The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: eau de parfum


by 4 Comments

Ricardo Ramos – SacroMonte

WHAT I SMELL:  SacroMonte opens brightly with sunny grass tinged with basil.  It’s very comforting in a familiar way; its as if you just finished mowing your lawn when your yard smells so green, clean, fresh and tailored.  Soon, a very light note of fig leaf helps to lift the perfume from the ground up towards the sky.   And shortly after, a soapy jasmine enters where it sits nicely above the grass along with a light spice.  The perfume at this point begins to dry and the grass moves more towards a hay that has been sitting in the sun.  But as soon as I say that the perfume turns more towards the green, but this time with the help of lily of the valley.  SacroMonte is really beautiful at this juncture.  I find it to be incredibly approachable and interestingly pretty in a very unisex way.  In the end, SacroMonte settles into a sweetened ambered musk which is lovely, but not nearly as interesting as the perfume was along the journey.  Nonetheless, SacroMonte is an easy to love perfume.

Notes from the Ricardo Ramos website:

Legend has it that the treasures of the expelled Nasrid nobility were hidden in the mountains where today is the idyllic and picturesque Granada’s neighborhood. SacroMonte is a vital fragrance which transports us to a natural environment with a dry and fruity effect of freshness.

Top notes: Freshly cut grass, fig leaf, basil; Heart notes: Lily of the valley, jasmine, plum, fig; Background: White musk, dry amber, hay.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Sunshine summertime.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SACROMONTE:  comforting, familiar, subtle

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SACROMONTE:  Notetaking

BOTTOM LINE:  SacroMonte is a perfume that can be worn anytime without having to give it any thought.  No matter the occasion, it will make you feel fresh and clean.  Groundbreaking no; but delightful all the same.

  • Bone Rating:  3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Aromatic Fruity
  • Nose:  Jorge Lee
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: 125 Euros for 50 ml eau de parfum


by Leave a comment

Amouage Meander

WHAT I SMELL:  Meander opens with a warm and lightly sweet and inviting olibanum that is quickly met with an amazingly beautiful carrot note.  It’s not carrot from the earth, but one that’s fresh and dewy and lightly nutty and surprisingly gourmand.  Soon the carrot is met with the softest of rose along with a buttery orris.  Together they provide a aura sheen that’s smooth as silk.  As Meander continues on its’ path, the perfume begins to grow and radiate.  It’s thick and rich and incredibly elegant and warm…and it’s at this point the orris feels as if it has been ladled over the luxurious Rose and Jonquille absolute.  After some time, an incense begins to hover above the orris infused florals.  It’s very light but adds just a hint of mystery to the already beautifully warmed heart.  This perfume is beyond gorgeous, it’s dreamy and quite voluminous, but so incredibly comforting while being quite grand.

Notes from the Amouage website:

A synergy of fresh Pink Pepper and vivifying Black Pepper, together with a dense, fruity and chalklike Carrot Heart bring alive the all-encompassing fogs of monsoon season.

Serene and steady, they drape over a lush landscape of emerald Jonquille Absolute and lavish Rose Absolute, before climbing over pale cliffs of earthy Orris and dark, humid groves of Cypriol.

Surreal march of white Sandalwood mists, they creep overhill and underhill until at last they meet the unending desert, still hot with the scent of dry Vetiver and balsamic Frankincense Resinoid – the unbreakable barrier.

Intricate blend of woods and flowy spices, Meander captures the exhilarating feeling of happiness when the south of Oman turns into a land of haze and running streams.

    • Top Notes: Olibanum Oil, Carrot Heart, Pink Pepper CO² & Black Pepper Oil.
    • Heart Notes: Orris, Rose Absolute, Cypriol Heart & Jonquille Absolute.
    • Base Notes: Olibanum Resinoid, Vetiver Oil, & Sandalwood Oil.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A languid nap on a warm afternoon.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE MEANDER  creamy, soothing, encompassing

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MEANDER: Carpe Odor, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE:  Meander is so warm and beautiful; it almost has a heartbreaking feel about it as it’s filled with great emotion.  At the same time it also has as dreamlike quality about it that makes you want to drift off in an embrace within its comforting arms.

  • Bone Rating:  4.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Amber Fougere
  • Nose:  Mackenzie Reilly
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $265 for 50 ml eau de parfum


by 2 Comments

Jovoy Paris Touche Finale

WHAT I SMELL:  Touche Finale opens with sweet, bubblegum berries that are tamed with a gorgeous mimosa.  It’s rather thick and heady and wonderfully intoxicatingly sweet without being overbearing.  From first spritz, Touche Finale is feminine, lively and instantly fun as if it comes sweeping though the door letting everyone know that the party is about to begin.  After a short time, the florals come to take their place with the rose and violet leaf front and center.  Here, the bubblegum opening starts to dissipate but the feminine touch doesn’t seem to be bothered by its departure because the perfume moves to the more powdered.  Heliotrope soon begs to be let in the party and prompts the perfume to grow and radiate.  In the end, Touche Finale matures from it’s celebratory opening, but it remains florally beautiful as the powder is met with a finish of warmed peppered musk that keeps the festivities going for a very long time.

From the Jovoy Paris website:

Whenever it appears that an artist’s work is finally finished, there is always a moment where a sense of doubt overwhelms the artist. Should they change a note? Do they need any more of this? Or a little less of that? 

But when the artist trusts their vision and makes their final stroke, any sense of doubt is replaced by an ultimate satisfaction. Then the only desire that follows is the will to reveal it to the world. This is the exact moment when a master decides that their work is finished. And this is the very moment that Jovoy has grasped and put into a bottle.

This new perfume is also a tribute to the seductive souls who each have their own rituals of preparation. The slow, measured method of dressing. The make up, the rice powder… these are all a prelude to seduction. And even if their gestures are different and their secrets proper, they all share a common ritual: their ‘final touch’ is the application of perfume.

Touche Finale is a reinterpretation of a perfume that has already left it’s mark in the history of the rebirth of Jovoy: 2006’s renowned Poudré.

After more than two years of work, the independent perfumer, Vanina Muracciole has managed to preserve the soul of the original Poudré, whilst exalting it, in this new, ultimate version.

Head Notes – Mimosa, Pink Berries; Heart Notes – Rose, Violet Leaf, Cedarwood, Jasmine; Base Notes – Heliotrope, Musk, Sandalwood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Party girl!

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE TOUCHE FINALE:  vivacious, captivating, delightful

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TOUCHE FINALE:  CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE:  Touch Finale is all things feminine; powder, notes of lipstick with a light sweater of musk.  It’s a joyful perfume that brings life to the wearer.  Just be careful though because just like too much partying, Touche Finale requires a lighter touch. Too much of a good thing can be…well, you know the rest.

  • Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Powdery Floral
  • Nose: Vanina Muracciole
  • Classification: Feminine
  • Expense:  145 Euros for 100 ml eau de parfum