Chanel | The Scented Hound

February 2, 2021
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

Chanel Boy

WHAT I SMELL: Boy opens with a soft, bright, yet warm citrus which bounces upon a layer of lavender warmed in the sun. The perfume is aromatic and rather herbal and from the beginning it provides a blanket of security and comfort without being overly warm or heavy. As the perfume begins to develop, a geranium note comes forward with a light touch along with a freshness of florals accented by rose. Soon after, a sandalwood note adds a hint of a pencil shaving accord. As the perfume continues to develop, the citrus comes back to brighten the mix along with a lightly sweetened vanilla. Finally, the perfume is covered in a layer of oakmoss which dries the fragrance and creates some added projection. Boy is without edges, making it smooth and incredibly easy to wear.

From the Chanel website:

In her younger days, Gabrielle Chanel met Arthur “Boy” Capel, an elegant British polo player. He was the love of her life and the first to encourage her to pursue her creative endeavors. Inspired by his sophisticated style, Gabrielle Chanel imagined women dressed in tweed, with short boyish hair and flat shoes. Designs that mixed genders, the beginnings of unisex fashion.

BOY CHANEL presents a lavender and geranium accord heightened with exquisite notes of wood. A fragrance that transcends gender and illustrates a personality.

Top notes are Lavender, Grapefruit and Lemon; middle notes are Geranium, Orange Blossom and Rose; base notes are White Musk, Heliotrope, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Coumarin and Moss.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Tab Hunter – fresh, easy on the eyes and always neat and clean and inoffensive.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE BOY: easy, uncomplicated, comfortable

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BOY: Now Smell This, CaFleureBon, eauxSILLAGE

BOTTOM LINE: Part of the Le Exclusifs de Chanel collection, Boy is one of those perfumes that only get’s better as it develops. It’s warm and inviting and a modern fougere that can easily be worn by a man or a women.

Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Aromatic Fougere
Nose: Olivier Polge
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $200 for 2.5 oz. eau de parfum

August 31, 2020
by The Scented Hound 8 Comments

Chanel PARIS-DEAUVILLE

WHAT I SMELL: PARIS-DEAUVILLE greets the skin with a sun-kissed fresh orange that’s bright, light and juicy. Rather quickly, the perfume warms to a delightful sunny white floral and a calming freshly cut basil. The perfume is so fresh, so bright and so happy that it’s an immediate mood lifter. The perfume doesn’t morph all that much, but it does warm and it radiates this incredible citrus green accord rounded off by a a softened jasmine and rose mix that bounces off of the skin. In the end, PARIS-DEAUVILLE becomes a muted and slightly soapy version of the opening…a beautiful citrus and basil dream of a perfume tinged with the lightest of soft florals.

From the Chanel website:

THE INSPIRATION: 1913. Gabrielle Chanel opens her very first fashion boutique, choosing Deauville as the location. This destination marks the beginning of a simple, bold style that becomes iconic with the marinière striped shirt and tweed and jersey fabrics. Inspired by the peaceful landscapes along the Normandy coast, PARIS-DEAUVILLE transposes this bucolic charm to a fragrance of the open air.

Pairing the aromatic green facets of Basil with the sparkling top notes of Sicilian Orange, PARIS-DEAUVILLE reveals a lively, naturally radiant freshness.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A young and ever so pretty Cybill Shepherd; full of sunshine and promise.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE PARIS-DEAUVILLE: fresh, uncomplicated, clean

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PARIS-DEAUVILLE: The Candy Perfume Boy, Colognoisseur, The Scented Salamander

BOTTOM LINE: Chanel does easy to wear, fresh and clean better than most. And PARIS-DEAUVILLE, which is part of the Les Eaux de Chanel collection, is just so delightful to wear because it doesn’t wear you. The perfume is perfect for wearing while running errands as well as when dining out for the evening al fresco. Thanks Chanel, for making me smell so fantastic and for lifting my spirits while doing so.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Chypre
Nose: Olivier Polge
Classification: Leans feminine
Expense: $130 for 4.2 oz eau de toilette

January 2, 2017
by The Scented Hound 23 Comments

The Scented Hound’s Best of 2016

2016-6 2016 is already gone and once again I am running behind with posting. But before we head officially into 2017, I am going to give my wrap up on this past year. Now, I can’t claim I was able to experience all of the new releases this past year (actually, I don’t believe there were enough days in the year to accommodate all the industry had to offer)…but instead will cite which ones that I thought were special. So let’s get to it:

The best of 2016:

Rendezvous by DSH Perfumes – Dawn Spencer Horowitz continues to create incredibly memorable perfumes with her very distinctive signature style. With Rendezvous, she took a decaying floral and made it magnificent. These days it takes a lot to make a perfume hit me on an emotional level, but this beauty did. And I don’t think that this perfume got the love it deserves.

Stones by Atelier de Geste – When you take the green beauty of Chanel No. 19 and mix it with an earthy blend, you get the incredibly modern Stones. This limited edition perfume was a surprise to me and again I haven’t heard any buzz around it.

Mona di Orio Bohea Bohème – Bohea Bohème was perfumer Fredrik Dalman’s first creation for the house of Mona di Orio. The tea based perfume is a subtle testament to Mona’s legacy. Quiet and unassuming, Bohea Bohème is all about the quiet journey. I look forward to seeing what Fredrik creates next.

prizepage-image-image-2-dogphoto Lesquendieu le Parfum by J. Lesquendieu – 2016 saw the reemergence of the house of J. Lesquendieu. The classic line of legacy perfumes were once again available for the lucky few who can afford these beauties. Easily the best of the re-releases is Lesquendieu le Parfum. Uncomplicated, but oh so pretty, you can see why true luxury comes at a price. Smooth as silk…if only I could afford a bottle myself!

Arbolé Arbolé by Hiram Green – The release of Arbolé Arbolé came as a bit of a surprise as Hiram Green had launched Dilettante a few months prior. But I’m glad that he did release this very nostalgic velvety smooth creation. Hiram’s work is always top of the line…here he’s at his best.

Chanel No. 5 L’Eau – Light and refreshing and sparkling with modernity. This No. 5 flanker is superb even if you’re not a big fan of the original. This perfume just makes me so incredibly happy.

L’Atessa by Masque Milano – Unique is hard to come by these days…L’Atessa certainly is with its yeasty champagne fizz which gives way to a lovely powdered floral drydown. Add that to the most exquisitely redesigned signature perfume bottle, Masque Milano has hit it out of the park with this release.

The perfumes of Parfums Dusita – Perfumer Pissara Umavijani debuted 3 perfumes in 2015, but I didn’t experience them until this year…so as far as I’m concerned, they’re part of this year’s “best of.” So which one is the best? Hard to say which one I like the best, the sensual white floral, Melodie de L’Amour; the refined Ouhd Infini or the modern fougere Issara? I can’t choose because all three deserve recognition. There are two new perfumes in the line which I have yet to experience…this time I won’t wait a year to do so.

The worst of 2016:

I don’t like doing the worst because perfume is an individual taste…what you might not like, others may love. But there was one perfume this past year that just hit me incredibly wrong and that was…

Tauerville Fruitchouli Flash – This super sweet and thick concoction gave me a cavity by just smelling it. Sorry Andy.

So given all of these beauties from this past year, what did I end up wearing for the most part? I really pretty much stuck to the classics. My most worn perfume of 2016 was Mitsouko, the parfum extrait, which I just craved over and over again. The 2nd most worn perfume was Chanel Beige which is just so easy to love. Maybe 2017 will provide me with a new classic that I won’t be able to stay away from.

Happy New Year from The Scented Hound!