EDP | The Scented Hound

February 13, 2014
by The Scented Hound 11 Comments

Cuir Mauresque by Serge Lutens

WHAT I SMELL: Cuir Mauresque opens oddly sweet and tangy, like soured candy sprinkled in sugar and it’s as if that layer of sweet rests on an orange like plastic. Actually, more precisely, this smells like something sealed in plastic that when the seal is broken, the chemical plastic odors that were trapped inside are released. After a few minutes, a sour note appears, like ripened apricot. After a few more minutes, the leather starts to appear. It’s rather faint and not harsh, but there is a sharp edge to it that makes the back of my tongue curl. After another five minutes or so, the jasmine takes center stage and the fragrance begins to bloom and thankfully, that helps to push out the sour. Unfortunately, the sour is pushed out but the sweet comes on very strong. It keeps building and it smells artificial and manufactured. Thankfully, after around the 30 minute mark, Cuir Mauresque becomes slightly more muted, but not enough to make me love it more.

From Fragrantica:

Cuir Mauresque (Moorish leather) is a perfume launched in 1996. It represents a blend of leather wrapped up in jasmine and sweet spices to make a true Arabian aroma. Notes: amber, myrrh, burnt styrax, incense, cinnamon, aloe wood, cedar, civet, nutmeg, clove, cumin, musk, mandarin peel and orange blossom.

When I typed in “floral candy” in Google Images, this is what came up. I had to use it as her top, the headband and the cotton candy just somehow aren’t quite right, just like the fragrance.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Floral candy.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CUIR MAURESQUE: odd, confused, sweet n’ sour

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CUIR MAURESQUE: Kafkaesque, What Men Should Smell LIke, Notable Scents

BOTTOM LINE: This is one of the Serge Lutens that you don’t hear much about and if it wasn’t for the wonderful Kafkaesque I probably wouldn’t have bothered to check it out. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t meant for me. In the end, it evens out, but this is one odd duck that I can do without.

Bone Rating: 2.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Leather
Nose: Christopher Sheldrake
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $140 for 50ml EdP

February 9, 2014
by The Scented Hound 12 Comments

A Valentine Rose: Une Rose Chypree by Tauer Perfumes

WHAT I SMELL: Une Rose Chypree opens with bergamot and lemon with a quick move to orange, then back to a “Lemon Pledge” smell. It’s rather cool, like a spring breeze going through an orange grove. After a couple of minutes, it warms and the fragrance begins to harmonize. What I mean by that is that the notes, rather than acting in a singular fashion, start blending together. After around 5 minutes, I begin to get hints of rose, but it’s so muted that it feels like it could be a combination of any floral. After around 10 minutes or so, the rose begins to bloom, and it’s mixed with a deep and almost caramel base. It actually feels a bit gourmand at this point, almost like it would be perfect to add as a mix to sweeten a cup of coffee. But as soon as I have those thoughts, it then turns slightly lighter and the fragrance becomes a bit dryer with a layer of oak moss and powder. It’s at this point that the fragrance reminds me a bit of Amouage’s Fate Woman, which is a good thing since I love Fate Woman so much. After a short while, Une Rose Chypree moves out of the Fate Woman stage and the fragrance moves from the light to a deeper and richer stage. I find the fragrance glorious at this point. It feels vintage and extremely well blended. This is a rose that doesn’t say rose as much as it says warm floral. Wait….here, I thought the progression of the fragrance was complete, instead it gets a little spicier but in the end, the spice is tamed by the vanilla for a nice creamy (but yet dusty with the oakmoss) finish.

From the Tauer Perfumes website:

Head Notes: Soft bay and hot cinnamon complemented by bergamot, lemon peel and clementine.

Heart Notes: A rich rose chord with Bulgarian rose oil and rose absolute, and Bourbon geranium.

Body Notes: Dark and resinous labdanum, oak moss, patchouli, vetiver and vanilla.

No, my mother was not Lady Bird Johnson…but you get the point.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: My mother all glammed out in 1965 to include the white gloves.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE UNE ROSE CHYPREE: substantial, beautiful, proper

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT UNE ROSE CHYPREE: Smellythoughts, Kafkasesque, Nathan Branch

BOTTOM LINE: I think of this as a rose for those who don’t want their rose scents to scream “ROSE.” It’s muted, contained, proper and pretty without being girly. This is my kind of Valentine rose!

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Chypre Floral
Nose: Andy Tauer
Classification: Feminine, but fine for a man.
Expense: $140 for 30ml EdP

January 9, 2014
by The Scented Hound 15 Comments

Grand Cuir by Parfums Retro

WHAT I SMELL: Grand Cuir opens with a citrus like orange blossom twist. It’s not what I was expecting as it’s not to heavy and there’s something rather salty, and tangy about the finish. I’m not quite sure what it is, but there is something here that reminds me of 1968 and going to the barber shop where the combination of sweat, oil and Brylcreem and dirt seemed to permeate the shop. Soon enough a slight soap makes an appearance along with this dryish birch and light petroleum note. After around 20 minutes or so, the florals come to surface and help to warm the fragrance, helping to even out the sharper tones of the opening. Then after a little more time, a bit of spice comes to play, but it peeks in an out rather than comes to the forefront. What I like about this fragrance is that Grand Cuir’s note are completely harmonic and therefore, none of the notes tends to dominate although you are always acutely aware that this is a leather fragrance. In the end, you’re left with a long-lasting fragrance that rides evenly and comfortably on your skin. There is something very nostalgic about Grand Cuir that I find appealing where it feels a bit forbidden, but at the same time by today’s standards comes off as rather innocent.

From Parfums Retro:

A fragrant composition in four parts:

A leather soul from start to finish
Spicy and herbaceous accents
A multi-dimentional floral heart
A comfortabel, relaxed base.

Grand Cuir Notes:

Cistus-labdanum, birch tar, clary sage, orange flower, lavender, carnation, rose, violet leaf, geranium, cinnamon leaf oil, tarragon, pine moss, sandalwood, rosewood, patchouli, musk, rosewood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: I keep going back to the 1960s. It’s manly without being brutish and it’s comfortable without being sloppy.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE GRAND CUIR: nostalgic, easy, vintage

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GRAND CUIR: Kafkaesque, Scents Memory, Perfume Project NW

BOTTOM LINE: As many of you know, leather is not one of my favorite notes. Grand Cuir is about as close to changing my mind that I have found. The leather isn’t hard, but instead is just slightly naughty…in a nostalgic way. I have noted that a couple of bloggers have named Grand Cuir on their “best of 2013” lists, including Kafkaesque and Eyeliner on a Cat, so I recommend that if you like leather fragrances (and even if you don’t), that you check Grand Cuir out!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Leather
Nose: Hugh Spencer
Classification: Leans masculine
Expense: $155 for 100ml EdP

Disclosure: Product for review provided courtesy of Parfums Retro.