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May 2, 2012
by The Scented Hound 13 Comments

Iskander by Parfum d’Empire

Inspired by australianperfumejunkies review of some of the Parfum d’Empire line today, I decided to pull out some of my untested samples and give it a go. Since summer is approaching, I thought I would try Iskander. Lemony, citrus freshness in an initial blast, bright and sunny are how I would describe my first impressions with the scent. There initially is almost a barber shop clean aspect to the Iskander. Now I’m not typically a fan of citrus scents so I wonder if I’m going to like Iskander. I find then that the initial citrus blast dissapates and out comes a very light spice, maybe the coriander?. But I don’t consider this a spicy scent by any means. The fragrance soon mellows into a lovely warm, yet fresh, citrus, amber and oakmoss scent which evens out the initial sharpness of the scent. The is an underlying tonality in this fragrance which is similar to the other Parfum d’Empire scents that I have tested; it’s a smooth and silky finish that I find incredibly luxurious. It sits at the scent’s base tying in all of the ingredients for a layer that blends so well on the skin. I don’t know what this is, but so far the Parfum d’Empires scents that I have tried all are equaled in their beauty even though they are composed so differently. I’m not sure yet, but I believe that Iskander might just be my 2012 summer scent.

Iskander Notes:

citron, mandarin, grapefruit, estragon, coriander, orange blossom, oakmoss, amber and musk

UPDATE: Iskander got to me, I had to buy a full bottle!

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

April 30, 2012
by The Scented Hound Leave a comment

LP No:9 for Men by Penhaligon’s

I love the LP No:9 (Love Potion Number 9) name. I like the fragrance. Clean, fresh and spicy is how I would characterize LP No:9. This is the first Penhaligon’s scent that I have tested, and I’m assuming that my thoughts about LP No:9 is how I’ll feel about this line. LP No:9 is complex in its composition, but somehow that complexity doesn’t translate to having a great deal of depth. It’s nice and somewhat old school, but in the end just not that exciting to me. Bottom line: fresh floral and spice, sophisticated and easy to wear.

From the Penhaligon’s website:

HEAD NOTES
Mandarin, Bergamot and Rosewood

HEART NOTES
Jasmine, Orris, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Clove, Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg

BASE NOTES
Vanilla, Patchouli, Musk and Amber

Created in 1999, LP No. 9 for Men casts a spell of powdered darkness with its complex heart of ylang-ylang and spices. The fresh top notes of mandarin, bergamot and rosewood soon give way to the unusual floral and spiced heart. The seductive base notes are led by sweet vanilla and earthy patchouli with whisps of musk and amber creating sensual layers of warmth and mystery.

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent Type: Oriental – Spicy
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $120 for 100ml EDT

March 27, 2012
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

APOM Pour Homme by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

APOM, which stands for A Part of Me, is one of those “I just got out of the shower” scents. To me, it reminds me of the freshness associated with bathing and the wonderfully clean feeling that you have afterwards. So given that, what exactly does APOM smell like? The listed ingredients are simple, orange flower, amber and cedar wood. This to me is a pretty linear scent; it doesn’t change much and the orange flower is the dominating note. The amber does warm the scent and tone down the orange flower a bit, but it ultimately remains in the background. This to me is a safe fragrance; clean and fresh, but not very interesting. For those of you who like fresh; this would be a great fragrance. Me, I like it a little dirty and will stick with my Absolue Pour le Soir.

From the Maison Francis Kurkdjian website:

APOM (A Part Of Me), a bit of oneself that one leaves on others. A relationship inspired from the beauty of the Orient: movement of people, flavors, colors and scents rediscovered from Lebanon. A combination of softness and strength.

APOM Notes: orange flower, cedar wood, amber