5 bones | The Scented Hound

December 7, 2012
by The Scented Hound 19 Comments

Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain

WHAT I SMELL: The first spritz is oh so boozy, but where’s the vanilla? There’s some spice and it’s almost herb like….oh wait, after a few minutes you can start to smell the vanilla along with a very weighted and buttery incense. I’m not a huge fan of incense, but this is different as it’s almost like a warmed blanket of smoked spice. As it develops there’s a point where this smells almost like hot buttered rum. After some time the booziness retreats and out comes some cedar and it becomes a bit more woody. Based on the name, one would expect that all you would get would be vanilla. You know it’s there, but combined with the other notes you never feel like you are drowning in vanilla. The smell is intoxicating and sensual and very grown up. Double Vanille develops over a long period of time and it’s a great ride. Finally, After many, many hours, you’re left with a comforting light honeyed vanilla.

Spiritueuse Double Vanille notes: Top notes are pink pepper, bergamot and incense; middle notes are ylang-ylang, cedar, bulgarian rose and jasmine; base notes are benzoin and vanilla.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Effortless confidence and sophistication.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SPIRITUEUSE DOUBLE VANILLE: warm, smooth, intoxicating

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SPIRITUEUSE DOUBLE VANILLE: PereDePierre, Olfactoria’s Travels, That Smell

BOTTOM LINE: At first, SDV is weighted, bold and is a fragrance that will fill your lungs with a heavy and moist concentration. As time goes on, it mellows beautifully and for a vanilla fragrance it never gets very sweet. And it develops and develops and develops in a way that is seamless. I have the feeling that Spiritueuse Double Vanilla will be my signature scent this winter!

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental
Nose: Jean-Paul Guerlain
Classification: Marketed as a feminine fragrance, but I believe this suits both men and women
Expense: $250 for 75ml EdP

November 6, 2012
by The Scented Hound 24 Comments

Trayee by Neela Vermeire Creations

I hope that all of my U.S. friends managed to get out and vote today. I don’t care who you voted for, but just that you did. Me, I can honestly say that I was the best smelling at my voting precinct thanks to Trayee.

WHAT I SMELL: Goes on like a sheet of incensed fruit and full bodied florals with just a hint of leather. The fruit is juicy and succulent and reminds me of pineapple; very edible and gourmand. The floral aspects of this are sweet, but not in an overpowering way. I admit that I’m not sophisticated enough to pull out the notes for identification. In other words, they are blended together so masterfully that they come together in a rapture of perfumed life. As Trayee develops, I get less of the fruit and a bit more of the floral sweetness. When you take a close sniff at this point, the sweet smell coats your nose and throat in a manner that embraces rather than repels. At the end of this olfactory journey, you are left with a light woody incense that floats off your skin in an airy and translucent layer. I did notice that there was a difference in spraying vs. dabbing. When I sprayed it on this morning, it started with a bit of incense unlike when I dabbed and it immediately went into the fruit and floral phase.

Trayee Notes: Blue ginger, elemi, cinnamon, ganja accord, blackcurrant absolute, basil, jasmine sambac, Egyptian jasmine, cardamom absolute, clove, saffron, Javanese and Haitian vetiver, incense, Mysore sandalwood oil, patchouli, myrrh, vanilla, cedar, amber notes, oud palao from Laos, oak moss.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Trayee is like a magical day in the heart of India. The day starts off with lingering temple incense from the night before. As the sun rises, the land comes to life with the color of the land and flowers which are blended in a fragrant symphony along with ripening fruit. This day is gloriously happy; a celebration of the world around us. As dusk approaches, the day begins to settle and once again, the incense in the temples begins to rise throughout the emptying streets.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TRAYEE: luscious, joyous, fragrant

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TRAYEE: Olfactoria’s Travels, Eyeliner on a Cat, The Scentualist

BOTTOM LINE: If you can’t tell already, I am in love with this fragrance; the quality and complexity is evident and incredible. Trayee in the final drydown, does remind me of one of my other loves, Kilian’s Incense Oud. However, Trayee’s incense is much lighter and more delicate than Kilians. In the end, this is one review where I am finding that it is difficult to put my thoughts into words. I can only recommend that everybody give this wonderful fragrance a try.

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Spicy
Nose: Bertrand Duchaufour
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $260 for 55ml EdP

Thanks to Neela Vermeire and for Birgit from Olfactoria’s Travels for my sample of Trayee which was won in a random draw on Olfactoria’s Travels.

August 12, 2012
by The Scented Hound 18 Comments

George Sand by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier

The weather today was actually decent today, so after going for a long walk and then tending to the yard, we took out the convertible and headed into Washington DC. Every now and then I lament the fact that when we moved to this area we purchased a house in Virginia instead of the District of Columbia. DC is progressive and liberal. Virginia is conservative and Southern. We may only live 3 miles to DC, but the laws and politics are diametrically different. In any case, I wanted to go check out some townhomes in the upper NW side of the city. The townhomes are right off Rock Creek Parkway so it seems that you are in the country in the middle of the city. In fact, when we were at one of the open houses, we walked out to the car only to be greeted by 4 deer grazing across the street. So these townhomes were built in the 1970s and were designed for entertaining and adults in mind. Beautiful neighborhood, beautiful home that needed a little updating. But I could imagine the wonderful parties and entertaining one could do. Which leads me to George Sand by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier. It was the perfect fragrance to wear for such elegant surroundings.

WHAT I SMELL: George Sand opens with a flash of lemon and bergemot, but you can’t barely blink before the patchouli comes out with the amber. Whenever I see patchouli as a note in a fragrance, I typically will go running. I have learned however, that patchouli doesn’t always mean hippieish. This is definitely one of those cases in which the patchouli and the warm amber and musk meld to make for an incredibly warm and luxurious and boldly feminine fragrance without being girly-girl. George Sand is a fragrance that changes with your body temperature, one minute seemingly strong and musky, the other vaporishly spicy. I also find that this fragrance hugs close to the skin and with dabbing on it seems average in sillage. But I have the feeling that if this were to be sprayed on the sillage would be substantial.

George Sand Notes: lemon, bergamot, patchouli, rose, amber, musk, Mysore sandalwood, spices

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: This fragrance is a limited edition as part of Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier’s collection of fragrances dedicated to remarkable and influential French people, who marked the 19th century with their high class scandals. George Sand was an aristocratic writer who had a penchant for speaking her mind and wearing men’s clothes. Very much a woman ahead of her time. The funny thing is, I find this fragrance incredibly elegant and very proper. George Sand should be worn at the opera and at the ball in full gown attire. What drew me to this fragrance is that I thought it would be a bit masculine; it’s not, but I can see men wearing it easily. I really love this fragrance and could see myself wearing this often.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE GEORGE SAND: warm, elegant, haunting

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GEORGE SAND: The Scented Salamander, Nero Profumo, Scenteur7

BOTTOM LINE: I’m in love. The more I wear this fragrance, the more I am enraptured by its incredible beauty. Unfortunately I don’t believe my words give this fragrance justice.

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Classification: Feminine
Nose: Nicolas de Barry
Expense: Approximately $120 for 70ml EdP