The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: EDP


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New Release: Maison Francis Kurkdjian – 724

WHAT I SMELL:  724 opens with a clean, fresh, floral infused bergamot tinged with sunny aldehydes.  It’s soft, slightly fuzzy and very airy.   It’s been quite some time where I have smelled a perfume that feels like it wasn’t introduced to the skin, but instead seems to float two to three inches off of the skin in a luminescent manner.    As the perfume develops the bergamot begins to fade and the florals seem to dance lightly in a ballet of tender and quiet beauty.  Even though 724 has a quiet demeanor, it does have a great deal of light and energy.  After some additional time, a metallic note comes forward and creates a base for the light and sunny florals.  And after some more time, the perfume begins to grow as the jasmine takes it’s place at the center of the perfume along with what smells to me like lily of the valley although I don’t see it mentioned as a note.    It’s here that the perfume turns more to the humidity of the bath and with the addition of a sandalwood the whole creation begins to warm.  In the end, 724 lies lightly sweetened on the skin with beautiful countenance.

From the Maison Francis Kurkdjian website:

In the light of a pure sky rising over the city ascends the elegant silhouette of 724. Urban landscapes and their surrounding architecture overtly influenced the graphic aesthetic of this musky floral eau de parfum. Luminous, vibrant and comfortably addictive, 724 invites you to feel the city rhythm. In the top notes, a fresh, urban accord is perceived. It is the sensation of clean, energizing freshness, formed of bergamot from Italy and the verticality of aldehydes with sophisticated, slightly metallic, effervescent facets. At the heart of this fragrance lies an airy aura conveyed by a bouquet of flowers structured by jasmine absolute from Egypt, sweet pea and mock orange. In the base notes, this universe of whiteness surrenders to an enveloping, comforting sensation thanks to a sandalwood and white musk accord.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  I realize the inspiration for this perfume is the city, but to me, with it’s light and and happy aura, it’s pure “dancing fairies.”

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE 724:  airy, uncomplicated, delightful

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT 724:  Grazia

BOTTOM LINE:  724 is pure delight with its fresh and light florals that are just so easy to love.  I could see this being a love for both men and women for an all-occasion easy to wear perfume.

Sample courtesy of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary.


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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


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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