Bertrand Douchaufour | The Scented Hound

WHAT I SMELL: The opening of Corpus Equus is anything but quiet with its burst of birch, soured leather and hint of a soft floral that quickly moves completely to a urinous birch tar. The composition is cool and rather damp and it smells as if a campfire has been doused by cold water and where the smoke from the fire has infused into your clothes. Sometimes that can be a comforting smell. Here, it just feels pungent, soured and rather jolting. The leather does come out slowly and it does help to pull the perfume away from the fire and in doing so it helps tame it to a more wearable stage. Corpus Equus continues to settle and with it comes a sharpened note which helps to continue to cut the birch tar. Here, the perfume becomes more of a leathered radiant forcefield which is more earthy and grounded in its feel. In the end, a smooth buttery layer begins to come forward along with a soft amber. What started off as a raging stallion has turned into a rather tame pony.

From the Naomi Goodsir website:

DARK / ANIMALISTIC / WILD

A deep black animalistic composition, with assertive leather notes.

Inspiration – A tribute to a fiery & impetuous horse

Corpus Equus Notes: black rose petal, horsehair, leather, cigarette ash, Tonkin musk, amber infusion

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A dude ranch. For city folk, the ranch may initially be a shock to the senses, but soon enough the scents of the ranch are smoothed out for their suburban patrons.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CORPUS EQUUS: jolting, contrary, smooth

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CORPUS EQUUS: CaFleureBon, The Sniff

BOTTOM LINE: Corpus Equus is a perfume that starts off in the barn and ends up in a Ralph Lauren ad. You wonder if you can get past the startling entrance where you are tempted to run. But like a wild horse, it does get tamed in the end and it turns out to be rather lovely. But Corpus Equus probably wouldn’t be best suited for wearing to the grocery store and it’s definitely not suited for the office. Actually, I’m not sure where I would wear this. It’s interesting, but..

Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Leather
Noses: Bertrand Douchaufour
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $187 for 50 ml eau de parfum

“Rahele (traveller) is the newest fragrance, an ode to exotic travel, an olfactory journey in the company of 17th Century French visitors to the East.”

WHAT I SMELL: Rahele quietly opens soft but very luxurious, with a dewy green and velvety violet, tinged with the lightest of citrus and spice. There’s an incredible warmth that immediately draws you in. Soon after opening, a cinnamon note moves forward making a nice balance between the florals and the lightly exotic spice. After a few more minutes, a demure, but noticeable osmanthus comes forward. At this point the perfume feels like a still life painting filled with the most delicate of flowers and fruit. As the perfume continues to develop it begins to powder and dry. Even with a projecting powder, Rahele remains incredibly subdued and meticulously blended, where no particular note stands out, but is perfection in the sum of its parts. In the end, the lightest of leather topped by a layer of oakmoss makes this a sublime ode to French perfumery.

Notes from the Neele Vermeire Creations website:

Top Notes: Green Mandarine, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Violet Leaf Absolute

Heart Notes: Osmanthus Absolute, Rose Absolute, Magnolia, Jasmine Absolute, Iris, Violet

Base Notes: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Leather

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: What I envision a 17th Century powdered wig to smell like.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE RAHELE: powdery, proper, engaging

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT RAHELE: Megan in Sainte Maxime, AustralianPerfumeJunkies, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE: Rahele strays from the exotic flourishes of the other Neela Vermeire Creation perfumes in the collection, although not completely. Rahele is all about classic french perfume and as I am a huge fan of the classics…I have to say that this might be my favorite in the collection. But that’s like stating which of your children is your favorite…it can’t be done.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral Woody Musk
Nose: Bertrand Duchaufour
Classification: Leans feminine
Expense: $235 for 60 ml eau de parfum.