The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: 4 bones


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Chypre Rouge by Serge Lutens

If a fragrance is golden, amber or red, I want to check it out.  Add oakmoss and Serge Lutens, I have no choice but to check it out!

WHAT I SMELL:  A strong coffee/tonka bean spiced opening (some say it smells curried, I can see that too). The top notes are listed as pine needle and thyme, but what I find is that it’s incredibly gourmand, like some chocolate latte spiced drink or what you smell when you walk by a Yankee Candle Company (if you don’t know this smell, it is overpowering and a little goes a long way).  I find this opening very interesting and intriguing, but I am wondering if I want to smell like that all day.   This opening last for a while, but when it begins to dissipate, the dusty oakmoss which I love so much starts to surface along with a honeyed fruitiness. But the fruit is not sweet, the oakmoss keeps it grounded and earthy.   This phase is strong at first but slowly mellows and Chypre Rouge begins to hug closely to the skin. What I was left with after many hours was a layer of light sweet berry which then strangely moves into a barely detectable incense.

Chypre Rouge Notes:  thyme, pine tree needles, honey, bees wax, jasmine and fruity resins, patchouli, moss, amber, musk and vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  What I was expecting was  a full-bodied Moulin Rouge can-can kind of scent.  Rouge/Red to me means loud and vibrant.  Instead I found this to be a calming, close to the skin, lovely chypre scent that starts off with an outrageous bang.  To illustrate, the opening is pure Pepe Le Pew, while the remainder is his beloved object of affection

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CHYPRE ROUGE:  bipolar, unique, mysterious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHYPRE ROUGE: SmellyThoughts, Now Smell This, I Smell Therefore I Am

BOTTOM LINE: This may have show up on my full-bottle want list for the fall.  My only concern is that it disappears on me quicker than I would like.  More testing is definitely needed…and that’s a good thing!

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Chypre Fruity
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Nose: Christopher Sheldrake
  • Expense: Approximately $125-140 for 50ml EdP


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Field Notes from Paris by Ineke

A lovely friend sent me a package of goodies this past week.  Of course, I had to check them all out upon arrival, but Field Notes from Paris is the one that struck a chord with me most…

WHAT I SMELL:  Green, refreshing blast that slowly melts away into a beautiful patchouli and tobacco leaf middle phase.  It’s sweet, but what I call an adult sweet, not a kid kind of sweet.  Finally, what is interesting to me is that this fragrance ends up like two fragrances in one.  What do I mean?  When I bring my arm up to take in the fragrance, I get a light leather scent.  The kind of leather that belongs to a well-worn book where the cover has been used thin.  But when I am just enjoying the fragrance on me as a whole, Field Notes from Paris is almost gourmand, like coffee and almond/vanilla cookies (all very subtly dressed together).

Field Notes from Paris Notes:  coriander, orange flower, bergamot, tobacco flower & leaf, patchouli, cedar, tonka bean, beeswax, leather, vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Perfect for today’s rainy weather, Field Notes from Paris does remind me of exactly what Ineke was trying to convey; “sweet-scented Paris afternoons, life measured out in coffee spoons.”  Perfect for hanging out in your favorite sweater and jeans on a Sunday morning while recuperating from your all too fun Saturday night.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE FIELD NOTES FROM PARIS:  comfortable, laid-back, friendly

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FIELD NOTES FROM PARIS: Scents Memory, Notable Scents, EauMG

BOTTOM LINE:  Lovely and subtle; good for a man or a woman.  This may just be the right fragrance for the coming winter when I’m curled up reading a book next to the fire.

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Woody Oriental
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Nose:  Ineke Ruhland
  • Expense: $88 for 75ml EdP


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Ciel Man by Amouage

It’s always a good sign when you walk into the office and no sooner than you sit at your desk a co-worker comes over and says to you, “you always smell great, but today, whatever you’re wearing is incredible.”  To me, Ciel is not groundbreaking, but it’s a very well crafted fragrance that is easy to wear and offers incredible quality.  But I just had a feeling that someone was going to compliment me on wearing it.  Maybe I’m psychic?!

WHAT I SMELL: Ciel introduces itself with a refreshing blast of bergamot.  This is a scent that will wake you up if you’re a bit sleepy.  Listed as part of the top notes are rose and lily of the valley.  I’m not getting much rose, but I can sense the lily of the valley behind the bergamot.  As it wears a bit, the frankincense starts to become more prominent.

As I was driving to work, what I noticed about Ciel is that it was almost two scents in one.  From a distance, it smelled incredibly fresh, almost breezy.  But as my arm would get nearer to my nose, that freshness was taken over by the incense which made what seemed to be a simple scent into something that was more mysterious, complex and spicy (and a little sour, but not in a bad way).  It stays in this middle phase for a long time and this is where the fragrance resided when I received my lovely compliment.

In the end the fragrance settles into a nice and comfortable, slightly bitter sandalwood.  For an Amouage scent the longevity is average, but the sillage is good.

From the Amouage website:

This fragrance bursts alive with the freshness of rich floral scents. Like a rain shower on a hot summer’s day it cools and invigorates. Using the intensity of silver frankincense and sensual woods it leaves an inner sense of serenity and softness, reflecting the warmth of the sun.

Top notes: rose, bergamot, lavender, lily of the valley.

Heart notes: peach, jasmine, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange blossom.

Base notes: frankincense, vetiver, patchouli, cedarwood, sandalwood.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A very masculine and powerful almost metallic fragrance that epitomizes strength without being unapproachable.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CIEL MAN:  modern, traditional, mysterious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT IO CIEL MAN:  Launched in 2003, I didn’t find any bloggers with recent reviews.  Comments can be found on Basenotes and Fragrantica.

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Aromatic Spicy
  • Classification: Masculine
  • Expense: $265 for 100ml EdP