5 bones | The Scented Hound

May 27, 2013
by The Scented Hound 44 Comments

Kiki Parfum Extrait & Rubj EdP by Vero Profumo

KIKI PARFUM EXTRAIT

WHAT I SMELL: Kiki opens with a heady lavender doused in cream. It’s gourmand and smells like a topping that you would want on top of ice cream or some other dessert. There’s a caramel quality that gives it substance and depth which makes it slightly sweet but more of a rich and substantial sweet rather than a sugary sweet, if that makes sense. Kiki is lightly warm and very cozy. After a bit, a fruitiness appears that gives Kiki a kick of brightness. As Kiki continues to morph the fragrance swirls and whirls while radiating off your skin. I wore this the other night out to dinner and couldn’t stop sniffing myself and was paying more attention to the perfume than to my meal. Finally Kiki becomes a lavender dream wrapped up in a light musk…am I in heaven? Overall, Kiki transforms little and is pretty linear, but it is beautiful from the first drop.

Kiki Parfum Extrait Notes – lavender, caramel, musk, fruits

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Louise Brooks circa 1928

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE KIKI PARFUM EXTRAIT: heavenly, bright, lush

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PARFUM EXTRAIT: Smellythoughts, Olfactoria’s Travels, Scent for Thought

BOTTOM LINE: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Kiki. I haven’t felt a love for a fragrance like this in a long time and that’s very exciting. But the cost…oh my!!! The parfum extrait is $220 at Luckyscent, which I believe has been raised from $185. Why are the gods against me??

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones (trust me I am tempted to give this 5.5 bones!)
Scent: Aromatic Fruity
Nose: Vero Kern
Classification: Leans slightly feminine
Expense: $220 for 7.5ml Parfum Extrait

RUBJ EdP

WHAT I SMELL: Rubj opens with a bergamot blast mixed with white florals including tuberose ( I typically hate tuberose but here it doesn’t dominate so I don’t mind it at all.) After the initial blast of its opening, Rubj is slightly herbal, slightly fruited and slightly floral…nothing is dominating at this point and I wonder soon if Rubj will transform or if it will stay in this kind of netherworld of personality. After a bit Rubj starts to get slightly tangy, but it’s a tang from the basil and the cedar which give the scent a greener feel. After a while longer the cumin starts to come to the surface. I know that many people don’t care for cumin in a fragrance, but I am not one of them. To me it’s earthy and exotic and wonderfully masculine. Rubj is warm and its herbal essence to me is incredibly comforting.

Rubj EdP Notes –

Bergamot, mandarin, neroli, passion fruit, cumin, orange flower absolute, tuberose, basil, cedar, oak moss, musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: An herbal/floral garden.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE RUBJ EdP: spicy, green, snappy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT RUBJ EdP: Perfume Posse, Kafkaesque, All About Scent

BOTTOM LINE: Suprisingly, I find Rubj to be a comfort scent. I find it easy to wear and I like the fact that it’s slightly exotic. Beautiful.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Vero Kern
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $220 for 50ml EdP

BOTTOM, BOTTOM LINE: Thanks to the sweet and wonderful Freddie from Smellythoughts for sending me these samples. There is now a new Vero Profumo fan in the house and I am itching to sample her other creations as I have the feeling that they are all masterfully terrific. Thankfully the line isn’t too large, but this could be bad for my wallet!

May 23, 2013
by The Scented Hound 19 Comments

Vintage Samsara by Guerlain

WHAT I SMELL: Samsara contains a lovely thickened and slightly sweet creaminess which to me becomes cravable. Yummy! Fragrantica lists the top notes as bergamot, lemon, ylang-ylang and peach. They exist, but only for a few seconds. Samsara quickly moves into the lovely stage where the subtle florals are seamlessly entwined in a way that makes it hard to distinguish between the notes. It’s warm and intoxicating. If I didn’t know this was a classic fragrance, I would say that it is. After a bit, a woodiness arrives with almost what I would call a hint of a hair spray smell, but it doesn’t detract nor is it noticeable unless you’re really trying to sniff it out. Samsara finally warms to a wonderful sandalwood where it becomes incredibly calming with just a lightly spiced floral. It doesn’t take long for Samsara to reach it’s destination, but all roads lead to loveliness!

Samsara Notes (from Fragrantica):

The top notes are juicy and fresh: bergamot, lemon, ylang-ylang, peach and green notes. The heart is blooming in opulent flowers: elegant jasmine, cold woodsy iris, luscious narcissus, violet and delicate rose. The base is composed of sandal wood, vanilla, Tonka bean, amber, and musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A luxurious and exotic scarf.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SAMSARA: smooth, elegant, timeless

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SAMSARA: Bois de Jasmin, Perfume Shrine, Yesterday’s Perfumes

BOTTOM LINE: I picked this beauty up on eBay and managed to get a great deal on an unopened bottle at a great price. I have no regrets and I have the feeling when this small bottle is emptied, a larger one will be on my list of “to buys”.

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Classification: Leans feminine
Expense: Varies. Review based on vintage EdP.

March 24, 2013
by The Scented Hound 22 Comments

Haute Claire by Aftelier Perfumes

About a month ago, I was lucky enough to be the winner of a Mandy Aftel of Aftelier Perfumes drawing. This was a real thrill as I have not really delved into the realm of natural perfumes and after hearing Freddie from Smellythoughts rave about the Aftelier fragrances I knew that I would be in for a lovely surprise. As part of the drawing I was able to choose 3 miniature perfumes from Mandy’s collection. Based on notes that I love and review of others, I decided upon Wild Roses, Secret Garden and my favorite of the three which I’m reviewing today, Haute Claire. Of course, Mandy couldn’t have been sweeter and actually sent me a few more samples along with the minis. My package arrived in the most exquisite box and the 3 perfumes were housed in these sweetly small bottles in their own little carrying case. As wonderful as the juice always is, the packaging just adds that something extra that makes it so much more special. Mandy obviously understands this to perfection! Now, these fragrances are masterful in their composition and you can immediately tell that they are blended perfectly and my nose is not sophisticated enough to really give the justice due with words, so please bear with me.

WHAT I SMELL: In the bottle it smells strong and biting and dare I must say, a little musty (galbanum?). Once you apply it, that strong and musty opening makes way for an orange and ylang ylang intoxicating delight. It somehow is fresh and cool and warm at the same time. It is substantial in that there is a depth, an almost layering of various notes that seem to rise and sink back each time I put my arm to my nose. I have always thought of natural perfumes in the sense of earthy and oily. This breaks that thought in that it is like a 1200 count egyptian cotton sheet; substantial, smooth and ultra luxurious. Haute Claire is thick and ripe and the honeysuckle sticks to the back of your throat. It’s not sweet, but it’s pungent with a thick and palatable consistency. I love to be intoxicated by a perfume and this does the trick in spades. After quite some time in the end you are left with a wonderful warm green vetiver fragrance. The vetiver is deep and luxurious and this is coming from a man who typically doesn’t care for vetiver scents.

From the Aftelier website:

Haute Claire is both crisp and soft, cool and warm. The fresh edgy greenness of galbanum is offset by the creamy floral of ylang ylang edged with honeysuckle. The green and floral notes harmonize in perfect pitch, with neither dominating the other. A warm base of vetiver and vanilla provides a soft finish of sweet grass.

Top: galbanum, Mexican lime, wild sweet orange, ylang ylang co2.
Heart: honeysuckle absolute, ylang ylang extra, clary sage.
Base: vetiver, ethyl phenyl acetate, vanilla absolute.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The perfume that I believe Mother Nature herself would be wearing as her signature scent.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE HAUTE CLAIRE: intoxicating, rapturous, wise (you can tell that Haute Claire was composed with a great deal of experience, knowledge and wisdom)

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT HAUTE CLAIRE: smellythoughts, EauMG, This Blog Really Stinks

BOTTOM LINE: This was a wonderful surprise for me. I can’t thank Mandy enough for the opportunity to experience her artistry. I am thinking at this point that a mini of Haute Claire will not suffice. Thankfully, Mandy has 30ml EdP bottles for sale too!!! Please do check her website and all the wonderful fragrances and other products at www.aftelier.com.

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Green
Nose: Mandy Aftel
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $50 as tested, 2ml perfume