4 bones | The Scented Hound

March 24, 2012
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

Profumo by Acqua di Parma

Today I broke one of my permanent collection scents that I haven’t touched in quite a while. I probably made this purchase 5 or so years ago and it was one of my favorites, but all perfumistas know that we go through cycles when something we love goes to the back-burner only to be replaced with a new scent. The difference with this scent is that it veers from the masculine and is considered a feminine scent. Profumo by Acqua di Parma is a lovely and elegant chype. A light floral with a hint of spice and powder, it’s beautifully composed and comfortable to wear. It’s not something that I would wear on a regular basis and when this bottle is gone, I’m not sure that I would buy another; but it has served me well.

Profumo Notes: Jasmine, May Rose, Ylang-Ylang

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Classification: Feminine
Expense: From $299 for 100ml, EDP

March 24, 2012
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

Itasca by Lubin

I was really excited to sample Lubin’s Itasca, the scent that was designed to represent the North American Forest. Itasca is named after Lake Itasca in Minnesota, my home state. My father was actually born not far from Itasca State Park, where the Mississippi River gives birth. So as a native son, I was trying to see if this scent represented what I think of Minnesota. Unlike my last review of 1828 by Histoires de Parfums where I loved the opening of the scent, but did not like the dry down; this is pretty much the opposite. The dry down is lovely and the opening is nice, but considering the fact that with most scents you live with the dry down for the most part, I couldn’t have been happier. Itasca opens with a fresh blast of grapefruit and pine. It’s fresh, green and clean. It’s also very soothing and smooth. Pine can sometimes get sharp, this does not. In the end, Itasca evens out into what I would say is a floral scent, with just a hint of powder. Itasca overall is a cool, clean and refreshing scent. I think Lubin did a wonderful job of representing my home state.

From the Lubin website:

Top Notes: neroli, marigold, mandarin, juniper berry, grapefruit

Middle Notes: clove, tonka bean, clary sage, nutmeg, geranium flower

Base Notes: Itasca Red Pine, Java Vetiver, Texas Cedar, Partak Incense, Ethiopian Myrrh, amber, Canadian Fir Balsam

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Classification: Masculine
Expense: $110 for 75ml, EDT

March 13, 2012
by The Scented Hound 7 Comments

Cuir Ottoman by Parfum d’ Empire

I thought it was timely that I do a review of Cuir Ottoman by Parfum de Empire as I have read some interesting reviews as of late and just received a sample myself. Now my preferences don’t lean towards the leather scents, but I have learned to be open to new avenues of fragrances. So after reading what others thought about this fragrance, I decided to give this a try. The first thing that I found when I applied this was a lovely floral note, mixed with what I found to be almost a rubber or plastic smell. Is that the leather trying to come out? Yes. The rubber smell dissipated quickly and the leather made its presence. Now this is not leather that is harsh or strong, but is more of a buttery, suede leather. The mix of floral and leather is very interesting and quite refreshing. This is a scent that stays close to the skin and is surprisingly light, a little sweet and clean and airy. Cuir Ottoman is quite different from what I think of a typical leather scent. As nice as I found this scent to be, my one disappointment was that it disappeared on me after a few hours. In the end, I found Cuir Ottoman to be an elegant surprise. For those of you who love leather scents, I recommend giving this a try.

Cuir Ottoman Notes:

jasmine, leather, iris, benzoin, balsams, resins, incense