: $205 for 50ml EdP

TOM FORD NOIR

WHAT I SMELL: Noir opens to a fresh and clean bergamot opening. It’s zesty and peppery and not what I would have expected with the name, Noir. Very quickly this becomes a bit warmer, but not enough to make this less zesty. There are many notes to this fragrance which I am having difficulties distinguishing as they’re blended together well.

Noir notes: top notes are bergamot, verbena, caraway, pink pepper and violet; middle notes are black pepper, nutmeg, tuscan iris, geranium, bulgarian rose and clary sage; base notes are opoponax, amber, indonesian patchouli leaf, vetiver, civet and vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Fragrance that is indistinguishable from many other colognes. With the name Noir, I want mystery and adventure… this has neither.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE NOIR: zesty, familiar, predictable

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NOIR: Scentrist.com, The Black Narcissus, The Grooming Guru

BOTTOM LINE: Nice and pleasant, but rather unexciting. I’ll pass.

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Aromatic Spicy
Classification: Masculine
Expense: $90 for 50ml EdP

October 13, 2012
by The Scented Hound 15 Comments

1697 by Frapin

I always lament the change from summer to fall. I could live in shorts all year round and the prospect of cold winter nights for months is not something I look forward to. But soon enough, I wake up on a day like today (crisp, sunny, cool, refreshing) and I quickly remember the joy in the change in seasons. The other things great about the change of seasons is the breakout of all those fragrances that are best suited for the fall. 1697 is one of them.

WHAT I SMELL: 1697 opens up with a carmelized booziness. It’s sweet, slightly leathery and “yummy” in the way that you almost want to taste it. As it dies down, out comes a thickened chocolate/cocoa goodness. It’s very gourmand, but not too sweet and is somewhat buttery. The drydown stays away from being too sweet and you’re left with a very nice vanilla/patchouli blanket.

1697 Notes: cabreuva, davana, Jamaican rum, cistus, pink pepper, jasmine sambac, hawthorn, ylang ylang, clove, cinnamon, dried fruit, rose, ambergris, tonka bean, myrrh, patchouli, cedar, white musks, vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: I find that 1697 is very similar to Ineke’s Field Notes from Paris, although 1697 has a boozier finish. It’s like an innocent cup of hot cocoa with a secret shot of whiskey!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE 1697: boozy, tasty, buttery

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT 1697: Grain de Musc, Now Smell This, Bois de Jasmin

BOTTOM LINE: 1697 is pleasant, but is a fragrance that I would not wear on a regular basis. It lasts a long time and has decent sillage – it’s good, not great.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Spicy
Classification: Unisex – leans a bit masculine
Nose: Bertrand Duchaufour
Expense: $155 for 100ml EdP