4 bones | The Scented Hound

July 21, 2013
by The Scented Hound 20 Comments

Orangers en Fleurs by Houbigant

WHAT I SMELL: Orangers en Fleurs opens with the most beautiful warm orange blossom and rose. It’s rich and thick and deep in its construct. Much too quickly for my taste however, the tuberose comes into play. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t dominate, but it makes its present known and as many of you know, I’m not a big fan of tuberose. Thankfully, my fears subside as after about five minutes, Orangers en Fleurs begins to brighten. There is a tinge of wood and spice that seemed to be layered below the floral aspects giving the fragrance some dimension. I like the fact that it seems that every time I bring my wrist to my nose I smell a different floral; one time jasmine, the other rose… tuberose, etc. all mixed with orange blossom. Continuing on, I find that there is almost a brown sugar (maybe the nutmeg) note that emerges that gives it a slightly gourmand trait that makes this seem slightly crystalized. In the end, the surprisingly projectable drydown wraps the floral in a warm and cozy musk. Absolutely beautiful.

Orangers en Fleurs notes from the Houbigant website:

Head notes: Orange Blossom Absolute, Rose Absolute, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute

Heart Notes: Tuberose, Eau de Brouts, Ylang Comores, Nutmeg

Base Notes: Cedar wood, Musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The Floradora Girls

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ORANGERS EN FLEURS: comforting, pretty, classic

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ORANGERS EN FLEURS: Pink Sith, The Women’s Room, EauMG

BOTTOM LINE: Orangers en Fleurs was a big surprise which thankfully wasn’t taken over by the tuberose which I cite in my description above, nor did it get sweet or soapy. This may go on my wish list for a FB. I just wish Houbigant would have offered this in a smaller than 100ml bottle. Overall, good job Houbigant!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $180 for 100ml EdP

July 10, 2013
by The Scented Hound 19 Comments

Tabacca by Costamor

WHAT I SMELL: Sweet cherry pipe tobacco, covered in syrup. It’s sweet and slightly gourmand. Quickly, a light leather emerges in the background which evens out the sweetness of the opening. Tabacca continues to mellow and becomes a bit dryer. The tobacco remains coated with a light apple and rose which is pretty and surprisingly muted. After this point, Tabacca stays in this woody, slightly sweet tobacco haze tinged with just a hint of amber. It’s not strong and it’s not weak and I fear that I really like it, but that over time I would probably get tired of it if I wore it too often.

From the Costamor website:

The evening sun paints the sky crimson and periwinkle; an intoxicating breeze blows through, beckoning you deeper into the night…

A sultry, feminine spin on one the prized crops of Costa Rica – tobacco. Grown in the volcanic highlands and cured with the care of fine winemakers, this is tobacco destined for excellent cigars. Tobacca uses both the raw leaves (green, fresh and sweetened with a subtle hint of apple) and the richly aromatic dried tobacco and blends them with a deeply romantic rose tea. Velvety amber and soft precious woods add luxurious, cashmere-like warmth to this hypnotic, seductive fragrance.

tabacca notes – aromatic spices, apple peel, jasmine, rose tea, raw tobacco leaves, dried tobacco leaves, rare woods, amber

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The remnants of sweet pipe tobacco on a sweater, one day after it was worn while smoking.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TABACCA: comfortable, easy, balanced

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TABACCA: Scent for Thought, From Top to Bottom – Perfume Patter, Confessions of a Perfume Nerd

BOTTOM LINE: Tabacca is a tobacco fragrance for those who typically don’t like them. It’s subdued and slightly sweet nature make for a wonderful companion to reading a book by the fire on a cold winter or rainy day. The Costamor website says this is a feminine spin on tobacco. I have to disagree as I see this as a perfect unisex fragrance. Tabacca is an unexpected pleasure!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Woody Aromatic
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $75 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.