EDP | The Scented Hound

January 16, 2017
by The Scented Hound 13 Comments

V. Intense by Robert Piguet

WHAT I SMELL: V. Intense’s opening is a beautiful burst of bergamot and sweet pear which is soon mixed with a warmed saffron. Deliciously pretty, a ripe and juicy plum note soon comes to the center of the stage. Not too juicy though, the plum is lush without being saturated. Actually, it feels like it’s sitting on top of a lush green bouquet of patchouli. The perfume has an incredibly radiance, as if the plum and patchouli are pushing out this warmed, yet powdered and dried sunny hue. After some more, a hint of incense appears making the perfume mysterious and seductive. After which a pencil shaving note of sandalwood appears while the perfume increases its powdery evolution with just the hint of cream. In the end, the warmed tonka and incense make for lovely modern vintage vibe.

From Robert Piguet Parfums:

V. Intense opens with a burst of bergamot, pear and saffron, a whirling eddy of citrus and spice. Soft rose, sweet ylang ylang and sumptuous plum unlock the daring core, a dalliance of fruit and floral that lays a warm, exotic path to the fragrance’s denouement. Patchouli, incense, sandalwood and white musk create a magical dry down, as transporting as it is visceral.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Although V. Intense was only launched in 2014, it has a very urban sophisticated 1950s nostalgic feel to me. It’s pretty and lightly sweet with just the right amount of powder and it feels ’50s fashionable in being neat, trimmed and tailored.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE V. INTENSE: vibrant, energizing, witty

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT V. INTENSE: AustralianPerfumeJunkies, Fragrance Daily

BOTTOM LINE: V Intense, full of plum, is everything I thought I would not like in a perfume. Instead, it’s understated beauty and urban sophistication is everything that I crave in a perfume. I absolutely love it.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Aurelien Guichard
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Approximately $180 for 100 ml eau de parfum

January 9, 2017
by The Scented Hound 17 Comments

New Release: Civet by Zoologist Perfumes

WHAT I SMELL: Civet opens with a warmed spiced orange and bergamot which reminds me of clove filled orange pomanders that you see during the winter holidays. The warmth begins to lighten quickly as the perfume beams soft and pretty with a lovely and light tuberose coming to the center. But very quickly, the perfume becomes highly radiant and makes its presence known. After a bit, a soured citrus comes forward which then melds into a light civet. The perfume moves from a pretty floral luminosity to a slightly rebellious feel. Still pretty, there’s a light bite that gives the perfume a more interesting presence and depth. As it continuous to develop, a hay like flatness keeps the perfume grounded. At the same time, the projected radiance dissipates and the perfume dances around the floral heart, along with a musky and slightly urinous interplay with hints of coffee and leather. Civet is wonderfully complex, yet so smooth and easy to wear.

From the Zoologist Perfumes website:

Zoologist Civet pays homage to the age-old ingredient, civet, as well as chypre perfumes of bygone days – perfumes that refused to be intimidated by raw, alluring, animalistic musks. Civet is a moody and complex brew entwined in mystery. It opens with a spicy floral accord, threaded through with dark coffee tones. Slowly it prowls forward, unraveling base notes of leather, moss and vanilla that combines with distinctive civet musk to create a bewildering, sophisticated scent with the promise of a sultry nighttime rendezvous.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Black Pepper, Lemon, Orange, Spices, Tarragon
Heart Notes: Carnation, Frangipani, Heliotrope, Hyacinth, Linden-blossom, Tuberose, Ylang
Base Notes: Balsams, Civet, Coffee, Incense, Labdanum, Musks, Oakmoss, Resins, Russian Leather, Vanilla, Vetiver, Woods

Nancy Spungen

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Nancy Spungen of Sid and Nancy fame…a little pretty, a little dirty, a little punk.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE CIVET: careworn, enigmatic, nuanced

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CIVET: AustralianPerfumeJunkies, Cafleurebon

BOTTOM LINE: Perfumer Shelley Waddington has created a complex beauty that blends seamlessly to reveal many nuances throughout the wear. With the name Civet, I was worried that this would be a perfume would be rather funky. Instead, she added just the right amount of civet to enhance the subdued florals. Civet is a really lovely perfume.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Aromatic
Nose: Shelley Waddington
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $125 for 60 ml eau de parfum

December 12, 2016
by The Scented Hound 12 Comments

New Release: Le Jardin Retrouvé Cuir de Russie

As you probably know, I love traditional french perfumery. I also love seeing former perfume houses being resurrected. Le Jardin Retrouvé fits both of those bills and I’m thrilled that they’re back. Le Jardin Retrouvé debuted in 1975 with master perfumer Yuri Gutsatz at the helm giving birth to the “niche” perfume market by selling and creating perfumes that were personal and which rejected mass marketing and retailing. The company flourished for years, but unfortunately, after Yuri’s death in 2005, the company faded away. But through his son Michel and his wife Ciara this “niche” brand is once again creating perfumes…the same perfumes that Yuri created back in the 1970s. A total of seven perfumes have recently re-debuted. Cuir de Russie is hands down my favorite in the line…and that’s quite something because the entire line is fantastic.

WHAT I SMELL: Cuir de Russie has a soft, warm, sparkling violet and peppery opening. It feels like it dances on the skin with its warmth, yet cool embrace. There’s so much movement to the perfume as it whirls and twirls to the delight of my nose. Not long after that initial rush and exhilaration, a cinnamon note becomes equal with that of the florals, along with the lightest of leather. The perfume falls in a netherworld between masculine and feminine and at times it feels as if it’s a demure beauty, only to feel strong, masculine and self-assured a minute later. As the perfume continues to develop, it warms and deepens as it produces a wonderfully radiating wood tinged with leather and incense. Cuir de Russie is a perfume that is full of positive energy and optimism and these days that’s a welcomed state of being. In the end, the dynamic whirl of the perfume settles into a softened powdery chypre that’s a little bit dirty, but which is incredibly easy to wear. Delightful.

From the Le Jardin Retrouvé website:

1920. The opera hall is packed. Diaghilev is presenting his Ballets Russes. You are seated with a group of flamboyant Parisians in the front row. Wide-eyed, you watch Nijinsky and his soft leather boots. He leaps, he spins, he fills the stage with the bewitching scent of ylang-ylang, violet, and cinnamon enveloping a harmony of cade wood and styrax. You wish that this moment could last forever.

Floral Leather: Ylang Ylang, French Violet, Indonesian Patchouli, Cinnamon, Spanish Cade Wood & Styrax

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: I can’t argue with the imagery of the Ballet Russe, it fits the perfume perfectly.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE CUIR DE RUSSIE: positive, energizing, classical

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CUIR DE RUSSIE: EauMG, I Scent You a Day, Pierre de Nishapur

BOTTOM LINE: Cuir de Russie doesn’t try to be anything but an easy to wear, but beautifully engaging perfume. As such, I could see this as an anchor perfume in any collection. I also love Le Jardin Retrouvé’s La Nécessaire packaging where the perfume is housed in an aluminum bottle along with two empty glass bottles to transfer the perfume to, allowing you to choose how you want to use and store your perfume. Brilliant! Welcome back Le Jardin Retrouvé.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral Leather
Nose: Yuri Gutsatz
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $185 for 125 ml eau de parfum. Available exclusively from the Le Jardin Retrouvé website.

Perfume sample provided by Le Jardin Retrouvé. Opinion my own.