4 bones | The Scented Hound

February 16, 2015
by The Scented Hound 17 Comments

Frederic Malle Une Fleur de Cassie

WHAT I SMELL: Une Fleur de Cassie opens with bright aldehydes which move quickly into a mimosa note that is soft, airy, slightly fuzzy and which feels like it’s lightly infused with cotton. The fragrance is rather dreamy and ethereal, but as soon as I say that, I can feel the perfume begin to grow and expand. A hay like quality becomes the dominant presence, but the straw manages to remain light even though it’s saturated with modest florals which soften the perfume. After and hour or so, the fragrance moves its attention to deeper consistency with a bit of leather and earthy rootiness making the fragrance move from the feminine to the masculine, but as soon as I say that, the tender flowers seem to dominate again. Une Fleur de Cassie is interesting in that it’s pretty, but not in a traditional sense. Instead it is a captivating beauty made from the divinity of the earth through subtle and natural components, most prominent being the mimosa. In the end, the fragrance doesn’t morph and transform all that much, but that’s perfect as Une Fleur de Cassie is simple beauty at its best.

From the Frederic Malle website:

The rare and exotic cassie flower is not easily tamed. Intoxicating and coarse, its fragrance is from another era. But the modern and infinitely precise writing of Dominique Ropion makes of Une Fleur de Cassie a very modern composition. This perfume is composed by rare ingredients such as mimosa absolute, jasmine absolute, cassia absolute and rose absolute, with carnation as a counterpoint, set upon a vanilla and sandalwood base. Rich, intricate, complex – like an haute couture gown.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Emanuelle Beart as Manon in the 1986 film “Manon of the Spring”

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE UNE FLEUR DE CASSIE: untamed, earthen, subtle

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT UNE FLEUR DE CASSIE: Perfume Posse, Smellythoughts, Grain de Musc

BOTTOM LINE: In reading the reviews cited above, I seem to have a much simpler ride with Une Fleur de Cassie than others. To me, the beauty in the fragrance is the simplicity in which it unfolds. It does seem to change and morph a bit with your body chemistry and I am wondering if this would bloom much more significantly on me when the temperatures are warm. As it stands now, it’s only 10 degrees outside leaving nothing to bloom at present! I have the feeling my sample of Une Fleur de Cassie is going to be drained within the next few weeks. Simply lovely.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Dominique Ropion
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $200 for 50ml Eau de Parfum

February 9, 2015
by The Scented Hound 7 Comments

Aerin Gardenia Rattan

WHAT I SMELL: Gardenia Rattan’s opening is soft and bright and then is quickly met with dewy florals that are warm, velvety and very understated. There’s a bit of salt that sits under the florals which acts as a very nice anchor to the radiance of the muted florals. This is as about as controlled of a gardenia fragrance that I have come across. Maybe it’s because the gardenia is met with a light tuberose which means that it doesn’t read “gardenia” but instead projects a lovely mix of light and creamy white florals. After around 10 minutes, a light coconut breaks in to give the fragrance more of a tropical feel. However, rather than give into a heavy lotioned feel, the fragrance still manages to remain soft-spoken and rather demure. After this point, Gardenia Rattan’s metamorphasis ends and leaves the fragrance in a lightly radiant haze of creamy white florals that seem to fold gracefully under a glistening nape of femininity.

From the Aerin website:

“Gardenia Rattan is the perfect Summer day – warm sun, beautiful sea and fresh flowers.” – Aerin Gardenia Rattan captures the spirit of Summer. Like a breath of sea spray, sparkling Wet Marine Notes envelop the senses while a gentle blend of white flowers including Gardenia, Tuberose and Tiare Tahiti exude lush femininity. Amber adds rich texture, like the last warming rays of the perfect Summer day.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Naomi Watts in The Painted Veil

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE GARDENIA RATTAN: contained, feminine, soft

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GARDENIA RATTAN: The Black Narcissus, Bois de Jasmin, Now Smell This

BOTTOM LINE: I really had no expectations going into testing this as this was at the bottom of my pile of overlooked samples. For a winter’s day it was almost 70 degrees today and I was looking for something that would put me in the mood for some spring awakening. Gardenia Rattan is really a beauty and so easy to wear. I could see this being perfect for the hot summer months…and in fact, perfect for all year-long. This was a lovely surprise…and I love lovely surprises!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral Aquatic
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $110 for 50ml Eau de Parfum

February 2, 2015
by The Scented Hound 17 Comments

Philosykos by Diptyque

WHAT I SMELL: Philosykos opens with one second of sparkling ozone followed by this inviting coconut and fig. It’s green and feels earthy and rooty like vines that are meeting the ground and attaching themselves to the earth below. There’s a creaminess that helps to create what feels like a lush carpet of wood and green and mildly ripening fruit. For some reason I was expecting this to be sweet, but it’s far from that. Instead, the perfume is subdued and pulsates within the heart of the jungle with a comforting earthiness. After around 15 minutes the fragrance warms with a sugared spiced cedar and a light soapiness adding more comfort and security to an already comforting perfume. Be forewarned however that a little goes a long way with Philosykos. If you get heavy-handed with your application, this could be way too overpowering.

From the Diptyque website:

In the heat of a Greek summer, “to get to the sea,” recalls Yves, “you had to walk through a natural orchard of wild fig trees.” Returning from Paris, Desmond brought back a few leaves of these trees in a little box. Years later, the leaves had lost none of their fragrance. Philosykos, which in Greek means “friend of the fig tree,” is an ode to the entire tree: the green, pungent freshness of the leaves, the wood warmed in the sun, the milky flavor of the fruit.

Notes from Fragrantica;

Top notes are fig leaf and fig; middle notes are coconut and green notes; base notes are cedar, woody notes and fig tree.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: What in my mind, Borneo smells like.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE PHILOSYKOS: inviting, comforting, creamy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PHILOSYKOS: Olfactoria’s Travels, The Scentualist, The Smelly Vagabond

BOTTOM LINE: Philosykos is the perfect perfume for those sunny spring and summer days when you don’t want to fuss and muss with your wardrobe or your perfume. It’s a comfortable, carefree and easy to wear perfume that makes me wish I could walk outside barefoot and lie in a hammock in the backyard. If only it wasn’t 30 degrees outside!!!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Woody Aromatic
Nose: Olivia Giacobetti
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $90 for 50ml EdT from the Diptyque website