5 bones | The Scented Hound

July 30, 2012
by The Scented Hound 24 Comments

Sunday Shopping Surprise

I love a good shopping surprise. Even better when it’s right in your home town. Yesterday, after doing my yard chores, me and my hubby went toddling off to Old Town Alexandria to do some window shopping and to get some unneeded gelato. If you have never been to Old Town Alexandria, it’s right outside Washington DC and it’s cute, quaint, very historic (think George Washington lived here). If you ever come to DC, you have to visit.

In any case, there is a store, Patrick’s Designs which I enjoy going into to look at all of the beautiful decorative items that I can’t afford. They have furnishings, barware, tabletop, gifts, etc. that are very unique. This is where I purchased my first Dr. Vranjes diffuser (I have been a faithful purchaser since). I have noted that in the past, they have had a couple of niche perfumes in the shop, but they have recently expanded and added some more. Some of the lines include: Juliet has a Gun, Montale, Costume National (I had never heard of this line before), Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, Fragonard, Manuel Canovas, Miller et Bertaux and others. The owner said that they will be adding other lines in the near future (goody!). Of course, it’s my job as a hometown boy to support local business I had to make sure that I bought something. But first lets discuss what I didn’t buy and why:

Miller et Bertaux’s Om: I don’t know why, but the darker the juice, the more I am attracted to a fragrance. Om is a deep amber-colored incense and vanilla scent. Wonderfully spicy, rich and peppery…beautiful on paper and initially on me, then straight to a metallic sharpness that I wanted to scrub off. Very disheartening.
Fragonard’s Billet Doux: OK, the scent itself is a light and pretty powdery carnation which is pleasant but maybe not so special. It’s much more feminine than I would normally like… but look at the bottle!!! It’s like a princess jewel. Is it OK to buy perfume just for the bottle? I may have to go back and try this again, the price wasn’t bad… but I really just want the bottle!

“I want to go to there” – Liz Lemon

OK, good sense prevailed and I ended up purchasing what others rave about for good reason, Maître Parfumeur et Gantier’s Ambre Precieux.

WHAT I SMELL: Golden warm amber and vanilla. Slightly spicy, smoky and buttery creaminess. At times, it seems lightly soapy. I find that this fragrance doesn’t morph as you wear it, but for an Eau de Toilette, Ambre Precieux has incredible depth, sillage and I find incredibly long-lasting. I usually find that most ambers are better suited for the fall and winter. Surprisingly, because of the vanilla sweetness (not too sweet mind you), this works just fine in the heat of summer. Beautiful.

From the Maître Parfumeur et Gantier website:

All the splendour of the Orient is bottled in this perfume in which the much coveted amber unfolds its sensual and unique scent for us.
Accompanied by precious woods, balms and spices, Ambre Précieux is a true Eastern symphony.

Ambre Precieux Notes: Top notes are myrrh and lavender; middle notes are nutmeg and vanilla; base notes are amber, tolu balsam and peru balsam.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: As I was sitting at my desk at work today I was trying to pinpoint what this scent smelled like to me. As strange as this may sound, it reminds me of the late 70s and 80s and a doctor that I used to go to. So what does that mean??! This doctor was very tailored in his white smock, had impeccable grooming and was very much a gentleman. To me, Ambre Precieux is understated elegance. It’s the kind of fragrance that would linger comfortably on your favorite weekend tweed jacket as well as your tux.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE AMBRE PRECIEUX: warm, refined, sophisticated

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT AMBRE PRECIEUX: Bois de Jasmin, I Smell Therefore I Am, Pour Monsieur

BOTTOM LINE: I don’t know if this will ever replace my love for Serge Luten’s Ambre Sultan. But to me Ambre Sultan is a fall/winter fragrance. So in the meantime, Ambre Precieux is going to satisfy my amber fix until the leaves start falling.

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental
Nose: Jean-Francois Laporte
Classification: Unisex – leans masculine
Expense: Approximately $100 – $120 for 100ml EdT

June 17, 2012
by The Scented Hound 7 Comments

The Good, Bad and …Confused?!

THE GOOD:

It was a lovely Father’s Day weekend here in Washington DC. The weather was incredible, just perfect for being outdoors, grilling, etc. It was such a nice weekend that I can tell that you I have found a new love. No, I’m not cheating on my husband. This new love is By Kilian’s Rose Oud. I received some samples of Rose Oud upon my purchase of my other love, Incense Oud. I’m happy to say that I finally had the chance to really wear this beauty. What I love about this fragrance is that it’s understated and tasteful with a beefy richness that I have found few fragrances to have.

Rose Oud goes on boozy and with a blast of saffron and rose. There is almost a plastic and artificial rubbery sensation to the scent at the beginning. That sensation remains there throughout, however, it’s not as prominent as in the beginning and it’s not something that is disagreeable. Rose Oud doesn’t transform much after the initial few minutes. As it stands, the rose remains on top a long with a slight leather that sits below (when I say slight, it’s almost not recognizable). There is something weighty about Rose Oud. It feels substantial. It almost gives you the feeling that you are wearing a garland of large and heavy fragrant roses around your neck. It’s truly intoxicating, luxurious and perfect for a man. Perfect, because there is nothing sweet about this rose. It’s a floral scent without being too floral. I want more and am ready to go full bottle (or at least the refill to decant myself).

Rose Oud Notes:

Turkish rose, oud, saffron, cardamom

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $395 for 50ml EDP

THE BAD:

I finally made a blind buy that I just can’t stand. I found a bottle of the discontinued Royal Pavillon by Etro on sale for an incredibly low price. After reading the reviews from others and looking at the notes, I thought why not give it a try. Actually the scent itself isn’t that bad, there’s just one note in there that really rubs me the wrong way. I think it may be the jasmine that sits on top and provides me with some nauseum. It is interesting though, as floral as this scent is, there is an underlying ingredient of civet and musk that give this floral a little dirt… but not enough dirt for me. Funny thing is that my husband has taken ownership of this scent and has worn it all weekend. I’m glad that it won’t go to waste!

Royal Pavillon Notes:

jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, violet and mimose; middle notes are vetyver, sandalwood and oakmoss; base notes are vanille, castoreum and civetta

Bone Rating: 2 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Woody Floral Musk
Classification: Feminine
Expense: Varied from $40 to $100 for 100ml

THE CONFUSED:

The third aspect of this post as you might note, should not be “confused”, but should be “ugly”. Sorry, I don’t have any ugly to report. The confused is that I bought tickets to see Riverdance because I told my husband that I always wanted to see Riverdance and this is the last US performance that will be in town. So last night we go to the show at the lovely Wolftrap outdoor amphitheatre on a beautiful night (where I am feeling exceptionally fantastic in my trail of Rose Oud). One act into the show, my husband turns to me and said, “You know, we saw this same show about 5 years ago with some friends, here at the same venue.” It then clicked in my head. Yes, we had. Am I really getting that old and forgetful?? Tragic. At least I smelled good and the show was phenomenal! If you haven’t seen Riverdance, please go, the dancing and music is incredible!

Happy Father’s Day!

May 28, 2012
by The Scented Hound 22 Comments

Parfum d’Empire’s Azemour les Orangers and Eau Suave – Lots to Love

I am officially declaring my love for the Parfum d’Empire fragrances. It started with my receipt of the complete line of the Parfum d’Empire sample collection a while back. If you haven’t checked this out yet, they offer their full line at an incredibly reasonable cost on their website. If it wasn’t for having those samples here, I would not be making this declaration today. For those of you in the business, please note that offering samples at a low cost will entice perfume lovers like myself to buy your samples – which then will lead to full bottle purchases!

OK, let me first start by saying that summer has officially come to Washington DC. For the last 3 days, it has been up in the 90s and incredibly humid. And since it hasn’t been this warm since last summer, my body still has not acclimated to the weather. Luckily I had my new summer fragrance purchase, Iskander which I used generously for a couple of days. A fresh shower + a spritz of Iskander = perfection..almost like the perfect ice-cube for your perfect summer cocktail.

As I completed my yard work and decided to get some work done cleaning up my office, I started going through my mess of samples and thought that Parfum d’ Empire’s Azemour les Orangers sounded like a nice summer companion to Iskander. I was right, another great summer fit.

The bottom line is this; Marc-Antoine Corticchiato has created some of the most luxurious and wearable scents that I have found. There’s something for everybody and what I have noticed is that his fragrances will take me out of my comfort zones in what I like. I’m not a fan of leather scents, but I love Cuir Ottoman. I would have never guessed that I would like a scent like Fougere Bengale and its curried spiciness. And then I fell in love with Eau Suave, a fragrance meant for women. So far I have either liked or loved all of the Parfum d’ Empire scents. I have to tell you, when the next Parfum d’Empire fragrance launches, I’ll be one of the first to grab up a sample. Now, on to my new loves:

Azemour les Orangers

Azemour les Orangers’ opening is like peeling a sweet and juicy orange. One that when you peel it back the zesty spray of the juice flies up in the air and hits you in the face. It’s what you crave on a hot summer day when basking out in the sun all day. But wait, as refreshing as the opening is, Azemour les Orangers then twists and turns with hints of coriander and a luscious oaky moss. This is a beautiful summer scent that doesn’t just bask in its freshness. It’s like a garden. You walk down a path to discover the various fruits, flowers, herbs and other delights along the way. If there was only one wish that I could make for this scent is that the longevity and sillage were a little bit better. In any case, I don’t mind spritzing myself with this lovely fragrance throughout the day. This is a scent for both sexes and it wears this role well. Azemour les Orangers is going on my wishlist (the way my wishlists go, that means I’ll be owning a bottle soon :))

Azemour les Orangers Notes:

orange, clementine, tangerine, grapefruit, coriander, cumin, black pepper, pink pepper, blackcurrant, galbanum, neroli, geranium, orange blossom, rose, hay, moss, henna and cypres

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Fruity Chypre
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $75 for 50ml EDP

Eau Suave

Sometimes in the world of fragrance, the words masculine and feminine are just that…words. Eau Suave is marketed to women. I don’t care. I love it. I crave it. This all started when I was thinking about all of the samples that I have that are meant for women. What should I do with them? Give them away? Trade them? Then one night I thought, hell, why don’t I just spritz some on before I go to bed. A lovely feminine fragrance would be just fine for bedtime. Eau Suave was the first feminine scent that I tried this new practice with. And I fell, and fell hard. Eau Sauve is a lovely warm and intoxicating rose chypre scent. It’s never too sweet and never too rosy. In fact, I think floral, not roses when I put this on. This fragrance has just enough coriander and musk to help avoid a heavy and sweet floral composition. A subtle spiciness and warmth, combined with the floral and berry ingredients make this a very personal and enveloping fragrance. Every time I lift my wrist to my nose, I always find a new surprise. Made for a woman…but I like it too. So much so that it’s on my wishlist and we know what that means!